Disclaimer: We all know that I am obviously not Stephenie Meyer (and if you do, it's time to get you off the crazy pills) and therefor I don't own Twilight. If she ever puts it up for bid, I would defs be the highest bidder with...couts pocket change... $0.23 and a lint ball. Who could turn that down?
PS: I totally restrained myself from putting the line: "What's with all the chemistry, I thought we were in Biology!" It was so tempting, but your lucky I actually like you guys. Lets aim for 180 reviews!! (yay!) Then I can be at 200 (le gasp) before the meadow scene.
- HayleyEvery eye was upon us as Bella and I entered the Biology lab. Every thought was circulating ideas that would explain our strange and impossible match. The top stories seemed to be that she was in it for the money and I was in it because I felt sorry for her - and those were some of the more sane ideas. I blocked out the ridiculous thoughts swirling around in the classroom and glanced over at Bella.
She had her mahogany hair falling over her shoulder in a wave as she often did when she was embarrassed. The blood that burned in her cheeks, turning her face a delicious shade of red only emphasized the emotion. The strong smell had found its way to my nose and assaulted my brain in a mental torment I could only compare to a restrained alcoholic reaching for his favorite brand of scotch.
When we sat down at the desk, I made the chair so it was closer to her than I normally dared. We would only be inches apart when I sat down and I could almost feel the heat from her skin radiating towards me. I craved it almost as much as her blood.
Mr. Banner took the attendance and walked out of the room. I almost rolled my eyes when I read in his mind we were about to watch a movie. There was no doubt in my mind that I had seen it before and this was bound to be a dreary class, filled with a monotonous voice and black and white pictures.
The ancient TV that Mr. Banner rolled in looked like it belonged in a museum. It was well battered and obviously many years old. Most of the buttons had fallen off and the screen was cracked in the corner. The speakers were probably broken as well. I glared at the antique piece of machinery with pure detest. The movie days were ones I looked forward to the least and today in particular was very inconvenient. I could have spent the period doing much better things if we were doing a lab; like talking to Bella for example.
Mr. Banner roughly pushed an old tape into the equally old VCR and then hurried over to turn off the lights. The moment the room went dark, an eerie calm fell over the class. I'm sure every one of their hairs was standing up on the back of their necks but that was to be expected with a predator and their prey in the darkness, although none of them realized it fully.
The television flickered into life – I have to say, I was mildly surprised – and a title flashed up on the screen, Cellular Functions. That time I did roll my eyes. I had seen this movie before when it first came out in the 80's. I didn't pay much attention after that, not because I was bored but because I was…distracted.
The moment the lights turned off a weird energy seemed to flow through me. Heat combined with sparks of electricity jumped the synapse from Bella to myself, sinking into my skin and lighting a fire in my veins. I could feel the foreign heat from the arteries in my stone heart to the capillaries in my toes. It was immensely pleasurable and I sunk into my chair the slightest bit, basking in the rare heat.
All of a sudden, the strangest urge came over me. I wanted badly to reach out and take Bella's hand in my own and borrow her heat, feel her soft skin against mine. My hand twitched involuntarily and I could almost hear it battling against the urge to move away and put her at a safe distance from myself. Worse still was that both the instincts were fighting against the eternal instinct to reach out and brush my lips against her slender neck and take the liquid that was truly mine. The three-way war raged on in my mind and I wasn't exactly sure who was winning. I opted for none of the three and instead sat perfectly still. I folded my arms slowly and clenched my hands into fists against my ribs.
When the urges all realized I wasn't about to back down, they slowly subsided and left me with my thoughts – and thirty other's as well. I finally relaxed a bit and concentrated more on the person sitting directly beside me. I let my eyes wander over to her frame and a smile broke out over my face when I saw her in the exact same position, hands balled into little fists at her sides and all. Her eyes weren't focused and it was clear she wasn't watching the movie either. My smile grew more pronounced.
She glanced over at me – seemingly sensing my persistent gaze – and the fresh smell of her blood rushed to meet my nose once more, as she looked away, embarrassed. Every once in a while she would glance over at me and look away quickly, but my gaze never came to an end.
The entire time, the sparks of electricity never ceased and the heat that rushed through me continued its course.
I heard Bella's sigh when Mr. Banner finally turned the television off. Anyone else would assume it was a kind of relief from the terrible movie coming to a close, but I knew differently. It was a relief from the current flowing between us finally finishing. As soon as the lights turned on, it turned off as if a fuse had blown.
Bella stretched her arms and her stiff hands; I winced when I heart the small cracks coming from her fingers and back. She turned to face me when she was done with her stretching. I gave her a smile.
"Well, that was interesting," I mumbled.
She seemed unable to look away from me and all I heard from her was a garbled sigh that could have been a yes or a no. I sighed but kept my smile up. Some times, the vampire charm could have its downfalls, but it was impossible not to smile with Bella in my presence.
"Shall we?" I asked as I rose from my seat.
She stood up as well, somewhat hesitantly. I remembered that Bella had gym next class and my curiosity piqued. I had never seen her in gym before. Again, I smiled as she tripped over her feet and stumbled out of the class.
It was almost impossible for my to keep a straight face with her around. Everything she did brought the foreign grin to my face. It was an alien emotion, the first time it came to me. After walking through my half-life, I had begun to think that I was, by myself, complete. My family had found the half that completed them but perhaps it wasn't my destiny to find the other person. I was born a whole and never meant to find a soul mate because she didn't exist. I was half true, through most of my life – death – she hadn't existed. Yet.
Thinking of Bella like that brought the feeling to my body again. The strange charged energy that coursed through my veins. Once again, the urge to reach out and hold her hand, breathe in the strong strawberry smelling hair or stare into the never ending pool of her chocolate eyes. It didn't help that she was mere inches away from my being and so close I could feel her normal temperature next to my dead flesh.
All too soon and not soon enough, the walk came to an end. I saw the change room doors at the end of the short hall. The walk was incredibly long for such a short distance. My emotions were flaring inside my chest, torn between running and staying. They were so strong, I'm sure that they were showing plain on my face.
When we finally reached the door, Bella turned to me, as if to say goodbye but I heard her breath catch in her throat and she stumbled on her feet a bit as she turned. Seeing her face just made the urge for my skin to connect with hers stronger and I raised my hand against my better judgment.
It was as if something from a movie, as if I was watching someone else's hand reach across the small distance between us. I could see the hesitation and excitement upon Bella's face, but I couldn't fully comprehend it. It wasn't until my icy skin made contact with her soft cheek that reality came crashing back to me. The warmth blossomed from my fingertips and made its way up my arm until it settled in my cold heart. I could suddenly smell her scent swirling around my head and threatening to overcome me once again. I swiftly brushed my hand across her cheek and turned just as quickly, leaving Bella stunned behind me.
My head cleared exponentially when I walked out of the building into fresh air. I glanced back at the gymnasium where I could hear the squeaks of rubber against the buffed wooden floor and the occasional blast from Coach Clapp's maddening whistle. I headed first for the woods to dislodge the piece of pizza that was threatening to stay wedged in my stomach for all eternity.
I emerged from the woods with my stomach feeling much better. I looked over at the buildings on the campus and wrinkled my nose. I didn't want to go to class. I didn't feel much like listening to a person younger than I droning on about a subject I had already studied numerous times. My eyes shifted and located the largest building. The Gymnasium I stared at it for several seconds, thinking about the wonderful person hidden behind the brick wall.
"You've never seen me in Gym…."
Bella's words from the past hour resurfaced in my mind bringing about a burning curiosity. If she had trouble walking across a parking lot, I wondered how difficult it would be for her to run, swing a racket and try to hit a birdie at the same time. With a new objective in mind, I headed towards the gym to see the enigma that was Bella in Gym class.
I reached the door leading to the out side just in time. Luckily for me, the school never invested in a proper air-conditioning system, leaving the Gym sweltering hot every minute of the year. The door was propped open a few inched in the feeble attempt to let some cool air into the large room. I peered into the small gap and saw a scene unfold before me.
"Mine!" Eric Yorkie yelled going towards the birdie quickly and smashing it with his racket. Try to get THAT Mike!
Mike didn't say anything as he went into a semi dive, putting the birdie high enough into the air for it to just clear the net. Angela ran towards it and smiled apologetically when she sent it towards Bella. I am so sorry Bella! Good luck! Bella held the racket with two hands and swung with all her might.
She missed entirely.
Her racket clipped Mike's shoulder and ricocheted off the hard bone, flying back into her forehead. If that weren't enough, the surprise of being hit in the head made her stumble and fall into Mike, sending him sprawling into the net. To his credit, he would have caught her if he weren't still so surprised at what had just happened. The birdie lay forgotten as Mike attempted to untangle himself and Bella profusely apologized. Coach Clapp just rolled his eyes and continued to observe the next group.
I couldn't hold back the laughter as I watched what happened. It surprised me at first, the sound coming from my mouth in such a loud, unorganized fashion. I racked my memory for the last time I had laughed that hard at something not caused by Emmett. It didn't come.
I continued to watch the badminton games for the rest of the period. More specifically, I watched Bella watch badminton while she was staying out of the way. She sheepishly held the racket behind her back and waited for the game to end. Then the final whistle and Mike walked over to her and gave her an enthusiastic high five.
Oh man her hand is soft. I wish I could hold it…but that's Cullen's property now. I heard him glower in his mind.
I strained my ears to hear what he was saying to Bella over the squeaking of running shoes against the floor.
"You and Cullen, huh?" he asked, managing to sound dejected and defiant at the same time.
"That's none of your business, Mike," Bella cautioned him.
"I don't like it."
"You don't have to."
My heart once again soared at her words. What was it about Bella that could make me so happy one moment and the next be a blithering idiot and yet the next I could be as depressed as Jasper in a room filled with pre-teen girls.
"He looks at you like…like you're something to eat," Newton protested. My jaw dropped. How could someone be so right but so wrong at the same time?
Bella let out a hysterical giggle and fled to the dressing rooms. I moved from my place at the door and leaned against the wall, waiting for Bella. I didn't have any homework – because I hadn't really gone to class – so I didn't need to go to my locker to retrieve anything.
She walked out moments later and I could smell her the moment the doors opened. Luckily the natural scents that surrounded me diluted her appetizing fragrance enough for me to let my guard down a bit. She saw me and walked over my way.
"Hi," she said smiling terrifically, showing all her teeth.
"Hello," I grinned in return. "How was gym?"
Her smile dropped minutely. "Fine," Bella lied. I could smell the blood rush to her cheeks and her heart rate increase.
"Really?" I asked innocently. She looked down momentarily then gazed back into my eyes.
Damn. There they are again. I wonder if they're just friends. Then I'd still have a chance…
I shifted my gaze to over Bella's shoulder, straight at the person thinking the thoughts I was zeroed in on. Mike Newton. Combined with his earlier comment, my eyes narrowed and I glared at him. If only I could use a small display of my powers. Like beating him in a fight. It was a simple high school tradition. And I'd only use half strength, maybe just enough to give him a broken nose…
"What?" Bella asked me, bringing me back to reality.
I stopped looked at Mike Newton's back and shifted my eyes back to Bella. "Newton's getting on my nerves."
"You weren't listening again?" she asked, utterly horrified at the idea.
Uh-oh. Usually, when my sisters used that tone, it was automatically followed by anger. "How's your head?" I thought I had better go with a sincere tone; perhaps it would stave off the anger.
"You're unbelievable!" she shouted and stomped off in the direction of the parking lot. I grimaced slightly. Apparently that sincerity didn't work. I began in the direction she was going, catching up easily. It pleased me she still seemed to be heading towards my car.
"You were the on who mentioned how I'd never seen you in gym – it made me curious." I explained slowly, hoping she'd forgive me. Of course I wasn't sorry for what I had done. She was the one who first broached the subject and it was only fair I discovered what the problem was with her in gym class. She didn't seem to agree.
Bella walked in absolute silence with the only noise coming from her shoes against the wet concrete. I was so concentrated on her; I didn't notice why she stopped. Until, of course, my mind was flooded with the thoughts of hormone filled boys drooling over my sister's car. I rolled my eyes.
I only paused for a moment before I squeezed between the admirers and climbed into the front seat. After a moment, she did the same thing, closing the door with relief.
That is the hottest car in the world! No wonder it belongs to Rosalie Hale!
I rolled my eyes again and muttered, "Ostentatious," under my breath.
"What kind of car is that?" Bella asked.
"An M3," I replied shortly.
It was her turn to roll her eyes. "I don't speak Car and Driver."
"It's a BMW," I explained using the most common term for Rosalie's favorite car. I thrust my key into the ignition impatiently and attempted to back out of the space without running any of the boys over. Not that it would be a large loss to humanity on a whole.
"Are you still angry?" I asked her after I had managed to back out of the parking lot.
"Definitely."
I sighed. I'd figured as much. "Will you forgive me if I apologize?"
"Maybe…if you mean it. And you promise not to do it again."
I wasn't about to agree to that. Not a chance. She was much too interesting for her own good. I counteracted her offer, "How about if I mean it, and I agree to let you drive Saturday?" It was a small price to pay for her not to be mad, no matter how much I enjoyed driving.
She deliberated quickly and flashed a brilliant smile. "Deal," she agreed happily.
"Then I'm very sorry I upset you." I looked straight into her eyes, not really caring if I was driving. I 'dazzled' her for a moment until her heart beat out a disjointed rhythm. "And I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning."
"Um, it doesn't help with the Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway."
I smiled at her somewhat mockingly. She didn't know about my other secrets yet. "I wasn't intending to bring a car."
"How—"
"Don't worry about it." I interrupted quickly. She would soon learn about the other powers I held, if everything went according to plan on Saturday. "I'll be there, no car."
She paused, thinking quickly. Her concentrated face made me uneasy for a moment.
"Is it later yet?" She asked.
"I suppose it's later." I said, hoping she wasn't thinking what I thought she was thinking. Of course, I'd never know. I pulled the car to the curb and glanced over to Bella. She was looking at me expectantly, waiting for me explain.
"And you still want to know why you can't see me hunt?" I asked morosely. This was not a topic I wasn't to discuss.
"Well, I was mostly wondering about your reaction," she explained carefully, measuring each word before she spoke them. I could tell she was trying to avoid making me angry again. It was probably for the best with her scent swirling in the warm and confined car.
"Did I frighten you?"
"No," she said too quickly.
"I apologize for scaring you. It was just the very thought of you being there…while we hunted." The memory of Bella's pale body draped across the sidewalk from the day they were blood testing in Biology came back to my mind. There was no way I ever wanted to see her like that again, especially because I had thought she was…dead. I internally cringed with the last thought. There was no doubt that she would end up exactly like that if she ever came close to me while hunting. My jaw clenched involuntarily.
"That would be bad?"
"Extremely." The thought of hunting brought my thirst raging back to my mind and the burning venom back to my throat.
"Because…" she pushed.
I took a deep breath into my lungs only to be suffocated by her sweet scent. I stared out the window, trying to get a better control of myself. Bella continued to stare at me; unaware of the danger she was in.
"When we hunt, we give ourselves over to our senses…govern less with our minds. Especially our sense of smell. If you were anywhere near me when I lost control that way…" I shook my head as the thought of her cold body lying on the ground resurfaced once again in my mind.
I measured her reaction carefully, waiting (for the umpteenth time) for the running and screaming. But her expression remained smooth and calm. She refused to look away from my eyes and I could feel myself sinking deeper into the depth of the chocolaty pools. Neither of us spoke and the tension became so thick, I could feel it on my skin. The same electricity from Biology coursed through the open space between us, seemingly intent on bringing us closer together or drive us mad with the separation.
Finally, she drew in a ragged breath, exhaling deeply and saturating the air further with her scent. With my already vulnerable state, it hit me particularly hard, sending the monster chained in my mind into a frenzy. The venom rose to the back of my mouth, begging to be released into warm flesh. I closed my eyes to manage the urges.
"Bella, I think you should go inside now," my rough voice commanded gently. I wasn't sure how much of the torture I could take before my will broke entirely.
She got up clumsily, fumbling with the handle before managing to exit the vehicle. A breeze rushed past her into the car, clearing my head enough to look at her once again. She slammed the door and began to walk unsteadily for her house. I made the window go down with the press of a button.
"Oh, Bella?" I called to her. She turned around, her eyes still slightly unfocused. "Yes?"
"Tomorrow it's my turn."
"Your turn to what?"
I smiled, flashing my teeth briefly. "Ask the questions," I replied quickly and before she had time to protest, I pressed my foot to the gas and drove off, heading back to my house. I had an entire night to think of questions to ask her for the next day and I wasn't about to waste anytime.
I know, I split it in half again. I tried to not do that, but MAN OH MAN! Edward thinks ALOT!
Most likely, they will all be split in half from now on. Except Chapter 13. I refuse to do that to you guys.
Oh and, Side Note. I have a poll on my profile. Please vote, because it's a matter I'm slightly confused on.
Your Beloved Author,
Hayley