Ch. 16 McDowner

"Iris?! Iris, can you hear me?" Ugh...someone was holding my eyelids open and shining a light in it. What the hell are you checking my pupillary reaction for? It was a gunshot not a head injury. "Get her on the table! NOW!" I'd heard that tone from Dr. Powell often. It meant everything was going to shit.

"She's losing blood. I need 2 units of P-R-B-C's STAT. Do we have access yet?"

"Working on it. Iris, honey, stop moving your arm. I have to get the IV in. You've lost a lot of blood."

"S...susan?" My vision was growing dark. Like looking down a long tunnel with the lights out on a sunny day.

"Yeah it's me, honey." I really liked her. She was a badass nurse who got shit done. She could come off a little harsh, but we all knew she was only crass because she was so passionate about doing her job. I'm glad she was here.

"I...I'm..c..c..cold." I stuttered as I watched her short brown spiked hair bob up and down at my arm as she inserted the peripheral line. I didn't even feel the needle break my skin or the catheter inserted. This was bad.

"I know, honey. We're working on it. Stay with me. She's got access! Sean, give me the blood infusion set...What do you mean it isn't primed? What the hell have you been doing this whole time?! Give it to me." She sounded frantic. Susan always sounded so calm and collected. This was a really bad sign. I was going to die.

•PTaT•

"So that's when I told her that she would just have to get over it. Sometimes you just gotta say no, you know?"

"Yeah..." God, this kid was boring and full of himself. He had just spent the whole half hour lunch break recalling this one time he had a "stalker." Except he didn't have a stalker. The girl he was talking about was Gwen from my fifth period chemistry class. I overheard her one day talking about him, and how he wouldn't take no for an answer. I guess he decided if he told the story the other way around enough times, it might stick. Jackass.

I wouldn't have put up with this shit, but I was on an Edward detox. I decided I needed to branch out and make new friends, so here I was. Meet Matt McDerman, my newest friend. He likes to spread bullshit lies around school about helpless girls to make himself sound cooler, and he gets away with it because his daddy runs some big rig oil company outside of town. The only reason he lives in Forks is because his parents were legally separated, and his mom wouldn't start getting her checks until after the divorce. Jessica told me about that. Oh yeah, did I mention that she's talking to me again? Well, she is. I have the sneaking suspicion that this reunion has to do with me showing up to school riding with he-who-must-not-be-ogled. And HE was super ogle-worthy.

At least Angela is really nice and normal. I would have sat with her and Jessica at lunch except all the seats were taken, so Matt McDouchey it was. Won't make that mistake again.

Alice shot me a strange look from across the cafeteria, and Edward even looked a little confused when I walked away from the pair after gym, but I just told them I had already promised McDumbass that I would sit with him. I'm sure Edward would know that was a lie since McDickface was so surprised when I followed him back to his table. Sitting at this guy's lunch table must be like the Forks High equivalent of going back to his place because all the "popular" girls including Jessica and Lauren were shooting daggers my way. Well, come get him, girls. Please.

I'm sure I looked bored out of my mind because five minutes before the end of lunch, Alice danced over to where I was seated and asked, "Bella, come to the bathroom with me?" A bathroom, seriously? What are you up to, female vampire who hasn't conventionally used a restroom in seventy-some-odd years?

"Ok..."

I followed her out of the building and around the corner where she stopped close to the science building.

"Ok, spill."

"What?"

"Why do you look like someone killed your puppy?" Her tone was insistent. She came to conquer.

"What do you mean? I'm happy as ever. See?" I plastered a huge grin on my face for her sake.

"That's crap and you know it. What's wrong? Why didn't you sit with us?"

"I'm just giving you guys some space. How are you going to talk about me, if I'm always around?" I laughed humorlessly.

"We can speak at sub-human hearing levels, duh. Did your books teach you nothing? Now tell me what's wrong or I might go and find a puppy to kill."

"Too far, Alice. Animal cruelty is a real problem."

"Sorry, but stop trying to distract me. I hate seeing my best friend so sulky. Why won't you tell me?" Because I'm in love with your brother, and he doesn't even act like he sees me...

"Because I'm failing Spanish. I'm fluent in the language. How can I fail? I'm messing up poor Bella's impeccable record." I really was doing bad in there. It was just really hard to focus with...stop thinking about it, Iris.

"Nope. That's not it."

"I'm stressed about James and Victoria."

Alice hissed at the names, but perked back up immediately. "Oh just that? Don't worry about them. We've got that covered." She smiled. Well, I'm not so confident seeing as I'm mortal and all that. So...

"Yes, thank you, Alice. I'm sure it will be fine. Look, I've got to get to class. See ya."

"Cheer up." Alice kissed me on the cheek and bounced off to meet Jasper before her class started.

"Bella!" Oh look, it's Jessica. I'm so excited...

"So. What's going on with you and the Cullens? Are you guys like, friends?" Gag me. I changed my mind. I don't need anymore friends. I'll just go rot in a hole or something on my own.

"Yeah I guess."

"Ohmygosh! Tell. Me. Everything." She was so perky and envious. It was sad. I wonder if I just told her the truth that if she was friends with the Cullens her chances of living past the age of 18 were slim to none if she'd still want to be involved with them...Nah, she'd be excited about potential eternal youth. She'd probably start vampire cliques too.

"They're really nice. Alice likes to shop." My voice was so dead sounding, but she still squealed. Too much enthusiasm, please tone it down.

"I bet she didn't even look at the price tags. She always looks so perfect."

"I'll pass along the compliment. She'll be thrilled." I still sounded dead. Was this Bella's zombie voice?

"No! Don't tell her anything! She can't know that I asked about them." Too late, between her visions, super senses, and her mind-reading brother, there's a zero percent chance that she doesn't already know.

"Ok. I won't tell her. Secret's safe with me..." I made a show of zipping my mouth shut and locking it and throwing away the key. God, it's like I'm back in high school. Oh wait... "I've got to go. The bell rang like 3 minutes ago. Don't you have class too?"

"Free period." Oh so you just don't care if I'm late...bi—be nice, Iris.

I nodded, said goodbye, and walked away feeling like I had lost brain cells. It's fine. I didn't really need those anyway. It's not like I have severely injured my head three times in a month and half or anything. Whatever.

All through chemistry I just stared at the wall. I completed the stoichiometry equations during the lecture that were due at the end of class, finishing nearly twenty minutes before anyone else. That just meant more spare time to not think about you-know-who. Yay...

By the time I got to Spanish class, I was zapped. Emmett and Rosalie hadn't come back to school yet. They were back at the house practicing exposing Rosalie to my scent with some of my worn clothes, toothbrush, and hairbrush. Good luck. May the odds be ever in your favor...hey! That wasn't a Twilight reference. Progress!

There he was. McDreamy himself, staring at me with his amber eyes. Hola, guapo. Don't look at him. Just act chill. No big deal. Be normal. It's just...Ed—no don't think his name. You're detoxing from him.

"Hello, Bella. How was lunch?" He seemed polite as ever.

"Fine, thank you. How was yours?" I smiled innocently at him.

"Delicious." He chuckled. Oh, that voice...

"Good." I turned away from him to very slowly retrieve my pencil first, then my folder, and one more trip to get my workbook out. I was trying to take as much time up of this free first five minutes as possible without staring at the Adonis—Bella had it right—sitting next to me. I could tell he was frowning as I continued to take my time getting my desk ready.

"Is something wrong? You seem...off." Oh, now you're concerned with my mood? Good timing.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you though."

"Iris..." he whispered my name, making sure no one around would hear. "What is it? Alice said you were concerned about our...visitors?"

"Yes, but I know you'll be excellent hosts. I'll be fine, really." My chest was hurting. Is this what it felt like for your heart to break? I suddenly felt really bad for George, my favorite patient.

"We will take care of them. Don't worry about it." Famous last words...let's hope you don't have to eat those words, Edward. Oh crap. Stop thinking his name.

"¡Hola, clase!" Saved by the Spanish teacher yet again.

After school, I caught up to McDouche. Wow, I really need to practice thinking Matt, so I don't accidentally call him that out loud.

"Hey, Mc—Matt." See like that, idiot.

"What up, Iz?" Oh you're so clever. Is that how you get all the girls?

"Hey, could I get a ride home? I rode with someone else this morning, but—"

"Yeah, for you, anything." Ew. If he wasn't so scrawny I might be scared to be alone with him, but I'm pretty sure I could break this kid with my pinky.

"Thanks."

"Bella?" There HE was again.

"Hey. I'm going to catch a ride with Matt. Alice is coming over to the house later after she...hikes."

"You guys hike in the middle of the day after school too?" McDoodoo asked.

"Yeah they're real nature enthusiasts. I don't get it either." I shrugged.

"Are you sure? I don't mind driving you." HE said, ignoring the McDumpster. He looked really concerned, or at least I thought he did. I might just be seeing what I wanted to see again.

"Yup. Have fun." The Cullens had been hunting in shifts to stay as well-fed as possible to keep their strength up in case things got bad. Today they were all going, in groups of two at a time, to get ready for the meeting tomorrow. The plan was still to greet them and send them on their way, but I wasn't as optimistic as Carlisle. I hated that I couldn't just take care of the problem by myself. I think some of Bella's guilt-ridden, self-sacrificial tendencies were working into my brain.

"Alright. Just call me if you need anything...Anything at all." He stressed the last part, his voice low and sultry. No, no, no. It wasn't sultry. You're imagining this. Clean your brain out. We're detoxing over here!

McDipshit drove terribly. If it weren't for the fact that I lived so close, I might have jumped out of the car while moving, but I figured I could handle a couple of miles. He almost hit a truck...that was parked. What the hell?

I thanked him, and hopped out vowing to never stoop so low again. I would just have to drive my own truck from now on.

As McDimwit drove off, I noticed that Charlie's cruiser wasn't in the drive. Welp, I guess it's just me, myself, and Iris. I waked in the house, skipping the couch, and heading straight for my bed. I just wasn't in the mood to be a human tonight. Being a zombie felt much better.

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