Chapter 13: Finding out
Next morning came too soon. I didn't sleep well and the being watched feeling lasted for most of the night. Thankfully I didn't wake up screaming, I thought dryly. I went to take a shower and checked up on dad, yep still sleeping. I opened the window in my part of the hotel room. Warm but I saw people wear jackets.
'That's odd' I thought, I don't feel cold.
In the end I put on a hot pink simple top with a nice v opening remembering
Jessica's remarks that it made my boobs look good when she saw it. Distressed jeans and a white jacket to hold. I kept makeup on minimal and let my hair dry naturally.
I didn't like the idea of leaving my diary and laptop in the hotel room, thinking how easily Edward got in my room for months so I stuffed them both in my laptop bag along with my day planner. I grabbed a smaller white purse (Angie's goodbye gift) to put my cell, car keys and small things. I checked the clock. 8am I woke up dad since chief Forbes would stop by in an hour to fetch him and together we went downstairs to get breakfast.
Dad said he would spend the day at the station working and I said I'd be in the library because I still had to finish some homework to mail to Forks, hence the laptop bag. Dad seemed to buy it. A little while later Chief came and fetched dad and told me her daughter would meet me at Mystic Grill after school ended to show me around and left with dad. I asked the front desk directions for the library and that grill place. After that I was on my way.
Mystic Falls is bigger than Forks so it wasn't so easy to locate the library but the directions I had were good so I was there within 20 minutes. I sat down at a table and opened my laptop. I saw Ben was logged to his messenger service so I bid him good morning.
A_Weber: Bella!
Bells : Hey Angie? how are you? You're not in class?
A_Weber: Noop, free period. I'm very well and you? How was the court?
Bells : Eventful. Mostly a town gathering with a pageant.
A_Weber: huh, meet anyone our age or are you stuck with cops? oh wait here's Mike
Mike : Hey Bella!
Bells : Hey Mike. I met the mayor's son almost as full of himself as Tyler was when I first moved there and today I'm meeting the chief's daughter to show me around. She won the pageant last night.
Mike : sounds good. Do you need me to show him his place?
A_weber: Mike!
Bells : lol, hold your horses Mike, I'll let you know if I need it but for now it's cool.
A_Weber: How is the town?
Bells : Bigger than Forks, warm and sunny. haven't driven around yet, btw I have the homework ready Angie I already mailed it to you. Thankfully they pay for a good hotel, Charlie and I are in separate rooms with adjoining doors so I actually have privacy!
A_Weber: Cool, I'll print it and hand it in.
We kept talking for a while until they had to go back to class so we all logged off and I went to ask the lady there where I could find books about the local history. She told me and I buried myself to reading and copying pages to my laptop. As I went to get more books I tripped over a pair of feet and surprisingly I only fell to my knees instead of making a face plant. I looked over my shoulder to see a boy in my age, face in a book, ear buds with music on. He looked up to see what made the thud and saw me, immediately he blushed and got up and extended a hand to help me get up as well. 'That's the guy I saw yesterday, the one who wanted to become a vampire'
"Hi"
"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't hear you or I would've moved my feet"
"That's ok, I'm a terrible klutz. I'm Bella"
"Jeremy, Jeremy Gilbert"
We shook hands. Gilbert?
"I think an Elena Gilbert was at the pageant yesterday"
"My sister, are you new in town? I didn't see you yesterday"
his sister? So they both know?
"yes I am, my dad is a cop & came to help with the animal attacks and brought me along"
I said and looked at him straight in the eyes for a second. His eyes widened up for a second and then tried to act normally.
"Are you reading the local history?" said eyeing my books
"yep, I finished with homework and have nothing better to do"
He seemed reluctant to talk about it anymore and I decided to play along changing the subject. I motioned him to follow me to my desk and he followed.
"So what can I do around here to pass the time?"
"Nothing really, you said homework, shouldn't you be in school?"
"I could ask you the same thing. I didn't transfer here I mail homework to my school at home. And you? You don't seem to be older than me"
"I'm 17. And I skipped school today"
"Do you have any idea where Mystic grill is? I'm supposed to be there after school so I can meet the chief's daughter. she wants to show me around"
"Good luck with her" he mattered and we walked outside to drive there
Jeremy and I kept talking all the way to the Grill. It is a pretty big place where you can eat, drink and play pool. According to Jeremy you can find people of any age here. When we got in I saw he was right, you saw people in our age in and some older, still I don't think I'll ever see Charlie in here. I was feeling pretty warm and had left my jacket in the car along with my laptop bag hidden underneath the driver's seat.
"Hey babe, I see you found an escort, moved on so soon Gilbert?"
I turned to see Tyler.
"Hello to you too. Tyler isn't it? Jeremy is showing me around"
Jeremy just muttered something under his breath that sounded close to
"Not as fast as you asshole"
I smiled politely and moved to the bar where the bartender was shaking his head at Tyler while listening to a blond blabber machine I recognised as the chief's daughter. Jeremy drifted off to a bar stool and I headed to say hi.
"Hi, you must be the chief's daughter, Caroline?"
She turned around and after appraising me up and down she nodded.
"And you must be ..."
"Isabella Swan, call me Bella"
"I prefer Izzie you look like an Izzie."
I just stared at her, what is with this family? First the mother sticks to Isabella and now the daughter starts on Izzie?
"Yeah, I still prefer Bella. You're supposed to show me around?"
"According to my mom yes, we can stay here if you want, it's not like there are a lot of things to do around. This is my boyfriend Matt. Matt this is Izzie Swan, her dad came to provide help to the police."
"Hi, please call me Bella"
"You 'd better give in, she's not gonna stop. And thank you, my sister was..."
"I'm so sorry. I promise they're gonna get this guy. I'm pretty stubborn myself"
We shared small smile and then Caroline grabbed my arm and we sat on a table with coffee. She started talking about the local gossip and boys and who is better for me to date. Ok, Jeremy wasn't exaggerating, I do need strength to keep up. She reminded me of a blond Jessica, maybe a little more honest. I wonder though what is more shallow, Caroline or a really small rain pond? That thought brought a smile to my face and when she stopped talking to drink from her coffee I spoke. I found out that Jeremy and Tyler dated the same girl that went missing and then turned up dead, Matt's sister, that she herself has two close friends, Elena and Bonnie who would meet us here soon, That Elena is dating Stefan (and Caroline wanted him at the beginning as well) that she dated Stefan's brother Damon for a while but he broke up with her and was single now (Damon is the one that danced with Elena the previous evening), that Bonnie's grandmother died recently and now Bonnie and Elena are not too close anymore and I admit I tuned her out after that.
I stored all the information she just provided me for later use.
Some time later as we were chatting she gave me a jewellery box. She had picked me a welcoming gift. I still had a problem accepting gifts and opened after a deep breath it to find a delicate bracelet with small multicoloured stones.
"you shouldn't have but thank you, it's very pretty"
"nonsense, I have one too. Do you wear anklets then?"
"Erm no actually, I'll just put it on my wrist"
Just then an African American girl came in and went straight to us.
"Izzie that's Bonnie my best friend"
"Hi, I'm Izzie apparently. I really prefer Bella"
The girl smiled shook my hand
"Bonnie"
Then she just stared at me for a moment.
"You're... but... how..."
'huh?'
She shook her head and gave me a polite if a bit unfriendly smile and sat down next to Caroline. There is something about her, but I can't place it. Wait! That's the girl from last night. She came out after Elena yesterday. I smiled back but remained on alert. I had a feeling I shouldn't trust her.
We sat there making conversation when I felt I was being watched again. I looked around and found nothing. A few high school jocks playing pool. The sun was slowly going down and I was supposed to meet dad for dinner at a restaurant/diner near the police station. Caroline had told me where it was. I excused myself and made plans with the both of them for the next day.
I went to the car and checked to make sure my laptop bag still had everything I put in this morning. Happy that they were I drove and met dad at the bar having a drink with that Saltzman. He seemed troubled.
"Hey dad, everything alright?"
"Erm, yes, yeah. Just work, Alaric here invited me for a drink"
"I see. Will you be joining us for dinner?
"No, not tonight, I'm meeting ... a friend."
"OK, I'll go get us a table then, gave a goodnight mr. Saltzman."
I sat on one of the tables and ordered a salmon dinner for me and a big salad for both me and dad. When Charlie joined me he got a steak for himself. We told me that this animal here was sneaky and that the council had records but it wasn't easy. A part of me wanted to ask him if he knew what 'animal' he was hunting but since he didn't seem ready to share I kept my mouth shut and stuck to simple topics. Like his diet, and the friendship he seemed to have struck to this teacher. When I mentioned Forks though he only told me that on his break he tried calling Billy whom once again was cold.
After an evening stroll we went back to the hotel. Dad went to his room and I to mine. I called mom who was excited to announce that she and Phil would take a drive to meet us at halfway to Virginia. There is a small town with a nice beach to spend the weekend the four of us. Four of us? Dad, me, mom and Phil? That sounds interesting. I was sure I could talk her out of it in the end hopefully. We talked some more and after a quick mail to my friends in Forks I went back to reading the books I got today at the library. They gave me the feeling that they were altered and it drove me mad. I wrote my journal and went to bed.
A few minutes later I jumped up. I heard a knock on the adjoining door. I opened it.
"Dad?"
"Yeah bells it's me. Rick called me I need to head over there for a while."
"who's Rick?" I asked rubbing my eyes.
"Alaric, something with his wife."
"emkay, be careful daddy"
"I'll see you in the morning with coffee, 'kay?"
I nodded and climbed back to bed. I was asleep before I could even feel dad kissing me goodbye and leaving.
I woke up a lot earlier than my alarm clock and took a nice lengthy warmish shower and got dressed. I put on a pair of beige trousers, a soft blue top with one shoulder and my white jacket to hold. I was meeting dad at the lobby for breakfast and then Caroline at school. While I realise I was being fully paranoid I got my laptop bag with the laptop and my diary in as well as my purse and went to the restaurant to find dad. A slightly hang over dad. Apparently Ricks wife made an appearance that unsettled him and he and dad had a few glasses afterwards
Later I was back on the way to the library. Since books didn't exactly help I was gonna take them back and see if I could dig something else up. Later that afternoon I was at the Grill having a cup of coffee and working on homework I had to hand in and a little side project on the founding families of Mystic Falls. Is it just me or do they fall like flies lately?
I saw Elena sitting on her own as a table while Stefan was playing pool. And unless my newly enhanced senses failed me they were having a long distance conversation. Well Elena was talking and he was nodding or shaking his head. So that means Elena is still human? Compared to what ever Stefan is, I mean. A woman in her mid 30's approached her and they started talking. But as she passed behind me my scar started burning me. I tried not to gasp as I pressed my iced coffee on it. What on earth is going on with my scar?
I kept listening to their conversation feeling way too much like a peeping Tom but what else could I do? Meanwhile I was writing on my day planner every thing they said that seemed important.
"You look just like her. It's eerie"
"You've met Katherine?"
"She found me after I turned"
'turned'?
"Genetic curiosity, I suppose. She would be fascinated by you"
"Is that how you can walk in the day?"
'ok that's interesting'
"Who's my father?"
'huh?'
"Why did you compell that man to kill himself right after he told me to stop looking for you?"
'compell? as in ... dazzle?'
"human life means that little to you?"
"Means nothing to me"
'Ok so she's definitely not human. Good to know'
"I know other vampires, that's not true"
'Yeah so do I and they look nothing like her. What the hell is going on?'
I turned to peek over my shoulder, the woman seemed completely normal. No too pale skin, dark eyes seemingly brown. Contact lenses maybe? As I kept on listening I found out that according to her Stefan is also a vampire.
"I want what your uncle wants. Jonathan Gilbert's invention"
As she mentioned a list of reasons on why Elena one day would want to be a vampire I couldn't help but snort. I've seen that list before. What happens when you vampire boyfriend doesn't want you though? I did my best not to cry, the last thing I needed was to attract attention to myself.
After a while she left again passing behind me. Vampires? Considering it is one thing but knowing is another. So there are no animal attacks, just one or more vampires on rampage. Do I tell Charlie? Does he stand a chance? Does anyone know? The sheriff? Is this why she called dad here then? To go all Val Hilmer against them? That's a suicide mission. It took 5 Cullens to bring James down and I am not sure at all that they did. Not to mention that only a vampire can kill a vampire. Plus unless I was mistaken weren't Salvatores in the founding council? The same council that got my dad here? I need to talk to dad, at that moment my cell rang and it was Caroline. Her mom invited me and dad over for dinner and we were to show up at 9pm. Her mom and Charlie would drive straight after work and I would drive myself. As I saw Bonnie coming in, have a stare down with Elena and then leave I turned on my seat to see a crying Elena. It was already 8pm and I stood up to leave. I didn't feel greasy so I skipped shower and headed straight to Caroline's. It wasn't as easy to find as I thought since Mystic Falls actually has more roads than Forks but I didn't get lost.
I stopped at a liquor store to pick a bottle of wine. Renee may not have been a great role model but I did learn I shouldn't go to a house for the first time empty handed.
"Hey Caroline, am I too early?"
"No, not at all, come in"
We went to sit down and gave me a brief tour of the house. It was pretty big and it was obvious the family was loaded. We talked about the upcoming Founders day when I smelled something.
"Is something burning?"
Her eyes widened and we rushed off to the kitchen to find the oven smoking. I stopped Caroline before she reached for the dish with her bare hands and gave her a towel to use. Yep the burnt thing was meatloaf.
"It's ok, just make something else quickly. What do you know how to make that's quick?"
"French fries"
"Ok, what else?"
"Order pizza"
'Great'
"How about pasta?"
She took an expression of absolute horror.
"I'll make it."
She broke to a huge smile
"Oh thank you, thank you. I'm not really good in he kitchen"
'Really? I didn't notice!' I smiled and instructed her to get me a pot and a pan. I pulled my hair up in a knot and started cooking while chatting. By the time our parents were at her place pasta had been served and we were able to sit down and eat. Sheriff Forbes looked at the plates with a scrunched face.
"I would swear I put a meatloaf in the oven in my break"
"it kind of got burned"
Dad chuckled under his breath
"And who...?"
"That would be me"
I said while raising a hand.
"It's ok, it's edible"
Dad said.
"Bells is a great cook, go ahead"
I blushed and ducked my head. As we were eating we were talking about this and that. When the doorbell rang Liz (as she asked me to call her - creepy I know) went to answer the door to reveal the late Damon Salvatore. I gulped. She introduced us all and got him a serving. He shook hands with dad and me. Noop, not ice cold skin or rock hard. He also ate food and didn't seem to find it disgusting, 'I'll take it as a compliment for my cooking' I thought dryly. All the same though my scar was acting up and by instinct I tried to ignore it. Damon mentioned something about the weekend and something suspiciously close to a raid in a residence.
"We are meeting mom"
I blurted. At dad's raised eyebrows and bulged eyes I added.
"I was gonna tell you tonight." 'Please dad, focus' was the message I sent him with my own glare.
"Ok then"
He accepted. At Damon's gaze I shrugged and prayed he didn't have any special abilities. One that would show him I was lying preferably.
After dinner Caroline and I moved to the living room to see a movie while Liz, Damon and dad would talk. We settled for a comedy and sat to watch with a huge bowl of popcorn.
"How can you eat so much and remain that tiny?"
"Cheerleading"
"yeah I guess that makes sense"
We sat to watch Scary movie while I kept my attention to the kitchen. Damon's cell phone rang and he said he needed to leave immediately. So he did. After the movie ended Charlie and I drove back to the hotel and to our rooms. I added the new information to my day planner, mailed my homework and talked to my friends and accepted mom's offer to see them at weekend.
The next days were on the same path. Library in the morning, lunch at the grill where Damon would often stop by and play pool or talk to me, evenings with Caroline, Bonnie and Elena (who was cold to me but seriously who can blame her) and dinner with dad.
I felt I was being watched every night as I wrote to my diary. Friday night Caroline asked me to join her, Bonnie and Elena (the cold duo) to a girl's night at Elena's.
Saturday morning dad and I packed for the weekend and headed off to Wilmington, NC to meet mom and Phil. Dad was grumpy but I told him a) I missed mom and b) he needed a break from work. He noticed I wasn't wearing the anklet Caroline gave me and when I said it broke he panicked. Broke as in Damon tripped on me and we both landed on it broke.
*flashback*
I was talking with Matt at the Grill when Damon came in. He joined our conversation for a while and then headed to one pf the pool tables. One of the guys that were playing pool came up to me and started talking to me.
"Hey gorgeous, wanna join us?"
"No thanks." He shrugged and took a sip of his beer.
"Someone to talk to then?"
I looked at him again and noticed the way he was leaning towards me, with a confident smile and shining eyes. How old does he think I am?
"It's okay."
I turned away from him hoping he would take the hint and stop talking to me. Unfortunately Matt was nowhere in sight. He ignored the hint and tried again
"A pretty girl has no reason to be in a bar alone. Why are you here then?"
This time his smile was even more confident and I was about to answer when I felt an arm around my waist. I jumped and turned to look at Damon who was giving a death glare to this guy over my shoulder.
"We can go now babe, I'm done"
With that he took my hand and led me outside.
"Thanks for that. I'm not used to that."
"It's ok" he took one more step towards his car when he missteped and fell on me throwing me to the ground.
"Ouch"
"Did I hurt you, are you ok?"
We both sat up.
"I'm fine"
Just then I realized my anklet that was on my left wrist had broken.
"Just my bracelet, didn't survive, I didn't like it anyway"
Damon had a small pleased smile as if he wanted to break it. He got up and helped me up as well. We took our separate ways
*end flashback*
"Dad, why was that anklet so important?"
"The animal we're hunting is allergic to it. It drives it away"
'yeah right'
"So what is this component in the anklet that drives the animal away?"
"it has a herb crushed in it that is the component. Vervain I think"
"I'll have it fixed tomorrow, I promise"
Vervain huh? I'll definitely look this through.
Our weekend was pretty much uneventful. A truce seemed to have been formed between dad and Phil and they even watched sports together. Mom and I had fun and I realized how much I had missed her. As we were on the beach Sunday morning suddenly it hit me.
Jacob's land legends called vampires the "Cold ones". What if there is more than one kind of vampires? Then all bets are off. But why didn't Edward ever tell me that? He said all the myth vampire attitudes are just that, myth. Was he lying or he simply didn't know?
According to dad this vervain herb drives vampires away. I made a mental note to stop and get a book about vervain. Sunday noon we left to make the 4 hours drive back promising to visit again before we went home again.
