Chapter 8: Commencement
It seemed like forever until the sun finally decided to hide itself and the moon took its place, accompanied by a few lone stars. When Edward decided that it was finally dark enough for us to escape, I was nearly jumping out of my skin, I was so excited.
We walked slowly at first, keeping up with a normal, human pace, and I could now see why Edward was so impatient when he had to walk at this boring tempo. I noticed the path that I had taken earlier, which led to Renee's house. I tried as hard as I could to push the very thought that was edging into my mind to the back of my head. I would not be caught making things even worse.
Instead, I let my thoughts wander to the plans we had for tonight, and I allowed myself to think of Alice. I shivered as I thought about what the Volturi could want from her, or what they might be doing to take advantage of her ability.
Edward must have felt my anxiety because he tightened his hold on me. Jasper growled at us as he took the lead intolerantly and I felt a strange surge of pity wash through me. I felt sympathetic towards him; all he wanted was his Alice. And I would do whatever I could to bring her back for him.
I could feel the impatience leaking out of me and I thought I would burst when finally, Edward stopped us, and he was helping me into a bright red Ferrari F430.
"Can you be any more inconspicuous?" I asked him sarcastically.
"It's pretty fast," he chuckled, clearly amused by my irritation. "Check out the F1 style switches on the steering wheel!" I had no idea what he was talking about, and the confusion on my face no doubt added to the amusement.
"Yeah, there's an engine start button and a switch that controls the car's dynamics." Jasper's words surprised me. I didn't expect him to talk to me so casually. He must be really proud of the car.
"Look at you, Mister Michael Schumacher," I said dryly.
All three of them chuckled as Carlisle put the car into life, and it seemed like we went from 0 to 100 miles per hour in a matter of seconds.
His driving didn't scare me the way it used to when Edward gunned the streets while I was still human, but it made me feel uneasy. I felt like we would get caught for speeding any moment now. I did know that Edward would let us know if any police officers were close enough to even see us, let alone catch us, but I couldn't help the nagging in my head that made me cling on to the concept of abiding traffic laws. Charlie was a police chief after all.
"Oh!" I exclaimed as the painful memory of my dad sank in like a thousand angry daggers stabbing at my aching heart. Edward tensed and turned to look at me. I felt completely embarrassed as the awkward sobs returned, and tried to look away.
He stubbornly took my face into his hands and leaned in so his face was only inches from mine, and almost all the pain immediately disappeared as I gazed into his alluring eyes.
"What's bothering you love?" He asked with a guarded but compelling voice.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about Alice," I lied. Edward didn't need to feel guiltier than he already did about me becoming a vampire; which wasn't even his fault.
"How come I don't believe you?" he asked, closing the distance between us. It was easy to forget the pain when he was kissing me like this, which was most likely his motive for doing so in the first place. When he pulled away, the pain was so distant, all I could think of was Edward. I hugged him even more tightly, and laid my head on his chest.
"Seatbelt," he teased me, but I ignored him. Like I needed a seatbelt. Even if I weren't a vampire, Edward would never let anything happen to me.
Even at the speed we were going, it surprised me how quickly we arrived at the airport. Edward got out of the Ferrari and gracefully swept over to my side, opening the door for me. He kissed me on the forehead, and took my hand, leading me as far away from people as he could.
I didn't understand what the overwhelming urge to go on a killing frenzy was all about. I thought that my thirst should be under control after hunting. I looked up at Edward with an anxious expression and he seemed to understand. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist securely. I wasn't going anywhere. He would make sure of that.
Carlisle seemed to understand my struggle as well, and he made sure we were able to sit in a more secluded spot on the plane.
I was still struggling to remain calm, and fighting the urge to murder all the people on the plane, so naturally, my mind wasn't focused on Alice for once. Which in a way was really relaxing. Not including the attractive idea of quenching my thirst.
I didn't realize how much I missed the ability to close my eyes and sleep. I was really bored, which didn't help keeping my mind off of the anxiety. I whispered to Edward that I wanted to use the restroom.
He looked up at me skeptically and laughed. "Maybe I should come with you," he added incredulously.
Then it dawned on me. How stupid could I be? Vampires can't actually use the bathroom. What a lame excuse I was using.
Edward most likely assumed that I was trying to be by myself so I could go on a killing spree. I had to clear everything up.
"Edward," I whispered so lowly so no one else could eavesdrop. "I want to see something."
He didn't seem convinced, but he stood up and led me to the small bathroom, never letting go of my hand. I could tell he was utterly confused.
"What are you up to, Isabella Marie Swan?"
It really wasn't something to get worked up about. If I were human, I would be blushing at the thought of how stupid it all was. I just wanted to see my reflection again.
"Edward, this seems stupid but," I began, playing with our hands, "I wanted to see the color of my eyes."
I thought I heard him exhale. "So, no plans to eat anybody?" His voice was rigid, but I could tell that he was relieved that it didn't seem too serious.
"Oh, well I thought about that, but I figured that you wouldn't know how to fly a plane. Just in case I killed them all." I punched his arm playfully and let him check to see if the bathroom was empty before he could trust me completely.
"Oh let it go, Edward. I'm not going to hurt anyone." I could tell that my voice was starting to sound hysterical, and I inwardly cursed at myself.
When I finally closed the door around me, I almost started crying again. I was extremely thankful that my tear ducts were dry, and there was no chance of exposing unwanted tears, but I knew Edward was smarter than that. I was miserable and he knew it.
I thought I would love being a vampire. Ever since I knew what Edward was, I wanted to be one too, so I could always be with him. But I hated the way my thirst drove my emotions.
I looked up into the mirror and nearly gasped at what I saw. I had only hunted once, never once tasting human blood, and already, it was showing through my eyes. They were still crimson, of course, but they had a tint of ocher to them, that reminded me of Edward. I smiled as I realized that someday, all the red would be gone, and I really would look like Edward, in a way.
It was true. I remembered being struck by my own beauty before, when I first gazed upon myself in a mirror after the transformation. But at that point, I was scared of myself. Now that I could fully grasp what I was, I could admire myself more closely. My skin was the same, chalky pale complexion as Edward's. I felt like I could now, finally, be somewhat worthy of having him be all mine.
I stepped out of the tiny bathroom and saw Edward apprehensively waiting for me. I smiled, trying to comfort him, and he smiled back; his breathtaking uneven smile that I fell in love with.
"You look beautiful, stop fretting," he told me. I shot him a defiant stare, and then felt the corners of my lips lift again. I couldn't believe it. I would be able to spend the rest of my life with the man I loved.
He leaned over and kissed me on the forehead, took my hand, and led me to sit down again. The rest of the way to New York went by quickly, for I spent it in his arms, inhaling his sickly sweet skin and cuddling against his iron chest. I only hoped the next plane ride could be this exhilarating.
Thanks for all the helpful reviews. It took me a long time to write the 7th chapter, but I'm much more motivated now. I will try to stay persistent with my writing. It is one of my goals to write a chapter a day, but I can't make any promises. By the way, the link to a picture of the red Ferrari is on my site.
Love
Liz