Chapter 18
The next morning Bella emerged in the Gilbert kitchen and had to duck down to avoid being hit with the cereal box. Elena and Jeremy were standing on opposite sides of the breakfast nook arguing hotly, each armed with something. Elena had the box of cheerios, Jeremy had grabbed hold of the milk. Each time the other said something they didn't agree with, a splash of milk or a handful of cheerios were sprayed around.
"Guys? Knock it off!"
Bella's voice was lost in the noise.
"Jeremy, I said 'can it'."
"Lena, butt out."
"You're selling drugs."
"You're screwing everyone with a pulse."
"What? Jeremy, leave. my. aff-"
This was going nowhere. Bella put her fingers in her mouth and whistled, cop style. Much like the drunks her father used the whistle against, the Gilbert siblings shut up and twirled around to face her. Elena looked murderous; Jeremy looked ready to hit someone.
"Anyone care to let me in on it?"
"No."
Elena was resolute. Jeremy rolled his eyes
"Tough."
Bella regarded them both.
"One of you is going to tell me what's going on. The other is going to clean up the kitchen. Up to you to decide who does what."
The silence lasted for exactly half a minute before Jeremy broke.
"Elena found out I was doing and selling drugs. I found out she's slept with half the guys at school."
"Only two."
Elena butted in. Jeremy rolled his eyes
"Plus how many?"
Elena lunged at him. Bella moved faster than she ever thought possible and separated the siblings.
"That's it? You learned your sister has a sex life and you learned your brother had a side job and... What? Decided to go after the other teeth bared?"
Bella exhaled reining her annoyance.
"Jeremy, is the whole drugs thing over? All aspects of it?"
"Yes."
Jeremy rolled his eyes again
"Elena, I don't give a damn who you're sleeping with or how many people you're sleeping with. That, thankfully, is Jenna's domain. Just be safe and that goes for both of you. Other than that... clean this kitchen up. Both of you. Now!"
She reached for her phone just as she slipped the leash on Barkley. She never saw the amused look and quirked lip on Elena's face.
"Hey Jen?"
- - - Memories of a Past and a Future - - -
That evening, leaving work Bella found mason, in all his not-yet-wolfy glory, ready to change her flat rear tire.
"Do I want to know how you got the spare out of my locked car?"
Mason simply grinned as he made quick work of putting the flat tire back in the boot of the car and wipe his hands with a mostly dirty rug, also from her car.
"It's the night of the full moon, should you be out and about?"
"I'll go lock myself up after I accompany you home."
"Jenna's orders?"
Bella grinned, mason blushed
"For two people so in tune to each other, it's definitely funny to see you side step it all."
Bella's smile widened and she winked before ducking into her creamy blue Mini.
"Come on Fido, I'll feed you before your lock down."
- - - Memories of a Past and a Future - - -
It turned out having mason with them at dinner wasn't a bad idea at all. The Gilbert house was chock full of teenagers, were they so clingy when she was a teenager?, spread out throughout it. Jeremy and Matt and a couple another guys were in Jeremy's room playing a game on the TV. In the kitchen a pair of hungry teenage hyenas were tearing into a large bowl of a shredded green salad. Last, Elena was sitting on a guy's lap, basically eating his face off.
Mason turned to look at Bella with his brows raised. Bella shook her head. Mason grinned and nodded. Bella mouthed 'no'. Mason's grin widened. Bella sighed, vowing to make Jenna pay when she came back. Then she said loudly
"Let the guy breath Elena. Explaining how he died to the cops will be a challenge otherwise."
It was highly amusing to watch the guy jump as if he'd been burned and practically toss Elena to the floor in his haste. Stefan's entire bottom half face was shaded in Elena's lipstick. Elena herself glared.
"God you're a party pooper."
"That is my goal in life."
Bella shot back. Mason realized this could get ugly; his body had begun the early stages of the change, so he quickly moved upstairs to start kicking people out. He must have done something right because Jeremy's friends filed out the door soon after. Matt rounded Caroline on his way out while Bonnie and Jeremy made googoo eyes at each other for a bit. Elena kept glaring.
"Stefan is.."
"Going to call when he gets home to say he made it and he's safe? That's so nice of you Stefan. It's dangerous world out there"
Bella drawled and stared at Stefan till he got the hint and left after bidding everyone goodbye.
"You're such a bitch"
Mason and Bella looked at each other.
"This overly entitled teenager hates you."
"I must be doing something right."
Elena stomped upstairs much to Bella's amusement. Mason chuckled and after running a circle around the house he bolted off to his family's old basement out in the woods where the original house once stood.
He never noticed the two birds watching him from the tall willow tree he'd climbed so many times in his teenage years
A/N: Hello guys and gals, I must admit I'm feeling so much better and I really wanted to thank everyone for the well wishes. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you next time!