The Start of Something
AN: For the purposes of convenience for this story, Anchorage is only a little over an hour away from Denali. It's a short chapter, and you might think that things are moving way too fast but just have a little faith, okay?
When Bella wakes from her sleep the clock reads half past five and though she desperately wishes to go back to sleep her body has other plans for her. After ten minutes of wrestling her covers she gives up and starts getting ready for the long day ahead, as it takes about an hour to get from Denali to Anchorage. Luckily for her, time flies by as she readies herself and just as she's slipping into her shoes and jacket there's a soft knock at the door. Bella smiles when she locks at her phone, seven sharp. "Hey, Tanya." She grins after opening the door.
"Good morning, Bella." Tanya smiles back and motions for Bella to go first as they make the way to Tanya's car, which by the Mercedes emblem, she knows it to be quite expensive. She doesn't know what the GLE SVU quite means, obviously it's the model type but it doesn't mean much more than expense to Bella.
As she sits, buckled up in the soft leather interior she can only laugh. "I can safely say that this is the most expensive car I have ever been in."
Tanya answers Bella's laugh with one of her own. "Now that's just a shame, luxury deserves luxury." Bella blushes at the comment and smartly ignores the way Tanya lick her lips. Bella wonders just how she got herself into this situation, how is she supposed to sit in this car for hours with her teacher which is inappropriate as is without it being glaringly obvious that Tanya is blurring the lines as much as Bella allows. Bella feels that maybe she's allowing too much, a big part of her though, feels as though she's not allowing enough.
The ride to Anchorage is a pleasant one filled with conversations of Tanya's adventures with her sisters, which at times Bella is sure Tanya made up, and how Bella had come to live with Charlie and how she discovered her power. "It just happened on day out of the blue. I was fourteen and my mom wouldn't let me go to a party at my friends house. 'I'm going to this party', I said and her eyes flashed and she repeated the words back to me. I didn't know what happened but it scared me because I knew I had did something to my mom and I felt horrible. I never did make it to that party." Bella sighs and shakes her head.
"You were young Bella, you couldn't have known." Tanya places a gentle hand on Bella's arm for a split second and though her touch is cold, Bella still finds comfort in it.
"Thanks." Bella gives a halfhearted smile, but Tanya takes it and moves along the conversation with yet another unbelievable story of her and her family.
Bella takes great joy that Tanya actually listens and is patient as Bella makes her way through a bookstore, even going as far as to suggest her favorite novel and going to get coffee when Bella makes an offhanded comment of wanting some when she smelt another customer's drink as he walked by. She opened the door for Bella and she had Bella walk on the inside of the sidewalk. At times, Bella thought Tanya was going to hold her hand, she was sure of it but it never happened. Tanya would just barely brush her knuckles against Bella's and Bella was surprised when, at one point, she actually wanted Tanya to just get it over with and grab her hand.
In turn, Bella swallows her distaste for shopping as Tanya flies from clothing store to clothing store. All the while as Bella watches her, Bella watches her. She watches Tanya's graceful movements and the way she smiled at Bella whenever commented on the way certain clothing items looked good on her. It wasn't as bad as shopping with Renee, actually, Bella had a lot of fun with this woman, even if they are breaking all sorts of rules. Bella knows by now that Tanya doesn't care for, and it's slowly making Bella have the same mindset. However, the more time Bella watches Tanya, the more Bella becomes suspicious.
Tanya hasn't had anything to drink or eat during their time together, even when they both order lunch in the food court of the large mall. Bella had watched as Tanya discreetly disposed of her food and made it look like she was eating when Bella knew she wasn't. Every time Bella mustered up the courage to ask, Tanya's phone would ring and she would give Bella a secret sort of smile that bewildered Bella and made her forget just what she was thinking about. If Bella didn't know any better she would think that Tanya was the one with the power to compel because she sure did have a way of having Bella wrap around her finger, and Bella was becoming more and more certain that Tanya was hiding something, they all were, and yet Bella found that the more time she spent in Tanya company the less she cared about what the secret was.
At the end of the day Tanya pulled onto Bella's street and Bella wasn't the least surprised that she was disappointed that the day was done. Tanya parks at the curb and turns off the car, moving in her seat just enough to make it easier for them to look at one another, Bella of course followed suit. "I had a lot of fun today, Bella."
It's so easy to see how genuine Tanya is being, as she has been all throughout the day as though Bella has granted her the grandest privileged and it makes Bella blush every time. "So did I...it was nice getting away from here and I'm glad we got to know each other better." Bella is rewarded with a dazzling smile and Bella's stomach gets butterflies and she's positive that her heart fluttered in her chest.
"Come on, I'll walk you to the door." Tanya nods toward the house.
"You don't have to." Bella protests, but Tanya ignores her as it at Bella's door before Bella has even unbuckled her seatbelt. Bella lets Tanya inside so that she can put down Bella's things in the entrance. Charlie is in the living room and shouts his hellos to them both without turning away from his game. They share soft laughter at the man. When Tanya takes a step back out onto the porch, she pauses and watches Bella as she leans against the door's threshold. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Bella almost curses herself because of course she'll see Tanya tomorrow, and that's when the world comes crashing down around her. Tanya is her teacher and what the hell is Bella doing?
Tanya must sense her sudden change in move because she takes that small step that separates the them. "Don't do that, please don't do that." Tanya almost pleads like she knows Bella is starting to overthink things and worrying over all the trouble they can get into, the trouble Tanya can get into for this, whatever this is. Bella stares into those golden eyes and a whirlwind of emotions hit her squarely in the chest, but the most prevalent one is a sadness that's responding to Tanya's distress.
Bella gives a nod. "I'll try not to." Bella promises and it's enough to get a small smile from Tanya. Tanya reaches out and Bella accepts the hug she offers. She's ashamed when she catches herself actually sniffing Tanya, but whatever perfume Tanya is wearing is way too enticing to ignore. "Goodnight, Tanya." Bella blushes as they pull away from a hug that lasted just a little too long but not long enough.
"Goodnight, Bella."
When Bella finds herself in math class on Monday, she's fully aware of the way she must look as she watches Tanya. All throughout class Bella switches from concentrating on her work and tracking Tanya around the class when she thinks no one is looking. However Tanya isn't any better and they often find themselves in a locked gaze. The end of the class changes everything for Bella. Ten minutes before the bell rings Tanya has everyone pack up and says she has an announcement to make, and it's an announcement Bella never saw coming. "Well class, as much as I have enjoyed the honor of being your teacher, I'm afraid today is my last day." Her eyes stray a little too much, and much too long, on bella, but nobody seems to notice as they're are just as shocked as Bella is about the news. "I've decided to pursue other interests of mine and as it turns out, I'm not that great at multitasking."
The class shares a laugh and it makes Tanya smile at them all. "So as a goodbye treat from me to you, I've worked out a deal for your test this friday. Since you'll be switching teachers so suddenly, Mr. Larsen has agreed to give everyone a five point bonus on their grade." The class erupts in cheers and claps. Tanya laughs and Bella can see that once again she's being completely genuine. Who knew that the strict math teacher everyone hated and loved was actually a huge softy at heart...well Bella kind of knew. The bell rings and a line of students wish her good luck and give their goodbyes, until it's only Bella, Edward and watches, a little amused, as Edward fights with his compulsion, but Bella's push wins out as he all but stomps from the room.
"I did this." Bella accuses, but Tanya smirks at her.
"No, I believe that I did this." Tanya corrects her.
Bella sighs and gives her the smallest of glares. "You know what I mean."
"I do," Tanya relents. "but there are a lot of reasons of why this is necessary and I'd rather not talk about it here. Come over tonight?"
Bella sighs and runs her hand through her hair. "I can't, Charlie wants to have a family dinner night, just the two of us." Bella gives her a sorry smile, but Tanya only smiles softly and understandingly at her.
"What about after that, we can go to my home, unless that's too late for you?" Tanya requests and Bella gets the feeling that her world is about to shift, but she refrains from commenting on it.
"Okay." Bella agrees and the brilliant smile Tanya gives her in return is enough for Bella to believe that everything is going to be alright...for now.
"You won't regret it." Tanya promises her as she to starts to pack up her things. "Want to help me carry out my things?" She produces to boxes from underneath her desk and starts filling them with all sorts of papers and knickknacks she's kept on her desk.
Bella smiles. "Sure." When everything is packed away Tanya gives her the lightest box and carries the other. She still manages to open every door for Bella on their way out of the building, and Bella ignores the way her friends stare at her as she makes her way to Tanya's car. They place the boxes into the trunk and Tanya gives her another soft smile when she closes the trunk.
"Tonight?" They're lingering and Bella knows that it must look a little bit suspicious...but Tanya isn't her teacher anymore, so that's something, isn't it?
Bella grins down at her shoes and then at Tanya. "Yeah." She grips the strap of her backpack, oddly feeling the need to hug Tanya but she restrains herself. Tanya looks at her as though she knows exactly what Bella is thinking, but that's just impossible. "I'll see you tonight."
"You have my number?" Bella rolls her eyes, because they both know that she does.
Bella laughs. "Of course I do."
"So you'll text me, or call, when you're ready?" Now Tanya is just teasing her, and Bella thinks, she's stalling.
"Yes. Yes." Bella shakes her head at Tanya's antics. "Now go, before people get the wrong idea."
Tanya smirks at Bella. "Let them think whatever they want because that wrong idea might just be right." She winks at Bella's blushing, dumbfounded face and gets into her car. Bella is still standing there as she drives off. After a moment she comes back to reality and starts over toward her truck...and her friends.
"So Bella…" Jessica starts. "What were you and Ms. Denali talking about."
Bella shrugs and tries to appear as nonchalant as she can as she throws her backpack into the cab of her truck. "Nothing really, I'm friends with her younger sister, Kate and she was just telling me that Kate found my my missing book." It's crazy how easy the lie slips from her lips and it's a little concerning how her friends are so quick to believe her. "Well I gotta go, my dad has this idea that he can cook dinner and I really don't want him to burn down the house." It's another lie, but again they believe her and for a moment Bella is worried that she's accidently compelled them, but no, that can't be right so she moves on.
They says their goodbyes and before Bella knows what's going on, she's already home, her head still in a daze from her conversation with Tanya and the conversation that they've yet to have. She wonders, what exactly has she gotten herself into?