Crescent Night

Chapter 9

"Sorry, sorry. I was a bit busy yesterday. But we can still go" Bella soothed her friend's anger.

"That's okay, so long as your dad doesn't have a problem with it" Angela always seemed to have a diplomatic response.

"I don't think he'll mind, I'll call him after school." Bella then turned to look at me, and I regretted ever befriending her. "Elle, you should come with us!"

"What?"

"Oh my gosh! Yes, you can get a dress for the dance too!"

That's how I ended up dress shopping in Port Angeles for a dance I wasn't sure I was even going to anymore, given that the people I was going with might be creatures of the night. I was half convinced Bella dragged me here to divert attention from herself, she wasn't going to the dance so she wasn't shopping. So suddenly I became much more interested in Jessica and Angela. So when she told us she had to get a book, the other girls hardly batted an eye and she slipped away to the busy streets of Port Angeles.

The three of us went from store to store, and the more I looked at dresses the more I thought about Alice and Jasper. A dark red dress with an off the shoulder neckline caught my eye. Alice had brought up that she wanted us to match, and that she'd chosen a red theme. And Jasper had told me that I should wear more outfits that accentuated my neckline, since he thought it looked nice. Looking back at their suggestion, they really weren't helping themselves in the witch hunt Bella and I had going on.

But I still wondered if they'd like me in this dress.

What?

After a long internal debate about where that thought had spawned from, I took the thing into the dressing room. Much to Jessica and Angela's delight. I started at the offensive fabric for a good five minutes before actually trying it on. I almost didn't want to look at myself, lest my imagination run wild. But I turned around anyway.

The dress was a wine red with a modest off the shoulder neckline that accentuated my neck. It was tight and went down to just below my knees with a small slit on the bottom right side. I stared at the reflection, it's been a while since I'd worn something fancy. After the incident back home, i didn't go out anymore, i didn't like the way people looked at me. But people here didn't know me. They didn't care enough to stare.

I redid my hair into a messy bun, leaving a few stands framing my face. If you wear something that shows off your neck, you need to tie up your hair. Or you'll look ordinary. That's what my mom had told me once when we were watching a movie and the lead let her hair down with a dress with a deep neckline.

I wanted to look nice. I wondered if they'd like it. If they'd notice I took their suggestions. Would Alice hold my hand, like she did that day? Would Jasper hold me from behind like in the accident? Would they kiss my neck? Would they do something else, since they were vampires-

I snapped out of my trance after that thought. And quickly changed back and went to buy the thing before I changed my mind. I stood in line, the heat still burning in my cheeks.

What was that? They're my friends! Not to mention probably vampires, and more importantly, siblings! I mean, adopted when they were twelve so not really, but still! If I go out with one of them, it'll alienate the other, and we'll stop being friends. Assuming that they even like me like that.

I sighed, pushing the thoughts to the back of my head. I was not dealing with this right now. I stared out the store windows, where the street lights had come on. When did it get dark? It was lightly drizzling outside, and I wondered what was taking Bella so long.

Hey where are you going? Whose voice was that? We just wanna talk to you!

I looked behind me, trying to find the source. But instead of the store, I saw a dark alley, filled with pad locked shutters that belonged to closed warehouses.

"Not now, not here!" I whispered, hugging the dress tightly to my chest trying to ground myself.

Two figures, men, were at the end, walking leisurely. Calling out to someone. Then I heard hurried footsteps where the store's windows should be. I turned my head again, and I saw Bella. Almost running away from the two figures who were now laughing loudly.

"Next!" I jumped when the cashier called out. I was back at the store. I walked up to the register on shaky legs and handed him my card, hoping it would be enough but not really caring. I took my phone out of my bag, and turned it on for the first time today.

Immediately, tens of messages from Alice and Jasper greeted me, but that wasn't important. I dialed Bella's number, no response. It was probably nothing. The cashier handed me my purchase and I stood by the door. I dialed again.

"Contesta, contesta, contesta, contesta el jodío teléfono!"

By the third call with no answer, I told Jessica and Angela I was going to look for Bella, and walked out the door before they even responded.

It's probably nothing. Maybe her phone died. Or she's busy. Or she's still at the bookstore. It was just a hallucination, just a vivid intrusive thought.

But now the thought was in my mind, and I wasn't going to calm down until I made sure that Bella was alright. There were worse things than vampires out in the night.

I walked aimlessly through Port Angeles, calling and texting to no avail. I was starting to freak out, and I couldn't risk having a panic attack, not here. Not in a situation like this. I stopped in front of a closed bookstore, I could feel bile in my throat.

I started running, through the now mostly empty streets of Port Angeles, shouting her name. I couldn't find her anywhere, so I took out my phone again. I needed to call someone. Her dad! He was the sheriff right? He would know what to do, he had to.

Before I could actually make the call, a cold hand gently grabbed my wrist. I let out a surprised scream.

"Eleonor, darlin' it's just us!" Was that Jasper? What was he doing here?

"What are you doing here by yourself?" Alice. She wore a worried look on her face, she placed a hand on my back.

I stood there frozen for a moment. They were here, the possible vampires who I'd been ignoring for two days. With worried looks on their faces, because of me. I realized that I didn't actually know if they were vampires, but I did know they were my friends. Everything they had done until now proved that, and no matter what they were, that wouldn't change.

And right now, if they really were vampires, they could help me find Bella.

"I-I can't find Bella!"