Thank you to my reviewer, Monkey-luver14, for being incredible and actually reviewing!! Come on, I know you are all out there...it's really quick, and it makes the chapters go up faster! Which, I guarantee, you will want after this awesome cliff-hanger. Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Confrontations
The next day at school, buzz about the Cullens was stronger than ever. Apparently the younger children were starting school today, and they were indeed attending the only school in our town.
I ignored most of the chatter, determined to stay away from the Cullen children. Their father was already suspicious, and I couldn't afford for any of them to be sending him daily reports. So I sat with my usual friends at lunch, laughing as we joked about the Spanish substitute. Suddenly, I saw four unfamiliar faces in my vision, and quickly diverted my eyes to my lunch tray.
"Adele, look, they're here." Rachel whispered.
"I saw." I muttered, clearly not interested. She ignored me, and watched them instead.
"That one's pretty cute." She whispered. "Big, though. Really big. He can't be a sophomore."
I snuck a quick peak, searching out the big one. "He's about the same size Jack is." I argued.
"Jack is a senior." She reminded me. "Oh, and look at the other one!! He's a babe."
My eyes fell on the bronze-haired boy standing slightly behind his big brother. "Eh, he's okay." I shrugged, trying to seem as disinterested as possible. "Look at the blonde." I muttered, against my will. "She could be on the cover of a magazine." She could, too. She made our uniform (navy blue jumper, white collared shirt, black mary-janes, white socks, and a blue cardigan) look like it had been designed with her in mind.
"She makes me feel bad just looking at her." Marta agreed from across the table.
"The little one is kind of pretty." Rachel added. She inspected the last girl critically. "Why is her hair so short?"
"Maybe she cut it herself." Marta cracked up.
"Be nice." I reprimanded, though I had to admit, it was a bit spiky for my taste. I played with my hair nervously, hoping they wouldn't come near us. They didn't. They stayed pretty far away from everyone. They sat down, and all stared off in different directions. The big one seemed mildly uncomfortable in the starched uniform.
I ignored them for the rest of the period, though they seemed to be all my friends could talk about. I ignored them too, tapping my lame foot against the tiled floor to my own little beat. It was still wrapped in the ace bandage Dr. Cullen gave me, and even now it felt like it was healing. I always was a fast healer.
I managed to ignore the Cullens until my last period. I had religion last, and our religion classes were arranged by last name. Grade level didn't matter, as we were all taught the same thing, basically. It just mattered what period you had free. I walked in, instinctively heading for my usual seat. When I found it, it was already occupied.
"Jimmy, get out of my seat." I rolled my eyes at the tall, skinny boy in my seat. We were a small town, and I was the first F in our school. Ahead of me were Jimmy Duran, Rebecca Damon, Ethel Elton, and then Jack Eaton.
"I can't." He rolled his eyes, pointing ahead of him. "We have new students."
Of course. The Cullens. All four of them walked through the door at that moment, and I rolled my eyes. They were like some thing from a movie, they way they seemed to move in synch. Sighing, I took my new seat, next to the smaller boy. He was supposed to be freshmen, but I doubted it.
He laughed suddenly, softly. I heard him, though. I sent him a quizzical look, and he just stared at me. I rolled my eyes, turning away. He coughed, and I turned back around.
"Hi." He said. His voice was just as musical as his father's. As he spoke, I also noticed that their eyes were the same color. "I'm Edward Cullen."
"Hey Edward." I said, extending my hand. "I'm Adele Foster." He took my hand, and out of the corner of my eye I saw his siblings move slightly. His hands were also cold, like Dr. Cullen's.
"So you were Carlisle's first friend here." He seemed to be joking, but it was hard to tell.
"I guess you could say that." I shrugged. "He did help me when I was in a tight spot."
"I can see that." He said, his eyes lingering, not on my ankle, but on the mark at my neck. Again, I wondered if the make-up was hiding anything, or just highlighting.
The teacher came in at that moment, so I didn't get a chance to ask him. After an hour of droning, we were released. As I had promised, I went home, not to rehearsal. But I couldn't shake the feeling that the Cullens were more than they were letting on.
--- --- ---
That night, when Mama and I were making dinner, I brought up her least favorite subject again.
"Have you thought anymore about a divorce?" I asked quietly.
"No." She said sharply, stirring the gravy much more forcefully.
"We could leave." I reminded her. "We don't have to stay and deal with him." She ignored me. "We could call the police." I suggested. "They would believe us. Our bodies are proof enough."
"Stop it, Adele." She said, hitting the tabletop with the spoon. I jumped back, but only a step. "I will not have you talk about your father like he is some common criminal."
"He is a criminal!" I yelled. I undid the top two buttons of my blouse, exposing a fresh, dark purple bruise on my shoulder. "This is illegal." I pointed out.
This time, she hit me with the spoon. "No, Adele!" He voice broke on the last syllable of my name, and suddenly she was crying. "I love him, hon. I love him when he is sane, when he isn't hurting us. I love him when he's the man I married."
"That's only half the time, Mama." I said quietly.
"Then I'll love him half the time." She said. "But I can't leave him. I just can't."
I sighed. I knew it was hopeless. It always was with her.
--- --- ---
The next morning was brutal. I had fought twice, once with my mother and once with my father. My bones creaked against the movement of my usual routine. As I got dressed, I found I had twin scrapes on my knees, and gash in my hand. I thought of a story as I ate breakfast, and practiced saying it as nonchalantly as possible while I walked to school.
The first person I saw was Edward Cullen. He seemed inquisitive as I breezed past him without a word.
Rachel found me next. "What happened?" She asked, looking at the gauze I had wrapped around my hand.
"I was running with scissors." I shrugged, acting natural. She just shook her head and laughed at my clumsy behavior.
Our schedule was reversed today, meaning I had religion in the morning now. As I sat down, I heard a familiar voice address me.
"What really happened, Miss Foster?"
"Just what I said happened, Mr. Cullen." I said, staring at the board.
"Are you sure?" He asked. I made the mistake of looking at his eyes. They held the same accusing stare the doctor's had.
"Y-yes." I stuttered again. Why was it so hard to lie to these Cullens?
"Shake on it." He said, holding out his hand. I took it without thinking, ignoring the cold. His eyes seemed to grow brighter as I shook, and as he let go I felt something change. I suddenly had a blinding headache, concentrating behind my right eye.
"Mr. Keller, may I go to the bathroom?" I asked, standing up.
"Yes, Miss Foster." He said without looking up.
I bolted to the door, down the hall and to the water fountain. After splashing the cool water on my forehead, I noticed the headache ebb away. But as it receded, something else filled its place. It was like there were two hundred people in the hallway, all talking at once. I screwed up my eyes, trying to make sense of the voices. I heard one, calling my name. My focus immediately turned to that voice, and I was surprised to recognize it as Edward's.
Adele knows too much already. I saw her piecing it together.
Another voice said my name, and though I wanted to stay with Edward, my focus was instead turned to this unfamiliar voice.
Edward, does the Foster girl know? Is she running to tell everyone now?
No. She's standing in the hallway. She has a headache.
Ew. That can't be fun.
No, it's not Rosalie. Her mind is blank right now.
My mind wasn't blank. I was thinking about their conversation. I bristled at the idea that my mind would be blank.
What was that? Adele?
I froze. Edward Cullen was calling my name. No, not calling. I had figured this out by now. The voices were not outside my head, but inside. Only I could hear them. Otherwise, the entire staff would be out, trying to control the uproar.
Adele Foster? You can…you can hear me?
Yes. I felt myself answer him, almost involuntarily. Then I ran.