In honor of St. Patties Day! Here be an update! Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig. Go n'éirí leat (Happy Saint Patrick's Day. May your luck be rising)
I didn't wait for my siblings as I bolted out of class, trying to maintain human speed until I reached the front door.
School was out for the summer, I had survived my first year at an American school and had come out with a report card to make any parent proud, all A's, 'cept in class participation to which I received a satisfactory needs improvement.
Normally I would have waited for my siblings, but I wanted to get home as soon as possible. I hated having to go to school while my parents were home alone with Jasper and Alice, especially if Carlisle had to go back to the hospital on an emergency call. He had taken a few days off because of Jasper and Alice's arrival, but he would have to go back eventually and I wanted to be home when he did, I did not want Esme to be alone with them for ANY length of time.
I ran at a slow pace until I hit the tree line and once out of sight of the humans, picked up speed not holding back as I darted around the trees and bushes, following the river towards our property. I spooked a few rabbits who had come out to enjoy the warm, yet sunless day as I ran past, before skidding to a stop on the edge of our property.
I saw no sign of Carlisle's car and really hoped that it was just in the garage. I felt my stomach drop a bit as I peeked inside and didn't see his car.
"Damn," I muttered darting into the house. Inside I stopped short and looked around in amazement. It looked different, the room had been rearranged, the furniture had been moved and there was definitely something different 'bout the wall. My bag dropped from my hand as I took it all in "what the bloody hell happened?" I said barely above a whisper.
"Chris, language." Esme scolded gently from the stairs, she looked around and realized the lack of Emmett, Edward, and Rose "Christian, you didn't cut school did you? Sweetie it was the last day"
"No, of course not, I went for the whole day, I just didn't wait for the others." She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation "uh…there's a wireless programme on this afternoon, didn't want to miss it."
She sighed
"Everything is fine Christian, you didn't have to run all the way home."
"I didn't," I replied, not really sure why I even bother trying to lie to her. "Where are they?" I looked around the family room again "better question, what did they do?"
"What makes you so certain I did not do this?" Esme asked coming downstairs and hugging me tight.
"Call it just a hunch." I said looking around again. "wait, where IS the wireless?" I asked staring at the table where the smaller wireless usually sat, in it's place was a vase with flowers in it.
"Alice moved it." Esme replied pointing to the other side of the room, where the small wireless now sat perched on the television set Edward and Emmett had purchased a few weeks ago. I rolled my eyes as I darted over to the wireless and turned it on.
Getting home to check on Esme's safety was the real reason for getting home early, but I found it easier to convince her that I wanted to get home for my wireless show.
Luckily, Blackstone the Magical Detective was on, I've been listening to this programme since it aired two years ago in 1948 and it has become one of my favorite programs, however I rarely get to listen to it when it's baseball season.
Emmett takes over the wireless and sometimes the television and his own portable wireless, all of them. He'll have two different games going at once. Not to mention, the programme is usually on at night, 'round 9ish, right when Em has taken over the radio waves for HIS wireless show. Granted I have my own wireless up in my room, but in all fairness so does he. It was easy to pretend this was my sole reason for rushing home without my siblings.
I refused to look behind me as I heard Alice come down the stairs, I heard her pause at the last step and I gave the air a sniff, making sure it was JUST Alice, it was. Jasper was somewhere upstairs.
"Hi Christian," Alice called, I sighed and turned myself around and looked at her expectantly, I was going to have to get her to stop calling me Christian, or my sanity in this house was going to be at stake. "Hi," she repeated.
"Hello," I replied, before turning back to my programme. I heard Esme sigh and know she was shaking her head at me.
"Christian, wait till you see what Esme and I did, you are going to love it." I sighed again
"as long as it doesn't involve my room or my stuff whatever you girls did I'm sure is fantastic."
There was a pause in the atmosphere from my mother and I groaned a bit, as a feeling hit me.
"Well Christian," Esme started
"Mum you didn't…" I said softly, standing up and bolting up the stairs past them to my room.
As I burst into my room I could only gape in horror and wonder how the damage that was inflicted, could have been done in such a short amount of time, by something so…well small!
My bookcases had been moved, my desk was no longer in front of the window and my father's cricket jersey, which I had salvaged from my own house a only few years prior was displayed in a case…A BLOODY CASE!
I still wore it regularly and now it was behind glass. I reached up and tapped the glass before letting out a whimper. Quickly I glanced around and grabbed my bat where it was laying on my lounging couch and shoved it under my desk where it would be hidden and safe, I had to make sure that never gets put on display. I'd have to get my jersey out somehow without hurting it.
"Christian," Esme called from the hallway and I heard her coming towards my room "Chris honey."
"Mum, I don't mind a change every once in a while, but I'd really like to have a say in those changes." I looked around again, "where's Dracula?" I asked noticing my favorite book was not in its usual spot, on my desk.
Esme smiled knowingly and pointed to my bookcase, instead of being arranged by my favorites, someone had arranged my books alphabetical…BY AUTHOR, not only that but that same someone had alphabetized my record collection, ARGH, now this was going too far!
"Before you jump to conclusions I am the one who alphabetized your bookcase… you're lucky, she wanted to organize them by color and I suggested by author might be a little better. Don't be to mad Chris, she wanted to surprise you."
"Well guess what I'm surprised." I replied, unable to keep my frustration out of my voice. I walked over to my desk and scanned it, my notebook was missing and looking through all my draws I struggled to find my stuff. I'm a pretty organized person, I like things to be in a certain place and that place is usually WHERE I put the item. But all my stuff in my desk was scattered in different places.
"Christian, it was a nice gesture, she didn't mean any harm by it and nothing is missing."
"Not missing?" I repeated "mum, I cant find anything." I began pulling out papers "where are my English notes?"
"It is all there, you just need to look." Esme replied, her voice a little more stern. Downstairs I heard my siblings returning and listened for their own exclamation at the turn of events, and of course my siblings did not disappoint, Rosalie being the most prominent voice, but I needed to deal with my own jumbled mess here.
"Did anyone else's room get attacked?" I asked, imagining Rosalie's reaction if Alice dared to enter her room, let alone touch it.
Now Esme crossed her arms
"As a matter of fact, yes, everyone's room has been redecorated. She especially focused on Edward new room and your room, and for your information Christian, my office and Carlisle's office were also subjected to the rearranging so she did not single you out." I sighed "Chris what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I'm in trouble." I replied "and I'm thinking I need a lock on my door." I added cautiously
"Nice try." Esme said "we are a family we do not lock each other out." I sighed "you do not have to go thank her, but I do not want you to complain to her or to the others where she might hear you. It was as I said a nice gesture. You may not be happy about it, but you will go along with it."
"Fine," I replied sighing. I decided to change the subject, just so Esme would stop guilting me. "Since I didn't get to go with Edward and Emmett, would you be mad if I went out on my own for a couple of days to go hunting?"
I didn't want to leave Esme alone with Alice and Jasper, but as long as Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward were home, and Carlisle to soon be, I figured it would be all right.
Esme's face fell a bit she hates when I do the lone wolf thing.
"By yourself?"
"Celebrate the end of school for the summer mum, nothing more." I reached into my pocket and handed her my report card "I think I deserve it."
Now Esme's face lit up and she reached forward to hug me tight.
"This is wonderful Chris, I am so proud of you. Honor Roll as well, superb." She looked the card again "I suppose you have earned it." she paused "why don't you go up to Denali, I'm sure the girls would love to see you and you can spoil yourself with moose." I grinned a bit as tempting as that was, Denali was much to far, I wanted to get away, but not to far away.
"Actually I was thinking just Olympia, really explore it a bit."
Esme knew I was still very suspicious of Alice and especially Jasper and she also knew I was still very protective of her and the rest of the family. So even leaving for a few days is really trusting of me and she didn't want to quash that. Esme may be struggling to get Rosalie to accept Alice and Jasper, she knows she may have an easier time with me because of my profiling ability.
"How long will you be gone?" she asked
"A day, maybe two, I won't be gone very long." I grinned, "trust me mum."
"Chris I always trust you, just be careful."
"Always mum." I started towards the door, and turned back to look at Esme "tell Alice thanks." I added and bolted down the stairs and out the front door, making a beeline for the woods.
