By now I'm tired, and I lean against the door frame a bit to keep myself up. Esme notices, and actually leads me into Edward's room. She sits me down into the couch in there, and as I look around I notice that there's no bed. Just a seemingly endless music collection and a lot of books; some of them are journals, I notice, and I almost consider reading them. Almost.
Esme notices me looking around and smiles slightly. "Edward's a bit reclusive," She explains. "He likes to be on his own so he just keeps everything up here. It's one of the reasons a house full of teenagers is so tidy."
She doesn't mention the lack of bed. Strange. Surely it's the most obvious thing? Maybe he just sleeps on the couch. That would make sense. "Do you need anything?" Esme asks kindly, and I shake my head. She gives me a look.
"Water?" I ask gently, and she disappears to get it for me, leaving me in Edward's room. If the others came back now I don't know what they'd say... I start to get up as I look up at a clock that is resting on the table next to the couch, and see that in two minutes school will end, and I've seen how the Cullens tear out of the school parking lot. I think they even drove past me once on the way to school. At those speeds, they'll be home in ten minutes. The school might even be out by now. I'm so screwed.
Esme reappears with a glass of water in her hands. It doesn't look very cold as she holds it, but as I take it in my hands, even through the gloves I can tell it's freezing. But when I take a sip the water isn't particularly cold. There's a chance the glass was just cold, but I eye her wight hands suspiciously. She takes no notice, or decides not to. "Would you like to go back downstairs?" I nod enthusiastically, and she takes the glass from my hands, taking it downstairs beforehand. She comes back and helps me up. For half a second I look around for my crutches, and almost curse I realise I left them downstairs. Esme smiles as if I she's knows what I'm thinking, and places a cold arm around my waist as she leads me downstairs. But we're not even half way down the stiars before the front door almost swings off of it's hinges, and as it bounces off the wall Emmett Cullen barges in, the unforgettable faces of Rosalie and Hale and Alice Cullen are barely visible behind him. "We're home!" He booms, and Esme chuckles next to me as we go down another step.
"Yes, Emmett," She laughs. "We're aware."
He looks up at us, his strange eyes sparkling. "Let me help you!" He exclaims, rushing towards us and picking me up into his arms. He then runs smoothly down the stairs and drops me onto the couch. I cringe as it jostles my leg. Rosalie scowls in my direction.
"Emmett!" Esme chides, and he smiles sheepishly. "Where are your brothers?"
"Eddie-boy and Jazz-man went to see Carlisle," Emmett replies easily, stretching out on the sofa next to me.
"I thought your dad told you to stop calling them that," I say in a sudden burst of confidence. Emmett, Esme and Alice laugh as Rosalie's scowl just deepens.
"Yes, stranger I found in the forest," Emmett chuckles. "He did. But he's not here right now, and neither are they."
Alice laughs as well, and sits down daintily next to me. Rosalie and Esme sit down on the sofa facing us. Rosalie looks me up and down. "Is she wearing my gloves?!" She screeches suddenly, and I flinch. Immediately I try to take them off, but Alice catches my hand.
"Don't worry about it," She whispers. "Rosalie likes to overreact sometimes; she'll never wear them again."
"Okay," I reply, shifting away from her slightly, alarmed by how close she is to me. They're all too weird. But as I shift away I shift towards Emmett. Rosalie snarls at me slightly, and so I stand up. Emmett chuckles. "I think I'm gonna go home," I tell Esme, pulling off the gloves and grabbing my crutches. I leave the gloves on the coffee table, and begin to walk towards the door. Emmett appears in front of me, his arms crossed.
"You can't go home on your own, Bella," Esme tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Would you like me to drive you back?"
"No no," I tell her, not happy about the prospect of being stuck in an enclosed space... Again. "I'll just walk... Or hop, as the case may be."
Esme chuckles and Rosalie snorts, shaking her head. "We live at least a mile from your house, Bella. You can't walk. I'll drive, if you really don't want to stay," She informs me.
"I don't want to trouble you," I explain, leaving out the fact that I really want to get away from her and her strange family, even though it's been a nice day, and they're all kind. I feel like they're trying to find out my secret, and by taking off my gloves I've just given them a huge advantage.
"You're not troubling us," Esme says sweetly, but Rosalie mutters something that sounds like an argument. Alice glares at her.
"Come on," Emmett urges. "We don't need you going back to the hospital because of us. Let Esme drive you home."
We don't need you going back to hospital because of us. Maybe I'm just looking into it too much, but maybe he means that they put me in hospital in the first place... I know I saw Edward, and I know something pushed me back. "I'm alright," I say forcefully. "I could always just call Charlie or have one of my friends to pick me up."
"Just hand out our address, why don't you?" Rosalie sneers.
"Enough Rose," Esme says firmly, and her blonde daughter flicks her hair over her shoulder before making her way up the stairs. Emmett and Esme both sigh; rather dramatically on Emmett's part, before he follows Rosalie upstairs. I cringe in embarrassment. Not only are two of the Cullen brothers not here (probably because of me), but Rosalie hates me. Alice notices my discomfort, and reaches for my hand, but I snatch it away before she can touch it. She looks slightly hurt, but Esme understands. She hands me the gloves, but I refuse them, shaking my head.
"Thank you," I tell her, my voice lowered slightly. "But that's okay..." I pause. "Would you drive me home?"
Her smile falters for a moment before it comes back, softer and kinder than ever before. "Of course, darling," She says, and I nod nervously as she leads me out to her car. Just as she begins driving down their massive drive, another car turns the corner and she slows and rolls her window down so she can talk to the other driver. As I look past her I see it's Doctor Cullen, still in his hospital scrubs. "Hello dear," She says to him, and I shift uncomfortably. "Are Jasper and Edward on their way?"
"Yes, and hello," He replies, smiling kindly. They both lean out of their respective windows and kiss lightly. I frown and look away. "And hello to you, Bella," He adds after a moment, and I nod nervously.
"Hi," I squeak out, and he smiles again, his blond hair falling into his eyes as he sets off and continues to drive into the garage. Esme continues down the drive, humming lowly to herself in a soothing manner. I rest back into my seat, and we're outside Charlie's house before I know.
"Here we are," Esme announces, and I smile at her gratefully, reaching for the door handle.
"Thanks," I breath, hopping out the car. "See you later!"
"Bye!" She replies, just before I shut the door and she drives away. As her car rounds the corner at the end of my road I breath a sigh of relief, brace my arms against the cold and my crutches and make my way inside. As I suspected, Charlie isn't home and won't be for a few hours, so I decide to just go to bed.
"Bells?" Charlie's voice wakes me. I sit up slowly, stretching out my back. "Are you here?"
"I'm upstairs!" I call back, but my voice is weak and raspy from disuse and dehydration. Charlie appears in my doorway.
"I thought you were with the Cullens today?"
"I was," I answer honestly. "But when all the Cullen kids came home I felt uncomfortable being there, so I asked Mrs Cullen to bring me home."
My father nods in understanding, running his right hand down his tired face, making a sound I can only describe as gravelly as his skin connects with the stubble on his jaw. "That's alright," He tells me. "Just let me know next time, okay? I was on my way to the Cullens when I got a text from the Doc saying you'd already left his house."
"Sorry," I say meekly, dipping my head. "It just slipped my mind."
He smiles that old smile. "It's fine, Bells. Just get some more rest, okay?" I nod in agreement, closing my eyes as he kisses my forehead and leaves me alone again.
I'm actually allowed to go to school the next day, so I ask Charlie to drive me. He doesn't ask why I don't use my truck; just leads me to his car and drives me to school.
I wonder if it's occurred to him that I've never driven my truck. I might have to drive it one day, just to test it out. Or at least put it in a different position in the drive.
Once I'm out the car students crowd me like moths to a flame. Mike helps me out the car while Jess chatters to me that there's some rumour I spent the day at the Cullens house and how ridiculous that was. I don't correct her; I don't need nor want the attention. Thankfully, Angela comes to my rescue and pushes them all away, supporting me and my crutches as she leads me over to the building housing our first lesson. I nod at her gratefully.
"It's no problem," She says, pushing her glasses up her nose. "I know I'd hate the attention if it were me."
"Well," I grin. "Be glad it's not you, then. Come on." We make our way inside, and I let out a sigh as I finally sit down, even if the chair is one of those uncomfortable plastic ones. The day goes by in a blur of questions and vague, half-answers about whether or not I did go to the Cullen's house, and who I met while I was there. Suddenly I'm sitting in the cafeteria again, leaning back in my chair and staring absent mindedly at the door, wondering if the Cullens are all going to be in school today, or if I drove Edward and Jasper away for good and they never want to see me again. To my surprise, however, none of the Cullens appear for the entirety of lunch, and I sigh in defeat. I know I saw Edward in the forest; I know that Emmett and Doctor Cullen were relieved when I said I thought it was a bear. I'm not sure whether I was planning on confronting them about it, or about the fact I know they're different, but somehow I feel disappointed that I will never get the chance. I wish I had a second chance.
My wish is answered.
When I hobble into biology, there he is, in a light grey t-shirt, absent mindedly doodling on the front of his book. He looks up as I approach, dragging his bag off of my chair and pulling it out for me before turning back to his book. "Thanks," I say as I sit down. He nods in acknowledgement, not looking up. I huff, rolling my eyes. So we're back to the silent treatment. Yay.
"Have a annoyed you?" A musical voice sounds, and I turn back to him. His golden eyes are locked on mine, and suddenly I'm back to my first day of school, and his black eyes are baring into mine.
Black. Eyes don't just change colour.
"Yes," I reply. "You have." He hasn't, but I want to see his reaction to this. He frowns slightly, his forhead creasing.
"May I ask how?" His speech becomes overly formal. No teenager speaks like that.
"You may," I say, turning away from him. He looks at me patiently. "When someone is a guest in your house, it's common courtesy to say hello to them, yes? No matter how much you hate them."
"I don't hate you," He answers immediately, and a smile plays on the corner of my lips. Unfortunately, he is unable to continue, as Mr Banner enters the room.
"Gloves off, Miss Swan," He barks, and I grit my teeth. Why? "Don't make me ask you again!"
I hastily pull them from my hands, setting them on the table top before clasping my hands in between my knees. I don't want to risk seeing his future again just in case I see something else. Whatever I see might give me some insight into whatever it is he is, and I don't want to know.
Maybe I should move back to Phoenix. Futures are less painful here (who's going to find drugs in such a small town?), but it's a lot weirder, or the 'people' are, and I came here to be normal. Normal.
And yet I find myself drawn to them; almost as if I can't leave them lone. I mean, why else would I be talking to him? What's wrong with me?!
Throughout the lesson I see out of the corner of my eye that he's about to talk to me again, but something in my newly-resolved expression must put him off, as he just closes his mouth and watches me curiously. At the end of the lesson I get out of my seat quicker than normal (I don't fall, thank the Lord!) in the hope he won't have the chance to talk to me. but he reaches out and grabs my arm just as I'm pulling my gloves back on. I turn to him with an annoyed expression, and he lets go, choosing to simply follow me out of class instead. As I hop in front of him I can feel his eyes on my back, and after a minute or two I finally turn around. "Do you want something?" I ask rudely, looking him straight in the eye.
He looks surprised, and he shakes his head to clear it before answering. "I just wanted to tell you that the only reason I didn't say hello to you yesterday was because Carlisle wanted to talk to Jasper after school."
"Really?" I say sarcastically, and Emmett appears behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. People look at us as we walk past.
"Ready for Spanish, man?" Emmett asks his brother, but I don't give Edward a chance to answer.
"I know you were talking to your dad, Edward," I tell him, and he frowns again. Emmett looks surprised. "I was just surprised you didn't come and say hello afterwards, or didn't you know that your father arrived home before I left? And considering your siblings came home in your car I doubt you walked home from the hospital." His expression is comical; his eyes are as wide as saucers; his mouth slightly open. Emmett is struggling to hold in laughter behind him. I look Edward up and down with a disdainful expression, hoping that as I look back up him that my eyes don't portray how attractive I actually find him. "You know," I tell him. "You should really try eating lunch sometime. It might make you look a bit less... Weak."
Honestly, he doesn't look weak at all; even his jaw line is strong, but I grin to myself as I hear Emmett laugh louldy behind me, and Edward grumble something along the lines of "Is she serious?" as I walk away.
"Deadly serious," I call over my shoulder, and this time both of them look shocked as I glance back at them. My smirk grows wider.
Thankfully, I'm excused from gym because of my leg, so I simply sit at the side, reading a book, looking up every now and then to wave to Jess, or (sigh) Mike as they jog past. Today they're doing badminton, and I sigh in relief as there is no chance of a stray ball flying over and hitting me in the face. I'm not sure I need a broken nose as well as a broken ankle. At the end of the day I wait patiently for Charlie to pick me up, sitting on one of the old picnic benches and watching as the rest of the school walks or drives away. Soon the entire car park is empty, and I'm alone again.
After about twenty minutes I get worried, and so I pull out my phone, only to put it back when I hear the rumbling of a car coming into the car park. I stand, but then abruptly sit back down as I see that it's that overly-polished silver Volvo. "Hi, Bella!" I hear Alice Cullen sing as she climbs out of her brother's car. "Charlie called Esme. He's stuck at work. Now I'm here to take you home!"
"No thanks," I reply as she walks towards me. I look back at my book as she sits down daintily next to me.
"You don't really have a choice," She tells me seriously. "Don't you want to go home?"
"I do," I reply, putting my book back in my bag. "But I'd rather walk." I grab my crutches and stand, leaning against them as I leave the car park. The next thing I know Alice is driving next to me in her car with the window rolled down. She leaning towards the window and watching me intently. It's a good thing the road is empty.
"Get in the car, Bella," She sighs, glancing at the road every now and then.
"No," I say definatly. "I don't want to. I'm fine."
"You can't walk home on crutches!" She exclaims.
"Yes I can," I mutter, setting my jaw. "I am, in fact. So just drive off, and leave me alone."
She shakes her heard gently, he black hair swaying. "I can't do that Bella. What if something happened to you?"
"Nothing's going to happen to me," I reassure her, and myself. "I walk to and from school every day."
"But not on crutches!" Alice says, leaning over and opening the car door for me, still driving forward at a snail's pace. She seems frustrated.
"You're right," I admit to her. "I haven't walked home on crutches, but there's a first time for everything."
"Alright then," Alice concedes, leaning over and closing the door again. I almost cheer until I notice that she's still following me, and still watching me.
"What, are you just going to follow me home?!" I snap.
She grins, but she appears a bit less patient than before. "Either that or wait for you to get tired and get in the car!"
I groan and stop walking; I hear the car come to a stop next to me, the breaks emitting a high squeaking sound as it does. "Fine," I grumble, and she squeals delightedly, pushing the door open for me. I toss my bag inside first, and then climb in myself, throwing my crutches between our two seats, watching as they land in the back with a dull thud. Alice grins triumphantly. "Shut up," I groan, turning away from her and looking out the window. She chuckles lowly before restarting the car and beginning the drive to my house.
"I know what you said to Edward," She mutters after a minute, and I sigh.
"Let me guess," I huff, rolling my eyes. "Now you're going to tell me I was completely wrong and I'm to switch classes and never speak to any of your family again." Her musical laughter sounds throughout the car, and I cringe slightly at it's pitch.
She apologises. "Sorry. But you couldn't be more wrong. I was going to congratulate you on actually getting him to eat. We urge him to when he gets home from school but he never listens. Emmett was in hysterics, by the way. It was very funny." She rushes it all out in one breath, and it makes my head spin just listening to it.
"Oh," Is my clever reply. Great job, Bella. Jeez.
"Here we are!" She trills as she parks outside my house. I wonder if that's a thing with the Cullens; to announce they've reached their destination. I giggle slightly as I imagine Edward saying it every morning as he parks outside the school. Alice gives me a strange look.
"Nothing," I mutter, sighing again as I pull my crutches to me and then open the car door. "Thanks."
"It's no problem," She says, leaning over to my side as I step out of the car. Alice pulls my bag into her dainty hands and hands it to me. I nod, gratitude in my eyes. "Stay safe!" The door shuts, and off she goes.
Once I go inside I go straight to my room. I decide to catch up on some homework, but I've barely started before my phone starts ringing. I don't even look at the caller before answering. "Bella's phone," I say softly.
"Bella!" A familiar voice shreeks. "You're alive! Thank God! You haven't called me in weeks!" It's Louise; I chuckle.
"Sorry," I reply. "It's been a bit hectic. I already sprained my ankle."
"You're kidding!" She cries in a dramatic tone. I laugh again. "Don't you laugh at me, Bella Swan! How did this happen?"
"Bear attack," I say casually, trying not to imagine myself saying 'Cullen attack'.
Eh, too late.
"You see," She says in an exasperated tone, and I can tell she's shaking her head. "This is why I told you not to move!"
"You didn't tell me that," I say in a confused voice, trying to remember our conversation. "You just said you'd miss me. You didn't say anything about bear attacks."
"Same thing," She huffs, dismissing me. I chuckle. "Now, you need to tell me everything! What are the boys like?"
"Hmm," I reply thoughtfully, bringing my pencil to my lips and tapping it against them. "I don't know where to start."