The Beach
EPOV
The day couldn't get any better? I wasn't kidding. It only went down from there.
Lunch had to be the worst part of the entire day. Everyone sees everyone else who comes in the door, which meant I was destined to be stared at as soon as the doors opened. And I was.
My grip on Bella's hand tightened immensely as soon as I saw all of the people looking at me. I saw her smile out of the corner of my eye and she put her other hand on my upper arm comfortingly. I didn't even bother going towards the lunch line, knowing I wouldn't be able to eat whatever was on the plate anyway. I could feel the others looking at me worriedly as I sat down at the table, but no one said anything about it.
Bella made some sort of gesture with her hand, but I wasn't paying enough attention to tell what it was. Jasper got up and walked away and came back a few minutes later. I could feel eyes burning into my back as I sat there and didn't notice the tray in front of me until Bella nudged me. She gestured towards it with the hand that was holding mine and I shook my head once, getting nauseous just thinking about food. She put her hand on the side of my face and turned my head towards her. She looked at me pleadingly and I sighed wearily, not able to look away.
I turned as far as she would let me towards the tray and grabbed the small apple. I felt my stomach turn as I looked at it and slowly raised it to my mouth. I took a small bite and chewed slowly trying to get my stomach to settle before I swallowed. Bella kept her hand on my face the whole time, not letting look anywhere else but at her. I swallowed and took another bite, my stomach staying in one place as I focused only on Bella and her hand on my face. I finished the apple without heaving and set the core on the tray. Bella smiled brightly and lightly kissed my mouth.
Thank you, she signed to me. I smiled and shook my head in wonder. This girl just managed to make me forget about the hundred-plus people staring me down so that I could eat without fighting my stomach. I tightened my grip on her hand and she sighed, leaning her head on my shoulder.
I finished the rest of the food on the tray and went to throw it out. I stood up and turned around to see an ocean of faces looking at me, staring at me. I found the nearest garbage and almost ran over to it, throwing out the Styrofoam tray and running back without looking away from the floor. I sat back down and Bella leaned on me again. I heard the hundreds of hushed conversations start up and felt my pulse quicken.
A pair of footsteps approached me from behind and I turned half way around. Bella put her hand on my shoulder protectively and I could feel her bubbling anger through her touch. I put my hand over her other and noticed Mike Newton walking over towards our table. He stopped behind me and I turned in my seat, only half facing him. Bella moved her hand from my shoulder to my knee.
"Hey, Cullen. I see you're up and moving again," he said, pointing out the obvious. I nodded once, stiffly. He waited for me to say something, but I kept silent.
"So, are you thinking about trying out for the team again? We could really use the old Edward," he said, a stupid smile appearing on his face. I felt my face drop and Bella's grip on my knee tightened. I didn't say anything for a few seconds, my mind unable to string the appropriate words together. Finally, four came out of my mouth.
"You are an asshole," I said quietly. Confusion flooded Newton's face and he didn't say anything, just managing to sputter like an idiot. I shook my head slowly back and forth, unable to believe what he had asked.
"Seriously, man? I just started walking again and the only thing you are concerned about is if I'm going to try out for spring sports?" My voice rose in pitch until I was almost screaming at him. He just stood there staring at me.
Bella slowly stood up, making Mike take a step back with the look on her face. She pointed right at the middle of his face and then over his shoulder, towards where his table was. I had no idea how she knew that, but she was in no mood to be questioned. Mike gave her a dumb look before looking back at me and not keeping his mouth shut when he should have.
"So? Are you or not?" I jumped up from my seat and grabbed Bella's upper arm, seeing her hand slowly shape the form of a fist. I moved in front of her and stared down Mike, who was an inch or two shorter than me.
"Go away, Mike. Now," I said slowly. He looked at me strangely, like I was some kind of crazed animal, and backed up a few steps. I kept staring at him and heard the others stand up as well.
"Lucas was right about you, you know," he said in a last ditch effort to leave with dignity. I slowly tilted my head to the side as Bella's body stiffened behind mine. He smiled menacingly, seeming to know that he had hit a nerve.
"He called you a fake. Everyone always talked about how it was such a shame to lose you from the sports teams. 'You were an asset' the coaches said. Yeah, right. You only ever went along with what everyone else did. We thought you'd jump at the chance to get your old life back and yet, here you are. The people you hang out with are different, and so are you." He shook his head a few times.
"You're wrong, Mike," I said as he went to turn around. "I never fit in with your group to begin with. I was the new kid. I didn't know where I belonged or who my real friends were. I know now, though. All of you crawling back to me once you see that I can walk again, the same people who abandoned me when it happened in the first place, none of you are friends." I turned around and gestured to the others behind me before turning back.
"These guys? These are my friends. They helped me get through what made the rest of you turn away from me. And now that I'm better, they are still here. Not like the rest of you. Now do me a favor and leave me alone. Leave all of us alone," I finished, feeling Bella wrap her arms around my arm and lean against me. I heard the others moving around and suddenly found myself surrounded by them.
Mike looked hesitantly behind me, his gaze flashing back to me every now and then before he turned and walked away. I waited until he sat down at his table before I sighed and slumped lightly against Bella. She made it look like we were sitting down at the same time and gently lowered me to the chair. I wrung my hands, trying to stop them from shaking, and Bella leaned her head against my shoulder. I could feel her tension through her grip on my arm and guessed that it was from Mike mentioning Lucas. I still didn't know the connection between them, but whatever it was, it scared her. I just wished she would tell me.
No one said anything for the rest of the lunch period and no one else approached our table. Bella slowly relaxed as I petted her hair and sighed loudly when the bell finally rang. I chuckled and we stood up, saying goodbye to the others until later.
Bella and I made our way through the rest of the day, not really saying anything but letting the other know we were there. We held hands as we walked to our classes and I kissed the back of her hand as I held it in class, our fingers intertwined. There was the occasional glance towards us during class, but no one said anything, not even the teachers. I didn't know how they found out, but they seemed to have heard.
The final bell rang and everyone filed out. Bella and I took our time, mostly because of me, and the halls were clear by the time we made our way towards the parking lot. I dropped my stuff off at my locker and we opened the doors to see the others waiting. Emmett was leaning against his Jeep, Rose standing next to him, and Alice and Jasper were sitting on the hood of her Porsche. I smiled and Bella took my hand as we walked across the parking lot towards them.
"So? How was the rest of the day?" Alice asked. I shook my head.
"As normal as it could have been. All stares and mumbled conversations," I responded, shrugging. She smiled and nodded once, apparently approving of the outcome.
All of us got in our cars and headed home, making a line with my car in the middle like before. Bella put her hand over mine on the shifter like she did before and there was a smile on my face the whole ride home.
We pulled into the driveway and the others went inside while I parked the Volvo in the garage. I left it uncovered in the hopes that I would be able to drive it more often, now that I could move my legs again and led Bella into the house. I grabbed a granola bar out of the cabinet and leaned up against the counter. Bella came over and wrapped her arms around my waist, laying her head against my shoulder and sighing in contentment. I quickly finished the bar and looked outside the window over my shoulder.
The sun was just beginning to set and the sky above the house was a blend of pink, purple, and a darkening blue. The moon was not quite visible yet, but I guessed it was going to be rising very soon. I looked down at Bella and tilted my head to one side slightly. She felt my gaze and looked up at me, her eyes never looking at just one spot.
"You want to go for a walk?" I asked, realizing too late just how random it sounded. She smiled.
Sure, she said, nodding once. I smiled back and moved to throw out my wrapper.
Bella had other ideas, reaching up to my face and turning me towards her. She lightly touched her lips to mine before turning away and running at top speed towards the door. I stood there for a few seconds before a smile slowly broke out across my face. I shook my head and threw out my garbage before making my way towards the door.
"Grab a coat, Edward. It's getting really cold out there," Esme called from the living room. I rolled my eyes but grabbed one anyway, not wanting a repeat of the last time I took a walk through the woods.
"We'll be back later, Esme," I said, walking towards the door again.
"Alright, dear. I'll try not to worry about you," she said, laughing. I just shook my head and shut the door behind me.
I stepped off the porch and looked around for Bella, expecting her to be standing around somewhere where I could see her. She wasn't in front of the house, so I started walking towards the woods, thinking maybe she was in there. She was, but not where I expected her to be.
I stepped just under the tree line and she jumped down right in front of me. I took a step back in shock and tripped over a bush, none too gracefully landing on the ground. Bella kneeled down next to me and took my face in her hands, her eyes asking me if I was okay and apologizing at the same time. I sat up and put my hand over one of hers.
"I'm fine, Bella. That was just the last place I expected you to be," I said, looking up into the trees. She shook her head at me before pressing her lips to mine, not immediately pulling away like she did before. She pulled away a few seconds later and stood up, offering her hands to me to help me up. I grabbed them and she easily put me back on my feet.
I brushed off my pants and Bella pulled a small stick from my coat, her hand hitting it as she went to wrap her arm around me. She went to do it again when I grabbed her wrist. She looked at me, confused, but understood when I threaded her arm around my waist under my coat. She leaned her head against my chest and I moved my coat so it was partially around her.
We walked for a while, neither of us saying anything. We took our time, not rushing anywhere or to get back to the house, just basking in each other's company. There were a bunch of jar flies out for so late in the year, their peeping the background music of our walk.
It was getting dark a lot faster when we silently decided to turn back. The moon had made its appearance a short time before, its half light creating spotted shadows through the trees. The stars were twinkling brightly in the clear twilight sky, lending their own light to aid us back. We broke into the clearing around the house when Bella stopped and turned to me.
Do you think you can run yet?, she asked, holding her hand away from her and signing slowly so I could catch it in the half light. I shrugged, not having even tried.
"I don't know. I probably could. It's been a while and I can walk just fine now," I answered. She nodded.
Except when there are bushes around, she signed, smiling slyly. I laughed.
"That's only when there are vampires jumping out of trees right in front of me," I retorted. She laughed silently and hugged me before leaning back again.
Do you want to try running to the house? It's not that far and I'll run with you just in case something happens, she signed. I shrugged again, feeling ready to take on the world after the night I was having.
"Sure, why not? I have to try eventually," I said. She laughed again and took my hand, our palms facing each other.
I took a deep breath and sighed, trying to relax myself. Bella waited until I was ready and I squeezed her hand, letting her know. We took it slowly, starting off at a slow jog. My legs held up and I almost laughed out loud. It felt so good to run again, and I slowly sped up. Bella easily kept up, looking like she was out for an evening stroll.
I broke out into a full run and ran all the way up to the house, jumping the steps and landing on the porch. Bella stopped next to me, bent over with silent laughter. I hugged her, pressing her face against my chest without letting her even stand up. She wiggled her way out of my embrace and hugged me, my chest rising and falling with my labored breathing. A grabbed her face in my hands and kissed her mouth, quickly having to break away for oxygen.
"Thank you," I whispered, staring at her. She smiled and quickly kissed me again.
We walked inside and I shut the door behind us, my legs feeling like jelly after the exercise. We walked upstairs and Bella kept glancing behind her, like she knew something might happen. I made it to my room without collapsing, but I had to sit on my bed as soon as we got in there. My legs felt like they couldn't hold me up anymore and I was okay with it for once, knowing it was because I had done something I hadn't been able to in a long time. Bella threw me a pair of my sweats and went to change in the bathroom.
I managed to change without falling on the floor and Bella came out just as I got in bed. She got in next to me and laid down so she was facing me. I wrapped my arm around her and she laid her head on my chest. I kissed the top of her head and fell asleep faster than I ever have before.
~*~*~*~
Our walks became an afterschool ritual, Bella not letting me miss one no matter how bad the day had been. The others never said anything about it, just to have fun or make sure we come back. They joked around about it, but they let us have our time, even if it wasn't exactly desired by both of us. She literally picked me up and put me outside if I refused, but I always thanked her afterwards. They proved to be the distraction I needed from the events at school, which were still just whispered conversations and staring, but they got aggravating after a while.
It was Friday night, the same week that we started the walks, when things changed. Usually, everything happened just like the first time, minus my fall. We would walk for a while and then, once we reached the clearing, we would run back to the house. Just by the end of the week I could feel my legs getting stronger. I didn't shake as badly when we got to the house and my breathing wasn't as labored.
This time, I could tell that Bella was a little antsy. She was fidgeting a lot while we walked and it seemed like we were going too slow for her. I smiled and kissed the side of her head. She looked up at me questioningly, but her eyes moved around more than usual.
"Go for a run, Bella. I'll keep walking in this direction. I can tell you want to, so don't deny it," I said.
She smiled shyly, but nodded once. She pecked my lips and was off, her speed making the trees sway a few seconds after she passed them. I shoved in my coat pockets and kept walking, not really paying attention to how long it had been, just the direction I was going. I let my mind wander, but froze when I heard the worst possible sound. A wolf howled loudly, not twenty feet from where I was, and was quickly joined by others. And the background noise that just made things worse? The soft sound of waves crashing against the shore.
We had walked all the way to La Push beach, the one place the Cullens couldn't go because of a certain pact made years ago. I had told Bella I would keep walking in this direction, and the howling finally clicked in my mind.
She had crossed the border, and they found her.
I ripped my phone out of my pocket and ran forward, trying to see any sign that Bella had gone by this spot. There was nothing. I pushed one on my speed dial and it started to ring. Esme answered the phone.
"We're coming, Edward. Alice just saw you calling us. What's going on?" she asked, not wasting time. I told her about letting Bella run and then where we ended up. When I mentioned the wolves howling, I could almost feel her tension through the phone.
"They shouldn't hurt you, Edward, but be careful anyway. We are not exactly on good terms with the wolves, but they usually leave humans alone. Try to find Bella, but do not approach the wolves if you find them first. We will be there as fast as we can," she answered. I closed the phone, hanging up, and continued running.
I followed the sound of the waves and the wolves, my heart beating out of my chest. They started making some weird yipping sound, and I made myself go faster. I broke through a line of bushes into a clearing, almost running into the biggest wolf I had ever seen. It growled at me, but turned its head back towards the center of the field.
All of the wolves but one were walking around the outside of the clearing. None of them paid attention to me after the first, concentrating on the figure in the middle. I tried to break through the line, going to run through the gap in between the wolves, but they growled loudly, making me backpedal.
I saw the wolf in the middle slowly approach the figure, snarling and snapping its jaws. The figure crawled backward on the ground, trying to get away from it. Her hand landed on her hair once and she slipped fully onto her back. The wolf took that opening to stand above her, growling and snarling right in her face. I took a deep breath and charged through the line, right past a wolf that growled at me like the others. All of the wolves froze and turned towards me, different levels of confusion and anger visible in their large eyes.
"Leave her alone," I said loudly, keeping my gaze on the wolf standing over Bella. She turned towards me quickly and the wolf stamped one of its feet right next to her face. She flinched and it seemed to laugh at her. One of the wolves from the line turned and trotted into the woods, a tanned boy a year or two younger than me coming out a minute later.
"You don't know what you're dealing with, kid. Leave and don't mention to anyone what you saw here," he said, contempt in his voice. He had an arrogant look on his face and I glared at him.
"It's not me who doesn't know what they are dealing with. I know you have a pact with the Cullens, I know you are werewolves, and I know they are vampires. I know what I a supposed to. It's you who needs to get a clue," I spat. The wolf directly behind me snarled loudly, but I didn't move. The boy waved at it to calm down, his gaze never leaving my face.
"Who are you?" he asked slowly, turning his head to the side like a confused dog.
"That doesn't matter. Let her go and we'll leave. I didn't realize how close we had gotten to your property and I forgot to tell her about it," I answered, trying to keep my voice from cracking. I saw Bella attempt to get up and the wolf slammed one of its paws down on her stomach. She struggled to get out from under the crushing weight for a few short seconds before she just held it, trying to ease as much of the pressure as she could.
"Ease up a little, Sam," the kid said to the wolf. It glared at him and pushed harder. I saw Bella try to scream out, but all of her breath had already been forced out of her body.
"Let her go!" I yelled. The wolf seemed to smile at me and extended its claws, the sound of them piercing Bella's skin like screeching metal. I ran over to her but the kid caught me half way, throwing his arm around my neck.
"She's a leech, kid. She has to die," he said in my ear matter-of-factly. I shook my head fiercely.
"No! She's not like that! She doesn't kill!" I gasped, trying to get his arm from around me. He laughed cynically.
"Well, maybe there's something you need to know about her. Haven't you heard about all of the recent animal attacks and people going missing in the woods? Both are signs of vampires on the hunt. Maybe you should ask your friend who she had last." The wolf on Bella slowly kept digging its claws into her and she continued to fight to get away. She slowly got weaker and weaker, but she didn't stop.
"That wasn't her! You've got the wrong person! She's never even drank from a human before!" I yelled. The kid let go of my neck but grabbed my wrist so I couldn't run over to Bella.
"She's really got you fooled, doesn't she?" he asked rhetorically. He looked over my shoulder at Bella and smiled evilly. "I'm really surprised she hasn't started screaming yet. I bet that hurts a lot."
"She can't!" I screamed at him, wrenching his arm. It didn't seem to do much, but he turned to me.
"Oh really? And why is that?" he asked. His voice made him sound like he was talking to a little kid.
"She's a mute, you idiot! That's why she can't scream! She can't see either, which is the only reason why all of you were able to get her so easily! Now, let her go!" I was getting angrier by the second. Bella had stopped fighting by this time and looked like it was taking all she had just to keep him from crushing her.
"Do you think I'm that stupid?" he yelled at me, his grip on my wrist tightening. "Vampires can't be blind or mute! They see better than we do and love to talk about all they have accomplished."
"Just look at her eyes! They never change size! If she could see, they would!" I continued to scream at him, wanting more than anything just to hit him and get out of there with Bella.
He slowly walked over, dragging me along behind him, and stopped next to Bella. Her eyes were half closed and her breaths were shallow. The wolf's claws were completely in her at this point and she was bleeding profusely. The kid let go of my hand and shoved me down.
"Open her eyes," he said harshly. I glared at him and turned to Bella.
I placed my hands on each side of her face and raised her head to my lap. I brushed her sweat-matted hair back away from her face and she slowly opened her eyes. They darted back and forth as she tried to see, but stilled when she realized who it was. She stared straight up, going right above my head. The kid stared at her eyes, glaring down at her, before turning and walking away.
"Let her up, Sam. He's telling the truth about that, at least," he said.
The wolf glared at me and slowly took his claws from Bella. She convulsed as they left her body and completely collapsed once his paw left her torso. I looked down at her body, at the damage that was there, and almost burst into tears. The kid didn't let me think about it though, firing questions at me.
"Who are you? And why do you care so much about it? It's a vampire! They kill, not love! And how is it blind? That's impossible!" he said, pacing back and forth.
"It's the prophecy, Jacob," a voice said from behind the wolves. "There will be one, one different from the others, whose power will be the humanity that should have been lost…"
A/N: Well, once again, I apologize for the longer than usual wait. Hopefully it was worth it, but you will have to let me know. I'm sorry for the cliffy, but this is already 3 pages longer than usual. It will also make it easier for me to start the next chapter.
I also have a new poll up. It's a story I am thinking about doing after both of my incomplete stories are done. Please vote and let me know if you would read it!
The song is The Beach by All Time Low. Only the name fits, not the lyrics.
Please review! I loved getting all of those new story alerts, so let me hear what you think now! It's much appreciated! X-)