This was one of the harder chapters to initially write and odd to edit, then even more strange to totally revamp again, but hopefully it's decent. I don't like that Bella just hops on a bike and there's no consequence when these are painted as sketchy people by Stephanie Meyer- but I am in no way saying all bikers are like this! Many are kind and treat women with respect. Possible trigger warning in this chapter due to violent scene. Reader discretion is advised. Constructive criticism and reviews are very much encouraged!
I don't own Twilight- only my OC's
Chapter 3
Bella allowed me a chance to get slightly more presentable and lent me her jacket for this evening. Jessica was going to take us in her car because neither of us really felt the ancient truck would make it there in one piece and I still did not yet have anything to drive.
We were currently getting ready in the bathroom while Uncle Charlie, who was thrilled that we would be going shopping with one of her school friends, was at work. Bella reluctantly allowed me to put some light eyeshadow and moisturizing lip tint on her just to accentuate her features. She has amazing skin, so she doesn't really need anything anyway.
"So what's Jessica like?" I asked Bella as I put the finishing touches on my own makeup.
"She's okay. Kind of annoying, but she can't help it. She's also sometimes thoughtless when she talks so she can come off rude, but I don't think she really means to. Why do you bother with makeup though? Your grey eyes are very pretty and your skin is almost glowing. It goes well with your hair."
"Honestly I don't know." I mused, calling it good after putting a clear mascara on before continuing "My skin isn't nearly as flawless as yours. But it looks odd to do a bb cream to even my complexion and leave my eyes blank. I don't like doing much to them, but it makes me feel more put together I guess. Mom was an artist- she loved painting anything and everything. She used to do makeup before she got sick. Uncle Brian still raves about her skills and he let me take this makeup class when I was around eleven or so. Poor man even took it with me so I wouldn't be alone. I still have pictures somewhere."
"Your godfather doesn't seem the type to do that with you. Charlie doesn't talk bad about him or anything, it's just hard to picture I guess."
"Oh it was totally abnormal of him. If I didn't have evidence I'd swear it was a dream. My mom would occasionally put makeup on him too. Just a few things here and there. Her favorite expression was 'your face is your canvas'. I do it like she used to. She liked to enhance beauty and followed more French style makeup than American."
She nodded before checking her watch and mumbling "That makes sense I guess. Jessica should be pulling up any moment. You can sit up front if you want."
I smiled and put down my brush. Upon hearing a noise in the driveway, I slid on my jacket and raced downstairs. I was mindful to take only what was necessary- such as my ID, my insurance card, some money, a card for emergencies, and a few things I prayed I would never have to need- but living in New York and having an overprotective uncle (or two, now that I moved here), made me learn it's better to have it and not need it should things go awry. Bella followed me downstairs in a more casual fashion, an apprehensive look adorning her features.
Jessica must've been expecting me because she didn't seem surprised when I walked out with Bella. "Hi! You must be Lily. Bella hasn't told me much about you but then again you guys are estranged right? And you're her dad's niece? What did you like to do in New York? I bet the shopping was amazing there!" I watched the bubbly brunette take a breath before I spoke.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you. Thanks for letting me be a third wheel tonight and tag along. Bella and I haven't had a chance to hang out much, and yes Charlie is my uncle. New York was very…. Different." I settled. "But the shopping was also nice. A tad too expensive for my taste at times though." I laughed a little and saw Bella's smirk in Jessica's rearview mirror. Shopping definitely wasn't her thing.
"Oh! Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I've never had the money to go into most of those places they advertise before, but it might be fun to like, shop and pretend to belong? At least for a day."
I nodded. This girl was a little too over the top, but she was harmless enough. In a small town like Forks, they probably feel much the same as Uncle Brian did about them- always curious of the other spectrum's side but not willing to venture forth. Bella forewarned me that I was a commodity to most and that she'd probably be trying to gauge our similarities. We made some more small talk on the ride up to Port Angeles with Bella occasionally interjecting in the back seat. The stores had extended hours being the weekend, but we still only had about four hours left. Everything that wasn't a restaurant or the movie theater closed around nine. Luckily there weren't too many places around. Jessica would put Uncle Brian to shame with her love of fashion and shopping. I was glad she was having fun- her personality was somewhat infectious- even if it hadn't rubbed off on Bella yet.
We were just about to trail behind Jessica with her five outfits when I spotted a few cashmere sweaters on sale. After checking the quality and affirming their authenticity, I decided to split up with Jessica while Bella accompanied me. I got two in random colors just to check sizing purposes- one in extra small and one in small. The extra small was a little bit too form fitting for my taste, but the small was decent. It was a deep emerald green.
"Hey Bella, will you do me a favor?"
Bella got up from where she was sitting and asked "What do you need?"
"Try this on" I said simply, tossing the sweater her way. She seemed to be close to the same size and I thought the color would look nice. She grumbled but reluctantly tried it on. And as expected, she looked great in it. I think even she was amazed by how good given the blush that spread over her cheeks as she admired it in the full length mirror.
"You said you needed a warmer sweater" I quipped, studying how that transformed her overall appearance.
"You're insane. $150 for a sweater?" She sent an incredulous look my way, as though I'd grown two heads.
"It's a great price! Plus, it's soft and warm. If you take care of it, this will last a few years. It does state that it's 100% on the tag. My last one lasted about 5 years in New York and saved me more times than I can count. I think we have similar weather patterns."
"But I can't afford it!" She sputtered, eyeing it in terror.
"But do you like it? And do you like the color?"
She hung her head down before meekly answering "Yes".
"Then what does it matter how much it costs?" I took her back to the table display and rechecked sizes.
Knowing she'd protest if I let her know what I was doing, I kept hold of the emerald one and found two black, a burgundy, a soft blue, a muted gold, another emerald, and a soft shade of lavender in our sizes before heading up behind a woman at the register while Jessica stood off to the side. I had called out to her before we tried them on so she'd have a heads up and both she and Bella looked dumbstruck with my purchases.
"The total will be $1,332- would you like them in a special bag and separate?" The salesman eyed me warily as I said one bag was fine.
"I'd like to pay in cash if I may?" I asked polite while handing over $1,350 to him. Poor man had to verify that all bills were real and it was clear he expected them to be fake. I didn't know whether to pity him or be completely annoyed. It was clear that most didn't come here to stock up on cashmere and spend a lot of money that wasn't on a credit card of sorts. He handed me back the remaining $18 silently as I left with them both in tow.
"Hey Jess, let's put these in your trunk? I'd rather not be carrying this around all evening". I asked, hoping that she would stop staring at me like that.
"You spent so much money!" she gaped.
"I needed new sweaters" I shrugged simply.
"How did you get all that money? Are you a trust fund baby, does your Dad give you a huge allowance or something? Did you make it legally?" Her eyes were wide as she awaited my answer.
"Jessica!" Bella exclaimed and shot me an apologetic look. I laughed uncomfortably before replying to her.
"That's rather rude. But to answer your question, I do have money. It came from good investments on my Uncle Brian's part when my mom died. But I also worked part time for the last year and he wouldn't allow me to pay rent- only for my food and transportation. Even that was something he did so with reluctance. My dad has never been around. He was more like a sperm donor really."
My answers seemed to satisfy her and she became quiet while we moved onto this cool bookstore I knew Bella was dying to check out. Jessica was not the type to enjoy books. She still came along and didn't make any comments, much to Bella's surprise. I was still glad that both of them were having a decent time so far, even though they had vastly different interests. Bella and I were excitedly browsing the shelves while she hung further back playing with her cell phone.
"I really hope she wasn't upset when I called her rude." I mused wistfully.
"She'll get over it. It's more to do with her wanting to text Mike and this not being as fun to her as shopping is. Besides, you weren't wrong about her being rude. And it's probably a lot for her to process. It's hard for most people to process here." Bella hesitated briefly at a title her hand had skimmed over before continuing her browsing.
I nodded and looked past her towards the section marked 'New Age'. It was filled only halfway with books on lucid dreaming, crystals, a few books on magic, and a mixture of Tarot and Oracle Card decks. I gazed at them longingly before turning back to see what Bella had chosen. The shop only had about ten minutes until it closed and we had all agreed on a pizza place prior to coming to the bookshop as it was already getting pretty late. We had initially decided on a movie after dinner, but Jessica wasn't a horror fan and I shared the same distaste as Bella for the romantic comedy she had pleaded for us to see.
When Bella and I had made our purchases, we all headed to the car and parked on the strip near the restaurant. It was decent pizza, though a tad overpriced for the size. I couldn't complain though. Tonight was a success in my eyes thus far. Bella even smiled some! I don't like that Jessica never lost her attitude and how she seemed to know how to hit my last nerve without even trying. Something tells me Bella wanted me as backup and was grateful I had agreed. Or maybe just grateful I had held my tongue around her. Jessica and I could both be completely thoughtless and speak in manners that could offend the other with ease. I made sure to pay for dinner with my last remaining amount of cash I had carried (I didn't like carrying around money period and especially not as much as I'd had, so I was glad to be rid of it and that I had calculated accordingly), while my ID and emergency card were zipped safely in my jacket.
Jessica shot me an appreciative look for paying as we braced ourselves for the chilly air outside. It was the least I could do for her driving here. I was recapping the night to commit it to memory and thought it was without incident. But I was suddenly pulled out of my reverie when Bella looked as though she'd seen a ghost. She was deathly pale and mumbled His name in disbelief. I looked over to see a gang of burly drunken men and instantly got an ill feeling in my stomach. One of those guys can't be Edward.
Bella walked towards them a little more so while they cat called at us all. We were about two blocks away from Jessica's car. I shot her a quick glance and her face held alarm as she called out Bella's name and moved forward to grasp her hand. Whatever spell she was under was broken now.
"What the hell?" she exclaimed as she hurried my cousin along. Bella blinked at us apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I thought I knew one of those guys."
"Whatever Bella. Jessica is right; let's go." I sent an icy glare and tugged her along with Jessica, trying not to panic as I saw a couple of them abandon their bikes and skulk towards us. We picked up the pace from a brisk walk into a sprint as they began to chase us and I don't remember thinking anything past get to safety. The alarm bells in my head were sounding off and my body was running on adrenaline. Jessica ran ahead and we weren't too far behind, until Bella slipped and fell.
"Ouch!" she cried out, and tried to stand. Naturally, Jessica ran to safety without us, and I could only hope it was to get help. The guys were too close for me to get Bella up and get us both to safety.
"Well well, don't we have some lookers here Slade?" one of them said, and both smiled lecherously at us. Slade licked his lips before confirming.
"I'd say we do Jet. Now why did you two run away when we called out for you? You're both way too pretty to be single… Not that the details particularly matter. We're all going to have a great time tonight. Or, at least my buddy and I will". Both men laughed dangerously as Bella cowered near a wall and I was in the open.
"Listen guys. I'm sure that you're nice and all but so not our type. I don't think you want to mess with underage girls who also happen to be related to the chief of police, no?" I smiled coolly, hoping that my confidence would disarm them. My lies were only half truth, but a necessity.
"Oh, we won't tell if you won't. Though I might need some reassurance that you'll keep your trap shut, since you're so keen to point out who you're related to. Maybe I should cut your pretty little tongue out." The guy, Jet, smiled back equally cold. His eyes showed a sadistic gleam that made it clear he meant it.
I'd encountered a few creeps like this back in New York. Crime was more common, but there were also more people. Crying out for help here or making the wrong move would kill us both. But if I could protect my innocent cousin, I would. A part of me hopes that she would follow Jessica's lead if given a chance to. She was a liability here. My fingers were twitching at my sides, desperate to find a way out and praying I didn't make the wrong move. Everything after was a blur- they put their hands on me and that's when instinct took over. I wasn't a skilled fighter by any means, but self-defense was something I had learned early on. Trouble followed me almost as closely as it did Bella after all, and I had had one too many flirtations with this.
Of the many times it had happened, only once had I failed. I couldn't do so again. Bella could not be like me. I could not let myself be that way again either. Hands grasped both arms as I was pushed against a wall roughly, my cheek scraping against it. One of them punched me roughly in the ribs and I felt another punch near my collar bone. No, not quite a punch… I didn't have time to ascertain what it was.
"Where's your voice now little girl? Better yet, where's daddy? You may as well use it while you can." Slade growled out as I felt metal against my neck.
This was their game, and I was their favorite toy since I was the obvious threat. But this was the perfect time for Bella to escape. She had moved closer to the edge of the alley way. I felt hot tears of relief poor down my cheek as I braced myself for what was next. If only I could reach inside my pocket safely I might have a chance. Suddenly, Slade was thwacked hard on the head with some metal bat Bella had found in the trash. It stunned them, but with the knife now gone I had to pray she had knocked him out or could hold her own. I quickly got out of Jet's grasp and dislocated his shoulder as I then in turn shoved him up against the wall and pulled out my pocket stun gun. Once he was down, we had about five to ten seconds, and I kicked the back of his knees for reassurance and to gain more time. Bella had hit Slade again for good measure. After a quick glance at Bella, who'd knocked Slade out cold, I grabbed her hand as we ran as fast as we could to Jessica. Please don't have driven away without us. I prayed silently and found Jessica by her car talking to a police officer. Bella was limping more noticeably now and the adrenaline rush was well spent.
"Thank god you guys are safe! I am so sorry I left. But I had to get away and call the police. An ambulance is on the way. Are you hurt? Did they hurt you? Where are they?" Jessica asked us frantically. We were both too exhausted to speak. All I could do was point to the alley way we had come from.
Bella seemed to be shell shocked. Maybe Jessica was too. The cop on the scene took our statements while a paramedic checked us over. They insisted that we ride in the ambulance, which we refused as we were both over the age of 18. Jessica drove us. We were in the hospital and I could hear Uncle Charlie burst through the doors in panic.
"Where is my daughter and niece? How are they?"
"Hey Uncle Charlie."
I waved to him weakly, too worn out to muster much more. They found severe bruising on my collar bone. I had a mild concussion and bruised ribs as well. My cheek was just scraped, but they assumed I would probably have a black eye. There was also a barely noticeable scrape at my neck where the knife had been held to it. They gave me a mild sedative that doubled as a pain killer and looked Bella over to make sure she was alright. She had apparently sprained her left ankle and had a few scrapes and bruises from where she hit the pavement but nothing too dire. Her ankle was agitated from running on it. Jessica hadn't sustained any injuries. Uncle Charlie being here seemed to snap Bella back to reality as she sharply looked back at him.
"Dad, it's okay. We're okay. We escaped and nothing happened". Uncle Charlie's face was dark with fury.
"And just what happened?" He turned toward the officer and waited for her to speak.
"Sergeant Kellar sir." She shook Uncle Charlie's hand and continued "From what we gathered, your girls and their friend were chased and assaulted by two men near the cinema when they were heading back to the vehicle. We see the obvious injuries, and we are currently trying to track them down. Your niece gave us good descriptions, so we are optimistic that we will be able to bring them to justice. They fled the scene before we arrived." Sergeant Kellar shot my cousin and I sympathy filled apologetic looks before glancing back at Uncle Charlie. "We will be sure to notify you as soon as we find them Mr…"
"Chief Swan". He supplied and she shot him a hard stare.
"Right. Chief Swan. You have my word. And you're very lucky- it seems you have very brave and smart girls here." She gave him a small smile before leaving briskly, bidding us a good evening and to call if we remember anything else.
The ride home was quiet. Jessica's parents picked her up and she rode with one of the while the other drove her car back. Somehow in the midst of the chaos, she remembered to get our bags out of the back. It was very late at this point. I had managed to get mine and Bella's purchases from her car at the hospital thankfully, so we could have something to keep us occupied from the crushing silence in the car. I was groggy from the pain and exhausted from the meds that were wearing off, but alert enough for Uncle Charlie to hand me his cell phone.
"You need to call Brian. I am sure he's worried sick." He shot me a pointed look and I began to reassure him that I was okay.
I had promised to go more in depth soon, when I wasn't so out of it that I could barely focus. He agreed after hearing that I was alive and made my family promise to call if something changed and to make sure I was really going to be alright. Uncle Charlie set Bella up on the couch and had an air mattress with my pillows and some warm blankets brought down.
"You two are having a type of sleep over down here tonight. No arguments! Bella, keep Lily awake and Lily, please take care of Bella. I know you've both been through a lot. Goodnight girls."
And with that he bid us farewell until morning. I could have just been paranoid after the ordeal, but I couldn't help feeling like we were still be watched. I even could have sworn that I saw a blur of flashing red hair... All I knew for sure was that we weren't out of danger just yet.
