AN: Wow, this week has been MAD! Sorry, for not updating this sooner, but it's just been that weird. Christmas was ok, but the next day my sister's bf pi$$ed off to WA and she was left heartbroken with bills and loans etc. [but it's sorted now]. And then my aunt, uncle, and cousins tried to book a boat trip back to TAS [they came over to visit] and it turns out they're stuck here til Thursday, but they need to get back asap cause their dog went missing at home. Also, our microwave broke [but our aunt and uncle shouted us a new one] right after we lent my sister rent money so we went without one right when we needed it. I'm not making excuses for my lack of updating, but this week has exhausted me.
Oh, but I did have a bright side! I was just browsing at books yesterday when I went out today and this cute guys came up to me and started asking me which books I liked and if I read a lot etc. He was really sweet [but my cousins were causing trouble, since they're only little, so I had to go :C I didn't even snag his number, damn-it]
Anyway, I was cheered up by the amount of people who liked this story, but there was only one review :c.
Wanna make my week a lil better? You know how :D
Cheers
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THE 'M' RATING IS JUST IN CASE
BPOV
It was in the paper when I awoke the next day. It wasn't front page news, but the small 'see inside' headline with the words 'Elizabeth Park' caught my attention and I immediately ripped open the paper, anxiously flicking through to find the article. And there it was. It wasn't even a big article. Just a photograph of the empty park, scattered with litter, and an article about the redevelopment.
"A Day Spa?" Jasper read over my shoulder, shaking his head. "They want to turn it into a day spa?" I sighed, feeling depressed and deflated.
"You know what's more depressing than that?" I began. Jasper and I were in the kitchen. The paper was lying flat on the table. I pointed my index finger down at the paper and stabbed the article viciously with my nail "The fact that the city is all for the redevelopment! They actually sold the land last month!" Jasper frowned and looked at me.
"So it's like, private property now?" I swallowed hard.
"I guess so Jazz. Who are the Cullens though?"
"I'm not really sure" Jasper's eyes flicked from left to right as he quickly skimmed through the article "But apparently they own a lot of property, if this article is anything to go by" the home phone rang. Jazz picked it up on the third ring and put it on speaker.
"Did you see it?" It was Alice's voice. I heard Emmett cursing in the background and assumed that they had their phone on speaker as well.
"We just saw it, yes" I replied. This whole situation didn't quite feel real. It was very surreal actually. It couldn't be happening… could it?"
"What do we do?" Alice fretted "They can't just rip the place up, can they?"
"Technically they can" Jasper groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose "After all, it's their property now"
"But why didn't they put up an auction sign or something to say that the land was for sale?" Emmett's bellow was so loud that Jasper and I flinched. "And why didn't they fence off the area from the public if they'd already planned on redeveloping it?"
"Maybe the council sold it privately-" Jasper rubbed his chin wearily "Who knows? And I agree, they usually fence of areas for redevelopment months before they begin"
"We have to do something though!" Alice panicked "They can't just walk over to the park and just tear it down-"
"Like I said, Alice" Jasper's teeth were gritted together in frustration at having to repeat himself "Technically, they can; It's private property now" A long silence spelled out in front of us. My fists clenched and unclenched at my side.
"No" Jasper [and I imagined that Alice and Emmett did too, only towards the phone] snapped his head in my direction.
"What?" they're voices were so in sync that I could barely distinguish the difference in tone.
"No!" I repeated myself a little louder "This is wrong. I'm not going to let this just, happen!"
"But what can you do Bella?" Jasper piped up in his annoyingly point-making tone "You can't just waltz into the council building, demanding they reconsider-"
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"I can't believe you just waltzed into the council building and demanded that they reconsider!" A shocked Jasper was tugging me out of the council building by the elbow so fast that you'd think we were running from death itself. "They have rules, Bella!" Alice and Emmett trailed along hurriedly behind us, snickering. I had snuck out of the house late this afternoon while Jasper was over at Alice's, and Charlie, my Chief of Police father, was at work. I left a message on Jasper's phone, telling him what I was doing, and they'd all gotten down here in 15 minutes flat. But by that point, I'd already stormed in on the council who had showed up for a meeting, not expecting me to burst in and interrupt. Jasper had entered soon after me and dragged me out kicking and screaming.
"Let me go Jasper!" I hissed, wrenching my arm away with almost too much force, almost causing me to lose balance and topple down the white stairs that led to the street "Those people need to know that they can't just bulldoze a public park so that they can build yet another day spa that this city doesn't need!"
"And I personally would like to see Bella take on the city council" Emmett chuckled. A sharp look from Jasper sobered him up immediately though.
"But she's right, Jazz" Alice contributed to my defence and took Jaspers arm in her hands to calm him "We have to do something-"
"Damn right we need to do something" Jasper pulled his arm away from her to snag my elbow, since I'd been trying to slink away and back up the stairs to the building "But this is the quickest route to them dismissing our opinions!"
"Well what do you suggest then?" I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest, awkwardly because Jasper wouldn't release my elbow. We all turned to him. He was always the calm and collected one. He had been even when we were kids. Surely he'd come up with something brilliant that would clear up this mess we were in.
But his grim expression made me suddenly dubious.
"I don't know" His grip on my arm slackened and his arm fell my his side, limp and resigned "I just – don't know"
All of us slumped in defeat, feeling helpless. Well, everyone except Alice.
"Ok, that's it!" her fingers wound around my wrist in a death grip, and she did the same with Jasper. She dragged us back up the steps, the way we came, Emmett following obediently behind us.
"Alice?" I gasped. Her grip was too tight for the length of her nails and they dug into my skin "What are you doing?"
"I'm going back in there" she growled passionately "And you're going to help me straighten this out, Jasper, whether you like it this way or not!"
"Alice!" Jasper tripped over the edge of a step and struggled to regain his balance at the speed Alice was dragging us at "This is stu-"
"I dare you to say the word stupid, Jasper" She'd stopped abruptly, making me crash into her back as she pulled Jasper in front of her to glare daggers at him "Go on!"
"Alice – Bella-?" Emmett interrupted anxiously. His tone was off for him, but I was too focused on Jasper's reaction to take much notice.
"Well, that's what this is, Alice!" Jasper had never really stood up to Alice when she was in one of her fits of rage. And the fact that he did meant that nothing good would come from this conversation "It's just plain stupid!"
"Jasper-?" Emmett's anxious voice again.
"Fine then, Jasper!" Alice let him go, but her glare remained, the frostiness of her expression contributing to it "You stay here and be a good little boy while we go and do something!"
"GUYS!"
"WHAT?" Emmett jumped as Jasper and Alice whirled in his direction and yelled at him. I, on the other hand, was looking in the direction of his gaze. And I immediately wished I hadn't.
"Oh, my god" My stunned whisper was enough to make Alice and Jasper turn in the direction of my gaze. They both cursed in shock. Because walking down these white concrete stairs with his hands in his jean pockets and another smug grin plastered to his face, was the bronze haired wonder.
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AN: Ok I know it's short but right now, I've just finished work and I'm sick as a dog [I'm talking REALLY sick here] so I don't know when the next chapter will come. I may just check my emails and that and maybe write a paragraph or two a day for a little bit til I recover. But reviews may inspire me to write far quicker than this. I won't hurry to get it out though if people really don't, because I'm not typing at the computer while I'm sick just to add a chapter that people probably won't appreciate. I'm not being snarky or anything, I'm just so sick. And I got out of work an hour late after putting up with overly abusive, worse-than-usual, fussy customers. Not to mention one girl decided to just NOT SHOW UP so it was much harder on the rest of us. But whatever, lol, you probably don't care much for the details. Long story short, I would love reviews, so I feel like my story actually matters to someone for once. But whatever, if you don't have time, you don't have time. I can understand that.
Cheers.
[…and stay healthier than me]
Kellie.
