Once again, I don't own the characters in this, (with the exception of Peter, Bryan and Matthew)
This is a relatively short chapter. Sorry, but I have three essays, a thesis, and four tests this week at school…
After the concert was over, we returned to the house. I, riding my bike, Bry and Matt were riding in the Suburban. When it started to rain, I pulled over. I got off the bike, and just stood there on the shoulder, tilting my head back, letting the icy rain hit my face. I laughed. I think I cried a little too. Matt and Bryan were stopped a few feet in front of my bike, they had stopped when I did.
"Bella! Are you okay?" Matthew yelled at me when he got out of the car.
"I'm fine!" I laughed, "Better than fine." When they both looked at me as though I was crazy, I explained.
"Not okay in the literal sense, but okay." I pulled my head up, my hair soaking through the back. "I can't explain it." Matthew smiled through the rain, his blond, chin-length hair sticking to his face. Bryan laughed, shaking out his dark locks at me. I giggled, then sighed
"Thanks." I murmured.
"For what, sweetheart?" Bryan asked. Matt nodded, wondering what I was getting at.
"For everything. For breathing life into me when I was broken. For being there. For putting up with my craziness."
Matt laughed out loud, throwing his head back, his laughter echoing like the thunder that had started. I started to laugh, and so did Bryan
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After we returned to the house, soaking wet, sopping the carpet through, the boys changed, and I crawled in the shower. I let the hot water spray over me as I put on hand against the front wall of the shower and leaned against it. If I was human, I would have caught a horrible cold, I mused.
"Bella?" I heard my name softly being called. It was Peter, he almost sounded… guilty.
"Just a moment!" I called. I stood under the burning water that had no effect on me for a few seconds longer. I extracted myself from the glass encasings, and toweled myself off, throwing that and my wet clothes in the laundry room after I dressed myself. I also grabbed a new towel and wrapped my hair in it.
As I was walking down the hall, I heard Matt and Bryan whispering angrily with Peter. It was obvious that they didn't want me to hear, but I did.
"I can hear you." I stated matter-of-factly as I meandered down the stairs. They all straightened up immediately.
"I had nothing to do with, Bella." Matthew said as he angrily brushed past me. Bryan stood there with his mouth in a horrible sneer on his face.
"Matthew is right, this is all on Peter." Bryan countered.
"What is?" I asked, growing worried.
"I invited the Cullens to the island with us while you are on Christmas break."
My world stopped. I heard Matthew's door slam, almost hard enough to break it.
"What?" I whispered as I sunk to the floor.
"Bella," Peter began, sighing, as he came to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I shook it off.
"I am sorry. Truly sorry, I didn't fully realize the affect on you at the moment. I wanted to make up for your brother's rudeness. I didn't think before I asked, just sort of blurted-"
"Peter." I stopped him. "I can't change what you did. Just don't expect me to go to the island at the same time as them."
"Bella, I think you should." Peter tossed this statement in as though it would have no affect on me.
"Peter. How can you even think I could do that? I can barely be in the same room! I thought I made that obvious! Were you paying attention?" I was practically wailing at the end; Peter looked taken aback.
"There is more to them than meets the eye, Bella. Speaking from a professional point of view, it would be beneficial for you to-"
"Shut up." I said grimly. At this, Peter realized the true consequences of this. He stood up swiftly.
"I'm sorry. I did not think. But you are going to the island, and you are going to remain there with the Cullens. You weren't here, after you left, your brothers left. When you were gone, I asked them to stay and talk. I don't think you quite understood everything that happened.
"Bella, I know your history with them, but I know what they said after you left. I know that they still love you-"
"Right!" I stood up, yelling, "That's why they left, that's why they stabbed me in the back." I raised my shaking hand and pointed a finger in Peter's chest. "You don't know the half of it. I gave you the PG rated story of my life. I don't know anything about this. I haven't even told Matthew." I finished bitterly.
I ran to my room and began to pack for, what quite possibly, may be the end of my life.
One week later (sorry if the surfing terminology is off; I have never gone surfing, and haven't been to California in a few years…)
I pulled the surfboard up, resulting in an epic trick, flipping me over, and landing going the way from whence I came. The music blasting from the speakers on the shore seemed to fit right with the tricks we were throwing out. I laughed, and stood up straight, skimming over the water to where my brothers were.
"Beat that, Bry!" I shrieked in joy. But Matthew stiffened.
"They're here." He whispered in a spooky voice.
"I know." I strained.
After a moment's silence, Bryan threw himself into the surfing with more animation than was necessary. "Let's go Bells, here comes a good wave." I turned and paddled out, facing the wave with a newfound fierceness. I decided to throw a few fancy tricks; I lifted the board in a complicated flip, stood on my hands, then just rode the waves. I saw a small figure pass underneath me, a moment later, I realized it was Alice. He head broke the surface, and her small voice carried over to me,
"Bella! Come to shore! I want to talk to you."
"Then talk," I said through my teeth as a wave of spray splashed in my face. I looked up, past the wave I was currently surfing to see a medium boat headed my way, with Emmett waving. Bryan paddled to my side.
"I can't talk to you if you're distracted. Come to shore. Now."
I turned to face her. "That may have worked when I was human, Alice, but it won't now."
"So deal with it." Bryan said derisively.
Alice looked taken aback. I heard a splash come from the boat, and almost simultaneously, Jasper was at Alice's side, baring his teeth menacingly.
"Put it away, Jasper." I said glaring. I sighed. "Let's get to shore, Bry."
He nodded, and we stood up, riding the waves back.
We got to the shore just before the Cullen's did. Matthew grabbed me and pulled me to his side, positioning me so I was trapped beneath one of his arms. I saw Emmett jump down and pull the boat up on the shore beside ours. It comical, but I couldn't bring myself to laugh. I heard Emmett mutter something, and Rosalie began tossing things over the side of rails. He caught them, put them down and reached his burly arms up for more.
"Bella, show them where to put their things, please." Peter said; his lips at my ear.
"I'll go with you," Matt added.
I nodded, conceding. We walked over to the yacht, and began directing them.
"You guys can have the bigger house; we moved our stuff over, so just over that path, and through the door." I pointed, showing them. Emmett turned around, and after appraising me for a moment, grabbed me out of my brother's arms and squeezed my in a breakneck hug.
"Let me go." I demanded. He just laughed as he set me down. Matthew had crouched, snarls ripping from his chest. Emmett smirked, "You really wanna do that?" he asked, only half-way serious.
"You're about to find out!" Matthew answered him as he launched. Emmett grabbed him out of the air, and slammed him down, to which Matt answered with a knee to the stomach, and a choke-hold around his neck. Emmett just laughed as he moved to throw a heavy punch at Matthew's side, which he knew about and blocked.
"Alright, Mattie. Don't hurt him. Let's go." I said, chuckling. He executed one last move, which Emmett never saw coming. He was on the ground, eyes as wide as saucers. Matt got up, wrapped his arm around my waist and walked back to our father, who was looking down the beach towards where we where and talking with Carlisle.
Emmett grunted as he got up, and raced to us.
"Man, you have to each me that." He chuckled.
"Maybe some other time," Matt replied snidely. Emmett, not to b put out, agreed.
"No worries, man, I won't forget." He chuckled, then jogged back down the beach to help Rosalie with something.
As Matt and I were almost to Carlisle, Edward was suddenly there, along with Esme. He looked at me with an emotion I couldn't describe, was it amazement? His eyes traced my body, starting with my face, over my torso which was clad with the top of a black and red bikini, over my knee-length surf-shorts, back to my face. Matthew started growling, looking at Edward with a face full of hate. I tapped his stomach.
"Mattie…" I murmured. He stopped growling, but didn't lift his glare. Edward just looked at me sadly.
"He has the right." I started. It was the first time I had heard his voice in sixty-four years. It was still perfect, velvety, musical. It broke my heart. I closed my eyes, and Matthew pulled my closer, kissing the top of my head. Edward's eyes widened.
This "vacation" was never going to end.