Chapter Six – This Isn't a Game

The painted words burned themselves into my eyes and Edward's question went unheard. Fear burned through my body. Just who the hell was this maniac and why were they so obsessed with Edward? The threats, the pranks – they'd all been harmless; but this, this had been dangerous – life-threatening even. The shock and fear were gone in an instant and fury raged in their stead. What if Charlie had come home first? He could have died! When I got my hands on this Edward-obsessed maniac…

"Trip wire," said Edward's voice breaking my vengeful train of thought.

He was crouched on the pavement inspecting the smashed pottery and searching for something in the dirt. I hadn't even noticed that he had moved. "What?"

"You fell over a trip wire," said Edward showing me a length of near-invisible fishing wire he'd found. "Set up to make that thing fall when you tripped over it." He came over and knelt in front of me, emerald eyes glittering warningly. After a moment's hesitation he took my hand and squeezed it. "Anything you want to share with me?"

"No."

"Bella."

"It's nothing," I insisted, "Just someone playing a dangerous kind of practical joke on me. I'm the new kid; of course I'm being bullied."

He glanced at the spray paint on the windshield of my truck then back at me. "Bullied you say. Bella, this is way past the point of just simple harassment. If that thing had fallen on you, you would be on your way to hospital now. The truth. Now."

"No," I repeated stubbornly.

He scowled at me. "Bella, this isn't a game," he said sounding frustrated and angry. "Someone is obviously out there to hurt you and I don't intend to just stand there and watch!"

I tried to stare him down. I did not want to know what would happen if Edward became over-protective of me… or if the stalker found out about the relationship we had when we were little; it didn't matter that I couldn't even remember him. Ugh, the situation was just getting worse and worse.

"Bella!"

We both froze as Charlie's voice rang out loud and clear. Neither of us had seen his patrol car drive up.

"Crap," muttered Edward, straightening up and helping me to my feet. He could say that again. I could already hear the lecture Charlie was going to give me about hanging out with teenage delinquents.

"I think I'd better leave," Edward whispered out of the corner of his mouth. He fixed a polite smile on his face and nodded to my father as he walked quickly back to his car. "Good afternoon, Chief Swan."

Charlie frowned and watched Edward's retreating back for a few moments before rounding on me. "Isabella," he started warningly. I gulped. Full names meant trouble. "What were you doing with Edward Masen? I thought I told you to stay away from him and his friends."

"I was just uh… getting his help with some of the biology homework, it's really hard and he's my lab partner after all. So we went to library and he was just dropping me off," I lied, busying myself with unlocking the front door, knowing that guilt would be showing all over my face.

"You went to the library with Edward Masen? You were alone with him?"

"Uh-huh, it was um - a joint assignment that's due in tomorrow and we'd barely done anything but we managed to finish everything. Plus he's an old family friend isn't he?" I said trying to shrug off the angry tone in Charlie's voice.

That surprised him. "You remember him?"

"Yeah," I lied. "Well I'm pooped; it'll be an early night for me."

Charlie blinked. "But it's only five-thirty."

I panicked mentally and flung open the room. "Well uh – I've got stuff to do in my room then I'll start dinner in an hour." Before Charlie could get another word in I fled upstairs and into my room and heaved a sigh of relief. I was safe, Charlie wouldn't come near my bedroom door with a ten-foot pole let alone try to come in and get the truth out of me.

Dinner was another problem. I bustled around the kitchen; hacking at vegetables in such a preoccupied manner that Charlie didn't even come into the kitchen, then I shoved my food down my throat and was gone before anything could be said.

I collapsed onto my bed, exhausted from avoiding a talking with Charlie and for the first time that day. I lay there, lost in thoughts of my stalker. I saw every threatening note I'd ever seen in my mind's eye, at some point I must've fallen asleep. That night I had a particularly disturbing dream of being shrunk to the size of an ant and watching my faceless stalker caress Edward's face and chest then suddenly I was being squashed like a bug by a giant vase that broke with a giant crash…

~x~

I woke with a start. The crash had been the only thing that was real about that nightmare and it was the sound that had woken me. For a moment I was disorientated. It was five in the morning. I was still in the clothes I'd been wearing while I cleaned Edward's house yesterday and I was feeling cold. The cold alerted me to the broken window beside my bed. Shattered glass was scattered on the floor, amid the mess was a brick and taped to it, another note.

This is no game…

The words were the same as Edward's. I glared at them; it was too early for this kind of shit. Feeling irritable, I crawled to the end of my bed to avoid the glass and tiptoed downstairs to fetch the broom and clean up the mess. As I swept up the shards I went over excuses for the broken window in my mind. If I told Charlie he'd instantly think Edward and probably replace all the windows in the house with bullet-proof glass. Maybe I could say that I accidently smashed it in my sleep? I rolled my eyes and scoffed at the idea. Yeah right, as if he'd believe that…

I mulled over ideas and emptied the glass into the bin then trudged back up the stairs and ducked into the shower hoping that the blast of cold water would wake me up and bring forth an idea for explaining the missing window. There was no such luck – with the idea that is.

I slipped on a pair of jeans, slapped on a T-shirt and threw a coat over the whole ensemble then stumbled down the stairs for a lovely breakfast of cold, soggy cereal. Maybe Edward would have an idea… I recoiled from the notion a second after it emerged from my early-morning addled brain. Me, go to Edward for suggestions? In all likelihood all I'd achieve was another recommendation for a visit to a hotel.

"Morning, Bella. You're up early."

I jumped a full foot from my chair. "Char- I mean, Dad!" I gasped. "Give me a little more warning before you sneak up on me in the future! You scared me out of my wits…"

Charlie grinned a little ruefully. "Sorry, Belles," he apologised. "By the way, do you know why there were shards of pottery in the front yard yesterday? Also, did you break something? I thought I heard something break in your room."

I nearly choked. He was questioning me so early in the morning? "Pottery, no I didn't notice it. As for the crash…" I knew that I couldn't pull off a lie… well, not a complete lie anyway, "the window in my room broke."

"Broke? Broke how?"

I rushed on, avoiding the question. "So, um, if you can uh – fix it up for me some time that would be great. Bye dad, have a good time at work!" I dumped my dishes in the sink, ran to the front door, yanked it open and ran into something hard.

"Ow!" I put my hands on my injured forehead and looked up to see what I'd walked into in my rush to escape interrogation. "Edward!" I exclaimed with emotions that were a mixture of shock and… well horror.

"Why the rush, Bella?" he asked sounding slightly amused.

"No time to explain! If Charlie sees you then the situation will be bad." I made for my truck and froze, my jaw dropping open.

Edward walked up behind me and said quietly. "I don't think you'll be using that truck of yours today, love. Slashed tyres generally make for bad driving. I really wish that you'd tell me what's going on."

I let him tow me away and tuck me into the passenger seat of his Volvo as my brain worked to regain full functionality.

"My… my truck…" I stammered.

"Yeah, and from the looks of things your window was assaulted as well," commented Edward. "Should I stay the night to protect you from the perverts that would climb through your window?"

I frowned at him, "I don't think that would help. You're the only pervert around here."

Edward didn't laugh, or smile for that matter. He pulled over the car and gave me an intense look. "Bella, are you alright? You're acting… odd."

"Well I'm sitting in a car with you. Anyone would be acting weird if a maniac was driving them to school."

"Be serious, Bella."

"I am," I said and then sighed.

"What's the matter?" asked Edward sincerely.

All my thoughts tumbled out in one big jumbled mess. "- that truck was a gift from Charlie and –" I groaned as I realised something else. "What's he going to say when he sees the tyres?" I wailed. "He's already hounding me for the window so how am I going to explain the wheels?" A bark of laughter drew me from my sorrowful reverie. I glared at Edward. "What's with you? Laughing like that all of a sudden…"

He chuckled. "It's nothing. It's just," he grinned widely and started the car up again, "You haven't changed at all, Bella."

Before I could respond Edward had a serious look on his face again. That guy sure had himself some mood swings. "Bella," he said gently. "I won't let anything happen to you because if it was something I could prevent then I would never forgive myself."

He was kidding, right? "Uh, thanks for the offer, Edward but I doubt that the protection of the biggest bad boy in town is going to get me in the good graces of my father," (was it just me or did Edward's face fall slightly?) "I'm sure I can manage by myself."

~x~

"Bella!"

I yelped as Alice threw herself at me for a hug as I got out of Edward's car.

"Alice, I hate to be rude but I'm going to fall down unless you let go."

Behind Alice, Emmett guffawed, Jasper grinned and Rosalie blinked.

Alice smiled crookedly and stepped back. "Oops, sorry. I forgot that you lacked a centre of gravity, but I've heard all about how those stupid stalker pranks have escalated in the past three days and I've decided that it must be put to a stop!" she proclaimed with confidence. "I have elected Emmett as your personal bodyguard and Jasper as the backup. I shall be playing the role of the lead detective and Rosalie will be looking sharp and provide the funding for a hired detective and – "

"Whoa, whoa! Alice, take a breath!" I goggled at her. "A hired detective? I think that's taking it a little too far." Actually I felt that the whole election of a bodyguard was already blowing the whole thing out of proportion but I didn't want to shoot Alice down while she was feeling so proud of herself.

"Of course it is," giggled Alice. "I was just kidding – about hiring a private detective that is, but everything else was true. Emmett will be your bodyguard; Jasper is the backup and I –"

She rattled off everyone's assignments again. I hated to burst her bubble but I didn't think that Charlie would very much approve an association with the Forks' Vampires. "Alice…" I started but Edward jumped in before me.

"She's fine. I'll protect her."

"You?" repeated Alice incredulously rounding on him with an unimpressed look on her face. "You are the cause for this whole stalker business, Mr Masen," she said sounding like a reprimanding teacher. "As the catalyst for the stalker situation you will stay away from Bella until it is resolved. Got it, mister?"

Usually Edward did whatever Alice told him to, this time however he wasn't going to give in. He grabbed me from behind and buried his face in my hair. "No," he replied stubbornly, sounding almost like a child. It was cute… sort of. "I refuse to be parted from my prize."

Okay, maybe not so cute. My eyebrows rose. I was his prize?

Alice frowned. "Okay, how about you stay away from her until Rosalie's birthday party?" she negotiated.

"No."

It was like a repeat of the Edward-Mike situation in the café yesterday, only this time I was being auctioned off rather than shared. Only this time when Edward attempted to triumph by leaving the conversation and dragging me away with him, Alice followed and continued to argue relentlessly. I sighed in resignation and let them verbally battle it out, allowing Edward to tow me down the corridors like a puppy on a leash. I'd been doing a lot of sighing in the past few days.

~x~

"Bella, you look exhausted," observed Mike as I stumbled into Biology.

I glared at him. Mike didn't even know the meaning of the word. Exhausted, of course I was exhausted. I'd missed the beginning of first period because Alice was still trying to convince the very obstinate Edward that if he wanted to protect me then he should stay away from me and she was persistent too. Every time Edward tried to end the argument by leaving she'd follow him without relent. They'd gone around in circles for a good hour.

I walked over to my bench and rest my head upon the cool marble tabletop. Mike followed me and sat down. "So is Masen not coming?" he asked sounding hopeful.

Edward answered from him from the doorway. He looked rather pissed off. "Why is there is a little blonde rat sitting in my seat?" he snarled in outrage advancing towards the bench.

"I'm talking to Bella," retorted Mike. "It's got nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me!" growled Edward. Evidently his temper had not cooled since Alice's departure two periods ago. "Bella, do you want to talk to that?"

I didn't bother to look up, let alone respond. After bearing witness to Alice and Edward's argument earlier I had no wish to be dragged into this one. Unless they were about to kill each other, I was not going to intervene. Of course Edward took my silence as agreement to his question and Mike thought that I was opposing it.

"See, she doesn't want to talk to you, Newton. Now get lost."

"Of course she wants to talk to me. I'm better company than you."

Edward's temper, which had already been stretched to breaking point during his dispute with Alice, snapped. "That's it, rat. I've been waiting to fix that stupid baby-face of yours for years," said Edward, at which point I looked up. There was a murderous gleam in his eye that I did not like.

"Bring it on, Masen," replied Mike sounding confident to most, though I thought I heard his voice waver almost imperceptibly at the end of his sentence. The widening grin on Edward's face told me that he'd picked up on it too.

I groaned inwardly. If I didn't get involved, Mike was going to get the beating of a lifetime accompanied by a week in hospital with a concussion. "Edward, Mike," I said.

They ignored me and continued to exchange threats.

"EDWARD! MIKE!" I yelled in the most commanding tone I could muster. "Would you calm down?"

Everybody in the room turned to stare at me. I blushed. "Edward," I said trying to sound reasonable, "I know that you're frustrated with the whole Alice thing but you don't need to take it out on Mike." He glowered at me then at Mike. He was angry, yet for some reason I didn't feel intimidated like I used to.

"Mike," I continued, "I think you should get to your seat; bell's about to go." Mike threw a nasty look at Edward and begrudgingly walked back to his bench and waiting lab partner.

I looked at Edward. "Sit," I ordered.

He sat. He looked sulky, like a child who'd just been told off by his mother for yelling in the house.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he said sullenly.

"Edward," I said, mimicking the tone he'd used last night.

He looked at me, his gaze intense as always. For absolutely no reason, I turned red. "I," he started and paused, thinking. Then finally he said, "I'm a useless idiot. I should be able to protect you but I hadn't even worked out just by being around me I was causing you trouble. It's even worse because that stupid Mike Newton said that hanging around me would be dangerous and it is. Even when we were little I -" He trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed.

When we were little, what? I really wanted to know. Why the hell couldn't I remember anything about Edward and me from when we were kids, before Mum and Charlie got divorced? I nodded, trying to prompt him into finishing the sentence.

He shook his head. "It's nothing. Forget I that I said anything," said Edward.

"O-okay." Inside was screaming, demanding to know what he had been about to say.

Suddenly he grabbed my hand, under the table, out of the sight of everyone else. "But Bella," he said in a voice that audible only to me. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I flushed an even deeper shade of scarlet and scrambled to find a witty response that could brush off his pledge but before I could, the bell rang and the teacher walked in. Some part of me felt embarrassed and happy but another was screaming that getting further involved with Edward Masen would get me killed. Lost for response, I squeezed his hand and out of the corner of my eye I saw him smile gently. For a moment he was the sweet little boy in the video… but that dream was shattered when he quickly added, "It would ruin my reputation."

"Jerk."

~x~

It was a relief to get home. Alice and Edward had dragged me off to the Vampires' table during lunch to discuss 'security plans' while Mike stared daggers into the back of Edward's head. Charlie wasn't home yet, which meant that I had a few hours to myself.

I trudged upstairs, opened the door and frowned. Red rose petals were scattered on the ground - at least I had thought that they'd been rose petals at first glance. On closer inspection I discovered that they were pieces of satin material, red satin material. It took another few moments for me to realise what I was holding.

I went pale.

The dress… I was looking at the many shredded pieces of the red satin dress that Alice had bought me at Port Angeles. There was a printed message stuck to the inside of my wardrobe door. You already have Mike, give Edward back, it said accompanied by a picture of the Mike, Edward and me in today's biology class.

I snatched it from the wall and crunched it in my fist. How had my stalker gotten into the house?

The window. I looked up at the window that had been broken. Charlie had removed the jagged remains of the shattered glass and sealed it up with some tape and canvas, with no glass the window frame would have been easy to climb through and the patchwork wouldn't be hard to replace. In and out with no one the wiser leaving no trace, except for the "gift" I'd been left.

I pressed my lips together. Who was this desperate, psychotic freak, so intent on ruining my life? I collected each tiny scrap of what had formerly been my party dress and put it into a bag to bring to Alice when I bowed and scraped for letting it get destroyed then set about checking every nook and cranny of my room for any more "presents" and to see if anything was missing. Satisfied that nothing else had been touched I sat on my bed and contemplated telling Edward about what happened. I had no doubt that he would be infuriated if he found out about the incident second-hand but I didn't really want to tell him about it myself because it implied that I needed his protection and reassurance, which I most certainly did not.

The phone rang, breaking into my thoughts and averting my attention away from my dilemma. I ran downstairs and fumbled to answer it. "Hello, Bella Swan speaking."

Silence.

I tried again. "Hello?"

No response, just an eerie rustling noise.

I got frustrated. I was already anxious about the dress and apologising and Edward and I didn't have time to deal with prank callers. "Is there anyone there?" I half-yelled into the phone.

The rustling stopped and a voice whispered, "Give Edward up or I'll have to deal with you properly."

A shiver ran down my spine. Whoever the hell this was sure had some good timing. "Who is this and what the hell do you want from me?" I hissed into the mouthpiece, trying to keep my crippling fear out of my voice. It was unlikely that I would get the answer to the first question and I already knew what this crazy teenaged girl wanted from me… Edward.

The voice continued, monotonous but threatening, "This is the last warning I'll give you. Make the right choice."

I was terrified beyond my wits. Still clutching the phone I ran upstairs to my room and slammed the door shut then crawled onto my bed and sat on my pillows, my back tucked into a corner with my knees hugged to my chest.

I wanted to cry. I didn't want to be alone, not after that.

Fingers trembling, I began to dial…