Chapter 11
Bella's POV
That Friday 12:30
"Really? You guys are going to dress in those?" Victoria asked uncertainly looking over our attire.
I looked down to my clothes. The normal; baggy, black, cargo jeans, black Etnies, a black Avenged Sevenfold band t-shirt, and my favorite black Avenged Sevenfold hoody. Amber was the same, but she had a Slipknot t-shirt and Slipknot hoody. (Pics on Profile) I nodded, Amber didn't move. I'm not dressing up for him. I love my Dad, yes, but I want him to see what I'm like now. Let him know what I've become. I thought walking with Amber to the small white car.
"Ok, lets get going," Victoria announced from the front seat, faking enthusiasm. Amber and I sat in the back seat together.
On the way there I let my mind wander to Forks. Wondering if Jacob Black still lived there, he was my best friend when we were kids. I remembered that he had dark skin like Amber, dark hair and dark eyes. He lived in La Push with a bunch of other Indians. His mother had died when he was three, now he lived with his Dad, Billy Black. Billy had been Charlies' best friend since they were tykes. Maybe I won't be scared of Jacob or Dad... I hoped helplessly.
"Ok, so think this over," Victoria's voice cut through my thoughts so suddenly I jumped, Amber had dozed off, I kept my eyes on her face; waiting for her monster to show. "If your father gets custody of both of you today, you would be able to go on your way tomorrow or tomorrow night." She sounded more excited than she should, I almost felt sorry for the trouble we had caused her. She parked the car in a spot two spaces from the airport entrance. "We're here! Wake her up, would you?" she asked getting out and fluffing her air.
I turned to Amber, she was sleeping still, or at least trying to. Her soft breathing started to become ragged and the sweat on her forehead was increasing. Quickly, I grabbed her arms and rubbed them with my thumbs. "Amber wake-up," she didn't move, but she did start breathing more heavily. "Amber!" Her eyes fluttered open. They were bloodshot . "Hey..." I said quietly, softly pushing the wet hair away from her forehead and cheeks. "You alright?"
She nodded, fear still evident in her eyes. "I'm fine," she whispered back, then got out.
In the airport, Amber and I clung to one another more than usual. Boys, men, all around us. Men yelling on phones in anger, boys grabbing family and twirling them around in greeting. "It's alright," I murmured to Amber once she went ridged; a guy, mid-thirties, almost collided with her. "Its alright. I'll watch out for you."
"Bella?" I kept my eyes down, not knowing if it was him. "Isabella Swan?" That's what I was looking for.
Slowly, I let my eyes follow from the marked-up shoes, to his faded light blue jeans, to his red and white checkered button-up, to his olive skinned face, black hair, and brown eyes. "Dad?" I asked quietly.
Charlie nodded, his eyes sad and worried. "Hiya, Bells," his voice as soft and caring like the last day I saw him eleven years. "You must be Amber Ray, right?" Charlie asked looking at the girl next to me.
Amber, who had been looking at the floor, slowly lifted her eyes to look into his. He gasped. Her eyes; hollow, lifeless, and dead stared right back into his. "Yes s-sir," she said quietly just as I had, before looking back at the floor.
"We should get going," Victoria piped in from beside Amber.
We both, Amber and I, turned from them, heads down, and hoods kept on our heads. I soon heard their footsteps following ours. "BELLA!" I looked up at the sound of his voice. "Hey Baby," he ran up to me, Amber flinched away and began shaking at his proximity. He leaned down to kiss me, I flinched away. "Oh c'mon now, you know you missed me baby." He leaned to kiss me again and again I flinched away. I saw the anger flash in his eyes, "Bella, I haven't seen you in three months!" He yelled in my face, I cringed away. "Don't you dare flinch away from me!" He screamed, he raised his hand to hit me, I felt the painful sting in my cheek and I tasted the coppery taste of my blood in my mouth.
"I know you didn't just hit my daughter!" I heard Charlie yell from behind me.
"Amber," I choked out, reaching for her.
She grabbed my arms and pulled me to her. "Its ok..." she whispered, falling to the floor with me. We rocked back and forth, both shaking badly. "Its ok. Charlie has him. Its ok," she put her hand underneath my chin and lifted my face to hers. The tears increased down her cheeks. "It'll bruise pretty bad, B."
I heard Charlie yelling at Alex. "Dad!" I croaked tugging at his pant leg; like I use to when I was a baby and wanted his attention, and I couldn't reach anything more. "Dad stop!" I cried yanking hard on his pant leg.
He finally stopped ant looked down at my face. "Ok Bella. I'm sorry."
I nodded then turned and glared at Alex. "Alex...leave...now!" I stressed the word. Slowly, I pulled myself from the floor, with Amber in tow. "You are a sick excuse for a human being! You're hateful, vindictive, and down right an asshole!" I spat getting in his face. "You will rot in hell for what you have done! Do you understand me?" I whispered deadly in his ear. "Now go!" I ordered.
As soon as he was out of sight, I crumpled down the ground once again, tears falling relentless. "Ok lets get to the car," Amber whispered softly into my ear as she helped me up, her arms around my shoulders. We reached the car, I got in first, then Amber. She held my hand, rubbing it soothingly. "How about you get a little dose of sleep, huh?" She cooed in my ear as the car started moving. She saw the fear flash through my eyes. "I'll watch over you." she whispered leaning against my shoulder. I nodded and closed my eyes, freeing the monster from his cage.
ExB
Three months later
"You two ready for your first day of school?" Charlie was nearly bouncing on his feet as he said this.
"Dad," I muttered edging away from his bouncing form, "its school. No ones ever ready." Amber nodded in agreement, before grabbing the keys, her bag, and her coat before running out the door. "Love you, Daddy." I said following my sister outside.
After Charlie got back at the agency, he flew through the paper work; not stopping til he knew we were his kids. The next day, we were booking a flight to the Olympic Peninsula. Victoria drove us there, congratulating us the entire way. Amber was annoyed, I was amused, and Charlie was tired. "I swear, if that woman says 'I'm so happy for you guys' one more time, I'm going to kill her!" Amber had said as soon as we were in the airport.
Amber had kept her first and middle, but changed her last name to ours. She reacted the same I did when we came to our house in Forks. She almost laughed at the pictures of me all around the living room. Maggie nearly trampled us, when Charlie let her out of upstairs bathroom. She remembered me, giving me a few huge sloppy kisses in my face. Amber stood silently beside me, watching as the dog tackled me with greeting kisses. "She remembers you," Amber noted leaning down towards me. "Will she bite?" She asked Charlie looking at Maggie's K-9's.
"No way!" Charlie laughed greeting Jacob Black and Billy Black into the house.
In the end, Amber and Maggie were big friends, I felt that I couldn't touch Jacob or Billy, but they were gracious and kept their distances from Amber and I. Throughout the three months of summer, Amber and I made it clear; we wanted no friends. We stayed home and to ourselves. It was very seldom that anyone would catch us outside. If you ever did, we were together and you never saw our eyes or our eyes. We cleaned, cooked, wrote, read, and just did everything that we could to keep our minds off our monsters and the lack of sleep that we were getting.
But now, it was the end of summer. August seventeenth. The first day of school. Amber and I were starting our Junior year and we had all of our classes were together.
"B, we're here." Amber's voice broke through my thoughts. She looked at me concern written across her dazed, tired face. I shook my head.
Quickly, we both jumped out the car, grabbed our bags, pulled our hoods our heads, looked at the ground, and stayed nearly a centimeter a part, while walking to the building with the words: Front Office, across the top.
The secretary, Mrs. Cope, asked "How may I help you, dears?"
I flinched at the tone of her voice, Amber tensed beside me. "Isabella and Amber Swan." I answered quietly.
"Oh yes! Its good to hear you back, sweetie!" Again I flinched at her motherly, sweet tone. Amber went ridged at my side, like stone; still staring at the ground. "Here are you schedules, a map of the school, and the lunch menu for the month." I thanked her and backed out of the office.
"Old people just don't know when to shut up, huh?" I asked Amber once we were back inside our car. She nodded, still tense. I could tell she was scared. New school, new students, and we stood out like red in a patch of grey.
The bell rang, everyone got out of the cars and made their way to their classes. Most stopped to look at my car; Renee had a black BMW and I took it in. When they saw the model, many boys started coming our way. Amber trembled and grabbed my hand yanking me away from the crowd. "Can we get going now?" she asked still trembling. I nodded, hooked our arms and ran to our first class, Trigonometry.
"Hello Mrs. Swans," a male teacher, Mr. Convoy, said coming towards us. Amber pulled me in front of her, when he got about a foot away. He looked at her with curiosity. "Why don't you tell the class a little about yourselves, huh?" he offered pointing to the thirty-two pairs of eyes trained on us.
Amber looked up at me, her eyes saying Is he for real? I am not telling a damn thing to these kids about me!
I almost smiled at the attitude she had shown back in Phoenix was coming out now. But I couldn't, instead I just shook my head, looped my arm back with hers, look for two empty chairs side-by-side, and tookher to them.
"So, you two aren't very social?" Mr. Convoy asked sitting back down in his seat. We didn't answer or make eye contact. "I'll take that as a no..." he mused. I heard the phone be picked up and a dew buttons being pressed. "Yes, can you send Alice Cullen to my room? Thank you." Then the phone was being hung up.
"You're sending in the midget?" a nasally voice asked from across the room.
"Why?" another one called from that same side.
"Now, Mrs. Mallory, Alice helped you when you came here in eighth grade, right?" Mr. Convoy retorted cooly.
"Well yeah. But..." the first voice said again.
"No buts. If it weren't for Alice, you would not be as popular as you are today."
"This early huh?" said a new bubbly voice front the front.
"Yes, Alice. I called you in for social advice..." Mr. Convoy let the sentence trail off. Amber and I looked at one another. He sent someone to socialize with us? We both fumed inside.
"For whom, exactly?" The girl, Alice, asked.
I felt everyone's eyes trail us again. It was quiet for maybe...thirty seconds, before Amber bravely raised her head and made eye contact with the girl, I did the same.
We all heard her gasp when she saw the look in mine and Amber's eyes. "C-Can I speak to you outside, Mr. Convoy?" Alice asked trembling delicately.
The old teacher nodded following Alice out the class, but not before looking back at us curiously. As soon as the door closed, all the class turned to one another and started talking. Amber and I just continued staring at the desk tops.
Alice's POV
"This early huh?" I asked leaning against the door frame.
Mr. Convoy jumped at my sudden appearance. "Yes, Alice. I called you in for social advice..."
"For whom, exactly?" I asked looking around the classroom, remembering all the faces from last year.
Everyone's head suddenly turned to the back of the class. There, seated quietly, were two dark figures. For about thirty seconds no one moved. Just as I was about to go to them, the girl on the left lifted her gaze to mine, then the one on the right followed. I gasped. They were both very beautiful, don't get me wrong. But...their eyes...the lifeless expression in them. I was suddenly slammed into with flashbacks of my mother. Get a hold of yourself, Mary Alice! I yelled sternly to myself before quietly asking, "C-Can I speak to you outside, Mr. Convoy?" my voice shaking.
He nodded silently asking me if I was alright. He shut the door.
"Those girls do not want friends!" I stated still shaking my head to clear the images.
"How can you tell?" he asked leaning against the door jam.
I snorted. "Did you see them? Those two girls just want to be left alone." I took a deep steady breath before speaking again. "They will come around, eventually. Just leave them be. Let them fight whatever is wrong in their lives and they'll be fine." I was sure he would understand with his background. I tried to think of things that would help them. "Always put them together with projects, never put them with Newton." I tried to think up more precautions, but kept coming up blank. "I'm thinking they just want to be left alone, got it? That's all I'm saying."
He nodded, handed me my pass back to class and opened his door and walked in. "Ok class..." I left before he could finish.
I fished out my cellphone, fighting the tears all the to the girls bathroom. Safe in my own cubical, I let a few tear drops fall at a time and began texting to my big brother.
(Alice Emmett)
Em, I'm leavin early. Tell Ed, k?
Y?
jus som probs shwd up.
Girly/bitchy/YKW probs?
YKW probs
o! b careful Ali! We cldnt loose u again!
Luv u em! Jus need a break...
k, luv u 2, Ali! G2G, teach getin pissed cuz aint listnin 2 her! =]
l8r Emmy!
With that, I ran to my locker, grabbed my jacket and keys, before making a run for my yellow Porsche Turbo 911. I have to get out... I thought stomping on the gas pedal. ...and fast!
Edwards POV (YAYYYYYYY)
"Alice went home early," Emmett told me once we met up at lunchroom. "You know who..." he informed quietly, that made me stop.
"Are you serious?" I asked in a low voice. "Alice needs to stop remembering that. Before she hurts herself...again." I whispered the last part.
"Well that's why we have Jasper," he said wrapping his arm around our blonde friend's shoulders.
"Do I want to know?" he asked looking at Emmett frightened.
"Alice had some flashes and booked." I explained opening the door to the large cafeteria. "Do you when she got them?" asked grabbing an apple and a Cranberry Snapple, then waited for Emmett and Jasper to get what they wanted.
"This morning, after she was called to Mr. Convoys' classroom for the new girls." a voice sounded from behind us.
"ROSIE!" Emmett squealed, yes someone as big as him squealed, and wrapped her into a bone crushing hug.
"Emmett!" she yelled at him. "Stop! I...can't breath!" Most people would be freaking out, thinking he was really hurting her. Emmett was a big guy. I was intimidated by him the first time we met. Turns out, he's like Alice's favorite teddy bear, Rupert. Extra large edition! Rose was smiling and laughing as she popped him on the head. "Put me down, you big bear!"
"What new girls?" I asked walking towards or table. Only to find, once we got there, two figures, decked out in heavy black, sitting in my and Alice's seats.
"Those two," Rosalie muttered from behind me.
The others were hesitant about sitting down, but I wasn't. So, I walked over to Emmett's chair-across from the girls-and sat down. The one on the left had blonde hair flowing from underneath the dark hood. The one on the right had brunette. Both of them, were silent, and seemed unaware of my presence.
Emmett sat down, in Rose's seat. The girl on the left visibly tensed. (Rosalie's chair is right beside Bella's)
The girl on the right flinched away from Emmett's bulky form. What's with these girls? They obviously know of our presence, but still refuse to look up and acknowledge us.
Just as Rose went to sit in Jasper's seat-in between Emmett and I-the girl on the right looked up at me. My breathing hitched in my throat; her caramel brown eyes were hollow and lifeless. It looked as if she hadn't slept in months. Though, that's not why I couldn't look away. Her eyes; that hollow, dead, lifeless, zombie-like look in them. They looked like my mothers before...she...before she k-killed herself.
The brunette didn't look away, neither did I. It was as if she was searching my eyes for something. Something important. Maybe she could feel me doing the same.
The girl on the left, hadn't loosened or had she moved since Emmett sat down. Maybe she was scared at his size. Most people are before they see that he's harmless, unless, that is, if you piss him off, then you might want to...well, run!
Jasper walked past the blonde, accidentally bumping into her back. It was all a blur from then on in. The brunette, grabbed the blondes shoulders and held her still and she went into a spazz attack it looked like. "He's not here! B, promises OK?" her voice was soft, but stern. "He'll never find you, I promise you that!" she whispered quickly seeing it wasn't working. "Fight it! Fight it! B, promises that he'll never ever find you, got that!" she whispered fiercely. "I promise you. He's not coming for you!" Tears fell down the brunettes beautiful face as she said the last part. "B, Promises Amber!" she whispered sadly.
The blonde slowly stopped jerking and shaking. She turned to the brunette, her face tear streaked. "Thanks," she whispered almost too quiet for me to hear. "C'mon."
They both stood, hoods still covering their heads, heads down, and threw their Apple Snapple's, a few sips gone from them, away. Just before the bell rang, the brunette turned to me for a minute before turning away.
Everyone was silent.
BRRRRRIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGG!
The screechy noise above our heads signaled us for our next class. We didn't move. We didn't speak. We just stared at the spot where the girls were last, the exit doors.
"What the hell just happened?" Jasper asked quietly he looked shaken.
"I don't know, but that was friggin' weird!" Emmett bellowed before grabbing Rose's hand. "See you guys in gym!" He yelled pulling him and Rose out the same doors.
BRRRRRIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGGG!
"Shit! C'mon!" Jasper started making his way toward the doors,but stopped noticing that I wasn't following. "Edward?" he asked hesitantly.
I would've answered but my mind was wrapped around the brunettes eyes. Why were they so much like my mothers? What happened to make them that way? Is this what scared Alice? Why do I care so much? I didn't know the answers to any of these questions and sitting here sure as hell wasn't getting me anywhere. "Coming," then we both went our separate ways.
That was long! Long as hell! My hands hurt! I'll update immediately! Sorry it took so long. End of quarter exams are going on and I'm swamped in work! Hope you like it...and review!
