A/N: I'm alive and in pain but still kicking!
Alright, my compadres, let's get my explanation over and done with! I've been super busy. Like so busy that I think I'm going to collapse from exhaustion busy; so busy I haven't contacted my friends because I haven't had the chance; so busy that I think I'm gonna puke; so busy....
That I'm rambling.
Anyway, I'm losing my touch. I've been procrastinating in everything I've got to do and I've been losing myself in unimportant things so I can distract myself from everything important. It's stupid and irresponsible and I'm sorry for taking it out on you guys. But I'm done with that now. I've come to a new appreciation for you all. It took me awhile to figure it out. And while I won't be able to write as much or as often as I'd like (I'm a senior in high school; I've got stuff to do and colleges to convince), I'll be much more dedicated than I have been recently. I swear it, guys. No more messing around.
So, for all you loyal readers, here's the next chapter of Isabella Marie Swan Volturi. I hope you all enjoy it and start expecting a new chapter soon. It'll be coming to a webpage near you!
CHAPTER 12: JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT FALLING IN WITH THE VAMPS...
The days following my werewolf/shape-shifter-kidnapping, I was surrounded by vampires. They were constantly watching me, testing the air around me as if they saw me to be a time bomb that was going to burst at any moment. They didn't seem to believe that I was fine. This was just something that happened. First I was kidnapped by vampires, now shape-shifters who thought they were werewolves. Maybe a crazy hybrid breed would kidnap me next. I would have to wait and see if witches were real too.
School work was hardly a thing for me to fuss over, but I did relish the time I spent doing it. It was my one excuse for needing to be alone in the Cullen home; I complained that I preferred to work in solitude. In the long hours that I spent carefully placing every letter on my paper, dotting every "i" differently and crossing every "t" with either a swirled end or a perfectly straight line, I was able to soak in the silence that I had always wanted but could never get when surrounded by the wandering red eyes of a vampiric overlord.
Still, I could hear them outside my door, my imagination creating the sounds that that should have been there. It made me uncomfortable to know that they could creep about without making a single shift in the atmosphere. That fact wreaked havoc on my mind.
"Bella, can I come in?" A tinkling voice, soprano-toned….had to be the psychic.
"Yes," I said, not even looking up from my work. Still a couple more t's to cross.
She let herself in and landed in front of me, lying on her stomach with her ankles crossed as they sat perfectly in the air.
"Are you having any trouble with your homework? You've been in here for awhile…" I knew she didn't need an answer. It had obviously already been finished if my numerous sheets of writing-filled paper were anything to go by.
"I'm fine." I hoped the resolve in my voice would get her to leave.
"Well, since you are done," her voice perked up a bit, "maybe you'd be willing to go grocery shopping with me. I've never gone before and if ever you were to get sick, god forbid, I'd need to know what kind of groceries you'd want me to get for you. We haven't done that before."
She was hyper and that kind of annoyed me. I'm sure at one point in my life I would have appreciated her happiness and her joyous little dance-like walk, but at the moment, I was feeling like I was being pulled like a taut string, ready to snap. Or maybe that was just my temper talking.
"I'll buy my own food, thank you." She sighed.
"Bella, you've been here for nearly two weeks. I understand you are adverse to my kind but could you please not take it out on me?" I looked up to see her large golden eyes—large puppy-dog eyes that blinked widely—and frowned at her. Vampires had charms that they used, like beauty and their scent, traits that made them appealing and mysterious. Human eyes liked pretty things, things like sparkly baubles and vampires, and I could tell Alice was trying to appeal to my more human nature. Unfortunately for her, I no longer was the human I had once been, the one who could grow entranced by a set of glowing eyes and a kind smile.
"I appreciate your family's hospitality, Alice," I said calmly, "but in coming here, I did not promise to become your friend. I'm sorry if this disappoints you." I stood from my spot by the window, hiding a wince as I went, packing up my books and setting on the bed before exiting the room, Alice's eyes being the picture behind my eyelids, displaying emotions that I was better off not caring for.
--
"Are you unhappy?"
"How'd you guess?"
"You're not talking to the others, you know. They're starting to think you like me more."
"Ha."
Simple sentences were my own responses to Edward's questions and inquiries. I didn't exert much effort into doing it. If the Volturi wanted information, they'd taken getting it out of me through force. Edward, it seemed, had taken our first encounter and used that as an example of what not to do when around me.
"Really, Bella, they are worried. Carlisle is thinking about therapy."
I raised an eyebrow at the muffin that I had been breaking apart in my hands. "They want to get me a shrink? I wonder what he'll think about me saying, "I see vampires.""
"Funny, Bella."
"Wait, so was there really any reason for us to sit at another table for lunch? It's not like the others can't hear us anyway." Edward didn't say anything and I didn't bother to look up to see if he shrugged. I pictured it though.
"They can hear us but it's really just the principle of talking privately away from others."
"Ah…so I can go now, right? That is, if you're finished talking. Wouldn't want to be rude or anything…" He sighed and I pretended that he shook his head.
"Yeah, you can go."
I stood, dusting off my crumb-covered fingers on my jeans and wrapping up my uneaten muffin in its plastic wrapper. Just as I turned from the table, Edward spoke.
"Bella, I know you aren't comfortable around us, but I do think you should make an effort to be around us more often. Despite what you think of us, we're not the Volturi. We're a family. We care about you just as much as we care about each other. Please consider that."
I didn't say anything in return but I saw in Edward's eyes the genuine concern he held, whether for his own family or me.
Doesn't change anything, I thought to myself. Not a damn thing.
--
"How long have you been in pain?"
"Hmmm?" I turned to see the empath standing in my doorway.
"Your chest, it's been aching, hasn't it? In two ways, if I'm correct in my assumptions."
I turned away from my bed, leaving the wrinkles I had been straightening out alone for the moment. The Volturi had demanded cleanliness amongst their dust. I'd never been immaculate about my belongings but I was used to having everything in order. Looking at it, I disliked how everything had a place. I was tempted to leave my books at my bedside table so I could fall asleep next to them, maybe read them as I waited to the heaviness of fatigue to take me away. I couldn't do that with the compulsiveness the Volturi had instilled in me.
"Are you annoyed at me or something in your thoughts? I can only feel what you feel; the meanings behind the feelings are not clear."
"Alice saw my pain and asked you to tune into it, didn't she?" I asked, looking at him. Looking at these vampires and comparing them to the ones of Italy was weird. There in Italy where the sun shone brightly, the vampires were like shadows that followed your every movement, a curse that you had no control over. In cloudy Forks, watching these vampires and staring at them was like staring into the sun. It nearly burned my eyes.
"Not at first. I told her what you were feeling. Every deep breath and sigh caused you more pain. You didn't tell Carlisle about the wolves handling you, did you?"
"What could he have done?" I questioned calmly, looking away now. My eyes burned as I resigned myself to not feeling helpless. Paul had been brutal in his attack. Never mind that I'd been attacked by vampires before. The heat of Paul's arms and his strength had scared me, though at the time I hadn't paid much attention to it. As I looked back, I realized how truly frightening asphyxiation could be. "The past is the past. There was no need to inform him if he couldn't change it."
"He could have helped ease the pain," Jasper informed, smiling kindly as if remembering a fond memory. "Carlisle's particularly good at that."
"So I've heard." I too remembered how good Carlisle was at easing pain. My healing wrist was enough to remind me of that.
He remained in my doorway, a knowing look on his face as he saw that I wouldn't allow him to finish any sort of normal and enlightening conversation with him.
"I don't expect you to spill your life for me," Jasper said quietly. "If you were that trusting in me, I'd be worried. However, it would be good for you if you did, excluding the fact that I just told you I shouldn't be trusted so easily. Either way," he shrugged, "I can empathize."
"That was a horrible pun."
"Yeah it was, Jazz," Alice said as she bounded into the room, her smile glowing brightly to make me want to squint. "I guess I'll have to punish you."
I groaned as Jasper and Alice laughed together. I plopped onto my bed and laid down, ignoring the two as their chuckles dwindled to silence.
I laid my hands over my stomach only to wince visibly and decide that it wasn't the best idea. Paul's powerful, crushing arms had left large bruises across my ribs and stomach, the shape of muscular arms looking like thick pipes had hit me square in the chest. It had never occurred to me before that I would bruise so easily.
"Would you at least let me check to see if you're alright? I'd hate to find out you have a collapsing lung behind your shallow breathing," Alice said, delicately sitting beside me and moving to pat my knee slowly, as if she feared I could run away from her.
When I looked up at the doorway, Jasper was gone, his silent exit making me wary. Alice, from what I'd seen of her, could get whatever she wanted. She'd managed to get certain people at school to talk to me while making others avoid me or at least miss me whenever they tried to get near. Even in her own home, her way was nearly always the path that was right. Her decisions and outlook were valuable here. Did that mean she had some sort of power that the Volturi—and now I—didn't know about? The power of perplexing persuasion?
"I'm not going to strap you down and lift your shirt, Bella," Alice giggled. It was cute, musical, and creepy as hell. "I just want to check on the bruises. If they're worse than I thought they were, I'll ask Carlisle to get you some prescription pain reliever and maybe we'll bandage you up, if you let us," she added.
It took me a moment of careful consideration and yearning (I was tired of walking around, carefully analyzing every breath I took just in case it was too much) for less pain before I nodded slowly, unsure of my own decision. Alice visibly brightened and she shut my bedroom door, practically vibrating as she went. I was nervous and uncomfortable; I wasn't keen on lifting my shirt for anyone, let alone a vampire.
Alice carefully peeled my shirt upwards, keeping her cold hands from touching me. I kept my breaths shallow and Alice winced when she saw the marks on my chest, blue-violet toned skin painted brightly against my pale skin.
"They didn't do anything else to you, did they?" Alice asked quietly, placing the back of her hand against the largest bruise, one the shape of Paul's fist where he had pushed it into my side. I flinched but then relaxed as the coolness of her skin numbed my pain. I shook my head lightly.
"Nah. Just a couple bruises; no big deal."
Alice growled under her breath, "This is so not the time for minimizing the damage, Bella. If Emmett or Edward finds out, they'll try and go get revenge. And because it was men attacking you, Rose will probably try and beat them to the punch."
"Well, that's stupid." Surprised, Alice looked up. Her eyebrow was raised delicately at me.
Explain, her eyes said.
"Revenge isn't a good thing," I pointed out. "If it was, I'd be exacting my revenge on everyone who had ever wronged me. The Volturi would be the first to face my wrath," I ignored the smirk on Alice's face. She could laugh all she wanted. "However, revenge, like anything that draws you in, is going to bite back at you if you slip up once. What's the point in risking yourself just to show others that they can't keep running over you?"
"Bella," Alice started but was interrupted as the bedroom door was slammed open, revealing a dour-looking Edward, his eyes nearly black, gaze piercing me silently as the tension in the room suddenly became so tangible that it could be cut with a knife.
His gaze traveled slowly down to Alice's pale hand that covered the fist-shaped bruise, a bruise that was larger than Alice's by inches. He growled deeply, his eyes growing darker.
"Shit," Alice cursed quietly.
--
"You weren't going to tell me?!"
"Because I knew how you'd react!"
"This isn't something you should keep secret, Alice!"
"This isn't your problem, Edward!"
I was raising my hand to get them to stop, trying to peak my words through their heavily rising argument, but my words were lost somewhere in the swirling anger than surrounded the two.
"Hey, guys," I muttered, and still the intensity of their yelling rose, Jasper entering the verbal brawl as well.
"She didn't do anything wrong, Edward!"
"Jasper, this is as much your fault as it is hers! You both have known and not told a soul!"
"She didn't want you to—"
"SHUT UP!"
The three looked at me and my already red cheeks, tinted from my anger, deepened in color. Traitor tears filled my eyes because of my frustration and I silently cursed at myself for being so weak and emotional.
"I want you out of my room in as soon as I finish," I warned. "If you are going to start screaming, like hell you'll do it here. I haven't got the patience to see how long a couple of vampires can argue for."
They stared at me, golden eyes wide and unblinkingly awed. Frustrated, I growled.
"I'm done!"
They were gone in seconds, having sped out of the room immediately, the door gently closing behind them as if a breeze had shut it closed.
Honestly, I thought in embarrassment. Is that really how a vampire coven should act? You'd think they were siblings arguing over a toy or something!
"Bella?" There was a light knocking on my door as I stared up, surprised by the tender voice that I easily recognized as Esme's. Of all the vampires in the house, I avoided her most of all.
"Come in," I sighed, wincing when I sat up on the wrong hand. I was just bruises and broken bones all over, it seemed.
She entered, her hair flowing gracefully around her slightly downturned face. She looked as if she were being cautious around me, as if I was the danger in this room. As she came within feet of me, she looked up, her golden eyes round and nearly glistening. It was a sight I wasn't prepared for and had never before anticipated. A bashful and sad looking vampire…who would have thought?
"I hope you don't mind, but I overheard your conversation with Alice, Edward and Jasper…" I nearly snorted. The vampires in New York probably heard it.
"I was just wondering if...well, I understand you are not fond of living here. It must not be an upgrade from your home in Italy," she paused. I wanted to correct her and say that Italy had never been my home but I knew how rude it would have sounded. She had not yet provoked any sort of negative remarks from me. "If you'd find more comfort in some items of sentimental value, I'd be willing to assist you in retrieving them."
Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?" Her gentle, soft face looked unsure but she still answered.
"Your father had a home here in this town. If I'm correct, the house is technically yours. If you'd like, we could retrieve pictures or items that may hold some value to you from the house for you to keep. That house hasn't been interrupted in the time since it was…well, it has remained empty for so long." When I looked at her, I recognized not pity but a sort of estranged understanding of loss and instantly felt a sort of kinship with this woman with her hauntingly attractive and matronly appearance.
"I….I'll think about it. Thank you." She smiled, a small yet bright and warming smile that made my face heat up and she nodded, quietly exiting my room.
This was exactly why she was the one I avoided the most.
Oops...Disclaimer says I own nothing. Confucius says I suck. :)
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P.S. Readers of my other stories, I swear you guys are getting what you all deserve very soon. I've been trying to type everything up perfectly but things aren't flowing like I'd like them to. I apologize but just give me a bit of time. I'm trying my very best. Thanks for being understanding.
