Chapter 18
Edward drove up into Forks High parallel parking on the street instead of cramped parking lot possibly scratching or damaging the Vanquish. Rosalie would be so devastated if there anything happened to the beloved Vanquish she would most probably blow up on him for letting any harm come to the precious car she dedicated much time fixing up. Bella slowly let go of her tight grip to the seat since the Vanquish was more powerful and could drove much faster than his silver Volvo. Edward could tell that Bella still wasn't used to his family's driving habit from most of the blood drained from her face with a blank, confused expression and her mahogany hair slight messed up from the wind. Helping her regain some balance, Edward wrapped his arm around her small waist supporting Bella to prevent her from falling on her face or tripping on flat surfaces. When Bella and Edward had reached the front of Forks High School, Edward sat Bella on a bench in front of the entrance promising, "I will be back promptly just have to show the tickets, then I will retrieve you. Don't move, Bella! After I return, we can go into the auditorium from the back way since it will probably be packed from the auditorium entrance."
Bella sat contently waiting for Edward wishing that she could a light jacket with the wind gusting making her shiver. Staring at the trees in the forest behind the school, Bella zoned out to pass the time, but was startled nearly causing her to fall of the bench when Jacob appeared in the shadows all of a sudden. Jacob wore a cardinal yellow dress shirt paired with a brown blazer, a pair of khakis, and his long hair pulled back into a ponytail. Confused, Bella wondered what Jacob would be doing since he didn't attend Forks High School nor associated with anyone at the school except for Bella. Jacob cleared his throat and spoke but was interrupted, "I know your probably wonder why the hell I'm here—"
"Are you here to meet your date for prom which I don't know because I though I only hung out with people on your reservation?" Bella mused.
"I was getting to that but no I'm actually here to see you believe it or not," Jacob continued in a calm tone.
"I'm already going with Edward so I can't exactly go to prom with you," Bella blatantly stated politely.
"Well, I figured that already, but my dad paid me to tell you something that he though was quite urgent. Don't hate me I needed the money to get some parts for my Rabbit," Jacob responded with a grimace.
"I don't hate you, Jacob. What was the urgent message you dad wanted to say that he wasn't able to say in person that he sent you as the messenger?" Bella stated sarcastically.
"He wanted me to warn you about Edward—," Jacob said but hesitated to finish.
"Just tell me Jacob what you dad said I won't get angry, I promise."
"Well…ummm… He kind of wanted me to warn you that your boyfriend was dangerous and that you should be careful of what you're getting yourself into," Jacob said shyly turning around slightly waiting for Bella to verbally attack him.
Bella laughed carefree surprising Jacob placing her hand on his broad shoulder causing him to slowly turn around facing her again. Then she spoke, "Tell your dad that thanks for the warning but I'm well aware of what I am getting myself into."
Smiling ecstatically, Edward returned twirling the car keys to the Vanquish in his hand, halting when he saw Bella talking to Jacob. Edward approached carefully attempting to see if they were calmly discussing things or arguing and break up the fight. Edward stayed where he was reading Jacob's thoughts, Jacob sensed that someone was eavesdropping on their conversation and turned around slowly seeing Edward standing in the distance looking at him glaring at him. Sensing some serious hostility from Edward, Jacob attempted to end his conversation with Bella without anymore aggressive looks from Edward.
"Well I told ya what Billy wanted to say, so now I'm going leave, so I don't take anymore time away from your lovely night at prom. I hope you have a blast, Bella! Will see you around! Bye!" Jacob faded cowardly backing into the woods back to La Pusha.
"See ya, Jake! It was nice talking with you too," Bella shouted into the woods assuming Jacob heard from the distance, but was unable to respond. She plodded back to her bench waiting for Edward as she sat down a tender, masculine voice said in her ear," I'm sorry you had to wait a while some people don't understand what it means to form a damn line!"
Spinning around her heart skipped a beat when Edward came up behind scaring her as she admired his pale beauty in the moonlight making him pallor features even paler. Smiling Bella continued gazing at Edward, Edward pulled a corsage out of his jacket pocket wanting to make a romantic gesture that would through Bella off her guard. Bella blinked and Edward appeared sitting next to her holding something in his large hands. Attempting to pry his hand open, Bella surrendered and Edward joked with a light laugh, "Can't a guy make a romantic gesture, but you had to find out what I have in my hands for yourself, Bella?"
"I don't like to wait I'm quite an impatient person also I think you know that I hate surprises," Bella spoke in a serious tone with a straight face.
"Oh I know that quite well, but isn't our relationship full of surprises because this isn't any normal relationship at all. You should get used to surprises because I'm improvising as our relationship goes along because I never thought that I'd meet an amazing person like you ever all my years," Edward commented gazed fixed on moonlight dancing across Bella's face reflecting in her gorgeous, brown eyes mesmerizing him. Edward pushed few strands of hair that had fallen into her eyes behind her ears gliding the palm of his hand along her check. Edward brushed his lips along her check murmuring softly, "I will always love you, Bella." Edward rose from the bench holding out his hand, Bella carefully got up from the bench trying not to fall over in the process. Bella tripped on a small crack in the cement, Edward caught her in his arms with is vampire speedy-reflexes. Re-gaining her balance, Bella leaned against Edward escorting her to the gym packed with throngs of couples dancing to the music blasting from the huge speakers in each corner of the room. Edward led Bella through the gym to the outside veranda to get some fresh air from the claustrophobic, cramped gym. Few other couples were dancing to slow, instrumental music playing softly in the background. The beige veranda stood in the middle of large lawn behind the school
"May I have this dance," Edward asked debonairly.
"I…er… fine but you're going to have to help due to my lack of dancing ability."
Edward laughed carefree stating, "You'll be comfortable and have a pleasant time by the end of the night. I'm going to help you get over this petty fear of dancing. I'm determined to rid you of that fear!"
Bella contorted her face forming a frown because Edward was a stubborn person that once he was determined about something he would stop at nothing to accomplish his mission. Bella groaned and Edward helped her up the steep veranda stairs carefully in her ridiculously high stilettos. Only three other couples were dancing to the instrumental music were oblivious to the other couples around them. Edward found a spot toward the back of the veranda as Bella tried to walk without falling on the flat surface with her lack of grace. It took a while but Bella had gotten accustomed to dancing with Edward leading her and surprisingly felt as if she could actually dance gliding in their compact space. Hours passed as Bella and Edward danced having the time of their lives, while James crept in the shadows of the woods bordering behind the veranda. James watched the happy couple sashay in their own world. Thinking of his dead mate Victoria, James glared at Edward and Bella for they would pay for their heinous actions. Edward twirled Bella around carefree with Bella laughing enjoying herself, but she suddenly froze in place when she swore she saw something with long blonde hair and blazing crimson pupils staring back at her from the darkness of the woods. Staring at the darken woods with her eyes open wide with fear manifesting in them, Edward tried to shake Bella from her staring daze, but she remained unresponsive for several minutes until she blinked her face with a horrific facial expression glued on her fragile, pale face.
"What happened? What did you see?" Edward frantically asked concerned firmly grasping Bella's shoulders pulling her into an embrace.
"He…I…we….were…dancing…then…I saw… his…long blonde hair…and…"Bella stuttered unable to remain calm trembling in his arms.
"First, calm down then tell me what you saw, Bella," Edward spoke in a smooth, assuring tone.
Bella took several deep breaths collecting her scattered thoughts into words without stuttering. "While we were dancing when you twirled me around I quickly glanced towards the forest then all of a sudden I see a person with long blonde hair and crimson blazing pupils staring back at me. I though I was hallucinating but I blinked and it was still glaring at both of us like we did something to piss them off—"Bella spurted but stopped after figuring out who the person was glaring at them.
Edward didn't have to even ask Bella who this person was that she saw because with the two details she gave there was only one answer: James. He grabbed her arm firmly dragging her away from the veranda back to the crowded gym. Bella tried to break Edward's grip but struggled allowing him to drag her without her knowing where they were going. Edward abruptly stopped to a halt outside the entrance Forks High School making Bella lose her balance in her stilettos nearly tripping down the stairs of the entrance, but Edward caught her before she fell. Hyperventilating from attempting to run in her stilettos through the cramped gym and down two flights of stairs in a narrow stairwell, Bella panting barely managed to say, "Edward, why did you just leave like that? It might no have been James, I could have just imagined him hiding in the woods doesn't mean he was actually there."
"I thought you could just relax without being paranoid of James stalking you I didn't want to put you up to this if you need more time before getting out again. I'm sorry I don't want to put you on edge tonight because I just wanted you to have fun," Edward admitted.
"Stop making this all your fault, Edward!" Bella exclaimed. "I'm still a little on edge, but I'm positive I was hallucinating, we don't have to leave. I didn't say anything because we were having a great time and I was sort of enjoying dancing its not so horrible experience as I thought. You make dancing pleasant but it wouldn't if I wasn't dancing with you I would have been incessantly complaining ruining tonight."
"No I should have figured that James wouldn't give up on his vendetta against us. I'm so sorry didn't mean to put your life in danger again," Edward stated bluntly burying his face in his hands leaning against the school entrance.
Placing her hand on Edward's shoulder, Bella tried to think of something that would comfort his guilty conscience. Edward had the weight of the world on his shoulder blaming himself for anything harm that came to his family of those he loved. Bella suggested, "Maybe we could just go to you house and chill for the rest of the night watching movies and chatting. We could also just go back to prom and dance the night away!"
Edward slowly took his head out of his hands, a drearily look at Bella with his topaz eyes speechless unable to form any words to express his thoughts. Bella took his hand and assured gently, "You did nothing wrong I'm just a magnet for dangerous creatures. You can't always blame yourself, Edward!"
Edward finally spoke lovingly, "You can say all you want and I didn't instigate this problem of James if I hadn't brought you that evening to the baseball game. You wouldn't be fearing for you life if I didn't ever get involved with—"
Bella interjected cried, "Don't you dare tell me that you wish you hadn't ever got involved with me, Edward! I couldn't imagine my life without you in the picture." Bella fought the tears threatening to make it impossible to formulate words. Bella choked out, "I thought that when I moved to Forks life would be bland going to school and hanging with my friends, but when I met you there was something about that drew me in. The more I got to know you, you became one of the reasons that I'm still here or I'd move back to Jacksonville to stay with my mom. I never thought that I could irrevocably love anyone more than you."
Edward lowered his face eye level with Bella gazing longingly at her gorgeous pale face and big brown eyes staring back at him wet with a tear falling down her check. Cradling her face in his large hands he wiped the tear from her check, Edward murmured tenderly, "I've been waiting a person like you for over a century. I could never hurt you by leaving you. You have made life pleasurable for the first time. I've been miserable for a while always nauseated by Jasper and Alice's, Emmett and Rosalie's, Carlisle and Esme's endless adoringly stares and PDA, but now I understand what it truly mean to be in love. You don't know how unbearable life would be without you."
Bella attempted to give a response, but Edward silenced her with a fervent kiss sending her heart rate to skyrocket taking her breath away leaving her gasping for air. Catching her breathe, Bella throw her arms around his neck kissing back passionately causing Edward to stumble backwards into the brick wall. Gaining his balance back, Edward wrapped his arms around her slender waist to support her body lifting her effortlessly from the ground. Lost in the moment, Bella forgot about strong gusts of wind making her body quiver totally engrossed with Edward's spontaneous kiss.
Mike went outside to get some fresh air from dancing in the auditorium packed with Forks High juniors and seniors. Dancing for quite a while with his date, Jessica, Mike struggled to push the door to the school's entrance open with is arm limp from dancing. Before he could make his way down the stairs to find a bench to sit on, he turned around in a semi-circle finding Bella and Edward in a passionate lip-lock leaning against the wall making him almost barfing from the horrid image that would be burned in his brain. Mike fake coughed attempting to get their attentions to stop their PDA, though his attempt failed. Pondering, Mike wondered if he should interrupt them by chucking something at Edward or just walking by pretending that they aren't there and just continue ambling to his destination. Edward Cullen seemed to make all the girls gawk at his god-like beauty. There was nothing remotely interesting about him except that there was something dangerous about him from the mystery shrouded around him. Mike thought the Bella was different from the average girl at Forks High and stay away from Cullen with everyone's warnings, but she didn't despite that. He decided to just continue walking by as if they were invisible to him making his way down the stairs to the bench located near the parking lot talking comfort in the darkness and calmness.
James wondered in the woods bordering Forks High School waiting for an opportune time to ambush Bella and Edward. A boy with cropped blonde hair was leaning against the tree near from where James was lurking observing the human from the shadow of the woods. At first, James believed that he was waiting for someone, but soon ascertained he was seeking solitude in the darkness.
Surrounded by the darkness of the night, Mike pondered in peace without anyone interrupting his thought. Before he left, Jessica had cornered him demanding she knew that he genuinely liked her, though Mike was unable to answer. He vaguely answered, "I think you're a nice person, Jessica. We're still getting to know each other I enjoy hanging out with you."
Jessica furious from Mike's answer spouted out flailing her arms, "Oh my god! I swear boys can't give a direct answer, I don't know why I though you of all people could give me an honest answer!" Jessica stormed off to find Lauren and Bella to vent to.
Mike sulked out of the gym feeling miserable as he briefly saw Jessica dancing with some senior last before he left to get some fresh air and peace of mind. Conflicted, Mike was struggling to figure out if he truly like Jessica or she was just a distraction. After a while of soul-searching, Mike discovered that there was no other girl he wanted expected Isabella Swan, who was dating Cullen didn't seem to see Mike anymore than a caring friend and nothing more. Life was against him at least it was how Mike felt since all the girls at Forks High School were ordinarily plain. Bella was like breath of fresh air for him, but if she realized that he liked her because every time she walked into a room he had a gleeful smile and a sparkle in his blue eyes. Mike stopped leaning on the tree and turned around to sit on the bench to find a pair of bright crimson eyes staring at him intently from the shadow of woods making him freeze in his spot.
Muhahaha! I left this cliffhanger purposely. I know you guys want to know what happens next, so you'll just have to see when i add the next chapter. Just a few things to leave you to ponder is: What is going to happen to Mike? Will he live or will he die? Will Bella and Edward save him or will it be too late to save Mike?