Dusk

#12

Bella

J

ess drove faster than the Chief, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. It was nice to finally hang out with Jess and Angela.  Jessica went to dinner with Mike and it gone pretty well. She hopes that by Saturday night they will finally kiss. I smiled to myself, pleased. Angela was passively happy to be going to the dance, but not that interested in Eric. Jess tried to confess who her type was, but I interrupted with a question about dresses after a bit, to spare her. Angela threw a grateful glance my way.

The dance was billed as semiformal, and we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Both Jessica and Angela seemed surprised when I told them I've been to one dance back in Phoenix.

"It was with my ex-girlfriend back in Freshman year," I told them.

"And you've never been to another?" Angela asked quietly.

"No one's asked me," I answered honestly.

The dress selection wasn't large but they found a few things to try on. Jess was torn between two-- a long, strapless, black number and the other is a knee length light blue one with spaghetti straps. I told her to go with the blue one; it brings out her eyes. She blushed at my comment but went to go find some shoes to go with it.

"Angela?" I began, hesitant, while she tried on a pair of pink strappy heels that went with her pale pink dress.

"Yes?"

"Is it...normal for the Cullens to be out of school a lot?" Though I tried to be nonchalant, it didn't work all that well.

"When the weather is good they go backpacking all the time. They're real outdoorsy," She told me. She didn't ask any follow up questions, making me like her a bit more. I let the subject drop as Jessica returned.

Since dress shopping didn't take so long, we planned on walking down the bay before we head to dinner. But there was this little bookstore that I wanted to check out, and I encouraged them to go without me. I would be fine.

I was lost.

As I was crossing roads after roads I realized that I was going in the wrong direction. The buildings here looked abandoned, most of them warehouses. Instead of continuing north, I decided to head east and try to find a new way back to the boardwalk.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from work but too grimy to be tourists. They weren't much older than I was, joking loudly among themselves. I moved to the far side of the sidewalk to give them room.

"Hey there!" one of them called as they passed. Two of them had paused while the other two were slowing. I started to walk faster, not looking or speaking to them. "What you can't say hi?"

His voice drifted off as I turned the corner, getting out of their sight. I sighed softly, relaxing my stance and continuing the walk.

After a few minutes into the walk, I heard more steps behind me. I was on high alert during the walk. I noticed whenever I stopped walking, they would as well. The footsteps behind me were louder now.

"There you are!"  The sudden voice behind me made me jump. They were closer than I thought. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from in front of me, making me jump once again as I tried to hurry down the street. "We just took a little detour."

My steps had to slow now. I was closing the distance between myself and the lounging pair too quickly. The thickest man shrugged away from the wall as I warily came to a stop and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay away from me," I warned in a voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless. I don't think I convinced them.

"Don't be like that, sugar," he called, and the raucous laughter started behind me again.

Before they could even think about touching me, headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back towards the sidewalk. It came to a rough stop, the door a few steps away from me. The driver's side open revealing my blonde haired savior.

"Get in the car, now," she growled,  not taking her eyes off the men in behind me. Rosalie stalked towards them as I quickly got into her car. I watched as she stalked up to the men.

One with dark hair started to say something but Rosalie's hand around his throat stopped him. He started to come off the ground, his friends too stunned to do anything. Even though her back was facing me, I could tell she was saying something to them just by the way they looked at her. I gasped when I saw the man hit the side of the building, knocking him out cold, and as the other three ran away.

Rosalie took a few deep breaths when she walked back towards the car. Her eyes were pitch black, jaw set and she drove us away from the scene. 

I cleared my throat, trying my best to relax. "Are...are you okay?"

She didn't answer right away. "You were almost assaulted yet you're asking me if I'm okay?" Rosalie sighed. "I will be. I'm...sorry that you had to see that."

"Thank you, Rose," I told her. "That's twice that you save me now."

I could see the corner of her lips lifting. "Try not to treat death anymore, okay?"  

_____________________

After 17 long ass years on this earth...and after two years of drowning in the gay...I finally have it.

A freaking girlfriend.

(July 31 2020 update: SIIIIIIKE)

Bye!