Bella Pov
Bella took a deep breath and glared at the sun, before getting out of the patrol car at school. After her trip with Alice, Bella put all her energy into setting up her new computer. She did lie and say she only borrowed a hundred dollars from Alice so she'd have enough, Charlie didn't know what money she had and she didn't want a lecture about taking advantage of friends when she'd given it to herself until that moment when she realized that Alice needed to give her something meaningful.
Sleep had been nearly impossible to come by for the past two nights. Every time she fell asleep she had nightmares, and the theme was easy to see. Finding out she was back from the dead made her think of all sorts of horrible ways she could have done that. Zombie Bella, stuck in a baby and unable to talk Bella, about to be slaughtered for pork Bella, it was enough to make her want to give up sleep forever, but then that would be Vampire Bella and she wasn't doing that just to avoid nightmares. One thing about the nightmares, they made her much more grateful for her second chance, and how she wasn't any of those things. The only dream that didn't wake her up terrified was male Bella, but she was irritated as hell because she had erectile dysfunction. She blamed the commercials she'd seen before bed for that little angle.
If the nightmares didn't stop soon though, she'd be tempted to seek therapy, which was something she never thought she'd say. She couldn't though, which was the sad part, when she really needed it and was willing to try anything, even talking, she couldn't talk or she'd be locked up fast for being crazy.
Her eyes were a bit bloodshot, and she was moving slow, but she was still moving so she made her way to the first class of the day, alone for the first time in weeks. What was really strange was that people still looked at her as if she had Alice next to her. It was like seeing her alone was just as fascinating as seeing her with a Cullen.
She went through her day quietly, getting as much done as she could while in class and debating about what to do about lunch. She could see if the library had books on paranormal things, but did she really want more ammunition for her subconscious to torture her with? Not to mention high school level books were bound to be simplistic for someone that really wanted to understand it all.
Instead Bella sat in front of a computer once she'd eaten her sandwich, looking for information about reincarnation. She couldn't do it at home yet, because they didn't have the internet connected. Charlie did call for it though, which was sweet, they just couldn't do it until later, and Bella was going to have to buy a wireless router before Thursday so that when they came it could be set up properly. That was one thing she remembered too late, you never just went out and bought a computer, there was always a series of other purchases that had to go with it.
"So, no Cullens today?" An irritating voice spoke from behind her and Bella turned just a little to see Jessica was here. "Not invited to the camping trip?" That was spoken as if it was supposed to hurt.
"No, after our huge shopping trip to Portland this weekend I'm just too tired to camp." Bella smirked a little at the jealousy in Jessica's eyes. "Besides, I don't like camping. I really don't get the appeal of sleeping on the ground in a tent."
"Whatever." Jessica moved closer and leaned against the table Bella was sitting at. "Look, I don't get your strategy, but it clearly isn't working. Hanging out with his sisters isn't making Edward look at you twice."
"I didn't think it would," It was tempting to really slam the girl's ego down hard, but Bella tried to remember Jessica was a child. "He's actually a bit of an ass, looks fade, but being an ass is forever." She gave Jessica a meaningful look when she said that.
"Whatever, if that's what you have to tell yourself to feel better about not being able to catch his attention fine, but it's pathetic how you keep trying to use his family to get to him." Jessica glanced back and Bella noticed that Lauren was in hearing range and smirking. Oh, tag team huh, Bella thought.
"If they were all single, which one would you go for?" Bella asked with a raised eyebrow. "Would it really be Edward? That's not the one I'd pick." She'd rarely seen him in the halls, but she went ahead as if she had. "Emmett's the fun one and lets face it he's built, I've felt it, it's all hard muscle. Jasper is a gentleman through and through, and I doubt he'd ever even yell at a woman, and he was so sweet on our road trip, making sure I was comfortable and saying Darlin' this and Darlin' that, his accent is adorable. Then there is Edward." Bella shook her head. "The boy that you drool over who I hear stomps around like a three year old if he doesn't get his way." And would Edward even thank her for trying to calm Jessica's lust, probably not, but this was fun, and she was looking for something amusing to keep her from falling asleep in the keyboard. "You may think it's a little creepy, but the fact that Alice and Rosalie had their choice of those three guys and didn't choose Edward, when they live with him and know him best, makes you think."
Jessica started to turn red and her mouth was moving but there was no sound for a moment. "You're lying."
"About what?" Bella smiled just a little and Lauren moved a bit closer, so it was tag team time.
"I'm going to tell Rosalie and Alice that you're after their men, that'll end your little Cullen fan club." Lauren said with a hiss and Bella smirked a little more at the fact that Lauren considered that a good threat.
"Please do." She could imagine Alice's expression and Rosalie would tear into Lauren like a pit bull. "Elaborate, make shit up, I know you will, but appreciating something fine, like the Cullens, doesn't mean I'd do something stupid to hurt my friends. You might back stab each other that way, and I bet you'll share at least a few boys between the two of you before graduation, but I don't do that, and they know it. That's why I'm going on trips to Seattle and Portland on the weekends with them and you aren't."
"Why you little bitch," Lauren raised a hand and Bella braced herself, but she stared the girl in the eye.
"I wouldn't want to be you if you bruised me. Rosalie might hurt you, but Emmett certainly would. Ask Mike." She didn't flinch but it was hard when Lauren slammed her hand down on the table instead, tossing Bella's books and notebooks to the ground.
The librarian came out from the back room and the two girls left quickly. "Are you alright Bella?" The older woman asked.
"I hate teenage girls." Was all Bella muttered, as she picked up her things and sat back down to work on her computer. "But I'm fine."
"They are just jealous dear." The older woman gave her a small smile, but that wasn't news.
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Emmett Pov
He was grinning from ear to ear. Alice had gone into a vision, and Edward had been making faces the entire time as he watched it too, but once Alice came back and shared what his little Bella Bear had been saying it was awesome. "Yeah, I'm all that." He teased and Rosalie hit him in the stomach lightly, but she looked just as amused.
"I knew she'd appreciate my Jasper if she spent time with him." Alice joked as Jasper leaked a little embarrassment at them. Alice then turned to Edward and her smile faded a little. "She doesn't know you Edward, she was just trying to shut Jessica up. I mean with all the trouble you get from Jessica, maybe this was even doing you a favor."
"I'm not like that." He pouted and Emmett thought it was funny, because he kind of was.
Edward huffed and went to his room, and Emmett chuckled at the proof that he was indeed what Bella claimed. That thought earned him an angry growl from upstairs.
"I don't like that as soon as the sun kept us away those harpies went after her." Rosalie spoke up finally, and the teasing atmosphere faded a bit in the main room.
"At least Bella feels like you'll protect her." Alice sighed. "I guess she thinks I'm too small to do it."
"Naw, can't be that pixie sticks." Emmett teased Alice, knowing she wasn't fond of candy after this weekend. "I bet it's just because she knows my Rosie has a better growl. She has good instincts, probably can tell who's the bigger predator."
"Alice?" Edward was suddenly on the top of the stairs staring down at Alice and Emmett watched his disbelief. "You didn't think to tell us you suspected this?"
"It could have been the candy." Alice said and Emmett found himself irritated to not get the conversation again.
"This is my Bella Bear, what the hell are you two talking about?" Emmett put his foot down on the looks and secret conversation.
Esme came down from upstairs as well, Carlisle in tow. Edward looked up at them, making their way down the stairs and waved toward Alice. "Alice suspects Bella might have an active power now." He hissed it like it was proof of something he'd suggested all along and Emmett scowled at him.
"What do you mean?" Carlisle looked over at a somewhat upset looking Alice, who had her hands wringing in front of her.
"I have no proof." Alice spoke firmly and Emmett stared at her in shock, knowing what came next would be big. "But she is very certain that powers like precognition exist, very certain."
"How the hell did that come up?" Rosalie asked sharply.
"I found her panicking in the bookstore and she was looking at the parapsychology section. I could smell the upset on her." Alice sighed. "And she knows things sometimes, it's just odd. She thought a lot of people were clairvoyant to some degree, or that it was common. I think seeing it in print made her so nervous she was sick, unless people become extremely nervous before throwing up, it came first."
"Oh dear." Carlisle muttered.
"She knew Rosie's middle name, just pulled it out of the air." Emmett sighed as he admitted that.
"For a girl that never went anywhere, she knew the best route to take to get to the car show." Jasper spoke up quietly.
"I doubt she can smell out a bathroom, but she found it as if she knew where it was the entire time, and that store was a maze." Alice sighed heavily.
"This isn't enough for proof. Even though she called that little Quileute boy a dog, it could be that it was because he was being a dog." Rosalie muttered, "But it is enough to make you wonder."
"Are we going to wait until she has a 'dream' that we drink blood?" Edward's voice rose a little. "Is this enough for you to see this is a bad idea yet, or do we have to wait for her to develop enough power to figure out all of her friends aren't human?"
"No, it isn't enough proof. This could just be odd luck, or it could be that she's developing a power that could hurt her." Esme stood firm and Emmett liked that. "If she really is like Alice in any way, we can't leave her alone to deal with that pain. Humans won't know what to do with her."
"She isn't your responsibility." Edward spoke loudly.
"You're wrong. I will not abandon her like her useless excuse for a mother did." Esme growled a little and Emmett nodded his support.
"This isn't natural, this is so wrong." Edward glared at them all, before he ran out the door.
"He's visiting Alaska again, he'll be back." Alice informed them after a moment, and Esme sagged against the edge of the couch. "He's considering getting Eleazer involved, to get an answer one way or another on her powers."
Emmett muttered, "I think we can add that she thinks Edward is an ass to her good guesses."
"See if you can call him, ask him to give us some time before we start exposing Bella to yet more vampires." Carlisle sighed heavily and Emmett almost wanted to take that job, but Alice nodded. He'd love to give that pampered little ass a verbal smack down for going behind their backs.
"I'm not picking her over him, I know he's desperate for us to leave, and he's jumping at any excuse, but she needs us." Esme sounded shaken and Emmett moved to rest a hand on her shoulder. "If this is true, the humans can't help her, and if it isn't there is no reason to abandon her." He moved out of the way when Carlisle moved to hug her.
"I guess with Edward gone we can invite her over again?" Rosalie sighed. "Ghost stories and Ouija boards? How are you going to test this one? We can't let her know we're serious."
"I'm taking Psychology this quarter." Jasper spoke up. "I could claim it's an assignment I'm doing, and test everyone. I'll even see if the teacher will let me turn it in." Emmett noticed him look at Alice. "You might want to throw the game on your test darlin', no need to make her think you're psychic."
"When is the sun going to stop being an issue?" Rosalie spoke slowly, a hint of a growl in her words. "And do we have any idea how long Edward will be gone?"
"We could ask her to come over today after school, tomorrow will be raining, and it wouldn't seem too odd for us to all stay inside for a bit when she gets here." Alice sighed and shook her head, "Edward is undecided about how long he'll be gone or what he'll do when he gets there. We know we have tonight."
"Damn." Emmett muttered, "Can't we just ask him to stay away for a week again? This is a school night, we won't get much time at all."
"I could talk Charlie into letting her stay over, but we'd have to let her sleep enough, we'd still only have until maybe ten." Alice spoke up and then pulled out her phone.
"I'll pick her up." Rosalie spoke up and Emmett gave her a concerned look. She gave him a weak smile back. "It's rude, but I'll use the honk to get her to come out method, I won't even try getting out of the car in the sun. Esme couldn't get away with that, and I doubt Charlie would let a boy treat her that way."
"And I never do that, so it would seem odd." Alice added, and then focused on the phone. Her voice was sugary and sweet and Emmett kind of hated how easy she was able to get permission for Bella to come see her, when he was sure he would have been told it was a school night and had it left at that.
"Disconnect the cable, no tv tonight." Alice told them as she hung up. "It's less suspicious for us to play a bunch of odd games and do psychic testing if we pretend the tv is broken, or she might expect Emmett to pull out the PS2 or a movie."
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