The Alchemist

Chapter 17

I took my purse and made sure to put all I could need inside. Then it was time to leave. Aidan would meet me at school. I was riding with Rose and Emmett. At school I was beginning to be nervous. Lauren had been spreading lies about me. Bella wasn't speaking to me unless needed, because of the secret I kept from her. "You will be okay, Leona. Just focus on the fun part. Your date with Aidan." Right.

Aidan was dressed in a suit with a bow tie the same color of my dress. Coincidence? I think not. "Hello beautiful. Is this seat taken?" 

"No and this one will open as well if you sit down." I answered with a smile. We talked and occasionally danced slowly as I was still recovering just a little. Why did I go and fix the roof then? That was part of Emmett's job up there with me. Making sure I didn't strain myself and it had to be done.

However at some point Aidan disappeared to use the bathroom. I talked to others from my class but I found it took a bit long for Aidan to return so I went looking for him. I could've asked Alice or Edward but didn't want to bother them. I had a feeling Alice didn't really like me and I didn't want to bother Bella right now.

It wasn't hard to find Aidan though. I found his bowtie on the floor near the nurse office. When I was at the door, I heard someone moaning. Opening the door slightly I found Aidan with Lauren... in compromising positions. It hurt. I had trusted Aidan deeply after he had been there for me the past few months. I had been about to make things more official but he broke it before he even had it. I found my phone, put on a certain sound used for alarms and let it play in the room. Then I stood against the other side of the hall with arms crossed and seemingly calm. They came out naked and were shocked to see just me.

"You. Get dressed, get your shit and get out." I told the girl.

Then I turned to Aidan. "You should be ashamed of yourself." I walked off before turning around. "Oh and Lauren, you have a little something there." I pointed at my lips. Then I left the hall hearing them run back into the room.

Once outside, I decided on a little revenge. I broke into Aidan's car, spilled red punch on his white leather furniture, opened the hood and took out a few small parts that you would need to know what you were doing if you wanted to put them back in. Then I used a waterproof pen and wrote cheater in big letters on all sides before I went home in a cab. Just as I left, did Aidan come running outside.

"Hey baby-girl how was your night?" Charlie greeted me.

"Dad, if I removed a few parts from an engine, spilled red punch on the white leathered furniture and wrote cheater in waterproof ink on a car, is that a felony?" I asked.

"Did you break anything?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Only the lock of the car. And I left the parts I removed with the car not stealing anything." I didn't say I had taken pictures and put them on the chatroom from school so that everyone saw it. It may be petty but I just had 

"No then it's not a felony. I'm sorry you felt like you had to do that. You seemed to like the boy." He patted my shoulder.

"If you don't mind, I want to go to sleep now." I replied wanting to be alone for a bit.

"Goodnight Leona." He kissed my head and let me go.

"Goodnight Dad." The following morning when I was in town for groceries, kids from school either said I did right or they wanted to know who the other girl was. I never said a name pretending I didn't know her. It wasn't worth it. After lunch I spent time with the Cullens, as Emmett had been challenging me to a marathon of gaming. "Oh right, Leona, a letter arrived for you this morning." Charlie said handing me an envelope.

"Thanks dad." It was from an Italian university I had applied to. I got in! it would be a great chance for me. Dad was happy for me, as was Bella. The Cullens however...

I was just kicking ass in battlefield against Emmett when I dropped the news.

"Oh, by the way, I've been accepted for a scholarship to study mechanical engineering in Milan, Italy. So, I'm leaving during the next year." Silence aside from the game.

"You can't go." Jasper said.

"Why not? It's my decision is it not?" Were they trying to hide something?

"Leona, it isn't safe to go out there. Especially to Italy." Emmett said.

"As if staying here has been so safe for me." I reminded them.

"True but still. It could be worse there. Especially for a weak human like you." Edward came in the room Alice and Carlisle in tow.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean 'weak human like me.'" I may be human but that's no excuse for insults.

"What Edward means is someone who knows the secret. If you're found out, it could endanger Bella. We can't have that." Alice spoke.

"You just don't want me to go because it might risk Bella knowing about you being exposed? So actually, you just want to save your own asses for exposing your kind's secret existence." Jasper had a phone call.

"You do have a point but let me explain it to you in private. Please follow me to my office." Carlisle said. I did as told, because he had been the only one to not really insult me or to guilt-trip me. Rose and Esme were out to hunt. In that office he told me to sit down as did he.

"Leona have I ever told you about my life before I met Edward?" He asked. I asked him about it but he hadn't told much.

"No I only know you are the eldest of all seven of you and that you changed most of them and that you're British." I answered.

He told me about how he actually managed to track down a vampire unlike the group his father had been leading. about he he got turned and hated himself to the point of trying to kill himself. After discovering he can survive on animal blood he traveled until he met them. The Volturi. The rulers of the vampire world. 

"There is ultimately only one law in our world: Don't expose our existence to humans. The Volturi make sure this law is followed by disposing of any threat of exposure. If you go to Italy, the chance is rather big that you might run into them. They will find out you know because Aro, the leader of all, has the gift to see your thoughts by touch. Not the ones on the surface but every thought you've had since you were a child.

"Now they might be able to see some sort of value in you, but there is something else you should know. You aren't a weak human like Edward implied. You are different though as you survived two vampire attacks and that might make them want to kill you after all. The Volturi fear that what they don't know as they do not know if it will threaten our world."

"What makes me so different then? I'm just a human with some scars who happens to know." I was confused. He had a knowing look on his face as if he knew more about me than I did.

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Happy eastern for those who celebrate in whatever form.

I apologize for being a bit later than usual. I was busy with other things.

As usual, please let me know your thoughts about the story so far. Questions are also always welcome. 

Have a nice week.