Chapter Seven

When morning came around, I did my usual morning routine but doubled my cleaning ritual. After everything that happened yesterday I needed to meditate an extra hour.

Charlie had already left so I just had some Ginseng and honey tea and homemade blueberry jam on toast something simple while Bella fixed herself some cereal.

We sat at the table together in silence.

"You going to be okay today?" I asked making her look at me.

"Yeah I think so... I had this really strange dream this morning." She said staring at her bowl.

"Dreams? You know one of my older distant cousins on Evan's side said dreams are a way of telling you something."  I told her chewing on my toast. "Do you wanna talk about it? Maybe I can help you figure it out."

Slowly she gazed up at me before shaking her head.

"Maybe a little later." She told me quietly thinking it through. "Do all witches have powers or what do you call them?"

"We call them gifts, most witches have the same basic gifts such as teleportation, telekinesis, spell casting and potion making."  I told her, she was looking at me like a student listening to a teacher. "But telepathy and feeling people's emotions through an aura are all mine... along with being able to heal people.. Jazz and Quinn both have gifts that I don't have, Quinn can see things in dreams like past and future stuff and Jazz can sort of convince people into believing or doing what she says." I paused giving her a firm look. " She doesn't like using it if she doesn't have to."

"That's kind of cool." She said smiling.

I nodded, offering her a smile.

"It kind of is." I said standing up to wash my plate off. "We should get going."

---

Since the truck had been a little damaged, Bella would be riding with the girls and I until Bella got up the money to fix it.

Soon as we parked, the girls and I got out and gathered in front of the hood.

Everyone stopped and stared, people swarmed around us, asking questions. All of their auras and the thoughts in their heads were giving me a headache, I winced slightly.

I groaned covering my ears for a minute and pushed my way through the crowd, fishing for a calming potion from my pocket and downed it all in one without anyone noticing except the Cullens who were all staring at me in concern all but Edward.

Feeling a little better I noticed Jasper's face and knew he had helped me out. I gave him a small smile of appreciation.

"Thanks Jas." I whispered staring at the school. "Goddess let me get through today."

I was able to finally enter the school but things were just as crazy inside.

The entire day people kept coming up to both Bella and I, and at lunch time Tyler wouldn't stop apologizing, it made me wonder why I was friends with him, Mike and Eric kept fussing over Bella while Jessica and Angela talked to me about it.

Luckily I didn't have to deal with it all day because half the day I was standing in the parking lot with Bella, in the same exact spot from the accident, waiting to get on a bus.

Mr. Molina was collecting permission slips for our trip. I had my arm linked with Bella's while Jazz and Quinn were standing with us.

They knew I told Bella the secret and were being really welcoming in answering questions she had. It makes me wish I would have told her a long time ago; she took it well and that was one of the reasons I loved my cousin.

Bella was in a heated staring contest with Edward who just arrived with Alice and Jasper. We made a few acknowledgements.

"You're moving." Mike said suddenly appearing, mimicking Frankenstein. "You're ALIVE!"

"Yeah, false alarm." Bella retorted, making me smile at her lightly.

"Actually, I'm glad you're not dead cause well that would suck." Mike said, I gave him a small glare. "Plus, I wanted to ask you even though it's a month away...so what do you think?"

Bella stared at him blankly.

"You want to go? To prom. With me?"

Bella's eyes went wide, glancing at me for help, even when we were younger Bella hated dancing, once she was in ballet and she made the entire swan lake girls fall on their butts. My cousin was mildly clumsy.

"Actually Mike, we're going to Jacksonville that weekend." I told him earning relief from Buffy and a sad expression from Mike.

"You can't go another weekend?"

"Non-refundable ticket." I told him. "I promised we could go together... sorry."

"Maybe you should ask Jessica." Bella suggested, looking over at our friend. Mike's eyes followed Bella's across the lawn at Jessica and walked away. "Thanks for that."

I smiled at her, Quinn and Jazz just smirked, the three of us looked at each other and started giggling making Bella smile.

---

At the field trip which was at the community college. The girls and I were walking together with Bella behind us.

Mr. Molina and a tour guide lead several of us through a greenhouse. I looked behind me spotting Edward and smirked.

"Hey Edward." Bella greeted snapping me out of my thoughts.

Edward glanced at her slightly merely nodding causing Bella to just look at him appalled by his rudeness.

"Really?" Bella asked rolling her eyes.

"What's in Jacksonville?" Edward asked suddenly.

"How did you know about that?" Bella asked.

"You didn't answer my question."

"You haven't answered any of mine." Bella said making me smirk at how much we're alike. "You won't even say hello."

I turned back around to the teacher only for my head to turn back to Bella as she nearly stumbled over an irrigation hose. Edward steadied her.

"You okay Bells." I asked.

"Fine." She muttered.

"It helps if you actually watch where you put your feet." Edward said, making Bella step closer towards the girls and I.

I offered her a hand attempting to keep her from falling again.

"I know I've been rude." Edward said sending me a knowing look. "But it's for the best."

She just looked at him like he's crazy, he walked away.

"I can't believe him." Bella mumbled looking at us. "Wish you could just curse him."

"There's not enough magic in the world that could curse his ego." Jazz remarked making Quinn and I bust out in giggles.

Edward looked back sharply making me sober up, I smirked at him and noticed Jasper and Alice smirking at Jazz's joke.

"I'm sorry Bella." I told her dragging her with us as we walked on. "I already told you; we can't tell you anything."

I shared a look with Jazz and Quinn.

"I know but-"

"Guess who just asked me to prom!" Jessica said suddenly rushing up to us with excitement cutting Bella off. "I totally thought Mike was going to ask you, Bella. Is it gonna be weird?"

"No way zero weirdness." Bella told her. "You guys are great together."

"I know right?" Jessica retorted all giggly.

She stepped over to Jazz talking fashion stuff non-stop.

---

While everyone was looking at the disgusting 'worm box' thingy Bella and I backed away, grossed out, walking over to the buses. Quinn was messing around with Eric trying to make him eat a worm, while Jessica was still talking with Jazz.

Edward came walking up to us, Jasper and Alice were standing by a different bus.

"Bella, it would be better if we weren't friends." Edward said.

"Too bad you didn't figure that out earlier." Bella said dejectedly. "You could have let the van crush me and saved yourself all this regret."

I glared at her giving her a stern look for saying that.

"You think I regret saving you?" Edward asked with anger in his tone. I'm glad someone else said it.

"I know you do."

"You don't know anything." Edward said furious.

Suddenly Alice appeared at Edward's side.

"Ellie!"

She hugged me tightly making me smile.

"Alice." I murmured before whispering so only those with enhanced hearing could hear. "I can't breathe."

That made her let go and give me an innocent smile, she glanced at Buffy, eyeing her curiously. I noticed Jasper had stayed where he was by the bus, he gave me a small quick smile. I looked him over checking his mood level through his aura. There were a lot of people and so many emotions, it's how I always knew when he needed a new dose. He knew what I was doing and just gave me a short nod.

I turned back to Alice, she was staring at my cousin.

"Hi, will you be riding with us?" She asked.

"No." Edward cut her off. "Our bus is full."

He gave me a small nod, grabbing Alice and walked away glancing back at us once.

"I don't care what issues you got with him." I said turning to my cousin. "But don't you ever joke around about your life, there are people who would be devasted if anything happened to you, got it?"

She stared at me like a wounded puppy nodding.

"And anyway, Edward's not wrong, you should keep your distance." I added glancing at the three Cullen's boarding their bus, I noticed Edward staring back at us. "They're not the kind of people you should get involved with."

I sighed feeling upset that I had to say such things about my close friends. It wasn't just Bella I was trying to protect, I wanted to keep them safe too. I couldn't bare it if something happened to them.

I glanced down at my feet for a second before dragging her to the other bus ignoring her face.

---

Bella and I walked into the house after getting back from the trip. Bella threw her book bag down and her coat.

"Hey angry or not this is not a barn and I am not your maid." I told her sternly. She gave me a look before picking her stuff back up and starting upstairs.

Uncle Charlie came out of the kitchen.

"Your mom called again." He said causing her to pause. "Again."

"Your fault for telling her about the accident." Bella retorted.

"She always did know how to worry." Charlie said looking sad. 'But she's changed too, she seems happy, Phil sounds all right."

"He is." Bella said turning and walked upstairs.

"You okay, Uncle Charlie?" I asked Charlie walking into the kitchen to start dinner.

"I'm fine." Charlie told me sitting back down at the table.

I knew that Renee was happy but the way she left Charlie never sat right with me. Especially after she married a baseball player that was way younger than her.

"What's for dinner?"

"Linguine with wild mushrooms." I said, turning to pull out a big pan to cook the noodles. "Sue gave me a recipe for a veggie one that I thought I'd try, plus I need to use up the rest of the mushrooms Old Quil gave me before they go bad."

Charlie nodded; I smiled knowing he didn't care.

I turned around and went to work.

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4/10/2024