Chapter 3
The plane ride was excruciatingly long, 13 and ½ hours. It was hell on my ass for me to sit for that long even in the overly plush first class seat.
The flight attendant announced that we were about to land so I gathered my belongings and stuffed them back into my purse. I had to prepare myself for the fans that probably would be waiting for me when I got off the plane, or even worst; the paparazzi.
Shakily I walked down the stairs of the step and waited for the cries of my name or even the flash of a camera but it never came. I opened my eyes to be met with the Erie silence of an empty airport.
I walked to the door the only sound was my heel hitting cement. It was quiet, too fucking quiet. Once I entered the airport I saw people but they paid me no mind they just walked past me as if I wasn't an international pop star. I'd be a liar if I said it didn't hurt my pride a bit.
Spotting the rent-a-car counter I pulled out my phone and open the text that had my reservation number in it. I stood waiting at the counter for service for about five minutes before a young woman stood in front of me; her name tag read 'Cassel Greenberg'.
"Hello Ma'am how can I help you?"
"I'm here to pick up a car"
"What kind of car would that be?"
"A blue Lamborghini"
She looked at me her face full of disbelief.
"What name is it under?"
"Alex Storm"
"I'm sorry there's nothing under that name, now would you like to try a real name? Maybe your parents" she asked smirking at me
How Dare She! I don't know what's with this po' dunk town but this shit was getting old real fucking quick.
"I demand to speak to your manager"
Her smirk widened as she pointed to the white lettering I had missed on her name tag; Manger.
"Fine" I said through gridded teeth "Try Alexandria Fleming"
She used her cheaply manicured nails to type on the keyboard and her smirk fell as she asked –
"Reservation code please"
" 743G38D30461783293956GX"
"Here are your keys, if you would please follow me"
She dropped the keys in my hands and opened the counter. I followed her to lot and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the car I would be driving for the next few days.
She was a beauty. Perfectly shiny not a single scratch on her frame. I could not wait to drive her and I was going to buy it from this shitty rent-a-car company, no piece of perfection such as this deserved to rot in a car-lot.
"Here is your car I hope you enjoy your stay in Delbert, Please contact Delbert's car rental if you need any help or have any questions."
"Will do"
I opened to car door and got in. I was shocked that it had a white leather interior. I put the key in the ignition and the car purred to life. I pulled out of the parking lot hitting at least 60 and started on the high way towards mystic falls.
Fogg it was very foggy it reminded me of forks during the spring. The thick white mist was swirling low on the road completely blocking the yellow lines.
'Mystic falls next exit' read the highways sign as I fought to see through the fog. As I drove closer into the town the fog seemed to stop, as if magically. The sun was shining down as if seconds ago there wasn't a sea of fog swallowing my car whole.
I drove through looking at everything but there wasn't very much to see a gas station here or there and a lot of trees. I drove into the city and was shocked by the beauty of this small town.
A large white bell-tower seemed to be the center of this beautiful town. Red brick was used to build the exterior of the small town.
I passed many small family owned businesses and yet only one restaurant 'The Mystic Grill' I found it a bit odd that there was only one restaurant but I pushed that away for later.
My hotel wasn't as large as the other Hilton's that I had seen but it was just as nice. I handed my keys to the valet and walked through the large glass doors and took in the lobby's beauty.
Finely polished yellow marble floors, cherry wood-paneled walls, and a large red crystal chandler. The center of the hotel was open and showed the many levels. I walked to the dark lobby desk and rung the bell.
A man with dark olive skin and too white teeth greeted me; a large smile was plastered on his tan face.
"Welcome to the Hilton, how may I be of service to you?" He spoke each word accented with a heavy Italian accent.
"I need to cheek in" I replied without looking at the man.
"Ah! I see mia bella, your name miss?"
I looked at him with questioning eyes, horror was creeping it way into my stomach causing it to ache slightly. Bella. He called me Bella. Could he know? How could he? He was just a simple hotel clerk.
"It means beautiful in Italian" he answered my questioning gaze blushing slightly. It would have been cute if I didn't have a sinking feeling in my gut.
I made no move to comment on his complement and told him my name. He handed me the key-card to my door and told me my bags would be brought to me.
I took the all-glass elevator to my floor and walked to my room. Scanning my key I opened my door.
White carpets, flat screen TVs, king sized beds all looked the same to me eventually. I had gotten to that point. Hotel rooms are just hotel rooms they don't empress me anymore.
I hopped on the bed and pulled off my boots. In my sock I walked to the bathroom and took off my contacts putting them into a case and grabbed some makeup remover. I took off my makeup and walked back into my room.
I unzipped my suitcase and pulled out a mini black and white striped tube skirt and white skull print sleeveless button down shirt for my meeting with Jenks.
Nothing; I had nothing to do, times like this where a rarity for me so I basked in the nothingness of the moment. I was a 17- almost 18-year-old girl and all I ever did was work, work, and work.
Don't get me wrong I love my job but the tabloids don't really show the stress that fame brings me. I'm expected to write at least 1 song a month, on top of photo shoots and the filming of my music videos then there are interviews and tours that I have to do; all of which while trying to dodge the paparazzi.
Paparazzi are the biggest problem that I have; they want to get me in trouble because I am secretive, for obvious reasons. They portray me as a spoiled teenage girl whom is money hungry and up to no good. But they don't know that I'm just girl lying with every breath that I take.
Lying never does get easier for me, but I do what I have to do to survive. They all think I'm a simple girl from Oklahoma whose parents died in a car accident. They don't know that I know things that could change world as they know it. I know about vampires, and shape shifter and I could tell you stories that would keep you from sleeping soundly at night.
I shook my head roughly to stop that train of thought; I don't know about vampires. Bella did, I am not Bella.
I pulled out my music book and began to write, Writing calmed me.
'' I linger in the doorway
Of alarm clock screaming
Monsters calling my name
Let me stay
Where the wind will whisper to me
Where the raindrops, as they're falling, tell a story
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos - your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos - your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape
Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming
cannot cease for the fear of silent nights
Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming
The goddess of imaginary light
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me
Don't say I'm out of touch
With this rampant chaos - your reality
I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge
The nightmare I built my own world to escape
Paper flowers, paper flowers."
I looked over the song I had written it was true. I stay within myself for hours at a time, in my imaginary world. It's the only place that I am safe, safe to be myself.
My phone beeped letting me know I had a text.
"Meet me at 8 am at the Mystic Grill ~ Jenks" I read out loud
' Ok' I texted back and put away my phone
I took a look out the window and was surprised at the black night sky; I had spent all day writing.
It wasn't something I didn't do often but it was still a shock when I did.
My stomach was rumbling so I decided to get dressed and head over to the Mystic Grill and check it out.
I took a quick shower and grabbed an outfit from my bag.
A sleeveless blue and white Juicy Couture Eton plaid top, black leather shorts and a pair of black studded wedge sneakers, to finish the look I buckled a studded belt around my upper waist and turned to the mirror.
My hair was slightly messy and my eyes looked puffy from lack of sleep. I brushed my hair straight and put it into a tight high pony-tail, my bangs pinned back. I sponged on my foundation and added extra cover up to the circles under my eyes. I quickly added some light bronzer to my cheeks and gave myself dark Smokey-Eyes with dark black eye-liner outlined eyes.
Not wanting to bother with contacts I put on my arched metal mix sunglasses and put the contacts in my purse.
I shrugged on my leather jacket as I walked out of the hotel room. I walked straight out the front lobby door and down the street that lead to the Mystic Grill.
I opened the glasses door and took in the grill that was packed with teenagers and their parents; from the corner of my eye I saw a pool table and a bar.
The restaurant had a almost woodsy feel about it; it was calm yet clattered at the same time. I liked it; I liked it a lot, it reminded me of the home I desperately wanted to miss. But I couldn't, I couldn't miss a home that was never mine. Just like Jake was never truly mine.
My heart panged at the memory of my wolf-y ex boyfriend that I would never get to see again. Life's a bitch; well Bella's life was a crazy bitch just like Jacobs imprint, That was one crazy ass bitch.
I mentally shook my head to clear it; thoughts like those only lead to pain and heart ache. I put on my neutral expression and continued into the grill.
I sat at one of the only open table and began the look at the menu. Everything was fairly cheap but extremely unhealthy so I stuck to ordering a salad and lemon water.
The waiter seemed nice enough but he had a weird 'Mike Newton' air about him so I kept it polite but very short.
The water was cold the salad was fresh everything was going as I had hope it would; normal. But when I went to pay my check at the bar I saw a face that I was never expecting to see again; my uncle Alaric. He was only my uncle by marriage and after my aunt Isobel went missing he lost it so I never really saw him but from what I remember he was a nice enough guy.
Said guy was now gulping back an amber liquid I thought to be whiskey like it was water. Check in hand I sat next to the man that once called me Izzy-bee.
He looked as if he had cancer of the puppy. It was sad how badly he had fallen apart.
"Do you need something?" his voice startled me, it was that or the fact that he was no longer looking at the glass in his hands but directly at me.
"Yes, I need to know why you look like someone kicked the shit outta your puppy" It was bold yet laced in a joke. Just like my life.
"Why should I tell you?" he asked twirling the cup in his hands and taking a drink.
"Easy because strangers are non-bias and because I'm willing to listen."
He looked to be thinking for a moment before he shrugged to himself.
"I just found out that my dead ex-wife was never actually dead but she left me because I wasn't enough for her, on top of that I found out that she has a daughter that she never told me about"
Damn; and I thought my life was shitty. Wait he said dead wife? Aunt Isobel is alive? This day just gets weirder and fucking weirder.
"That sucks" I said causing him to snort
"You have no idea miss…."
"Fleming, Alex Fleming"
"Alaric Saltzman"
"Nice to –"
"Sorry miss but I have to go" he pointed to a couple of teenager that had just walked in. I nodded and smiled.
I walked to the counter to pay I couldn't help but here the conversation between Alaric and the teenagers.
"How did it go? Did you give the device to Isobel?" Alaric asked the group
"It was as good as to be expected when meeting with a woman that's suppose to be your mother but is as evil as the sun is bright" said the girl with brown hair and tanned skin.
"And the device?" Alaric asked them
"I had too, she had Jeremy Alaric, and she was going to kill him if I didn't give her the device"
"Just be glad I was nice enough to give it to you" said a smooth almost musical male voice
I walked away feeling numb, my aunt wasn't dead but she was evil? That can't be right surely they weren't talking about the same Isobel that stayed up till 2 am making cookies for 'Santa' with me because my mom had set the last batch on fire, or got me a book about legends that she knew I wanted for my birthday instead of the pink plush diary that Renée told her to get me.
Why was my life so weird? Couldn't I just be a plain book nerd?
The answer was simple; Alex Storm wasn't plain.
I walked back to my hotel feeling bold. I felt like I did in the beginning of my new life. I felt content.
Once I was in my room I showered then changed into a black silk robe and went to sleep.
I awoke at 7 am feeling alert and freshened. I took at quick shower and changed into the outfit I had laid out.
I slipped on some black leather booties that had a 3 inch platform and a 6 inch heel. I quickly did my makeup the same way I had last night. I straightened my hair and left it loose.
I transferred my money id and credit cards into my white leather Marc Jacobs bag and walked to the lobby.
I retrieved my car from the valet and drove the short distance to the grill. I parked in the back and locked my car setting its alarm.
I strutted through the door to the restaurant and looked for Jenks. I wasn't surprised that he wasn't there yet, he had a bad habit of being late.
I was surprised when a girl with blonde hair screeched at me.
"Oh My Freaking gosh your Alex Storm!"
"Yea that would be me, but could please not yell that again?" I asked her in a hushed voice
"So the rumors are true then you're really performing at the founder's day Festival?"
"The what?" I asked the vibrating teenage girl.
"Founders day is today and we hold a festival every year to celebrate it I'm pretty sure that it starts at the high school so it should be passing by here soon. Are you performing tonight?"
She looked hopeful it was almost sad. I shook my head 'no' and she frowned.
"Why are you here then?"She asked her voice full of curiosity
"Business" I said as Jenks walked in looking slightly flustered
"You ok Jenks?" I asked him
"Fine but traffic was horrible" he shook his head and walked to a table.
I followed him and sat down ordering a coffee.
"Now to get to business. There was a problem with your grandmothers will"
"What. What's the problem? Is someone contesting it?"
"No. nothing like that but she had some speculations for you the get her money and the house."
"Speculations?"
"Yes quite a few of them."
"What are they?"
"To get the money you must live in the house for a year. You must revile that you are a Swan publicly. You must take on the responsibilities of a founder when you are of age."
"Is that it?" I asked my voice laced with sarcasm
"This last one you aren't going to like. To get the house you must be enrolled in or have graduated from Mystic falls high school."
Howdy Y'all this is a cliffy... sort of... . Please Review ^_^
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