Alice and I have been inseparable - not because we're that couple who can't be apart, but because it's so easy to be together. There's no pressure to talk or make conversation. There's no ideals set about what we should do together or be. Being with her is like nothing I've ever seen or read about. She's my everything, giving 'everything' a whole new meaning. The summer we spent together was unbelievable - we went hiking and bike riding, we went on long drives and to the lakes. Other times were spent in hers or my bedroom watching movies.
My mom loves her, my dad is relieved she's female - in a father like way, he made a joke about not having a grandkid until we plan too, which will never happen for reasons he cannot know. My siblings love her and as far as I can tell her siblings love me - except maybe Rosalie. We used to get along, and I don't understand why she's changed; Alice said it isn't her place to tell me why.
School has been so easy with the Cullen's, too. I don't need books or Google, they're 10 times smarter; my alarm clock? Alice. My chauffeur? Edward or Emmett. My historian? Jasper. It's so cool, but obviously I'm kidding. They mean a whole lot more to me now, now I haven't got Ceece or AJ. Parker is still my best friend, however we can't talk as much because of the rift between me and the others. I understand - he's never been good with conflict.
Alice and her brothers are hunting today, leaving just Rosalie and Emmett in school; Carlisle and Esme went too, but the town thinks they're camping, while Rosalie and Emmett are old enough to stay home. I decide not to sit at the table during lunch, not wanting to annoy Rosalie. I like her, and I'm trying to do whatever it takes to be in her good books again. I head outside with my tray, finding a quiet tree and sitting under it as I slip my headphones in. I hate sitting alone, but it rarely happens anymore so I put up with it when it does happen.
As I pick at my fries I feel someone staring; slowly looking up I see it's Ceece glaring. We haven't spoken since that day back in March; it's now September, a whole new school year which means - in a way - a whole new me. I don't have any hatred against her or AJ, I miss them more than anything. The only thing stopping me from stepping up and asking for forgiveness is that to me it feels like a step back rather than a step forward. And so I've left it, with words unspoken. Not such a good idea.
I decide to ignore her and take my tray in to sort it; as I empty it I feel someone behind me. I look over and sigh when I see Rosalie, pulling a headphone out as I turn fully to face her. "Yeah?"
"Why didn't you sit with us?" She asks simply.
I think of a way to phrase this. "You... seem to change when I'm around and I don't like it. I'm sorry, for whatever I did - I just wanted you and Emmett to be cool, have some alone time." I smile small.
Rose's expression changes. "Oh... that's thoughtful. Thanks, I guess. Um - I don't mean to be so... me. Maybe I'll explain some other time. Is that Okay?" She smiles small, tucking a blonde curl back.
I smile and nod. "Yeah, course. You better go, I'll catch you later." I say as the bell rings and I turn to head out.
"You sure you don't want me to skip?" Rose calls.
"Naa, wouldn't want to be a bad influence on you Cullen." I call back as a few people watch our interaction - they look at me like they do the Cullens now; like we're aliens.
"Oh you wish!" She scowls laughing.
I smile and head out to the back fields, choosing not to study today. I take my denim jacket off and place it on my bag, against the fencing. With the weather changing most gym classes are done inside now so I shouldn't get caught.
"Hey!" I hear someone say in an angry way.
I look up and see Ceece storming over, a pissed look on her face. "Yeah?" I raise an eyebrow.
She stops in front of me and shoves me with some force. "You're a selfish ungrateful bitch, you know that right!?"
"Excuse you!?" I laugh and shove her back. "What the hell have I done!?"
"Well firstly you never apologised for being so rude. And then you ditch us for those freaks?" She yells.
"Don't. Call. Them. That." I growl lowly, clenching my fists.
"Or what?" She laughs bitterly. "You wouldn't hurt a fly. You're stupid. Ridiculous. I know it was you - the anonymous student who ruined the dance by ODing. All to get that little freaks attention." She snarls. "Pathetic. You really are."
I swing my fist and punch her hard, stunning the both of us. Ceece cups her jaw and looks round at me, the shock changing to anger as I back up a little. In a faster manner than me she swings her fist and smacks my eye, using her foot to trip me at the same time. I fall back with a gasp as my arm scrapes along the gravel surrounding the track, my head smacking into the ground.
"Stay away from me, freak. And next time? Make sure you die." She spits at me and leaves.
I slowly push myself onto my elbows, blinking as I realise what happened. I wince and look at the scrape on my palm that trails all the way down my forearm to my elbow. I touch my eye as it throbs too; I can't believe she did that. As I finally gather myself and stand, I slip my bag on my shoulder and carry my jacket in my left hand; blood drips from my right arm as I slowly walk to the school again.
Someone is suddenly a few feet away; Jasper. His nostrils flare a little as he smells the blood, his eyes wide as they zero in. "Bailey. What happened?" He says in a strained voice.
"I... fell." I whisper. "Its okay Jasper, I'm going to the nurse - Why don't you go to the car, away from the scent?" I wrap my jacket around it, despite the sting, to keep it away from him.
He swallows hard and closes his eyes for a moment, his breaths shaky. He takes a deep one and opens his eyes to look straight at mine; they're warm, bright and gold - I think he's in control. "Please, let me help. Who did this?" He steps closer but I step back a little.
"Jasper, call Rose or someone..."
He looks at me seriously, a little hurt. "I'm in control I swear. I was just a little taken off guard to see you in such a state - it worried me. Please let me help you, Alice would only worry more if you went to the nurse." He holds his hands out to take my arm.
"I'm fine... I just fell, tripped by the gravel." I lie as I hesitantly let him take my arm.
He unwraps it and examines it. "Lets get you to the house where I can clean this better. Do you trust me?" He looks up at me though his long lashes.
I nod small and he scoops me into his arms; I can tell he stops breathing as he does, but he instantly takes off running. My bag sits on his shoulder - when did he get that? - as my jacket stays around my arm. We're back at the house in minutes, and he sets me on a stool on the kitchen counter; he disappears upstairs before coming down with a first aid kit and a white hand towel, a bowl of water in his hands.
"I'll ruin Esme's towel." I scowl.
He chuckles small and sits on the other stool. "She won't mind." He sets the bowl down and grabs some gauze. "I know you didn't trip."
I sigh and wince as he begins to clean the gravel out. "It's just a scrape it's whatever. Doesn't matter how I got it, Alice will freak either way."
He smirks. "I remember when you bruised your knee hiking - she had a fit for a week after."
"She almost wrapped me in bubble wrap after." I giggle as he laughs. I watch him as he works. "How are you feeling, being so close to blood?"
He looks up at me for a moment. "Uncomfortable." He admits. "I don't see how Carlisle does this."
"I can finish up, it's okay." I offer.
"I care about you, I want to help, and I've just fed - I'm more in control now than ever. I don't want to hurt you and I won't. Don't you trust me?" He teases half serious - more serious than not but I can tell he's trying to brush off his hurt.
"I do. I care for you too." I smile gently. "Ow, a little warning!"
He chuckles as he pours more antiseptic over the grazed. "Rip the bandaid off is what I was always taught."
"I thought you were a gentleman, Mr Hale." I gasp teasingly.
"Oh yeah ma'am I am. But I'm also a tough lover." He grins.
I smile. "Can I ask you... about your upbringing?"
He takes a deep breath. "Of course. I was born in the 1800s. I signed up to be in the confederate army when I was just 17; managed to become a major within 2 years." He smirks proudly.
"You must've been the youngest like ever." I say in amazement.
He smiles. "I probably was. I'd just evacuated women and children when I came across 3 women - immortals. The head, Maria, changed me so I could rule her army."
"Army?" I raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"Newborns. Vampires. We are more powerful than ever in our first year, where human blood still lingers in us - were uncontrollable almost, if left to our own demise. I was there to train them to fight other newborns and make sure they didn't kill each other. Maria wanted her army to claim land - land with more populated human colonies. Easier to hunt that way."
"So she used you." I frown, hating that idea. "Is that why you have those scars? You always cover them up, I'm sorry I saw..."
Jasper smiles gently as he cleans up a little after putting some cream on my palm. "Don't be sorry. Yes, I was bitten a lot... I was also there to dispose of them after they lost their use. I'd rather not go into detail..."
"No no it's okay." I shake my head. "I'm really glad you got out, Jasper." I smile. "And thank you for helping me, I know it wasn't easy... may I hug you?"
He smiles and nods. I gently hug him around the waist, only doing so for a few seconds before I pull away. I hear a car pull up and sigh. "Protect me from your sister..."
"My good deed for the day is done." He holds his hands up as he steps out of the kitchen.
I groan small and Alice is instantly in front of me. "WHY DO I SMELL BLOOD?!?"
"Hi baby, how was hunting?" I smile.
"What happened!" She grabs my arm and examines it. "I leave for 3 days and you damage yourself?"
"I tripped it's nothing; Jasper fixed me up." I smile.
She frowns. "He... He cleaned your blood up?"
I nod. "I told him not to strain himself but he said he was okay. He really did a good job." I smile.
"I'm never leaving again. Rose is so dead, she said she'd watch out for you." Alice growls pulling me into a hug.
I roll my eyes and hug her one armed. "I sent her to class to learn."
"She doesn't need to learn she needs to watch her back." Alice snaps.
I cup her face. "Baby... I'm. Fine. Stop worrying I just need to tie my laces sooner." I giggle.
"What do I always say?" She smirks.
"Yeah yeah. 'I told you so' right?" I mimic her. "Love you too baby." I giggle as she scowls.
"Let me get you some ice for your eye." She sighs, going to the freezer. "Carlisle, can you come check Bailey over?" She says in a normal voice as she fills a bag with ice.
He appears seconds later, just as I wince at the feel of the ice on my eye. "Two left feet, huh?" He smirks small as he examines my arm. "Did you clean it?"
"Jasper took care of me, he cleaned it all up." I smile as I lean my head on Alice.
He moves my hand from my eyes and gently pokes it. "Looks like you were hit..."
"N-no I just tripped, went over front ways and hit my cheek as I landed. All me." I smile.
He eyes me for a moment. "Hmm. Why aren't you leaning your head on Alice fully?"
"I am." I tense a little.
"Lay your head back baby." Alice frowns.
I sigh and lean back properly, wincing as I feel the tenderness on the back of my head. Carlisle instantly feels around. "You bruised your head pretty bad, Bailey, you didn't just fall. If I'm to help fully I need to know the truth."
I sigh, refusing to look at Alice as I tell him. "Someone hit me, tripping me as they did. I fell, scraped up my arm and hit my head. They caught me for guard, hence the right hook to my eye." I shrug.
"Someone WHAT!?" Alice yells.
"Oh stop being dramatic I'm fine."
"Stop brushing it off, you aren't!" She snaps back.
"Alice, back off." I growl. "This is my business!"
"Fine I see how it is." She disappears, a door slamming behind her upstairs.
I sigh and close my eyes for a moment. "Come sit." Carlisle says gently as he guides me to the couch; I let him, feeling him put one ice pack back on my eye while he puts another behind my head.
"Thanks doc. I'm sorry you saw that."
"Don't be. Just relax okay, no permanent damage done."
I smile small, my eyes still closed as I lay curled up on the couch. I must've fallen asleep because when I wake, I'm leant against someone; I look up slowly to see Rosalie. "Hey." She whispers.
"Hi." I stretch with a yawn.
"I'm so sorry. I should've been there-"
I shake my head. "Alice got to you before I could. This isn't anything to do with you, you weren't to know. I didn't even know they'd do it, but whatever. I'm fine."
She sighs. "Okay good... you mean a whole lot to this family Bailey. Just know that Alice cares a lot, even if she seems overbearing. You're.. fragile. Extremely so."
I smile small. "I can handle myself. You all just gotta realise that."