Full disclosure, I had uploaded a chapter about a month ago and I really hated it, so I took it down 3 days later for a complete re write. I am really sorry for any confusion in the story but I will do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again! If you have any feedback good or bad please let me know I hope you all had either a Merry Christmas or a nice day to yourselves!
"Hello you must be Isabella", says a chiming voice. That may be a deceptive description, while the owner had some definite pixie like features, they were hidden behind a killer.
"Last time I checked", I say.
"And when was that?", she asks. Her eyes seem to look past me, not exactly through me, but as if she is look at something just behind me, or in front of me, stupid vampires. Why can't they just stare at someone like normal.
"When was what?", I ask.
"The last time you checked your name", she giggles.
"Well my class schedule says Isabella and considering I haven't been kicked out of any classes I assume it must be somewhat right", I say.
"And if they said no?", she asks.
"While I am sure they have plenty of names for us, I would say official labeling is above their pay grade", I say.
"Alice what can we help you with", asks Edward. I am really not a fan of the fact that I am an associated 'we' with him, but curiosity forces the upcoming insults back down. Especially since Edward has that pinched look of frustration I am coming to enjoy oh so much.
"You? Nothing at all. I am here for Isabella", she says.
"Alice we spoke about this, that is just a-" he starts before being cut off by Alice.
"I'm sorry, since when were you able to read this situation?", she challenges. The look of frustration actually manages to deepen. If Alice wasn't a vampire we might even be friends.
"That's what I thought", she says. Yep definitely maybe friends.
"Excuse my overly rude brother, my name is Alice", she says with a small curtsy.
"Yes, you have now met and we are now leaving", says Edward.
"Uhh hang on, what?", I say turning back to the brooding vampire.
"I thought we had agreed that we had an assignment to work on over lunch", he says, his darker eyes never leaving his "sister".
"That's great news", says Mr Molina coming up and reaching to pat both Edward and I on the back, however after a brief moment of hesitation he reconsiders the idea.
"I expect great things from the two of you!", he opts for instead, quickly vacating the classroom but not before his eyes dart between the two Cullens.
"Now that the matter has been resolved I suggest that we-", he suddenly falls quiet just as Alice's eyes seem to glaze over. Well this is new, I haven't heard of vampires just cutting off unless they were…., oh shit. They have abilities. Shit, how did I miss this! That would explain the staring! Well kind of, not really. Still doesn't answer-. Isabella focus!
Wait! This this might work, some vampires are completely blind if they focus too much on their abilities right? I might be able to use this to get around them!
I tuck my body in as far as I can while simultaneously trying to duck, the result is an extremely unflattering Quasimodo impression. I try to move away as fast as I can without the vampires noticing, but in doing so I completely miss the stool right in front of me. Which of course, upon my hitting it, decides to dramatically fall over with a loud clatter, because why not.
Edward is the first to look up with Alice slightly delayed, as if she is just needing to finish whatever is going on in her mind.
"Goddammit", I mutter under my breath.
"What just happened?", Edward asks with a sharp panic in his voice, his eyes never leaving Alice.
"I am fine Edard", I say, even though my shin is throbbing like crazy. Alice manages to break out of the trance with a smile that doesn't quite meet her eyes.
"It's Edward", he corrects without his earlier conviction. What the hell did they just do? I don't think making me trip over a stool is one of their abilities, unless they are telekinetic. Oh please don't be telekinetic. No that doesn't make sense, they wouldn't have both have been under.
"Uhhh, is everything ok?", I ask.
"Isabella, I apologize however we must rearrange our meeting to work on our assignment, I am afraid something has come up", he says. Before I can even blink, let alone respond, they are racing out the door.
"Sorry Isabella, I didn't know this would happen. I'll see you soon!", says Alice trailing after her brother with a small apologetic smile.
It takes me less than a second to follow them straight out into the hall.
I am met with a herd of students and lose sight of Alice instantly; the small vampire is engulfed by the student population. Thankfully Edward's bronze hair seems to stand taller than most of the other students. I try to push through the waves of students shuffling towards the cafeteria, yet no matter how much ground I make the bronze hair seems to just drift further away.
I manage to find a gap in the students where I can make my way through but am stopped by a hand curling around my wrist. My blood runs cold and without even a moments hesitation I turn and use the momentum to punch the face directly behind me. After a second I brace for the impact of punching a vampire in the face, but am only met with a sharp throbbing on my knuckles. I open my eyes and see some of the students have stopped to watch the commotion. Looking down instead of a vampire I find Jake clutching his nose, his blood is starting to drip on to the dirt tracked floor.
"Shit! Jake I am so sorry!", I say crouching down to check the damage.
"Nah its ok", he says. This is quickly proven wrong considering the amount of blood on his face when I pull his hands away to assess the damage. The blood hits the linoleum floor with an impact only a family of five other students and I will appreciate.
"Um. Ok its going to be ok. I have, uhh", I pull my bag of my shoulders and forage for, well anything. Why do I have so much useless stuff in here!
"Tissues! Yes tissues, I can use them to soak up the blood then I am going to get you out of here ok?", I insist.
"Honestly I'm fine, see?", he says removing his hand from his nose causing more blood to spill. Shit. I look around us but thankfully fail to see any unnaturally pale skin or golden eyes.
"Jake you are not fine! Now let me put these tissues up your nose and follow me out of this school right now!", I order.
"Ok fine!", he agrees, his head sinking as if I have struck him again, "But there is no way you are the one putting the tissues up my nose".
I manage to get him out of the school and into the carpark without any teachers seeing the 6ft plus giant with blood all over his shirt. Not that it would be hard to track us, even if his height was ignored Jake still manages to leaves a trail of blood dripping to mark our track.
"Ok lets get you to the hospital", I say once we get into the run down truck.
"I don't need a doctor ", he says pulling out one of the tissues to examine the blood. He sticks it back in as a fresh trail of blood starts to drip over the previously dried out tracks.
"That's fine! I don't care if it's a doctor or a nurse. Someone needs to help you!", I say.
"No!", barks Jake.
"Jake you are literally bleeding all over the car", I say. Right on cue a drop of blood falls down his face and seeps into the cracked leather between his legs.
"Just take me back to the garage. I have stuff there", he says.
"Jake-".
"Please?", he asks. His pleading eyes seem to glisten in the nonexistent sunlight. God dammit I am going to regret this.
"Fine", I say. I double punch the clutch and the truck roars to life under us.
"Thank you", he says.
"Thank me by not bleeding out".
We peel out of carpark and the out onto the only main road in Forks. Only if it was that easy. The steering wheel seems to take on a life of its own on the wet road causing the truck, and consequently the two of us, to slide straight into the wrong lane. A dark blue car lets out a long beep as the tires slip back and forth across the wet road. After a strong turn of the wheel, I manage to get the steering under control before any serious damage is done.
"Care to get me there in better condition than I am now?", asks Jake, I try not to take it personally as his arm curls itself around the passenger handle. Ignoring the drama queen I check the rear view mirror to make sure the blue car is ok only to find a red convertible follow us out of the high school car park.
"How does it feel ditching second day in a row?", asks Jake.
"It's a medical emergency it doesn't count as ditching", I say, stepping on the gas hoping to lose the sports car in a beat-up old Chevy.
"I hardly think a broken nose counts a medical emergency", he shoots back. Predictably the red car moves to match our speed, "Unless you count the sacrifice of a beautiful artwork".
"Yep totally, definitely not the blood loss", I say never taking my eyes from the rear-view mirror. A four-way turn is quickly coming up guarded by an orange traffic light. I push my foot as hard as I can on the accelerator, the orange light turns to red just as we cross the over the last line. The sports car speeds straight through the red.
"Oh this is nothing! You should have seen the blood when-", I cut him off as I take a sharp left turn, "hey what the hell!" The red car manages to follow with an annoying ease.
"Jake do you know any short cuts to the Res?", I ask.
"Oh you already want the trade secrets?".
"Jake I am serious", I say. He looks behind us and finally notices the following car, the grin quickly fades from his face.
"Take a left up here and a right at the first turn", he orders.
Somehow in just those two turns we manage to leave the town behind for what looks like an abandoned farming road. The only houses along the road are few and far between and look like they haven't had any work done since they were first built.
Not that the distance from Fork's limited metropolis is enough to deter the sports car, somehow it seems to know our turns before even I do.
"Please tell me you have another trick up your sleeve?", I ask.
"Just keep going", he says.
The car is getting closer, they aren't trying to run us off the road, let's be honest in that car it wouldn't be hard but they are staying far too close for comfort.
"Jake?", I say, my foot threatens to push out the rusted metal floor under the accelerator.
"It should be just a bit further", he says. The car gets closer until it is almost directly behind the bumper of the truck. Not that even that stops it from inching further. I can't even see the front of the car in the mirror.
"Jake!".
"Just keep going!".
I close my eyes, probably not the best idea while driving, and wait for the impact of whatever they are planning. Not they have a chance. The sound of rubber tires screeching across the makeshift road pulls my focus back to the rear view mirror and I see the red car pulled up almost horizontally across the road. I slow down and wait to see the driver get out but Jake shakes my shoulder.
"What are you doing. Keep going!", he says. I do just that, pushing down the accelerator as hard as I can, a cloud of dust blocks the red car from the mirror just long enough for us to pass into the cover of the forest.
It doesn't take too long for the trees to thin out and the garage to come into view. I don't miss Jake sliding into the chair and if the weight of the world has been thrown from his shoulders.
The truck give a high pitched groan as I turn into the dirt driveway. I notice a smaller building on the hill behind the garage that I had missed the previous day. I want to ask Jake about it but park it for later. Right now my mind feels likes its running a million miles an hour. If only I could see who was driving the car!
Inside the garage Leah waits lying down on the couch flipping through a magazine. She doesn't bother to move when we pull in, that is until Jake gets out of the truck.
"Holy shit, what the hell happened to you!", she says rushing up to Jake.
"Well you remember when I tried to race Embry in out school shoes in the newly polished floors?", he asks.
"What and you couldn't stop and slid straight into the wall and busted your nose?", she asks.
"Well something similar happened now", he says.
"We both know that is bullshit. I expect an explanation because I have some ass to kick, but first we really need to fix your nose", she says moves Jake's hands away to reveal that his nose has doubled in size. Honestly it would look funny if the circumstances were different. She takes Jake out into the grass patch on the side of the garage, the whole time a string of curses follow the two of them out.
"Ok count down from five", she says gripping her hands around his nose.
"Five, four, thre-. SHIT", Leah makes a sudden motion and a sharp crack is quick to follow. It takes no time at all for his nose to create a waterfall of blood.
"Stop your whining. Tilt your head back and lets get you on the bed of the truch", she says guiding him back inside. Jake tries to look down so he can see where he is going, earning a punch from Leah.
"Hey what the hell did I just tell you!", she says.
"Sorry! Can I at least go to the couch?", he asks.
"You want to explain to Billy where all the blood came from?", she asks.
"He never comes down here!".
"Oh good point, how about Sam instead?", she asks. Jake just sighs and falls back on to the bed of the truck. He has to squiggle up the truck bed a little but once he is comfortable and has fresh tissues up his nose Leah turns on me.
"Ok so what the hell happened!", she demands.
"Leah it's fine noth-", Jake starts.
"Nope, you are sitting here literally soaking up a pint of blood. The whole running into a wall way bullshit and you know it. So now someone is going to pay. New girl what happened, who did this?".
"I did", I say. It takes a moment for Leah to register my admission, her face phasing from confusion, to shock, to disbelief, and finally anger.
"I'm sorry what?", she says, "you decided to bust the nose of the guy who gave you a job 24 hours ago?".
"Leah its no-".
"I will re bust your nose, don't tempt me", she warns.
"I thought he was someone else", I say.
"Who did you think it wa-oh shit", says Jake trying to sit up.
"Jake stay horizontal", orders Leah, "but he is right. Who were you worried about attacking you?".
"Uhhmm-", I start. Where the hell do I even begin! Technically the Cullen's have done nothing wrong, and if I just shout vampire I will be locked up.
"Jake what happened", she says turning back to the blood-stained boy.
"Wait-", I say.
"You had your chance, Jacob spill".
"I don't know exactly but I tried to find her lab room but the lunch bell went off before I got there. I still kept going in case I found her but when I got to the lab I saw her follow two of the Cullen's out", he says.
"The Cullen's?", she asks, "those Cullen's?". She eyes off the boy with an almost wild glare. He gives a halfhearted nod without tipping his head any more forward than necessary and she turns back to me.
"Why were you following them. Did they hurt you?" she demands. Well this is new, usually people are fawning themselves all over the Cullens. What the hell does she know about them? She can't know the truth right, I mean vampires can't expose themselves. I want to shake it off as concern but she doesn't sound like she is asking about some random student. She sounds like she knows them.
"Answer me", she orders.
"No!", I say almost too quickly.
"Then why were you following them?", she asks.
"I have an assignment with one of them", I answer kind of truthfully.
"That doesn't explain why you hit Jake", she says.
"He caught me by surprise, there were so many people around and he grabbed me", I say.
"Only your wrist! Plus I was calling your name, you were like the only person who didn't turn around".
"That still doesn't explain why you punched him so hard it broke his nose? I really wouldn't call that a normal response, so care to tell us what the hell is going on?", she demands.
"Jake! Leah! Come inside, Charlies here with pizza!", calls a voice from outside the garage.
"Why tonight of all nights", mutters Leah.
"Speak for yourself! Free pizza!", says Jake slowly raising himself from the truck while balancing his head in the right position.
"Yeah great Jake, now we have to explain why the girl we hired to work in the shop broke your nose to your father and the chief of police. Just great!", she says throwing her hands up.
"I will tell them.", I say, "Its my fault, I did it. You shouldn't need to cover for me".
"Save the martyr shit, you didn't do this on purpose and I am not letting you off without telling me why", she says.
"Then what are you going to tell them? They are going to notice the blood pouring from his nose", I ask.
"Give me a second", she says.
"Can you hurry it up! Charlie always bring the extra meaty meat lovers and it is a crime to have a cold meat lovers pizza", whines Jake. I look over to him and see him trying to walk around one of the rust covered rabbits without looking down.
"I've got an idea", I say.
"Last call kids, inside now!", calls the voice from earlier.
"I swear to god you better hope it works", says Leah as we start to guide Jake from the garage before he manages to injure himself any worse than he already is.
On the small hill behind the garage sits the building I saw earlier which can only be described as the perfect mix of a shack and a camper trailer. The whole thing appears to be made of a weather worn wood, except for the rusted tin roof desperate to shine under the sunless pacific northwest. In front of the house are two men hanging around a wooden picnic bench that is usually associated with splinters and strictly reserved for parks.
"Took your sweet time, Sam working you all that hard you can't even have a pizza with your old man?", asks the man sitting at the end of the table in a silver wheelchair. There is no doubt that the man is Jake's father. They look almost identical except where Jakes brown eyes shine playfully, his fathers are darkened by a weathered look which has seen more than they would have ever cared to.
"Old man sounds right", scoffs the other man who is leaning on the side of the house in a think jacket with a thicker mustache lining his upper lip.
"I'll have you know many people say that with age comes wisdom", says Jakes Dad.
"Then what's your excuse", mutters the chief of police. Before Jake's Dad can fight back Jake makes his way between Leah and I showcasing the blood all over his shirt.
"Jacob what happened?", asks his Dad rolling over to meet him.
"It's fine Dad, nothing to worry about. Honestly Leah pushed it back into place", he mutters under the blood-soaked tissue.
"That still doesn't tell me what happened", says his Dad. I step forward drawing the attention of the table. Taking a deep breath I get ready to say, well…. Does his Dad have to look at me like that! All I can muster is a small gurgle rising from the back of my throat.
"He broke it propping up a hood with a busted latch", cuts in Leah.
"Jake is that what happened?", asks the chief of police, his eyes never leaving mine "you can tell us if someone did this".
"Nope that is what happened", sighs Jake, "I let myself get hit in the face by a hood popping up into my face".
"See Jake's a clutz, we all knew it. Now where is pizza", says Leah, earning a sort of misaimed glare from Jake.
"Hang on a second. Who is your friend here", asks Jakes Dad.
"My name is Isabella sir", I say. As an afterthought my hand jerks out awkwardly as I close the gap between us. Thankfully his face softens into a welcoming smile.
"Ahh so you are the famous Isabella that Jake wouldn't shut up about last night", says Billy returning my handshake by grasping my hand in both of his. His worn leathery hands somehow feel like a comforting hug after a long day.
"Dad!", says Jake.
"No I'm just teasing", chuckles the man, "he told me you were a whiz with bung up cars and I would be an idiot not to give you a chance".
"I promise I will do my best to learn as much as I can sir", I say.
"Stop with this sir business, names Billy. That sour sack leaning against the house like he's holding it up is Charlie", I look towards the cop and he gives a small nod and raises his beer.
"Nice to meet ya", mumbles Charlie.
"Well now all that awkward business is out of the way, we better not let this pizza get cold!", says Billy clapping his hands together.
Miraculously Jake's nose seems to make a full recovery the second he starts eating. Though to be fair I think the blood might be getting mixed in with the pizza sauce. Thankfully Leah manages to pull Jake back long enough to grab me two slices of the meat lovers that Chalie is supposedly famous for. I look at the slice and see the base sauce is a brown sauce I haven't seen before. After the initial sweetness it actually tastes amazing. Not that I would be aloud to live that down at home. Tradition dictates only a tomato base for pizza, not that it actually affects them!
"So Isabella, how has school been? You started a few weeks ago?" asks Billy. I quickly swallow a half-chewed piece of pizza which burns as it goes down.
"No si- I mean no. I only started yesterday", I say.
"And you already decided to try and find a job? Well that is the kind of dedication I keep trying to hound Jacob about. The boy would spend all day in the garage if I let him".
"Hey I am sitting right here!", says Jake.
"Actually I wouldn't have even thought about a job until yesterday, Jake really helped me out", I say.
"See I am a paragon of society", says Jake grabbing another piece of pizza.
"Where abouts do your parents live, I haven't heard of any houses coming on the market", asks Charlie.
"Oh here we go", says Billy.
"What! It was just a question. Plus you started it", says Charlie.
"No its ok, I don't mind. My parents don't live around here, I just came here for school", I say.
"Wait then where are you staying?", asks Leah.
"Just at the motel in the town center", I say.
"What!", everyone at the table says, except Jake. He is quite content sneaking an extra piece while the attention is on me.
"No its fine! Its actually not that bad", I mumble, preying the attention falls off me.
"How long are you planning on staying there?", asks Billy.
"Just until I finish out the school year", I say. That is if I finish out the school year.
"Jacob Black! Did I not raise you better than this! You would let your friend live in a motel for a whole year!".
"Hey I didn't know she was living in a motel!", says Jake.
"Isabella if you ever need please know that we have a spare couch. I know its not much but it will always be safe for you", says Billy causing my cheeks to burn under the unwavering kindness.
"Uhh thank you si- Billy. I really mean it", I mumble.
"Good. I mean it. A Black's word is his bond. Now sheriff I believe there is a game on", says Billy, thankfully drawing the attention of the table off me.
"I hope you're ready to pay up", says Charlie, his eyes finally leaving me.
All five of us manage to fit into the cramped loungeroom. Jake brings in a box of pizza that he and Leah share. Billy and Charlie on the other hand absent mindedly drain the six pack in front of them while never look away from the TV. They all have this routine down to a fine point.
I try to focus on the game, but the day's events are pounding around my brain. I try to find any rhyme or reason but all I am left with is a pounding headache. The sound of the constant screaming from the TV does nothing to help it.
"Hey I think I am going to head out, unless there is any other work you need me to get done?", I ask.
"Don't be silly, after pizza and football I couldn't even get Jake back in the garage. You go a head and get a good nights sleep", says Billy.
"Bye!", says Jake with a wave of his ridiculously long arm.
"Yeah, see you tomorrow", says Leah. The look in her eyes is enough for me to rush straight out of the house.
I am barely 100ms from the door when I hear the screen door creak open again behind me. I look back and see Charlie walking towards me with his hands in his winter jacket.
"Hey Isabella, I just wanted to say if you need anything here is my card. This will go through straight to my mobile", he mutters handling me his business card with the landline crossed out.
"Uhh thanks for this Charlie", I say.
"Uhh yep. I know your on your own out here, I won't comment. That's between you and your folks but if you need a hand or help, please let me know", he says. I don't know what I can except to slowly nod. It seems to work as he returns the nod in a hard single nod.
After only a moment he walks back towards the house. I push the card into my jacket pocket and head towards the beast of a car thinking about what the hell I am going to do tomorrow.