Chapter Five
Bella
I sat with Angela in history and she noticed I wasn't concentrating.
"You OK Bella? You seem a little distracted".
"Oh yeah, just boy trouble".
"Oh Edward?"
"Yes and Jake".
"The eternal triangle" she said with a smile.
"Maybe but I'm getting a bit sick of being told what to do and where to go".
"Well Bella I guess you need to choose between the two of them".
"Oh Angie I'm not sure I want either of them, truth be told. They are both trying to control my life".
"Who do you like most?" She asked me with a sly look.
"OK, so Edward is gorgeous and intense while Jake is gorgeous and crazy. Maybe I should look for someone completely different".
I heard a cough behind me and turned to see Alice standing there, her usual beaming smile present.
"Could I talk to you Bella?"
Angie got the hint, "See you at lunch" and she went to speak to Ben, her new boyfriend.
"So Alice what can I do for you or am I just being clocked in and out of lessons now?"
Her smile disappeared and she looked uncomfortable.
"What Alice? Are you going to tell me you wrecked Jake's truck?"
"No, of course not" she said indignantly. "I would have fully mangled it with the dog inside".
I sighed, "Then who did? Emmett? Rose? No, not Rose, she wouldn't have intervened to save me".
Alice dragged me into the girls locker room looking in all the cubicles to make sure we were alone.
"Bella, there are a lot of weird things going on just now and I can't explain them".
"Why?"
"Because it would alter your decisions and therefore the future, silly".
"So what is it that you can't tell me?"
"How can I tell you something I can't tell you?" she said brows furrowed.
"Well I assumed you didn't drag me in here just to tell me weird things are happening. I already know that. They have ever since I met your family".
"Bella can I go home with you tonight? I really need to talk to you in private".
I sighed, "Wow! Asking my permission just for a change, what a novelty. OK Alice I'll see you at the truck".
At lunchtime Edward caught up with me, a broad smile on his face,
"Bella I've missed you this morning".
"Anything to tell me Edward?"
He looked puzzled "Sorry Bella?"
"Who trashed Jake's truck?"
"Oh Bella, for heaven's sake, whatever happened it was nothing to do with me or any of the others. Maybe it was a tree branch".
"Silly me, of course, an invisible branch".
I got some lunch and stomped over to Mike and Angela. Mike looked at me,
"Hey Arizona, slumming it today?"
Angela nudged him "Mike shut up" as Edward joined us, to Mikes disgust.
Lunch over I went to English with Edward but sat at my desk and refused to catch his eye.
"Bella please this is juvenile and silly".
"Well maybe you'd better find someone not so juvenile" I hissed.
At the end of class I escaped to gym. It was the first time I'd been relieved to get into the gym. Mike was very friendly, I think he fancied his chances seeing a rift with Edward,
"Mike please, I'm not interested, I'm off boys altogether".
He smiled, "I can wait Arizona.
At the end of the day I escaped Edward as his class was late getting out. Alice was waiting at the truck, toe tapping.
"Bella go, or we'll be seen by Edward".
I got in and started the engine, well someone was on my side it caught first time.
"Go" she snapped and I raced away from the school, well my trucks attempt at racing, it was faster than walking. When we got to Charlies she jumped out and ran up the steps,
"Bella come on".
I followed her into the house before I realized she'd got my key somehow. I was going to ask her how when she took my hand and pulled me up the stairs.
"Bella we only have a couple of minutes. Have you had any strange things happen to you since you got back?"
"Like dating a vampire?"
"Be serious" she said tapping the top of my computer, it was then I saw it was on.
I clicked the mouse and the screen lit up. It was another picture, this time Jake's truck with a fist above the roof. Alice saw my attention and looked herself.
"Oh, you have",
I turned on her as the picture faded away. "What's going on Alice? What do you know about this?"
She grimaced, "Not much I can tell you Bella".
"Why?"
"Wouldn't help" she explained.
"So you know who is doing this" I pointed to the screen, "Who drew the pictures, Who dented Jake's truck." She nodded
"But you can't tell me?"
She shook her head.
"Does Edward know?"
She shook her head. "No only me".
"OK, if you can't tell me who can you tell me why?"
"No" she shook her head.
"Am I in danger?"
"I don't know Bella but I don't think so".
"That's not very reassuring Alice" I pointed out.
"Well its the best I can do, but you need to keep Edward away from here".
"He comes in every night Alice".
"Well stop him Bella. Do you want him in your bedroom every night?"
I thought about that, "Not at the moment no. I'm pretty pissed off with him at the moment".
"Then tell him, you won't regret it I promise you".
"I'll think about it Alice. Can you tell me anything?"
"Not really, things didn't work out the way I'd hoped. I'm not sure what will happen but I think it works out for you. It didn't for me".
"You? This has something to do with you?"
"No not really".
"Alice make sense" I shouted, then the door bell rang.
"Bella if you want Edward to stay safe send him away at night".
"Is Jake involved in this?"
"Not yet but he might get involved".
She jumped out the window as I went downstairs. Edward stood there, very annoyed.
"Why didn't you wait for me?"
"I had something to do Edward".
"What?"
"It doesn't matter. I have homework Edward and I'm really tired".
"You don't want me to stay?" I shook my head. "What's wrong Bella? Have I done something to upset you?" "Yes Edward, I'm sick of being told where I can go and what I can do. I don't want to be followed everywhere I go".
"It's for your own good Bella".
"I'm perfectly safe now Edward so just ease up".
"Would you like me to go?"
I hesitated, then Alice's words came back to me, "Yes, I think I would".
He looked very hurt but nodded, "OK Bella. I'm sorry you feel that way. I'll see you in the morning".
He walked out shoulders slumped and got into his shiny Volvo and as he left he put a hand up in farewell. I went back into the house and nearly jumped out of my skin when I walked into Alice.
"I thought you'd gone".
"I did, in case Edward managed to talk you in to letting him stay".
"Well I didn't so what else don't you have to tell me?"
She beamed, "Bella please, you know I can't tell you anything, you have to make your own decisions. All I can do is warn you if anything is going wrong".
"Alice I don't have the faintest idea what you are talking about and frankly I'm too tired to worry about it. I'm going to do my homework then cook Charlie a meal and go to bed. I opened the door, "Bye Alice".
She skipped out, "Best of luck Bella".
"With what?" I shouted as she left giggling.
I did my homework, an essay on the Civil War from the Confederate viewpoint which was a real killer. Then I cooked dinner for Charlie, Beef Stroganoff, one of his favorites He wandered in to the lounge after dinner to put the game on,
"Bells, Billy and Jake are coming over later to watch the football. Can you do a few snacks".
I sighed "OK Dad but then I'm going to bed. I'm really tired and I've got some reading to do for school.
"Oh I thought you might want to sit and chat with Jake".
Now why would I want to do that I thought.
"No Dad I don't think Jake and I h much to say to each other"
"You heard his truck got vandalized?"
"Really?" I tried to be nonchalant.
"Yeah he parked it outside the Mall and someone tap danced on the roof".
"Wow how awful. Does he know who?"
"No idea, but he was pretty mad". Yeah cos he thinks it was a Cullen I thought.
"Hope he gets it fixed soon" I said as I took a plate of sandwiches, bowls of chips and nuts in for them. "Well I'm going up".
"No Edward?" Charlie said with a smile.
"No Dad, no Edward".
His contented look really upset me as I stomped off upstairs. I heard the doorbell go and raced into the shower to escape Jake. He shouted up but once he knew I was in the shower he conceded defeat and sat with Charlie and Billy. I went into my room and turned on the bedside light.
My computer was glowing and I was sure I'd turned it off earlier after replying to Renee's e-mail. I touched the mouse and a screen came up. There was no picture tonight but an essay on the Civil War. I started to read and realized it was good, very good. I took my essay out of my bag and started again. Using passages with references in the margins I rewrote the whole thing. Then it hit me, who had done this? Who'd sent me just what I needed and why? Was it someone from school? But then they wouldn't have known about the school hall or Jake's truck. Someone was trying to establish contact in a roundabout way and maybe it was time I responded.
I cleared the screen and brought up my word processing software then sat thinking for a while. Whoever it was didn't want to make direct contact but why? Until I answered in some way? Or because they had no intention of letting on who they were? I typed a short message and left the computer on when I climbed into bed. It may not be read but I was hopeful of a reply. My words flashed in my mind as I drifted off.
"Thank you but why?" It was short and to the point. My sleep was dreamless just for a change and I woke refreshed and ready for school. Just before I left I remembered the message I'd left on my computer and I ran back up to see if there was a reply. The computer was off, had I dreamed leaving the message?