Chapter 7- Decisions
A/N: I know that no one really likes author's notes so I'll make this short and sweet. Thanks for reading my past few chapters and please review! Special acknowledgement to lolafalana, my beta reader. Enjoy!
It was Thursday, two days after the conversation. Edward had not spoken one word to us since then. We had all watched in silence as he charged out of the house, and we had all watched in silence as he charged back in the house.
Edward was completely silent in class, and the teachers never asked him questions—especially after he glared at them with full force. We didn't dare talk to him either, because he treated us no differently than he treated the teachers. All we could do was to wait for him to change.
More than a month passed. In classes, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and I all noticed that he wrote everything slowly and perfectly. However—in a speed faster than the human eye—when he was finished he would grip the pencil so tightly it was reduced to splinters, shove it in his pocket, and take out another pencil. We had no idea why he did that, but it probably gave him some sort of satisfaction.
I definitely knew he was suffering. Why couldn't he let things be? It caused him so much pain and was useless. I hated watching him suffer. He didn't show it often, but sometimes his eyebrows would furrow and there would be a wild look in his eyes for no reason at all.
I had no idea if Bella loved him back, though. I hadn't realized how much I had relied on Edward's mind-reading ability until now. I couldn't be sure—I could only guess. However, I did catch her staring at him. What did that mean? Who knew? I was beginning to sound a lot like Edward. If he asked himself these questions every day, I knew exactly why he was going mad.
I told Edward that Bella was staring at him, but he didn't respond. He definitely heard me. He probably didn't know what to make of it. And come to think of it, I didn't know what to make of that, either.
A long time afterwards, on a Tuesday in March, I told Jasper, Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie, "Bella's going to stare at Edward in a minute. Look normal." It was a command to everyone. Of course, she already knew we weren't normal, didn't she?
I noticed that the frequency of her stares didn't decline overtime. Edward seemed to be thinking the same thing, and he looked pleased. He definitely loved Bella, so why didn't he hurry up and get together with her? She was obviously going to be my best friend, so I wanted it to happen sooner. I wanted to form my envisioned friendship with her already.
I wish… I thought, knowing Edward would hear me.
"Stay out of it, Alice," he said under his breath. "It's not going to happen." I was really excited when he finally opened his mouth to speak to me, but after the words actually sank in, the excitement faded.
I pouted.
I'll admit, you're better than I thought. You've got the future snarled up and senseless again. I hope you're happy.
"It makes plenty of sense to me," he contradicted.
I snorted.
He then looked away and didn't speak to me at all after that.
During last period, I had managed not to think about Edward, for a change. After all, he didn't want me to worry about him and worrying about him wouldn't do him good either, as Jasper said. Jasper and I were supposed to meet Rosalie and Emmett at the car.
This time, Edward, instead of murderously glaring at everything in sight, was rocking with laughter.
"What's so funny?" Emmett wanted to know.
Edward shook his head. He then shook with laughter. It must have been Bella. Bella's name brought my desires up to the surface. I would have asked him then, but I decided not to.
"Let's go," Rosalie hissed. "Stop being an idiot. If you can."
No one spoke to Edward on the way home. We sort of thought he was going crazy. He chuckled every now and then, for no apparent reason.
As Edward turned on to the drive, I subconsciously said, "So do I get to talk to Bella now?" I said it without considering it first, therefore giving Edward no warning. It took him by surprise and it ruined his mood.
"No," he snapped.
He ruined my mood, too.
"Not fair! What am I waiting for?" I protested.
He was suddenly morose. "What's the point in getting to know her if I'm just going to kill her?"
I hesitated, biting my tongue so I wouldn't give him the answer I was going to planning to. I didn't think of that. "You have a point," I finally gave in. I pouted silently.
"I haven't decided anything, Alice," Edward said.
"Whatever, Edward," I was annoyed. In my head, the two destinies were clear. Why couldn't he just deal with it? It was going to happen.
Edward took the final hairpin turn at ninety miles an hour, screeching to a stop an inch from the garage wall before throwing himself out of the car. Jasper and Emmett shook their heads.
"Enjoy your run," Rosalie said smugly.
When she said that, I had another vision. Edward wasn't going to run today. He was going hunting.
I was sitting next to Jasper, on the stone near the river. He was gazing at the full moon, obviously pondering something. I was searching through my visions. Edward was going to be inside someone's house. He was watching… a bed? No, who was on the… Bella! He was at Bella's house, watching her sleep. I hid my laughter. He must have let his less nobler side win. He must have felt like a stalker.
Jasper sensed my emotions, and was glad to find that I was in a better mood. "Alice, Edward will be all right. You must have seen that. But if you want to wait for him, I'll be right beside you."
He was so sweet. "I love you, Jasper." I whispered.
"I love you too." Jasper said, his eyes twinkling as he took my face in his hands. His fingers were as smooth as satin. He was so beautiful.
Jasper chuckled, sensing my mood, and kissed me gently. As I kissed him back, I forgot about all my worries. My mind was blissfully clear, with no more troubling visions to bother me. I was glad that I had to live forever, that I had Jasper alongside me. There couldn't have been another person I'd trade him for.
The next morning, Edward wasn't there. I knew that Edward was going to arrive right after we left, so we didn't wait for him, because he obviously could get to school by himself. He was a big boy, after all. Rosalie drove the car to school, fuming all the way. I looked at Jasper meaningfully. He mouthed, tell you later. I wanted to know why Rosalie was in a foul mood while Edward was so happy, and why she was gleeful when Edward was furious.
Jasper and Emmett were arm wrestling again. Rosalie just stared straight ahead at the road, which left me with no one to talk to. For about the hundredth time, I just stared out the window, alone to drown in my thoughts.
I knew that Edward would arrive a few seconds after we did. I knew that before we even got out of the car. When we did, I didn't tell them that Edward was watching us from the thick woods that bordered the pavement.
They didn't need to know anyway.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella's truck arrive in all its glory. It was creaking and rusty. I wondered why she didn't change her car. And the clothes she wore… I wished Edward would hurry up and let us be friends— she really needed the fashion advice. Jasper must have felt me being indignant, but he thought it was about him not talking to me. Anyway, he couldn't arm-wrestle with Emmett because he and Rosalie had just gone off somewhere private. No one wanted to think about what they were doing there.
"Alice, why the mood?" Jasper asked.
"It's not the way you think it is, Jasper," I said.
He smiled. "That sounds more like it."
He took my hand and we walked into the school doors together, not as aware of the many people staring at us. I mean, who cared about them?
This morning, Mr. Banner was blood typing, so I ditched it. After ditching, when we were walking towards the cafeteria, I told the rest of them about the vision I had in class.
"Edward's not going to sit with us today," I said, gleefully. "He's going to sit with Bella, so don't look surprised. It might undermine his confidence." Maybe I really would get a chance to make friends with Bella!
Jasper's eyebrows were raised and Emmett chuckled. Rosalie, on the other hand, was furious. Under her breath, she muttered something around the lines of, who cares about his confidence.
We entered the cafeteria. Edward was already sitting in a different spot, which just happened to be a spot that we had to pass to get to our table. Rosalie started to walk faster, lines of fury etched in her face. Jasper gave him a half-smile as he walked by. Emmett just shook his head, hiding his laughter.
I was beaming. Can I talk to Bella now??
"Keep out of it," Edward muttered.
My face fell. Jasper caught my eye, and started to get up. Then my face brightened again, and he smiled and sat back down. Fine. Be stubborn. It's only a matter of time.
He sighed.
Don't forget about today's biology lab, I reminded him.
He nodded, and I skipped towards our table.
The moment Bella entered the cafeteria she glanced right where we sat. She was obviously looking for Edward. When she didn't find him her face crumpled and her eyes dropped to the floor.
Bella bought a drink for her lunch, and nothing else. She sat down next to Jessica. I saw Edward staring at her again.
"Edward Cullen is staring at you again," Jessica said, sounding resentful. "I wonder why he's sitting alone today."
Bella's head snapped up and there was no trace of sadness in her face now. Edward motioned with his finger for her to join him. Bella looked startled. He winked, and her mouth fell open.
"Does he mean you?" Jessica asked rudely.
"Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework," she muttered. "Uh, I'd better go see what he wants." She got up and made her way towards Edward's table.
Edward grinned. "Why don't you sit with me today?"
I turned back around to give them some privacy. If things kept going at this rate, Edward would be in love and happy. And I would have a new best friend to give fashion advice to and to dress up!
I was glad Bella came to Forks.
After school, Jasper, Rosalie and I walked towards the car in silence. Emmett had sprinted there; he wanted to be the first. Sometimes Emmett was so childish. But that was what made him seem like a giant teddy bear.
While I was walking, I had a few visions.
When we got in, there was a sweet scent in the car. I recognized it as Bella's immediately, but Rosalie beat me to it. She glowered at Edward, obviously shouting insults at him in her head.
I was worried about Jasper. He had poor control, and I wondered what Bella's scent was doing to him. After all, if he went for Bella, he would have to pass Edward first, and there would be an extremely terrifying fight. I knew Edward wouldn't win, but neither would Jasper. Edward would just beat him back.
I shook those worries out of my head, and held my hand out for Bella's truck key. "I only saw that I was," I explained. "You'll have to tell me the whys."
"This doesn't mean—" Edward began.
"I know, I know. I'll wait. It won't be long," I said, cheered by the idea.
He sighed and gave me the key.
After he dropped Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie off, I set off to Bella's house, and he followed me. The rain was so loud, I was sure that Bella couldn't even hear the noise of her dilapidated truck's engine over the noise. The rain sounded like mortar shells.
As we were heading back, Edward told me all that I needed to know about what had happened. It was blood-typing in Biology, and Bella couldn't stand the smell of blood. Was she even human? How could she smell blood?
Edward drove her home in his car. That was why he wanted me to drop it off after school.
He was amazing. How would he survive her scent in such a contained space as a car? His self-control must have really been tested.
Emmett and Jasper were playing an elaborate game of chess that they had invented. They wouldn't let Edward play. Only I would play with Edward these days. I wasn't sure if he cared.
Rosalie was sprawled on the sofa, flipping through twenty channels a second. I went straight to my computer and waited for the monitor to sing to life. I was working on a fashion design project for Rosalie's wardrobe. She usually joined me, but not this time. Jasper still hadn't told me what was with her.
I stopped working on it after a while. I leaned my head around the wall after a moment and started to mouth Emmett's next moves. He sat on the floor with his back to me, and Jasper kept his face smooth as he read my lips. I smiled as he cut off Emmett's favorite knight.
Edward sat down at the grand piano. He hadn't played for such a long time. He started to play a different tune. He was composing again. I smiled. Bella really was doing him good.
I turned back to Jasper who was staring at me, waiting for my next instructions.
Edward let out a bark of laughter, before smothering it with his hand. He began to chuckle. Emmett and Jasper turned to stare. Rosalie turned stiffly around and stomped to the garage and squirmed under her car.
Edward was toying with a bridge, and seemed to not be able to get it right. When he finally got it right, I winked at Jasper, and left him to his own devices. I sat down next to Edward.
In my wind-chime voice, I sketched out a wordless descant two octaves above the melody.
"I like it," Edward said, pleased. His hands flew across the keyboards and fit all the pieces together, modifying it, and taking it towards a new direction. I caught the mood and sang along. Near the end, as the song lowered its notes, I lowered my voice, until it sounded solemn and cathedral-ish. Edward played the last note, and bowed his head over the keys.
Esme stroked his hair.
"Thanks," Edward whispered.
Esme said something in her thoughts. Edward laughed without humor, and then sighed. Then he said, "Stop it, Mom, you're making me blush."
I laughed and picked out the top hand of Heart and Soul. Then Edward favored me with a performance of Chopsticks.
I giggled, and then sighed. "So I wish you would tell me what you were laughing at Rose about," I said. "But I can see that you won't tell me."
"Nope."
I flicked his ear with my finger.
"Be nice, Alice," Esme said. "Edward is being a gentleman."
"But I want to know," I whined.
Edward laughed at my whining tone of voice. "Here, Esme," he said. Then he played her song.
"Thank you, dear," she squeezed his shoulder.
There was a silence as Edward thought over something in his mind.
A vision came to me. "Oh! Jasper, guess what?"
"What, Alice?" Jasper chuckled.
"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! They're going to be in the neighborhood, isn't that nice?" I squealed in delight.
"What's wrong, Edward?" Esme asked, as Edward froze in horror.
"Peter and Charlotte are coming to Forks?" He muttered the question through his tightly clenched teeth.
I rolled my eyes. "Calm down, Edward. It's not their first visit." Edward was worried about Bella. I frowned. "They never hunt here. You know that."
Edward wasn't convinced. "When?"
I pursed my lips unhappily. Monday morning. No one is going to hurt Bella.
"No," he agreed, and turned away from her. "You ready, Emmett?" They were going hunting at Goat Rocks.
"I thought we were leaving in the morning?" Emmett was surprised.
"We're coming back by midnight Sunday. I guess it's up to you when you want to leave."
"Okay, fine. Let me say goodbye to Rose first."
"Sure," Edward said.
"I suppose I have," Edward replied Emmett's thoughts.
"Play the new song for me, one more time," Esme pleaded.
"If you'd like that," he agreed. He thought for a moment, and then pulled a bottle cap out from his pocket. It looked familiar… I knew I saw it at lunch, so it must have had something to do with Bella. It was probably the bottle cap from her lemonade drink. Yes, that was it.
He nodded to himself, and then started playing. Esme and I exchanged a glance, but neither of us asked.