Chapter Five

Somebody Pinch Me

Everything spun around me like I was on a broken Ferris wheel. My stomach was lurching and a foggy haze filled my eyes, after a second I realized I was hyper-ventilating and crying at the same time. How could I cry?

Charlie was pounding on the door now. "Bells, stop fooling around, are you ok or not? Open this door." He tried the knob but somehow it was locked.

I took a few gasping breaths and tried to get out of the bed. 'Thhuummpp', I fell right onto the floor. It was as if I had to force my mind to remember what it was like to walk. I felt awkward and clumsy, just like I did when I was human. It was a feeling I thought I would never have again, and it was completely unwelcome now.

"What is going on!" I screamed to no one in particular as I pulled myself up holding onto the bed. I realized I was dressed in an old t-shirt and faded paisley pajama bottoms, I recognized them as being the PJ's I wore on my last night in Phoenix, before coming to Forks. I had left them behind in my room at Rene's house, or so I thought. I looked around my room and everything was familiar, just as I remembered it all. The rocking chair, my small bed, the window that Edward had slid in and out of so many nights, everything was in it's place. My suitcase sat on the floor, half empty, as if I had just gotten there and hadn't completely finished unpacking. I couldn't tell if the constant pounding was Charlie at the door or my head just aching, so I opened the bedroom door with a whoooshhh. Charlie nearly fell onto the floor since he was leaning on the door and he stepped into the room to stop his fall.

"I was just going to ask you the same question Bella." He said as he looked around quickly, he even turned around and looked behind the door. He was dressed in his uniform, obviously about to leave for work. His cheeks were red, if this were a cartoon, I thought, steam would be coming from his ears.

I ran past Charlie, into the hall as a wave of nausea fell over me. I got to the bathroom and looked at my face in the mirror. I was flushed and splotchy, with more tears beginning to well in my eyes. I looked down and pinched my for arm hard, it hurt. Then Charlie was standing at the open bathroom door. I turned to him as one tear started to stream down my cheek.

"I'm… alive." I half sobbed at him. He let out a resigned sigh and put his hands on his hips.

" Is that supposed to be a question?" He sounded anxious and nervous, just like he did when I first came to Forks. "Look, Bella, I know Forks is not the most exciting city but it's your first day, just give it a chance." He turned toward the steps still holding his hands on his hips and looked back. " Think of it as starting fresh." I wondered if you could be human, then vampire, then go back in time, become human again and call it 'starting fresh'. "Now, do you want me to drive you in today or will you be okay on your own?" I realized I did miss the old red truck my dad had bought for me from his Quilliote friend Billy and I found myself hoping that it was here along with what seemed like the entire contents of my room and an inquisitive father who would not leave. I was beginning to calm down and although my head was hurting I was able to control my breathing. My disorientation was beginning to dissipate and common sense took over. What ever was happening, I wouldn't be able to figure it out if Charlie got suspicious and lorded over me all day. I had to get rid of him then I would be able to collect my thoughts so I could get back to where I was... and who I was.

"Well, I guess I'm just jet lagged or…something" I said as I looked out into the hall at Charlie. "Go to work Charlie, I'll be okay."

"Alright, you take it easy today, just find your classes and get oriented, don't stress yourself out. I'm sure you'll fit in just fine." He stepped over and patted my head like a dog. "Come home right after school and I'll check in on you, ok?" He held my chin in his hand and looked me in the eyes. I nodded and attempted a smile. He turned on his heel and I heard him bounding down the stairs and out the door.

I slid onto the cold bathroom floor and sat completely still until I heard his car pull down the street, then I tried to stand up again. Aside from the room spinning I was able to get dressed and wash my face. In my room, my clothes were all as I remembered them from that first week in Forks, everything I found matched what I had brought from Phoenix, or at least from what I remembered did. I gave a little sigh and decided to just wear the same outfit I had worn on my first day of school in Forks, I had already done the leg work there, may as well roll with it.

I went down to the kitchen and eerily everything else matched too. The feeling of deja-vu sickened me intensely. I pinched myself hard again just to be sure I wasn't asleep and it still hurt. I looked in the fridge (even thought I knew what I would find) and wondered if you could feel pain in your sleep. I decided to have a glass of orange juice to help suppress my light headedness. I closed the fridge door as I realized that logically this could not be a dream, it had to be real, maybe my other life was the dream. I sat down at the old kitchen table as I contemplated. In my other life, my other world, the one I was just in less then an hour ago, I was a vampire. Subtle, beautiful, graceful, basically dead, and very much in love with my vampire husband and amazing daughter. I had already lived this portion of my life, the human portion, and it was over. Had I traveled through time? Was I dreaming? Not possible, I thought, I could not possibly be dreaming, because if my vampire world were true, if that was the real world for me, then this could not be happening because vampires don't sleep. Traveling though time was not an option either, because I was definitely human again. I looked at my arms and legs and saw many black and blue bruises coming out from the fall off the bed earlier. My head started pounding in time with my heartbeat. I was human, no doubt.

I looked up at the clock, it was as if time were moving at lightening speed. If I didn't leave now I would be late for school, for what was apparently my first day of school here... again. I found my truck keys, pulled on my coat, and felt a little flush of butterflies in my stomach when I walked outside and saw the beat up red truck. I slid behind the wheel and considered my options. I could run away. Just drive and keep driving. Maybe eventually I would find the end of this crazy universe I'd been sucked into. Or, I could do everything as I had that first day and see where it takes me. Maybe I had to play it out to beat it. I decided to go to school and see what happens, at least I knew what to expect there or I thought I did. I turned out of the drive and headed to school, all the while noticing how everything looked the same as my memory. I pulled into the school parking lot and instinctively looked for Edward's silver Volvo. It was not there. None of the Cullen cars were there. That didn't seem right, it was a cold cloudy day, perfect for the Cullen clan to be at school. I pulled into the exact parking spot I had used upon my first, first day here, right in front of the administrative office. I hesitated for a sec, then took a breath and got out of the truck into the chilled air.

I went into the little office, the lighting, the decorations, even the smell was familiar instantly. I got my class schedule and everything was the same. I met Jessica, Mike and everybody else. Lunchtime came and I went with them to the table, hoping beyond hope that things would play out as they had the first time around. I was practically hyperventilating looking out the windows like a jack rabbit, waiting for the beautiful Cullens to arrive at lunch. Then, I saw him. Edward passed the windows outside, hair tousled, school bag slung over his right arm, wearing a…wearing …. Was that a letterman's jacket?

He pulled open the cafeteria door and waved hello to someone on the other side of the room as he strolled in. About five other kids called out hello to him as he headed toward the food line. He high-fived another when he got there. They leaned in and were talking for a minute and then Edward turned and looked directly at me. He was gorgeous, but not in the way I knew him, his skin was pink, his eyes were regular old hazel, his nose was red from being outside. This Edward was certainly not the man I knew, the vampire I fell in love with, this Edward was human.

My face flushed when he looked over and caught me staring so I turned away quickly. Edward got his food as I watched out of the corner of my eye. He paid and turned, heading right for our table. Maybe, he was trapped here too, maybe he knew me and could tell me what the heck was happening. He pulled a chair from another table and dropped his tray down next to Mike, nearly spilling his fruit cup on him.

"Hey, man, what gives!" Mike said as he jumped up to avoid being peached. "Watch what your doing you dumb jock." Mike said that with a grin and sat back down. Edward was sitting now, smiling too. I was flabbergasted. Then, Edward turned and looked right at me.

"Who do we have here?" He said, still had that crooked grin. My heart immediately jumped into my throat and I couldn't speak a word.

"That's Bella." Jessica, as always, so helpful, said, "She's the new girl we were talking about." Jessica looked over at me, "Bella, this is our resident quarterback, Edward Cullen. Even though our football team sucks balls." Edward threw his napkin at her and from the look in her eyes as she stared at him fakely protesting I could tell that in this alternate bizarro world, Jessica was crushing on Edward the way she crushed on Mike before. I did not like that one bit. Edward was looking at me again.

"Well, Miss Bella, tell us something about yourself. What do you like to do for fun?" Edward said as he furrowed his eyebrows. "You're from Arizona or Vegas or something. Right? Don't worry, you'll see the sun here eventually, last year it came out, like four times I think, right guys?" He said that with a laugh and looked at the table as everyone laughed and nodded in agreement.

I realized everyone was waiting for me to say something. I had a huge lump in my throat. 'Pull yourself together Bella', I gave myself a pep talk in my head, 'you are not that shy, scared girl anymore.' I took a breath and looked at Edward. "Phoenix, actually. And, it was sunny every day, I think it only rained about twice last year." I said shaking my head, I could feel myself biting my lip nervously. Edward smiled at me. "Who do you have for biology?" I asked, I was on a roll. I knew he should have the same teacher as me, I knew we should be lab partners, what I still didn't know was why any of this was happening.

The small talk ended abruptly when the bell rang and everyone scattered. Edward asked me if I knew where I was going and I thought how ironic that question was, but I answered yes. As I left the cafeteria to go to my locker I nearly bumped right into a small girl blocking the open doors. My heart leapt when I saw who it was and I let out a shriek of joy. "Alice! Oh jeez am I happy to see you!" Then I thought better and changed my tune. "I mean, hi, you must be Alice? I'm Bella, the new girl." Alice half smiled, half grimaced and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the girls bathroom.

"Of course I know who you are Bella. I'm me and I guess you're you, but no one else is themselves. Get it?" No, I didn't get any of this and I was about to say so but Alice continued, "Now, best as I can figure it, I was at the loft and then I woke up back here. And, Bella, guess what else! I'm human!" She said this with a mixture of surprise and horror, like she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not. "This is so weird, I cannot get used to it. I have these weird pains in my stomach, uugghh, they're driving me crazy. And, guess what? My head hurts, I think I have a headache!" Of course, there was no stopping her, so I had to interrupt.

"Alice what the hell is going on?" I was starting to hyperventilate again and my face felt hot. "I woke up at Charlie's back ..here…and did you know Edward is human too?"

"Yes," She rolled her eyes, "and he is such a, just a, well he's like a" She was looking for the right word, "jock, I guess. I woke up at our house in Forks, only it's not as nice, it's kind of old, it looks like we never remodeled here. Carlisle was there and Esmee, both human too, but that's it, not Jasper or Rose or Emmett. Why is it just us?" Alice scrunched up her nose like she was thinking. "I can't concentrate with my stomach churning like this. I think I have to feed, I mean, eat? Right?" She looked at me with doe eyes.

"Yes, Alice, you're probably just hungry. Go get something out of the vending machine, do you have money?" She shook her head yes. "I'm gonna go to class and try to finish the day and get closer to Edward, maybe he'll recognize me or something. Let's meet out front right after school and we'll figure this out. I want to go home." Alice moved forward and hugged me.

"Me too sweetie, me too." We left the bathroom and split up as Alice yelled back at me, "Stay out of trouble Bella!"

I rounded the next corner in the empty hallway and wondered how I would explain my lateness to the teacher when something dark down the hall to my left caught my eye. I turned my head quickly and saw a dark fog creeping away, like it was alive. I thought I caught a glimpse of a dark figure too, but I couldn't tell. If there was one thing I'd learned over the last few years, it was that you should not doubt your instincts, so I ran down the hall as fast as I could. It was definitely a dark fog, covering the walls, it went from floor to ceiling, covering all the lights as it passed. I stopped short, afraid to touch it and watched as it slid through the cracks to the outside at the end of the hall, where it dissipated and went away. Something made me turn around quickly and I thought I saw a dark figure again, turning a corner at the other end of the corridor. I took off after it and wished, not for the first time today, that I had my vampire senses back. By the time I got to the end of the hall it was gone.

This day was getting weirder and it was about to get even worse as I realized what class I had next…Biology.

Chapter 6 Definitely Coming Soon! Please review and tell your friends if you like it. Thanks! :o)