Chapter 3: C002
"Bella, I am home."
"I am in the kitchen." I said in response to Charlie, who went into the kitchen with audible steps and placed his hat on the side table.
"What is it?" He asked looking at the box that I was opening and heating in the oven.
Taking out a piece of paper, I spoke the name of the dish. "It is…Torta…Aho…gada."
"What now?" Charlie said with a scrunched face.
"It is a Mexican dish which is basically fried bread with marinated pork filled in it and doused with pasta sauce." I said what Reynold told me about the dish.
"I do not remember any place here that sells this. Did you make it yourself from the internet?" Charlie asked as he tried to pick a piece but I slapped his hand and said, "Wash your hands first."
"Yes Sheriff." He said rolling his eyes as he washed his hands and after wiping them with a towel, sat on the chair and tried a bite, and moaned in delight.
"Okay, it is too good."
"Then you should thank Reynold." This caused him to snap out of food land. Looking at me he asked, "The new kid?"
Nodding I said, "Yeah, I decided to give him Lasagna as a housewarming gift but he ended up cooking both of us lunch and dinner instead." I ended up pointing at another bag lying on the counter.
"Sounds like a good kid." Charlie said after thinking for a while and deciding to just eat what he was served.
"He is." I said affirming his word.
"So how did you of all people decide to go over to his house?" Charlie asked to which I gave him an impassive face. Seeing it, he shrugged his shoulder and said, "What? Bella, as far as I know you, your friends adopt you and not the other way around."
"Not true."
Is it?
Gosh, it is true.
Deciding not to look at Charlie who must be smirking at his victory, I kept my head down and continued to eat.
"*CHEW* So what else did you do?"
"Hmm…?" I shot Charlie an inquisitive look.
"I mean…you said he cooked the food so what did you do in the meantime?"
Oh, he thinks…oh no, Charlie is becoming Renee.
"Nothing, he just cooked and hummed a music tone while I petted his pet animal."
"FOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!!!!!!!"
"-while I petted Fou."
Okay, there is seriously something wrong with ani-Fou.
"Fou? What the hell is that?" Charlie asked after finishing up his food in record time and placed his plate in the sink.
"Some sort of cross between a rabbit and squirrel…I think. Looks cute."
"KYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!"
Seriously, how is he able to hear from Reynold's?
"Anyway, do you…you know?"
"Know what?" I asked with a huff.
Seriously, did Renee skin Charlie to interrogate me, or is this his default response to me meeting any boy my age?
"You know…like him."
"Charlie…" I sighed as I turned around.
"What! I am just asking to be sure." Charlie clarified himself.
"Just because I met a boy and he cooked for BOTH of US, does not mean he likes me or I like him. He might just be trying to act neighborly."
"Too neighborly." Charlie complimented.
"I went to his house first." I added.
Waving his hand, he spoke, "You never know those rich kids. One moment they act nice and treat you like a princess, and the next moment leave you all alone on the roadside."
"Well, he did not flirt with me. If anything he just spoke the bare minimum to not make it awkward." I defended him.
Hearing it, he looked at me with a depreciating look.
"What?"
"You are already defending him. This is the first stage."
"There are stages?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes there are.
Stage 1 – Defend the guy in front of your Dad.
Stage 2 – Thinking the guy can never be wrong.
Stage 3 – Thinking that the guy cares about you and you can confide in him.
Stage 4 – Changing your wardrobe for the guy.
Stage 5 – Falling for the guy and then getting hurt."
"…"
"…"
"You need a friend other than Bill and Lady magazines."
***
The next morning came, and I took the container that Reynold gave us and placed homemade cookies and went to his house, and rang the doorbell.
*CLICK*
With the clicking of the door, it opened, and from it came Reynold dressed in a shirt with sleeves rolled up and pants, with Fou sitting on his shoulder and waving at me.
Waving back at Fou I looked at Reynold who was staring at me and spoke with that smile.
That damned smile.
"A pleasant morning Bella."
"Well as pleasant it can get in Forks." I mumbled back which caused him to nod before speaking, "Depends."
"You like cold and damp things?" I asked before I realized I was in front of him near his porch.
Looking me in the eye he spoke, "No Bella, I don't like cold and damp things. I love…cold…and damp things." With that smile.
That damned smile.
Managing to look away, I decided to distract myself from him and looked at the lawn.
"Your grass is unlike anything I have seen in Forks."
"I am unlike anything you have seen in Forks." He said with a confident look that almost seemed to draw people in. For a moment I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw his eyes change from their normal color to a glittering green.
Shaking my head and regaining my senses, I looked at him and spoke while giving him the container filled with cookies, "Thank you for yesterday."
"How did it taste?" He asked taking the container.
"Ah, you were tasty."
"Oh my~"
"I mea-n not you, but the food was tasty."
Well done Bella, way to go.
"I don't mind the first one too you know." He said with a cheeky smile, which caused me to want to just dig a hole and bury myself in it.
"How is Charlie doing?" He asked, to which refusing to meet his eyes I said bobbing my head, "He is doing great. He loved the food too."
"Good to know. Why don't you come inside?" He said pointing indoors.
"I mean… I really shouldn't." I said trying to stop the repeat from yesterday. While I loved the food, I did not like the idea of trying to leach off of someone's kindness. Not to mention, compared to his cooking these cookies might as well be equal to sole of shoes.
"I insist. Isabella."
Wait, what?
"How did you know my name? I only told you about being Bella." I said as I hoped he was not a stalker or serial killer.
"From the lady magazine Charlie bought."
Eh?
"What magazine?" I said, which caused him to smile at me stifling a laugh.
"The lady magazine that Charlie bought a subscription to titled 'How to raise a daughter?' that they delivered at my doorstep by mistake." And then he smiled.
"Beside it was a survey, and in it was you name."
That damned smile.
"*Sigh* Damn it, Charlie." I cursed under my breath as he beckoned me inside. After hesitating a bit, I entered the house again which did not look any less impressive than it did before.
"Lasagna was good." He said which caused me to look at him with a bit of creased face as I spoke, "It was not that good. We just bought it from a local store."
He then turned around and spoke, "It is the thought that counts." And then turned back and continued to walk.
Reaching the kitchen, I saw that on the table was a plate with half eaten food.
"Sorry, I did not mean to disturb your breakfast." I said almost instinctively.
"Pay no mind. Your visit gives me the excuse to make something better." He said as he washed his hand, while Fou was sitting on my shoulder all of a sudden.
I had to hold my breath to not scream in fright. Not wanting to look into the eyes of Fou, I turned to Reynold who was going through the pantry and mumbling no under his breath.
Feeling somewhat awkward silence I asked, "So…you excited for school?"
Taking out a wooden box filled with what I could see were several spices, he had a thoughtful face before he spoke, "Depends. I would not say excited, but more looking forward to it. It is going to be the first time I am going to go to school, so there is that."
"You were home-schooled?" I asked immediately only to realize how dumb that question was.
Duh, he could have hired people with fees more than my whole schooling and learned at home from them.
But then he rejected the thought. "Nah, I am not home-schooled. I am self-schooled."
"Self-schooled?" I asked taking a bite from a candy placed in the glass basin.
"Yeah, self-schooled. I do not have any parents, you see. So I learnt what I had to on my own without any outside help. Though you can call it as a form of home schooling."
Okay, this became awkward quickly.
"I am so sorry."
"Don't be…" he said placating me with a warm smile, "…I don't remember them too. Don't know a thing about my mother and the only thing I know about dad is that he died as soon as I was born, though it is not all bad. He gave all of his property to me so it was easy growing up."
"Still…" I wanted to say something but could not decide what to say so I decided to remain quiet.
"What about you? Are you excited for school?" He said to spare me the torturing silence.
Shaking my head sideways I said, "I don't know. Kind of? I am the new kid and everyone knows each other in this small town so it will be awkward to fit in. Not for you though? You are good-looking-"
Ah, damn it. Don't smile, don't, ahhh!!!
That damned smile.
***
"So do you have any particular hobby?" He asked as he convinced me to eat at his house for now, since Charlie was busy today. Though the weird part was that Fou ate with an honest to god fork of all things.
Is there anything Fou cannot do?
"Kyu~"
Wait, did he just give me a smug smile?
Shaking my attention from away from Fou I spoke to Reynold, "Well…I love trying not to fall or break anything under a minute."
This got a small chuckle out of him.
Hmm…he looks good when he smiles.
"Well, that is a good hobby. Anything else?" He said taking a bite out of grilled chicken breast with chili and lemongrass.
Placing the fork at my chin, I thought, "Umm…I do like reading and listening to music."
Chewing and gulping down the food he spoke, "Any particular writer, singer, or genre?"
"For books…I like detective, thriller, and suspense and my favorite writers are…Edgar Allen Poe and Agatha Christie. As far as the song goes I like melancholy, reunion, or parting themes of the song, though if a song is good I will listen to it too. My favorite songs…are many."
"Still, anyone that sticks out the most. Any song, singer, or band?" He followed up taking a sip of water.
"Well…I would choose Bonnie Tyler and…Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra along with Kenny Rogers. For song…umm…I Swear by All-4-One, On Bended Knee by Boyz 2 Men, My Way by Frank Sinatra, She by Elvis Castello, Making Love out of Nothing at All by Air Supply, Gambler by Kenny Rogers, Angle by Sarah MacLachlan and…When She Loved Me by Sarah MacLachlan."
"…"
Damn it. Don't smile. Don't smile.
Ah, that damned smile.
"Well, it seems you have quite a refined taste in music and finer things, which is a breath of fresh air compared to…whatever it is they listen to now." He said which felt like a genuine compliment as opposed to just fake words.
"Thank you. You?" I quickly followed up. Hearing this he had a contemplative face before he spoke.
"Well as far as books go, I am more inclined towards history and folklore along with mythology, so no particular writer there.
My taste in music mainly consists of different pieces in piano, violin, and flute. For songs, I am more inclined toward Frank Sinatra and Engelbert Humperdinck, though I also like the ones that you suggested.
*DING*"
As he was speaking, we were interrupted by a ding sound from the timer placed near the oven. Wiping his mouth with a tissue, he got up and opened the oven with a mitten, and the aroma of food spread like wildfire.
Okay, how is he so good at cooking?
He took out the steaming tray out filled with various cookies that made the ones I bought like a mud pie.
Tapping one with a spoon, he smiled in contentment seeing it, removed the mitten, and spoke, "The cookies are prepared, now they just need to cool a little."
"You di-"
I was about to speak something but Fou put his paw on my mouth and shook his head sideways and then sat on my shoulder again.
"So, which subject did you choose?" I asked while keep on moving the spoon over the empty plate.
"Science." He replied curtly.
"All of the science or any specific branch?" I followed up.
"Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics." He said as he extended his hand for Fou to jump into his arm from mine and he began petting the fluffball until Fou became a putty in his arms.
*BEEP*
With a beeping sound, my cell phone began to ring, and seeing that Charlie was texting, I looked at Reynold and spoke, "Sorry, I have to go home, Charlie was there."
"No problem." He said smiling.
That damned smile.
***
Isabella.
Woods.
Purple.
Squirrel.
"-ic-"
Buzz.
Green.
Red.
"-lic-"
White.
*CRASH*
"ALICE!!"
"Huh?!?!" I said seeing Emmett and Esme, who looked worried.
Then my gaze followed theirs' and saw a plate that was shattered on the ground.
"Alice, are you okay?" Esme said as Edward, Rosalie, and Carlise came in from another room hearing the commotion.
"What happened?" Rosalie asked.
"One minute Alice was walking and then the other she froze and would not listen to anything and started to blink too fast. Her eyes started to change color too from violet to green and then red." Emmett replied to the question while Esme continued to inspect me.
"Alice, are you okay?" Esme repeated herself.
"Yeah…just my head feels…heavy?" I said as I placed my hand on my head which was throbbing like it did when I was a human.
Of all people, Edward had the most stiffened posture, something we all saw. So, Emmett decided to ask, "What did you hear?"
Shaking his head, Edward began to speak, "I…saw a human girl named Isabella. She is walking into the woods with another person whose face I could not see. Then I saw purple spheres on a pitch-black background. A white squirrel? A rabbit? Then there was static, followed by green orbs over…a perfectly white sky.
Then I saw…red liquid and then…"
"Then what?" Rosalie asked impatiently.
Having a confused face, Edward asked, "What…am I doing…here? Argh, my head…it feels as if…someone put a stone truck over me." He said massaging his forehead.
"Carlise." Esme said before Carlise sat on a bent knee and began to inspect Edward, checking his eyes and then said, "Edward, are you okay?"
Nodding slowly, Edward got up before he stopped and then stared at me wide-eyed.
"What?" I said, massaging my own forehead due to the killer headache.
"I cannot hear your thoughts." He murmured but, in a house, full of vampires, this is as good as shouting out loud.
"…What?" I could not help but say it.
Then looking me in the eyes, Edward said, "Your mind. I cannot hear it. I can feel it, but that is it. I cannot hear a single whisper from it."
This caused Esme to give Carlise a look following which he spoke, "Alice, before this, when you froze up, did you have any vision?"
"Umm…no…I think not." I said as I tried to remember but as did so, it seemed as if my concentration floated away from the memory.
Getting up, Carlise said, "Well, I have never heard of a vampire losing memory or having a headache before."
"Maybe their powers are acting up." Rosalie said giving her opinion.
"No Rose, this feels different…almost as if…I am not supposed to…argh!!!" I said this but ended up in a fit of pain holding my head.
"ALICE!!!" Someone shouted, probably Esme but I am in too much pain to decide.
"AHHH!!!!!!!!!" A shout overtook mine. Through a brief view, I saw that it was Edward who was rolling over the ground holding his head and screaming at the top of his lungs.
"ALICE! STOP FOCUSING ON THAT MEMORY! THINK ABOUT…UM…COLOR OF YOUR SHOES! IMAGE OF OUR HOUSE!"
Okay, my house. A nice house. Designed by Esme. Out of the common populace of Forks. The color of my shoe is dull yellow which I bought 2 months ago.
Okay. Fine. Deep breath. Deep breath.
In and out.
In and out.
No pain in my head.
"Alice, are you okay?" I opened my eyes to a concerned figure of Carlise, while Esme and Rose were huddled in a corner and Emmett was checking up on Edward who was standing up groggily.
Nodding my head at Carlise's words, I started to sit straight and took his hand to stand.
Looking at both of us, Carlise spoke, "Okay, both of you, you need to stop remembering this memory. If you can't help it, then turn up the music to distract yourself. Emmett, I and Rosalie will try to find what you saw." Then he turned to Edward and spoke, "Also Edward, until we get to the bottom of this, you are not to try to read Alice's mind if you can help it. Try to focus on mine instead. Okay?"
"Yeah Carlise." Edward replied and then he turned to me and spoke, "Alice, be with someone in the family for a while."
At his words, I just nodded.
"Emmett, go out with me for a while, won't you?"
"Yeah…" Emmett nodded and looked at Rose and said, "Babe, take care of Alice, 'Kay."
Rose just nodded at that while Emmett turned around and walked away with Carlise.
***
"So where are we going?" Emmett asked me as we got in the car.
"Well, for starters, finding someone named Isabella." I responded as I started the car.
Giving me a confused look, Emmett spoke, "Not to be rude, but Isabella is not a unique name, and finding someone going by it, even in a town as small as Forks will be difficult."
Nodding at his reasoning, I spoke, "You are right, and that is why we will try to look at things from smaller and enlarge our criteria."
"What criteria?"
"We have been here for a while but did not have any problem until now. And it just so happens that when your school is about to start, this happens."
Wide-eyed, he followed up, "So, this means the girl we are looking for must be a recent addition to town. But even then, we cannot go from door to door and ask people."
"No, and that is why we are going to start small. I will be going to the hospital to listen to patients because they tend to talk."
"Then what should I do?" Emmett asked immediately.
"Do you remember other things Edward said?"
"Yeah." He replied.
"Then try to find things or places which match the description." I suggested.
Throwing his hands up, he spoke, "Where am I supposed to find a purple orb on a black background?"
Well, he is not wrong.
Shaking my head, I said, "Try finding a white squirrel."
He then gave me a look and said, "A squirrel in all of Forks?"
"You got a better idea?" I asked, which caused him to sigh, and said, "Fine. I will go and look for a single white squirrel in all of Forks."
Taking a breath, I said, "Look Emmett, I know it too that we have almost nothing concrete to work on other than the girl's name, but this has happened the first time that Alice has had such a headache, not to mention Edward, whose memories of that incident got wiped."
Then I looked into his eye, seeing his concentration on me, and said, "Alice saw something. Something whose image is enough to cause her to scream in pain and is powerful enough to block Edward's mind-reading ability.
This means that whatever that something is, is near us, and we will never know when it can harm or possibly kill, me, you, Esme, your siblings, or Rosalie." He stiffened up.
"So, I need you to be at your best and keep on looking out for the word Isabella and a white squirrel, okay?" I asked to which Emmett nodded before getting out of the car and bolted into the woods.
Okay, now all I need to do is find a girl named Isabella who has arrived recently in Forks.
*BZZZZ*
"Carlise, Emmett, why are you here? Did you not go out recently?" Esme asked as I looked around and found myself back with Emmett in our house.
Wide-eyed, both of us looked at each other.
We could not read minds like Edward but as of this moment, we had the same thought in our mind.
Whatever we have been entangled into, is something we do not wish to face.
***
"Hmm…it appears we have quite a rodent problem, won't you agree Fou?"
"Kyu~"
"By rodent, I did not mean you. Bats also come under the category of rodent."
"Fou~"
***
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