Chapter 6: Learning / practice
"Bella, Bella, Bella. Can you hear me? Are you listening? Bella," argghh, I thought I was ignoring all the additional senses but Edward was screaming just outside my thoughts, like someone pounding and shouting outside a door wanting to come in. I put my hands up to the sides of my head. Wow, how does Edward cope having to listen to everyone all the time.
I seem to be able to block other people even when opening up the mind reading to listen to an individual, useful!
I looked up into Edwards eyes and nodded just with my eyes to let him know I was listening to him. I tried to concentrate just on his main voice but I could hear a second line of thought about how strange it was to be on the other side of mind reading, he found it amusing he and Alice had so many silent conversations with him just giving small facial indications, he enjoyed being on the other side. More distant and easier to tune out are lines of thought all centred on me and yet others on a piano piece he was working on. The worst is hearing all the voices, he tried so hard to ignore them but they shout at him constantly. My mind reading started knocking in response, I have to concentrate to keep my ability in check so I don't have an echo of the 'main' voice from everyone in range. I wanted to shake my head to clear it but knowing it would be no help I just concentrated on the voice he was directing at me and like being in a noisy school cafeteria I just tuned out all the rest of the noise.
"Bella, will you ask Emmett to arm wrestle? Newborns are much stronger than older vampires due to the change and your own blood being newly converted. You have newborn strength on your side so it's the perfect time to give him a taste of his own medicine. Please Bella," he asked me mentally, I could hear the mischief and feel the anticipation, it was all I could do not to laugh out loud at him. Digging deeper I found all his thoughts on how he expected me to beat Emmett with ease. I smiled at him and gave another tiny nod.
He seems to have come to terms with me being a vampire and is now looking at the advantages, the powers being another perk. He was almost as fun filled as Emmett at the moment. It could be interesting since Rose and Emmett still don't know about my powers. I looked back at Edward, I could hear him think I had a glint of mischief in my eyes, I winked and nodded to him. Let the fun begin!
I decided to have a quick look into the immediate future to see Emmett's reactions. Oh boy, this was going to be better than I had originally thought.
Emmett was playing his video games. It was some sort of shoot-em up. Mmm, how to get his interest...?
I spoke to the room at large, "So how strong am I now?"
Emmett fell straight into the trap, hook, line and sinker, "Bells, you might even be as strong as me since you are newborn but it will only last about a year then you'll be as puny as the rest of them," he waved around at Rose, Esme and Edward.
Rose growled at him, Edward started to smirk but controlled it before Emmett could notice. Esme tutted at him.
"You know I'm right," he laughed at them. "Come on Bells, shall we find out how strong you are?" his eyes dancing in excitement.
"Outside with you all, I don't want any more breakages by you Emmett," Esme's voice sounded very strict but her eyes and feelings told of her humour at the resident clown.
His game forgotten, he dropped the controller on the sofa. He bounced over to me grabbing my hand and hauled me towards the door, "Come on!"
I let out a quiet chuckle and let him tow me outside. The rest of the family followed in amusement.
"We'll start you easy, how about arm wrestling?" he spoke in deep thought.
"But I was never any good at that even with kids smaller than me," I said in mock worry.
"No, you'll be fine. Just give it a try," enthusiasm seeping into his voice.
Edward's thoughts were bombarding me again, "Get him to make a bet, make a bet of it." I met his eyes to let him know I heard him.
"I'm not sure, I don't want to make a fool of myself. You seem so sure you can beat me easily," I let uncertainty colour my voice. I'd seen it all in my vision, I was trying so hard not to let on.
"How about I sweeten the deal, if you win you I owe you a favour," he was trying so hard to get me to do this.
"What sort of favour?" I asked as innocently as I could.
"Up to you, I have to do something you ask," he threw up his arms, it didn't seem to matter to him as he didn't expect to lose.
"Okay, let's give it a go," I said with as flat a voice as I could manage.
He threw himself down onto his stomach on the grass, one arm under him to prop him up the other in position to start arm wrestling, "I'm waiting!" he sang out while waggling his eye brows. I couldn't help but laugh at his childish enthusiasm!
I knelt in front of him, lowering myself slowly into position, just to wind him up. The scowl let me know I was winning.
Our audience stood in a loose circle around us.
We finally got in position. Alice called out, "On three; one, two,......"
Emmett tried to slam my hand down once Alice got to two. Alice screamed at him, "Cheat, you tried to cheat Emmett."
He did look slightly abashed but the annoyance that his trick had no effect took the edge off his bubbly enthusiasm.
"No cheating this time Emmett," Alice scolded with her hands on her hips, "One, two, three!
He waited for three this time. I made no move, waiting to see what Emmett could throw at me. I could feel the force he was trying to exert but still it took me hardly anything to hold. The concentration was building on his face. He started to throw as much of his body weight as he could, easing his elbow out to get better leverage. I was trying so hard to keep the smirk off my face. I could see Alice getting wound up at Emmett as everyone could see his attempts to cheat but as I was still so relaxed she managed to hold her tongue.
"Have you started yet?" I teased Emmett.
His eyes bugged out at me, I could see in his face he was putting every bit of strength into trying to beat me.
I started to move my hand slowly, his elbow moved even further starting to lift. I decided to put an end to it. I flicked his arm over beating him with ease.
"Re-match," he all but screamed at me, "You must have cheated!"
Everyone laughed at him. "Bella didn't cheat but we all saw you trying to cheat," Rose told him shaking her head in disappointment.
He pouted but his face softened when I told him, "We can have a re-match another day."
Emmett was off on anther tangent now, "Now what? Can we have a race and see how fast you are? I want to see Edward beaten, he always wins running races."
I glanced at Edward. Edward knew how easily I had left him behind when we returned from hunting but no-one else did. Alice was pouting, she can't see me so has no idea of the outcome of today's games."I know you lost the last bet," I grinned at Emmett, "But does anyone want a bet on the race?"
They all knew each other well enough to know the results of the rest of them racing but I am an unknown to them.
The bet came down to if I would beat Edward. Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, Rose and Alice all put money that Edward win or draw with me. Esme, Edward and I all bet I would win. Little did they know how much by.
Esme volunteered to referee. We were racing to a tree on a hill that could be seen from the house. We all lined up. Esme called this time, "One, two, three!"
I waited until everyone had set off and reached the tree line. Esme looked at me in askance. I just winked at her and set off. I quickly passed everyone. I reached the tree and waved at them on my way back before they had reach three quarters of the distance to the tree.
I stood laughing and talking to Esme as they returned. Edward beat the others but with no-where near the lead I had.
"So, I think I'm just slightly the fastest then," I announced with a giggle.
"I bet I can beat you in a fight," Emmett claimed belligerently.
"I'm up a favour from you and a thousand dollars, what do you want to give me this time?" I asked him.
"Double or nothing?" he told me with determination.
"You're on," I laughed at him, "Prepare to lose."
He growled and launched himself at me. I stepped easily out of his way. Edward and Jasper made to restrain Emmett but I called out, "I'll be fine, just watch!"
Emmett charged again and again missing each time, getting more and more angry. "Stand and fight," he yelled at me.
"If you think you can take me," I taunted him.
This time I didn't step away when he came at me. All my self-defence lessons and karate as a human came into their own. I simply tripped him this time. I stepped away waiting for him to regain his feet.
"Cheat," he yelled at me.
I just giggled at him, "Aww, poor little Emmy. Can't you beat a little bit of a girl!"
He roared and charged again. I leapt up, jumping over him twisting in the air grabbing onto his back. I licked the side of his neck knowing instinctively decapitation is the easiest way to take out an opponent.
He rubbed his neck and whined, "Ewww. Rosie she doesn't play fair." Rose came over and gave him a hug.
"Sorry Emmett," I hated seeing him look so forlorn.
I don't need to read minds to see he thought of something else, the grin bounced back onto his face, "I bet you can't take Jasper."
I laughed at him, "Don't you think you have lost enough in bets for one day, or do you want another double or nothing?"
Emmett just grinned and nodded enthusiastically at me. He was so sure he had this one in the bag.
I turned to Jasper, "Do you want a round Jasper?"
"You know of my past, are you sure you want to try against me?" he asked in concern.
Yes, this would be more interesting, "I'm game if you are, how do I learn if I don't try?"
Edward was panicking, "Are you sure? Please be careful, I don't want you to get hurt."
"Jasper would no more hurt me than you would, it's just a wrestling match. I can look after myself better than any of you could anticipate," I have seen the outcome, but no need to tell them that.
I opened myself up to my extra powers, concentrating my attention on Jasper. I had an awareness during my run in with Emmett of the 'map' overlay, it gave me risk assessments of each action and routes to avoid trouble.
Jasper was exuding confidence, thinking about how to take it easy on me, but still stretch me so I didn't feel too bad when he won quickly. He was in for a shock.
"You attack me," he waved me forward in encouragement.
I kept in mind all the fighting techniques I knew. I had the vision I had seen earlier of some of the tricks Jasper uses but the most useful was the overlay of routes. Our wrestling can only be described as a dance. I learned so much between reading his mind, emotions and watching the colours and textures of the routes that flowed in all directions from me.
I evaded him by the smallest of margins so many times, different combinations of abilities saving my skin again and again. I slipped into sparing, one thing I loved when I learned different martial arts over the years as a human. Our moves must have looked coordinated from an outside perspective but we now were both giving it our all, even vampire eyes may have found the speed and variety of movements hard to follow. We would put the martial arts movies to shame with the moves we used, wires not required! I still haven't reached top speed or strength as I'm still learning, still finding my way. It was then when I saw it amongst the plethora of routes, it was as slim as a thread, but it was a thread to victory. I followed the narrow trail, it broadened once I managed to get on it.
That was how I found myself on Jasper's back, I had him face down on the ground with an arm pinned up his back. I did the same trick I had with Emmett, running the tip of my tongue against his neck. He came to an unnatural stillness that was mimicked by everyone watching.
I listened to their thoughts but for that instant, shock had silenced all of them. That shock almost bought me to my knees with the intensity. When their thoughts started up again, I was bombarded. I blocked everything off just to cope.
"How the....." "Not possible, Jasper must have let her, but he never...." "Jasper lost....." "What...." their words were a babble of incredulity. Edward's thoughts had taken a totally different turn to the other's but taking too much notice would have even my vampire self blushing, if that was possible, I looked pointedly at him and raised an eyebrow. The waves of embarrassment he threw off was enough to get Jasper's attention too, enough for Jasper to come out of the shock of me beating him.
Jasper stood, looked at me intently then put his hand out to shake, "Well done, you'll have to let me know how sometime." Awe, shock, amazement are just a few of the emotions that barrelled off him, his loudest thought caught me off guard, "She's not even half a day old yet, what is she going to be capable of..."
An errant thought made me realise I never tried manipulating his emotions to distract him, I'm not sure if it would be more or less effective on another empath.
Emmett saved the day again by distracting everyone, "Tag hide and seek, Bella is it." Then he set off running.
I glanced at the others, they were laughing as they each flitted off.
Edward was the last to go, "Is this okay? Do you want to do this?"
"You've got until I count to ten at human speed then I'm coming ready or not," I waved him off as I started to count in a loud voice, yelling a warning as I set off.
It was so pathetic how easy it was to find everyone, they seem to have forgotten about that little ability I have with a thread running to each of them.
I went to get Emmett first, he was hiding inside a hollow tree. I was conscious of the scent trails in all directions for miles. He must have spent quite a while running that many trails. He did try to run away but I tagged him before he could get more than a couple of yards. Emmett didn't take being found so quickly very well. He was slightly mollified when I found everyone else just as quickly and easily.
I had tagged all seven of them within a minute. They had never had a quicker round of hide and seek.
Poor Emmett, I'd never given another thought that he and Rose had missed the run down of my powers. Even Carlisle had a had time keeping a straight face at Emmett's little tantrum as he caught the two of them up on the conversation we had had while waiting for them to return from their hunt earlier.
Everyone was in a flurry of thoughts and emotions, it was getting a bit much. The earlier activities had reinforced my words, it was a lot for everyone to take in. I would have doubted the extent of my claims without seeing proof to back them up. Carlisle wanted to talk again but I asked if we could do it later.
It's been a whirlwind since I woke. I am in serious need of a time out to try and come to terms with it all. If I could I would 'sleep on it' but I don't have that option any more.
Edward came to my rescue, "Do you want to come and listen to some music with me?"
I just nodded and let him lead me up into his room. He had acquired a bed in the time I had been travelling. I just fell back in as I would have done in exhaustion before. Edward put some classical music on, then came and lay next to me. I just let the music flow over me. Edward's fingers entwined in mine, his touch soothing. Edward's silent proximity, time and music washed away the intensity of the day.