Eight
After school I shot out of gym class like a bat out of hell. Back at my school in Arizona, P.E. Was only mandatory for 2 years — here it's all four. Thank god for small favors I'm transferring my junior year, if it were my senior, I'd have to take an eighth period to make up for the lost credit.
But that also means I'm going to probably sustain at least two more injuries attempting whatever asinine sport I'm forced to participate in.
Freshman year, I twisted my ankle playing basketball and sophomore year I took Dance P.E., thinking it'd be easier but instead spent the year making a fool of myself. I suffered a concussion and twisted my knee in that class. Turns out folk dancing is hard. Who woulda thought.
I stride towards my truck, faster than I should with the freezing cold wind blasting my whole body. It legitimately feels strong enough to carry me away, I'm not kidding.
I take turns praying I won't trip and that nobody will try to talk to me. I just want to go home, start dinner so Pops will come home to a nice meal and . . . I don't know cut my wrists or something equally as enjoyable as I contemplate that fact that I have to go to school with these people for the next year and a half.
"Bella!"
Nope. Not happening. Walk faster, Swan.
It's not like I think any of them are bad people, everyone seemed nice enough, kind of fake . . . Not that I'm one to talk, glass house and throwing stones and all that jazz, I faked my way through this whole day but . . . they were all just so annoying.
Oh, wait, I forgot Angela – Okay, except Angela, Angela was fine, but that was only because I'm pretty sure I heard a total of five words from her the whole day, she's very forgettable. Turns out I have 1st period English and biology after lunch with her, didn't notice her in either class it's like she blends in with the walls, cute looks aside.
"Hey! Bella, wait up!"
I'm almost starting to feel bad for ignoring him, it's just so rude ignoring a desperate human being like this but then a gust of frigid wind smacks me in the face and I resolve. I don't have to wait for the annoying child if I don't want to.
Just call me Rude Swan for now on . . . Holy crap that'd be a cool name for a punk rock band. I should start that band . . . Our first single could be called Rude Swan Songs and we'd wear those Swan dress like Björk . . . Okay that got away from me, never mind.
I'm ripped out of my musings when I discover my stalker has much better leg power against this vindictive wind than me, 'cause just as my truck comes into reaching distance I feel a hand grab onto my arm and almost yank me back.
No, actually, No 'almost' about it. What with the force of the wind and this limp dick asshole tugging at my arm I feel myself start to fall backwards.
Even mid fall, I know I can save myself from making contact with the ground. My feet are mostly stable and the Volvo is right beside me, I'm clumsy as all hell but I know I've got this.
If it hadn't been for Mike fucking Newton.
I don't know what the hell this little boys malfunction is, but it's as if he wanted it to seem like he's falling as well. He grabs onto me, pulling me down in the process, squealing like Jessica when she found out we share the same birthday, until we're both laying in a huddle on the cold, damp ground.
But the truly worst part is this son of a dick orchestrated this fall so that we're pressed together, my back to his front.
And lil Mikey Newton is making his presence known.
A person can only take so much, can only mince so many words, suppress only so much anger and annoyance before some of it spews out.
"Let go of me, asshole!" I growl.
"Ah, man, oh my god, Bella, ah, I'm so sorry." He couldn't have sounded more insincere if he had a robot speaking for him.
And he isn't letting go, his arm sliding around my waist, trying to seem like he's checking on me.
"Let me go before I. kill. you." I speak softly and slowly and precisely. And this time, he lets go.
"Hey, Bella, you're not really mad are you? I mean, it was an accident."
Accident. Su-u-ure.
As soon as I'm free of him I roll away from his body as far as I can until the Volvo stops me. Yup, you heard right, rolled away. On the disgusting, dirty, cold ground. Anything to get away from what was pressing against my ass.
Shit. Everyone is looking. Nothing but a sea of eyes staring at me, peeking from car windows, over hoods — filled with laughter or pity. I swear if anyone is taking videos I'll end them all.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
While I contemplate how I can stand up with at least a little dignity, a shockingly large and pale hand comes into view, offering me a life line.
I look to its owner to see the huge, brown haired Vampire, Emmett, his dark gold eyes warm against his deathly pale face.
"You okay?" He asks, his voice like a baritone drum.
I take a hold of his offered hand, struck immediately at how freaking big and cold it is. But gentle, I wasn't expecting that, but very grateful for it. I'm sure he could crush me with a swipe of his hand that I'd never see coming, but he obviously has excellent control what with how he handles me so gently.
Another factor that he's old. I'm not saying centuries or anything but definitely not high school aged no matter how youthful he looks. All vamps look youthful so that doesn't help when trying to guess ones age.
So once again why are they in school?
"No." I bite out, glaring at Mike, who is glaring at Emmett . . . Oh my god, please try it, little boy, try something with a vampire and let me watch.
Emmetts brother Jasper comes up behind Mike looking disgusted. Me too dude, me too.
"Leave." Jasper just lets the word flow from his lips. There's no malice or heat or even a lot of volume to the word but Mike flinches and runs away as if he had been yelled at him
"Hey, how'd you do that?" I ask, amazed as Mike high tails it away from us.
Why in the world was Mike glaring at the big one as if he knew he could take him but as soon as the other one, just as tall but lanky and much less physically intimidating, says one word, it's like he's afraid for his life.
Emmett lets loose a powerful laugh, startling me and Jasper just smirks slightly, picking up my satchel and handing it to me.
"Jasper's got some temper problems," Emmett booms, still laughing, "Legendary around this place, ask your friends about it, I'm sure they'll tell you the all the gory details."
Oh, crap, yep they totally noticed I was gossiping earlier.
I look to the vampires with an apologetic expression.
I thank Jasper as he walks quickly to the drivers side, jingling his keys, obviously wanting to end this conversation.
"Thanks for helping me up, Emmett." Lord, it felt wrong saying his name when he wasn't the one to tell it to me.
"No problem, Bella." And it felt wrong hearing mine.
"Hey?" I call out, "Did you see when Newton grabbed me? Did he make us fall on purpose?"
It was Jasper that answered from inside the Volvo. "O-o-oh, yeah, he did."
"I'm gonna kill that kid . . . Or at least egg his house or something."
Both vampires laugh as I walk to my truck.
"Hey, listen," Emmett calls out once I reach my door, "you want me to do something about Newton?"
I let loose a giggle, very surprised this, from what I've heard, anti social vampire cares enough to ask if I want him to exact revenge on my behalf.
"If you could, I don't know, like, bend his car in half, that be pretty nice." I grin
He smiles evilly, showing impossibly deep dimples — and I'm not sure, but I think I see him flex under his coat.
A commanding, "don't even think about it, Emmett," sounds from the car and Emmetts face drops, turning into a pout, making him look like a little boy who's mother said he couldn't have any desert.
'But mo-o-om, I finished all my peas!'
I smirk and snap my fingers in a, 'oh darn, foiled again', kinda way and get into my truck, realizing to late my pants are wet and dirty and soiling my new upholstery.
"Goddammit," I mutter, knowing there's nothing I can do, I have nothing I can put between me and the seat and the damage has been done.
Mike Newton must die.
DAF
I get home quickly and change into new, clean clothes, still confused by my encounter with the vampires.
Jessica did say that Emmett was the nicest of them, but even that was much more than I was expecting. He joked with me. I don't think whenever he'd been nice when Jessica was around she meant he'd let loose enough to joke around.
And even Jasper had been cordial, a little standoffish, something I actually admired and wish I could be with these fools at school, but I certainly didn't see any behavior to support him being a freak like Jessica had said.
Although Emmett did say he had a temper. So something obviously happened, some altercation, that has basically black listed him among the other students, maybe even the town.
And then I remembered . . . Mike had been terrified of Jasper, not Emmett.
Yeah, something definitely happened, Jasper had to have shown the kids at school he was not to be messed with. It must have been spectacular.
I don't know why but I can't get these people out of my head, even the little human girl Alice, who hadn't shown up in the parking lot yet when everything went down, has been a constant presence in my mind since I first saw them at lunch. They've been like a little itch in the back of my head, well at school when I had distractions they were a little itch, now it's like an unavoidable constant buzzing.
Who are the Cullens?
Why are they in school still?
Why was Emmett so nice, and Jasper nicer than I'm sure he usually is, even if standoffish?
Where did Alice get her jacket, it was cute as hell?
Nah, Bella, sorry, kid, not gonna let you focus on that last question, you know you couldn't afford it anyways, get back in your lane, you are way outa bounds.
I settle onto the couch and watch reruns of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, don't judge me, and try to keep my mind clear of the Cullens.
Like the fact that there's two more of them, I've yet to meet.
Edward and Rose.
Forget about Edward and Rose, Bella.
Forget about how odd they're absence seemed to the others.
Dammit, Bella, stop, pay attention — aww man, look Kim just hit Khloe with her bag and you missed it.
Another factor that the Cullens are old. Emmett was able to be away from his mate. New mates, as I know them to be, can't do that. At least not for the first decade or so. Yeah, that long. Well it's not truly a long time if you live forever. I'm sure the time probably flies by just like it does for a human or Witch, it just doesn't mean the same thing. Closer to the grave.
Well, except maybe for the vamps that don't find mates. I can only imagine the time drags by for them, without reprieve and when they think about their future they see what's awaiting them. For eternity. More time. Alone.
Many vamps kill themselves because of this. Sure they can form romantic relationships with women not mated to them but from what I've heard it's like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. It's just not right; not enough. Doesn't satisfy and doesn't save you.
Hmmm . . . Jessica didn't mention Edwards mate, so either he actually is school age and has every right to be there unlike his brothers and their mates or he never found her.
. . . Wait, dammit, Bella! Stop thinking about them! Your day should not revolve around someone else's family, mysterious vampire or no. Stop acting like an obsessed groupie.
I remember that I hadn't started dinner yet so I leap off the couch and check the fridge to see what looks good.
Dammit! What is up with the Cullens?
Hhsss . . . Charlie would know . . .
Oop, and look at that, we don't have any food in the house.
I'll need to go shopping. And for that I'll need money, and to get money I'll need to go see my father at the station.
Lucky how things work out sometimes, huh?
AN: A ton of people that review keep asking me when Edward and Bella will meet and it's still gonna be a little while, maybe like four or five chapters I'm not sure, just please be patient and enjoy the ride. I have a bad habit of rushing my stories so this one will probably be a slow burn in some ways.
Please review and let me know what you think of the chapter.