Did you miss me?! ^_^ I apologize for updating so late, but hey, I did warn you guys. I've been studying for finals and have still one more left *Crosses fingers.* Thank you for your wonderful reviews, It inspires me to continue with my little project here. I hope you like this chapter, SarcasticBimbo made sure it's perfect before giving me the thumbs up. She's an amazing Beta! Leave me some luuuuve. Enjoy!
Chapter VI: Inner Musings
My victory today was short-lived. When Charlie came home, he seemed calm just like any other night. He took off his jacket, then his boots, and went to wash up as I finished preparing dinner.
During dinner, he casually asked how my day was. I told him it was good and his response was a nonchalant nod before going back to eating his dinner.
Once dinner was finished and the plates had been cleared, Charlie gave me a long, silent, scrutinizing look.
Uh-oh, I think I'm busted.
One of the most annoying things about living in a small town is everyone knowing about everyone else's business.
So, I wasn't surprised that Charlie had probably heard of the incident at school today.
His staring made me nervous. If there's one thing I learned from having a cop as a father, it was to never show nervousness. It's an immediate giveaway.
Being the sly teenager that I am, I said to him the only logical thing a person in my situation would have said.
"What?" I asked innocently, with a slightly confused look on my face to ward off any suspicion.
"Why did you do it Bella?" He asked in a serious tone, not buying my bullshit for a second.
"Why did I do what, Dad?"
I mean, what was I going to tell him when I didn't even know, myself, why I had resorted to such drastic measures. I had played pranks on students at my previous high school, but only because they were extremely insulting, hateful and racist. Being the only bi-racial teenager in a school comprised of mostly white students didn't do great things for me. They regarded me as black, categorized me into the cultural stereotype that comes with being associated with that culture, and a few of the more daring ones would call me the "N" word.
The black student minority was no better, either. One look at my hair and eyes and they would sneer at me and call me "mutt."
Jerkward, on the other hand was just an asshole. Despite how heated and angry our fights were, he never once made a disparaging comment about my ethnicity.
He simply unnerves me in a way no one has been able to before. To be honest with myself, the prank was not just to get back at him for his stunt. It was a way for me to regain control over my emotions that he had somehow taken from me.
Yes, he is an asshole, and yes, his behaviour is rude and infuriating. But I could have just ignored him like I did at my previous high school, most of the time.
Ugh, I can't wrap my head around this!
Charlie heaved a sigh and shook his head in disappointment.
His disappointment in me felt like a punch to my gut.
"Don't play innocent with me, Bella," scolded Charlie, while giving me a scrutinizing look, and folded his hands.
I stared back, unable to let go of my innocent look no matter how disappointed he appeared. He had no evidence against me and I didn't want to disappoint him further by confirming his suspicions. There was no way he was getting a confession out of me.
"You can make yourself look as innocent as you like, but I know it was you who put that banana in the Cullen boy's car exhaust," he said with certainty.
I almost snorted in laughter at that.
However, my mask of innocence must have slipped from my face because Charlie raised an eyebrow at me.
"And what makes you think it was me?" I asked in an accusatory tone.
"Because only you would dare to do something like that. I haven't forgotten the pranks you pulled in Phoenix. Plus, you haven't been here for 48 hours and already I hear this," he stated calmly.
Damn it!
I couldn't argue with his logic.
"Why are you quiet, Bells? Got nothing to say?" he asked pointedly.
I simply kept my mouth shut. I won't fall that trap.
After 5 minutes of silence Charlie sighed.
"Bells, this is a fresh start for you. Don't go making enemies, not everyone is bigoted," he said in a soft but strict tone.
Tears welled up in my eyes at that, but thankfully, I had my head down so he wouldn't see it. I quickly collected myself, looked up at him, and nodded in acceptance.
Charlie then cleared his throat. "Okay, well, glad we talked Bells."
Then he went to the living room to watch baseball.
Currently, I'm in my workout clothes jogging. I've spent the past 45 minutes jogging, rock songs blasting in my earbuds, while trying, and failing, at keeping Assholeward off my mind.
"Stupid ass, with his stupid intense eyes and annoying smirk." I mumble under my breath.
Slowing down to a fast paced walk, I take in my surroundings and breathe in the clean crisp air. The weather is, surprisingly, dry tonight. Forgetting about Assward for a second, I look up. The sky is clear with numerous stars shining like small diamonds against the inky blackness of the night sky. The fact that I could never see the sky so clearly in the city makes the moment more precious. I stand marveling at the beauty of nature surrounding me. I always feel safe when I'm surrounded by nature. It brings a sense of calmness that I could never seem to find in society. Even at home I don't feel as calm and safe as I do now. I find it ironic that I feel more safety and comfort out here, exposed, than I do in my own home, where I'm supposed to feel safety and comfort.
Maybe you don't feel at peace at home because if feels like you're being intrusive on both Charlie and Renee's lives. Out here, you're not bothering anyone.
I sadly realize the truth of that statement. Instead of agonizing over it, I refocus my attention back to the breathtaking surroundings.
The blackness of the sky immediately reminds me of Asshats onyx eyes. Those deep, endless pools of black that were staring intensely at me. I could almost feel his stare on me, which causes a shiver to crawl down my spine.
Ugh! I can't seem to go a second without something reminding me of him.
*Snap*
I turn my head towards the sound of a branch snapping somewhere in the shadows of the trees. My body freezes and I narrow my eyes at the trees engulfed in the shadows of the only thing I see is hollow darkness.
Even though I can't see anything I feel someone, or something, staring at me, which causes the hair at the back of my neck to stand on end and goosebumps to erupt on my skin. The trees look foreboding at this time of the night. The sight of their branches, extending toward the sky, fills me with safe, calm feeling I had is long gone.. However, I'm not stupid! There's no way I'm venturing into the darkness of the forest like some dumbass to figure out what caused the sound. This chick is not going to die like the heroine in some cheap horror movie. Hell to the nah! I don't care if it's a rabbit, fox, or a wolf. I am not staying to find that out.
I turn back around and jog my way home, all the time feeling as if I am being watched.
~E&I~
When I get back home, I shower, put on sweatpants and a black shirt and check my email. I see Renee has sent one, so I sit down on the bed with my laptop to reply.
In her email, she asks me a list of questions that seems to have no end. She wants to know how my flight was, do I like school, how Charlie is and have I made any friends yet? After she finishes interrogating me, she tells me how excited she is to be traveling with Phil, then tells me she hopes I visit soon. Of course, Renee wouldn't be Renee without telling me to keep my attitude in check.
I roll my eyes, then answer the Renee Dwyer version of the Spanish Inquisition, complete with a somewhat brief, and necessarily vague, description of my day, then shut off my laptop.
Lying down on the bed with my earbuds in place, I close my eyes to relax.
I'm running through the woods as fast as I can. My breath is coming out in harsh pants that I can see because it is so cold.. The freezing air stings in my nose and makes me feel cold, no matter how fast I run.. I should feel hot, since blood is circulating from my physical exertion, but all I feel is icy dampness from the moist, frigid air, settling on my skin.. The wind is whipping harshly past my face and blowing my hair back. My eyes are stinging and watering from the cold air as I try to navigate through the sharp branches of the trees that seem to be growing denser the further I run.
I run as fast as I can, to escape the freezing cold and the shadow that is rapidly gaining on me. The faster I run, the closer the shadow gets to me. I don't turn to look at it for fear of being lost in its frightening and cold darkness.
"Isabella" - something hisses my name in a whisper that carries through the damp night voice bounces off of the branches of the trees and echoes through the cold damp air. It sounds as if the voice is surrounding me. Instead of the whisper fading away, it persists in the same tone, driving me mad.
It whispers my name again, but this time the voice is directly in my ear. I shut my eyes and continue running, surprised by my seemingly limitless stamina.
"Isabella, come to me,"
I don't answer, wary of scaring myself, but I can see the darkness of the shadow quickly circling around me.
"Leave me alone!" I cry angrily as I open my eyes.
"Never, you are mine, forever." It hisses possessively.
The closer it encircles me, the slower my pace becomes, to the point where I feel like I'm running in slow motion. I can only see a small circle of light which is becoming smaller and smaller. I try as hard as I can to reach the light, but it seems as if the harder I try, the further away from me the light gets, until it disappears entirely.
I slow to a stop and suddenly feel extremely tired. My knees give out and I fall to the ground trying to catch my breath. Darkness has engulfed me in its deathly quiet embrace, trapping me within.
I can't hear its voice anymore, but I can feel its icy touch and burning gaze on my back. I look around, seeing no one, but I still feel the icy touch and burning gaze. As I look around, trying to adjust my eyes in this dark prison, suddenly I see two glowing, black irises staring intensely at me.
Seeing those eyes causes a chill to crawl down my spine. I can feel it coming closer to me because the air around me begins to become colder the closer it gets. Colder than I ever thought possible. I pull my knees up and place my head on them, closing my eyes and hoping it will go away.
As the dark presence I feel gets closer to me, I feel the air around me grow thicker and colder.
I stay in that position for an unknown time until I feel a cold finger caressing the arm I wrapped around my knees. I curl in on myself causing it to growl in anger.
I freeze in place, holding my breath as everything around me stops. I hear and feel nothing. Everything is completely still.
Suddenly I feel its icy breath on my ear which causes me to shiver. "You're with me now, sweetheart. Welcome home."
He bites into my neck.
I jerk awake with a gasp, into a sitting position, panting heavily and quickly. I am shivering all over and my heart is beating painfully hard against my ribcage.
With quivering hands, I check my neck for any wounds while frantically looking around my room.
My room is completely covered in darkness except for the dim red light of my alarm clock. I have never before been afraid of the dark, however with the dream still fresh in my mind, I find myself glancing around nervously.
Trying to calm my speeding heart, I take deep breaths through my nose. After a few, I am calm enough to detect a faint scent. It smells of cinnamon, leather, and pine and instantly soothes my nerves, calming my shivering body down. I find that the more I breathe it in, the more it helps to slow down my erratically beating heart.
As my breathing and heart calm down, the irrational fear fades away, replaced by irritation.
It's just a dream, I can't believe I reacted so irrationally.
I huff at my ridiculous behaviour, causing the tendrils of my hair which had gotten plastered to my face to fly up.
With the faint scents of cinnamon, leather, and pine still surrounding me I close feel my eyes falling into a state of deep relaxation.
The last thing I remember before drifting into a peaceful slumber is a smile coming to my face.
~E&I~
Ugh, I'm so bored. I feel like there's absolutely nothing to do in Forks on a weekend. My first day of school was on Thursday and the banana incident took place yesterday. Every time I think about it, I can't help but snicker at Bananaward's expression. However, remembering Charlie's reprimand makes me feel a little bit guilty for doing that to him. I may have gone a little overboard with the prank.
A little? You practically drenched the guy in banana
But he deserved it! He was being an ass!
No, he didn't. He tried to be friendly but you, as usual, had to take offensive measures to keep him out.
What is that supposed to mean?
You know what it means, ever since-
Shut up! I don't want to hear that!
Snatching my winter coat roughly from the rack, I step outside into the light rain and get into Bob.
Every weekend Charlie goes fishing with Billy and he had invited me to go along with them. As if I have the patience to sit around on my butt for hours on end waiting for the fish to bite. Nu-uh! So, I politely declined and told him that I'll be going to Port Angeles for some shopping. He was hesitant at first, not wanting me to go by myself with ol' Bob, but I told him that I'll have my cellphone on me at all times and call him if anything happens. He finally relented when he made me promise to keep a canister pepper spray in my pocket.
So, with pepper spray in my pocket and Three Days Grace blasting from Bob's speakers, I slowly made my way to Port Angeles.
Port Angeles is a very beautiful city, but I'm not here to sight see today.
Once I get there, I park Bob and start walking toward my destination. Following the directions of the GPS on my cell phone, it only takes me about fifteen minutes to reach my destination.
I glance up with an excited grin on my face and see the word "Marked" painted on the door in an elegant black cursive.
I walk in and my jaw drops in awe. The walls are painted black and an outline of the city's skyline is stenciled over them.. In the middle of the room there's a reception desk. At the desk is a woman with a labret and medusa piercings that look good on her. Her head is shaved on one side and the hair that remains is dyed purple green and blue. I love it! Feeling completely in my zone, approach her confidently and ask for the artist.
Before I moved to Forks, I had searched for the best tattoo shop in the area. I know, I told Charlie I was going shopping, but I didn't specify what I am shopping for. Anyway, after she confirms that I have an 11:30 appointment she asks me to sit down and wait.
After five minutes, a slim guy walks out from a door in the back right corner of the room. The door is camouflaged by the ink so I couldn't even tell it was there. The man, whom I presume is Mark, the tattoo artist, is, much like every other tattoo artist, covered in ink. I get up to introduce myself. I confirm he's the artist and before he leads me to the back of the room he talks about the procedure and what to expect. I'm already well aware of the modus operandi since this is not my first tattoo. He sets up the workplace asking what I want, while I lie down and tell him the specifics. I roll the left sleeve of my sweater to my elbow and wait. After cleaning my arm he turns on the gun of the ink. As soon as I hear the familiar buzzing sound, I close my eyes and relax.
The rest of my weekend was spent keeping my left arm bandaged and clean. When Charlie returned from fishing he didn't suspect a thing. Phew! That was a conversation I'd rather not have.
Now, as I drive to school with an annoying itch on my arm, I a sudden panic fills me at the thought of Bananaward exacting revenge. Shit! I didn't think of that.
Calm down bitch. What makes you think he would even bother?
Because I saw the look in his eyes, and trust me, he will get back at me for embarrassing him like that
And you care because…?
I don't! I'm just being cautious, okay?!
Oooh someone's being defensive
Stop distracting me, I have to be on alert.
Hahahahaah you reap what you sow gurl.
Grrrrrrrrr
I park in my space and look around. His car is parked in its usual place but none of them are in sight. After sitting there for about ten minutes, I decide to get out of Bob.
I cautiously make my way to the building and make it to my locker unscathed but begin to get suspicious. Hah! If he thinks I'm stupid enough to fall for a locker prank, he's got another thing coming.
I approach my locker as if approaching a rabid animal and slowly unlock the padlock. Taking a deep breath, I brace myself and open the locker door.
Nothing.
This is confusing. I'm 100% certain that he will exact his revenge.
But when?
This is more nerve-wrecking. I have to give him that. He knows how to play with his victims.
Just go to your classes and see how it unfolds. You don't have any other choice.
I did just that and was a nervous wreck until my lunch break Any small sound or action had me on alert, making me seem paranoid and probably on crack.
I went through the motions of lunchtime and sat at my table by myself, of course not before thoroughly, and discreetly, checking for potential booby-traps.
I did not even dare to look at their table. I simply ate my lunch in silence and was out the cafeteria doors as the bell rang for my bio class.
The closer I got to class, the more nervous and, quite frankly, scared I began to feel.
But I have to be a big girl and I won't show him any fear.
So with that thought, I brace my shoulders, and enter class