How They Mended Me


Chapter 2: Ache

"Ugh!" I groaned as I became conscious. I had never had such a blindingly, insanely excruciating headache in my life. Migraine sure! This. . .this was probably what if felt like to give birth, combined with the feeling that your skull was being stepped on by an elephant, and you body being submerged in acid. I never wanted to experience any of those things now.

I opened my eyes and looked around myself. I was in my bland and boring room. But there was light flashing through my windows making my eyes hurt. That didn't add well to the head pains. I snapped my eyes closed and covered my eyes with my arm to block any passage of light.

Just then my alarm clock sounded. The beeping sounded like a blood curdling scream in my ears. It made my head pound in pain. I snapped off the sound before it could drive me mad.

What was with this migraine? I whispered to myself. I was scared even the voice in my head would make the pain peek impossibly.

I didn't understand where this had come from. And then I started to remember flickers. I saw the flask, the woods, the tall dark figure; I remembered the feeling of the arms. Everything came back. I slowly remembered what had kept me alive. The man who had saved me. . .

" Bella? What's wrong with her?" Renee asks anxiously as she watches me throw up all over the patio. My stomach heaves dryly, trying to expel anything else from my stomach. Which thankfully is nothing. Just the burning vodka rushing back up my throat and out my nose and mouth.

"I don't know. . ." the velvet voice hesitates. I see though my haze that he slipped my flask behind his back. "I just moved in next door, and I was wondering around in the woods when I found her on the ground. She. . ."

"What?" she presses rudely. She doesn't really seem concerned with the fact that I am exponentially ill.

"She was just lying there. She hasn't been sick until now. . ." the voice mutters.

"Oh dear. Well thank you so much from bringing her back." She doesn't sound thankful what so ever. "We were just starting to get worried where she was." Renee says dismissively. She reaches for me, and I stumble half blind into her thin white arms.

"No problem. I hope she is alright." The voice says happily, almost too happily. If my mother weren't so absorbed in her own life, she would have noticed that he was acting too innocent. Too good. . .

"Goodnight." Renee says and slams the door in his face. "Come one Bella, time to go to bed."

I stumble up the stares and Renee half drags me to my room. I plop down onto my bed and. . .

Here I was, still in my vomit-y clothes.

So the mystery man had saved me from being shunned for a lifetime by my cynical parents. I hadn't even found out his name, and now I didn't really want to. I had never really been that drunk, usually just tipsy. Whenever I fought with my parents I would sneak out and go to the woods. Then I would end up drinking. Not always vodka, sometimes rum, gin, and brandy. Any scotch I could get my hands on. My head pounded again at the thought of drinking anytime soon.

I sat there for another few minutes and decided I better have a shower. I got up slowly, trying not to get a head rush. I waited for another minute as I planted my feet onto my wood floor. Then I started to walk to my bathroom. I still felt unsteady, and I knew I would for most of the day. The vodka was still in my blood I guessed. I headed straight to the shower and turned on the hot water. Just the sound of water hitting the bed of the shower made the ached in my head worse. I stripped down and got in slowly. I had to hold onto the handicap railing for support but slowly I got some balance. I washed my head slowly and lightly, massaging my temple. I let the steam relax my sore and shaky muscles and finally shut off the water.

I put on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy cardigan, and threw my long dark hair into a messy bun on the top of my head. I got a sad glimpse of myself and almost gasped as I saw how awful I looked. The black bags under my eyes almost made my faced look bruised, and my already pale skin looked grey with sick. I didn't want to admit that the weight I had lost hadn't made me look any prettier. If anything it added to the sick. But I pushed it aside and decided to go downstairs and face my mother.

I crept slowly down the stares and into the kitchen. Renee and Charlie were sitting at the table eating breakfast. They looked up when I entered but didn't seem to look mad.

"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked concerned.

"Awful." I snapped and went to get an orange. The citrus juice was the only thing I knew would help calm my stomach, and water, to help hydrate my body.

"Must have been a twenty-four hour bug or something." Charlie mumbled, turning back to his newspaper.

"Your father and I talked about keeping dance outside of school again. . ." Renee started. I wanted to run out of the room, since I didn't want to have this conversation again. Also, because I didn't want to yell or hear yelling because every singly little sound hurt.

"Mmm." I raise my eyebrows and concentrated on peeling my orange.

"Well we decided that as long as you get a job and pay for the classes yourself, then you could take them." Renee finished. My head snapped up and my mouth was gaping like a fish.

"Really?" I asked quickly.

"Yes." Renee frowned and went back to the book she was reading. She seemed unhappy with this condition, as was I, but I wouldn't argue.

"Thank you" I whispered. I looked to the clock and noted that I was running a touch late. I started to gather my books and shoved my dance clothes into my school bag. I was nearly out the door saying goodbye when my mother came running to my side holding a paper bag.

"I made a lunch for you." She smiled coyly. I smiled back and grabbed the lunch. I wouldn't eat it, what with the head ache and sore stomach. "Do you mind bringing out the garbage?"

"Sure. Thanks." I said and left. I walked over to my car and saw that the house next to me was teaming with life. There were 5 kids piling into a pristine clean silver Volvo. They drove away within seconds. There were only 4 houses in the neighborhood—if that was what you called it—and all of the houses were nearly hidden by the bush. This house, the house where these kids had just moved into was the biggest and the nicest. Assuming from that fact and their Volvo, and the Mercedes that I saw sitting in the driveway, this family was rich. And my temporary savior lives in there. I wondered if he was one of the kids. . .I had to remind myself I didn't want to. I flushed at the thought of meeting him again. The rushing blood made my brain hurt more. I brought the garbage down to the lip if the road.

I hopped into my old 1953 Chevy (my dream car since I was 12) and chucked my mom's pity lunch into the garbage bin. The engine of my red rust bucket chugged down the high way as I made my way to school. The hangover was still writhing in my head, and I knew if wouldn't go away for a while. The groan of the engine made it worse. My stomach was queasy and the car was freezing. I turned the heat up as high as it would go and shivered in the lonely cab.

I couldn't help but think about last night. Not about the fights, or the awful drinking, but about my mystery man. I couldn't help but be taken with him. I didn't really understand why he would lie for me. Or why he would hide the flask. I would have to get that back from him again, when I fight with mother, I would have to drown out my unpleasant thoughts somehow. But just the fact that he had offered his help so quickly made me feel warm. The blood rushed to my face. I blushed a lot but this time it made no sense. Was it because I was just happy that someone had offered me help? As small as the gesture was, it meant the world to me. Was it because I liked feeling protected? I didn't know. . .

I mulled over all the possibilities as I drove to Canterbury High School. I drove up to the parking lot when I arrived and stopped the engine in my regular parking lot. My friend would be all over me today. Wondering why I was so tired. Wondering why I looked to sick. The one thing they wouldn't wonder about was why I looked so sad. It was beyond them to notice human emotions since they were barely human themselves. I personally didn't count the girls I hung out with as humans. The only thing cared about was who slept with who and who is going to have the most ridiculous party. It was varying shades of awful. The only girl I felt comfortable around was Angela. She didn't like to talk about what our group spoke about; I doubted she even liked hanging out with them.

I sighed and decided I would just say I thought I was coming down the flu. Hopefully then they would stay away from, scared to catch whatever I was getting.

I hoped out of the truck grabbing my bag as I went. Hopping wasn't a good idea. I wasn't a very careful person, though I was a dancer, I fell down a lot outside of dance class. The added headache, leftover alcohol, and terrible balance, I faltered to the ground. I huffed as the hard concrete cut into my hands and my sore head wacked into the stone. It hurt—a lot—and tears streamed down my face.

I looked at my watch. Well I still had a half hour (which was when I usually did my homework) before classes began. It was time to get up. The last thing I needed was someone finding me lying on the ground. The people at Canterbury were odd, but word would still spread. I didn't need the embarrassment.

I heaved myself up, and slowly walked into the school. I went straight up the 6 sets of stairs to get to my locker, and put away the books I didn't need. I went to where my friends usually hung out and found them all chattering loudly. I wanted to cover my ears and die. The noise made my ears blaze, and my head feel like it was being squished harder.

"Bella!" Jess squawked at me. I nodded in her direction, stumbling over to where Angela sat quietly. Jessica's pirecing voice echoing in my ears.

"Hey Bella." Angela grinned as she appraised me. She took in the sickly pale skin, and my damp messy hair. "I wont ask."

"Thanks." I said gratefully. I sat next to her and tried to tune out the blabber but failed miserably.

"Oh god! I can't believe she did something like that. I mean how much more of a whore can you get?" Lauren snorted in her nasal voice.

"I know right? It's just gross. Ha, and would you look at that? June is already going for another guy." Michelle whispered the end and eyed June who was approaching us. June was wearing a classic "June outfit". Short shorts (though it had to be below zero outside) and a shirt that plunged down to her sternum. She was gawking at 3 boys and 2 girls coming down the hall. I didn't recognize them, but I had to admit they were stunningly beautiful. The girls were natural opposites. One, blonde, blue eyes the colour of lavender, model-like and perfect. The other, tiny, thinner then me, and shorter. She had hair black as pitch and the plaest blue eyes imaginable.

The boys were just as different as the girls. Who must be the oldest was huge, burly, and massively muscular, with short curly hair and light blue eyes. Another was blond like the girl and was approximately 6'3. His face handsome in a nondescript way. The last was by far the most handsome—though they were without question the 5 most beautiful people I had ever seen. I realized that they must be new since I would have noticed such beautiful people at this school by now. The boy must have been my age, around 17, with wild messy copper colored hair. His eyes were bright green, noticeably green from where I was sitting, and perfect features. His jaw was perfectly angular, and his nose was ramrod straight and his cheekbones where high and cutting. His long legs moving with grace.

All five of the teens were pale but the little girl and the bronze hair boy were the palest. They all seemed uninterested in conversing with June, and ignored her as she eyed the bronze hair one.

I gulped as I stared at him. He was beautiful. Like a god; a Greek god. Adonis. Yes he was a reincarnation of the Greek god Adonis. A shiver rolled down my spine as I watched him disappear from my vision.

"Whoa. Who the hell are those sexy bastards?" Vicky almost yelled. I covered my ears as I heard the onslaught of hoots at their hotness.

"Oh my god. They are the new kids right? Wow, I hope I have classes with them. Maybe I should invite them to my party! Then I get one of them drunk and. . ." I turned my attention to less awful things and thought about my mystery man.

I heard Angela pretend to gag and turned to the book she was reading. I pretended to study my Biology textbook but I was still trying to figure out why the man had saved me—even though it was in such a minimal way. He was a puzzle. . .I didn't want to meet him but I wanted to thank him. Even if I could hear his voice from a distance and know he was that would be enough. And then I could send him a gift or something. But I did need my flask back . . .

Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum, Dum-Dum-Dum-Dum, Dum. The bell rang its tune and I was snapped out of my reverie.

"I'll see you in the caf." I muttered not really making anyone's eyes. As I rushed away I heard Vicky asking, "Why does that girl always look like she just returned from hell? She looks disgusting." Jess laughed evilly.

I felt so much better once I was in my English class where I was a friend with no one in the class. I pulled out Macbeth and starting reading over the passage that we were to have done an essay on for today. I already knew everything there was to know about Macbeth but I read it anyways, just to drain out my thought; lose myself in Shakespeare.

I put the book away as the teacher came in and told everyone to take their seats. Mrs. Hartwell announced that we had a new student in the class and my head immediately snapped up to see the pixie-like girl standing there in the front of the class. She wore something that even at Canterbury would grab notice. She was in a silver silk dress that was varnished in lace and draped to her mid calf. A black cardigan covered her pale shoulders, black tights, and a red headband in her spiky black hair. She had a pretty choker necklace on that seemed to have a crest on it. I had to admit that she looked fabulous in the strange outfit, and it seemed to match her.

The entire class watched as Mrs. Hartwell directed her to the seat that was beside me. I looked at the seat that had been empty all year so far and cleared the space out. I scooted over when she sat down awkwardly next to me. The teacher said to welcome her with open her with open arms, and then directed us to get in partners to discuss the Macbeth passage for 20 minutes. Her class was a joke. She taught us stuff, she made us teach ourselves. We always had to go with partners, but since I was a loner and was most likely the best at English in the class, she never made me go with anyone. Until now.

Mrs. Hartwell sauntered over to my desk at the back of the class and talked only to me "Isabella, I think it would be nice idea for you to partner up with her" she nodded to the girl sitting next to me. She was taking out a neon pink binder that was covered in pictures of models and dancers-dancers? This girl danced? Hmm.

"Sure." I smiled as best I could and watched the teacher walk away smiling.

"I'm Alice." A high chirpy voice said quietly. I turned to look at the girl. She was holding out her tiny hand to me grinning. I shook it. "Alice Cullen."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Isabella Swan. Don't call me Isabella though, I hate it." I blushed and averted my eyes from her.

"So Bella?" Alice asked for approval.

"Yes" I nodded. " Please." I opened Macbeth and turned to the scene I had jus read.

"So, what passage were we supposed to read?" Alice asked, as she tried to find the page I had opened up to.

"This one." I pointed to a speech Macbeth had spoken. "Well, the whole scene, but since this is an important speech, knowing Mrs. Hartwell she will ask us about this one."

"You seem to know how she works." Alice chuckled and grinned at me.

"She has been my English teacher every year since I was in 9th grade." I nodded and rolled my eyes. "I hate her—but don't show it—and I think the feeling is mutual."

"Well she seems nice. Maybe too nice" She narrowed her eyebrows and looked over to see Mrs. Hartwell laughing with a student, her unnaturally white hair quivering.

"She is like Professor Umbridge from Harry Potter."

Alice burst into laughter as she looked at our teacher. "I can see it!"

The kids sitting near us and looked at her laughing figure in fascination. As she calmed down they lost interest and went back to their work. I was giggling along with her but sobered up when I saw Mrs. Hartwell glare at me.

"Okay lets get to work. I think she will want us to translate the passage. Last night we were to write and essay on it, so do that tonight." I ordered, Alice nodded.

"So Passage 2:
Is this a dagger which I see before me,
The handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee!
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible
To feeling as to sight, or art thou but
A dagger of the mind, a false creation,
Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?
I see thee yet, in form as palpable
As this which now I draw.
Thou marshal'st me the way that I was going;
And such an instrument I was to use.
Mine eyes are made the fools o' th' other senses,
Or else worth all the rest. I see thee still;
And on thy blade and dugeon gouts of blood,
Which was not so before. There's no such thing.
It is the bloody business which informs
Thus to mine eyes. Now e'er the one half-world
Nature seems dead, and wicked dreams abuse
The curtain'd sleep; witchcraft celebrates
Pale Hecate's offerings, and wither'd murder,
Alarum'd by his sentinel, the wolf,
" I recited the passage and thought about what it meant. I was just about to speak when Alice spoke.

"Wow. This is Macbeth's mental state during this time. He feels guilty, worried and is having second thoughts about committing the murder." Alice muttered and looked up to grin at me.

"Yeah. That's what I was going to say." I laughed nervously.

"Yay!" Alice exclaimed and clapped her hands together. Her voice wasn't loud, rather like chiming bells. She had a nice voice, that didn't make my head throb.

"Well everyone else in here will probably take most of the class. So we have some time to spare. Good job." I said. She grinned and flashed a set of pearly white teeth that were impeccably straight. We sat there awkwardly, and I thought about what to say. I looked back to the binder she doodled on.

"Are you here for an Art?" I asked cautiously. Canterbury was a special school that had an excellent arts program in it. There was dance, drama, visual arts, literacy arts, vocal, and instrument. There was also the general program that was just normal high school. I hated asking whether someone was in an art in case they were a general kid. Sometimes it offended the non-arts teens. I was sure she was a dancer though. Just the way she held herself made me think so. She also had walked around as if she was dancing.

"Yes, I am. Dance." She smiled. I knew I would be right.

"I am as well." I said happily. I hope she was in my class. I was really beginning to like her. She seemed different, not anything like the people I was hung out with. I wondered idly what had brought her to Canterbury.

"Great! Who is your teacher? I hope we are in the same class! That would just be so wonderdul to have a friend in dance!" She hopped excitedly. I was shocked that she already had decided we were friends. I smiled hugely at the thought; I really thought she was nice.

"Mme. Odette." I stated simply, and raised my eyebrows hopefully. Alice's eyes widened and her breath hitched, she clapped her hands together and nodded. She seemed too happy to speak. She was so energetic.

"That will be fun then. You have it next period I presume?" I asked, and she was still to excite so she nodded. She was probably only doing that to make sure she didn't scream. Crazy girl. I giggled to myself. "Well you must be good because they usually don't let grade elevens into a grade eleven class when you are new. Especially when you are in advanced. Mme. Odette is tough, but good."

"That's nice. I like tough teachers." Her voice trilled. She couldn't seem to find it in herself to wipe away her smile. Just then Mrs. Hartwell called the class's attention back to her. The rest of the class Mrs. Hartwell attempted to explain what the passage meant. It was dead boring, and Alice ended up tearing a sheet of paper from her binder and started writing to me.

Do you mind walking to class with me? I don't really know where to go. It said. I smiled to myself. As if I would just run away from her when we had the next lass with each other.

I pulled out a pen and wrote on the paper.

Of course I will! I mean that's what friends do right? I made the leap to sound friendlier.

Okay, I agree. I have the feeling we are going to be GREAT friends. She admitted.

The bell rang suddenly. I snatched the paper and put it in my bag and packed up quickly. Alice copied me and followed me out the door.

"Are we dancing today?" Alice asked as we scurried down the steps. My balance was threatening to kill me, and fall, but thankfully I didn't.

"Yes. That's why I am going so fast. You will want to put your hair in a bun. We have ballet" I mumbled. I wasn't going fast for myself, I was going fast for her. She had hair that was cropped right to her ears, and it was heavily layered. She would need a lot of pins for that and a moderate amount of time for that, and we only had 7 minutes in between classes.. I had hair that draped right o me ribs so it took not time to through it in a bun. What with it already on the top of my head, I just need to twist my hair net around it and be set.

"Oh I love ballet!" Alice chirped happily. When we were nearly at the dance studios, Alice tugged me to a stop. I looked at her confused, but then saw 2 boys approaching us.

I nearly fainted. It was the bronze haired boy and the tall blonde. My heart started to pump in double time, and the extra strength made my head hurt more. I should have took some sort of drug to tone this agony down.

"Hi, Jasper." Alice said and let go of my arm. She walked over to the blonde and stared deep into his eyes. His brown eyes were boring into her eyes just as deeply, and his eyes were so full of love and admiration I looked away and blushed. It was so intimate!

"Alice." He mumbled and then looked to me. His voice was deep and smooth. It didn't hold a lot of emotion in it. He spoke in a calm manner.

"Oh, yes! Jasper this is Bella. She is in my dance class and English class. Bella this is Jasper." She grinned and waved to him and layed her hand on is chest. They were clearly a couple. An oddly matched couple, what with him being to tall and her so short. The difference between them was what made them look so perfect for each other.

"Hello, Bella." Jasper smiled smally.

"Hi." I said quietly, and turned beet red. I hadn't found it in myself to completely make I contact with him. I hadn't even looked at the other boy yet.

"And this is Edward, Bella." Alice said and gestured to the lanky one. I forced my eyes to look at him. He was staring at me nervously, almost anxious. His deep green eyes curious. His full lips slowly curved up into a crooked smile, that showed a little glimpse of white teeth. Yes, he was definitely a reincarnated god.

"Hey." I smiled back and averted my eyes, staring at the white tiles.

"Pleasure to meet you." I heard a smooth velvety voice mutter. My eyes widened and my head snapped up. He looked at me once and then started walking away.

"We better get ready." Alice said to me, and absently nodding, not able to rip my eyes away from Edward's retreating figure. My cheeks were blazing with heat.

He had a velvety voice that sounded like an instrument being played. It was silky smooth and he had perfect articulation. His grammar and poise was perfect too. He was tall and lanky, and, immersed in shadows would look just like the man who had saved me from my parents wrath last night.

Edward was my savior. . .


Sorry this chapter is so long! I couldnt find out the right place to end it. I was going to wait until alter for Bella to find out who ahd saved her, but i couldnt wait, and i knew that i fshe found out sooner then the story would move faster. . .and i would be able to end this chapter.

I hope you enjoyed this for whoever reads is it! Please REVIEW!! i LOVE hearing what people have to say :)

PS. The English teacher, is a reincarnation of MY ENGLISH TEACHER, (fitting name? i would say so), who has unnaturally white hair (as in she bleaches is) and i have had her since grade nine. I hate the women with a passion. lol! I couldnt resist putting her in here.