Chapter Six—Going Home Sick
Bella, I'm guessing you can hear me, not Edward. I heard Jasper say—think.
I shook my head to clear it as I replied, "Yes. Any idea what the hell is going on?"
"You know, that's really annoying," commented Edward.
"Oh, you should talk Mr. Cryptic mind-reader!" I spat back.
"So, we switched…gifts," Alice said, musing. "Which would explain why I feel panicked enough for four vampires instead of just myself." I don't know how Jazz does this. I feel like I'm going to burst!
"Me too," I muttered clutching my head in my lap. Edward reached out and slid me into his lap, and stroked my neck wordlessly offering comfort. He had gotten so used to reading me without actually hearing my thoughts that he didn't even need his mind reading to understand me. That had to be comforting to him. I, too, had spent a great deal of time figuring out what Edward was thinking.
"Can you see anything about it, Jazz?" asked Edward, looking at Jasper over my head. I saw him do it in Jasper's mind. That was so unsettling to see yourself the way others saw you. Although I supposed it could be used as a mirror on occasion. Not that I would ever really need a mirror again. I would always look the same. Gorgeous, ethereal, immortal, perfect. Forever.
Jasper's head was merely a whirl of color and random flashes of future happenings. Mainly they involved me with what looked like a major headache, Edward looking radically frustrated, Alice looking overwhelmed out of her senses, and Jasper himself with his eyes constantly going blank.
Carlisle. "Carlisle needs to know. We need Carlisle," said Alice.
"Carlisle" agreed Edward. Carlisle, of course. Thought Jasper.
"Edward, since you seem to be the least affected, it might be best if you arrange our escape from school for the rest of the day," Jasper said aloud, "On the other hand, as Bella and Alice both look like they could actually be sick, and I'm sure I don't look too much different, perhaps we should all go, give some authenticity to our story."
No sooner had Jasper said that, than a scene interrupted his mental thoughts. Edward was talking earnestly to Ms. Kirtchner, with one arm around me. I was leaning on him, my head in my hands. Alice and Jasper were leaning on each other, all of us looking utterly miserable.
"Yes, It's going to work better if we do it that way." Jasper sounded almost smug.
"I could have told you that," said Alice, disgruntled. She was feeling lost without her sight.
"Let's just go, please? The sooner we do this, the sooner we can get to Carlisle," I begged. Edward opened the door, and instead of waiting for me to get out first, scooped me up in his arms, and lifted me up, shut the door, and placed me gently back on the ground. I heard two clicks as the Volvo's back doors closed.
"By the way, can I have my keys back, Alice?" Edward asked. Alice tossed him his keys as we started back towards the school.
In the office, it all appeared just as Jasper's vision had. I had begun clutching my head the moment we got inside the school, Edward had one arm wrapped around me, and I leaned all my weight on him, which he bore manfully. Alice and Jasper leaned on each other as much as possible, standing slightly behind Edward and I, as Edward explained to Ms. Kirtchner that the four of us were feeling rather horrid today, possibly due to some rather old leftovers that we had eaten last night.
"We thought if we heated them up to a high enough temperature, they would be fine, but to tell you the truth, I honestly don't know how long they'd been in the refrigerator," said Edward, "I hate to disturb you, but we all feel terribly, and we'd like to go home sick." He was so convincing, he almost sounded sick. He was sick, Sick with worry, especially for me, I was certain. Though I was equally certain that he missed his mind-reading.
I can't take this! I can't see! I feel so lost, so utterly blind! Alice snapped mentally. Jasper's thoughts were a constant stream of short, incomprehensible trips to the future. He was beginning to clutch his own head.
I'm upset for myself, worried, frightened, I think…Bella, are you the one who feels like she's being ripped into bits, emotion-wise? Alice thought. I winced. That was a very accurate description of my feelings. I'm guessing Edward is the worried, protective ball of frustration shooting towards me from next to you. I cracked a hint of a smile. Alice was watching, I was certain she could understand my reply. I was also fairly certain she'd played this game with Edward before. That leaves Jazz with the other ball of protective frustration. It feels like it's all smashing in on me from all sides. How are you holding up, Bella? From the corner of my eye, the one that was facing away from Edward, I could see Alice's concerned look. Bless Alice for still being worried about the rest of us, when all I could think about was my head. I twitched the former ever so slightly to indicate a shrug-like motion.
"I'm sorry but our school policy doesn't allow any sick students to drive themselves home. It's for your safety, you know" admonished Ms. Kirtchner. "You'll have to call your parents and have them pick you up."
Edward smiled ruefully, "That's quite alright, Ms. Kirtchner, you don't make the rules. I'll just call Carlisle then."
I had reached into his pocket and extracted his silver cell phone, and punched in Carlisle's number on speed dial. I handed him the phone as it dialed Carlisle's number.
Where did she pull that from? Cell phones aren't allowed in school. I suppose they're all texting in class, aren't they? If she already had that ready, I'm sure they're setting this up. None of them are probably sick at all, for all they seemed so perfect. I groaned. Ms. Kirtchner was going to try her hardest not to let us go. Oh, perhaps they really are ill. At least that girl is. What was her name… one of the Cullens…Bella, I think. They are all incredibly pale today. Of course, they were all just as pale yesterday, and I'm sure they seemed to be perfectly happy, and perfectly healthy. What strange children. There's something a bit off about them.
Meanwhile, Edward was conversing as rapidly as he dared with Carlisle on the phone.
"Yes. We're all feeling quite poorly"
"Is something wrong?"
"Yes, quite"
"Edward, you didn't? Not Jasper? Bella? Emmett? Nessie?"
"No, Bella, Alice, Jasper and I are feeling quite unwell. Ms Kirtchner informed us that we cannot simply drive ourselves home, as we are ill. I think it may have been those leftovers last night…"
"No one bitten?"
"No, something else"
"Alright, the secretary is listening to this conversation, isn't she?"
"That's the one"
"Alright, I'll come pick you up. Hang tight. Are you all alright?"
"As well as can be expected. Yes, thank you." he hung up.
"Carlisle will be here to collect us in a few minutes," said Edward, slipping the phone back into his pocket so smoothly that Ms. Kirtchner didn't notice. Of course that might have been because she was too busy fawning over Edward.
His eyes look exactly like my Jimmy's used to when we first met. I miss those days. I'm not that old, am I? They get younger every year, I swear. Ahh, but those eyes, such a unique color. Ive never seen any like them before. Ahh, and those shoulders. I snuggled myself more deeply into those shoulders rubbing my temples. I could feel Edward's chest vibrating with the laugh he couldn't let Ms. Kirtchner see.
"Jealous? I can guess what she's thinking," he murmured, only for me.
I nodded into his chest, and his arms wrapped around me, soothing me.
I'm not sure he's sick at all. He only seems to be skipping out for the sake of this one. Arent they all related? That's just a little too friendly for family, the way he's holding her so tight. That must feel nice to be close to all those strong muscles under that shirt. I suddenly hated that plain white T-shirt. Ahh—but he's young enough to be my grandson. Hah, that was what she thought. Actually, he was old enough to be her grandfather. Or great-grandfather. That was rather disturbing actually, when I remembered that he was over ninety years older than me. But that was only in one sense. In the other, I was a year older than he. Ah, what did it matter, he was my Edward, and I was his Bella. Nothing else mattered. In that one moment, I was at perfect peace. Then I heard the unmistakable purr of Carlisle's latest black Mercedes enter the parking lot, and smoothly cut off over the intruding hubbub of the entire school's stream's of consciousness with Ms Kirtchner's thoughts overriding all.
A moment later, he was walking at a brisk human speed into the office.
"Why don't you all go wait in the car, children?" Carlisle suggested, handing Edward the keys. "I'll take care of business in here. Don't take it too fast—you look terrible" Carlisle added. There were some bored students watching from the widows, and a few stragglers still just arriving, so don't try running, just walk to the car and wait, please. The second I get into the car, you can all explain.
I tugged gently on Edward's sleeve, and we all exited the office in a miserable group. Edward looked so frustrated, and anxious. He knew Carlisle was trying to talk to him, but he couldn't hear it. My instinct was to lift my shield so I could soothe and distract him, but when I couldn't feel it, I remembered I didn't have it any more. I felt completely and utterly naked without it, totally and entirely vulnerable and unprotected. Jane would be able to hurt me now, were the Volturi to suddenly appear, though I hoped they wouldn't. Of course, I was fairly certain that they wouldn't appear, but with my luck, it was just possible that they might pop in unexpectedly.
At least Edward would be safe from them. Seeing as he was the only one I was not hearing, and I had his power, he clearly had mine. And as I missed it like I would miss my legs if I suddenly lost them and had them replaced with someone else's, so he must miss his mind-reading. If Alice felt blind, surely Edward felt completely deaf. Jasper felt incredibly empty. He felt drained of all emotion. Actually Alice was getting a great deal of shock, and well-contained panic that I was fairly certain came from Jazz.
Alice saw me looking anxiously at Edward as we approached Carlisle's car. You wondering about Edward, Bella? I nodded. Alice tried hard to focus, to channel the emotion seeking the way she channeled her vision-seeking. He's frightened, frustrated, worried, probably about you, and I'm fairly certain that he's at least a little smug. Probably something about the whole "seeing yourself clearly' thing. I winced my thanks to Alice. It was meant to be a smile, but it came out as a wince instead. You're welcome Alice almost smiled. She was really accomplished at speaking to me in my head, which reinforced my conclusion that she must have had a great deal of practice doing the same with Edward. No wonder Alice was Edwards's favorite sister.
We reached the car, and all piled in to the back seat. I sat on Edward's lap again needing the comfort of being close to him, and Alice sat on Jasper's lap, both of them needing the same comfort.