Chapter 21: Tricks & Treats
BPOV
“Bella! How can you just up and move to Washington without so much as telling me!” Jacob shouted into the phone at me. I knew he’d be upset; this was the exact conversation I had been avoiding. Under the scrutiny of Edward’s astounded stare and Jacob’s inherent need for answers, I felt extremely uncomfortable at best. It was unclear if Jake was pausing for me to answer or to catch his breath, but I took advantage of the opportunity to speak. Clearing my throat, I willed myself to calm down one of my oldest friends.
“I’m sorry Jake… I—” I stammered as he cut me off.
“No, Izzy! I’m not done!” Hearing that name again, bile rising in my throat, I snapped.
“Jacob Ephriam Black! Do not call me that name ever again… continue,” I snapped at him. Edward’s eyes darkened as his jaw set in a protective fury. His imagination would undoubtedly concoct the worst scenario and worst name Jacob could call me. “Edward, it’s not what you think…” I whispered to calm him as my palm covered the mic on my cell. This was exactly why I didn’t want Edward to root around in my past—there was bound to be something he wouldn’t like: Jacob.
“What is with you? You dump me while you’re still in the hospital after two-fucking-years of dating, after not telling me that you were in there in the first place. I had to have your mother tell me because I kept calling your house too much! Then, you don’t talk to me for months all the while you move 1,000 miles away!? Fine, I guess I can deal with you not wanting to date me sort of, but apparently our friendship also meant nothing to you? That hurts Isabella,” he concluded in his little rant.
“It’s Bella—I prefer Bella. And… I’m sorry. I can’t explain my actions because I don’t know why anything worked out the way it did. I don’t remember that night,” I half-whispered to Jacob at the end as tears formed in my eyes and my breath hitched in my throat. Edward’s hand snaked around my free one as he made gentle and reassuring squeezes. “I wish I could say something to make you understand, or to fix… stuff. But it is what it is…”
“There are rumors, Bella.” Jacob informed me. “They say… they say that you went bat-shit crazy—that you purposely wrapped your car around that telephone pole. So, you don’t know what happened?”
“No. The last thing I remember was eating a sandwich at my house. I don’t even remember being at Lauren’s.”
“Wow,” he huffed into the phone. “So, you don’t remember seeing me that night?”
My attention had fallen away from Jacob after I relayed my sandwich memory; after all there was a beautiful Greek God in teenage form sitting next to me on a couch. All the while I had been uncomfortably reliving my past with my past, my eye-contact with Edward had never faltered. I felt intimately connected with him in a way I hadn’t before. Sexually, we were completely compatible, and mentally too. Yes, we had connected emotionally, and deeply before on my birthday while I regaled him of my trauma and again when he had his mini-breakdown about my ex-nickname that had reminded him of his mother, but previously eye-contact had been difficult to maintain. Now, as I was re-experiencing the confusion and frustration I had felt while waking up in the hospital, now while on the phone with my ex-boyfriend, previous best friend and confidant, my current boyfriend was holding my hand like a trooper—his eyes never leaving mine. I love you, I mouthed to Edward as the weight of the moment pressed down on me. It was the first time I had ever thought it and I acted impulsively by saying it, but not-saying it felt wrong.
“I love you too,” Edward whispered, a lopsided grin growing from his previously tight lined lips. My head became fuzzy in the wake of that smile. The room spun and righted itself, Edward anchoring it. Suddenly I knew that no matter what other crap came our way, I would be OK as long as Edward was there with me and that feeling as astounding.
“Bella, Bella? Did you hear what I said?... Bella, are you still there?” Jacob called into the phone. I had completely forgotten that I was even on the phone let alone with Jacob.
“Uh, yeah Jake: I’m still here.” I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to Jacob, there were no words that willingly came from my mouth.
“Is someone else there? You sound distracted,” Jake admitted in a jealous tone.
“No. I mean… yeah, but I’m not distracted.”
“Who’s there?”
“Uh, Emmett?” I lied. I didn’t have to lie, but for some reason I couldn’t bring myself to tell Jacob about Edward, not yet anyhow.
“Liar, that’s not Emmett,” he paused and exhaled loudly. “It’s fine Bella. I understand… you’re a new girl now with new guys. It’s OK that you forget about your best friends back home. Go ahead and just change for them up in Washington, I bet they’ll just eat you up! ::click::”
Jacob just hung up on me, I yelled in my head, he just fucking hung-up on me! I tried to redial his number but to no avail, he wasn’t planning on answering my call anytime soon. It felt as though steam was pouring from my ears as I felt the heat of my blood filling my cheeks in an angry flush.
“Bastard,” I muttered under my breath.
“What did he say?” Edward asked in his protective-concerned voice.
“Nothing important… the asshole just hung-up on me!” I hissed.
“We’ll fix it, OK?” Edward attempted.
“No. It’s fine… leave it be. I’ll talk to him when I’m ready.” Hesitantly, I took back the paper I had handed Edward just before Jake called me and scribbled down another name and phone number.
Jacob Black (555)739-5109
“I probably talked to him that day too… but I don’t remember. He was my boyfriend at the time,” I said while pointing to the freshly written name on the paper, not letting my eyes meet his in embarrassment. I could practically feel Edward’s eyes widen in shock as I heard his jaw pop open.
“Wait! You had a boyfriend when you were—was that him on the phone!?” Edward’s reaction was exactly as I predicted. He was being jealous, unthinking, and freaking-the-fuck-out. I didn’t mind, truly I didn’t, but I just wished it wasn’t at this particular moment in time. If I were being completely honest, then I would have to admit that it turned me on in a sick way that Edward was so irrationally jealous.
“Yeah… I broke up with him when I was in the hospital,” I explained. Edward, as I could have guessed, pressed for more details, details which I had avoided telling him. While he held my hand, I told Edward everything that came to mind, even things that I didn’t want to share at that instant like the status of my virginity and how Jacob had tried pressuring me into giving him a blowjob the night he asked me to be his girlfriend, which didn’t work. Somehow amongst the uncomfortable remnants of the past, an understanding and trust settled between Edward and I. Even though he didn’t want to imagine me with another guy, he listened as the details poured from my lips.
“I guess that explains the hostility,” Edward surmised once I had finished.
“What hostility?” I spat.
“The night we met, you were impossibly, er… unfriendly.” Oh, that hostility, I remembered. I also remembered thinking Edward was a tool, but I admit I had him wrong on that count.
“And you seemed like a self-important asshole, but I’m willing to put it behind me if you are,” I teased. At first his face only expressed his shock, but slowly melted into his signature lopsided smile—the one I loved best.
“Deal!” Edward agreed. We both laughed, breaking the thin tension that had settled between us the minute prior. After a pause his expression became serious. His soulful green eyes darkened to a jade hue as a hunger infiltrated them. I merely blinked and suddenly his lips mashed to mine. Oh… it was that hunger, I thought devilishly as I kissed back. At least for the moment, that awkward conversation finally ended.
* * *
“Bella, I swear to god, if you don’t dress up…” Alice scolded. It was not so much a scold as a death threat.
“Alice! Calm down, of course she’s dressing up. Halloween only comes once a year!” Rosalie spoke authoritatively. “Besides, this is a special year! Your parents are out of town which means only the most epic party of the semester.” I really hated when people talked in front of me as if I wasn’t there and listening. Annoying.
“I’m really not in the mood… I have a headache and—”
“Bella!” Alice cut me off, “seriously?! Seriously, you’re going to pull that bullshit? Not. Going. To. Happen.” She was a tiny typhoon, a force of nature. I swear I thought I saw her stomp a bit like she was five and throwing a tantrum.
“FUCK! Fine. Ok, so I don’t have a headache… I just don’t want to fucking do this. I’m not in the mood to play all nicey-nicey with the dumbass kids from Forks High. Ok, so I get that you’re all popular and crap but, I’m not. That’s not me. I don’t do ‘the cool kids’ thing…” I pouted—actually pouted.
“You don’t have to go all out if you don’t want… just dress up a little bit, please Bella!” Alice whined, her voice tinkling like bells as per usual. “It’ll be fuuuuun!” There it was again, the signature Alice Cullen pout. Her eyes were wide and puppy-like as her lower lip popped. That little she-devil could have cracked far greater men (or women) than me.
“Oh screw it, fine, but I’ll dress myself, got it?” I qualified. Alice and Rose nodded vehemently in approval right before my phone vibrated. Edward. The two went back to chatting about the night’s upcoming festivities while I removed myself from the conversation to read my new text.
Hey babe. So what are we wearing? It was a little absurd that he was texting me from his bedroom which was only one flight of stairs away from Alice’s. I too, however, was too annoyed to go to him so I texted back.
We’re embracing local culture. Get your flannel ready. I responded.
…What the Fuck? I don’t wear flannel! Typically difficult Edward. He had his brooding style, which I loved, but it was Halloween for cripe’s sake!
Thatz ok, Emmett’s got some for ya…
Bella, what are we being?
Just come to Alice’s BR, lazy ;o) A few moments later there was a knock at Alice’s bedroom door. With her approval, I went into the hall to talk to Edward.
“Lumberjacks. We are being lumberjacks,” I stated once I closed the door behind me. “I have to head home to pick up some stuff and I’ll be over later, Ok?” I asked as I kissed him on the cheek.
“Do you want me to come with?”
“No, I got it. I’ll only be a few minutes… plus I create a far more convincing alibi for Charlie when you’re not there,” I winked and left his side.
Halloween. It should just be another day… operative word being should. Two years ago on Halloween Jacob and I went on our first real date. We had only started dating a couple weeks prior and on that day our relationship felt more official, like a milestone. After some cheesy-we’re-fourteen-type date we went to a costume party at Lauren’s. I had dressed up for him in sassy witch costume. It was new, it was exciting, and it was fun. I felt like I was floating on air that year.
Last year I was a Playboy Bunny for him (tacky, I know: a fifteen-year-old Bunny). My body, however, did not resemble the curvy knock-outs because I practically had zero tits and a barely-there ass; but I was a girl in love, or at least lust. Regardless, we were happy, Jacob and I. A flash of that night came to mind as I oriented through the still-wet roads of Forks. Lauren Mallory had had another costume party, albeit more adult than the year before: alcohol was a new addition. I remembered how much Lauren whined that night because her mother had forced her and Alec, her brother, to combine parties much to their dismay. Alec was older, cooler, and it was his friends that had provided the alcohol unbeknownst to his mother. Back in those days Lauren was straight-laced, anti-alcohol. It was the reason for her whining; although that wasn’t the reason she gave her mom.
Alec had paid me a fair amount of attention that night, I recalled. When Jake, dressed as Heff, went to go refill our cups of Jungle Juice Alec had invited me to dance with him on their basement’s makeshift dance floor. I obliged because I was tipsy and unable to feel self-conscious. Suddenly I was flooded with a memory I had never accessed before—it was only a few seconds long, but it was there. As we danced, his hand grasped my ass and stayed there swirling and squeezing. It was such a vivid memory that it almost felt like someone’s hand was there now, and made me uncomfortable. I couldn’t help but cringe. Why do I remember this now of all times? I thought. The next memory from that evening was sleeping in Lauren’s room, texting Jacob under my sleeping bag. Before Jacob’s dad picked him up from the party, he seductively whispered I love you, planted a kiss, and left. It’s crazy what a person can randomly think of from time to time.
The memories from the times before I was jaded hurt now as I drove back to my house. It was shocking how painful it actually was. I definitely had not been expecting that… I thought I was over Jake… well, I was. Am. What I missed were the times that were easy, when every breath I took wasn’t evidence of having survived something I couldn’t even remember. It was in that moment as I turned onto my driveway that I had finally bent to Edward’s will: when I returned, he was going to call the list of people from that night. I decided that I could no longer wait and hope that it would suddenly come to me. Curiosity and thirst for the missing knowledge fueled my need for answers.
Once back at the Cullen House, Edward was more than happy to get my consent to call the numbers on my makeshift contact list. But as part of the terms of agreement, he was not going to call until after Halloween. I left him one of Emmett’s flannels, a black and white buffalo plaid one so he didn’t look too different from normal Edward, and went to join the girls in getting ready. Thinking back to those previous Halloweens, I had been so stupid. I had behaved like one of those ridiculous and typical teenage girls: dressing too sexily for the attention of boys. Well not this year! Never again. I would be more than willing to dress up for Edward in private… but not in front of a hundred of our closest strangers.
The six of us took a celebratory shot before the hoards of people arrived, and I really started enjoying myself again. It was like a typical Cullen house party plus crazy costumes and minus me getting drugged… that would have been slightly better than what had acutally happened. Around midnight when almost all of the teenagers present were good and drunk some kids from other schools started showing up, presumably because word had spread through the night that this was the Halloween party to be at. One moment, I’m enjoying a game of beer pong with my boyfriend and best friends, and the next minute Victoria is yelling at me. As I sunk the ball in one of the three remaining cups, Victoria came flying out of left field, screeching like a bat out of a cave.
“It’s your entire fault, YOU LITTLE BITCH! I thought I could trust you and it turns out that it’s your fault that he’s in there!” She screamed, lunging to attack me when Edward jumped in between us, gently shoving her backwards.
“Not now, Victoria. Let’s take this inside,” he said with a calm I didn’t know he could be capable of.
“Fuck—”she was caught off guard by the blood that spontaneously started dripping from her nose, “what did you do to me Cullen?” She sounded terrified. She sounded how I felt.
“Edward, what’s going on?” Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper called from surrounding areas. I looked from each of them to Edward and back to Victoria just in-time to see her collapse. It was the strangest thing, one minute she was standing there, bleeding from her nose and looking at us indignantly, to crumpled on the ground. Her body began convulsing in chilling pulsations.
“Edward?!” I screamed, sinking to my knees to help her… to try to do anything at all.
“Shit, she’s seizing. Somebody call 911!... and clear out the party before they get here!” He yelled, panic creeping into his voice. We were all so undeniably screwed.
* * *
