CHAPTER TWO
Bella stretched her arms over her head and yawned as she turned to her side to avoid the morning sunlight filtering through her bedroom window. A few seconds later, the alarm clock sounded, signaling the start of the new day. She opened her eyes and snapped them shut again, thinking the sun was extra bright today. She let out one last big yawn before reaching to shut off her alarm. It was sunny in Forks, meaning Edward wouldn't be at school. Bella thought it was a small mercy.
She sat up and opened her eyes and then warily looked around her room. She was definitely not in Forks. She was in her old room in Phoenix.
Why? But more to the point, how?
Bella closed her eyes and opened them again to see if she was imagining things.
No, definitely not. She was not imagining things, and she was still in her room in Phoenix, or more specifically—Glendale, Arizona.
Bella tried to recall the last thing that happened before losing consciousness the previous evening. Yesterday was her wedding day. She was dressed and ready for the ceremony, but she'd begun panicking because she truly didn't want to marry Edward or into his family. They were too controlling and too weird, and Bella didn't want to live forever as a vampire with them. Heck, she didn't want to be a vampire at all. In her desperation, she started calling out for help; someone called her 'dingaling' through her compact, which she had found in the trash courtesy of Alice Cullen.
Alice.
Bella remembered yelling at her because she'd had it up to her neck with the snippy vampire's attitude. In fact, she'd had it with the entire Cullen family. And then… Oh, yeah, the last thing she remembered was screaming because Alice had broken down the bathroom door to attack her.
So, she was dead. At least she had an answer to her question. She would have loved to see her father one last time. She loved him so much, but Bella supposed that it was one of the consequences of messing around with vampires. What an idiot she had been when she was alive!
A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts, and her mother walked into her room. "Bella…" Renee peered at her daughter, and her jaw dropped. "Why are you still in your pajamas? You're going to miss the school bus!"
"S… school bus? But I've already graduated from high school," Bella reminded her mother. Surely, she wasn't expected to attend high school after she died.
Renee crossed her arms in front of her chest and arched an eyebrow. "Not for another two years. Nice try. Now get dressed before you miss the bus."
Two years? Did this mean she was a junior? "Uh, what's the date today?"
"It's Thursday, October 7th."
"Right… Right… I just forgot." Crap. She had been sent to hell because she couldn't imagine repeating high school being part of the plan in heaven. She must be in some kind of rehabilitation center for the recently deceased.
Renee scrutinized Bella suspiciously. "You're not doing drugs, are you?"
"Of course not," Bella replied, affronted. "It just slipped my mind."
"Well, hurry up and…" The sound of the bus driving by interrupted her mother. She sighed. "Alright, get dressed. I'll have to drop you off at school on the way to work."
"I'm sorry, Mom."
"Don't worry about it. You rarely miss the bus," Renee said with a smile before leaving the room. "We all make mistakes. I have a date after work today, so I won't be able to pick you up."
"Uh, okay."
Bella swung her legs over the bed and stood up. She rushed to her very full closet and looked through it. She smacked a palm on her forehead. It was definitely her closet at the house in Phoenix.
She would not panic. No, nope, no way.
Okay, she was panicking.
First things first, she needed to get dressed. She quickly threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt her father gave her with Forks Police Department emblazoned on the front. She rushed into the bathroom, quickly washed her face, and brushed her teeth before rushing out to the living room.
Her mother handed her a package of Pop-Tarts. "This will have to do for breakfast. You don't really have time to sit down and eat," Renee mumbled absently before gasping, "Where are your shoes? You can't go to school in your bare feet, and what about your backpack? Are you okay?" Bella's mother placed the back of her palm on Bella's forehead. "No fever. Hurry up and finish getting ready, honey."
"Right, uh… let me just grab my stuff."
Bella bolted to her room, threw on socks and sneakers, and grabbed her backpack. She rushed out to the living room, and a moment later, she was in the passenger seat of her mother's Subaru.
XOXO
Ten minutes later, Bella arrived at her old high school, wondering if she had the same locker she had during her junior year. She approached her old locker and noticed the padlock hanging from it was hers. It was hard to miss because there was a sticker of a palm tree on one side of the padlock. Just to be safe, she flipped it over and found a sticker of a pair of flip-flops on the back. She loved the beach. Hopefully, after the heavenly rehabilitation center, she would be permitted to hit the beach.
Bella opened her locker with ease. She looked inside and saw that everything was exactly how she remembered. A copy of her schedule was taped to her locker. It was exactly the same as before. She heard the warning bell ring, grabbed her schedule off of the locker, and headed to homeroom.
As soon as she sat down, someone tapped her on the shoulder. "What happened this morning? You weren't on the bus."
Bella turned to face the speaker. It was her best friend, Emma Nez. They had been buddies since second grade when they sat next to each other on the school bus. When they found out they were in the same class, they became inseparable.
Emma was a member of two Native American tribes. Her mother was a member of the local Piipaash, or Maricopa Tribe, while her father was Diné or Navajo. She liked to think of herself as a dual citizen. Her mother was a dental hygienist in Glendale, where they lived, and her father was a firefighter for the city. Emma lived two blocks down from Bella on the same street.
Bella lost touch with Emma after moving to Forks because she was so focused on Edward and the Cullens. It was her fault, really, because she had allowed Edward to control her friendships. Instead of speaking up, she had been a doormat. It was a shame, really, because she hadn't been able to form any good, lasting friendships with any of her classmates—again, because of Edward.
"Well?" Emma questioned. "I had to sit next to Doug Zybert and listen to him describe how he solved an AP Calculus equation. I'm not kidding you, Bella. He talked about one equation—just one—the entire bus ride to school. And…"
"Alright, class. Settle down so I can take attendance," Mr. Waxler announced.
Bella was confused. The exact same students that were in her homeroom before were still there. How could she rehabilitate herself in preparation for heaven if everything was the same?
She decided to go along with it for now. Still, she was confused. And then it occurred to her that she was dreaming. Perhaps it was a super realistic dream? Or even wishful thinking? And then she had a horrible thought. What if she was changing into a vampire, and this was a nightmare she couldn't get out of? Maybe she had to relive all the mistakes she made, which led to her turning into a vampire, as a reminder of her failures?
Bella was in hell.
XOXO
By the time Bella returned to her locker before lunch, she knew she was definitely in hell. During her first-period math class, she had a pop quiz, which she bombed. And then, during the second period, she had to dig through her backpack because there was a paper due in English. Fortunately, she had completed it, so she was able to turn it in. Apparently, dream Bella was responsible. The rest of the school day proceeded without incident, and she was finally at her locker to retrieve the items she wanted to take home. She glanced in the mirror attached to her locker door when she saw the reflection of a man. The reflection winked at her.
Bella gasped and looked around the locker. There were only students around her, no teachers. She returned her gaze to the mirror, but the man had disappeared.
"Bella, what are you doing?" Emma asked. "We have Driver's Ed, and then my mom is taking us to the nail salon, remember? Tomorrow is homecoming."
"Driver's Ed?" Bella asked. And then she realized she didn't have her license yet. She had gotten it in January, just prior to arriving in Forks, because she had to take the road test twice. At least now that she had driven that big, honking truck for a year and a half—mostly in inclement weather, she could parallel park like a pro. She could even drive in snow and ice—not that there was snow and ice in Arizona.
Bella closed her locker and followed Emma to the rear parking lot, where they met the instructor. She climbed into the backseat of a Toyota Civic with Emma. They both buckled up immediately. Another student, Greg Ronstein—arrogant jock and self-proclaimed head honcho of the school, was in the driver's seat with the instructor, Mr. James, in the passenger seat.
While Bella sat in the backseat, she contemplated the other thing Emma had said: homecoming. If tomorrow was the homecoming dance, she was going to have a great time. It wasn't until she started attending dances with Edward Cullen that Bella began despising them. She didn't like being forced into designer gowns his sister Alice picked, nor did she appreciate being isolated from her friends. The Cullens felt associating with the other students was not appropriate because they were immature. Well, of course, they were immature. They were actual teenagers, not centuries-old vampires hell-bent on masquerading as high school students so they could blend with the humans. She never understood why the Cullens bothered coming to school if they weren't going to socialize with the other human students, and instead disparage them behind their backs.
Suddenly, the vehicle jerked to a stop as Mr. James pulled the emergency brake. The vehicle they were in was inches away from the pick-up truck in front of them.
"Watch it!" Bella cried.
"Yeah!" Emma agreed.
"Oh, sure, this coming from the girl who was too scared to drive on an actual road last week!" Greg spat.
Bella had forgotten about that incident. For the longest time, she had been terrified to drive. It wouldn't be until Emma's father took both his daughter and Bella out to the reservation that she'd be confident enough to drive. This led Bella to ponder whether or not she should fake not being able to drive.
"Greg, you will drive back to the school now. You're done for the day. I had to ask you three times to slow down, but you are not listening," Mr. James admonished. "Furthermore, you nearly caused an accident!"
"That's not fair! I'm the only one who can drive!"
"Nah-uh. I can drive!" Bella cried out. She wasn't going to let this arrogant jerk get the upper hand.
"So can I!" Emma said.
"Girls, you'll get your turn. Greg, please step out of the driver's seat now. I will be driving you back to school. As soon as Mr. James stepped out of the passenger seat, Greg released the parking brake. In a rage, he drove off with Bella and Emma in the back seat.
This did not happen the last time. Was it because Bella had spoken up? The last time, both girls had stayed silent after Greg almost rear-ended the truck. Regardless, this couldn't continue. Their lives were in danger. "Hey, you arrogant psychopath! Stop the damn car!" Bella yelled.
"Fuck you, you pathetic bitch. You don't get to tell me what to do! No one does."
"Well, genius, you do realize you aren't getting your license anytime soon, don't you? You just drove off in a vehicle belonging to the school and left the teacher behind," Bella informed him.
Meanwhile, Emma called 911, and Bella—for some unknown reason—dialed her father's office phone in Forks, Washington. She put the call on speaker, knowing Charlie was listening on the other end and that it was a recorded line; Bella yelled, "Stop the fucking car before you get us in an accident, Greg Ronstein!"
"Bells! Bells! Are you okay?" She heard her father's frantic voice on the other end. She also heard him ordering one of his officers to trace his daughter's cell phone because his daughter was in danger.
Bella watched as he sped through the residential neighborhood. Clearly, the kid was overconfident in his driving skills. He kind of reminded her of Edward. Bella hated how the immortal prat sped through traffic, claiming he had vampire reflexes. It was the height of arrogance, and it was proof that he didn't care about injuring others.
"This is kidnapping, Greg Ronstein! This vehicle is school property, and you've kidnapped both Emma Nez and me. Now stop the driver's ed vehicle now!" Bella demanded, then spoke to Charlie, "Daddy! Help us! Some crazy kid lost his shit with the teacher and drove off with Emma and me still in the backseat of the driver's ed car."
"Alright, baby girl. You did well calling me on the office line. I've got the Glendale Police Department on the other line. Now listen to me. I want you to look around and make sure you're at a safe distance from any surrounding traffic. If you're clear, pull the parking brake."
"I would, but he's speeding through traffic like a madman. I'm not kidding you. Although, he's slowing down a bit. We've just left a residential area and are approaching a heavily trafficked area. We're by the new movie theater." Bella turned to Greg. "Slow down. Now!"
"How fast is he going, Bells? Can you see the speedometer?" Charlie asked.
"About forty miles an hour."
"You should be fine, Bells. The parking brakes on driver's ed cars operate on a completely different mechanical system from regular brakes for just this kind of circumstance. How far is the car behind you?"
Bella glanced back. "Um, the other cars are staying a ways behind. He's slowing down a bit because we're in traffic, but… crap, we're going to crash into the car in front of us!"
"Pull the parking brake. You'll be fine! Pull the brake!" Charlie urged. "Do it, Bells!"
Bella reached over and yanked on the parking brake. The car stopped, tapping the car in front of it, but avoided a major collision.
In complete shock, Greg put the car in park. Meanwhile, Bella reached over and pocketed the keys.
"You could have killed us, you idiot!" Bella hollered. "What in hell were you thinking?"
"I… I…" Greg stuttered.
"Clearly, you weren't thinking. Who the hell do you think you are?"
Warm arms wrapped around her. "Oh, my God! Bella, you saved our lives!" Emma cried. "How did you know to pull the parking brake?"
"My dad. He told me to pull the parking brake when I saw we were about to crash." Speaking of which, Bella needed to get back to her father. "Hi, Daddy. Thanks for your help."
"Anytime, kiddo. Hey, maybe you should move in with me. Arizona doesn't seem so safe."
"Maybe I will," Bella told him, wondering if she'd be going to Forks like she did in her past life.
Bella heard police sirens approaching, and a minute later, several officers knocked on the door and ordered them all out.
"Bells, let me talk to the officer in charge."
"I don't know which officer is in charge, Dad."
"Ask."
"Um, hello, which officer is in charge here?" Bella asked a female officer with beady eyes and a straight, blonde bob. She glared at Bella in an attempt to intimidate her.
"Girl, you need to hang up the phone while we figure out what happened here. You three kids are in a lot of trouble."
"If you could just talk to my dad. He's the…"
"I don't give a damn who your father is. End the call now! As far as I'm concerned, this is a crime scene!" The woman ordered.
"Yes, Officer Kreuger, badge number 10428 with the Glendale Police Department. I'm just going to slip the phone in my pocket," Bella relayed to her father before pocketing the phone. She didn't bother hanging up. Bella thought it was going to be the officer's funeral because her dad would give this woman no quarter after hearing the way she spoke to his daughter.
The officer narrowed her already beady eyes at Bella. "You think your Daddy is going to help you just because you gave him my badge number? Huh? Missy?"
Bella rolled her eyes and calmly asked, "Can you explain to me the nature of the crime my friend and I supposedly committed? Because, honestly, I feel as if you're making assumptions without knowing the whole story."
She was sticking with her resolution to speak up because no one was ever going to tell her what to do—at least in this life. Afterlife? She had no idea what was going on, but at this juncture, she had no choice but to roll with it.
"Don't you mouth off to me!" Officer Kreuger drew her gun out. "Put your hands up where I can see them! I'm sick of you goddamned teenagers running wild in the neighborhood, wreaking havoc. On the ground. Now!"
Bella got down on the ground, more for self-preservation than anything. The woman was completely unhinged. Officer Kreuger shoved a knee into Bella's back and handcuffed her. She pushed her towards her police cruiser.
"Ma'am, I have a right to know why I am in handcuffs and being handled roughly, especially after being threatened with your weapon," Bella stated calmly.
Officer Kreuger yanked her to her feet by the back of her neck, "Shut your mouth and get inside, you smart-aleck, criminal brat!"
"Ow! That hurt! Be nice," Bella cried. "And stop poking your gun in my back!"
"Officer Kreuger!" A male voice admonished. Bella turned her head to see a man in uniform, a little older than her father and with salt and pepper hair, approach them.
"Yes, Chief Quigley?"
"May I speak with you?"
"Of course, Sir. Let me just get this perp in the cruiser," Officer Kreuger replied and forcefully lowered Bella's head, preparing to thrust her into the vehicle, but was stopped by the police chief.
"Right now, Officer Kreuger!" Chief Quigley ordered.
"But…"
Bella couldn't hear the discussion, but she could tell that the psycho officer was getting dressed down by the police chief. She could see Officer Kreuger handing over her body cam for review. Another officer kept an eye on her but without any weapons.
Bella noticed that Emma and Greg were being questioned in separate areas without being handcuffed, and from what she could tell, kindly. Clearly, she landed the psychotic, out-of-control tyrant as the officer in charge of interrogating her.
A few minutes later, Chief Quigley approached her without Officer Kreuger. He immediately removed the handcuffs. Bella shook her hands out.
"I reviewed the footage on Officer Kreuger's body-cam and apologize for her behavior. She was out of line and will be disciplined accordingly. Now, are you Isabella Swan? I'm assuming so because the other two identified themselves as Emma Nez and Greg Ronstein."
"I am Isabella Swan."
"Good. A Lieutenant Marshall called me while you were on the phone with your father to explain the situation. I'm glad you reached out to your father and that he was able to get you out of a dangerous situation.
Bella glanced over to see Greg Ronstein being handcuffed and placed in a squad car.
Chief Quigley continued, "In the future, please call 911 to get local law enforcement on the line."
"I'm just used to calling my dad because I know he has my best interests at heart. He'll always keep me safe, even from a distance. And at the hint of trouble, he'd drop everything and come running for me. He's reliable like that, and he's always calm. And I'm sorry, but if Officer Kreuger is an example of your police officers, I'll take my chances with my father, even if he is in Washington. At least the officers under my father's command won't pull a gun on me and handle me roughly."
"I don't blame you one bit, but please keep in mind the majority of our officers are kind and well-trained. In any case, it looks like you take after your father. You were very calm and collected when speaking to Officer Kreuger."
"Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."
"You're very welcome. Now, why don't you tell me what happened in your own words?" Chief Quigley suggested.
So, Bella explained what happened, knowing her father was listening in on the conversation. After all, the phone was still in speaker mode.
When all was said and done, the driver's ed vehicle was towed back to the school while Bella and Emma were driven back personally by Chief Quigley. Upon arrival, the girls were met by Mr. James, Mr. Fish—the principal, Mr Garcia—the school resource officer, Nurse Wilder, and Emma's parents.
Chief Quigley declared Bella to be the hero of the day, and she received a bunch of compliments, which made her feel really nice for change. She was used to people being disappointed in her. Oh, who was she kidding? She was disappointed in herself for becoming involved with vampires.
How could she have done that to her father? To her friends? To her mother? Well, she'd have to consider that one because, while she loved her mom, Renee was flighty and selfish. The way she up and eloped with Phil was proof of her selfishness. And in hindsight, Bella had to consider that in becoming involved with Edward Cullen and his heinous family, she had been just as selfish as her mother. Perhaps the apple didn't fall too far from the tree.
No. She could do better and be better. She made a vow to herself that she would become a better person.
XOXO
Later that evening, Bella was in her room, winding down for the evening. She decided to pluck her eyebrows since tomorrow night was the homecoming dance.
She grabbed her tweezers and switched on the light-up makeup mirror her mom had given her last Christmas. She peered into the mirror to focus on her brows when a male voice said, "Hello, Dingaling."
Bella's eyes widened.
She glanced around the room, but there was no one there; someone had spoken to her. In fact, this was the second time someone had called her Dingaling.
"Hey! I'm over here."
Bella returned her gaze warily to the mirror. There was a man staring back at her. He was dressed in traditional Quileute attire—the kind now worn at pow-wows and other tribal events. He had long, black hair streaked with bits of gray and tanned skin. He looked familiar, yet she knew she'd never seen him before.
"Okay, now that I've got your attention, Bella. Let's talk," the image said.
"I'm sorry. Who are you?"
The man in the mirror looked affronted. "Who am I? Who am I? You asked for me, remember?"
"I did?"
"Sure, Sure. Hang on a second." He snapped his fingers and said, "Look up."
Up on the ceiling, the man in the mirror had projected an image of the last few moments of Bella's life. She had begged God, Jesus, Buddha, the Greek and Roman Gods, Captain Kirk, Captain America, Taha Aki, and Thor to help her. And then, defeated, she slumped up against the bathroom wall and wished, "If only I could go back in time and fix all of the mistakes that led to this disaster."
Was she getting a second chance? Was this man here to save her from Edward?
"Thank you," Bella said, turning back to the mirror. "I'm Bella Swan."
The man nodded. "Yes, I'm aware."
"And, you are? I mean, I asked for a whole bunch of people and…"
"You have never been a stupid girl, Isabella. I've been watching you for your entire life."
"Okay, okay. You're Taha Aki, but why couldn't they send Thor?"
"Because Thor is busy looking after his people in the Norse countries. And he doesn't look like Chris Hemsworth. He's a big, ornery guy with a bad temper and body odor. He doesn't wash his hair as often as he should, nor does he bathe. I try not to piss him off."
Bella wrinkled her nose. "Well, there goes my image of the perfect man. Can you clarify a couple of things? Like, have I died and am in a rehabilitation center for all my sins? Is that why I'm back in high school?"
Taha Aki snorted. "No, Dingaling. You are not dead. You are alive. You asked for a chance to go back in time and fix all of your mistakes, and the spirits deemed it advisable for you to get that chance. Sacrificing yourself by turning into a vampire would not help at all. Have a look."
Bella looked up at the ceiling and saw herself as a vampire. She was beautiful, for sure, but she looked sad. Edward looked stern and held the hand of a small child who looked like a cross between him and her. They both turned their backs on her.
In another scene, her father passed away at a very old age, but no matter how much she begged, Bella was not allowed to attend his funeral because the Volturi decimated the wolf pack.
"But why would the Volturi destroy them?" Bella asked. "They had no knowledge of the wolves."
Taha Aki looked sad and shook his head. "The Cullens, particularly Edward and Alice, cannot be trusted. In a fit of anger, they report the existence of the pack to the Volturi."
"But I married him to keep the pack safe."
"I'm afraid you were deceived."
"But why me? Why did you come for me? I'm not Quileute."
"No, you are not but trust me when I say you are important to the tribe. The spirits have deemed you worthy. More to the point, I deem you worthy."
She liked being called worthy. It was like how she felt when everyone praised her for her actions today. She liked feeling as if she mattered. She smiled at Taha Aki. "So, where do we go from here?"
"Well, you asked for a second chance, and now you're living it. I am your guardian spirit warrior. I will be watching you and advising you along the way. It is imperative that you fix your errors because the fate of the Quileute Nation and that of your father rests upon your shoulders."
Bella's mouth widened in horror. "Um, that's a big responsibility for a teenager!"
"And so it is. Goodnight, Isabella. Oh, and might I suggest you always carry a mirror with you."
With that, he was gone. Bella had no idea how it happened or who made it happen, but she had been given a second chance. With a smile on her face and a pep in her step, she decided to go to bed.