CHAPTER 8: DIRT ROADS AND HOSPITALS

"Okay where's your clutch?" I asked Bella.

She pointed to the lever on her left handle bar.

"Jacob it won' t stay up," she complained.

"It will when you're moving," I promised her. "Now where's the brake?"

I continued to drill her about parts of the bike and safety precautions. I knew Charlie, Billy and most importantly Quil, I chuckled at that thought would kill me, if I killed her. I can't believe I'm laughing I thought. How could I laugh like this, when Embry was in pain? I was so pissed at myself.

"You want me to let go of the grenade?" she asked, shocking me to back to reality.

"That's how you move, Bella. Just do it little by little." I instructed her.

I tried not to daydream as she tried the bike out. I was so nervous, I felt like I might crap myself. Of course since it was Bella, the next second the bike was laying on top of her.

"Bella?" I called, ripping the bike off her. "Are you hurt?"

"Bella?" I called again, shaking her.

"I'm fine," she mumbled dazed.

I pulled her to her feet.

"Did you hit your head?" I asked her.

"I think so," she said still slight dazed. "I didn't hurt the bike did I?"

I sighed, that was so Bella. Nothing mattered if the bike was messed up, her health didn't matter. This is another reason I felt very protective, she couldn't do anything without getting injured.

"No. You just stalled the engine." I said. "You let go of the clutch too fast."

"Let's try it again," she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked in disbelief.

"Positive."

This time I steadied myself to grab Bella in case she fell or flew off the bike. It took a couple tries, but she finally got it running again. She shot off like a rocket, until suddenly she hit the brake and oh crap, the bike was dragging her.

"Bella!" I screamed.

"Bella!" I screamed again, getting closer. She had crashed into a tree.

"Bella!" I yelled crouching beside her. "Bella, are you alive?"

"I'm great!" she cheered a little woozy. " Let's do it again."

"I don't think so." I said full of worry. " I think I'd better drive you to the hospital first."

"I'm fine."

"Um, Bella? You've got a huge cut on your forehead, and it 's gushing blood," I informed her.

She immediately put her hands to her forehead.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Jacob," she cried.

"Why are you apologizing for bleeding?" I asked her. "Let's go, I'll drive."

"What about the bikes?" she asked, handing me her keys.

I ran to my motorcycle and rode it to the truck. I threw it in the back and raced over to Bella. I gave her my t-shirt to stop the bleeding and I threw her bike in the back as well.

"Now, let's think about this for a second," Bella said. "If you take me to the ER like this, Charlie is sure to hear about it."

"Bella, I think you need stitches. I'm not going to let you bleed to death."

"I won't," she promised. "Let's just get the bikes back first, and then we'll make a stop at my house so I can dispose of the evidence before we go to the hospital."

"What about Charlie?"

"He said he had to work today."

"Are you really sure?"

"Trust me, I'm an easy bleeder. It's not nearly as dire as it looks." Bella said trying to make me feel better.

Great, I thought to myself now I have to hope Bella doesn't bleed to death and I still have to figure out how to talk to Embry. This week just gets better and better.

"You still okay?" I checked up on her.

"Yeah," she said.

"By the way," I added. "I'm going to disconnect your foot brake tonight."

I sat outside for five minutes and I began to worry.

"Hurry up!" I yelled.

"Okay, okay." Bella shouted back.

"How do I look?" she asked running up to the truck.

"Better." I said.

"But do I look like I tripped in your garage and hit my head on a hammer?" she asked.

"Sure, I guess so." I answered, trying to figure out how she came up with that logic and who would actually believe it, for that matter.

"Let's go then," she said and jumped in the car.

We were halfway to the hospital and I realized I was shirtless and the weird thing was, I wasn't cold. Eh, go figure, I thought to myself.

"We should've grabbed you a jacket." Bella said, feeling guilty.

"That would've given us away." I teased her. "Besides I'm not cold."

"Are you kidding?" she asked and went to turn on the heat.

I turned and noticed Bella was starring at me.

"What?" I asked, wondering if something was wrong.

"Nothing. I just hadn't realized before. Did you know you're sort of beautiful?" she asked.

"You hit your head pretty hard, didn't you?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"I'm serious."

"Well, then, thanks. Sort of."

You're sort of welcome." Bella smiled.

Bella had to get seven stitches and I held her hand the whole time, so she wouldn't pass out. After another serious injury, Charlie began to get suspicious and we hiked for a day. The whole time was amazing but a slight blur, because Embry wasn't back to normal. I never saw Quil anymore either because he was always in trouble in school. Seth was busy with something too, so it seemed like Bella was all I had. On Valentine's day, I drove up to Bella's house to give a box of Conversation hearts. She informed me she was going with her friends to a movie on Friday and she invited Quil and I. That night I got home, it was cold out by I was sweating just being in a t-shirt. I stopped dead in my tracks as I stepped out of the car. I suddenly thought, oh great I had caught the sickness, whatever it was. I walked into my house and my dad rolled over.

"Jacob you're very quiet is everything alright?" he asked worried.

"No. Dad I think I have what Embry had." I said and dropped my head.

"Okay, well Jake this is a proud moment, just know you won't understand till it's complete. I'll just pull you out of sch……" my dad was cut off.

"No dad. Please let me say good-bye to Quil and Bella. Maybe even Seth." I sighed.

"Okay son, if that's what you want. Just heed these words, try your best to stay happy alright?" he asked me.

"Okay, dad." I said and I surprised him, by getting down and hugging him.

"We'll get through this son," he whispered trying to comfort me.

I called up Quil's house and had my dad convince his mom that it was important for him and I to talk. We drove up to the cliff in Quil's truck and Quil noticed something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Quil asked me as he stopped the truck and we sat on the cliff.

"I've got what Embry had." I said, looking down.

"Jake no. You can't leave me, bro." Quil cried.

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter, Quil. I think I understand why Embry is like that kinda. Maybe it's because something bad is gonna happen to me." I sighed.

"Don't say stuff like that!" Quil yelled.

"Quil you've been a great friend." I whispered, trying not to cry.

"Jake no, stop it!" Quil yelled and shoved me.

"Quil I don't know, but I don't think I'll be able to see you anymore. Until it happens to you, I guess." I sighed, my heart heavy. I couldn't lose Quil, even if I did gain Embry back it wasn't the same without all three of us.

"You will not let Sam Uley, control you! Do you hear me! You won't!" Quil yelled, tears starting to form.

"You're a great friend. You have to be strong and forget about me, unless it happens to you too. I know what losing Embry did to the both of us and if I could prevent this, I would. Quil I have to go back home and your mom will probably be furious." I said as tears ran down my face.

"So this is what it's like." Quil whispered.

"This is what, what's like?" I asked him.

"To say goodbye to a brother." Quil cried.

"Do you still have the shell?" I asked him and he pulled the chain out of his muscle shirt, revealing the single white shell.

"As long as I wear this, just know we're still brothers." I said and hugged him tight.

"Jake?" he asked me.

"Yeah Quil?" I asked back.

"I'll miss you too," he dropped me at my house and I showed him the seashell and he nodded.

I watched my best friend drive off into the dark and I felt my heart sink. Now I had lost Quil as well. After I lost Bella I would have no one I sighed.