Closer To The Truth
AN:The mating bond can be a bitch. If you're confused about Bella's power it's to compel or push, meaning she can make someone do what she wants, like a mind control sort of thing.
"What's gotten into you, Bella?" Bella is well aware that the past few weeks have wrecked havoc on her state of being, but that doesn't mean she appreciates her friends pointing it out.
"Stop asking." Okay, so maybe snapping at Jessica isn't the right thing to do. "Sorry," She sighs and runs a hand through her already tousled hair. "Just...sorry, okay?" She gives her friend a pleading look, hoping she'll understand and back off without further questioning.
Jessica nods and then shrugs. "It must be something going around, I mean have you seen the way Ms. Denali is acting? One minute it looks like someone murdered her family and then the next she's acting like she's going to murder all of us. I wonder what's up with her." If only Jessica knew, no that's a horrible idea. Bella knows and that's already one too many if her opinion. She doesn't want to know why Ms. denali is acting this way. She doesn't want to know that she's had anything to do with it. Bella just really wishes that she could compel herself at this point, something that's she's never wished before, and that just makes it all worse.
And she's pissed, she's so pissed because why does she deserve to feel this way? She doesn't even know why she's moppy and pathetic one moment and then irate and volatile the next, and she doesn't fucking deserve it. What's worse is that there is no earthly reason as to why she's feeling like this, not one single damn reason. "Bella. Bella. Bella!" She shakes herself and looks at her c to her friends...who are all standing? "The bell rang like five minutes ago...seriously, what's wrong Bella?" Jessica asks in a hushed voice, waving off the others.
Bella stands and heaves her backpack over one shoulder. Bella sighs and looks around before pulling Jessica toward the exit. "Don't worry about it, okay? I'm just going through something and I really can't talk about it."
Jessica frowns and nods. "Fine, but you can talk about it, if you want and that's all I'm going to say about that."
Bella smiles the first genuine smile she's given in a long time. "You're the best, Jess."
Jessica flips her hair back. "Duh." It makes Bella laugh as they reach the door and she's thankful because when she sees Ms. Denali it's not so bad for a moment, and she'll take a moment's reprieve than the continued agony. Ms. Denali's glaring at Jessica and it actually makes Bella roll her eyes and scoff under her breath, but Ms. Denali must have heard because she gives Bella a hurt look before quickly schooling her features.
Bella has absolutely no reason to feel this bad, Ms. Denali is her teacher and they should only have one relationship. So why does Bella feel like she's pushed away someone how could have been important to her?
It's agony sitting in this class and having to look at Ms. Denali, so when the bell rings Bella can't be more relieved for it. That is, until she hears Ms. Denali's voice. "Ms. Swan please stay, we need to discuss a few things." Bella groans and it earns her a sympathetic look from Jess, but the girl sure doesn't stick around. Bella stays in her seat and it makes Ms. Denali come to her. "Bella?" She winces at the use of her name but she looks up anyhow.
"My grades are fine so what do we have to talk about?" Maybe she's being a little harsh, but how else is she supposed to react?
Ms. Denali sits in Jessica's seat, half turned so she can look at Bella, but Bella can't look her in the eye. "You can't just compel me and make this go away." Bella's eyes nearly popped out of her skull as she whips her head around to stare at her smirking teacher.
"W-What? I don't know what you're talking about." She stutters and curses herself for it, because nothing is more convincing than a nice stutter.
"Yes you do, but it's okay, we don't have to talk about that. I do however, wish you'd talk to my friend Eleazar. I think he can better help you to understand what's going on with you. You should talk to my sister Kate as well, she was a power too." That catches Bella's attention.
Bella licks her lips in a nervous gesture and leans forward, closer to Ms. Denali. "Other people can...she can do things too?" A bloom of hope opens in her chest at the possibility of not being alone, of not being the only freak.
Tanya smiles gently and that churning feeling she's had in her stomach for the past few weeks calms and settles. "You're not alone Bella, not by a long shot." Bella allows a smile of her own to show. "What do you say? I can give you directions to my home? I promise not to overstep again, but I want to help. Be warned though...Edward is my cousin, unfortunately."
Bella weighs her options, Edward she can handle and with Tanya acting like this, well she thinks she can handle Tanya as well. And yeah, it doesn't escape Bella on how easy it is for her to switch from Ms. Denali to Tanya, but that's not of her concern right now. "Yeah, I think I'd like to talk with them." Tanya smiles but Bella senses she's not completely happy with Bella's words, but that's not Bella's problem, is it?
Tanya scribbles down directions to her home in Bella's notebook. "Great, come anytime you like, god knows Kate has a lot of time on her hands." She says it with a chuckle and it makes Bella smile again.
"Okay." Bella stuffs the notebook into her backpack and stands. "Thank you...Ms. Denali." She's not going to say Tanya's name aloud, that'd give the wrong impression because there's no way she wants anymore of a relationship with her other than Tanya being her teacher. No way.
It's been two weeks since Tanya had invited Bella over to her home and Bella has spent more than a handful of days in Tanya's house , which is in the middle of fucking nowhere, and she's glad she did because she's learned a lot about herself, and about Tanya's family, but Kate, she's just plain crazy. "I swear to god if you shock me one more time I'm going to make you kiss your fucking cousin." Bella growls as she moves away from a giggling Kate, but her giggles stop at Bella's threat.
"You're no fun." Kate pouts.
"Leave her alone Kate!" Tanya yells from somewhere in the house. That's another thing, Tanya promptly disappeared when Bella arrived, most likely as to respect Bella's wishes and trying to make Bella more comfortable. Bella didn't get the chance to tell her that she doesn't want Tanya to be uncomfortable in her own home. Kate pouts more at Tanya's order and Bella can't help but grin smugly at her.
Kate catches it and then starts to snicker at Bella. "You know, you're like the younger sister I've always wanted!"
Bella's glad she's finding amusement in this situation, can you sense the sarcasm? "What a coincidence, Kate. You're like the older sister that I've never wanted. Aw, twinsies." Bella mocks and she takes great pleasure in seeing Kate's ego suffer for a moment, but only a moment.
"Don't worry, Bella. I'll grow on you." Kate promises with a wink.
"Like a fungus." Bella counters under her breath, at the same time loud laughter erupts from the other side of the house.
Kate's pouting again. "I heard that."
Bella shrugs and turns back to the ignored Eleazar. "I don't care." A sharp shock stings her side and she throws down her book. "That's it!" She turns on Kate but the woman is already up and running away. Bella takes off after her, but Kate stays just out of reach. Bella turns the corner heading toward the kitchen and runs smack dab into another cold hard body. Fuck, are they all built like statues? She looks up, rubbing her elbow only to see that creepy smile Edward permanently has on his stupid face.
"Hello, beautiful." Bella gags, no she actually gags.
"Gross." She says to his face. She moves to walk around him, but he stops her with a hand to her elbow. "What the fuck! Let me go." She grits her teeth as a sharp pain shoots through her elbow. She tries to pull her arm away but it's of no use.
"I want to talk to you." He's demanding, not asking.
"You're hurting me." As soon as the words leave her mouth Tanya is by her side and Bella has no idea how she got there but she really doesn't care right now, because she's actually scared right now.
Tanya tries to place as much of Bella behind her as she can, "You heard her, Edward." Yeah, Tanya growls, that's something interesting. There's a moment of silence then Edward all but throws Bella's arm and Bella has to grip onto the back of Tanya's shirt to stay steady. She's had enough.
Bella steps around Tanya and places herself between Tanya and her cousin. She locks eyes with him. "Walk away and don't approach me again. Never touch me."
Edward's eyes flash and then he's walking away. She can feel Tanya behind her, close enough for the cold of her body to seep through Bella's thin shirt. Bella wonders why the hell Tanya's family is always cold. "How long will that last?"
Bella turns at Tanya's question and blows out a long sigh, her hand running through her hair on instinct. "A week...maybe." Bella shrugs. "I can never tell. On some people it can last a month, on others only hours. It depends on how susceptible they are to influence, at least that's Eleazar's theory. I'm willing to bet his stubbornness and ego will break the compulsion sooner rather than later."
Tanya nods. "Is it my stubbornness that breaks your compulsion within hours?" A weird, self conscious smile plays at Tanya's lips and it makes Bella frown.
Bella shakes her head and looks in Tanya's eyes for a long minute. "No…"
"No?" Tanya picks up and prompts Bella when she trails off.
Bella shrugs a shoulder, her eyes flicker to the floor only to return to Tanya's golden gaze. "I've never really meant my pushes on you." Her admission is soft and quiet but Tanya seems to have heard her loud and clear as that stunning smile takes over her face, and like always, Bella can't stop herself from smiling back.
"Am I wrong to feel happy about that?" Tanya asks, moving unnoticeably closer to Bella.
This time when Bella looks away, she doesn't turn back. "I should go."
Bella hears Tanya sigh and that pulls her attention back onto the blonde. "I've made you uncomfortable again."
Immediately Bella rushes to correct her. "No, Edward makes me uncomfortable." She rubs at her elbow, remaining silent as Tanya's eyes linger there for a moment, her eyes darkening. "You...you always catch me off guard. I don't know how to act around you."
Tanya frowns. "I only ever want you to act as yourself, Bella."
Bella nods. "I'll work on it." Tanya smiles at her then silently they both walk to the front door, pausing only to collect Bella's things from the living room and to say goodbye to the rest of the family.
"I'll see you on monday, Bella." Tanya smiles, leaning against the frame of her front door.
Bella hesitates to say goodbye though and with a heavy sigh she does what she's promised herself she wouldn't do. "Look, I'm going to Anchorage tomorrow, a day trip kind of thing...I'd uh like it if you came, so I don't get lost." It's a loosey excuse and they both know it but luckily Tanya lets her get away with it.
Tanya grins at her. "I'd love that. I can pick you up at seven?"
Bella nods and takes a step back. "I'll see you at seven." She confirms and makes herself walk away. The only thing on her mind is the thought, did she just ask her teacher out on a date?
'Fucking hell...I think I just asked my teacher out on a date.' Unaware by Bella, her teacher was having much of the same thoughts on the other side of the door.