Chapter 12 Why Not
Renesmee's POV
I look around quickly, before running from the bathroom. The halls are empty, but I need to make it to the other end of the hall, before any of the hall monitors come back, or I'll be in big trouble, and mommy and daddy will not be happy with me. I have to get out of here, before anyone notices because Michael is still missing, and everyone seems to have written him off, but I won't, I can't give up on him. He's my friend, and I care for him. I dash across the hall, and finally come within sight of the door.
That's when the door behind me opens, and I jump behind a row of the lockers. I see that one of them is rigged, so I pull it open, and slide easily inside, before closing it. I listen intently, with my better than human hearing, for the sign of an empty hall. I hear a couple of people walking by, but I guess they didn't see me because they just walk right past me, until they leave the hall altogether. I push the locker door open, and rush out into the hall once more, before going straight for the door.
Once, I race from the building, I waste no time looking back, as I run up the sidewalk, and directly cross the street, and right into the woods. I can faintly smell Michael, so I follow the trail, but soon I'm overpowered by the pungent smell of a lit cigarette. I've always hated the smell, but mommy told me not to judge people because we can't judge people, and still expect to be treated fairly. Who would be out here smoking? That's when I see a small group of kids from one of my classes. They're huddled together, and they're all smoking.
"Aren't you too young to be smoking?" I ask curiously, but they must think that I was being judgmental because one of the girls just sneers at me, and takes a quick drag of her cigarette, before blowing it into my face.
"Aren't you too old to be such a baby all the time?" she asks, and I look at her strangely for a moment. Trying to fight back the cough, from her smoke cloud. "Doesn't it get exhausting to be such a goody good little girl all the time?" she demands, and I just shake my head nonplussed at her question.
"What's wrong with being good?" I ask her, and she just laughs again. I decide that this conversation is going nowhere, so I leave them alone, but I can still hear their comments, as I leave them behind.
"Little girl ditching school, maybe we should tell her mommy" one of the guys call, and I grit my teeth angrily because it's none of their business who I am, or what I'm doing. I turn my attention back to Michael's scent, and race away from the group of kids, and straight in the direction of my real friend.
Lucas's POV
There she is. Chloe, and Dylan are standing there tight in front of me, and I can't move. I've wanted nothing more than to see them alive and well, but here they are and I'm so happy, and excited that I literally can't move a muscle. Chloe leans in, with her arms open wide, so I fall dazedly into the hug. That's when everything comes back, and I feel my nerves free up. I pull away, and look at her angrily.
"How'd you become a vampire, and where the hell have you been?" I demand.
"It's a really long story" she explains, and I drop the subject for a few moments, but I refuse to drop it for long. I lead them both inside, and a smile crosses my face, as I realize that I have so much news to share with my siblings because it's been so long since I've seen either of them.
"So you guys... I have some news, and you might be a little shocked." I explain, before launching into the entire story about how I came to have Oliver, and Olivia. Chloe looks more and more excited as I continue my story.
We walk across the room, where Emmett is still sleeping with the babies, and Chloe almost runs over there, showing little self-control. She looks at me, and I nod to her approvingly, before she reaches down, and gives Emmett a gentle shake. He looks around, for a moment, as if he were a lost puppy, before he lays eyes on Chloe and jumps to his feet. He pulls Chloe into his arms, and hugs her tightly. I watch in awe as Emmett, and my sister hug. It feels nice that they have grown so close, since I first met him.
They pull apart, and Chloe looks down at the twins, before smiling in delight. She sits down beside them, and just watches them sleep for a moment.
"Would you like to hold them?" I ask, and she almost jumps with joy. I walk over to her, and sit beside my perfect little babies. They are truly the image of everything that's meant to represent the word perfect. I lift Olivia off the cushion, and cradle her in my arms, before handing her over to my sister, The look in her blue eyes, as she takes hold of my daughter is something I will never forget.
She pulls her close, and looks down at her sleeping face, before tears begin to cascade down her cheek. I sit down beside her, and put my arm around her. I really did miss her. We sit there in that moment, and just take each other in. After a moment of holding the twins, I gently take Olivia back into my arms, and lay her back down onto the cushion. I signal for her to follow me out of the living room, and head right to the kitchen. I can hear all of them following me into the room. I turn around to look at my big sister again.
"I'm really glad you're back Chloe." I tell her, and she smiles at me for a moment, before yawning profusely. I smile, and think back to our home, and our childhood. She was so different back then. I'm not sure exactly what changed between us, but I'm so glad it did.
"I'm glad I'm back too. I just can't believe you're a dad, and you're engaged, and it's all just so awkward" she says, clearly not knowing what to say. I laugh aloud at her use of my past favorite word. I used to refer to everything as awkward.
"You tired Chlo?" I ask, using her nickname, which feels a bit strange because I've never really used it before now. She nods silently, so I decide to push the interrogation back a bit. She's clearly exhausted from traveling across the country to come see me. "Why don't you go to bed, and I'll just catch up with you in the morning, okay?" I ask, and she smiles gratefully at me, before looking around uncomfortably, and that's when I realize that she must feel a bit nervous because of how she left things.
"I'm sure you remember where your room is right?" I ask, and she seems to get the hint that she is still welcome here. I don't blame her for leaving, and I'm sure as hell not going to give her any reason to leave again. Honestly the only thing I care about is having my sister back. She leaves the kitchen, and heads up the stairs, with Dylan on her heels. I watch as my family heads upstairs, and I turn to Emmett. He fills in the space between us, and wraps his arms around me. I look up at him, and press my lips to his softly.
"So, I was thinking, we should probably put this whole wedding thing into motion sooner or later huh?" he asks, as we break apart, and I almost laugh again because I had totally forgotten that we were engaged, and that we were supposed to be planning.
"Well I guess we should be." I reply, with a whisper, and a suggestive smile, as I let my hand travel down his chest, and past his stomach, until I feel him take a sharp breath. That's when he gets the hint, and pulls me by the hand, and up the stairs to our room. The talk of wedding planning kind of turns me on, and hey why not get in as much alone time as we can, while we can? I excitedly push him down on our bed, once we're in our room with the door closed. This is going to be fun!
Chloe's POV
I make it up the stairs, and head right to my old room. Lucas and Emmett are in their room, and I'm ready for bed. Today was a long day full of many emotions, but it was a good day. I smile to myself, as I lie down in the bed. This bed feels like home after the last few months, and after all that I've been through. I guess it might be the familiarity of it all. I smile, as my eyes begin to drift closed. Just as I'm dozing into a beautifully heavy sleep, I see an image of Jackson, and my eyes snap open once more.
I feel the tears begin, and then it's all torn open, and bloody again. Jackson is my everything, and I need him back, before I go crazy. I need his lips, and I need the touch of his skin. I think of the good things that have happened, since I met him, and I think of the fact that I'm the reason he was kidnapped, and massacred in the first place, but then I think of the bad times, and how he killed someone just for some extra money. I just don't see how I'll ever be okay with what he did, or if I'll ever be able to look past it.
I mean I love him, and would give anything, for him to be lying in this bed with me right at this exact moment, but what kind of person is he really? Is he the beautifully kind, and amazingly smart Jackson, or is he the cold, ruthless killer that I've seen twice now? He literally killed a woman right in front of my eyes, just because I wouldn't come back with him, but on the other hand he did look positively ill. Was he losing his mind, or was that scene at the convenience store just an act to get me back in his life?
The fact that I even have to ask these questions, in an attempt to forgive him, shows me that he shouldn't be forgiven at all. I guess if you have to ask, it isn't exactly a good thing. I try to push Jackson out of my mind, but it never seems to work, so I just lie there, and try not to cry. Jackson has really gone through me like a hurricane. I've seen what hurricanes can do, so I can say that truthfully that's what he feels like to me. He feels like something that poisoned everything it touched, and left a trail of death, and devastation in its wake.
After comparing him to a hurricane, Jackson begins to drain from my mind, like water draining from someone's hands. I don't try to hold onto him, but it wouldn't make a difference if I had tried because I'm too far gone. I'm already asleep, and nothing can break through the barrier now. I close my eyes, and the last thing I think, before I'm completely passed out is an image of a hurricane I saw as a child. The image of a tree being blown over by such powerful winds, pounds itself into my mind, as Jackson ceases to exist.