The nurse, an older woman with short, dark brown hair with graying streaks, stepped out and waved to the two girls. Olivia stood first and helped Bella up. Bella's face tightened as she felt the small pain wrack through her body. Slowly, they made their way to the small room. It was a rather dreadful room, with faded mustard yellow walls and a tiny bed covered in itchy grey wool blankets and a minuscule pillow. Olivia noticed with disgust how many stains were strewn across the pillow. Bella sat down on the bed with a small sigh, the plastic mattress crinkling beneath her weight. Liv found a chair and dragged it to sit beside the bed. The nurse, meanwhile, was rifling through her first aid kit. She finally turned around, juggling multiple items: cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol, band-aids and polysporin. She smiled kindly at the girls before pulling up her own chair and placing it in front of Bella. She poured a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto a cotton swab, and Bella squeezed her eyes, anticipating the sting. However, a phone rang from another room and the nurse exhaled loudly.
"Hold on a moment, dears." She set the medical stuff down on the seat of her chair as she stood and marched off to answer the phone, leaving the girls alone.
"So…" Olivia started, "I couldn't help but noticed you aren't too fond of P.E."
Bella flushed and looked down. "Well, no, not really."
"Why not?"
"I've never been too good at sports…. Hand eye co-ordination just doesn't work for me." She shrugged.
Olivia laughed lightly. "Understandable."
Bella nodded, still looking down.
"Is that blond guy your boyfriend?" Olivia asked suddenly, though she knew the answer.
"What?" she replied, looking up with a dumbfounded expression.
"That pretty-boy, the guy with the blond hair and round face." Liv described him as well as she could.
"Mike?" she sounded disgusted and her face twisted into an almost pained expression.
"Yeah, he seemed really worried about you."
"Uhm, no… no he is not my boyfriend…" her shoulders shook slightly in a small shudder.
"Don't like him?" Olivia guessed.
"Well no… not in that way." She struggled for words, it seemed.
"Then, who do you like… in that way?" Liv nudged her playfully with her elbow, grinning.
"My… boyfriend… Edward." Bella blushed and smiled all at once when she said his name.
"Edward, eh?" so Olivia had been right: this was the human lover. Not exactly what she'd expected, for sure. Then again, she hadn't really been sure what to expect. "That's a traditional name. That's from the early nineteen hundreds, isn't it?" Liv questioned, holding her smirk down desperately.
Bella's eyes went wide for a moment. "Yes, I believe so." She said quickly, looking away.
"Hey, you're in my history class, aren't you" Olivia asked suddenly.
"With Mrs. Elliott?"
"Yeah, second period, right before lunch?"
"Yeah."
"Is there a test this week?"
"Uhm… on Friday, I think."
"Do you mind helping me study? History never has been my forte." Olivia smiled sheepishly.
"Sure, I guess. You could come over today, if you like."
"Really? That'd be great! I'll just have to phone Nick."
"Who's Nick?" Bella asked, adopting the same curiosity Olivia had had earlier.
"Uh… friend… said I'd hang out with him today but I can't now."
"Well, you don't have to cancel on him for me."
"It's no big deal, don't worry." She assured her.
The nurse returned to the girls and apologized for her absence. She resumed her position in front of Bella and cleaned her scratched knees. The girl hissed as the alcohol stung viciously and pursed her lips tightly to avoid whimpering. The nurse rubbed on some polysporin, which soothed the sting, and then stuck on a couple band aids. She applied a bit of pressure to Bella's right ankle, and the brown haired girl winced in response.
"Looks like you twisted it, dear. I'll wrap it up so it doesn't get worse, but it doesn't look too bad. No need for crutches, at least." She gave her a small, comforting smile and turned around to pull out some medical wrap. She found it, along with a pin, and asked her to remove her runners. She did so accordingly and the nurse began to wrap the cloth tightly around Bella's ankle. She pinned it together, making sure it was secure, and then instructed her to put her shoes back on. Bella did so gingerly, careful not to tie the laces too tightly.
"All set. Back to class, you two. Bella, take it easy on that ankle." She ushered them both out.
Bella stretched her legs, getting used to the stiffness and uncomfortable pain. "What class do you have next?"
Liv looked at her for a moment. She hadn't been expecting Bella to concern herself with anything of Olivia's affairs. Seems the girl had taken a liking towards her throughout their short conversation which consisted mainly of pointless girl talk.
"Uh, Biology, Mr. Banner." She replied finally.
"Same. My partner's… away, today, so I'll spare you from working with a complete stranger. It's the least I could do after this mess." She smiled faintly and motioned to her banged up knees.
"Sounds fair." Olivia agreed as she opened the door for both of them. They both shivered as the cool wind ambushed them. "Let's go get changed first, though."
Bella nodded in strong agreement and they made their way to the change rooms. She limped, avoiding as much weight as possible on her right foot.
"I'm guessing Edward is your partner?" she took a stab at it. She figured her bloodsucking boyfriend was similar to Nikita when it came to school: rearranges his classes to fit her schedule but manages to evade P.E.
"Yeah, but he's out with his siblings." She explained vaguely.
"Out where?" Olivia asked, for once very curious to her reply, instead of always knowing roughly what the answer would be.
"Camping and hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, it's a place just south of Mount Rainier. They're rather… outdoorsy." The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Isn't that area prone to bears?" Olivia asked, remembering the little information she'd read about this small area she now resigned within.
Bella bit her lip and shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't do that type of stuff."
"Hence why you're here and not with them?"
Bella paused, and her mouth twitched again. "Exactly."
They arrived at the change room and both went into their own stall to get back into their every day clothes. Olivia changed from her black basketball shorts and over sized white T-shirt that had 'I NY' printed on it, into her previous attire: dark blue jeans and a pale pink plaid button up blouse. She tossed her gym strip into the locker she'd picked and closed it up. Bella changed from her shorts and plain T-shirt to a khaki skort and cream colored V-neck sweater. The two then cleaned up their hair. Bella simply ran a brush through hers after removing the ponytail, parting it slightly to the side. Meanwhile, Olivia took out her braids completely, leaving her strawberry blond hair loose and crimped. She ran her fingers through it briefly, to get rid of all the knots, and then turned to Bella.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yup." She replied.
The two girls walked to their next class slowly, in no hurry to arrive at the designated building. The note in Olivia's hand from the nurse excused their tardiness, so there really was no hurry.
"Does Edward have a big family?" Olivia asked, bringing up the subject once again. Bella failed to noticed that this seemed to be Olivia's main focus.
With a nod, she replied. "Two sisters and two brothers. But it's all an adopted family. The parents are hardly older than the children themselves."
"That's odd." Though Olivia knew full well none of it was true.
"Agreed." Bella held a smile down. She obviously wasn't the best at lying.
"When does he come back, do you know?"
"He'll be at my house before me." She blurted out, not thinking.
"He waits for you at your house?" Olivia lifted one eyebrow.
"Uh, yeah…" Bella coughed, attempting to sound casual.
"You guys must be pretty serious."
"You could say that." Bella pursed her lips, afraid she might say anything else suspicious.
The rest of the way, conversation was scarce, as they only commented on various things until they arrived at class. The teacher welcomed them, addressing Bella familiarly. Olivia handed him two things: one, the note excusing the both of them and two, the sheet all of her teachers needed to sign. He signed it quickly and introduced her to the class. She paid no attention to the stares and instead went to the empty seat beside Bella.
"Does he always do that?" Olivia asked in a whisper, referring to how the teacher had so formally introduced her.
Bella shrugged. "He did it for me on my first day." She hid a frown, in memory of that first day in Forks, of that first day in Biology.
Olivia didn't bother asking.
Biology was over in a short time, a dull and painless hour passed quickly.
Bella and Olivia left the building together and Liv couldn't help but notice the girl with dark curly hair staring at her with scorn and Mike, the blond boy, staring with curiosity and even jealousy. It was hard to figure out if Bella was adored or despised.
Olivia jumped when her phone vibrated in her jean pocket, and she ripped it out, knowing immediately who it was. She and Bella stopped walking so that Olivia could answer.
"Hey." She spoke quickly. Bella raised an eyebrow at her eagerness. In all honesty, despite her annoyance with him at the moment, Liv had really missed Nikita.
"Hello. How was your first day?" he asked simply.
"Decent. How was your… conference?" she chose her words carefully, very aware that Bella was listening.
He didn't reply for a moment. "Someone's with you." He avoided the subject of his conversation with the Cullens.
"Was that a question?"
"I can see you Olive. I'm waiting in the car. Hurry up." He was getting very impatient.
"What's with you?" the sentence was mildly rude, but her tone hinted grandly at her worry.
"I'll tell you everything when there aren't other ears within hearing range." He spoke slowly, and Olivia could have sworn she heard him stifle a growl.
"Well, I can't come anyways."
"What?" his voice was between hurt, insulted and confused.
"I am going to my friend Bella's house to study." She explained with a sliver of pride. She knew that by now he must know the name of Edward's little valentine, so this would for sure catch his attention. She'd befriended the very reason they were there, she was involved now. The one thing Nikita didn't want her to be.
"Bella… Liv, do you mean Isabella Swan?" Nick's voice was becoming more of a whisper, as if her very name were sacred.
"Yes."
"Olivia, no. No, no, no, no and no."
"Nick, you can relax. I already know."
He went quiet and took deep, slow and unnecessary breaths.
"Fine." He snapped. "I know where she lives, so I won't be far." And he hung up with that.
In the distance, Olivia could hear the engine of his car roar and the tires screech as he sped off.
Olivia sighed and slipped the phone back into her pocket. Bella looked rather curious, but she kept her many questions to herself as she and Liv continued to make their way to Bella's truck. Bella unlocked the driver door whole Olivia skipped to the other side. She sat in the seat, tossing her bag into the backseat and leaned over to unlock the passenger door. Olivia hopped in and closed the door, holding her bag in her lap.
Just as they both clicked in their seat belts, the familiar pitter-patter of water started to fall onto the roof of the vehicle. Bella frowned.
"Have you gotten used to the rain, yet?" she questioned, staring disdainfully at the wet as it fell upon the windshield. She put the truck into ignition and a few heads turned to see who's monster was coming alive.
Olivia shrugged, observing the vehicle. It was strange that a girl with a vampire as her boyfriend would be driving such a sad form of transportation.
"It's not so much the weather, it's actually the color that bugs me."
They drove in silence, not even music playing from her ancient stereo. The two finally arrived at a small house and Bella pulled up into the driveway. Olivia looked up at a window, presumably that of Bella's bedroom, and saw someone standing there. Still as stone, a young man stared down at both of them, a hard look cast darkly upon his face. His copper colored hair was in a mess and his skin as white as Nikita's. And Carlisle's, for that matter. Olivia also noticed that his eyes were similar to Carlisle's: a golden hue. She wondered momentarily why Nikita's eye were a predatory grey in the place of the Cullens' warm butterscotch irises.
Bella followed Liv'a gaze and saw Edward. Immediately, she smiled and half of his mouth twisted up slightly into a crooked smile in return.
Liv raised an eyebrow. That's a strange way to smile… she thought somewhat bitterly. She didn't think it was that attractive, to be perfectly honest. Olivia then saw his smile fall into a grimace.
That's right, Nikita had said something about Edward reading minds, but that he was unable to read his lover's thoughts. Bella's face grew confused at his scowl and she looked at him questioningly. He only shook his head and quickly vanished from the window.
This oughtta be interesting Olivia smirked, exiting the truck.