The night the Cullens had gone to confront the dangerous vampires had been hell. I had tossed and turned all night, nervous about what I would find when I woke up the next morning. What if someone had been hurt? What if someone had been killed? Those thoughts kept me up almost the whole night. It hadn't been until Edward had soothingly hummed to me to me that I had fallen asleep in the wee hours of the morning.
When I did wake up, things were as normal as they could be in the Cullen household. Emmett was downstairs playing video games in the living room while Alice sat on the couch painting her fingernails and reading one of her huge fashion magazines. Esme was in the kitchen cooking for me I could assume since vampires weren't able to eat. Jasper, I noticed on my way downstairs, was sitting at his computer. However, Edward, Carlisle, and Rosalie were no where to be found.
"Good morning, Bella," Alice smiled happily as I walked into the living room. It was if nothing at all had happened last night.
"Morning, Alice," I yawned. I was still a bit tired, but I was anxious to see Edward. "Where is everyone?"
"And by everyone, I assume you mean Edward," She laughed and I blushed knowing that she had caught me. "He left for the hospital with Carlisle earlier this morning. He had to cover a morning shift. Rosalie is out hunting if you were wondering where she was, too."
I sat down beside her on the couch, trying to think of a way to ask what had happened last night. Nothing bad must have happened, but I still wanted to know what had gone on. I had a right to know; this involved whole mess me, too.
"I know what you're about to ask, Bella," Alice chimed without looking up from her issue of Italian Vogue. Of course she would, that dang psychic.
"Well?" I said, waiting for her to give her answer.
"It really wasn't as big of a deal as we thought it would be. We just went into to town and located them and asked them not to hunt within the city limits," She shrugged. She made it sound like it had just been a regular old trip to the mall.
"So nothing happened, then?"
"Nothing happened, Bella," Alice put her magazine down in her lap and placed her newly manicured hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to worry about a thing."
I sighed. Alice seemed content with my reaction so she went back to intently reading her magazine, but I still had a feeling that she was hiding something from me.
"Beautiful job, Isabella," Madame Holman complimented me after I had gotten done performing the variation I had chosen to do for my audition for Swan Lake. I had chosen the variation from Giselle, Act 1. Giselle had always been my favorite ballets, and I felt as if I could relate well with the young, lovesick main character who fell in love with a man way above her station. "I have a feeling you will do well at auditions tomorrow. Just don't get too nervous."
"Thanks, Madame Holman, I'll try not to," I smiled while simultaneously wiping sweat off of my forehead. My nerves were starting to get the best of me. It had been a long time since I had auditioned for anything. I couldn't help but feel anxious. If I was extremely nervous now, I couldn't even think about what I would be like when it was my turn to audition tomorrow.
"That was so great, Bella!" Alice squealed once I had met her, Edward, and Jasper out in the waiting room. They had been watching me through the glass window the whole time. "You're a shoe-in for Odette."
I just roled my eyes as Edward took my bag from me like he always did. Alice did have visions and a couple of times she had hinted at me that she had seen which role I would get, but she would never tell me and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know or not. I wanted it to be surprise.
"How about we go out tonight?" Alice suggested as we made it to Edward's volvo.
"I don't know, Alice…Bella has an audition tomorrow," Edward told her. I was right there with him, agreeing with what he was saying. "I don't know if it's the best idea to keep her out tonight."
"Oh, don't be such a party pooper, Edward. Bella will be fine. Remember, I can see these things."
"Maybe Alice is right," Jasper agreed. "Bella, you are feeling a little tense. Maybe if you go out tonight, it will help you a bit with your nerves tomorrow."
Jasper did have a point. Maybe going out tonight would help. It had been a long time since we had actually done something besides staying at home and I was kind of ready to get back out there again. I looked at Edward to see what he thought.
"Whatever you want to do, Bella," I could tell that he didn't fully agree with what Jasper and Alice were saying, but he went along with it anyway.
"Well then, lets do something," I smiled and Alice squealed.
Back at my house, Alice stayed to help me get ready while Jasper and Edward returned to the Cullen house. She had decided that we should go clubbing at this place in downtown Seattle. Why she decided that, I have know idea. I had never been clubbing before and neither had Alice, or so she said, but I was looking forward to getting back out in the world again. Ever since my mother had died over half a year ago, I had been holding myself back, not getting out there and having fun anymore. Now that I was able to accpet her death and move on, I was ready to do something fun again.
"You are going to look so hot," Alice laughed as she continued to do god knows what to my hair and make up. "Edward is going to have to fight off all of those human boys tonight. I can just see it."
I wouldn't say it to Alice, but there was no competition when it came to other boys. Now that I knew Edward, I didn't want anyone else as cheesy as it was.
Alice had picked out a one-shoulder, ruched blue mini dress for me to wear. I wasn't sure where she got it because it definitely wasn't in my closet. I would never have picked anything like that out for myself. I was horrified just looking at it.
"There is no way in hell that I'm wearing that dress," I just stared at it. It was just too revealing for me, and there was no way I would be able to pull it off.
"Why not? This is a perfectly good dress, Bella, and I picked it out for you. You are going to wear it."
"Alice, it looks like something a hooker would wear."
"Bella, Bella, Bella, have I never told you this before?" She shook her head and sat me down on my bed before taking my hand and looking me in the eyes. "Sometimes, to get your man, you have to dress like a hooker."
Then she proceeded to, as quickly as she possibly could, rip off the clothes I was wearing and throw the horrible dress on me. I could only imagine how trashy and ridiculous I looked in the barely-there hooker dress.
"Wow," Alice whistled. "Edward is not going to be able to keep his eyes off of you tonight, or his hands!"
I just blushed and shoved my face down into my palms, wishing that I had never said yes to Alice's plea to go out tonight.
"Don't you want to look at yourself in the mirror?"Alice asked after she had forced me into a pair of black, strappy stillettos.
"No," I groaned. "I'd rather not see how much of a whore I look."
"Bella, you do not look like a whore," She forced me up and pushed me towards the full length mirror. "See, you just look extremely hot."
She was right, I did look pretty good. The dress was short so it showed off the legs I had earned through the many years of ballet, and it was extremely tight. Without ballet, I would never have been able to wear that dress.
"Girls, Edward, Jasper and Emmett are here," Charlie knocked on my door. Oh, Charlie. He would never let me leave the house in what I was wearing now.
"Alice, I hope you know that Charlie is never going to let me leave the house in this ho dress."
"That's why I have this," Alice shoved a long, black pea coat in my direction that would cover up most of my dress. "He'll never notice."
"This place is great," Emmett hollered as soon as we walked into the club. It was terribly crowded and the music was so loud I could barely hear myself thinking.
I still wasn't sure how we had managed to get in since Alice and I were under 18 (or pretending to be in Alice's case). It was all a big blur; one moment were outside and the next minute I was being rushed into the club by Edward, who was looking around at everyone suspiciously.
It was getting hot in the room from all of the body heat so I took of my coat for the first time that night. I was a little nervous because I was wearing so little clothing. I had never felt this naked in public before. It was more revealing than just wearing leotards and tights.
"Whoa, Bella," Emmett catcalled as well as a few of the other guys around the bar. "You're looking good tonight."
I blushed under the eyes of so many people. For a ballerina who had been on stage a great number, I was horribly shy in front of crowds, especially when I wasn't on stage. On stage when I was dancing, I was fine. Stage fright didn't bother me, but off stage was another story.
Edward was looking at me like he never had before. I tried to not to act like I knew he was, but it was just so hard not to as I felt his lasar vision scan the whole length of my body. I felt hyperaware of him as his cold hand rest on the small of my back as he led me to the table in the corner that Jasper had picked out for us. He shot death glares at almost everyone who looked our way.
"Come on, Bella, lets go dance," Alice grabbed my hand and led me out onto the crowded dance floor.
Sweaty people were everywhere, dancing and grinding up on each other. This wasn't my favorite type of dancing, but I figured I would give it a try. After a while, I lost myself in the music and Alice and I were really having a good time. It was refreshing to dance in such a free, relaxing way. As much as I loved ballet, it could be uptight after a while.
After I had gotten tired of dancing, Alice and I headed to the bar to get something to drink (for me, of course). I ordered a bottle of water; I wasn't a big drinker, I had only drank alchol once or twice at parties in Phoenix, and, besides, I had an audition the next day and I couldn't afford to have a hangover. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man sitting a ways down from us at the bar, staring at me. I turned to look at him and when I saw him he didn't look away. He just smirked and continued to stare at me. I knew that I had seen him before, but I just wasn't sure where. He was handsome, that was for sure. Not as good looking as any of the Cullens, but he did look very nice. His skin was very pale, almost vampire pale, and he had long, dark blonde hair that he had pulled back at the nape of his neck. From far away, I couldn't tell what color his eyes were.
I didn't say anything to Alice about it. So as she dragged me over to our table, I was surprised to see the man also get up from the bar and head in our direction. I couldn't be sure if he was following us, but I was sure that he was still staring at me.
"Alice, I have to go to the bathroom," I lied. I was determined to find out who that man was and why he seemed so familiar to me.
"Okay, do you want me to come with you?" I could only hope she wouldn't be looking for visions of me tonight.
I shook my head. "Just go on and go back to the table. I won't be long."
So Alice left me and I headed in the direction of the bathroom, with the strange man following me there. Now that Alice and I had seperated, I was sure that he was following me so when I got into the small, bright alcove that the bathroom was located in, I turned around and confronted him. I wasn't sure where my sudden spout of bravery had come from seeing as this man could be a rapist or a murderer.
"Who are you?" I asked. The more I looked at him the more I thought I had seen him before. He was still hiden under the dark lights of the club's main room.
"I'm James," He smiled, but it wasn't a nice smile. His smile gave chills to my very core.
"Have we met before?" I was stepping away from, but there was no where to go but in the bathroom.
"I don't believe so," The more I backed away from him, the more he moved into the light.
"Are you sure—" He was completely in the light now, and I looked at him and was horrified to see his set of blood red eyes. I knew where I had seen him now. He was one of the vampires from my dreams, the ones that the Cullens went after. I just hadn't recognized him without his two companions. "I know what you are."
He wasn't surprised. He had seen me with Alice, after all. I was going over my options in my head as he moved closer and closer towards me. I was getting extremely close to the wall. I couldn't go much further.
"I'll scream," I said as he back me up into the wall. I couldn't think about what he was about to do to me.
"No you won't," He wrapped his cold hand around my throat so hard.
He leaned his head down towards my neck as I vainly struggled to release myself of his grasp. I was gasping for breath as his head moved lower and lower. This was the end, I couldn't believe what was happening. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that would save me.
"Get off of her," I head a low voice growl. I opened my eyes and there stood my glorious savior, Edward, looking as deadly as he was beautiful.
James was surprised that he had been snuck up on and turned around to acknowledge him, but he didn't let me go. He kept his hand firmly wrapped around my throat.
"I said let her go," I had never seen Edward like this before, and if I hadn't been in this position, I probably would have been afraid of him. He stood towering over James with a menacing glare on his beautiful face.
James slowly let his hand trail away from my throat, but he didn't back away from me. He and Edward were having some type of vampire stare down, and I was extremely frightened. I had no idea what to do.
"Is something going on here?" Emmett came up behind Edward. Jasper and Alice followed him.
"No, nothing," James relented and moved away from me and out of the small alcove and into the main room of the club. He was outnumbered and could do nothing to me with the four of them around.
"Edward," I ran over into his arms. I had never hugged him before and I never wanted to let go. I felt so safe with him, and I knew that he would never let James hurt me.
"Bella, what happened?" Alice asked me while Edward still held me in his strong embrace. I could tell that he didn't want to let go as much as I did.
"I went to the bathroom and I saw him," I explained after I moved out of Edward's arms. I could still feel him near me. He was close enough to touch. "I recognized him, Alice. I knew I had seen him before, but I just couldn't place it. It wasn't until he moved into the light and I saw his eyes I that realized who he was. He was one of the vampires from my dreams."
"We need to get out of here," Edward said quietly.
No one spoke as we made our way out of the club, but the four of them formed some type of shield around me, guarding me from everything and everyone. Nothing was said until we got into Emmett's Jeep.
"What are we going to do, Edward?" Jasper said. I wasn't sure what he was talking about. Weren't we going home?
"I could run her north, try to shake him off," Edward suggested, but he shook his head as if to get rid of that idea. He didn't seem to like it very much. "Alice, do you see anything?"
Alice shook her head no.
"What is going on?" I was so confused. I had absolutely know idea what they were talking about.
"Bella, you can't go home," Alice turned to me. "That James—the vampire you saw in your dreams—he's a tracker, and he wants you."
"What do you mean 'he's a tracker'?"
"His talet, the thing he brought over into his new life is tracking. He plays games like this with all of his…hunts, and I'm afraid the way I reacted to him back there in the club set him off," Edward spat out, disgusted with that sick man. "We've just made this his most interesting game yet."
"What are we going to do?" I was horrified. What could we do? How was I ever going to get away from him?
"I'm going to take you away from here, Bella," Edward looked at me. "I won't let him hurt you."
"What about my life? My audition? Charlie?" I spewed out. As much as I was terrified of James and what he could do to me, I was worried about my life. I couldn't just up and leave.
"Bella, this is your life we're talking about," Jasper looked at me incredulously.
"I can't just up and leave? What would my father think?" I raised my voice. This was all coming on me so fast.
"She's right," Alice was the voice of reason. "She can't just leave her father like that. He's a police officer; he would have a whole unit out searching for her."
The silence was so thick in the car, you could have cut it with a knife. I could only assume everyone was thinking over our options.
Edward spoke up first. "Bella, we're going to take you back to your house. You pack up some clothes and tell your father whatever you need to let you go back to Phoenix. Tell him you aren't happy here."
"So we're going to Phoenix?" I asked. Edward just nodded.
"I can't believe I just did that," I cried onto Alice's shoulder. We were in my car on the way to the Cullen house now. Edward drove because I was crying to hard to see straight.
"Charlie will forgive you," Alice stroked my hair softly.
I had just hurt Charlie more than I ever wanted to. Edward had told me to do whatever I could to get Charlie to let me go. So as Edward and Alice got in my car and Emmett and Jasper went home to warn the others, I did the only thing I think of to do. I told Charlie that I had to get out of Forks before I go stuck there forever which was exactly what my mother had told him when she left him sixteen years ago. You could say I was hitting below the belt. I cried all the way back to the Cullen's.
Carlisle was there waiting for us when we go to the Cullen's house. "Who is going to go with her?"
"I will," Edward stepped up and placed his cold hand on my shoulder.
"Rosalie and I will, too," Alice volunteered the two of them. Rosalie didn't look too happy about that, though.
"Don't worry, Bella," Carlisle, in his warm, fatherly way, told me. "We won't let him near you."
The whole house was deathly quiet as everyone around me ran loaded cars and were doing who knows what. I was lost in the chaos. I sat on the couch, trying not to get in the way of what everyone was doing. It gave me a moment to think about things. What hit me the hardest, besides hurting Charlie, was that I couldn't audition tomorrow. I almost started crying again when I realized that I really wouldn't be there tomorrow to audition for Swan Lake.
Alice came up beside me looking like her dog just got ran over. "Bella, I'm so sorry."
"About what?"
"I've I had seen this, maybe you wouldn't have to do this,"Alice looked so sad, it hurt me.
"No, Alice, this isn't your fault," I hugged her. "You can't help it if you don't see this."
Edward came up and interrupted us. "Are you ready?"
I nodded and Alice followed me with the small bag I had packed full of my clothes and tolietries from my house. Edward led us out to his car that was waiting in the garage. The rest of the family stood near by, ready to go as well.
"Emmett is going to lead the tracker of your tail by taking Bella's car out to the woods while Jasper and I look for his two companions. Esme is going to make sure that he doesn't get anywhere near Bella's parents," Carlisle briefed Edward as Rosalie and Alice load our things into the car.
Esme pulled me close to her and kissed me softly on the cheek. "Be safe, Bella. I'll take care of your father."
"Thanks, Esme," I was tearing up again. Rosalie pulled me away from Esme and ushered me into the back seat of Edward's car. She surprised me by getting into the driver's seat and Alice got in on the passenger side. That left me with Edward in the back.
As we pulled out of the long winding driveway at the Cullen's house, I looked out the back window and I had a horrible feeling that I would never see the house again. A chill went through my whole body and Edward wrapped his long arms around me. I leaned into him and suppresed the horrific feeling I was having.