Chapter 16
Alice left somewhat abruptly, merely saying, "Oh, they're home," and jumping out of Bella's bedroom window on the second story, doing a cartwheel in mid-air, and landing gracefully in a crouch. Before that, she had been tapping her hands rhythmically in what Bella assumed was nervousness; she admitted that there was something weird about Forks that actually prevented her power from working, and not being able to see Jasper was the reason she came in the first place. She didn't talk about her life before coming, except to say "it was shitty," but claimed she could put up with anything when she could see Jasper. The first time he seemed to disappear - only dead people were unable to be viewed - she panicked.
So Bella watched her walk away towards Edward and Jasper's place, and as soon as she was out of sight, she pulled out her phone and tapped #1 to call Rachel. It went directly to voicemail, saying she was probably in class. So she tried Becky, but the phone just rang and rang before going to voicemail. The last time she had talked to Becky, she was eight months pregnant, and the voicemail confirmed, in David's voice, that they were at the hospital. She smiled thinking about it, then dialed the Black's home number. She wasn't as close to Jake, but he was the only person who might believe that she'd met a vampire.
"Hi Billy, is Jake around?"
"Oh, uh, he's not really feeling well."
"Is he ok?"
"I don't know, Bella."
"Did you take him to the doctor?"
"He's too sick to drive, unfortunately."
"Seriously? Do you need me to do it?"
"Paul will be taking him tomorrow, don't worry about it."
"Well, give him me and Dad's good wishes."
"Will do, Bella. What? Oh. He wants to talk to you."
Bella sighed in relief. "I had something awesome to tell you, but apparently your dad thinks you're sick?"
"Ugh. Not really. But you should stay away."
"Contagious, I got ya."
"So what awesome thing do you have to tell me?"
"The Cullens are vampires!"
Bella could hear Jake breathing in the silence. "Who told you that?"
"Another vampire!"
"What! Bella, are you fu- are you insane? Vampires aren't cute and cuddly, they're dangerous as hell! What is wrong with you, hanging out with vampires!"
"Holy crow, Jake, what is with you?" She could hear him breathing again. "Uh, Jake? I didn't mean to scare you or upset you..."
"... yeah, yeah, I know, Bella. I didn't mean to get so mad. I'm just, uh, really overemotional lately."
Because he was sick. "Well, I didn't mean to meet all these vampires, they just seem to accidentally find me. I mean, well, they come to Forks because of the sun - and how do you know how dangerous vampires are, anyway?"
He sighed. "I can't really tell you that, I'm sorry, Bella. I really wish I could, but I literally can't."
Because he promised? "Well, I promised the first one I wouldn't say anything either, but I guess I can say he had red eyes, and he didn't hurt me at all."
"And you know what red eyes means," he said cautiously.
She swallowed audibly. "Yeah. Well, anyway, today I met a vampire with orange-kind-of eyes. She said she just started eating animals, and the Cullens were vampires that always eat animals."
"Not always. It takes maybe a couple weeks of the new diet to change. She might have killed you, Bella. They have reflexes that are so fast the human eye can't even see them going for the throat."
"Oh god, I'm going to have nightmares," she groaned.
"I just want you to understand," he said, "these things are really not cool to be around."
"Um, did you know about the Cullens already?"
"Course I did. Hell, there was a story about them that we heard even before I knew that Cold Ones actually were real."
"A story? Tell me!"
So he told her about the Cullens in 1937, and Carlisle making a treaty with Billy Black's grandfather. "Same exact four vampires as now, just wearing different clothes."
She shivered. "That's spooky."
"They may look mostly human, but they really aren't, Bella. They're beautiful because it lures prey."
The word "beautiful" triggered another thought. "So I guess you know about Jasper and Edward too?"
"The two new vampire boys? Yeah, of course I do. We were - ack. During lunch last week, they actually stopped at our gas station on the rez to get cheap gas."
"Oh, when they went to Alaska?"
"Um, I guess? How do you know that?"
"Alice can see the future."
"What? Are you serious?"
"Well, she sometimes gets blanks. Like, before I called you, she couldn't see Jasper and Edward at all."
"Oh! Oh, that's - I mean, weird. She could see him before that?"
"Yeah, she's totally obsessed with the guy."
"Ah, ok, see, they mate for life. And they don't die easy, let me tell you."
"They do die, though?"
"They can catch fire. And they can tear each other apart. Otherwise, almost nothing can stop them."
"Creepy."
"Very creepy."
She snorted. "Could you have imagined a few days ago, you and I would be having a conversation about actual vampires?"
"Bella, I couldn't have imagined it a week ago. Or even if you had actually told me about that first vampire you met, I don't think I would have believed you then."
"Well, honestly, I don't know exactly what it was about the guy, but he was - unearthly. It was very easy to believe that he wasn't human. And he threatened me if I told anyone. He sent my mom postcards, one a year, with nothing but his name on the back. Even when she moved. That uh, didn't exactly make me think he was lying about killing me."
"Wow. Now that's definitely hella creepy, Bells."
"Isn't it? How's school?"
"Not going."
"Oh, right." She chatted about school, mentioned Mike briefly.
"Did you really want to date him, though?"
"Oh, not really. But sometimes I wish I had a boyfriend who actually understood me."
"Doesn't everyone, ah, wish for someone like that?"
Bella giggled. "You want a boyfriend?"
"Not exactly, doofus."
"Sorry, sorry. Is there anyone in your class you like?"
"No, not in my class."
"Anyone I know?"
"Yeah, I think you know her pretty well."
"Really!? Angela?"
He sighed. "No, not Jessica either, doofus."
Prickles covered Bella's skin again when she deciphered his meaning. "Oh. Oh."
"Yeah. Do you mind if we just talk on the phone more often? I can call you this time tomorrow."
"Um. Yeah. I mean, no, I don't mind," she said softly.
"Great. Um. I kinda, um, I mean, feeling ill, ya know."
"Oh, right. You sound fine so I keep forgetting," she explained.
"Sure, sure. Well."
"Well, ok, I'll talk to you tomorrow?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"OK, I hope you feel better."
"Surprisingly enough, I feel a little better already."
She smiled. "Hopefully I can keep that up."
He snorted, but didn't say anything but, "Good night, Bella."
"Night, Jake."
Jacob. She had never really thought of him that way. Partly because he seemed more like a brother - but, well, he wasn't actually her brother, not at all, and he was growing into quite a handsome young man. Tall, dark and handsome, eh? Well, talking would be fine for now. She had been serious that the main reason for wanting a boyfriend was for a friend who understood her. Jessica certainly didn't, although she was a good friend. Angela as well. Besides, she didn't want them to kiss her. Sex was a little scary, but kissing seemed quite desirable. Jake had strong arms to take her into - he gave quite nice hugs. And he already liked her, did he? That wasn't terribly surprising, from what her mother said about men. He'd probably liked her since he was maybe 13 or something, since he was old enough to actually notice girls as something more than nuisances. He was younger than her, but not that much, and besides, with his height he looked a lot older.
Even if they didn't click, it wouldn't be terrible for him to be a closer friend. They'd almost grown up together since she was six or so, and someone - the tribal elders? - had told him all about vampires. Two very good things for Bella right now. She wrote a long diatribe on her computer journal about it, something she had stopped using mostly, but she felt like she couldn't settle in to do homework if she didn't get it all out in print. And she was right, the minute she clicked "save", she felt much calmer.
So she finished her homework and went down to say goodnight to her father, before settling in for the night.
