Resilient

Chapter Twenty-Four: In Which I Seriously Consider Hotwiring a Car.

           It was not until we were quite literally out of the woods that anyone started talking. I mean Edwerido had kept up a near constant stream of profanities under his breath, but that doesn't really count. It was only when I noticed we were going in the wrong direction that anyone really spoke.

"Um, you're going the wrong way." I pointed out to the angry vampire.

"You can't go back to Forks." He snarled.

"We sort of have to." I told him.

"Listen James is a tracker. He will track your scent to your house. It's not safe." He said, withering patience in his voice.

"Charlie's at our house." Bella cried out, joining the conversation. Edward let loose a new string of profanities.

"Take us back." I ordered.

"No." He snapped. "I can't do that."

"Yes you can, turn the car around and drive us back now." I said my voice a dangerous calm.

"Edward please." Bella begged, that seemed to do him in. Snarling about his own weakness he flipped the car around and sped off toward Forks, all the while growling  instructions at us under his breath.

"When we get to your house, I will make sure the tracker is not in the area, if it's clear you have fifteen minutes to pack some stuff and get out of there. If the tracker is there we keep driving." I was not okay with that last part, but I would fight it when it came to it. I sat quietly in the car, trying to decide whether I should stay with Charlie or leave with Bella. Edward must have heard my thoughts. "The woman, Victoria, wants you. She will leave you alone if James is after, she doesn't want to fight. Their relationship is unstable when it comes to prey. If you stay you risk leading her right to Charlie." He said. That made up my mind. I had to go with Bella. I did not trust her to be out of state with vampires alone anyway. Who knew what stuff she could get herself into. We pulled up to the house, and Edward concentrated on hearing any thought, after a couple seconds he hissed out.

"Fifteen minutes." Bella and I both lept out of the car and hurried toward the front door, Edward hot on our heels. I hurried through the door first, relieved to hear Charlie watching TV in the living room. Bella took a deep breath and spoke quietly and rapidly to Edward.

"Don't listen to a word I am going to say in the next fifteen minutes." With that she slammed the door in his face and screamed, "Go away Edward." Immediately we could hear Charlie bustling up from his chair and coming toward the door, but Bella was already rushing up the stairs. I turned and sprinted up with her. Next, you could hear Charlie's heavy footfalls and he followed in our wake. Without a word spoken Bella hurried to her room, and I into mine. I heard Bella's door lock, but I did not bother with mine. Charlie was pounding on Bella's door, demanding to know what happened. She shouted things back to him, but it sounded muffled due to the blood pulsing through my ears. I was not scared, at least not for my own life. I was worried for Charlie, but mostly I was angry. Angry at the stupid vampires. I hated vampires. I hated them with every fiber of my being. They ruined everything. I bitterly shoved clothes into a duffle bag, and shoved it over my shoulder. I took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to calm down, because right now I wanted nothing more than to kick something, destroy something. I could almost feel the heat of my anger, the ground seemed to be shaking, the wind howling. I achieved very little of my goal when I heard Bella start to run down the stairs. I threw open my door and followed. I was almost to the door when a hand grabbed me and pulled me back.

"Where are you going?" Charlie asked.

"Bella needs me more than you, so does Mom. My first loyalty is to those who have always been there." I said my voice was cold. It was a lie, all a lie. I was so loyal to Charlie, that was why I had to leave. Nonetheless, it worked. Charlie released my arm with a stung and bewildered expression on his face. I knew what was going through his mind. He had just lost both of his daughters that he just got back. I could not dwell on it, as I heard a noisy engine start. If they left me here I was seriously going to hotwire a car, even though I didn't even have a license. I ran full speed into the driveway and dove into the car. Bella yanked it into reverse and we peeled out of the drive and into the night. 

I could hear Bella's shaky breathing as she drove. I could not tell if she was scared, or ashamed of what she had done to Charlie. I think it was a mixture of both. There was suddenly a loud clang from the driver's side and Edwards' head appeared. He opened the door while the car was moving and climbed in. He became the driver, and I became very squished. He was feebly trying to comfort Bella, but she seemed past the point of this and ignoring his words. We pulled into the Cullen drive way and piled out. It was not until we entered the front door that Bella really seemed to wake up from the daze she was in. She gasped and drew back into Edward, who then moved in front of her to protect her. I was left completely in the open, and hoping Laurent was not interested in eating me. Carlisle suddenly rounded the corner and held up a calming hand to Edward, who was snarling lowly.

"He came to warn us." Carlisle said, his ever present patience in his voice. I rolled my eyes and wandered away. Obviously Edward had protecting my sister under control, and I had zero desire to hang around any more than I had to. I found myself up in Carlisle's study, which I probably should not have been in. Well, whatever. I don't really care all that much, and if he had wanted me to stay out, he should have locked the door. I was 100% capable of picking a lock, but that took work. My eyes scanned over his many books. I was not interested in any of them, which made me wonder why I came up here in the first place. I think it's because I like the history. Now, don't get me wrong, I would never sit down and read a history textbook for fun. I did like the visual history displayed in this room. Just as I was debating staying in this room, or snooping Edwards, I heard Bella screaming my name. Rolling my eyes I headed toward the sound of her voice. She was looking up the stairs with a terrified look in her eyes. I sighed and trudged after her. I was still in a foul mood, and I did not want to take it out on her when she was already upset. I completely avoided talking to anyone, instead shoving myself in the car the first chance I got. Bella and Edward said a real touching good-bye, while I tried not to gag in the car. The car door opened and Bella flung herself in, still sniffling. I would have comforted her, but I was not really the touchy feely type. I chose to glare out the window into the darkness, and try not to think of the speed the insane vampire is driving. Said insane vampire also attempted to mess with my emotions, but I quickly shut him down. Alice and Jasper conversed in hushed tones in the front seat. I wanted to scream at Jasper to keep his eyes on the road, but I didn't really feel like it. I was so tired, but per usual, I found it impossible to sleep in the car. Many a time did Jasper offer to change my emotions, because he quickly figured out he could not do it by force. Every time I declined his offer, claiming I wanted to meet death wide awake when it came. The idiot didn't even have headlights on in hope of attracting no attention, and getting to his destination faster. I helpfully pointed out that the time we arrived in Phoenix would matter very little if we were dead. He kept telling me he wasn't going to crash and that he had been driving since before I was born. I found little comfort in that though, because rules change, and he can not know every groove of the continental U.S. I mean there are always things you don't anticipate. I am sure he wasn't worried about it, because a crash would hardly affect him. As for Bella and I, I doubt we would fare as well. However, my perfectly logical appeals went ignored to the point  that I just stopped and glared out the window, practically daring death to try and claim me. Bella was slumped against the window, long passed out. I simply wished I could join her in the sweet oblivion.