Chapter 7:

A storm blew in during the night, making it impossible to sleep. Typically, there was a small amount of motion that existed in everything. Leaves, rocks, dirt. It all had some type of movement occurring constantly. That little bit of movement didn't bother me, I never paid attention to it.

The winds from the storm multiplied that by a thousand. Blowing every leaf, shuffling the grains of sand, and creating more activity than I could ignore or cope with.

I didn't fall asleep until after Charlie left, and slept through my alarm clock. By the time I got up and ready for school, I was dreadfully late.

I rushed to school, hoping I wouldn't run into a cop on my way there. The last thing I needed was for Charlie to find out I was speeding. He'd freak and I'd have to sit through a lecture about driving safely.

I made it to the school safely, only to see that my worries were for nothing. The parking lot was filled with students. There were also several buses lined up in the parking lot. Rather than exiting them, the students were lined up and boarding.

What's that about?

My curiosity waned as I pulled into my usual parking spot, and tried to work up the gumption to get out of the car. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep. Maybe my absence would go unnoticed, or maybe Charlie would understand my insomnia and let me off the hook. I wasn't in a good mood, and didn't feel up to facing people today.

The choice was made for me, when a strange boy opened my passenger door and climbed inside.

I'd just opened my mouth to tell him to get the hell out, when he stared speaking. "Hey, Baby. What would it take for you to let me drive your car?" He asked, smiling.

Call me 'Baby' again and I'll carve it into your forehead, you Jerk, I thought, replying automatically, "A miracle. Now, get out of my car." I climbed out, and shut the door without waiting for a reply.

My companion followed suit, but, instead of leaving, he walked around the car to meet me.

Of course, one more person who can't take a hint.

I ignored him, and used the key-fob to lock the car. The boy tried to talk to me, but I kept my head down and walked around him.

I braved the masses in search of Angela, eventually finding her with the rest of the group. I didn't want to call them 'my' group. Angela was the only one I liked, the rest were barely tolerable.

"What's going on?" I signed, not feeling up to a verbal conversation.

"Field trip. They're taking us to the plant Nursery." She didn't seem enthused about it. Not that I blamed her, a Nursery was a lame idea for a field trip.

"Who's idea was this? Forks is in the middle of a forest. Couldn't we have simply walked outside and gotten the same experience?"

Angela laughed, "Come on, it won't be that bad."

A trip to look at compost, with my sense of smell, today of all days? She's right, it wouldn't be that bad, it would be worse.

"No, it won't, because I'm going home. I hope you enjoy your trip, goodbye."

Angela caught my arm as I turned to leave. "Oh, please don't do that? This trip's going to suck enough as it is, you have to come. Please, please please? You're one of the few people who are genuinely nice to me. Please?" Her expression was heartbreaking. I felt my resolve waver.

No, bad Bella. Tired, bad mood, and people, not a good combo, remember?

I glanced at Angela, she pouted, "Pretty please?"

Dammit, I shouldn't have looked. "How am I supposed to say no to that?" I sighed.

She grinned, "You're not. That's the point."

I grudgingly got in line with Angela, wondering if I was expected to have a permission slip.

Mr. Varner, the school principal, was keeping track of who boarded the bus. He merely took our names and told us to find a seat. Maybe they don't worry about the little things here. Little things like liability, and getting sued.

I followed Angela to the back of the bus, taking a seat beside her, in the last row. I liked that; no need to monitor who was sitting behind me. I didn't see humans as a genuine threat anymore, but the compulsion to watch my back was deeply ingrained from years of living in a big city. Nothing about Phoenix was safe, least of all, the schools, or the students in those schools. It was necessary to watch everyone. Especially when you were perceived as weaker than everyone else, you seemed like an easy target.

Angela was quick to grab my attention, "I need some advice."

"About what?."

She grimaced, "About what it's like to be deaf."

"Okay," I nodded.

"I don't mean to be insensitive, my brother's having issues, I just want to try and understand what it's like, if I can. Well, I know I can't understand without being deaf myself, but I'd like to try. He's going through so much, and I don't know anyone else who might take the time to..."

I cut her off, "Breathe. Relax. Shut up. It's fine, you can ask whatever you want. I'll try to explain as best I can. Okay?"

"Okay," She smiled. "I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome," I said, "Now, tell me about your brother. How old is he, when did he lose his hearing, and what 'issues' is he having?"

"Well, he's 13, he was born deaf, and he gets angry over the smallest thing, saying that no one understands what he goes through every day. He has fits where he screams and throws things. Locks himself in his room for hours at a time, doesn't eat."

I waited, hoping she's elaborate on what precipitated his anger. She didn't. "First of all, he's 13. That's important for two reasons. One: no 13 year old, deaf or not, thinks anyone in the world understands him or her, that's normal. Though, in his case he'll never completely outgrow it, because he's right. That leads us to reason number two: Unless you, yourself, are deaf... you can't begin to imagine what it's like. How isolating it is, or how frustrating. More to the point, he doesn't understand; That, in itself, is lonely."

She frowned, "What do you mean, 'he doesn't understand'?"

I paused, How to explain? "What's your favorite type of music?"

"What does that have to do with my brother being deaf?"

I sighed, "We're getting to that part. Trust me."

She huffed. "Alternative Rock, I guess."

"Okay, now tell me why you like it. Ignore the lyrics, and describe the music itself, I want to hear about the melody."

She thought for a moment, "The beat. The way the drums thump, the bass behind it, it's exciting. And the electric guitar, the way it sounds when they're playing opposite each other. Two distinct sounds, complimenting each other, combining to create an entirely new sound, new chords."

I smiled, Angela evidently liked her music, she really got into the description. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Nothing you just said, means anything to me. The words drums, bass, electric guitar, chords; I can't fathom their meaning. I have no idea what drums sound like, neither does your brother. I've talked to people, asked them what music sounds like. No one was able to describe it in a way I could understand. You used the word 'thump', I don't know what a 'thump' sounds like. I don't know what music is, I barely comprehend the concept. You might as well have been speaking another language."

I paused, trying to think of a way to explain what that felt like. "I was seven when I lost my hearing, I don't remember much of anything before that. One of the few things I can clearly recollect is Clair De Lune. I remember that song, and the different sounds that created it. That gives me some idea what 'rock music' might be. Your brother doesn't even have that, he's never heard even one sound in his entire life. He can't even understand of what 'sound' is."

"But I've heard people say that the deaf 'hear' through vibrations. Isn't that similar, can't he feel the music, at least?"

I shook my head, "It doesn't work like that. Vibrations can be felt, but not heard. For me, vibrations are... sort of a warning system. They don't tell me what's happening, just that 'something' is."

"When I lived in Phoenix, my house was a few miles into the desert. So the vibrations came from what was happening inside my own home, they weren't constant like they would have been in the city. Doors opening and closing, someone walking across the floor, just about everything causes small vibrations. If I pay attention, they can sometimes tell me things, like when someone is walking up behind me, or when someone is in the next room. It's something to be ignored most of the time, but when I feel a hard, vibration... Maybe 'strong' would be a better word,―When I feel a strong vibration, I know something unusual is happening. It doesn't take the place of hearing, but, sometimes, it can help."

I paused, thinking of an example I could give her. "A few years ago, I was in my room, reading, and felt several, quick, hard vibrations. My mom had fallen down the stairs and broken her leg. The vibrations didn't tell me that she'd fallen, just that something odd had happened. If I hadn't felt the vibrations, and searched for the source, she could have laid there for hours before I found her. Vibrations are helpful to a deaf person, they do not take the place of our lost hearing."

"Okay, I can understand that."

"What next," I wondered aloud. "Sight! It's the most dominant sense I have. My entire world is a visual one. Right now, you see what's in front of you, but you hear what's going on, as well. See look there," I pointed towards the front of the bus, where Mike was standing in his seat. "I have no idea why he's doing that. It makes no sense to me. I see him standing there, and I see Jessica talking, but I see the side of her face. I can't tell what she's saying, so I don't understand. I can't take part in the joke, or the laughter. If they discuss it later, I won't know that this is what they're talking about. I imagine it's the same for your brother."

"I'm not someone who would want to take part in that, but your brother might be. This might be something he would want to be included in, and he can't. My best friend 'Jake' lives on the reservation, and he's very considerate about my disability, always has been. But, sometimes, when we hang out with his friends, he'll get to talking with them, and he forgets that I can't hear. He'll turn his head, or do something that causes me to loose track of what's going on. Then he turns to me, wanting my opinion, or to ask a question, and my only options are to admit I'm lost, which is humiliating, or lie and still feel like a shmuck. To work so hard, and still miss things, things that everyone else can keep up with effortlessly, feels like being left behind. Not to mention, the more one can't participate, the more one tries, and the more one fails. It's very frustrating. I've long since accepted the fact that I'm deaf, so it doesn't bother me anymore, it's just something I have to live with."

"I don't think my brothers accepted it." She sighed, "Maybe, he just needs something to cheer him up. There's a new action movie premiering in Port Angeles, I could take him to see it."

Not a good idea. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

"Why not," she asked, frowning.

"Because movies are just one more thing he can't appreciate to the fullest. You'll just remind him of that."

"I know he can't hear it, but he can read the subtitles."

"Exactly my point. You can't watch the movie and read at the same time, your attention has to be one one or the other."

"Okay, so what can I do?"

"My advise is to find something that would be helped by his lack of hearing."

"I'm more confused now, than when we started this conversation. What do you mean by that?"

I laughed. "Being deaf isn't always a disability, sometimes it gives us an advantage over everyone else. Non-hearing people have a stronger sense of smell, touch, even eye sight. Try competitive shooting, I hear that's popular here. The deaf tend to excel in the arts, see if he'd like to paint. "

Angela looked uncertain, "I don't know, my father doesn't allow him to go anywhere near guns."

"So choose something else, those aren't the only two things he could do. With a little technical assistance, a deaf person can do almost everything a hearing person can do."

Angela nodded. "I'll talk to my family, we'll find something."

Our conversation ended there. Angela sat back, and stared into space. I turned to the window, and tried to stay awake.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The nursery was exactly as I expected. The students were anything but what I expected. I assumed they'd be bored during this 'field trip', they weren't. They ran around like psychopaths, leaping over rows of plants, throwing dirt at each other.

The teachers alternated between swallowing large amounts of Advil, and chasing the students while waving rulers like maniacs.

I was hanging back, trying to avoid the chaos, when I noticed the Cullen's.

Edward, Alice, and Jasper. They were huddled together, talking amongst themselves. I tried to read their lips, but couldn't. They were talking at vampire speed. Their lips were moving so fast they were nothing more than a blur.

I continued to watch them until Alice caught me staring. She smiled, and raised her hand in a small wave.

I simply nodded in return, then diverted my eyes to watch the savages torture the teachers.

This is going to be a long day.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

In time, Mr. Varner rallied the teachers, and set about recapturing the children.

After only a half hour of failed attempts, they regained control. As much as I'd enjoyed watching them slowly loose their sanity, I was glad they'd succeeded. I wanted this done with as soon as possible.

I didn't like Mr. Varner. He had a superior attitude that annoyed me. Just watching him lecture the other students wore on my last nerve.

Once the lecture was over, he lined the students up, and gave them their assignments. I watched from afar, hoping he'd forget I existed.

Once he was done with everyone else, he waved me over. I should have know; it was too much to hope for.

"Miss Swan, you're partnered with Mr. Cullen," He gestured to my left.

Cullen? I turned to see Edward standing beside me. Why aren't I surprised?

"Here are your papers. Each one contains information on a specific plant. You need to read the clues, and then find the plant by comparing the clues with the plant details posted at the end of every row. You must do the work with your partner. You may not spit up, for any reason, doing so will result in an F. And remember, this counts toward your final grade." Oh, what fun!

Mr. Varner left after asking if we understood the rules.

I read the info quickly, then looked at Edward, "How do you want to do this?"

He frowned, "What do you mean?"

I sighed, "Do you want to work on them too?" He was scowling before I finished.

"I wouldn't make you do all the work," He snapped.

"I didn't mean to insult you. I meant that I already know the answers, I should have been clearer about that. My apologies." I handed him the papers, waiting for his decision.

Instead of saying something, he read from the papers, "Ethnobotanic: Used for : Landscaping, Medicinal, Culinary. Seeds used to treat: headaches, stomatitis, heart and kidney problems, ceremonial medicines, perfume, additives to tobacco, etc. Growing from the caudex. Compound leaves are distinctly divided into obovate leaflets."

He just looked at me for a moment, before nodding and walking off.

I kept pace with him as he found the first plant, as we made our way to the second he looked up at me, "How did you know the answers?"

"My mom dated a Botany professor for a while," I shrugged.

He nodded solemnly, "I take it you picked up a few things."

"Yeah. Surprised the hell out of me. I spent most of my time, while in his company, trying to turn him into a Tree Sloth with my awesome mental powers."

"Why a Tree Sloth" He asked, laughing.

I rolled my eyes, smiling conspiratorially, "It seemed like the only creature on the planet that might, possibly, have been more boring than he was."

"Did it work?" I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic, making fun of my sarcasm, or just making small talk. Whatever the reason, hanging out with the vampire, even if said vampire was gorgeous and intriguing, was a dangerous thing to do.

"Sadly no. But it didn't matter, he didn't last long." Should I not have said that? Did I just imply Mom's a slut?

Edward seemed oblivious to my internal panic, "Why not?"

Is he ever going to shut up? He'd already found two of the three plants... I stumbled. He'd known where they were! He'd found two of the three, in two minutes. I thought back, trying to remember the paths we'd taken from one plant to another.

Dammit! He'd definitely known the paths! We'd walked straight to them, no detours, or unnecessary turns. He walked there, then continued on to the next plant. The first building was out of our sight, so even his vampire sight wouldn't have helped him read the info, he couldn't see through the building. He may have even recognized what plants were needed from the clues, but how did he know where they were? I seriously doubted he frequented a plant nursery for fun.

Adonis is even weirder than I thought. Is he gifted? And if so, does that gift give him any insight into my abilities, or my knowledge?

Edward had stopped a few steps ahead, he was staring at me. "Are you alright?"

I scowled, "Yes, I just realized something."

His looked confused, but didn't ask. "You don't have to answer if you don't want too."

Really, I wasn't aware I needed your permission for that! Am I ever going to catch a freaking break with these creatures?

I quickly caught up with him, walking at his side as he led us to the last plant. "I'm sorry, what was the question?

"Why didn't the Botanist last long?"

"Oh, he was a boring jerk, who thought he was smarter than everyone else and couldn't keep his mouth shut for more than ten seconds at a time. My mom was willing to look past his faults, right up until he thought he had the right to discipline me."

Edward stopped walking, and turned to me. "He tried to hurt you?" Is it my imagination, or is he irrationally upset about that?

"No, he just thought it was okay to act like my father, forbid me from doing things he didn't approve of. My mom, who is normally the most gentle person you can imagine, well she... lets just say she let him know that was not okay. I've never been more proud of her."

He frowned for a moment. "How old are you, Bella?"

What an odd question. "Seventeen. Why?"

He shook his head slightly, regarding me thoughtfully. "You don't seem seventeen."

I laughed.

"What's funny," He asked.

I smiled, genuinely this time. "My Mom says I was born thirty years old, and I just get more middle aged every year." My smile fell as I spoke. I was really beginning to miss her.

We didn't speak for a few minutes, just walked side by side. I didn't know where we were going, but I'd bet he did.

Edward turned so I could read his lips, without stopping, or even slowing. "What's your mother like?"

I smiled, "She looks a lot like me, but she's prettier. I have to much Charlie in me," I explained. "She's much more outgoing than I am, and braver. She's slightly eccentric, highly unpredictable, and very adventurous." I paused, thinking of her daredevil stunts, and her cooking. "She's also a very inventive cook," I said, sighing. "She's my best friend."

"Do you wish you could be with her?"

Again with the weird questions? "In a way, yes. I miss her a great deal, and I worry about her. But it's best that we're separated for now. She's happier being able to spend time alone with Phil. And Charlie needs me more than she does." I frowned, I'd been far too honest with my answer.

I wondered what Edward thought of my response, did he know there was hidden meaning behind it?

"Can I ask what might me a personal question?"

I wish you wouldn't. "Sure," I replied, despite myself.

"Why does Charlie need you?"

Ah, you idiot. "I know Charlie, despite the fact that we haven't spent a lot of time with each other. He regrets the fact that he hasn't been able to be the typical father. That he hasn't gotten to actually raise me. He wants the chance to do the father/daughter thing."

When did this conversation get so uncomfortable? One minute I was making small talk with my enemy, and the next I've somehow managed to wonder into a verbal mine field.

He nodded thoughtfully, "I can see why your mom calls you middle aged. You're very mature."

It was definitely time to end this conversation, "You know, that's really strange coming from someone who can't be much older than I am."

"Yes... Well." He paused, watching me silently for a moment, then he turned and walked away.

Ha! That was easier than I thought.

Edward found the last plant, and delivered our results to Mr. Varner. After checking our results he walked away, leaving Edward and I standing there.

This is destined to become an awkward moment. Intending to avoid Edward, I nodded in his direction as I walked away.

I didn't have a destination in mind, I just needed get away from the vampire.

I worried why he was having these friendly little chats with me. That wasn't his normal behavior. The entire Cullen family, with the exception of Carlisle, avoided contact with humans. They did such a through job of it that everyone thought they were snobs. Why would he alter his normal routine in order to talk to me?

I looked for somewhere to go, someplace where I could hide from Edward. I spotted a small group of students lined up to take a tour of the nursery. I got in line behind them, pretending as if I'd intended to do that all along.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Once the tour was over, we were put back on the buses and moved to a small bed and breakfast for lunch.

Can it be called a 'Bed and Breakfast' if we're only going to be eating, and not sleeping?

The teachers watched as we were herded into the dining hall, then separated themselves from us students. The warned everyone that any misbehavior would be severely punished, then disappeared into, what I assumed, was the kitchen. Not that I blamed them, they had to be exhausted. As was I.

Pretending I'd come up with the idea on my own, and wasn't lame enough to copy the ass-faced teachers, I found a quiet corner and pulled my favorite Jane Austin book out of my backpack.

Mr, Darcy was just about to pull his head out of his ass, when I felt something moving incredibly fast. I noted the direction, it was coming towards me. Or the B&B, I couldn't predict it's destination, it could be either one.

That conclusion made sense, especially considering I was in the B&B. I surrounded myself with my shield and waited so see where the vampire was going.

I sighed, I'd imagined life would be simpler here, it wasn't. I'd imagined that any sign of a vampire would mean a probable attack, it didn't. There were too many vampires here. So many people to watch out for. So many possibilities.

I'd largely discounted the Cullens as a imminent threat, they seemed to be interested only in staying under the radar and living their lives. Which didn't mean I could relax my guard, I had too much to protect. But maybe I could stop paying so much damned attention to them. Believe it or not, there were other things I'd rather be doing.

The vampire speeding toward me, or rather, us, suddenly slowed as he reached the entrance to the B&B.

I kept my head down, as if I were still reading my book, and covertly watched the door.

Less than a second later, Jasper casually walked in. Appearing, for all intents and purposes, human.

See, nothing to freak out over, just another bloodsucker inadvertently screwing with my life.

I continued to watch him, as he made his way over to where Edward and Alice were sitting. He shoved Edward aside and took the seat across from his mate. I watched them, as they engaged in a mock fight, impressed with their charade. If I didn't know they were vampires, I wouldn't have thought anything was amiss with them. They played their parts extremely well.

Edward looked up, and said something to Alice that made her reach over and smack him on the arm. He laughed and smiled the most breathtakingly beautiful smile I'd ever seen. That was the first time I'd seen him truly smile. My heart kicked and started doing summer salts in my chest.

Before I could understand what what meant, Alice suddenly froze, her entire body tensing up. Jasper immediately grasped her hand and stared at her worriedly. Edward simply frowned, and stared at Alice.

Suddenly, Alice snapped her head to the side and stared at Lauren Mallory. She snapped out of it, and started whispering to Jasper. Before I knew it, they'd all disposed of their untouched plates and were headed for the door.

Seconds before they reached it, several students suddenly stood up to my left and Mr. Varner ran towards them. I glanced over, only to see that Lauren was grasping a broken cup in her hand, and bleeding profusely.

Astounded, I turned back to watch the vampires disappeared through the door.

Fighting the urge to vomit, I realized three very horrible things.

One: Alice Cullen was a freaking Psychic!

Two: I had a crush on Edward freaking Cullen!

And Three: I was slowly turning into my freaking mother!