CHAPTER 3 - Flashbacks
When Bella woke, Alice was standing over her, pressing an ice pack against her forehead. Her face revealed a concerned expression.
"I had the worst dream!"
"Bell honey, I don't..."
"My dad- Charlie-Charlie! actually told me I had to marry that stuck-up, selfish...
"Bella, that wa-" Alice tried to tell her as she removed the ice.
"... of a BITCH!...Jacob Black!" She sat up and tossed herself back onto her pillows a moment later. "Thank GOD it was only a dream! Because if it had been reality..." She paused for a minute. "Alice..." She sat up again when she saw the look on her friend's face. "Alice." She started to shake. "It- It was a dream, wasn't it?" Her words were slow and deliberate. "Charlie knows I hate prince Jacob. He'd never..."
"Bella, sweetheart, it's going to be a long engagement." Alice was attempting to speak calmly to her friend, trying not to make her any angrier.
"Oh, GOD!" Bella felt sick. She knew Jacob, she knew how he would take the news. He would be positively ecstatic! Ever since Bella was 6 years old and he was 12, he'd told her that he was going to marry her. And now, as of about a month ago, she was the legal age to be married. She bolted out of bed and quickly raced to her bathroom. As she leaned over the toilet, she remembered some of her encounters with him.
FLASHBACK
6-year-old Bella was playing in her personal playground, digging in the sandbox, trying to create a miniture version of her parents' castle.
She heard noises in the distance that signaled the arrival of guests. Her parents had told her that king William Black and his son, Jacob were coming. She knew king William was a friend of her father's, but she'd never met his son. Their parents had sent Jacob out to the playground. It was her playground, but she wasn't selfish, so when she saw him, she ran over and greeted him.
"Hello prince Jay-cup. I'm princess Isabella. But you can call me Bella." She did a curtsy.
"Yeah, whatever." Jacob had said. "Just tell me where your pool is."
"No. I'm building a sand cast-le. Wanna help?" She went back over and picked up her little shovel.
"No, you little bitch, I want to know where the pool is! It's sweltering out here!"
"What's a bit- bitch?" She had asked innocently."
"Never mind." He walked over to the sandbox, took a toy truck out of his bag, and started playing. "And now the truck smashes into the east tower!" He laughed, and rammed the tower, making it crumble. He laughed some more. 34 people in the tower, 3 in the truck, no one survived!"
"NO!" Bella shrieked. "What are you doing?"
"Score one for the monster truck!" Jacob cackled.
Bella picked up a big rock and hurled it a Jacob with all her strength. It hit him right on his head.
"Ouch! Come back here, you little bitch!" He stood up and chased her to a door on the side of the castle. He caught her before she could begin pounding on it.
He smacked her hard across the face. "Don't you EVER do that again, Isabella! I will always find a way to pay you back! I could be your worst enemy, princess!" He sneered. "Do you know why my dad's here? He's asking your dad if we can get married when you're older."
Bella's eyes began to water. Her cheek stung. She didn't like prince Jacob, he was mean.
"Yeah," prince Jacob went on. "I'm going to marry you. And you'll be my little BITCH for the rest of your life!" He laughed. "I'll own you!"
END FLASHBACK
Alice knocked on the door then. "Bella, are you alright in there?"
Bella managed to lift her head. "I-I think I'm ok. I'll be out in a few minutes."
She stood slowly, trying to prevent more pain in her head. She crossed the large room and turned on the water for a shower. She still couldn't believe that her parents had decided on such a horrible future for her. She'd spoken to them about her feelings toward Jacob...
FLASHBACK
"But I don't like him! He uses too much profanity, and he's rude, and selfish and..."
"That'll be enough Isabella!" her father told her sternly. He's coming here with king William, and that is final!"
"Eat your dinner honey." Renee told her. "It's getting cold.
"But..." Bella began.
"That is FINAL!" Her father said again.
"Yeah." Bella pushed her plate aside and asked to be excused from the table.
Later, when Jacob got there, she was out in the field with her horse, Thundercloud.
"Hey." Jacob walked over to them.
Bella looked over at him and sighed. She turned back, continuing to brush Thundercloud.
"Not even a proper greeting for the prince of Quilion?" He asked. "Perhaps you need to learn some respect." He took a few steps closer. "I could-No, I should be the one to teach you. Seeing as how I WILL be your husband some day. Let's start with lesson one: No animals in school!" He reached over and slapped Thundercloud. "YAH!" He laughed loudly as she ran away.
"You're a big..." Bella struggled to find a word that would suit Jacob Black. She decided on one she had heard in town, though she wasn't sure of it's meaning. "DICK!" She thought she'd gotten the word right, but a sudden burst of laughter from Jacob told her the word was either inapropriate for the situation or she'd used it in the wrong context. Her face flushed.
"Really, princess... Wanna find out?" He teased. "Cause I could show you. Right here, right now.
"Leave me alone!" She told him. She turned to go.
Jacob grabbed her wrist. "You know Isabella, you've only got three years before I marry you. You might as well warm up to me. We're going to be together. You should at least be nice to your future husband.
Bella had broken free of him and ran in the same direction Thundercloud had gone.
Jacob immediately gave chase. "So you want me to catch you? I will you know. Get ready for lesson 2!" He sprinted across the field after her.
Bella stopped when she thought Jacob could no longer see her. She didn't Thundercloud. She guessed her horse had gone back to the stables. She would have to walk all the way back now.
Jacob jumped out at her then. She screamed and fell to the ground.
"Ha!" Jacob laughed. "Okay, this is a good spot for lesson 2." He got down on his hands and legs and pinned her to the ground.
"Now...
A stablehand had gone out to see where the princess was. It wasn't normal for her horse to return to the stables without her.
Jacob heard him calling. Smiling, he whispered..."You've been saved this time... but next time we're in a position like this, no one can help you. Consider that lesson 2." He laughed and took off in the direction he'd come.
END FLASHBACK
Bella let the warm water wash over her. She didn't want to think about this any more. There was no force in heaven, hell or Earth that could make her marry Quilion's prince. An idea began to worm it's way into her mind. At first it was just an inkling and nearly was swept away with other idle thoughts, but something about it clung tightly to her, willing itself to truly come to life.
In her whole life, she would never have dreamed something of this magnitute. 'It was only plan 'B'. The course of action she would take if her parents refused to relent.
She shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. She had some power on her side now. As she toweled herself dry, and began to dry her hair, she thought of details. She got dressed a few minutes later.
Moments later, she stepped out of the bathroom, a huge smile spread across her lips.
"Bella hon, are you ok?" Alice asked her, concerned.
"I'm perfect Alice." Bella told her friend as she walked to her bed and sat.
"You recieved the worst news of your life last night, you fainted because of it, you woke up and puked... And now, suddenly, everything's perfect? I'm not buying it Bells." She shot the princess a questioning look.
"Alice?" Bella began. "You're my best friend, right?"
"Of course I am!" Alice nearly sounded ofended.
"And you love me? You want me to be happy?"
"Yes..." Alice's questioning glare did not cease.
"Alice," Bella couldn't keep her plan to herself anymore. "I need you to be with me on this 100%, ok?"
"Bell- I don't know-."
"Just promise me you won't tell anyone else, especially my parents."
"Why? What are you...?"
"Just promise, friend to friend." Bella pleaded. "I swear, this'll only be plan 'B'." She clamped her hands together, in a begging gesture to her friend.
"I-" Alice shook her head. "I don't know about you sometimes, Bell. But I promise."
Bella jumped and squealed in delight. "O.K., here's my plan. If Charlie and Renee won't back out of the marriage plans, I'm going to kill myself."
"THAT'S YOUR PLAN!" Alice shrieked. "NO, I W-"
Bella placed her hand across her friend's mouth. "Ssh! I'm not really going to kill myself!" She informed her in a loud whisper. "I'm going to make things look like I killed myself."
Her explaination calmed Alice a bit. But not much. "How? What are you going to do?
Bella took a deep breath. "Do you remember Romeo and Juliet? How Juliet 'poisoned' herself?"
"Oh, yeah. But do you know what they used? Cause I don't. Well, why don't we go ask them. But wait a minute, they're actually DEAD!"
It was obvious to Bella that her friend was worried. She tried to explain. "The stuff Juliet drank wasn't really poison. It was only something to make her look dead. Then, Romeo found her and thought she was really dead, so he drank actual poison and killed himself. Juliet woke up a few minutes later and saw him dead, so she took his dagger and stabbed herself."
"So, you want to kill prince Jacob?" Alice was starting to get hysterical.
"Alice!" Bella shook her to bring her back to reality.
"You-you're going to kill prince J-."
"No. I'm going to get myself out of the marriage. That's the whole idea. If I know Charlie, he won't relent. I have to find my own way out. Al, look at me. Repeat after me. "No one is geting killed."
"No one is getting killed."
"Now, I have to go talk to my dad. You won't tell anyone?"
"No." Alice promised.
"Thanks," Bella said. She left the room.