Chapter 14 - Confrontation
I finished class, and walked slowly towards the parking area. Eric was in high spirits, after spending half the class enquiring about Angela, I had finally managed to convince him to ask her out.
"Are you sure she likes me that way Bella? I'd hate to make a total fool of myself" he asked as he unlocked his car.
"Eric, you make a fool of yourself most of the time, so you won't lose anything by asking, will you" I answered with a smile on my face.
"True… okay then, I'll ask her. I hope you find someone Bella, and then we can double date".
I had a vision of Eric and Angela sat opposite me and Alice in a restaurant.
Dream on Bella a small voice echoed in my ear.
"Look, Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome has arrived" he laughed.
I shot him a pointed look, and walked across to Jake's truck. Before I jumped in, I spotted Edward standing across the car park near his car. When our eyes met, he cocked his head to one side like Alice did when she was thinking about something. I smiled, and he returned the gesture.
"You gonna get in".
Jake's voice interrupted my silent communication.
I got in, and Jake pulled out of the car park – ignoring the speed limit. I suppose I should have been used to it, Alice hadn't paid much attention to it either but it seemed to bug me when Jake did it.
All was silent for a few minutes as I shifted my text books on my lap. Jake glanced down.
"Myths and Legends? Call that homework" he joked.
I smiled, "Believe it or not, Mr Black, my homework is you – or rather, your Quileute tribe".
Jake returned my laugh, "You won't find anything in there" he pointed to the book on my lap "not the truth, anyway" he finished.
"Really? Well, maybe you could share the truth; get me an A for my homework?"
Jake shrugged, "maybe – what made you get a book on myths and legends anyway?" he asked.
"I felt like researching – you never know what you may come across" I answered, adding "let me guess, you think its all mumbo jumbo".
Jake turned a corner, and looked back at me, "define mumbo jumbo Bella" he responded, his voice a little dry.
I opened the book and read from the index.
"Mummies, Wizards, Mermaids, Witches, Dragons, Fairies, Ghosts, Giants, Vampires, Zombies, Werewolves…. Okay, maybe it is mumbo jumbo" I laughed.
Jake didn't. "Or maybe not" he muttered, before he pressed down on the gas and we shot forward faster than before.
"You believe in this stuff then" I asked.
"I have an open mind" he replied. I was about to ask him exactly what he did believe it, when he spoke again, this time his voice was more level.
"So, about this weekend… I thought maybe we could catch a movie on Saturday? Your dad seems happy with the idea".
I turned and looked at Jake, a frown appearing across my face.
"My dad is happy with it?" I queried.
"Yeah, I saw him earlier when he came to visit my dad, he thinks it's a good thing, us spending time together, I think…"
"And what about me, Jake. Aren't you interested in what I happen to think?" I interrupted, a slight tremor appearing in my voice. I could feel the anger rise steadily.
"You said you'd let me know, I just assumed…"
"Well don't, because I have plans already Saturday. Next time, ask me before my dad, okay?"
Jake shrugged, "Okay, well what about Sunday". He was persistent, I could give him that.
"Look – I honestly don't know about Sunday, it depends how late I am back Saturday, besides, I'll have homework".
"Bella, you're blowing me off for homework? And what do you mean, it depends how late you are back – what are you doing Saturday" he asked, glancing at me.
"I'm spending the day with Alice" was my simple reply.
Jake's head shot around, "Alice Cullen" he queried.
"The one and only" was my dry retort.
"Bella, didn't you pay attention to anything I said to you this morning? She… look, none of the Cullen's are to be trusted. I can't let you spend the day with her alone, I just won't…"
The anger that had subsided now rose with a sudden force through my entire body.
"You won't let me? Jake – you have no power over me or my actions – I am spending the day with her and there is absolutely nothing you can do to stop me".
"If you knew" he spat out "what she was capable of, you wouldn't be saying that Bella".
I ignored him. The agitation I was feeling was pretty hard to control. I bit at my lip. He continued.
"Tell her you're already busy, tell her you're spending the day with me – she'll soon stop hanging around you…."
I burst.
"Stop the truck".
Jake continued to drive.
"Jake, stop the truck NOW" I bellowed.
He did as I instructed.
"Bella…."
I jumped out of the truck and slammed the door shut heavily behind me.
He was soon behind me. Taking a hold of my shoulder, he spun me round.
"Bella, don't be stupid – you can't walk home. Get in the truck, we can talk about this".
I stepped back a pace, he was too close.
"Enough, Jake. I'm seeing Alice, end of conversation".
I turned, but again his hands were on me, this time his grip was firmer. He turned me around again, and grabbed my hands in his.
"Bella, I'm only trying to protect you" he whispered.
I stepped back, and pulled my hands away. The sudden movement seemed to catch him unaware. He let go, and I fell back, hitting the ground with a thud.
What happened next was a blur.
Quick as a flash, a figure appeared between me and Jake.
It was Alice.
"This is how you protect Bella" she seemed to hiss.
I tried to get up, but soon realised I had managed to sprain my ankle. I also realised I had fallen on my bad hand. A small trace of blood started to form on the bandage.
"Ouch" I murmured.
Alice glanced down at me and my now bleeding hand; her features seemed more ashen than normal. Her eyes were dark and I realised immediately she was furious.
Jake stepped forward, which I soon realised was a mistake. A big mistake.
Alice promptly moved towards him, shielding me behind her she pushed Jake, or so I originally thought. Perhaps push was putting it a little lightly, for Jake seemed to catapult back into the front of his truck with a large "thud". I could see the look of shock on his face, like he didn't expect Alice to possess so much force. His look soon changed to anger and he stepped forward again, this time not quite as close to Alice as he was before.
"Leave her alone Cullen" he sneered.
A low growl seemed to escape Alice's lips.
"Never" she warned, and then I saw her mouth open slightly, baring her white teeth…
I tried to get up again, but the pain in my ankle was too fierce and I drew a sharp intake of breath.
"Bella". Alice was immediately at my side, and I immediately felt safe.
"Get away from her" Jake barked.
"No, stay Alice" I mumbled placing my hand on Alice's arm for support.
Alice embraced me, and lifted me in her arms, which came as a complete surprise. I knew she was compact, I had felt her muscled, toned arms and stomach when she had embraced me in the hospital, but for someone so small she seemed to possess so much strength. And that shove she had inflicted on Jake…
Alice stood facing Jake, her body was trembling slightly.
"I'm taking her home, Jake. Try and stop me, and you'll be sorry". Each word was pronounced and sharp.
"Bite me" Jake mocked.
As she walked towards her car with me in her arms, I noticed the large dent in the front of the truck, from where Jake had hit it.
I jolted.
Alice opened the passenger door and gently lifted me inside.
"Thank you" I spoke slowly, "He... I've never seen him act that way before… I... I'm confused".
"It's okay Bella, everything is going to be okay, and you're just a little traumatised. You're safe now, you always will be".
Her voice was back to normal, soft and comforting. I glanced out of the back window to see Jake jump back into his truck.
Alice started the car.
"I'm taking you to my home" she whispered, I nodded.
"We need to talk Alice" I murmured.
Alice sighed, a sweet and soft sigh that made my stomach flip.
"Yes, we do" she responded, leaning across she placed her hand on my bandage but quickly withdrew.
"Bella, you're bleeding", she swallowed hard and continued, "Carlisle will need to take a look at your wound when we get home, he's not at the hospital this evening…" her voice trailed off.
I nodded again, I felt a little dizzy and disorientated. The whole scene that had just played out in font of me seemed liked a delusion or hallucination. My thoughts ran back to the chapters in the Myths and Legends book I had read in the library before I left school for the day.
The chapters I had flicked through, half heartedly. And the chapter I had stopped at when a picture that covered one page looked back up at me.
A picture of a female vampire. One that could have been Alice, if she had longer hair.
And the words, the words that were now swimming around my mind…
Ice cold….
Her hands were, when I held them… so very cold, yet they made me feel so warm inside…
Stealth…
When she let me out of her car, the very first time she dropped me off home. And again just now, when she had appeared from nowhere to shield me from Jake…
Strong…
She'd practically thrown Jake against the truck, and then picked me up like I was as light as a feather…
Graceful…
Alice was so elegant and graceful when she walked, even when she sat and held herself, always so poised…
Pale Skin…
She was so pale in comparison to me, and I was the palest person I knew… and her face had gone so milky white when she had stood between me and Jake…
Piercing eyes…
That looked into the depths of my soul… normally amber, yet as black as night just now…
Classically attired…
Alice Cullen, from the top of her head to the tip of her toes…
Tantalising Smell…
I couldn't resist getting close to her, her scent…
Impeccable accents…
Alice was never hesitant in speech…
White sharp teeth…
Even whiter than her skin, and the way she had bared them when standing near Jake…. And Jakes last words to her, "Bite me"…
No appetite…
I had never seen her eat, or drink….
Ancestry…
Alice, and her kin… so very close, and Rosalie, so very protective...
Unexplained appearances…
The hospital. And now…
Lucid dreams…
How many times had I dreamt about her? Felt her presence…
Blood…
How quickly she had pulled away from me when she'd seen I was bleeding…
Dangerous…
I recalled Jake's words;
"She… look, none of the Cullen's are to be trusted. I can't let you spend the day with her alone…"
Yet I had never felt danger.
Only love.
Pure, powerful and intense love.
I knew that now.
I looked across at Alice, who was looking at me in a questioning way.
"I know what you are" I whispered.
Was I going insane? Had I really just said those words?
Alice turned the car onto a long drive and pulled up outside a large three story building, next to Edwards silver Volvo. Turning, she looked at me with warm amber eyes. Alice always smiled, but this time she seemed almost apprehensive, and even a little fearful.
I reached out for her and took one cold hand in mine.
Silence followed. I didn't know how long we both sat like that. I squeezed her hand, to comfort her. And then she smiled, albeit an anxious one.
"Say it, Bella" she replied, her voice gentle, "Please"…
"You're…"
I stopped myself temporarily, and looked at her – really looked at her, for the first time since I had met her.
"You're a vampire" I whispered.