Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me.~
But for cereal, sorry this is taking forever. I've been going through a hell of a lot since 2019, but I'm trying to start using my writing as a distraction. I figure whatever works to get the words out, yanno? I've been trying to make the chapters longer so at least you're waiting for a good chunk of fic.
Chapter 9: She Said, He Said
The next day at school was both awkward and technically eventful.
It started with Bella almost taking a swan-dive (wink wink) out of her truck after getting tangled up in the seatbelt, which was great to experience in front of everyone standing in the school parking lot.
Making her way to the school doors, all while pretending that people aren't still snickering at her constant clumsiness, she somehow picks up Mike along the way.
"Arizona! Missed you yesterday. What happened? Party too hard?" He asked, walking with her.
"Yeah, Cali. Huge rager at Ange's house, totally sick! I didn't even make it home until 4 AM, bro."
He nods, then a smile breaks through as they both laugh a little at their little routine.
They had basically the same conversation each week. It was kind of an ongoing joke between the two of them; her knowing that she was an officer's daughter with an in-depth knowledge of the hazards of excessive drinking, and him knowing that huge parties were few and far between in little old Forks.
"No, honestly, me and Ange just hung around her place and I went to hang with some other friends. Then I kinda, ya know, broke up with Edward. You know, a typical weekend. Nothing too wild," she told him as they reached her locker.
She could feel him staring at her as she put in her combination, resolutely not looking at him.
After switching out this for that and meticulously putting everything she needed in her bag, she finally had to acknowledge him and his incredulous stare.
"Look, it's not a big deal, okay! We weren't as good a fit for each other as we thought, so we're calling it quits. People break up every day, Mike."
"So you don't know why this is kind of a big deal? You guys were Bella&Edward! Do you hear the ampersand? The only time people ever saw you apart was when you were in separate classes or when you went to the bathroom! And you just told me, as casual as can be, that you guys broke up. And you don't know how that's gonna rock these idiots minds?"
Of course, as luck would have it, who would walk up in the middle of this little hissy fit but Jessica "Gossip Girl" Stanley.
Bella could see the whites of her eyes; that's how excited this bitch was.
She gasped (audibly and unnecessarily extra), and Bella could see the animation literally leave the guy's face. She didn't know exactly what went down the last time he and Jess were together, but Mike's steered clear of her as much as possible ever since.
She either didn't seem to notice or she just didn't care, as evidenced by the sinking of her claws into his arm.
"No! There's no way! You and Edward BROKE UP? When? How? Who dumped who?"
Questions are pouring out of her mouth in an annoying yet worryingly quick pace. She might've passed out if she didn't take a break to breathe life into her increasingly aggravating body.
Jess' eyes were boring into her, and, to tell the truth, Bella was not here for it.
"Honestly Jess, I'm not really in the mood for an inquisition, and I doubt I ever will be. My business is mine, and I'm not looking for it to be spread around. Yes, we broke up. That's all I'm saying."
With that, she walked off to the library, Mike joining her a little ways down the hall after escaping.
LRLR
Needless to say, by the time lunch rolled around, everyone and their second cousin's goldfish seemed to know that Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen had broken up.
They also knew that Isabella Swan was the one to instigate said breaking up, seeing as Edward Cullen was constantly caught gazing at her in a heartbroken, brooding fashion, while his siblings either straight up ignored him or gave her a commiserating look when they happened to catch her eye.
Something that was making one Isabella Swan kinda uncomfortable.
This left Bella trying to ignore the pointed stares and conversations around her, as she knew at least half of them were about her. This included her lunch companions, who'd been attempting to bring the subject up ever since she sat down.
She was hoping that she could put it off long enough to get through her meal and escape, possibly to the office.
Maybe the back of the library.
Unfortunately, one of them finally grew some balls.
Wasn't who she was expecting, though.
"Um, Bella… Edward's been staring at you for a while, and he seems kinda sad. Did something maybe happen?" It seemed to kill Angela to ask, torn between concern for a close friend and the desire for her privacy when around the school's biggest gossip.
Bella could've lied, but what would be the point? The whole school already seemed to know, and they probably did since Jessica's gigantic mouth couldn't hold water. It wasn't like she was ashamed of it; she just wanted her personal life to stay personal, especially considering the majority of her life and its secrecy concerned the supernatural.
She didn't want to lie to Angela. The girl would undoubtedly understand not wanting to discuss personal issues in a crowded cafeteria, but she'd proven that she could be trusted and she was someone Bella truly counted as a friend.
Why not tell her as much of the truth as she could?
"Yeaahh, we kinda… broke up over the weekend," she said, twirling her food around her fork. "Things just weren't working out anymore and that's pretty much it."
No one seemed to know how they were supposed to react. Mike and Jessica, of course, already knew, but she still acted surprised like the extra bitch she was. Lauren looked like her birthday came early, most likely thinking that she now had a shot with the newly single bachelor. And Angela, the sweetest cinnamon roll to have ever graced the halls of Forks High, just put an arm around her and said, "I'm here if you ever wanna talk about it, okay?"
Bella couldn't ask for a better friend, seriously.
She gave Angela a squeeze in return and started getting her things together, ready to get away from their unrelenting stares.
"Thanks, I'll call you later. Maybe we can hang out tonight."
Angela smiles warmly, " Yeah, of course. I'll see what's going on at home and let you know."
"Cool, see you guys later," she said to the other occupants of the table as she pushed in her chair.
She passed the Cullen table on her way outside and had to play the "let's pretend everything's normal, no this isn't awkward at all" game, giving them a (what she hoped was normal) smile and wave combo that (almost) never failed before finally making a successful getaway to the parking lot and freedom from social obligations.
"Bella! Wait up!"
Make that semi-successful.
Torn between stopping to talk to Mike and pretending like she didn't hear him, she ultimately chose the latter.
She came to a stop at the outdoor lunch tables and turned to face him, sitting on one with her feet on the seat. "Sit with me, Mike; what's on your mind?"
He came to sit beside her, and neither of them really spoke for a moment, simply enjoying the slight drizzle that'd started while they were inside. It was overcast as usual, sky gray and rain in the wind as it touched her face.
"You okay? Like for real, no jokes," Mike asked, head tilted slightly her way.
After taking a second, Bella simply answered "Yeah."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Okay," he said after giving a sigh. "Okay"
And they sat there for a while, occasionally knocking knees or elbowing each other absentmindedly while continuing to bask in the sounds of nature and the feeling of being embraced by the weather.
LRLR
Paul never thought of himself Imprinting; in all honesty, he'd never expected to. The Rez had been full of the same people day after day, and he'd known the majority of the population since he could remember.
If by some far off chance he did, he assumed it'd be some random woman he'd see one day on the street.
He'd introduce himself, evaluate the situation, maybe try and pursue a relationship, but ultimately just be someone she could count on, only from afar. He'd never tell her what he was, and she wouldn't bond with the pack, and they'd probably end up breaking up and deciding to just be friends within the span of, like, four months.
And Seth, innocent and wide eyed youngster that he is, questioned him as to why.
Why didn't he think he'd Imprint?
Why wouldn't he wanna be with his Imprint?
It's such an honor, why wouldn't he just thank Taha Aki and enjoy it?
The truth?
He didn't really want it.
He didn't want what the others had; they were weak, turned into harmless, drooling puppies that were at their imprints beck and call. They weren't the warriors, the protectors, that the gods had called for them to be any longer.
They weren't treating it how it was meant to be taken, like the gift it was supposed to be for those who were seen as worthy by Taha Aki herself, a reward for protecting your people and using your abilities for the sake of those around you.
No, all they cared about was their Imprint's wants and needs and how it corresponded to their own.
He wanted to believe that, if he was gifted with an Imprint, he'd be different.
He'd stay himself, not let someone change him irrevocably and in ways that benefited no one.
He would grow to love her of course, but he wouldn't let his adoration of her blind him to faults or wrongdoings, no matter what path they chose to do down. His calling would not be pushed to the side in exchange for worrying about the banal issues similar to those of his packmate's Imprints.
You could say that he wasn't too into the idea of Imprinting.
And then he saw her.
Isabella Swan.
Daughter of Chief of Police Charlie Swan, girlfriend of undead fucker Edward Cullen and long-time star of Jacob Black's dreams, night and day.
It would be just his luck to Imprint on a girl already in a somewhat unrequited love triangle, not to mention her flailing about in the vampire world. Obviously her vampire boyfriend couldn't take care of her as well as Paul would, as evidenced by the whole stairwell/window incident, murderous vampire royalty and don't even get him started on the newborn bullshit they all had going now.
Yeah, this chick needs a break.
She had to be tired after all the running and fighting and trying not to die, ya know, like a normal person would be.
Lucky for her, Paul was the guy who would lead her on the road to relaxation.
Or just get her to chill the fuck out for like ten minutes, same diff.
Point is, this isn't how Paul thought he'd Imprint (and it especially isn't who he thought he'd Imprint on), but he's not mad at it.
Bella had intrigued him for a lot longer than other people might feel comfortable admitting, but those people are pussies.
Baby Alpha had started hanging around her before he phased, so the pack mind was full of back to back Bella all the time. Paul'd seen him recount that cringey as fuck quasi group date at least seven times, and that was before she'd figured it out and made all right in his world again. He'd taken way too much comfort in the fact that he was basically the only person she had to lean on, seeing as he was also a part of the supernatural community and she was worried about being a burden on her father, who didn't know anything about the world she'd stumbled upon. She'd likened him to her own personal sun once, and the amount of satisfaction he got from it was maybe a little unhealthy.
But hey, he's not here to judge.
Thing is, after he overcame his general hatred for this girl who ran with vampires and made his packmate nearly cream his pants on the regular, he'd noticed that she was kinda cool.
Having never met her in person, all he had to rely on was memories from the other's heads, and they'd given him more than he'd expected.
She'd been more laid back than he thought she'd be, and sneaky funny in a way that had honestly surprised him. Awkward and klutzy, she wore her injuries with no shame.
She was also a cute little thing with dainty fingers and hair he'd imagined wrapped around his fist.
And now he'd finally met her in person, unintentionally though it may have been, and he'd Imprinted on her.
He wanted this thing to work, wanted to get to know her and have her know him. They'd be equals and explore where they were headed together, like it should be in a relationship with two consenting adults.
They were going down that road without her creepy, geriatric ex, so he needed to get that memo really soon or they'd have a problem.
And Paul kinda loved problems.
LRLR
Can we all just agree as a whole that I don't know wtf I'm doing when I'm writing Bella at school? I'm thinking of stopping that and just glossing over her going to school since it's probably not that interesting to you guys anyway.
Also Bella and Mike are kinda besties in this fic