Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer
A/N: Hey everybody! Wow, I got this chapter out really fast (and sacrificed quite a bit to do so, don't expect the next chapter probably for a week-ish). Anyways thanks to those who reviewed last chapter I got some really great ones!! As for the poll, keep on votin everybody for the amount of hits this story has and all the people who have it in their story alerts and favourites there should definitely be more votes and more reviews! C'mon I want to hear from ya! Anyways, the poll is a blind poll but I will tell you that the correct "bad guy" had been voted for, by how many people I won't tell you but the "false leads" are being voted for as well. So keep on guessing everybody and review and tell me who you think it is because I'd love to hear it! I hope everyone enjoyed the scene from last chapter, there won't be anymore of that in here. Next chapter is duhduhduh...Bonjour ma Belle! Which means...they're in Europe!! YAY!! lol well enjoy this chapter, not my best but it's a filler so next chapter will be better. thnx, freeyourminddreamer :)
Shopping, Sleepovers, and Stalkers…Oh My!
BPOV
I awoke with a jolt and uncomfortably shifted my weight. Multiple parts of my body were still immobile and I shivered in the morning air. I had barely slept, kept awake by my constant thoughts. They did not possess Edward but the man from the night when I was walking home. Was he the same man that had attacked me in the dressing room? That night was blurry as well, but I suppose I could have hallucinated those events. Once again this only proved to confuse me further. Sleep was the last item in my mind as I worked to solve the mystery. It could just be some bizarre coincidence; I did have quite unfavourable fortune but something told me it was something more…something different. Hence, I tossed all night attempting to clear my mind of all the past events, from the stalking to the car nearly crushing me (which posed the ultimate question of who saved me), the food fight, and all memories of my dream from last night. I heard Charlie rise and made my way, avoiding the treadmill, to the safety of the stairs.
"Good morning Bells!" Charlie yelled up to me.
"'Morning Dad." I mumbled.
He chuckled, "Sleep much after hitting your head?"
I muttered incoherently which answered the question.
"I've got to head to the station will you be alright by yourself or do you want me to stick around to breakfast?"
I waved him off from the top of the stairs, "Who me? I'm fine; go do whatever it is you do." He laughed again before yelling his goodbyes as he shut the door. I stumbled back to my room, grabbed my clothes and headed to the bathroom. While drying my hair I had the strange sensation to sing so I grabbed my hairbrush and hairdryer and began belting out the first song that popped into my mind.
Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans Jeans!
Boots with the fur With the fur!
The whole club was lookin at her!
She hit the flo She hit the flo!
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low!
To coincide with the "low" part I even "dropped it" and almost "hit the flo". It was so hilarious that I continued my screams/singing with my next song.
Don't tell me you're sorry cuz you're not!
Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught!
But you put on quite a show!
You really had me goin'!
But now it's time to go!
Curtains finally closin'!
That was quite a show!
Very entertainin'!
But it's over now!
Go on and take a bow!
The "Rihanna" moves I was impersonating were invigorating, like the Bella that no one ever got to see. I was dressed and ready to go now but I wasn't about to waste this opportunity without singing and dancing one of my new favourite songs.
You got me begging you for mercy!
I walked across the hall, invisible microphone in hand, strutting like the 60's pop star I could've been.
Why won't you release me!
I held out my hand to my invisible "date" and let him lead me down the stairs as I continued belting out at the top of my lungs. I jumped on the table preparing for the next part.
You got me begging you for meeeerrrrrrccccccyyyyyyyy!
Why won't you release me!
I made sure to hold the mercy for as long as humanly possible and closed my eyes performing the dance moves.
I said release me!
I was about to continue the song when I heard a round of applause. I felt the breath leave me and I was scared to open my eyes. Sure enough, standing in front of me were the gang, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rose, Kate, Nick, Irina, Vikki, James, Laurent, Angela, and Ben. How the hell had they gotten into my Dad's house and how were they all squeezed into the front foyer, and…why were they here?!
"Guys!" my voice rose two octaves as I realized I had just been caught standing on Charlie's kitchen table, singing Mercy, by all my friends.
"Bella that was…" Vikki squeaked.
"Absolutely amazing!" Kate yelled.
"Bella for the next Canadian, American, German, Australian, Bristish Idol!" Emmett cheered. I knew by now my cheeks were deep red and instead of arguing over my horrible singing abilities I asked the most important questions.
"Why are you here, how did you get in, and how are you all fitting in here?" It ended up coming out sqeaky and pitcy but they seemed to understand.
"Well, me and Em are your chaperones, sent to come get you and we got here when Charie was leaving so he let us in but then Emmett heard you start singing low so he called Alice who was with everybody on your porch discussing the plans for tonight and everyone drove one minute over here because well…we all wanted to see if it was true." Rose explained.
I'm sure my cheeks were still deep red and my jaw now on the floor, "You guys came…to see me sing and dance? What am I some showgirl?" I shouldn't have been mad but I was, no one ever saw me like that.
They were all shuffling on the floor, they knew what they had done wrong, but I couldn't blame them.
"Okay, okay you're forgiven, just forget this ever happened and let's get to school because I have to drive my truck and I'll be late." Everyone laughed and filed out, still congratulating me on my newfound singing talent, I simply ignored them.
"So why were you guys all on my porch?" I asked Kate.
"Because Alice convinced the principal that we were required to be released at lunch due to Europe plans and she wants to take us all to Seattle to go shopping." She explained. I groaned and headed to my truck, it was going to be a long day.
EPOV
Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans Jeans!
Boots with the fur With the fur!
The whole club was lookin at her!
Bella was supposed to be drying her hair, but that was her singing voice. Slowly, I moved to the bathroom door and peaked in. Bella, dressed in jeans and a tank top was belting out Low and dancing like she was in a club.
She hit the flo She hit the flo!
Next thing you know
Shawty got low low low low low low low low!
I chuckled softly but her voice was angelic to me, even when she was singing one of the most absurd songs of the generation. She reached the "low" repeat and my stomach dropped to my feet; Bella dropped it to the floor. I was positive my jaw was beside her on the ground, I couldn't believe my eyes. And then as soon as it had started, it was over, and she had moved onto the next song.
Don't tell me you're sorry cuz you're not!
Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught!
But you put on quite a show!
You really had me goin'!
But now it's time to go!
Curtains finally closin'!
That was quite a show!
Very entertainin'!
But it's over now!
Go on and take a bow!
As I watched her move into the hall I was utterly shocked, I knew there was a Bella no one had ever seen but to think that the…ungraceful girl she was, could perform such dance moves, and it was mind-boggling!
You got me begging you for mercy!
I had to smile, I would never admit it but I had a soft spot for this song and Bella was singing it so beautifully! She walked like she was Queen and strutted her body, proud of every last inch of it. I couldn't believe how hot her confidence was and how badly I wanted to tell her how beautiful she was to me.
Why won't you release me!
I followed beside her and suddenly she reached her hand out for a man to walk her down the stairs and I dutifully took charge, leading her safely to the table where she stepped up less gracefully but nonetheless still wonderful.
You got me begging you for meeeerrrrrrccccccyyyyyyyy!
Why won't you release me!
I watched adoringly as she continued to rule the crowd…until I realized there really was a croud of her friends gathered, watching her. Bella's eyes were closed and she hadn't noticed them either.
I said release me!
Her friends began to clap and Bella almost fell off the table in shock. I watched the blush rise to her cheeks and her face turned a deep red shade. Her voice squeaked as she told her friends just what she thought of them watching her, but I knew they were forgiven. She grabbed her bag, followed the crowd outside but only what Kate said caught my ear.
"Because Alice convinced the principal that we were required to be released at lunch due to Europe plans and she wants to take us all to Seattle to go shopping." Bella groaned and I grimaced…Seattle. I had a horrible feeling Bella's "friend" was going to be paying us a visit.
BPOV
Sure enough, Alice had managed to convince the administrative staff that we required the afternoon to finalize preparations for Europe on Monday. I reluctantly gave Emmett my keys to drop off my truck so that the girls could get a head start on Seattle shopping. As we piled into Angela's mom's van the conversations started. Was it true we were going to be attending a formal dance in Paris? Could Alice bankrupt an entire store? Was Emmett capable of taking on a Russian wrestler? I just relaxed, peaceful, that I wouldn't have to worry about anything today. After a while the conversation drifted off and we all took turns driving and just listening to the music. We arrived in Seattle eventually and hit the first mall Alice could find.
"Everybody out!" she screeched, parking into the biggest spot possible.
"Why so big Alice?" Irina asked.
"For all the shopping bags of course, we need lots of room." Alice was very calm, and already a mile ahead of the rest of us towards the mall. We all laughed and ran to catch up with her.
"Okay Bells I want you to try on this and this and this." Alice was throwing dress after dress at me. I didn't even bother looking at the price tag; my lunch might find the reason to come back up.
She noticed my reluctant expression and tapped her foot, "Isabella Marie Swan you move your ass into that dressing room or Rosalie, Kate, and I will come in and dress you!" I hate to say it but the glare Alice was giving me was scary, so I grudgingly trudged to the change room of doom and closed the door around me. I skipped the first dress, white and frilly was not my style, but the second dress was green and it looked alright.
"Hey Alice where are the guys?" I asked through the door.
"Oh they're around here somewhere; they're probably playing at the arcade or something." Irina answered. I was unsure how the girls had persuaded the guys to come to Seattle with us but they had, I guess it was true that in a relationship the guy could be the head but the girl was the neck, and she could move him in any direction she pleased. The green dress ended up making me look like vomit so I threw it back out to Alice who I heard tsk. I ended up being caught between two dresses. One was midnight blue, had a plunging side neckline and a gold trim with an open knee area. The other was black tight in the front with an open, criss-cross ribbon back.
"I want to see the black one on you!" Rose was banging on my door.
"No!"
"We're all in our dresses; let's go Bells you have to join us." That was Kate's voice.
"But I don't know which one yet!" I argued.
"Just come in whatever one you have on." Unwillingly, I opened the door and heard the girls gasp around me.
"Bells…" Vikki squeaked.
"It's that bad, I knew it, okay I'm going to go change…"
Alice waved her hand to shush me, "No Bells, you're buying that one."
"You look like a gorgeous…err…" Kate struggled with the words.
"Like a vampire." Rose whispered.
I grinned, I loved vampires, they were my favourite fantasy creatures.
"Do I really?" I twirled in the dress, it had a magical feeling. They just nodded. In that moment I admired their dresses. "Guys! And here I thought I was the only beautiful one; we all look so pretty!" And it was true; each of us looked like our own fairy tale. Kate was dressed in a black dress with a few side white polka dots and white trim, the dark princess. Alice was dressed in a smoke colour, grey from one angle, blue from the other, she looked soft and lost. Irina was wearing the strangest colour of cream that looked stunning against her skin, almost like a swan, but not in a feathery bad-dress way, the dress was simply flowing. Vikki had a plum colour on and against her red hair she looked fiery and fierce. Rosalie was standing like a supermodel and her dress was in her favourite blood red colour.
I heard a whistle and noticed Emmett walking towards us.
"Into the change rooms!" Alice yelled and we all dived into the rooms, the guys were forbidden from seeing the dresses until Europe, one of Alice's rules. I quickly changed into my normal clothes and ran outside to meet the girls.
"Where's Emmett?" I asked.
"Rose shooed him off, we still have a few more stores to hit." Alice tapped her watch and we all hurried to pay for the dresses.
That was how the rest of the day went, Alice hunted clothes for all of us and we tried them on, made our purchases, and then ran to the next store. The bags tallied up and we had to call the guys to make a run to the van for us.
"Holy shit Rosie, where are all these clothes going?" Emmett asked while being stuffed with bags from all of us.
"In your luggage of course." She smiled her devious smile and he walked away, defeated. We were at our last stop of the day.
EPOV
I rode alongside Bella to Seattle. She seemed very deep in thought but her brows were creased and I assumed I was causing some of the worry. I whispered my love along her neck but I made sure she couldn't see or hear me…I couldn't hurt her anymore. I had never been one for shopping trips but I felt the dread in the air, something was going to happen, so I followed the girls along through the stores. Presently, they were stopped in a dress store and the girls were attempting to coax Bella out of the change room in a black dress for Europe.
"I want to see the black one on you!" Rosalie was even trying banging on my door.
"No!" I laughed; she was so self conscious of her beautiful body.
"We're all in our dresses; let's go Bells you have to join us."
"But I don't know which one yet!"
"Just come in whatever one you have on." Slowly, she opened the door and… Well let me put it this way, I had seen her dressed beautifully, she had taken my breath away on many occasions but this time, it is impossible for me to describe the beauty Bella held for me in that dress. Her cheeks were softly flushed, adding the perfect texture of pink to her cheeks, her hair soft, surrounding her face as a cushion. Every last bit of Bella was absolutely stunning.
"Bells…"
"It's that bad, I knew it, okay I'm going to go change…" I couldn't believe my ears! How could she not see how irresistible she looked!
Alice waved her hand to shush Bella, "No Bells, you're buying that one."
"You look like a gorgeous…err…" A gorgeous what, I wondered.
"Like a vampire."
I had to smile, I loved vampires, they were, by far, my favourite fantasy creatures. By her smile, I assumed they were hers too.
"Do I really?" She began twirling in the dress and I could only sit and admire her, the painter and his beloved painting. She was a magnificent piece of artwork to me.
BPOV
"'Kay Bells just try these last few tops on." Alice handed me three or four shirts and I snatched them and quickly moved to the change room.
"Where are you going?" I asked Irina as she left the change room.
"The guys are here we're giving them the bags. Just try those quickly we'll be right here." I noticed Emmett and Rose and Jasper and Alice by the cashier and assumed the others were close by.
"You might wanna tie that shoe Bells, you could trip and die." Irina laughed as she headed towards the scattered group. I reluctantly bent over and tied the lace, picked up the shirts, and headed into the nearest change room. I closed the door, clicked the lock and turned to find darkness.
His arms tightened around me, pulling me towards his body. I screamed but no voice came out, something was stuffed in my mouth. I fought against the arms but they were much stronger than me. Kicking against the wall I pushed myself upward but he pulled me onto his lap, seated on the bench, and I felt his tongue against the base of my neck. My arms flailed but could find no solid surface, absolutely nothing. I'm going to die…I thought as he threw me against the bench in the room. I reached for his head but he held me down and SMACK, my arm hit the shirts and the hangers fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Bella?" I heard someone ask. The black, hooded figure disappeared from my view and I slipped to the ground.
"HEY!" I heard Emmett scream as I hit something hard and cold.
"Bella, Bella!" I heard Alice shaking me.
"Bella are you okay?" My entire body was shaking; he was touching me, stop touching me.
I was pretty sure I was screaming, or maybe I was completely silent, completely still.
Emmett sat me on the bench and I screamed louder so he moved me outside of the room, still in his arms. He sat me on a chair and looked me in the eye.
"Bells, did he hurt you?"
"He tried to…" I choked and could feel the tears on my cheeks, "Touched and pushed but I made a clang…" I was unsure if they could hear me but I slipped back into the darkness. And then suddenly it was light.
I stood up, "I'm fine."
Everyone looked at me if I was crazy.
"Bells, you have to answer the police officer's questions." James explained.
"He was dressed in black, all black, black hood, black mask, I couldn't see anything. He shoved a cloth down my mouth so I couldn't scream. He pushed me against the mirror then against the bench but I hit the hangers which caused a noise and he bolted. That was it, that's all it was, can we go home now?"
Everyone was still looking at me like I was crazy but they nodded, exchanged a few words, and led me outside. This time we split up, half girls, half guys in each car. I sat in the back, hugging me knees, but all I was thinking was that I was certain he'd whispered my name so that meant he knew me. Who was he and why me, why the hell did he want me?
EPOV
Where was Bella? Frantically I was searching aisle through aisle. I had heard someone thinking about her, sharply thinking about her and I had travelled in his direction and now I lost her. Where the hell was she? I saw Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett, Angela and Ben, Irina and Vikki…Irina! She had just spoken to Bella and…I anxiously hunted through the thoughts and realized Bella was simply in the change room. I walked swiftly towards the doors and that's when I heard it, too much shuffling. I ran towards the doors and through the door as if it was nothing. Hangers clanged to the ground and I knew Emmett was about to come running with Nick and Kate. I only had a moment to decide, grab him, hold him, and let them capture him, or catch her from falling. Her expression made the decision, she was broken. Completely and utterly broken. I dove and caught her in my arms, cold as ice and rough but still, better than the floor.
"Shh Bella I'm here honey." She began to convulse in my arms and I settled her on the floor. It was utter chaos. Her friends were coming and going, screaming for help and running in all directions. I didn't have to look forward into the future to know he'd gotten away, I felt him, I felt his triumph. I knew he hadn't hurt her too bad but I wanted to KILL HIM, to KILL HIM for touching her! She was whimpering and I held her in my arms, whispering to her.
"Oh, Bella! It's all my fault!" My tears joined her own, how had I left her in the first place?! I slammed my fist against the wall. I would find him, I would hurt him and tear him apart, and I would kill him because I knew he wasn't finished with her. He would find her again and I would be ready, I would kill him this time.
BPOV
I was not a minor anymore. Nobody had to call my parents. I had convinced everyone it was better just to ignore everything that had happened. We were still having a sleepover at the Cullen house and the guys would be downstairs. Softly, as if everything wasn't alright (even though it WAS!) we tiptoed into Rose's giant room. But as soon as we entered everyone calmed down and began talking like the bubbly girls we were.
"What should we watch?" Alice asked, scanning through some of the movies in Rosalie's room, "Oh! Mean Girls first!" She popped it in and we all began changing and making party food. Soon enough we were dressed in sleepover party pyjamas, had tons of junk food, had a round of truth or truth going, were doing makeovers and simultaneously reciting our favourite lines of Mean Girls in time with the movie…but hey, it's what girls do.
"Okay Vikki, truth or truth?" Rosalie asked.
Vikki's face scrunched up as she thought about it, "Okay…I know I'll regret it but…truth!" We all laughed as Rose smiled deviously, it was not going to be pretty.
"Have you and James ever…you know?"
"Rosalie!" Vikki squealed.
Rose just shrugged, it was her favourite question to ask Vikki because she always went purple talking about it, Victoria had always been embarrassed.
"We're waiting for marriage, remember!"
We all laughed, "We know Vikki, we know, we just love your face when we ask you that."
She still looked puzzled but it clicked in after a few seconds and she let out an, "Oh." And we all started laughing.
"I have one for everybody, what are you going to be doing five years from now and then ten." Everyone went quiet, they knew it was coming up but now everyone had to think about it.
"I'll start." Vikki whispered, "In five years I'll be married to James and we'll be living in town. We'll both be in school still I guess. Ten years, I'm a kindergarten teacher, he's taken over the family business and we've got one kid maybe two."
"I'll be married to Laurent in five, I'll be opening my own dance studio in Port Angeles in ten and Laurent is going to teach at Forks High and maybe one kid by then." Irina finished and Rosalie was next.
"In five I'll be on the big screen as the new IT girl, or maybe a supermodel, and of course married to Emmett who's going to be the IT guy or supermodel too." We rolled our eyes and she laughed, "Okay well most likely I'll be a teacher too and well Emmett's going to be the next Chief of Police." We all laughed, it was Emmett's dream to have Charlie's job when he retired. "Kids definitely, when I'm not quite sure though."
"Me and Jazz'll be married, I'm going to design clothes or own my own boutique and Jazz is going to be an architect. And well yeah, kids eventually too." Alice was quiet too for once.
"I'm going to be a nurse and Ben wants to be an accountant. We'll be married and have a few kids too." Angela looked at me but I motioned to Kate.
"You're looking at the next editor in chief of the Forks Newspaper, if I'm not a writer, and Nick's going to a paramedic. Definitely no kids for us but we'll be married."
"I'm going to study, I want to be…" I paused; the words were hard to speak, "A law clerk? And maybe keep studying in that field and you know, travel a lot because I like a change of scenery. Get married eventually I suppose…"
"A law clerk?" Alice asked.
"Yeah…" I mumbled.
"There aren't any law firms in town, the nearest is Seattle." Rose noted.
"Yeah, I'll have to leave for a bit…I'll come back though…you know I could never leave for good, maybe I could be the one to open one here…we do need one I guess…" my voice was very broken up and they could tell.
"It's okay Bells." Irina smiled.
"It's okay to want to leave." Kate agreed.
"We'll all leave a bit of course, you probably the most, but you'll come back and visit and don't worry." Alice explained.
"It'll work." I reassured them.
"Plus, that's like a few years away, we're all going to University of Washington for now right?"
There were collective yeah's among us and the silence settled among us.
I smiled, "Look at how pathetic we are, no one died! Crank up the music its karaoke time!" And then it was all okay, my friends were here and that was all I needed.
EPOV
Bella wanted to be a law clerk…it made so much sense and yet it was so familiar to me. My father had been a lawyer, I wanted to go into law as well, I was going to take over the family business…that was until… I pushed back my human memories, the past was the past the present was what was important. I knew about the law, I could help her… My mind buzzed a mile a minute as I thought of the "future" I could have had with Bella if she had been mine… She was lying in her sleeping bag now and I held her close. Her scent filled my mind as I counted the days, two more until Europe, two more days until I could tell her the truth and she could be mine…
Ya it was a filler and it was kinda cheesy I know. Review! I want to know what you guys think, who is this "guy" that is attacking her! What do you think of Edward's POV it's the hardest for me to write. Anyways I am still in desperate need of a beta, I did fix my spell check but it is really really late here and if I leave it and re-edit tomorrow I'll put it off and you won't hear from me for another week lol. That's what happens when each chapter is 9-11 pages long. Anyways go vote and review, pm me I always love to hear your opinions! until next time... :D