A/N: SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! I'm sorry I didn't update quicker! Life is kinda crazy at the moment.
Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is the sole property of Stephanie Meyer, not mine.
Edward, sweetie, please come on out. You'll be late for school, again.
Esme's worried thoughts momentarily broke through my abyss of misery. I was currently curled into a position of sorrow on the filthy floor of my room.
My room was completely distroyed. CDs thrown everywhere, worn clothes, crumbled up pieces of paper. I never cleaned up. My life was an endless cycle of depression; go to school, come home, curl into a ball, float in a pit of despair all night, and do the same thing again the next day.
My world used to be so bright, so colorful. I was floating in a sea of pure happiness. The water was still, the water clear and blue, the sun high in the sky so warm, my arms around the only center of the universe. Bella.
A soft wimper escaped at the thought of her. Her beautiful mahogany hair, her full pink lips, her warm chocolate eyes, warm ivory skin, so soft, like silk over glass. Pearl colored teeth gnawing at her bottom lip. The astonishing red blush of her cheeks, the intoxicating smell of freesias in her scent; the taste still in my tongue, in my lungs.
Edward, please. You're making Esme worry. Alice thought to me. With a low groan I pushed my limbs to move. I stood from my fatal position and looked around at my dark room.
That sea of happiness had turned into a sea of despair and pain. The sun was gone to be replaced by dark gray, bleak skies, the water was the darkest of blacks, and the center of the universe had drowned. She was gone, and with her went my heart.
I slipped on a random black button on shirt, black slacks, and simple black shoes. I might as well dress to go along for the mood. No one was the same. Emmett didn't joke, Alice didn't shop like she used to, Carlisle spends more time at the hospital, Jasper's gone most of days, Esme doesn't renovate anymore, and even Rosalie was affected. Cold, heartless Rosalie, whom seemed to hate Bella with a fiery passion, didn't work on cars, she didn't shop. It was bad, but I was only aware of the pain in my heart.
Edward, please, I know you're in pain, but you're making me depressed. Jasper's thoughts gave me a small warning before a wall of joy hit me. I snarled and glared at my brother. Couldn't he feel I didn't want to be happy? I didn't deserve happiness. I deserve to go to hell for being a monster. A cold, heartless, soulless monster who actually believed he deserved happiness. How pathetic I am.
Edward. I know what you're going through. I've been there, I know it hurts, but sooner or later you're going to have to pull yourself together for your family. This pain is mutual for all of us, not just you. I'm not pushing you to be all happy, but at least try to make an effort, please. Israel's thoughts were a slap in the face. His words were true, this pain wasn't just my pain. It was also their's. There I go again being the self-centered monster that I am.
Israel is a vampire that joined us a couple of years after we left Forks; after we left Bella. We found him out in the woods, starved, depressed, and about to be eaten by a mountain lion. Emmett finished of the lion while Jasper brought him to Carlisle. Alice begged Carlisle to change him, apparently she had had a vision about his vampire future, so now I wasn't the only left over wheel.
Israel had Mexican features, seeing as though his parents were. He had jet black messy hair. He went through almost the exact same pain I'm going throuhg except he's on the other end. A girl, a very important girl, left him. He was some girl's Bella.
"Edward, you drive." Alice said, her voice lacking the joy we had once felt. I gave her a sharp, curt nod and ran to my Volvo.
I had sat in this Volvo for 3 weeks after we left, refusing to leave for anything; not even hunting. I had stayed in this Volvo to simply smell her scent once again. To remember her in every detail, before I made the mistake. Her beautiful scent had now dissipated into nothing. My sibilings enter my car, Alice in the front, but I barely noticed.
I felt numb, like only my mind was capable of self control, not my body. I sped down the street making my way to my own personal hell. My mind wondered off, leaving my body numbed. I don't know what I was seeing or what my siblings were murmuring behind me, nor could I hear their thoughts. It was just me and my thoughts. My thoughts were rudely inturrupted when my body heard a shrill scream, "YOU ASSHOLE!"
My mind returned to my body and once more I knew what was happening. My body, driving, had cut in front of another car. A metallic gold Corvette Grand. The driver was angry and blew the horn, another person, perhaps a passenger, whispered, "Jackie..."
Such an angelic voice.
"Dude, speed up. Psycho human on our tail." Emmett muttered. My body pressed down on the petal causing the car to speed up. In the mirror I saw the Corvette now next to a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.
"OH, HELL NA!" The Corvette driver, female I assumed by the sorprano voice, was outraged. A bass chuckle, male, came from the Mercedes driver. The Corvette accelerated, trying to get in front of me.
"Nice car. A 2010 Corvette Grand, up to 250 mph. Though I've never seen it in gold before...weird." Rosalie muttered.
The Corvette driver manuvered her way infront of me. My body was expecting the outrage and exhiliration it used to get from the speed and challenge, but it never came. This was the first time in years that I've had any strong emotion apart from despair and sorrow. "HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?" The Corvette driver exulted in pure triumph, before speeding off, leaving my car in the dust.
"You just got you're butt kicked by a pyschopathic human. That's sad." Emmett said. I simply shrugged and continued thinking.
Almost to school...hm...WHY CAN'T I SEE ANYTHING? Alice's outraged burst had me looking at her, blankly as always. I tried to see the events for today, you know incase, but I can't see anything!
"Maybe there's nothing to see." my voice came out bleak and monotone. My siblings in the back flashed glances between Alice and I. No, this morning I saw up to when we see the Corvette then...poof! Nothing. What was the driver thinking of?
Now that she brought up the subject, I had heard a single word from the driver. I heard Emmett's wines about losing, Rosalie's praises, and Jasper's analyzes of how childish this how thing was, and Israel's blank thoughts on how cool the Corvette looked in gold but nothing from the Corvette driver, or passenger. Not even the Mercedes driver. I haven't had this problem in 58 years, ever since...
"Nothing." My siblings looked at me with curiousity.
"How could you have heard nothing?" Alice inquired aloud. Heard nothing what? Jasper mentally thought to me.
"Nothing. I heard nothing. Simple. School up ahead." I was fully aware of the swirl of thoughts, of the small gasp from Rosalie, but I ignored them. I pulled into the parking lot and parked into the usual spot.
Hey, Edward isn't that the Corvette Grand that just beat you. Oh! Look it's next to the Mercedes-Benz. The driver was one of the new students! Emmett's thoughts were correct. There sat the gold Corvette next to the midnight blue Mercedes. There also was a blood red Audi and a green Camaro. Huddled in front of the cars were 7 kids, all about the age of 17, four female, three males.
One female had dark black hair the went past her shoulders. She had full lips, well tanned skin. Her features were obviously Mexican. Her eyes topaz, she had..topaz? Vampire.
Another had short dark brown hair that barely reached her chin. She had perfect mocha skin that made her topaz eyes pop. Full lips and high cheek bones. There was a dirty blonde headed female; she had pale skin, almond shaped eyes, and full pink lips. They were all very pretty, but the brunette was by far the most beautiful.
Her mahogany hair was a cascade of curls down her back. She had curves in to right places, she gave of an aura of pure bliss, she looked so warm. Her back was to me but it felt like she had a metal cable tied to the place where my heart showed be and was tugging.
The males were ordinary, well as ordinary as any other vampire male I had seen. Handsome, caused human females to feel hormonal; the usual. One had dirty blonde hair falling into his eyes; another was obviously hispanic with messy black hair, and the last had dark brown hair with light brown skin.
The new vampire students were joking around until the brunette muttered something, they nodded in unision and began walking in the direction of the office.
My heart tugged forward, in the direction of the brunette. My feet dragged foward, walking after them. My siblings gave each other confused looks before following after me. The brunette turned and I was givin a instant look at her face.
Oh! So beautiful! Plump, pink full lips, high cheekbones, ivory/alabaster colored skin, liquid topaz eyes, framed by a set of long lashes. Her pearl white teeth dug into her bottom lip, subconsiously. Every detail seemed so familiar yet alien. This beauty looked like...
"Bella?" my voice, for the first time in decades, showed emotion. My heart swelled, I felt breathless.
The brunette turned, her beautiful mahogany flying around her. Her eyes widened in surprise when her precious gaze fell upon me. Her topaz eyes showed pure pain and surprise. Bella. My Bella. She was alive!
Growls erupted from her siblings I presumed they were. They quickly formed a half circle around her with the black haired hispanic girl and the black haired Mexican male in the front, half crouched and growling the loudest. Their eyes turned black with rage. What had I done?
"There are humans present." Alice's voice sounded breatheless yet bleak.
The dirty blonde headed female stood erect and answered in a tone of pure rage, "Of course. This isn't the time or place. Come on. Let's go."
"Jacqueline? Jackie? It can't be." Israel's thoughts went haywire. Was this girl the one whom had left him?
The hispanic black haired female blackened eyes snapped to Israel at the mention of her name. Her eyes went wide, her spine erected, her hand snapped to her chest, and her mouth made an "o".
The hispanic male next to her growled slightly at the sight of Israel, then when the hispanic female began shacking her head 'no' and trembling, he proceeded to comfort her. The blonde headed and short African American, females gasped and threw glances between Israel and the female.
I was oblivious throughout the entire silent exchange. I only had eyes for my Bella. She was still wide eyed and her once brown eyes seemed to have glazed over. She stared blankly at every face of my sibling again and again: but never mine. My repaired heart ripped slightly. She was probably repulsed at me. I made her a...a monster. A soulless, repulsive monster.*
"Stay away from them!" the hispanic male sneered. His arms were wrapped around the hispanic male and my Bella. A growl built in my chest and was threatening to erupt until I realized something; she wasn't my Bella anymore. I had left her; this male could very well be her...her mate.
"Eric? Is that you?" Israel asked incredulously. The male gave a single dark chuckle.
"Small world isn't it." he gave a cold smirk. My siblings thoughts were haywire, thinking the same thing I was. What's going on?
"You guys...know each other?" Jasper asked. The hispanic male, Eric as Israel had called him, gave another dark chuckle.
"Haven't told the everything I see, Israel." he taunted Israel then stared at me, " but then again you do live with bastards who doesn't care about anyone but themselves. SO why would they care?"
"Eric. Enough." The hispanic girl under Eric's arm, Israel had said her name was Jacqueline, spoke breatheless; starring at nothing except her shoes.
"Jackie..." he trailed off. Jacqueline turned stiff then place her hand on Eric's forearm. Slowly Eric began to flinch. "Okay." his voice came out a little high pitched and in pain. A small sly grin grew on Jacuqline's face then fell. She looked at me and her gaze turned cold then her gaze switched to Bella's stunned form.
"Come on. Get her inside." Jacqueline ordered Eric and they retreated to the school building, but not before Jacqueline gave me one more cold glare.
"What...was...that?" Rosalie sounded stuplified. The dirty blonde and dark haired females shook their heads at the retreating forms, then glanced at Israel before staring at Rosalie. The blonde spoke first.
"That, was Eric being over protective of 'his' girls." She then walked into the arms of the of the dirty blonde male.
"And then Jackie having a small cool off," she smiled softly and scoffed slightly at a double meaning of her words, "and Bella having a black out." She then, like the dirty blonde, walked into the arms of the dark haired male.
"Names Charlisa by the way and this is Jason." She pointed to herself and the dark haired male.
"I am James," I fought the urge to growl at the name, "but call me Stark. This is my mate Randi." he introduced himself and the dirty blonde haired female.
"Well, I'm Alice. Hi. This is my mate Jasper. That's Rosalie and Emmett. And that's Israel. This is Edward." Alice introduced us, but they didn't seem like this was new information for them.
"We know..." Started Charlisa.
"Bella spoke of you before." Jason finished. My mind raced. Bella talked about us; good or bad? Is that why Eric was angry with me?
"Anyway, look we don't want trouble, but if you hurt our sisters," Jason started.
"We won't hesitate to attack." Jam...Stark finished. What's with this family and finishing each others sentences? That's just creepy! And who are they going to attack? Not us! Not with Awesome Emmett on our side! Emmett's thoughts were naïve, as always.
"If you attack, we'll attack back. And we'll win! Right Alice?" Emmett sounded so confident, but Alice's face scrunched up in confusion. Edward, I still can't see anything! Blank. Ugh! Randi chuckled causing all of us to look at her. She reached out, keeping one hand on Stark, and touched Charlisa's forearm.
"I see. Funny. Bella's pulling through." she smiled a smirk before her gaze went blank and her eyes glazed over. She kind of looks how Alice looks when she's having a vision. Jasper thought. Suddenly her eyes unglazed and she stared at the school buliding, worried.
"What did you see?" Jason and Stark asked.
See? Maybe she can see the future like me, Edward. Maybe that's why I can't see. We cancel each other out! Alice's thoughts.
Another vampire with premotion? Strange. No two powers are ever the same. Jasper's thoughts.
These vampires aren't very smart. She obviously saw the grass, some ugly cars, tasty humans, that birdie in the tree... Why do I even bother with Emmett?
Nice car that Audi RS4. Wish I had one, but Carlisle took my credit card. Shoot! That'll be my gift to my self. Rosalie and cars.
Jacqueline is alive? She is here? Is she with Eric? Who changed her? Does she hate me? Israel was worring about Jacqueline.
Charlisa's dark hand reached out to touch Randi's arm and a knowing look pasted threw them; all of them.
"We'd love to stay in talk but we don't want to be late for the first day of school. See you around, vampires." Jason stated and his siblings nodded in agreement.
"Wait!" Israel cried. They turned to look at him. "How about we get together later and...discuss...some things." They began to give each other wary looks.
"We'll...think about it and inform you later." Stark said and they quickly retreated into the building, leaving my family and I dumbfounded.
"What was that about? Israel, you know them?" Jasper inquired. Israel gave a small stiff nod but his seemed focused on the spot where, minutes ago, Jacqueline had been.
"Are they...from your," Rosalie's voice suddenly became a whisper, "human life?"
"Yeah. Jacqueline was, is, the girl I told you about. Eric used to be my best friend, Jacqueline's too, it just..." he trailed off.
"Wait. Let me get this straight. She dumped you, but she looked like it was the other way around. Bella's behavior I can understand but she looked like she'd seen a ghost." Alice's words shreaded threw my heart and again I felt my mind begin to leave my body. I was on cloud nine.
My Bella. My beautiful Bella was alive, well immortal anyway. Would she take me back, even after all I put her through? Who had turned her? What had happened since I left? When was she changed? She didn't look a day over 18.*
"Edward? Edward!" Emmett's harsh shoutings broke me from my trance.
"What?" My voice sounded dark and harsh, yet it also sounded out of breathe.
"The bell's about to ring and if you don't get to class on time, I see you getting detention. Esme won't like that so come on!" Her small petite arm made a sranglehold around my wrist and dragge me to class.
The teacher drowned on and on about endless Math. Like I didn't already know this. My mind wondered back again to Bella's deer-caught-in-headlights look. She looked beautiful, not that she wasn't beautiful before but immortality suited her well. Very well.
I imagined holding her—touching her—once more. Her soft silk pale skin under my arms; tracing her pink, plump, full lips. Running my hand through her soft hair. a sigh of contentment escaped my lips. I heard someone—someone far away—clear their throat.
" Class, these are our newest students. Jacqueline and Eric Gonzalez and Bella Swan. Ms. and Mr. Gonzalez there's an empty table back there in the corner. Ms. Swan, there's only one other available sit here next to Mr. Cullen."
Bella's face snapped up—she had been looking at the floor—and stared wide-eyed at her siblings. Eric looked murderous and Jacqueline looked concerned.
So much for Math being boring. Jacqueline's eyes widen a little then she spoke to the teacher.
"Actually, Mr. Walker, I prefer to sit away from my dear brother. He usually distracts me from my studies and I don't like failing." She gave the teacher a small smile, sending his heart speeding as well as his thoughts. She's gorgeous. What I'd give to be seventeen again. Come on, Richard, you're happily married.
"Alright, Ms. Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez and Ms. Swan, you two will take the table in the back and you, Ms. Gonzalez, can sit next to Mr. Cullen."
"That'll be fine. Thank you." She gave another small smile, then her face became bleak. She practically dragged herself to my, our, table. As Eric and Bella walked past she through Eric a dark glare, before turning into a sympathetic glance at Bella.
The teacher continued on the lesson. Half way through the lecture in my peripheral vision I saw Jacqueline produce a piece of paper. She scribbled a small note in elegant script. She proceeded to turn her gaze to then back to her siblings.
I looked as well. Bella and Eric were whispering so quietly that I couldn't hear. Jacqueline glanced back at nervously, before quickly slipping me the note. The bell rang and she practically ran out the door, as did Eric and Bella. I stared, stunned, at the note.
There, written, were four words that gave me another strand of hope.
I can help you.
*-Edward isn't calling Bella a repulsive, soulless monster. He's refering to the fact that Bella doesn't deserve to be what he is, which, in his opinion, is a repulsive monster.
A/N: Did you like it? Did I capture Edward correctly? Please review. And before I forget, a big thank you to anybody who brought to my attention that the previous chapter has somehow acciedently repeated itself. I will be going back shortly and correcting that problem as well as any other errors I have seen.
Is anyone interested in beta-ing? I am somewhat desperate need of one. If you are interested in beta-ing this story please PM me. Thanks.
REVIEW!REVIEW!REVIEW!
-Hermione_Cullen,Vamp-Wiz