Chapter 5 – The burglar has a conscience
School went by without a hitch. Both Lexi and Edward were right, vampires tend to attract a crowd and I found myself reliving my first day here unable to get a moment to myself. All day long people found reasons to talk to me, about classes or gossip or even the band. Miss Matthews had opened the microphones when the band played and now everyone in school had heard us and had an opinion about it.
Luckily I was able to skip lunch and spend it rehearsing with the band and miss Mathews. During gym we ran the mile and for once I had no bruises to show for it.
"Jessica and I are going to Port Angeles around 5. Would you like to come with us?"
"sure"
Angela asked in her gentle tone. I nodded and after band practice was over Jessica drove us to my house where I swapped my bag for a purse and scribbled a note for Charlie telling him I'd go shopping. Jess drove fast and we were in the mall in under an hour.
We went to the mall where Jess began trying on dress after dress, she had a date with a guy I hadn't caught the name off, and Angela wanted someone to hold her hand while she got her ears pierced. I bought a few things myself and told the girls I needed to find a bookstore when the urge to snap Jessica's neck became too much.
Walking in the streets of port angels I felt like I was relieving the shopping trip of last year. Jessica prattled about her dates with Mike, Angela was quieter only speaking up when she needed help with shoes, and I had left them to find a bookstore to find more about vampires.
This time I wasn't looking for anything in particular though. However I did stumble upon Lexi in an electronics store browsing through laptops and cell phones leisurely.
"Hey!"
"Hey Bella"
"What are you doing here?"
"Shopping. You?"
"Trying not to kill my friends! Where's Freida?"
"She went home to Mystic to pack up her stuff and will be here in a couple days"
"Did you find a place to stay?"
"yeah we did. The house is pretty close to yours and the good thing? you people don't have vervain"
I shook my head chuckling. I joined her looking for a cell phone and maybe a laptop. When I had decided on the ones that looked like they were the best I got two more for Charlie and then Lexi asked me to try my compulsion technique on the cashier. I had money to pay for them in case it all blew in my face.
Smiling pleasantly I looked into the teenager's eyes. I felt mine widen and I spoke with total conviction.
"There is a sale on the items my friend and I bought. You will ask me to pay 1/10 of their total prices"
Blinking I leaned back waiting for the results. I wasn't disappointed
"There is a sale today. Your total price will be fifty dollars miss"
the cashier said in a slightly metallic voice and I paid in cash and after bagging our purchases we left the store.
"Good job!"
"Thanks. Wanna join us?"
"Sure!"
Chatting about this and that we made our way back to the mall where Angela was waiting for us in front of the jewelry store.
"hey Angela. Look who I found!"
"hey!"
"hello"
"where's Jessica?"
"trying on shoes"
she deadpanned
"For a whole hour?"
I asked amazed. Angela nodded sadly. Lexi rolled her eyes smiling.
"I'll go get her"
"Wanna get your ears pierced while Jessica and Lexi shop till they drop? Or till the store runs out of stuff for them to buy. Not sure which will come first"
I snorted and Angela started laughing. We walked inside the store together and grabbing my hand she squeezed hard till the lady was done and Angela's ears were pierced and then we switched with me holding her hand tightly (though not too tight, I didn't want to break it) as I got mine done. We paid and left the store to be greeted with a grinning Lexi and a subdued Jessica.
"Did you compel her?"
"Better than snapping her yapping neck"
She growled softly and I had to stifle my laughter. Jess was in serious danger of spending the rest of the school year compelled if she kept this up!
Lexi said she had plans with drinks with a guy so I took her stuff for her and Jess, Ang, and I returned home. On our way back to Forks we hit traffic as we entered the town. seeing the red and blue lights of a police car right outside the Cullen driveway made my heart stop.
"Jess, can you drop me off here?"
"Sure"
For once she was completely serious as she pulled over next to Charlie's cruiser and dropped me off. Waving her and Angela drove on and I walked over the police tape.
"Dad?"
I asked heading to him. His head snapped to see me and jogged near me
"Bells what are you doing here?"
"Jess was driving by and I saw the cruisers, what happened?"
"A burglar broke in and found a dead guy in the basement along with blood and an empty blood bag. He called it in"
A dead guy? I furrowed my brows. What dead... my eyes widened with recognition. I attacked someone last night. He was dead? Ignoring Charlie's body posture I walked past him and to the fallen guy. Tentatively I looked at him. A pair of glassy black eyes were staring right back at me. Realization hit me and I fell on my knees and threw up near the body. Tears began flowing down my cheeks
I killed someone.
dimly I felt someone hug me and smelt Charlie's spicy aftershave. One of his hands pushed my face to his chest and the other was rubbing my back
"Daddy"
I whispered crying harder. a harsh emotion was forcing me to review the previous day.
Lexi had offered to grant me the wish I had been repeating since I was a little girl. Be alive for ever. I always had death issues.
I agreed and she changed me.
Alice had forced me to have a birthday party that ended in a disaster.
Edward broke up with me over said disaster and he and his family moved away. I thought I was okay with it but apparently I wasn't.
I was hungry and not for food.
I had broken into the Cullen house and saw everything was missing. in the basement I found a blood bag filled with animal blood, ready for a road trip.
I was hungry.
I attacked a poor guy that had car troubles.
I was hungry.
I killed said guy.
I was hungry
I put his body in the Cullen house thinking no one would find him
I was hungry
Someone had found him and now Charlie thought the Cullens may have something to do with it and that's why they left so quickly.
I was hungry.
Wasn't I?
No, I wasn't hungry. I was angry.
I was betrayed they pulled the party on me and he left me.
I felt humiliated while Carlisle patched me up.
I felt used when I saw the animal blood bag.
I wanted revenge.
That's why I lost control and killed that guy and stashed him in the Cullen house.
I felt more tears slide down my cheeks like a waterfall and clung onto Charlie harder trying to fight them back.
Edward was right.
I'm a monster.
