I know! I haven't updated in soooo long. School has been killer this year, but that is still no excuse! I hope you all will still enjoy this chapter! I rather like it myself! Told from Bella's POV. Hope everyone has happy holidays and remembers the reason for the season, the birth of the Jesus Christ. : As always, please read and review!
It had been exactly 3 months, 3 weeks, and 6 days since I'd run into him. And ever since then I could do nothing to stop my thoughts from floating to him.
He was so familiar it was annoying. Why couldn't I remember? I groaned, another memory from my past.
Ever since my accident, things had been so different. When I came back to school everyone was so cautious with me, like I was made of glass. And when they'd talk about things from our junior year, nothing ever included me. That was the first sign I knew I had been lied to.
They said, they being my parents and Phil, I'd been in Forks on a visit when I crashed. Why I'd be in Forks in the middle of the year is beyond me. Clue #1. Second, why two years? Right around the time Renee and Phil got married, which I didn't approve of. Clue #2. Mysterious pictures that came bobbing into my mind whenever anyone ever mentioned Forks. Clue #3. Okay, not really a clue, but still.
And when I saw him, that image again, those eyes, I was so close to grabbing the memory before it disappeared into the dark corners of my mind. I'd slammed the locker, angry I couldn't place him, and I knew he was confused. I looked for him at school every day but gave up hope after a few weeks. But I somehow knew he held a major key to what happened during that two years. It must have been bad, so bad that my parents would lie to me so I didn't remember.
Which is why I'm on a plane now, flying back to Forks. To try and figure out what happened to me. My yearly summer visit. Charlie had said we could go to California like we normally did, but I told him I wanted to go to Forks.
I stepped off the plane, my hair tousled from leaning against the window, dragging my carry on bag. I saw Charlie before he saw me, his eyes anxiously searching the crowds for my face. I came up beside him, "Hey, Dad,"
He jumped and turned around, his eyes relieved, "You got here safe," He enveloped me in a hug.
"Yes, Dad, I'm here safe and sound," I enunciated every syllable slowly as I pulled away and started to walk towards baggage claim.
I put some of my more expensive items--that being my one skirt in case an occasion presented itself in the tiny closet. I sat down on the bed and that haunting melody came to me again. The one from my composition. Everyone had been so amazed when I presented it, but I had lied. I hadn't really written that. Someone like me would never be able to write something that beautiful. I often wondered who had written it and why the notes always came to me. Another mystery.
I shook my head; I really needed to get out of this house. I had only been here for a total of 3 hours and already Charlie was pestering me. I trotted down the stairs and picked up the keys to the old truck in the driveway that Charlie had said I could use.
"I'm going out for a while!" I called up the stairs.
Charlie's head popped out of the kitchen, "Want some company?"
My mind boggled, No! but I kept my calm, "Not this time, Char-Dad, I think I just want to get reacquainted with the town. It's been so long since I've been," I said slowly, gauging his reaction.
He, however, kept up his front as well, "It has been a while, be back by dinner time." He disappeared back into the kitchen and I walked out the door.
The car sputtered as I backed out the driveway. I couldn't help but feel a sentimental pull to the piece of junk. It smelled so…at home.
I turned the key in and slowly backed out of the driveway. I didn't really know where I wanted to go, but I did know that I needed to figure some things out. I kept driving and eventually came across the local high school. Some kids were standing around a couple of cars, having a cigarette. Gah, I hated smoking. I rolled down my window and started coughing loudly as I passed.
Some of the heads turned in annoyance. One in particular reminded me of someone. He looked just like David, from back at my school in Arizona.
His eyes went wide as he saw me, "Bella?" The other heads around him stared at me closely. By this time I had stopped and was staring at them too, trying to pinpoint who they were. Everything about this place screamed familiarity. Out of the corner of my eye I saw an expensive looking Volvo.
By some unknown force I stepped out of the car and began to walk towards the car. The David-look-alike followed me and grabbed my arm, "Bella?"
I wrenched my wrist from his grasp and looked up at him, "I knew you, didn't I?"
A girl nudged the boy and whispered, "Mike, come on, you know what Charlie said."
I placed my hands on my hips, another clue, "What exactly did Charlie say?"
The boy I now knew as Mike gave me a sad look, "No, you didn't know me. I've never met you before."
I persisted, "Then how do you know my name?"
He stepped towards me and took my hands again, and this time I didn't pull away, "Bella…I can't. I'm sorry."
The girl piped up, "Mike!"
He hushed her and looked at me again, that same sad look, "Bella, I've never met you before. Just make things easier on all of us and leave it at that." He whispered the last part so quietly only I could hear him.
He took one last puff of his smoke and got in the car with the others and drove off, leaving me in the abandoned parking lot.
I stood there for a few moments before I continued over to the shiny Volvo. I closed my eyes and ran my hand along the side when a memory surfaced.
"Can't we just take my car?" an irritated voice asked, "Yours is about to fall apart."
My eyes popped open as I tried to place the voice but the memory slipped away again. I banged the car in agony. I leaned against the window and looked inside. The dark leather looked new and you could tell it still had that 'new car smell'. But then something in there caught my eye. It was a photo. A photo of me. I was laughing and trying to stop the cameraperson from taking the picture. The person succeeded and captured my face in a non-staged smile, my eyes bright and my cheeks red.
My hand slid to the car door and surprisingly it opened. I glanced around and sat down in the seat and picked up the photo gingerly. My doubts were suppressed, it really was me.
Who would have this picture? And why would it be in their car?
"Thank you, I'll be back tomorrow." A voice sounded from the door of the school. My head whipped up to see him walking towards the Volvo.
He stopped mid-step when he saw me. He was as beautiful as the last time I saw him, if not more. His magnificent lips moved to form the shape of my name, "Bella," He sighed almost inaudible.
As the staring contest proceeded I knew I couldn't be caught in his car. I stuffed the picture in my pocket and ran for my truck. The door was locked and the keys were inside. I looked back at him and he was coming my way, probably to wonder why I was in his car.
I didn't have time to think so I just ran, ran as fast as my legs could carry me—which wasn't very fast. I heard him start to come after me, "Wait!"
I pumped my legs harder, the adrenaline coursing through me, tears flew back off my face and I ran into the dark woods. It began to rain but I kept going. There was no beaten path in the brush but I felt I knew where I was going.
Finally, with no air left in my lungs I collapsed on the wet ground. I looked up and saw it. The white house from my dreams. It was right there in front of me. Had I been here before?
Headlights appeared behind me and it was the Volvo pulling into the gravel driveway. I had no strength to run anymore and waited for him to come up to me.
He knelt down beside me, his auburn hair plastered to his forehead, his shirt clinging to him in all the right places. I tried not to think about how amazing he looked but rather who he was.
Before he had a chance to speak I met his eyes fiercely, "Who are you?"
He looked baffled, "Excuse me?" his voice was perfect. Could anyone look and sound more perfect then him?
"Who are you? And why do you have my picture?" I whipped out the picture from my pocket and shoved it at him.
He looked at the picture and took it from my hands. He stared at it a second longer before he ripped it in two.
"What are you doing?!" I screeched. That was my only cold, hard evidence that everyone had been lying to me.
I pounded my fist into him but was met with a rock hard chest, "Ow!"
His amber eyes had yet to leave my face and he grabbed my hand in an iron grip and pulled me closer.
I tried to pull my hand back with no avail, "What are you doing?"
He didn't respond but captured my other hand and placed both on either sides of his flawless face. His face was as cold as ice and I shivered involuntarily. He held my hands there and closed his eyes.
I didn't know what to say but could only stare at him. I don't know how long he sat there in the pouring rain but at last he opened his eyes. His eyes shown amber and searched mine hopefully. He was struggling with something. He released my wrists but I didn't move them from his face.
He eyes stayed fixed on mine and he began traced the contours of my face with his fingers. He went around my nose and eyes and lastly my lips. When he finished he shifted his cold hand to the back of my neck and brought me even closer. And that's when his lips brushed mine. It was just a brief second, but time seemed to have stopped. My eyes shut and I pushed forward, wanting more.
I opened my eyes and found myself alone. The Volvo still running, but the mysterious boy gone, vanished. I looked around and stood up. The car lights glinted on something on the ground. I stooped down and picked up a bracelet with a crystal heart attached.