Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Green trees were all Bellamy could see for miles, stretching far beyond what his eyes could see. He watched them whizz by, a mere blur in the window. The view was stunning, a tranquil world that looked untouched and pure.

He knew without a doubt in his mind, that he'd spend days, maybe even months exploring that forest.

To find parts of it that remained a secret.

The car was silent as neither his dad nor twin sister spoke up to make conversation. He didn't mind that though, it gave him time to enjoy the scenery of his new home, his true home. Not Phoenix, Arizona with its dry and hot weather that made him feel suffocated at best.

No, he was talking about the hidden and quaint town deep within the confines of a forgotten but beautiful forest. Where it was always cloudy, always cold and always raining, that was where his home was, that was where he belonged.

Their mother, Renée, thought it would be great to tear him and his sister away from their father to live a new and 'better' life. It was selfish actually, she'd forcibly pulled them from the home they'd grown up in so that she could get a new boyfriend and live a richer lifestyle than what they used to have.

What made it worse, was that she only allowed them to visit Charlie twice a year, usually when school breaks were close, but never for holidays as important as Christmas.

Bellamy hated it, hated being forced so far away from his father.

Bella on the other hand hadn't ever understood why he felt so close to their dad and was always left clueless whenever Bellamy fought with their mother over her impromptu decision to move.

He had to explain it to her little by little, explaining how their mother was forcing them to forget their old life, to forget who their father was all because she'd been unhappy and wanted more than their life could afford at the time.

And Charlie, well he'd been a reminder of that once stagnant life. But she was a fool if she thought they'd ever forget Charlie just because she wanted to.

Bella hadn't believed him at once, having always been a bit of a mama's girl, but the signs had been there.

Like when Bellamy wanted to call his dad every night before bed so he could tell him about his day, only to be refused by their mother. Her excuse had been lacklustre, a mere 'you'd bother him, dear' before she took the phone away and hid it in a drawer out of his reach.

Or how about when he'd mentioned wanting to get a Christmas gift for Charlie, something they could send in the mail a few weeks before the holiday.

Want to know her excuse for that one?

'We don't have enough money to get your father a gift this year, dear' she'd said while buying herself new rings and necklaces that had caught her eye.

It was so clear, so shockingly clear what she was doing that even his undeveloped mind could figure it out at the time. He hadn't been the only one to notice either, not after he'd confided with his sister about what was happening.

She took a little longer, her love and worship for Renée stopping her from getting a clear image of their mother's doing.

But after some time, she'd finally noticed the signs and could see the manipulation in every carefully worded excuse. Since then, she'd slowly begun to reopen herself up to their dad, even going as far as to distance herself from their micromanaging mother.

Not that it mattered though, as their mother began to lose interest in them over time slowly and stopped caring for them, only ever giving them the bare minimum.

Now, with her brand new toy of a husband who was busy travelling the world for baseball, it'd finally given them a chance to live with their dad in the small town of Forks.

He's glad for her irresponsibility, since for once it'd worked in their favour.

She'd never been a hands-on mother even before they moved. She always enjoyed throwing them at their dad whenever things got too tough for her or when she wanted to live without being reminded of the two kids she never asked to have.

It used to hurt, to know that their mother never truly loved them, she just liked to show them off when the chance came before hiding them away on her shelf for next time.

But that was fine, he still had his dad and his dad had more than enough love for the two of them. Even if he was quiet about his affections, all you had to do was look at his actions to know that he cared.

Bellamy was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw the dense forest begin to scatter, informing him of how much closer they were getting to Forks.

The closer they got to Fork's, the faster the trees started to disappear and civilisation started to pick up. He could see more cars on the road, the old wooden scattered houses with people walking in front of them and down the connecting concrete paths.

It felt so homey and he could already see some people waving at them as their dad's car passed them by. He wasn't surprised by the sudden greetings, the town was small after all, barely even three thousand people residing here.

Their dad was also the sheriff, making it even easier for the townspeople to recognise them from their dad's police cruiser.

Minutes passed before they finally pulled into a familiar blue two-story house, their family home. Nothing looked different since the last time he'd been here five years ago, everything looked cosy and comforting, even the peeling paint on their front door that Charlie always said he'd fix but never got around to doing.

"Before you say it Ari, I'm painting that door tomorrow," Charlie pointedly coughed and looked away, having already caught his son grinning while looking at the peeling entrance door.

"Sure, Dad. I'll even help you paint it," Bellamy replied as he turned to help his twin carry her things inside, knowing that she'd want to settle in first before doing anything else.

Bella wasn't shy per se, she was just quieter than most and observant of the things around her. She liked fading in with the background noise and feeling comfortable in the little bubble she'd create for herself.

It used to drive their mother mad, she'd even taken Bella to specialists when they were younger to see if something was wrong with her.

There hadn't been, and Bellamy had known that. His sister was just introverted, she'd rather spend her days at home with her latest fixation and a ridiculous amount of blankets on top of her to keep her warm.

He was probably the only person who understood her though.

Their dad thought she was withdrawn and would sometimes worry about his daughter while their mother would force Bella out of her comfort space.

Bellamy always did his best to protect her as not only her older brother and twin who'd shared nine months in a womb with her but also as her biggest pillar of support. He hated seeing people try to change his sister to something more socially accepting.

"How much crap did you pack Izzy?! Damn," Bellamy grunted and dropped the box filled with... something, onto her bed.

Why was that box so heavy? It's got to be books, right? Or maybe even her art supplies?

"That box should be my books," She chuckled, "That's why I let you carry it up instead of me." Wow, he'd been played by his own sister, times really were changing, weren't they? "That... I can't believe I fell for that," Bellamy shook his head while his sister laughed some more.

Bellamy turned and left back downstairs to grab his own boxes and suitcase from the car. He didn't have a lot of stuff, having only been allowed a small portion of his otherwise overwhelming collection of clothes and accessories.

There were still hordes of clothes left at his mother's, but he could replace them easily. He had only grabbed the clothes he couldn't bear to part ways with and left everything else behind.

Maybe he'll go back to get them in the future, though he doubts that will ever happen.

Turning his attention to bigger and better things, Bellamy focused on moving his stuff up to his room. He was excited to finally see his room again, he'd put so much effort into decorating it and bringing it to life the last time he'd been here.

It was up in the attic and there was a small hidden staircase that Charlie had made for him so that he wouldn't have to climb the ladder anymore.

Bellamy walked upstairs with his arms filled, he carefully tilted his head to the side while going up the stairs so he didn't trip and tumble back down. When he made it to the second floor, he moved to the end of the hallway where the stairs to his room were hidden off to the side.

When he spotted the dark wooden stairs, he balanced the two boxes on one hand and walked up to his room. He quickly found a place to put the boxes down before he took a few seconds to simply admire the place.

Bellamy adored his room with every fibre of his being, and it showed how much care he'd put into all of it.

The floor was a dark oak which he had painted and preserved with premium dual wood protection coats. He didn't want the floors fading over time and becoming a dull brown like the floors downstairs.

His walls were a dark green, a colour that reminded him of the forest just outside.

It had been a pet project of his, to paint over the boring clay walls and give life to the attic in which he resided. Bellamy won't lie, it had taken a lot of time to just choose the colour he wanted for his walls before he even touched the damn room. Even after that, he had to move a lot of things out which were in the way so he could paint everything, so that had taken even more time.

Overall, the recordation of the attic must have taken close to 2 months? Maybe three.

After that, it had been easy sailing and Bellamy had started going out to antique shops with his dad to get new drawers, a wardrobe and even an old fancy table that he loved the second he'd seen the thing.

It was a large dark chestnut table with intricate carvings and black iron handles that creaked when he pulled open the drawers. The chair was a little more modern, just a simple brown plush chair that had blankets tossed over it to make it more comfortable for his back and thighs.

There was even a random large, fluffy, black rug he'd seen on sale that took up almost all of the floor space. And this was a pretty large attic, so that was a lot of space.

But that wasn't the best part of his room.

No, the best part was the wide 3-panel bay window that was decorated in green, black and brown pillows, as well as random crocheted blankets that Bella had made for him when they were younger. It was easily his favourite part of his room, hands down there was no competition, the windows even opened and everything.

Bellamy forced himself to continue with the task at hand, moving to the other side of his room where his matching antique wardrobe sat. He began to slowly unpack the boxes and put everything away into its corresponding spot.

Once he was done, he went back downstairs to grab the leftover boxes and his suitcase. He then returned upstairs to repeat the process all over again.

He had to take a lot of the clothes that had been left inside his wardrobe out and replace them with his newly bought ones. Bellamy had a massive growth spurt since the last time he'd been here, now standing at six foot three instead of five foot seven.

None of those clothes would fit him anymore, which meant he'd probably have to give them away or drop them off at a thrift store close by.

When everything was unpacked and put away, Bellamy took a deep inhale. He was tired, exhausted even. All that moving back and forth had left him limbless. It wasn't as bad as what it could've been though, thanks to the regular workouts he did every morning.

But it was still pretty bad, no matter how much stamina and muscle growth he might've gained over the last couple of years.

Bellamy yawned as he pulled out his phone to check the time, noticing that it was only 8 pm. He doubts Bella will be coming out of her room tonight, she'd probably already be settled in bed with a book in hand.

With that in mind, Bellamy decided it'd be best to go to bed early and spend tomorrow with his family.

'Sweet dreams to me' he thought as he collapsed onto his bed fully clothed and piercing's still in. None of that mattered in the moment though, he was far too tired to care and was quick to fall into a dreamless slumber.

Blissfully unaware of what the future had in store for him.

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On the morning of their first day at a new school, Bellamy had been a busy bee with getting breakfast prepared and rushing through getting ready for the day ahead, just so that he wouldn't have any chance of being late.

Because while he might hate school, that didn't automatically mean he wanted to be late and make himself an enemy to every last teacher there.

That was stupid, and Bellamy was anything but stupid.

"Izzy! Get down here and eat your damn breakfast before I force-feed it to you... again!" Yelled Bellamy as he began to plate the scrambled egg and honey-soaked bacon. The toast still needed to be buttered, but Bella could do that herself.

A minute passed before he heard the telltale signs of Bella's feet jogging downstairs.

"I'm here, I'm here," she sighed.

"Come on, eat up and we'll start walking to school. I've already looked up how far away it is on feet, and it shouldn't be any longer than twenty to thirty minutes." Bellamy has always had a bad habit of being late to classes, and he really didn't want to bring that trait to his new school.

The teachers at his old one had hated him plenty and made it their mission to torture his very soul the second he stepped into their classes. So, no need to create a similar situation here.

"Oh, that's not too bad of a walk," said Bella as she started to butter her toast.

"I know, we could make it in twenty if we walked fast enough."

Bella opened her mouth to respond when suddenly both she and him heard a sequence of loud honks from their driveway. Bellamy turned to look at his sister who looked equally as confused as he felt.

They both quickly moved to look out of the kitchen window together and noticed that a red truck had pulled into their driveway. Charlie was already out there saying hello to somebody, a boy who looked around their age and an older man in a wheelchair.

"Let's go take a look," said Bellamy.

The two siblings abandoned their breakfast on the counter to go see what was happening outside.

"-coming all the way down the road." Bellamy caught the tail end of his dad's sentence and watched as he bent down slightly to hug the man in the wheelchair.

"It's good to see you!" The man returned in greeting.

Charlie was the first to notice the twins as they walked down the stairs and was quick to push all the attention onto them. "Kids! Hey, do you two remember Billy Black?" The name rang a bell, but Bellamy couldn't exactly place it. They'd probably met him when they were younger, much younger.

While Bellamy was busy trying to place the name to the face, Bella took the chance to step forward and greet the man rather than leave him in awkward silence.

"Yeah, of course. You're looking good," said Bella politely, her hand reaching out to shake with Billy's. "I'm still dancing," he replied in kind.

Bellamy decided that now would be a good time to step in and stop looking like an idiot hovering on the sidelines. "Hey Billy, it's good to see you, haven't seen your face in ages," he reached out and shook hands with the elder man, grinning as he did so.

"You two have grown so much since that last I've seen you. It's nice to finally have you two back, your old man here hasn't shut up about you guys since he found out you were coming home." Bellamy couldn't help the warm smile that spread on his face as he imagined his dad going around telling everybody in town that his kids were coming back home.

It caused a skip in his heart to think about his dad so excited about them returning home to stay.

Charlie on the other hand looked embarrassed, his head turning away from the group as he mumbled something under his breath.

"Keep exaggerating and I'll roll you into the mud," announced Charlie.

Billy seemed to take that as a challenge as he manhandled his wheelchair to turn and chase after Charlie. "Maybe after I ram you in the ankles," he replied as he moved to playfully smash into his dad's leg.

"You want to go?"

"Yeah! Bring it!" Bella and Bellamy both chuckled as they watched the two older men rough house together, the two of them completely forgetting about the third addition until they announced their presence.

"Uh- hi, I'm Jacob." Bellamy was the first to look away and take in the boy in front of them. He couldn't be any older than they were, maybe just a year younger.

The teenager's hair was long and fell past his shoulders. It looked smooth and silky, and it made Bellamy wonder how well Jacob took care of his hair and if there was any possibility that the boy would ever allow him to play with it.

Seriously, it looked so soft.

"Hey," greeted Bella in kind.

Jacob looked like he was stumbling to find a topic to talk about before finally he settled on one. "We- uh, we used to make mud pies together when we were younger," he said with a nod of his head.

...oh Jacob, how were they meant to remember that?

Before Bellamy could say anything, Bella was jumping in again to respond for them both. "Right- yeah no, we remember."

Did they now? Because he certainly didn't.

Alright, time for another subject change, "are they always like this?" Bellamy asked, pointedly looking towards where their dad and Billy were still play fighting together.

Jacob took the topic change like it was a life jacket and he was but a mere man drowning in the open sea. "It's getting worse with old age," Jacob replied, earning a loud cackle from Bellamy and a small smirk from his sister.

Bellamy's laugh must've caught Charlie and Billy's attention as they'd stopped messing around and made their way back to the driveway.

"So, what do you think?" Charlie questioned, his hand reaching out to pat the side of the truck. "Of what?" Bella asked with raised eyebrows, her eyes flittering around to see what he was talking about.

"Your guys' homecoming present." Sorry...they're what now?

"This?!" Bella exclaimed, her hand waving towards the red Chevy pickup truck. Bellamy was still trying to comprehend how in the world they'd been gifted an entire damn truck of all things. Because this? This was one serious homecoming present.

"Just bought it off of Billy here."

"Oh my god," whispered Bellamy.

Billy grinned in response, "Yep." They had a truck... they had an entire truck! Oh, he was officially freaking out now. "This is perfect, are you kidding me?!" Bella could say that again.

"I totally rebuilt the engine for you guys, it still needs a few checkups here and there, but it should run like a beauty." Jacob moved to go around the truck and enter the passenger seat, leaving Bella to throw herself into the front and check out everything from there.

Bellamy was happy to stand on the side and look through the window, his head nodding along as Jacob explained what to do with their truck.

"Okay, so. You've gotta double-pump the clutch when you shift or it'll throw a tantrum, but other than that, you should be good. I tried fixing most of the issues with the engine and controls, so if you find one just let me know and I'll come take a look over it for you guys." That was fine, as long as it ran and didn't break down in the middle of the road, they'd be good to go.

"The clutch is this one, right?" Bella asked as she grabbed onto the clutch. Jacob nodded, "yeah, right there."

"Do you want a ride to school with us? I'm sure we could fit three into here, Bella can squish herself into the middle." Bellamy wouldn't mind reconnecting with Jacob, he seemed cool. A little clumsy, sure, but cool nonetheless.

"Oh, I go to school on the reservation."

"Right, right..." Bella sounded just as disappointed as he was.

"That's too bad, it would've been nice to know at least one person." Neither he or his sister enjoyed knowing they'd be the new kids at a school with only a handful of students. They were going to stand out, big time.

There was a moment of awkward silence, they had nothing left to say and were feeling a bit bummed that Jacob didn't go to the same school as them.

Bellamy was the one this time who broke up the weird silence, "We should actually get ready to go to school. I also doubt our breakfast will still be hot after sitting on the counter for so long." He might eat the bacon though, nothing wrong with cold bacon.

"Right- uh- I'll let you two go then, me and my dad were just stopping by anyways," Jacob replied as he hastily jumped out of the truck to rejoin Billy.

"It's no problem, thank you, guys, for the sick ride. We'll take care of it like it's our baby," that earnt Bellamy a grin from both Black's.

With their goodbyes out of the way, both Swan siblings rushed back inside to grab their school bags which were still left up in their rooms. Bella was the first one to rush upstairs where as Bellamy took his time, even stopping at the kitchen to grab his and Bella's now cold bacon to chew on.

He knew his sister wasn't going to eat it, she hated eating cold meats.

So all the more for him.

When Bellamy got up to his room, he paused by the large mirror on his wardrobe and rechecked over his outfit. It was a simple tight, green form-fitting turtleneck which was paired with black jeans. He had his usual clutter of silver rings on, mostly for him to play with in class whenever he got bored.

Along with a few black and brown leather bracelets which he never took off and were all bunched together on both wrists. They were a gift from Bella and he enjoyed the way they looked against his pale skin.

He also had a large black overcoat that scraped just below his knees and was laid out neatly on his bed, waiting to be picked up and put on.

"Bellamy! Hurry up, we've got to go!" Bella yelled from downstairs, forcing Bellamy to tear his eyes away from his figure in the mirror. He quickly picked up his coat and put it on before grabbing his bag from beside his desk.

Mentally he clocked everything he had to make sure nothing was left behind and once he was sure he had everything he raced back downstairs to meet with his sister. She was already sitting by the front door, tying her shoelaces and talking to Dad.

"Yes, we'll be fine," Bella replied, presumably to something Charlie had asked her.

"Just keep an eye out for ice patches, okay? One wrong move and you can quickly spin out of control and crash." Ah, so he was having a worried dad moment, that checks out.

Bellamy smiled as he got down to the ground and began to put on his black platform boots, they gave him an extra inch even though he didn't particularly need that extra inch with how tall he currently was.

Still, he looked good in them and that was all that mattered.

"We'll be safe, Dad. I swear," Bella stood up with the help of Charlie and pulled out the car keys from the back of her pocket.

"We have to go now, but we'll see you when we get home!" Bellamy finished putting his shoes on and tying them together only a few seconds after she'd finished talking.

Quickly, he rose to his feet and ran out the door.

"Have a good day at work, Dad! I love you," he called out as he left with Bella to their new truck. "I'm driving!" Bellamy didn't even realise what was happening when suddenly his sister was throwing herself into the driver's seat with keys in hand.

"You little shit! I'm older than you!" He yelled.

There was no point even trying to struggle for driving rights as she'd already clipped herself in and was grinning widely back at him. All he could do now was walk around the front of the truck and jump up into the passenger seat.

However, that didn't mean he couldn't annoy the living crap out of her the entire ride to school.

"Dude, you can't drive. I've seen the way you drive, I've been but a poor victim to your driving skills before, and I have to say, we'd sooner die with you behind the wheel." No seriously, his sister was a walking safety hazard, the girl could trip over air let alone the damage she could do behind a wheel.

"Suck it up buttercup, you used to hog mom's car all the time, it's my turn now." Yeah, he did it to stop her from killing them both.

Yet look at the thanks he gets.

"Whatever, let's just go or else we'll be late." Charlie still had a bit of time before he was due for his shift, but they'd already said their goodbyes so neither worried about waiting around for him and quickly took off down the street.

The drive was short, shorter than if they had to walk. It was only a few minutes away, close to eight, maybe even ten. Something he was eternally grateful for since now he knew with certainty that there would be no way they'd ever rock up late.

When they pulled into the school, Bellamy couldn't help but widen his eyes at how small the building looked compared to their last one.

He knew Forks was a small town, but it didn't click until now. Even the car park was small, with only 40 to 50 spaces that students and faculty could use. A quarter of them were currently empty, a quarter!

The car let out a deep rumble as Bella turned and found herself a nice spot at the back of the lot, far enough away from everybody else with multiple emptied spots around them. It was a golden spot, one they'd have to take advantage of from this day forth.

Bellamy was the first to jump out of the truck with his bag in hand, only to suddenly be violated by the endless number of eyes drilling into every part of his body. He could feel every last one of them, all watching his every move like he was prey.

He didn't let it get to him though, he was used to being looked at. Well, not exactly like this- of course- but it had to count for something, right?

Whatever, he had other things to worry about.

Bellamy walked around the truck to meet with Bella who was making sure she'd locked the rust bucket up, before slinging his arm over his sister's shoulder and guiding her away from the curious eyes and in through the school's entrance.

First on the list was getting their class schedule and other necessary school items.

That didn't take long though, the office was close to the main entrance and they'd been quick to get in and get their class schedules.

They did, however, have to suffer through a very over-eager receptionist who tried yapping their ears off. After ten minutes of mental torture and physical torture, they were finally freed from the smiley woman with a slip to explain why they were now late.

How great.

But just as they were about to finally go to class, they were stopped once more.

"You guys are the new kids, right?" An excited voice exclaimed loudly, causing both Bella and Bellamy to frown.

Only two seconds in and people were already cornering them. Bellamy turned to look at who the idiot was and quickly spotted a shorter Asian male walking towards them, the excitement displayed on his face clear to see.

You'd think he'd just won the lottery or something.

"Nice to meet you guys, I'm Eric, the eyes and ears of this place... anything you need? Tour guide, lunch date, shoulder to cry on?" He asked, well, actually, he asked Bella. His eyes hadn't left his sister since the second he'd opened his mouth.

"I'm more of the suffer-in-silence kind of girl," Bella jokingly said, looking uncomfortable with all the attention focused on her.

"We'll be on our way now," Bellamy interrupted, his eyes narrowing at Eric who flinched away from him. Without another word, he turned and dragged his sister away from the still-shocked teen, he couldn't believe the moron had been brave enough to flirt with his sister while he was standing right beside her.

Literally minutes, minutes since they'd entered and already the boys were jumping around his sister like rabid dogs.

How annoying.

They walked around, their eyes taking in everything around them as they hunted down their first class. Bellamy had already checked and made sure all of his classes were with Bella.

Had they not been, he would've burned the school down to the ground. Neither he nor Bella did well when they were apart, but he prefers to think of it as a twin thing rather than a separation anxiety kind of thing.

"We have gym first, right?" Bella asked as they followed the signs directing them to where the indoor gym was supposed to be.

"Yes... ever so sadly," mumbled Bellamy.

Because honestly, whichever genius came up with the idea of giving students gym on a Monday morning needed to be locked up in a mental institute, cause clearly they had some issues going on in their head.

With the help of the directional signs, Bellamy and Bella were quick to find the gym and get dressed in their sports clothing. They separated, moving to different changing rooms to get fully dressed and ready. Their sports clothes were simple, just some baggy shirts and a loose-fitting shirt that was breathable and easy to move around in.

Bellamy was the first to leave the boy's locker room and stand by the girls to wait for Bella. When she came out, they tried to walk over to the bleachers to sit down and wait out the lesson.

Only they were stopped by a sudden voice from behind them.

"Hey! You guys are the Swan twins right?" Bellamy turned to look a whoever was calling them and replied, "Yeah, why?"

"I'm Mike... are- are you guys really twins? You two don't look the same." Wow, what a great first impression. It seemed this Mike person, also picked up on how rude his words sounded and quickly attempted to backtrack.

Or maybe it had been the expression on Bellamy's face that tipped him off.

"Sorry, I just came to ask if you wanted to come play ball with me and my friends." Now, as much as Bellamy liked a challenge, he also wanted to see the boy suffer for his earlier comment.

But before he could refuse, Bella stomped on his foot and answered for him, "My brother would love to play with you guys!" She didn't even give Bellamy a chance to defend himself before she pushed him closer to Mike and walked off to join the girls on the other end of the hall.

Betrayed, once again by my own sister.

Mike wasted no time in dragging him over to a big group of boys and even tried introducing everybody but Bellamy had already tuned him out. Instead, he looked around the gym and its fading-coloured walls. The entire place needed a touch-up, well, everything did.

It looked like nobody had touched these walls in years, let alone cleaned them. He didn't want to ever try and imagine how utterly disgusting this place must be.

Bellamy turned his attention away from the walls and instead focused on trying to seek out his sister's whereabouts. She wasn't hard to find, he could spot her noodle limbs from anywhere. Currently, she was being dragged into a game of volleyball.

Yeah, because that was going to go over well.

Unfortunately for him, he would be too busy wiping the floor with these idiots to pay any attention to Bella's eventual downfall.

"Alright, let's play some ball!" Mike excitedly yelled and clapped him on the back as he rushed onto the court. Bellamy tore his eyes away from his sister and focused on the game, moving to join up with the rest of his team.

At first, it was slow and Bellamy was fumbling the ball a lot because he was still getting used to playing with new people, but the second he got into the rhythm, the tables turned on everybody.

He flew around the court, running up and down like a charging bull as he skillfully dribbled the ball in between his legs and passed to his team whenever he spotted one close to the hoop. His teammates were all clearly shocked, especially Mike who stood there gobsmacked after he'd just dumped another three-pointer into the net.

"Your sister wasn't kidding, you're good!"

Bellamy lifted his shirt and wiped away the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "I used to play in my free time at the courts near my house, it was a little different than this, but basketball is fairly simple. You dribble, pass, jump and shoot," He mimicked the actions as he spoke, dribbling, jumping, passing and shooting.

"But it's more fun to play when there's challenges involved. For example, you can only play with one hand for the next ten minutes, meaning you can only dribble, pass and shoot with one hand. Or how about being tied to somebody else? Like a three-legged race."

"Is that how you used to play with your friends?" Mike asked, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Sometimes, and other times we just played freestyle. No rules, no nothing, just you, your team and the ball." He kind of missed it now that he was talking about it.

Basketball had been an escape for him, a place to go and hide out for the entire day whenever his mother got too much. He'd also met a lot of great people there at the courts, talented people who'd inspired him to do more and better himself as not only a ball player but a person as well.

He wished that they were here with him, they would've made it easy for him to smile.

The rest of the game went by quickly after that short interval, they ended up winning, obviously, but it had been quite fun in the end. Mike had even tried out his suggestion of using one hand for ten minutes but after two, he gave up.

It'd been fun to watch though.

Just not fun enough for him to want to sit around and make friends. So, when he got the chance to run, he took it.

He rushed away to the bleachers near the girl's end of the hall where he could see his sister hiding. She was still in a game, but far away at the back just standing around, not even trying to participate.

Not surprising considering Bella didn't have a single athletic bone in her body. It was laughable actually, how devastatingly bad she was in any given sport.

Bellamy was enjoying the show, watching his sister try to inch further and further away without anybody noticing her, only for the volleyball to suddenly come whirling at her face. His body jumped up, ready to rush forward but Bella was a second faster and whacked the ball away from her face.

He watched as it zoomed through the air, eventually finding its target and hitting the back of Mike's oblivious head.

The boy looked shocked, so shocked in fact that it had Bellamy throwing his head back and cackling with laughter. His volume didn't lessen the embarrassment Mike was experiencing, it only added to redden his cheeks more as he turned to spot the culprit who'd hit him.

Poor Bella looked horrified by her actions and glared at a still-howling Bellamy. When he made no move to stop, she huffed a scoff and turned to approach the boy she'd spiked in the head.

When he was done laughing, he stood up straight and walked over to his sister with watery eyes and a wide smile. His stomach was hurting and he felt a bit breathless, but he couldn't be in a better mood if he tried.

Leave it to his sister to somehow cause a scene.

"I'm so sorry! I- I told them not to let me play." Bella stuttered, her hands waving around in the air as she gestured to where the girls were still playing volleyball.

"No way.. uh no, no no no, that's- that's fine, really. It didn't even hurt, just a slight tap honestly." Smooth Mike, real smooth. "You're Isabella, right? Bellamy's sister?" Said sister grimaced at the use of her full name.

"Just Bella, please."

Mike smiled, "Yeah, sure, that's cool. I'm Mike, Mike Newton." He said as he reached out to shake hands with Bella. "Oh, it's nice to meet you," she replied.

"She's got a great spike, huh? I'm Jessica, by the way." Bellamy hadn't noticed the other girl until she was suddenly standing next to Mike and looking at Bella with the fakest smile known to mankind.

That was all he needed to know about her before decidedly throwing the girl's name and face to the back of his mind.

"You should've aimed lower Izzy." He jokingly said while resting his arm on the top of her head. His sister was small, a lot smaller than him. So while he'd gotten a lot of his height from their dad, she was doomed to forever be five foot four thanks to their mother.

"You're from Arizona, right?" The girl spoke up again, bringing the focus back to her.

"Yeah," confirmed Bella. "Aren't people from there supposed to be, like, really tan?" She jokingly asked, smiling as she turned to look at Mike to see if he was laughing at her 'joke'. News flash, he wasn't.

"Yeah," scoffed Bella. "Maybe that's why they kicked us out," his sister turned to him, her eyes imploring him to help her out of this situation. Instantly, his protective big brother mode was flipped on and he moved to stand in front of her.

"Well, it was nice meeting you guys, but class is coming to an end and we want to get to our next class early," Bellamy responded with a fake smile of his own, one that very obviously showed how he felt about the girl in front of him.

"Uh- Yeah, sure! We'll see you two at lunch then!" Jasmine- wait, was it Jasmine? Eh whatever, Jasmine tried smiling in a welcoming way, but it looked more like she was threatening them with the way her teeth gleamed bright white.

Bellamy didn't even bother responding to her request, he simply grinned while slowly looking the girl up and down, the judgment evident in his expression.

Then, without another word, he left with his sister in tow.

"Thanks," she mumbled as they walked towards their designated locker rooms to change out of their sports clothes.

"Anything for you, Izzy." Bellamy disappeared into the boy's changing room and quickly pulled off his sportswear. It was sticking to his back a little due to all the sweat he'd formed while playing with the guys, but not enough that it required him to go take a dip in the school showers.

Quickly, he changed back into his clothes and went to meet Bella out in the corridor so they could go to their next class together.

The classes which followed after gym were... well, they were borderline mind-numbing. In every class, and with every goddamn teacher, they were forced to stand at the front and do the whole 'introduce yourself to the class' shebang.

It was torture, literal mind-fucking torture.

He would've preferred if they'd just punched him in the face upon entry.

By the third time it happened, Bellamy didn't even bother saying anything but his name and forced the entire classroom into an awkward staring competition with him. It lasted a good while too, until the teacher had to step up and allow them to finally sit down.

Hopefully, this would be the last time this happened today. Unfortunately, it probably won't be the last time, but a man can dream, can't he?

When their third-morning class ended, Bellamy was already considering skipping the rest of the day and going out to explore the town instead. The problem was the staring, everybody looked at them like they were some new and squeaky chew toy for them to play with.

He hated it.

Even Bella was thrumming with anxiety from all the looks and attention they kept getting. It got to a point where she'd almost agreed to skip class with him, something she never did. Unlike him, she enjoyed going to school, she enjoyed learning.

Sadly, their stomachs won them over and they decided to follow the flow of students to the school cafeteria. When they arrived, Bellamy helped his sister manoeuvre through the crowd to grab their plastic trays and begin piling food onto them.

When they were just about to go find a table somewhere far away from civilisation, Bellamy was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled.

"Hey! Come sit with us, I'll introduce you to my friends!" Bellamy turned to look at who the person stupid enough to put their hands on him was, only to come face to face with Mike bloody Newton.

Great.

"Uh- well-" he didn't get to even finish coming up with an excuse when he was forcibly pulled towards a table of students.

Bellamy turned to his sister for help but noticed that the boy from this morning had captured her as well.

There was no escape from this, was there?

Sighing, he plopped down into an empty seat and immediately started to unwrap his burrito. He was going to need all the energy he could gather if he wanted to survive this predicament he'd found himself stranded in.

While he was busy swallowing his burrito whole, he looked around the table to see who was there. He knew all of them so far, like the girl from the gym and the 'tour guide' from this morning. So far, he didn't like any of them.

But there was one girl, a cute one with a nice sharp nose and dark brown eyes who he remembers seeing in his English and Maths classes.

"Hey everyone, you guys met my home girl, Bella?" The Asian boy from earlier announced to the table as he wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulder.

"Your home girl?" Bellamy and Mike said at the same time. Mike spoke with jealousy and envy, whereas he was considering knocking this boy out cold in front of everybody.

Apparently, the boy seemed to remember that the girl he was flirting with had a brother, a protective one and suddenly no longer looked as cooky or confident as he did earlier. He was about to pull his hands back when suddenly, another boy appeared.

"My girl!" A dark-skinned boy he remembers seeing in the gym said before he bent down and kissed Bella's cheek. After that, he grabbed Mike's chair and yanked it out from underneath. "Sorry, I had to mess up your game, Mike!" He gleefully shouted as he ran away with Mike scrambling up from the ground to chase after him.

Bellamy didn't even think twice as he stood up and launched his half-eaten burrito at the back of what's his name's head.

He watched with sick satisfaction as it smashed into his head, causing him to stumble, giving Mike enough time to tackle the boy to the ground.

"It's called consent, asshole!" Bellamy shouted.

Ah... wait, that was his burrito... shit.

Suddenly no longer feeling happy with his actions, Bellamy looked over to his sister who was trying to hide her smile underneath her hand. "I'm going to get another burrito, remember to eat that entire salad, okay?"

Forgoing the last one he had, he decided on picking one with a little more meat this time. The last one had too much carrots on it for his liking. With that in mind, Bellamy decided to grab a breakfast burrito.

The only damn burrito without carrots. It had bacon and eggs though, so that was a plus in his eyes.

He also went ahead and grabbed two small boxes of chocolate milk for him and his sister to enjoy before their next class. It had been a while since they'd had chocolate milk, his sister used to drink cartoons of this stuff on a daily.

To the point they had to have an intervention before she rotted her teeth or gave herself diabetes.

With his items in hand, he quickly moved to pay the lunch lady at the register and walked back to his sister.

"Here," he said as he dropped the small box of chocolate milk in front of her. He watched as her eyes lit up and a smile spread out on her lips, causing his own smile to grow a touch wider as well.

"You got chocolate milk!"

"Yeah, I noticed they had some and thought you might've wanted one. Drink it after you've finished eating, it'll taste better." Bellamy was lying through his teeth, it would taste just as good if she had it now, but he wanted her to finish eating.

His sister has always had a bit of an issue with eating, sometimes because the food didn't taste right or because she got distracted and forgot about it until it was too late. So, he always had to keep an eye on her whenever they were eating together.

He also liked to bring her little snacks throughout the day, just something she could nibble on and would pad her stomach for a few hours until lunch or dinner.

"Thanks, Bells," she replied.

"You're welcome Izzy," Bellamy smiled one last time at his sister before turning his focus to the rest of the group who'd very obviously been listening to their conversation. "So, what did I miss?"

That brought them back to life.

"Nothing much, we were just talking about the school newspaper and about how we wanted to include you and Bella, but Bella said no." Angela looked at Bellamy with hopeful eyes, a mistake on her part since he'd become immune to puppy eyes ever since Bella started using them on him whenever she wanted something.

"Because we're so interesting?" He jokingly scoffed, "How about you write about something more interesting? Something like world hunger or naked firemen?" The last part of his sentence earned him a startled laugh from Angela.

"Uh- I don't think I can write the last one, but I can do the first? Bella also gave me the idea to write about eating disorders." Oh, did she? Bellamy looked over to his sister who was busy trying to hide from his gaze.

Not wanting to bring any unwanted attention onto her, he promptly looked away.

"Eating disorder is a good one, a lot of teenagers suffer from it. Look up some published research papers from university websites and you'll easily get all the information you need." Not many students knew this, but research papers were hidden goldmines whenever he needed help looking for information.

"Really?" She dubiously questioned.

"Yeah, I get a lot of my facts for my science projects from research papers, so I know what I'm talking about. Just check it out, and if you like what you see, use it but remember to credit the author of whatever research paper you're using because a lot of universities are a pain about credentials and whatnot."

"Okay! I'll do that, thanks, Bellamy." Angela smiled kindly at him, her cheeks dimpled and eyes squinting with pure joy. "Happy to be of service," he dramatically bowed his head, his arms spreading open in a wide gesture.

Bellamy looked back up with a small lazy smirk when he noticed his sister staring off into space.

He was about to nudge her back to life when her eyes suddenly cleared and she spoke up, "Who are they?" She asked, her head nodding towards where she'd been looking.

Curiously, Bellamy looked over to where she was staring and watched as some students walked past the open wall of windows. He couldn't quite see them from where he was sitting, so he twisted his body slightly to peer over Angela's head.

"The Cullen's," replied Angela.

'Cullen' Bellamy rolled the word around his head, liking the way it sounded to his mind.

"They're, uh, Dr and Mrs Cullen's foster kids. They moved down here from Alaska, like, a few years ago." Jamie quietly whispered, her head ducking down in a way that made it look like she didn't want to be overheard.

All it was doing was making her look even more suspicious.

Especially with how she kept glancing back to where the first pair were walking through the cafeteria's side entrance.

"They kind of keep to themselves." That didn't mean much to him, he also had a small private group of his own back in Phoenix. Some people enjoyed a smaller crowd, he and his sister included.

"They're also like, together together," explained Jules.

Okay, so that was a bit stranger, but it still wasn't much. They were all dating, cool. Maybe they were dating before they were adopted, did nobody ever think of that?

"The blonde girl? That's Rosalie and the big dark-haired guy? That's Emmett. They're like, a thing." Bellamy completely ignored the last statement and looked over to see who she was talking about.

The girl, Rosalie. She was gorgeous. He could immediately see why Julia was so judgmental about her and her foster brother/boyfriend.

Her hair was a beautiful light blonde that was curled into waves and bounced with every step she took. She was currently holding hands with a much taller and muscular male with short black hair and a very prominent and strong nose.

Both of them were quite pale, almost as pale as he and his sister.

"Jess, they're not actually related." Thank you, Angela! Wait... Jess? Was that her name? "Yeah, but they live together, it's weird!" Funny coming from the girl he's almost positive would give up anything to be in Rosalie's place right now.

Hell, even Bellamy wants to be them... or maybe he wants to be with them instead? Eh, who knows.

"Oh! Okay, so, the little dark-haired girl? That's Alice, she's really weird, and the girl she's walking with? That's her girlfriend, Rune." Bellamy couldn't figure out what part of that entire sentence he hated more.

The fact Jane of all people had called the small petite girl weird, or the way she distastefully spat out the word 'girlfriend'. If he hadn't already disliked her, that had surely done the trick.

Bella felt the same way if her expression was anything to go off of. Though, it was probably more because Bellamy himself was gay. Not exactly gay, but he has dated men before. He, however, preferred to think of himself as an adventurous spirit rather than slap some label onto himself.

Sometimes he'd like a woman, and the next he'd like a man. If anything, he liked interesting people, people who got along well with him and meshed well with his personality.

He's getting side-tracked here.

Bellamy turned to stop staring at the table and looked up to where Alice and Rune were passing him by. Alice was short, much shorter than Bella, probably around five feet or less. Her hair was short, flicking out to the sides a little which looked great on her and showcased her soft features.

The taller girl beside her, Rune, looked a lot different. She had very strong, distinct Asian features and a fierce expression that screamed mischief. She, along with her girlfriend and her sister, Rosalie, were all very drop-dead gorgeous but in their own unique ways.

Maybe that was a requirement? To be adopted into the Cullen family, one had to be the fairest in all the land.

Bellamy couldn't help but take another peek, there was just something about the two girls that gave him a sense of familiarity that he'd only ever felt for Bella. He watched as they sat down with Rosalie and Emmett, none of them had bothered to go get lunch.

"Dr Cullen's like this foster dad slash matchmaker." Johanna's voice pulled at Bellamy's attention, forcing him to look back at the group.

"Maybe he'll adopt me," Angela playfully replied and leaned onto her hands while fluttering her lashes. Her gesture caused Bellamy to laugh, a smile curving its way up onto his lips.

"What about them? Who are they?" Geez, there was more?

Bellamy looked back over to the entrance and spotted exactly who Bella was talking about. There, right there were two incredibly pale, tall and severely alarmingly attractive boys.

Okay, well, one severely alarmingly attractive boy, the other one was a bit too stoic looking for his taste. And he could see from out of the corner of his eye how his sister was currently drooling over the other, so again, no thanks.

Jennifer looked back to see who was walking in, only to quickly whip back around with a giant beaming smile on her face and a small flush to her cheeks.

"Ah, that's Edward Cullen and Jasper Hale. They're both totally gorgeous, obviously, but apparently, nobody here's good enough for them." Bellamy wasn't even a little surprised by that small titbit of information, because if he was as good-looking as they were, he too would be picky with who he dated.

The first one, the boy who drew him in like a moth to a flame, had to have easily been the prettiest boy Bellamy had ever had the fortune of setting his eyes upon. This Hale boy could very well be a deity with the way his wavy honey-toned hair fell past his ears and brushed up against his cheek whenever he moved his head.

He seemed strong, too. Not like the first boy, Emmett who looked like he may or may not be on steroids. No, this was a different kind of strength.

Jasper Hale walked like he was a predator, a hunter who was circling his prey. His steps seemed calculated and his body was arched forward slightly in a way that seemed like he was ready to attack at any given notice.

What caught his interest, however, was the boy's expression.

He looked like he was in pain, like being in this very room was taking more out of him than anybody truly realised. Bellamy immediately placed it down as social anxiety since his sister would sometimes get the same way whenever they were stuck in a crowd for too long.

The second boy, Edward Cullen, looked the opposite of Jasper.

He was stiff for one, he flinched a lot too, like somebody or something was touching him. There was nothing there though, so it left Bellamy to wonder what was truly happening that kept making him flinch.

Neither boy's shared much in common other than their pale skin, Bellamy noticed.

Jasper had blonde hair while Edward had short spiky bronze-coloured hair that seemed to shine brighter when the cafeteria light hit him just right.

Honestly, Edward kind of seemed sad. A sad boy who liked to read poetry late at night and listen to classical music. Huh... sad boy poet. It had quite the ring to it, right? Just as Bellamy thought that he noticed that Edward's lips twitched up into a smirk for a second, like something had amused him.

His eyes turned to look at him, startling Bellamy by how golden they looked.

'Huh, is he a mind reader or something? Does sad boy poet have secretive superpowers?' Bellamy jokingly thought, and amused by his overly creative imagination, he smiled in spite of himself.

Again, Edward's lip twitched once more but he didn't look Bellamy's way again and instead followed his siblings to sit down at their table.

Bellamy was about to look back to his sister when suddenly, the Adonis with honey-coloured hair turned and met with his eyes. Instantly, black and gold met and he felt a jolt of lightning slither down his spine.

It startled him, causing his body to twitch as neither two looked away.

What could've been hours, or maybe just seconds, Bellamy continued to lock eyes with Jasper and began to unconsciously memorise the boy's features. He thought about getting up and walking over to him, maybe introduce himself?

Maybe even flirt a little... or more than a little.

But before he could do anything at all, Jasper tore his eyes away and started talking to his family in hushed whispers.

Jasper looked angry as did Edward, both of them had looks of disbelief as they talked to Alice. Bellamy was confused seeing as this had all happened in a mere few seconds, but he had no plans of sticking around to find out.

Because as attractive and weirdly golden-eyed as these people were, he had class and he wanted to finish them as fast as he could so that he and his sister could finally go home to rest.

"Well, as fun and informative as this whole ordeal has been, I for one, want to be early for class. I've got a lot of daydreaming to catch up on," Bellamy stated as he stood up from the small and oddly comfortable plastic chair. He picked up his tray and burrito wrappings, planning to take them and put them away instead of leaving them for the poor cleaning people to find.

"It was lovely meeting you Angela, you'll have to keep me up to date with how those research papers work out for you." Angela smiled and nodded her head in confirmation.

"Great, well, I'll be seeing you around," Bellamy turned to look at his sister. "Izzy? Come on, we've gotta go," he said. His voice seemed to pull Bella out of the daze she'd been in and quickly she rushed to get up.

"Sorry, I'm coming!" She replied as she grabbed her emptied salad bowl and untouched chocolate milk.

Both siblings departed from the table without another word, the two rushed to chuck out their rubbish and put the trays on top of the other used trays by the cafeteria doors.

When Bellamy went to leave, he noticed his sister lingering and her head turned away. He was about to ask her what she was doing when she followed her line of view and quickly realised what was happening.

"Izzy, stop staring. Sad boy poet will still be here for you to stare at tomorrow morning." That snapped his sister from the daze she'd been in, her cheeks flushing a bright red as she glared at him.

"Shut up Bells! He could hear you," She hissed and turned to flee from the scene. Bellamy simply chuckled and shook his head, he was about to follow her when something at the back of his mind tugged at him to look back at the Cullen's.

Curiosity won him over in the end, and he couldn't help but take one last glance.

Looking back, what he saw was startling, to say the least. He found every last one of them staring at him like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

He knew he hadn't been loud in speaking because he would never embarrass his sister like that and they were on the other side of the cafeteria, so they couldn't possibly have heard him.

That meant they had already been staring at him, gazing at him like he was an animal in a zoo.

Maybe that makes him a hypocrite since not too long ago, he was doing the same damn thing, but this was different. They were looking at him like he was some slab of meat on the chopping block, and he hated the way that caused alarms to ring in his head.

So, like any civilised and normal person would do, he smiled a nice wide fake smile and lifted his middle finger for the entire group to witness.

Some looked shocked like they couldn't believe he would be so rude, while others looked entertained, like his annoyance was a funny joke to them.

"Bellamy!" Bella shouted once she noticed what he was doing and quickly grabbed him and pulled him out of the cafeteria.

⋅   •   ⋅   ⊰   ∙   ≼   ☫   ≽   ∙   ⊱   ⋅   •   ⋅

"Isabella and Bellamy Swan, welcome to Bio 101. Miss Swan, you can sit up by the front, Mr Swan, you can take the back table." Their teacher said as he pointed towards two open tables.

But sitting there at both tables, staring right back at him were Jasper Hale and Edward Cullen.

Now he had two choices here, sit with Jasper who he's positive wants to be anywhere but near him with the way his expression fell at the sight of him, or he could save his sister from embarrassing herself and sit with Edward.

Huh, not that hard of a choice now that he thought about it.

"Excuse me, sir?" He looked back at his teacher with the most charismatic smile he could muster.

"Can I sit with sad- uh, the other guy? I won't be able to see from the back." He blatantly lied, smiling sweetly even as Bella stepped on his foot. "Actually, sir, I wouldn't be able to see-" Bellamy quickly stomped on her foot, knowing it hurt like a bitch from the way she squeaked.

"How about we just get out of your way sir? We wouldn't want to take up any more of your time, we know how busy of a man you are." After he finished talking, he gave no chance for the teacher to speak up and rushed to sit beside Edward.

Bellamy could see the steam rushing out of his sister's ears as she stomped past to sit in the back, not before kicking his shin along the way, of course. He knew to expect a very angry Bella once they got out of school, but it was worth it, he didn't want to sit next to Jasper, at least not today he didn't.

After rubbing his shin and turning away from his angry sister, Bellamy reached into his bag and grabbed out his pen and notebook for note-taking before hiding his bag right back underneath his chair.

"You're quite mean you know." Bellamy almost jumped out of his seat, he'd honestly forgotten about Edward sitting next to him for a quick two seconds there.

"Sorry, do I give off good person vibes or something?" He shot back, looking towards the boy beside him who wore a small grin.

"Not in the slightest," Edward grinned to himself before turning back to look at Bellamy. "What about me, what do I look like to you?" He quietly asked, the grin growing bigger as if he was in on some kind of inside joke.

"Honestly? You look sad, and weirdly poetic. I think it's the hair," Bellamy shot back

"I'm sure you could guess my nickname for you, no? What, with your magical superpowers, no?" He jokingly added, only for the boy to flinch like he'd be hit.

Well shit, either he just stumbled onto a massive discovery or he offended the guy. "Option a or option b?" Bellamy asked, the boy's face was contorted into confusion before smoothing out.

'A: Mind Reader, B: Sad Boy Poet' He thought over and over again, repeating it in his head like a mantra. He waited patiently for the boy to reply, but when the boy in question looked away without answering, he just lightly kicked his foot.

He was stubborn okay, he wanted an answer and he was more than okay with annoying one out of him.

"A or B, choose carefully boy wonder," Bellamy spoke again, turning his body to fully face the other. "My name is Edward, not boy wonder and most certainly not sad boy poet," The other hissed, his jaw clenching in obvious annoyance.

"Sure thing Eddie, now pick a damn letter," Edward sighed and threw his head back, he looked like he was asking for the patience and will to not murder him.

A natural response from most people. He has no idea why though, he's a bundle of joy to have around.

"C, I choose option C." That's not even an option, fucking cheat.

"So you're both a mind reader and a sad boy poet. That's quite the assortment you've got there, are you collecting titles?" Bellamy cheekily grinned, loving the way Edward loudly groaned.

He knew fairly well how annoying and stubborn he could be, so seeing people suffering from his persistence always managed to bring out a certain sadistic joy without failure.

'Oh we're gonna be the best of friends Eddie, just you wait, I'll have you within my grasp soon enough.' He thought, not missing the grimace on Edward's face. At this point he should just give up, he was far too obvious about his whole 'I can read minds' thing.

That was fine though, he'd allow the teenager to play pretend, purely for the sake of his sanity. Either way, he'd get his answers sooner or later. And right now? Right now he had all the time in the world to wait Edward out.

'By the way, your brother's hot,' Bellamy thought, laughing when he heard Edward groan again.

Yeah, there was no way Edward was outlasting him in this battle of wills.

The rest of the class went by relatively fast, he continued to harass Edward with both his mind and his mouth the entire time, forcing out all kinds of expressions from the boy. But alas, his fun must come to an end eventually.

When class came to an end, Edward had been quick to leave, one of the first actually, to sprint from their seat and out of the classroom. It was funny watching him run away, it reminded him of the cartoon show he used to watch as a kid, Tom and Jerry.

"You ready to go?" Bella asked as she came up behind him. Bellamy nodded and followed his sister out to the car park, he couldn't wait to get home and take a nap, he'd been thinking about it all day.

His social battery was low and at this point, he was barely even functioning. Too much had happened in a seven-hour timeframe and he couldn't keep up with all of it.

As they got to the rusted red Chevy, Bellamy felt a familiar stare drilling into the back of his head which unknowingly forced him to turn and look over his shoulder.

Black met gold once again, a certain Adonis and the rest of his family were watching him and his sister leave from in front of their silver Volvo and black Jeep. He had a sneaking suspicion that their staring would become the norm for him and he's not sure how he feels about that, but for now, he ignores them and jumps into his and his sister's truck.

His bed had been calling out to him for a while now, so the possibility of superpowered teenagers would have to wait for him to finish recharging.

Maybe after that, he'll be ready to deal with them, though he heavily doubts it. Nothing could prepare him for the world he was about to fall into, let alone a nap.

While Bellamy was lost in his thoughts, a certain family of vampires were frantically figuring out just who these two humans were, and how one had already managed to catch onto Edward's gift.

"He knows, he definitely knows! But that's not even the worst part! His thoughts started to get quieter, distant like he was somehow pushing me out of his mind!" Edward stressfully pulled at his hair, his mind was running 20 miles a second trying to figure out what had happened and if maybe he'd messed up somehow.

He had no idea why Bellamy's thoughts had started to disappear until they were suddenly gone and he couldn't get back inside, and that scared him.

Both twins were strange.

Bella, he couldn't get a read on her from the very start but Bellamy he could, that was until his thoughts began to fade like something was there, stealing his power from right underneath his feet.

"What do you mean you couldn't hear him?! That's not possible, he can't push you out he's human isn't he?!" Rosalie yelled as she whipped around to glare at Edward.

"Please don't fight, we'll be home in two minutes tops, at least wait until we're there before you start breaking stuff." Jasper sounded tired, his expression looking weary and exhausted. None of them had been prepared for today's events, nobody but Alice.

Jasper was anything but pleased with his sister at the moment.

He would've liked to have a heads-up of what was to come, just a quick 'hey, today's THE day' before school so he wouldn't have been so caught off guard. But that's not what happened, not at all. Instead, Alice thought it would be a great idea to surprise him and Edward.

Which, honestly, they should've expected, at least he should've. His sister had been far too smiley and giggly today, more so than usual and he vividly remembers Alice warning him to keep an eye out for somebody special.

That should've been his tip off, that should've been where he stopped and paused to think about what she'd meant.

It was too late to regret his obliviousness, there was no changing what happened, they could only push forward from now on and try to fix what had happened.

When they got home, Jasper didn't wait around for the others and quickly escaped up to his room to lock himself inside for the remainder of the day. He didn't want to listen to them argue any longer, he'd had enough of it in the car.

Jasper spent a few hours by himself, reading and tuning out his family who were downstairs still talking. He hadn't realised just how much time had passed until there was a knock at his door and he was forced to look up and see that the world outside had been covered in darkness, the only light to breakthrough being the moon.

"Who's there?" He made no move to get up and open the door, his family knew him well enough to give him a moment to destress.

So either somebody's dead, or somebody's about to do something stupid.

"It's me," came through his sister, Alice's voice.

Oh... maybe neither then? Jasper carefully placed his book down and went to open the door for Alice.

"Yes?" He questioned once he was faced to face with his sister. "I just wanted to come check up on you, see how you're feeling about everything." How he was feeling? Well, right now, he was considering moving states, maybe even countries.

"I'm fine Alice, just tired," is what he settled on telling her.

"What about Bellamy? How are you handling that?" Alice wasn't backing down, she seemed motivated to find out how he was truly feeling.

He wondered who it was that sent her to him, or if this was her own doing.

"Not now, Alice. Ask me again tomorrow and I might have an answer for you, until then, I'd like to be left alone, thanks." Jasper was quick to shut his door in her face, putting an end to her interrogation.

A few seconds went by until he heard the soft pitter patter of Alice's feet disappear back down the hallway. It was only then that he realised the sigh he was holding in and returned to his chair to continue reading.

Tomorrow's problem's could be dealt with tomorrow, for now, he just wanted a little time to think about nothing and everything. He couldn't do that with everybody breathing down his neck or trying to get Edward to listen in on his thoughts.

Speaking of Edward, why hasn't he shown up yet?

Jasper tried to listen out for Edward's voice, but he found nothing. He might've gone out, likely to escape Rosalie's lecture's.

He wasn't that worried for his brother, it was normal for Edward to disappear at random times of the night. Edward might just want time to collect himself after finding his blood singer. With that in mind, Jasper returned his attention back to his book and tuned out the world around him.

Chapter Text

Bellamy should be focused on reading, but his mind was anywhere but his book.

He and his sister, Bella had gotten home and had each taken a nap before waking up a little before dinner. They'd spent that time between the two reading up in Bellamy's room on his bay window. It was meant to be fun and quiet, the two siblings reading together in the peaceful silence of his room.

Instead, he couldn't get his mind off everything that had happened.

He was too focused on Edward and the strange conversations that had taken place in Bio. Even Jasper wasn't too far away from his train of thought, his face seemed to like popping up at random intervals, reminding him of the gorgeous boy who appeared to have a certain kind of pull to him.

Could Edward read minds? Was that why their family was so private and kept to themselves? Or was there something more, something he was missing?

How about Jasper? Why did Bellamy feel so oddly connected to a boy he'd never met? He refuses to believe that it was love at first sight, Bellamy's heart didn't work like that, he needed to know a person before he even thought about them in a romantic light.

It helped him determine whether or not they'd be better as friends or lovers, and he doubts that would suddenly change over some boy.

So the question he should be asking is what was happening to him?

What was changing him, making him more suspectable to change when he hates change.

And what should he tell his sister? He knows that she has a bit of a crush on Edward, or is at least attracted to him. But if he did have superpowers and could read minds, his sister deserved to know that information so that she could have the chance to protect herself.

He could also be wrong, the Cullen's could be a normal family but his hyperactive mind was making a bigger deal about them than needed. Bellamy wouldn't be surprised either, he read enough fantasy books to know that his mind was corrupted enough to bring fantasy into reality.

He'd just end up looking like the biggest idiot in the world, one who straight-up harassed some poor kid on his first day.

Wow, that didn't sound good now that he thought about it.

Now he hoped he wasn't wrong, otherwise, he was about to be labelled as a dick for the remainder of his time at Forks High School.

Bellamy was beginning to doubt his own eyes, maybe he was just paranoid? After all, how many times had he prayed for a superpower when he was younger or wished he could be a wizard like Harry Potter?

He still remembers how he'd spent all of his eleventh birthday waiting by the mailbox for an owl to come by and drop off his acceptance to Hogwarts letter.

It was still an embarrassing memory that neither his sister or his father ever let him live down.

But it was proof of his want for something more, something exciting and life-changing. It didn't, however, do well with proving he wasn't completely and utterly insane.

Okay, he's getting way off track here.

Focus Bellamy, focus!

Let's start with the pros of what he knows. He knows that Edward had been way too defensive and snappy when he thought about questions he wanted answers to. There was also the fact that anytime he thought of Jasper, Edward would grimace or groan lowly under his breath like he was physically in pain.

The con's... the cons were that for as long as he's been alive, stuff like magic or superpowers were deemed fictional. They were things you read about in books or dreamed about as a child.

And most believed very little in things like that, so that's yet another con to add to the list.

He also didn't have solid proof that Edward could read minds or if any of the rest of his family had some kind of hidden power.

Yet another damn con.

He knew nothing at all, basically. He didn't know if what he saw was real or if it had been a reaction to Bellamy's harassment. But there was also a chance that he was right, that he wasn't paranoid or going insane and that there were people out there in the world who were living a life unlike the rest.

'What lucky bastards,' Bellamy bitterly thought.

Again, he was getting off track.

Bellamy sighed and snapped closed his book, the hardcover making a soft thud as the pages slammed together. He wasn't getting anywhere, he was just going around in circles.

"Bells?" Bella's soft voice almost caused him to jump out of his skin, he'd forgotten that his sister was in the same room as him.

"Hey, sorry, I'm fine, just thinking," Bellamy explained as he scrubbed roughly at his face. He should probably go back to sleep, maybe that way his brain can give him a break.

"Yeah? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, it's okay, I'm done thinking now anyway." Bella looked like she had more to say, but was cut off when they heard their dad's car pull into the driveway.

"I guess dinner's home," announced Bellamy.

Bella rolled her eyes but closed her book, placing it next to where she was sitting for later and got up to follow him downstairs. When they got down to the kitchen, they were immediately greeted with the alluring scent of freshly cooked food.

"Hey Dad, what cha' got there?" Charlie slapped Bellamy's wandering hand that had reached into the white plastic bag in an attempt to see what was inside.

"Ah! Go set the table and wash your hands before you start grabbing at things," he instructed.

Bellamy rolled his eyes with an easy smile hanging off his lips, "Aye aye captain." He mockingly saluted his dad and rushed off to wash his hands.

He took his time cleaning every available surface of his hand, making sure to get in between his fingers. Once he was done, he met with Bella who'd gone to wash her hands in the kitchen and the two of them quickly set the table while Charlie continued to unbox all their food.

"I went and grabbed some Chinese from the Chinese shop near the station." Bellamy was already drooling, his mouth watering as he impatiently waited at the small kitchen table.

Finally, their dad began to start placing bowls of soups, dumplings and his favourite, Kung Pao chicken.

Bella had her usual sweet and sour pork as well as some Mapo tofu. She'll only eat half of everything and leave the rest for tomorrow, whether as lunch for school or a reheated dinner. But he'd never known his sister to finish off an entire meal, unless it was something she enjoyed immensely.

Bellamy wasted no time in digging into his food when Charlie joined them. He might've waited for his dad to sit down with them, but that didn't mean he was going to wait for him to begin eating as well.

The food might be cold by then, better to just eat it all now.

Dinner was a quiet event with a few 'How was your day' and 'Do anything interesting?' thrown in. Usually, he would be the one making conversation since his dad and sister were a little quieter than most and sometimes could go without talking for days on end.

Today, however, he simply sat back and enjoyed the silence.

When dinner was finished, Bellamy and his sister moved to put away any leftover dishes whilst simultaneously shoving their dad out of the kitchen so they could clean up the residual mess. By the time they'd finished cleaning up, their dad was already seated in front of the television with a beer in hand watching a replay of last night's game.

"I'm going to head up to bed, my brain feels fried and I'm pretty sure I'm about to go into a food coma," Bellamy stated when he spotted his dad.

"Already? It's barely even seven?" Charlie paused the game to check the time through the tv, before glancing back over to his son. "Yeah, Dad. I'm exhausted, I'll be fine, okay?" He looked like he had more to say, but dismissed it once he noticed the small forming bags under Bellamy's eyes.

"Alright Bells, I'll see you after school then, I've got to get to the station early for my shift tomorrow," answered Charlie.

Bellamy bid his dad one last goodnight before striding upstairs to his room.

Entering his room, he noticed his sister already waiting for him in bed with her book opened in hand. She paused mid-page flip when she noticed his arrival.

"You sleeping in here tonight?" He casually asked. His sister sometimes had a habit of joining him to sleep whenever she needed somebody next to her, it had originally started when they were younger but they never quite got out of it.

No matter how hard their parents had tried to put an end to it.

There was just something so safe and comforting about having his twin right there beside him, a form of acknowledgement that nothing could happen to her with him there. He's almost positive that it was just another side effect of him being overly protective, but neither of them seemed to mind it.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Alright, but make sure to go to bed before twelve, okay? And remember to turn off the lamp." Bellamy was already dressed in his pyjamas, a pair of black sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Usually, he'd take his hoodie off and sleep bare-chested, but he wasn't going to do that around his sister.

She was freakishly cold at all times and he didn't particularly want to be awakened because her grabby little hands were trying to cuddle him in her sleep. He's been put through that situation one too many times for him to be wanting a repeat anytime soon.

Bella hummed and turned her eyes back to her book, her fingers gracefully flipping to the next page. Smiling softly, Bellamy crowded into his sister and lightly kissed the crown of her head.

"Night Izzy," he whispered.

"Night Bell," Bellamy slipped underneath the covers and got comfortable. Once he was settled and sated, he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep to the soft sound of turning pages.

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Waking up to a face full of hair wasn't exactly what Bellamy had been expecting when he opened his eyes only to realise the world was still dark. He'd been confused for a moment before he felt the tickling of hair brushing against his cheek.

Sighing, he pushed off Bella's hair and carefully combed the knots that had formed thanks to her restless tossing and turning. Bellamy quickly finished straightening out Bella's hair and pulled his bed cover off to get up.

It was early in the morning, not too early but early enough that the only people on the streets were either early risers or people who were just getting home from work. Normally, he would've gone back to sleep and cursed the world for waking him up.

Instead, here he was, standing butt-arse naked underneath the warm pelting spray of water.

Honestly, he hadn't even been considering having a shower so early in the morning, but for some strange reason, his body and mind had begged him to take one.

The sudden uncomfortable itchiness, the distasteful feel of sweat along his back and the crawling of skin every time he touched something or grazed up against his blanket. It felt like his skin wasn't his skin anymore and he just needed to wash it away.

So, here he was, head hung low as the warm stream of water pelted down his body, dripping onto the tiled floor.

It was so quiet, usually he would be able to hear the sound of his dad or sister moving around and getting ready themselves, but he couldn't hear anything. The world seemed muted, suppressed even.

He was beginning to understand why some people got up at the crack of dawn.

It was peaceful.

Bellamy spent far longer than he normally did in the shower, simply just soaking up the warmth and making sure that every part of his body had been washed over twice. When he was done, he turned off the water and stepped out to wrap himself in his towel.

Quickly, he dried himself off and began putting on the clothes he'd brought down with him.

He didn't feel all that fancy today, so he went with a simple brown hoodie and dark blue ripped jeans. He still had his usual rings and bracelets on, even a few dangling necklaces but that was about all the effort he was willing to put into his outfit today.

Bellamy spent some time in front of the mirror doing his usual morning routine, washing his face, shaving, brushing his teeth and styling his hair in its usual artistic mess. He also sprayed himself over in cologne, making sure to get it all over his body which would last a good portion of the day.

When he was done, he looked himself over one last time before leaving the bathroom.

By the time he was done, it was already six thirty in the morning, meaning his dad would be gone and Bella would be waking up soon. With that in mind, Bellamy went downstairs to whip up some blueberry pancakes for him and his sister.

Ooo, pancakes and ice cream, that sounded even better.

Bellamy smiled and hummed to a made-up tune in his mind whilst whisking the pancake batter into a small white plastic bowl. Neither he nor his sister liked the pre-made pancake boxes, they preferred the homemade stuff.

So they'd taught themselves from a young age how to cook and bake. He was better at cooking whereas his sister was a better baker than him. They were quite proud of that particular skill set, especially with the amount of hours they had put into it, learning new recipes and certain tricks and tips.

Now it was something they liked to surprise people with.

A few birthday cakes here and there, a scattered few homemade chicken casseroles now and again whenever they were feeling fancy.

Once the pancake batter was properly mixed, Bellamy added in a few whole and crushed blueberries and stirred again for a minute so that everything was evenly mixed. Then, he turned to the stove and switched it on, turning the heat up to a desirable level.

Bellamy went and grabbed some butter and cut off a small piece into the heating pan before letting it melt and cover the bottom with melted butter. After that, he began to pour some of the pancake mixture, creating large fluffy pancakes.

He carefully watched the pancakes, flipping them over when they were a nice and crisp golden colour. He also timed it, just in case.

It didn't take Bellamy long before he had two stacks of perfectly golden brown pancakes plated and ready to be eaten.

"Bella!" He shouted.

The smell of blueberry pancakes must've caught her attention first because she came stumbling down the stairs in under a minute.

"You made blueberry pancakes?" Would you look at that? He was right.

"Yeah, woke up early and had nothing better to do, so I made some breakfast for us." That was a half-truth, he'd been craving blueberry pancakes for a few weeks now but hadn't been bothered to make any, and today he'd figured why the hell not.

He was up, so why not make something nice for the day ahead of them?

Bella rushed to grab her plate while he was busy grabbing the tub of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer.

"Can you grab out a spoon and two forks, please?" Bella nodded and reached for the utensil drawer and pulled out a big spoon and two little forks for them to use.

"Thanks," he said as his sister handed over the spoon to him.

He began to scoop up large chunks of ice cream and drop them onto each of their plates, right on top of their freshly made pancakes. When everything was finished, they wasted no time and shovelled the food into their mouths.

You'd think they'd been starved for weeks with the way they inhaled their food. At one point they'd even gotten a brain freeze that took a few minutes to recover from.

But as quickly as Bellamy had whipped up the fluffy delights, they were gone in half that time.

"Oh man, I can feel my belly bulge." Bellamy rubbed at his stomach, his fingers tracing over the small mountain that had formed. He looked over to the clock next to the fridge and realised that he wouldn't have any time to go for his morning jog today.

He was going to have to wait until after school, otherwise, he'd end up missing his daily run and he never missed a run. It was a habit he liked to enforce because it kept him healthy and in shape, so he tended to freak out a little whenever he missed a day.

Not that it happens a lot, he's usually quite strict with himself, but it seems today he'll have to push harder and put more time into his run than normal.

"Alright, I'll wash up, you go get dressed. We'll need to leave for school in forty minutes, you should have enough time for a shower."

"What? No way, you cooked so I'll clean up!" Bellamy pushed his sister out of the kitchen, her protests falling on deaf ears. "I could care less about that Izzy, I'm already dressed and showered, you're not, so get to it."

Bella tried to fight against his hold, but he was both taller and stronger than her so the struggle didn't last very long.

His sister scoffed, "Fine... jackass." Bellamy gasped dramatically, "After all I've done for you? How mean." He smiled as he watched his sister storm upstairs and into her room to get some clothes before her shower.

While she was up there, readying herself for the day ahead, Bellamy spent ten minutes cleaning everything he'd used and putting them away back from where he'd grabbed them. Once done, he skipped upstairs to grab his bag and put on his boots. before wandering back downstairs to laze around in front of the television and wait for his sister.

Soon enough, he heard the pitter-patter of her feet thudding against the creaking floorboards.

Maybe he should see dad about fixing the stairway floorboards, that way they won't creak so much. He should also go ahead and paint the door for him, his dad was too busy with his job to find the time to do it.

Plus, it'd be fun, he could even pull his sister into it and they could create some monstrosity together.

"Do you have the keys?" Bella asked once she spotted him lounging on the couch. Bellamy held his left hand, jiggling the car keys between his fingers. Slowly, he got up and stretched his limbs. "You ready then?" He questioned.

Bella hummed in response, "Yep." She popped the P loudly whilst leaning down to slip on her shoes and double knot the laces tightly together. With both siblings dressed and ready, they turned and left through the front door and made sure to lock it behind them.

"I'm driving by the way," Bellamy announced quickly and sprinted towards the driver's seat, leaving Bella to shout at him from the entrance steps.

"Dammit Bellamy!"

"Hey! You're the one who left me to do the dishes!" He shouted back before closing the door behind him, he also took safety precautions and locked his door so she couldn't try pulling him out. Putting the keys into the ignition, he turned it and listened to the engine roar to life.

"You-you're the one who made me leave!?"

"Are you sure? Because I remember it a little differently." Bellamy grinned as he watched his sister rip open the passenger side door and hop in, making sure to slam it hard enough to rattle the truck.

"Somebody's grumpy today," he mumbled. Bella wasted no time in whacking him over the back of his head, hard. "Shut up and drive, Bellamy." Okay, maybe he shouldn't continue to poke the bear.

He feared what she'd do to him in retaliation if he did.

Bellamy tapped the steering wheel as he backed out of the driveway and drove him and his sister to school. He was focused on the road, trying to keep a lookout for any black ice on the ground which meant he didn't notice Bella's nervous shifting.

It wasn't until she spoke up at a red light that Bellamy finally turned to look and saw how fidgety she was.

"Did you dream about the Cullen's last night?" She asked out of the blue.

"No? Why, did you?" Bella chewed on her bottom lip while fiddling with her thumbs, her eyes looked glazed over like she was remembering something. "Yeah, actually, I think I did. I saw Edward in the corner of your room, he was watching me."

Instantly, alarm sirens rang in his mind.

Bella must've noticed it as well because she immediately tried to backtrack, "He disappeared though! I blinked and he was gone, so I think it was just a weird dream. I was only curious if you'd had one as well, that's all."

"Are you sure you saw Edward?" He had to make sure, especially with everything he was thinking of last night.

He still isn't sure if he was being paranoid and reading into things but if Edward could read minds, what about the others? What if they were serial killers and were now targeting him and his sister?

There was so much he still didn't know and hearing that his sister was now dreaming about Edward watching her sleep like some creeper was not helping his nerves in the slightest.

Bellamy sighed and began to drive again when he spotted the light turning green. They were a minute from school and already he wanted to turn around and go back home. This was not a good start to the day, not in the slightest.

"It was just a dream Izzy, but if you keep having them, let me know, okay?"

"Okay... thanks Bell," his sister quietly murmured. Bellamy blindly reached out and ruffled her hair, his fingers grazing against her scalp. "You can wake me up if you need to, okay? I won't mind," he added.

Bella gasped loudly from beside him, "I can?" She queried. "Of course you can, I won't even try smothering you in your sleep for it either." His sister chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Sure, we'll see about that."

The two siblings pulled into the school parking lot and parked in the same spot as yesterday. It was a little busier today with multiple cars now lining up in rows closer to the front entrance.

There were also several students huddled up together and lingering in the lot.

He could even see Mike and his group of friends hovering around a black van, all laughing and talking to eachother.

Bellamy didn't waste any longer sitting in the truck, staring out of the window. He quickly shut off the engine, grabbed his backpack from beside him, and hopped out. The second his boots touched the ground, he felt his body shiver and goosebumps trail up his arm.

He had the feeling of being watched, even stalked by somebody like he was prey.

It was such an overwhelming feeling, obvious too. He's always been quite hyperaware of eyes on him since he was little, and whoever was currently burning a hole into his skull wasn't even trying to be subtle about it.

Bellamy ignored the feeling and focused on closing his truck door and making sure it was locked up tight before he turned around to seek out the culprit.

Immediately, he spotted who it was and locked eyes with them.

Standing there on the other side of the parking lot in all his divine glory, was Jasper Hale. His honey-blonde hair was in its usual wavy mess, curling up at the tips and brushing Jasper's jaw in a way that somehow enhanced his allure.

He had on a black ensemble today that highlighted how pale his skin was. A black shirt with an equally darker black winter coat and black jeans. It looked intimidating and beautiful, he looked like a fallen angel.

What made the overall view even better was the way Jasper's forearms were crossed over his chest, giving Bellamy a good look at the hidden muscles underneath. He knew Jasper was fit, but those forearms looked big enough to crush him with.

Jasper Hale everybody, the embodiment of temptation.

Bellamy could feel his body heating up and his heart racing in his chest. There was something about Jasper that never seemed to fail to give Bellamy whiplash.

It was strange and terrifying. He wasn't used to feeling this way for anyone, even less for a guy whose name was the only thing he knew about him.

Jasper stood there in front of a silver Volvo, his eyes looking him up and down in hunger. It didn't feel like lust to Bellamy, he would know that much. It almost felt like he'd been caught in a trap with a starving predator and there was no way out.

And maybe that should scare him, the fact that he's comparing Jasper's eyes to a blood-lusting predator. But it didn't, instead he felt somewhat thrilled, he could feel the rising adrenaline underneath his skin and his body becoming hyperaware of every little thing that moved in his peripheral vision.

He was quickly falling into fight or flight mode, and he was almost positive he was going to choose flight.

Usually, he's all for fighting, he knows he's strong enough and smart enough to come out on top. With Jasper though, Bellamy doubted he'd even make it out alive if he tried. He'd be better off trying to outrun the guy, at least then he'd have a chance.

As an avid runner, he had complete trust in not only his stamina but also in his ability to run as fast and quickly as he could in a moments notice.

The only issue he had though, was how addictive this feeling could become for him, this sudden rush of adrenaline and shimmering heat in his lower abdomen.

Okay, no, that's enough. Bellamy needed to put a stop to this, that was way too fucked up of a thought and he refused to get caught up in the web of mysteries that was Jasper Hale.

With that declaration in mind, he forced himself to look away.

Bellamy was about to begin walking to class when he noticed that his sister was no longer behind him. He turned, his eyes searching out for her and spotted her still lingering by the truck. Her eyes seemed frantic as they gazed into the crowd of students.

"Bella?" He called out, bringing his sister out of her daze. "What's wrong," she looked upset about something, but he had no idea what it was.

"Nothing, I was just looking for somebody..." Again, her eyes glanced into the crowd. Bellamy followed her line of sight to try and get a clue of who it was and quickly regretted it when he saw who exactly she was looking for.

"Is this about Edward again?" He asked as he tore his eyes away from the Cullen family.

Bella's face flushed at the fact she'd been caught looking for Boy Wonder, but Bellamy couldn't care less after the weird staring competition he just had with Jasper.

"He's probably out sick, Izzy."

'Or avoiding me because I'm insane' his mind so helpfully added. "Maybe," she mumbled to herself.

Bellamy had been a bit nervous to see Edward again with everything that had happened and last night's realisation that he'd been a bit of a dick to the poor guy, but knowing he wasn't here today only further put him on edge.

Something about it felt wrong to him like something else was going on.

He just didn't know what.

Bellamy tried pushing the thoughts of Edward to the back of his mind along with the rest of the Cullen family. He had classes to attend and teachers to suck up to, an otherwise very busy day ahead of him.

So no more thinking about the otherwise beautiful family of pale-skinned models.

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Against all odds, the day seemed to pass by quicker than he could blink.

Classes were normal and boring, just as he expected them to be. His teachers droned on about subjects he had zero interest in but listened to regardless of his interests.

The only time that Bellamy found himself distracted was at lunch. He'd been pulled over to Angela's table again but with the added addition of the boy, Tyler who'd kissed his sister's cheek yesterday.

He won't lie and say he wasn't a bit pissed with the touchy feeling dude, because he was, very much so. Bella, on the other hand, had made it known how she felt about it all by kicking him under the table when she caught sight of him staring Tyler down.

Bellamy was then forced to play friendly with the guy, and by that, he means he blatantly ignored his presence. Maybe he'd warm up to Tyler over the next few weeks, but so far his first impression of the dark-skinned teen was in the negatives.

Other than that, the only other thing that happened was him catching sight of Jasper staring again.

Honestly, it'd been barely even two days and already he was becoming familiar with the sensation of Jasper's eyes on him. Now was that normal? Probably not, but what could he do about it?

Oh, that's right, nothing.

And it's not like he hated having Jasper's attention on him, the guy was drop-dead gorgeous. He just didn't like that the Cullens as a whole were a mystery and with everything going on with Edward, he wasn't that comfortable around them.

Only because he didn't know if there was something up with them and if he had been right because if he had, that added a whole new problem to the table.

Were the others like Edward? Were they some kind of super-powered family? And if they were, did they want to hurt him and his sister? Sometimes Bellamy gets a feeling of hostility from them, like they were angry with him and his sister for whatever reason.

It's dumb, he knows, he didn't even know them so how could he possibly know what they're feeling? It was just a gut feeling for him though, his instincts were telling him that they weren't as friendly as they seemed.

Bellamy did his best to ignore them though, to continually push their presence to the back of his mind where most of the things he didn't want to think about lived.

His sister on the other hand seemed to be nervous and fidgety the longer the day went on for, her eyes kept glancing around the room like she was expecting to see Edward materialise out of thin air. He wondered if it was because of her interest in him, or if it was because of her dream from last night.

He didn't question her though, he just kept a watchful eye over her to make sure she was okay.

So far, everything seemed fine, she focused in class and only ever dazed off when class was coming to an end and not a second more. Bella has always been the more studious of the two after all, and he heavily doubts a boy of all things could stop his sister from doing her classwork and listening to lectures.

"You ready to go Izzy?" Bellamy questioned. Their Spanish class, the final class of the day had just ended and they had packed up, both ready to get back home and relax for the afternoon. He had planned on going out for a bit to explore the forest, not too far because he doesn't know the area well enough but just enough that he can take it all in.

His love for nature was definitely a result from when he was a kid. He remembers how he and his dad would go out to a secluded creek out in the woods to fish. It was something he loved and always looked forward to.

He used to love exploring the nearby surrounding area and seeing all the greenery and wildlife. So, getting back out there has been on his to-do list ever since he found out they were moving back to Forks.

"Yeah, I'm good to go. You have the keys, right?" Bella replied and carefully slung her bag over her shoulder. Bellamy quickly double-checked his pockets to make sure he had the car keys, when he felt them, he nodded in confirmation.

"Got 'em," he replied.

The two siblings quickly made their way out to the parking lot and over to their truck. He wanted to get home and have something quick to eat before going out to the woods, and he knew their dad would be home by now.

Maybe he should suggest they go out for an early dinner, and if they get hungry later he can whip up some mac and cheese for them.

Ooo, he should also quickly stop at the market and grab some chicken breast, that way he can mix in chunks of chicken with the mac and cheese. Yeah, that sounded brilliant, good thinking brain.

When Bellamy brought up his idea to his sister, she readily agreed and looked eager to get a taste of his homemade mac and cheese. Okay, well, he says homemade but it's really just a box of mac and cheese with extra cheese, and sometimes he would add in a few added foods like chicken or corn into it.

"Do you want to drive?" Bellamy questioned as they neared their truck, "No, I'm good. You can drive," she replied.

That was fine with him, he liked driving.

Bellamy reached into his pocket and brought out the car keys and quickly unlocked the car to let his sister in. He could feel a familiar heated stare on him, but Bellamy didn't look back, he got into his truck, started the engine, and left without so much as a glance to where he knew Jasper would be waiting.

Just as he said he would, he made a quick pit stop at the local supermarket and grabbed a nice big chicken breast as well as some snacks and toiletries that they knew they needed. Bella also grabbed a tub of blueberry yoghurt when she spotted it sitting in the cold section.

He didn't even try to stop her, he knew better than to stop his sister from indulging in her blueberry addiction.

Bellamy's pretty sure he has scars somewhere on his arms from when he tried telling her no.

With their items all packed and paid for, they headed back out to their truck and made their way home quickly so he could get the chicken into the fridge for later tonight, along with the rest of their groceries.

They got home relatively fast and noticed that their dad's police cruiser was parked on the street, meaning he was home.

"I'll get everything inside, do you wanna go see if Dad wants to go out for dinner?" He suggested as he grabbed his school bag and groceries out from the truck.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go find him now," she replied and disappeared inside with her bag in hand.

There were only a few plastic bags, a minimum of three which made it easy for Bellamy to carry it all inside after locking up the truck. When he did get inside, he dropped his bag off by the stairs and headed to the kitchen to unpack all their freshly bought items and put them away.

When he was finished with that, he bypassed the loungeroom on his way upstairs to see if his dad had agreed or not.

"Hey Dad, you up for going out for dinner soon?" Bellamy asked once he spotted his dad reclined back and lounging on his chair.

"Yeah, that sounds great Bell. Your sister already went upstairs to get on something warmer, you should go and do the same." Charlie instructed, "We'll leave in ten," he finished. Bellamy won't need to change, he already had a hoodie on and they wouldn't be out for too long either.

Though he was going out into the woods later, so maybe it was a good idea to get changed now.

"Alright, I'll go do that now." Bellamy decidedly turned to go upstairs but paused to look back, he'd almost forgotten. "I forgot to mention but me and Izzy stopped by the supermarket to get some chicken for mac n cheese later, in case we get hungry. If not, I'll still make it tomorrow in the early morning and we can have it for dinner."

"Can I help?" His dad innocently asked.

Now, here was the thing with their dad, he was a horrible cook.

Somehow and someway he always managed to burn everything he touched, sometimes even turning what could be considered a simple dish into a chemically weaponised poison.

"Uh- no, noo it's okay, I'll be fine. I think Bella might want to help, so I'll leave the prepping to her, you can just savour our hard work." Charlie glared playfully at his son, he knew what he was thinking but he's not that bad of a cook, yet his kids seem to think otherwise.

"Fine," he waved Bellamy off, "Go get changed and we'll head out when you're done." Bellamy happily took the chance to escape from the conversation and race upstairs to his room with his bag.

With a time limit in place, Bellamy wasted no time in opening up his wardrobe and changing into something much warmer than a hoodie and jeans.

He decided to go with a thick fluffy green sweater and a large black overcoat for additional warmth. He didn't bother changing the jeans, there was no need, he'd be warm enough with what he had on.

Bellamy didn't take any of his rings off either, but he did strip himself of all the necklaces he had dangling on his chest and put them away into his little glass bowl that sat on top of his desk.

One final check over of his outfit, and he was off back downstairs. He still had his boots on since they were going out again and he could hear the soft thumps of them as he walked downstairs. The floorboards creaked under his weight, shifting with every panel.

"You ready Bellamy?" His dad yelled out.

"Yeah! I'm coming down now," he shouted back from the top of the stairs.

When he got down there, he spotted his dad and his sister already waiting by the front door for him. "I didn't take that long did I?" Bellamy jokingly teased.

"You're your mother's son," Bellamy's jaw dropped at his dad's remark and quickly grabbed at his chest like he'd been shot in the heart. "I think that was the cruelest thing you could've ever said to me."

Both his sister and his dad laughed at his dramatics, "C'mon then, let's go mini Renée." He gasped again in offence and smacked his sister who was cackling away beside him.

"You guys are horrible and I hope you both stub your toes later tonight." Bellamy didn't look back at Bella or Charlie as he strutted down to the car and jumped into the back seat. Normally whenever he and his sister got into a car together, she was the one who sat up at the front while he enjoyed having all the space at the back to himself.

It was a nice little compromise for the both of them.

A few seconds later, both his sister and his dad were hopping into the car with him. They cracked a few jokes with eachother, Bellamy doing most of the engaging and yapping away the entire drive to a local café they used to visit when they were kids.

He still remembers having his fourth birthday there, the waitresses sang him a happy birthday as they brought him a small apple pie with ice cream and powdered sugar on top. He wonders if they still have the desert because if so, he's getting it.

Once there, the small family of three all climbed out of the car and ventured into the busy café.

They found an open window seat at the front, close to the door and with a clear view of the parking lot outside. While Bella and their dad were looking through the menu, Bellamy took a quick look around the place.

There were a lot of antlers hanging off of on the walls, there were even a few photos nearby but he couldn't see what it was from where he was sat.

The entire café looked so lifelike and homey, it felt warm and inviting to be here.

He did notice that not much had changed, maybe a few paint jobs here and there and some more antlers, but other than that it all looked just as he remembered it to be.

"What do you two want?" Charlie questioned, his voice pulling Bellamy's focus back to his family.

"I think I'll have the garden burger set," Bella mumbled, her teeth worrying at her bottom lip as her eyes flittered over the plastic menu. "I'll have the battered fish and chips. One of their homemade apple pies would be good too," added Bellamy.

"Yeah? I think the berry cobbler would be better," Bella put down her menu in the middle of the table once she was finished browsing. Now all they needed to do was wait for their orders to be taken.

The café was busy and waitresses were zooming all around the place with plates of freshly prepared food and drinks. They waited a few minutes before a waitress came around with a wide customer-friendly smile and a notepad to take their orders with.

"Hi! Welcome to Carver Café, what can I get for you two today." The waitress pointedly looked at him and his sister, completely ignoring their dad.

"Uh-" Bellamy looked over to his dad to see what was happening, but he didn't seem surprised or offended in the slightest so Bellamy decided to drop it and just give her their orders.

He can just ask his dad about it when she leaves.

"We'll have a garden burger set and a battered cob with the Caesar salad and fries. Also, could we get an apple pie and a berry cobbler after that?" Bellamy turned to his sister to double-check that he'd asked for the right thing and after getting her confirmation, he looked back to their waitress.

"Okay, one garden burger set, one battered cob with the Caesar salad and fries and one three-in-one combo. I'll get your orders out now and I'll come out with your desserts once you're finished." When had their dad told her his order? Did everybody in this town read minds?

Bellamy watched the waitress disappear into the back with their orders, his mind was working at a million miles per hour trying to figure out what just happened.

"I come here every Thursday after my shift, and I always get the same thing." Charlie looked at his son with a small grin, he'd noticed the confusion and thought it would've been better to explain than to let Bellamy jump to any conclusions.

Oh, suddenly he felt very stupid. Of course they'd know his dad's order, he was a regular here.

Bellamy could feel his face flushing as he leaned back into his seat and waited for his order to arrive in silence. He ignored the echoing laughter from his dad and sister and focused on the road outside.

He was far too used to them laughing at him whenever he embarrassed himself.

It was almost like a natural reflex for them. That, however, did not mean it didn't embarrass him even more, because it did, a lot.

A hell of a lot more.

By the time his family was finished mocking him, the waitress was already returning with their meals and a jug of water for them to drink. Bellamy also noticed an older man approaching from behind the waitress and towards their table.

"I just can't get over how much you two have grown over the years. I still remember when you two were only this small," the waitress placed her hand down below her hip and showed them how tall they'd been when she'd seen them last.

Bellamy figured it would've been around the time of his birthday party because they left only a few weeks after the event.

The waitress opened her mouth to talk more while she set down their plates but the man behind her beat her to the punch. "Hey Bella, Bellamy," he greeted. "You remember me? I played Santa one year," both he and his sister shared a look, they did not remember this guy in the slightest.

"Yeah Waylon, the kids haven't had a Christmas here since they were four." Bellamy couldn't have said it better himself. Even if the reminder that they hadn't shared a holiday together in that long made Bellamy's heart ache.

Waylon on the other hand, didn't seem to get the memo, "I bet I made an impression though, didn't I?" He was trying so hard not to laugh right now, and his sister too by the way her body trembled.

"You always do," commented Charlie.

That was the breaking point for him and his sister, they couldn't hold in their laughter anymore.

Bellamy tried laughing softly, not the full-on cackle he knew was building up in his chest so at the very least he was still being polite in a way. His sister luckily had better control than him and only chuckled, and that was it.

"Butt-crack Santa?" Bella asked to pull the attention away from him, and onto her.

"Hey, the kids loved those little bottles." Bellamy won't lie, he had no idea what they were talking about but he tried not to show it on his face.

The waitress seemed to have enough and smiled politely as she patted Waylon's chest, "All right, let the kids eat their food, Waylon." The man looked a bit reluctant to leave, but in the end, he bid them goodbye and returned to his table.

Bellamy almost breathed a sigh of relief, he'd been dying to finally eat.

"As soon as you three are done, I'll bring out your desserts!" Was the last thing the waitress said before she disappeared into the crowded café to take more orders. With everybody now out of the way, the three Swan's could begin to eat.

Bellamy took his time with eating, he savoured the taste of his battered cod and mixed his fries and salad. It was a weird habit of his, but there was just something about the way salads tasted with fries that he couldn't get enough of.

His sister made her feelings about the fact well known by the way she grimaced every time she caught sight of him doing it.

He ignored it, he knew it was weird. That didn't mean he would stop, though.

They were silent until the very end as they ate, the trio more focused on their food than on small talk. It didn't take long for them to finish off their plates, even Bella managed to eat all of her burger and half of her salad.

The rest was given to him to shovel down his throat.

Bellamy never could say no to more food.

When they finished, they decided they'd get their desserts in small takeaway box because of how busy it had gotten and was now quickly becoming a little too crowded for their taste. With their desserts in hand, they returned to Charlie's car and drove back home.

Once home, Bellamy stopped his sister from going into her room to ask if she wanted to go with him. "Hey Izzy, do you wanna come with me? I'm going out to look around the forest, see if I can find Dad's old fishing spot."

"I'm good, I think I'm going to get some sleep instead," she replied.

"Alright, I'll see you when I get back then." Bellamy gave his sister a quick hug goodbye and walked over to the loungeroom to do the same with his dad.

"Hey Dad, I'm going out to the forest, I'll be back soon." Charlie looked up from the television, "What are you going out there for?" He questioned. "Nothing much, just want to look around and see if I can find your old fishing spot."

"If you say so," Charlie was about to look away and back to the baseball match playing but turned to say one last thing. "Be careful when you're out there, okay?"

"I'll be careful Dad, don't worry." Bellamy was still dressed in his clothes from earlier and was fully prepared to brave the chilling weather of Forks.

"See you soon," he said before making his way out of the house.

Bellamy had a bit of a walk ahead of him, a good ten to fifteen-minute walk from where he lived. It was enough that he'd feel the beginning of a burn from the amount of hills around, but not enough to fully satisfy him. He'd have to get that from his little adventure through the forest.

The walk there, however, was peaceful and windy, the crisp air brushed against his skin and created waves of goosebumps to appear on his skin.

Everything was perfect, at least in his eyes they were.

He'd always been a fan of winter and nature, especially when the two were combined. Seeing the normally bright and luscious greenery covered in pristine white snow always managed to bring a smile to his face. There was just something so beautiful, something so pure about it.

It was a picture-perfect image, one somebody would see on a postcard.

Bellamy eventually made it to a small entry path into the forest and wasted no time in walking through the cluster of trees.

Instantly, Bellamy was hit with the scent of the earth. He could smell the trees, the dirt underneath his feet, the dormant flowers and rain which still lingered in the air from earlier today's showers.

Everything smelt heavily of life.

Bellamy's eyes fluttered when he felt a drop of rain fall onto his lashes which startled him and caused him to pause in his step. He looked up and noticed that the trees were still wet and the clouds were becoming a dark gloomy grey.

'Crap' he thought. He'd only just gotten here and he still wanted to wander around for a bit, just to map out the area in his mind for the next time he came out here.

There was no humanly possible way that Bellamy would explore everything today, not a chance. But he could progress slowly, bit by bit until he knew the forest like he knew the back of his hand.

Bellamy continued to wander, his head twisting and turning to watch the birds fly around in the air. He could hear the rustling of trees and could just barely make out the quiet chitter chatter of woodland creatures.

He wondered if he'd get a chance to see some animals today, but he wouldn't get his hopes up too soon.

It was quiet as he wandered around, brushing low tree branches out of his face and carefully climbing uphill. He didn't want to go too far into the forest, so when he chanced upon a small clear-water pond, he stopped and sat down near the edge to observe the colony of fish living inside it.

They weren't big, just barely there specs with a few frogs lingering nearby on the lily pads.

Everything seemed still, there was no water rippling, the trees had slowly started to settle down as the wind came to a halt and the chatter of animals disappeared as well. Even the fish disappeared from view, and frogs leaped into the water.

Suddenly, everything was a little too quiet.

Bellamy stood back up and looked around, his eyes peering past the trees to survey his surroundings. He wasn't sure what it was, but his instincts were on high alert and telling him he needed to run.

Now usually he was very obedient with his instincts, he trusted them wholeheartedly to keep him safe and warn him from any danger. But there was something different this time, and he wasn't sure if it had to do with the way he was surrounded by nature or if it was something else entirely.

But somewhere in the danger, he felt a weird sense of safety.

Bellamy continued to slowly look around, his eyes not missing the slightest of movements. He should probably listen to his body and start heading home, it was getting darker after all and his dad would be getting worried by now.

Yet he didn't move an inch, even as his heart was hammering in his chest, he stood his ground.

Bellamy was about to check behind him again when suddenly he felt something, something familiar burning into the back of his head.

There was something behind him... or someone. It was close though, so close that he could feel its breath on the back of his neck. It didn't feel hot though, not like an animal or person would've felt being this close to him. No, instead it felt freezing, a type of cold he imagined only the dead could ever achieve.

So what was it? Was he being paranoid again, or was something there?

He wanted so badly to turn around and see what it was, but he was frozen stiff and his emotions were starting to go haywire. His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest with how strong it was beating.

Bellamy's eyes glanced down to his feet and immediately noticed a shadow behind his own that was growing closer every second.

It was a human, there was no mistake there, but who?

Bellamy had finally stabilised his emotions, his body no longer twitching with anxiety or fear and was about to turn around to see who in the world it was when suddenly the shadow disappeared.

Quickly, he whipped around but nobody was there. Nobody could've disappeared that fast, nobody human that is. Bellamy tried to look around again, his eyes seeking out the shadow somewhere in the distance, but there was nothing.

The wind had come back to life and he could hear the birds chirping once more.

Even the fishes had come out of hiding to poke up and around the water, probably searching for food. The forest had come back to life, almost like it knew the strange being was gone and it was safe to start moving again.

With that thought in mind, Bellamy decided that enough was enough. He needed to get home, he'd have to come back another time to continue his exploration.

Bellamy turned and left, he kept his eyes straight and his coat tightly secured around his body to fight off against the chilling wind that repeatedly blasted him in the face. He didn't even look back to see if anything was following him, his focus was entirely on making it out of this forest without frostbite.

Not too far away from where Bellamy's figure was walking away, were two pale-skinned figures hidden high up in the tree tops.

Jasper didn't know what had taken over his body when he came out of hiding and approached Bellamy from behind, but whatever it was had given him the answer he'd been dreading.

"Edward was right," he announced. "I could feel his emotions at first, I could control them too, but the longer I was around him the harder it got to get a read on him. Eventually, they faded and I couldn't feel his emotions anymore, I couldn't get a grasp on them."

"You know what this means, right? He's dangerous, they both are. Edward can't read Bella at all, and now you're telling us that the second twin can shut out not only Edward but you too?" Rosalie was pissed, she'd known that both the Swan siblings would be a danger to them, and this only confirmed it.

"Rosalie," Jasper warned, "You and I both know what Alice told us." His response earned a loud scoff from his sister, her glare sharpening as she watched Bellamy disappear back home.

Rosalie didn't bother with a reply, she knew sooner or later she'd be proven right, all she had to do was wait.

Jasper on the other hand was oblivious to his sister's weariness and was completely entranced with Bellamy. His eyes didn't stray away from the other male's back until he could no longer see him through the thickened leaves.

Only then did Jasper look away and begin to make his way back home with Rosalie hot on his trail. He'd learnt a lot today, and while he was worried about what the future had in store for him, he was also excited for a bit of change.

Now, he just had to figure out who in the world Bellamy Swan was and why he could nullify his power when he was very clearly a mortal.

⋅   •   ⋅   ⊰   ∙   ≼   ☫   ≽   ∙   ⊱   ⋅   •   ⋅

Getting home, Bellamy didn't stop racing upstairs even as his dad yelled out to him to slow down. He needed to tell his sister what happened, he needed somebody to know.

When Bellamy got to his sister's room, he knocked two times before opening the door.

"What's the point of knocking if you aren't even going to wait for me to tell you to come in?" Is the first thing Bella says. Bellamy paused, thought about it, and then shook it off as he closed the door behind him.

"Izzy now is not the time for one of your talks," he replied. Bella frowned and looked like she was about to counter his words, but when she looked up and saw the panicked look on her brother's face, she immediately became alert.

"What happened?" She put down the book she'd been reading and turned her body towards him, even moving back to make room for Bellamy to come sit beside her.

"You know how I said I was going to go explore the forest for a bit and try to find Dad's old fishing spot?" Bellamy jumped onto his sister's bed and raised the covers to get his feet underneath. It was quite cold and windy when he was walking back, so all the warmth he could get, he'd take.

"Yeah? Why, did something happen? You weren't attacked were you?!" Bella's eyes widened and she began to frantically check over his body for any wounds.

"No! no no no no no, I'm fine, seriously Izzy." Bellamy pushed off his sister's wandering hands and held them down on the mattress. "I wasn't attacked, okay? But somebody was there, and I think they were watching me."

That didn't help calm his sister down in the slightest, "What?! What do you mean somebody was watching you?!"

"It was weird, okay? And honestly, I hardly believe what happened, but I was by this pond when suddenly I felt somebody behind me. It was their stare, it felt so familiar but I don't know where I've felt it before. And they were freezing, they were so cold Izzy." Even now as he curls up under the covers, there was still a lingering chill to him.

Bella was stunned into silence, she looked bewildered by his response, like she didn't want to believe him. But he's never lied to her before, and she knew that.

"So you saw them?"

"No, I didn't, but I saw their shadow. They were standing right behind me Izzy, right behind me." He can still feel their breath on the back of his neck, the feeling of goosebumps erupting on his skin.

Bellamy won't deny and say he hadn't been terrified at that moment in time, because he was. Yet, there was something about this person, something that made him feel safe, even when he was positive he was about to be murdered by a stranger in the woods.

Oh, he'd been so pissed if that was how he died. Bellamy couldn't imagine a more cliché death than a murderous stranger in the woods, just give them a mask, and a nice big machete and you've got yourself a brand spanking new Jason Voorhees.

"Bells, you can't go back out there," implored Bella, "What if they're still there?"

"I know Izzy, trust me, I've thought about it." He did think about it on his way back home, he thought about what might happen to him if he went back into the forest alone and about the chance of him not coming back out.

"I just doubt they'd still be there after a couple of days. People are patient, but they're not that patient, even murderer's Izzy." Bellamy couldn't imagine somebody visiting the pond every day after school, just on the off chance that they'd find him there again.

He gives it a few days before he works up the nerve to go back in. By then, everything should be okay, and if not, he'll fight his way out.

"I don't know Bells... I don't want you to go back out there, it's not safe." Bella didn't look thrilled at the idea of him going back out to the forest, especially now that she knew what had happened only an hour before.

"I'll be okay, I'll even bring some of dad's pepper spray." Bellamy reached for his sister and brought her into a half hug.

"And his taser!" She demanded.

"And his taser," mimicked back Bellamy.

She stared at her brother for a few seconds, trying to find a sign that he was just saying stuff to make her feel better, but when she found nothing, she finally relented. "Good, just be safe whenever you go out next, okay? And please let me know beforehand so I can check in with you every twenty minutes."

"Isabella, I swear. Do not call me every twenty minutes!" Bellamy groaned and pushed away his laughing sister, quickly he hopped up onto his feet and made his way to her door.

"Fine! Every thirty minutes and no less." She yelled back, "I won't pick up until the hour mark, so good luck with that Izzy." Was his response to her. Bella didn't seem to like that though and picked up one of her pillows and pegged it at him as he scrambled out of the door, and away from her fierce attacks.

Shutting her door, Bellamy waited a few seconds to make sure she didn't get up to follow him before he went up to his bedroom. Walking up the handmade stairs and into his room, Bellamy stretched out his neck, letting it crack before doing the same with his back.

He was dead tired after the track to and from the forest, especially walking back and getting hammered with the freezing cold wind every second. It constantly whipped him in the face, causing him to take longer than normal to get home.

Getting into his room, Bellamy walked straight to his wardrobe to undress and get into something warmer. He was far too cold to go shirtless tonight.

Instead, he donned on a thick pair of grey sweatpants and a nice big hoodie to match. Dressed and ready for bed, Bellamy took a quick trip back downstairs to brush his teeth and do his usual bedtime routine and then went upstairs to his room again.

By the time he'd finished doing all of that, twenty minutes had passed and he was exhausted.

Bellamy did one final check around his room to make sure all his lamps were off and his window was locked up tight so not to let any of the rain inside. Once everything was secured and locked down, Bellamy wasted no time in getting under his covers and curling up with his pillows.

It took mere seconds for him to pass out, his heavy exhaustion taking over as he fell into a deep slumber filled with wandering dreams.

Chapter Text

A week later Bellamy still hadn't found the time to go back into the forest. He'd been far too busy with schoolwork and trying to help his sister get a full night of rest.

She'd been so worked up over Edward's disappearance and her mind was trying to come up with all kinds of scenarios that were beginning to drive him mad. It was like an obsession, his sister was hyper-fixated on Edward and everything he did.

Bella didn't even know the guy yet she was already freaking out over him.

At least Bellamy was a bit better, sure he still glanced over to Jasper every now and again, sometimes even getting himself caught up in yet another staring competition, but he wasn't actively stalking the guy.

So that was a plus.

Presently, Bellamy and his sister were rushing to their last class of the day, Biology. They'd both decided to go out for lunch, forgoing the school's cafeteria for a trip to the Carver Café for another meal together.

Their trip had taken a bit of time and so had their orders, causing them to miss their first class of the afternoon. When they did get back to school, the class was already thirty minutes in with only fifteen left.

Bellamy decided it would best to wait and finish off their food in the car before going to Bio. His sister had been a bit bummed they'd ended up skipping, but with how tired she'd been lately, she didn't put up much of a fight.

Which brings them back to this moment, with both siblings rushing through the school corridors to make it in time for class.

Neither wanted a detention, especially an after-school one.

He for one was dead set on getting home and passing out in the warm embrace of his bed. No way he was letting that opportunity slip through his hands just because he was a few minutes late.

Thankfully, however, they made it in time. Bellamy almost breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed the teacher hadn't arrived before spotting somebody sitting in the chair next to his.

But Edward was out so who—

Oh... oh!

Sitting there at his table, was Edward Cullen.

Bellamy's heart picked up its pace as he hesitated to approach. He still remembered everything that had happened the last time they'd met and it wasn't very pleasant. Especially if it did turn out Bellamy had been unknowingly bullying the poor dude.

Okay, this was fine, he could do this, no need for panic... yet.

Bellamy slowly made his way to his table and was about to sit down when out of nowhere his sister's shoulder barged him out of the way and took his place.

"I—"

"How about you go sit with Jasper today? My eyes are strained from sitting so far back." It was fair to say Bellamy was gobsmacked by the turn of events. While on the one hand, he was more than happy to be away from Edward. He wasn't all too thrilled with the alternative, which was sitting next to Jasper.

He honestly enjoyed the whole 'I notice you and you notice me but neither of us talk to each other' thing they got going on.

It was private and comfortable, not to mention safe.

Bellamy considered his options. 

One, he could force Bella back to her seat but with the way she was staring him down right now with a mad glint in her eyes, he thought better of that option. Sadly that left him with option two... sitting with Jasper Hale.

Fuck, she so owned him for this.

Sighing internally to himself, Bellamy pushed past his sister and walked to the back of the classroom to sit beside Jasper.

There were no words exchanged between the two of them as Bellamy took his seat pulled out his notebook and pen, and silently stared ahead at their teacher who was writing out their lesson on the blackboard.

.....

...

This felt all kinds of wrong.

He wasn't used to being so close to Jasper, he normally only ever spotted him at the back of the class, across the cafeteria hall or on the other side of the parking lot. It felt like he was crossing a boundary that the two of them had set out for one another, a line that should've been left untouched.

Bellamy tried not to think about it too much and focused on his teacher who was finishing off the last sentence on the board.

"Hi," a deep voice quietly whispered from beside him, causing Bellamy to almost jump out of his seat.

Was that... was that an accent?! Oh god, he has an accent?!

His mind felt like it was short-circuiting with this new information. He'd never actually talked to Jasper before, so the whole accent thing? Very new, very new indeed. But damn did it sound nice. 

If Bellamy was correct, that should be a Texas accent, no?

Did that mean Jasper was from Texas? That was cool, now he kind of wanted to ask questions about his life. However, that would be super invasive for a first-time conversation, so maybe he should hold back and wait until they've grown a little closer.

Wait closer? When did he decide to suddenly grow closer to Jasper?! Oh crap he still hasn't responded, he probably looked stupid right now.

"Uhm- hi?" Bellamy finally responded once he remembered he had a mouth and that it was rude to openly stare.

Funny though, considering staring is all the two of them ever did.

"I'm Jasper, I don't think we've been properly introduced?" So they were doing introductions then? That was okay, Bellamy could get through this.

"I know, you're a bit famous around here, but I'm Bellamy, it's nice to meet you." Bellamy reached out his hand to shake Jasper's, and when their fingers touched, he felt a jolt of electricity go down his spine.

Jasper Hale was cold.

And not in a 'I have a lower temperature than most people' but in a 'I just got out of a snow blizzard' kind of cold.

That shouldn't be possible though, the human body would practically crumble which would then cause the heart and respiratory system to fail and eventually death.

Bellamy was still staring open-mouthed at Jasper as his brain tried to work out how a human could be so cold when he finally realised he was still holding his hand.

"Sorry! I zoned out for a minute there," he quickly let go of Jasper's hand and shoved his hands underneath his thighs where they could hide away and be forgotten about for the rest of eternity.

"It's fine," Jasper softly whispered, his voice low and deep, even his accent was a little thicker than what Bellamy thought was normal. It sounded almost... seductive.

Bellamy didn't reply and allowed the conversation to die down as he berated himself in his head. He felt so far out of his comfort zone right now, and only because he wasn't used to suddenly knowing things about Jasper.

Jasper was meant to be that guy, the one who you notice more than others but nothing ever comes from it.

So suddenly being here, being next to him? It was a lot and Jasper's cologne wasn't helping in the slightest because now he had the itching urge to ask him what brand it was so he could get a bottle for himself.

Okay, nope, don't go there Bellamy.

Turning his focus back to the front, he tried to listen as their teacher taught his lesson, but his mind was so far removed from reality right now that he couldn't hear a single word that was said. 

There was something familiar about Jasper's temperature, something he knew he'd felt before but couldn't exactly place where he knew it from and that was driving him mad. The question remained on his mind for the rest of the lesson, he constantly tried to think back and flip through his memories for an answer but there was nothing.

Bellamy knew he wasn't being paranoid or going insane, he'd felt this before, and he knew he had. The question was where?

When class came to an end, Bellamy was barely even aware of it. He stayed sat in his seat staring ahead at the blackboard with his eyes glazed over in thought.

"—ellamy?" A voice pulled him out of his mind and centred him back in his body. Looking around, he realised that everybody had packed up and got up to leave.

"Are you okay?" Again, there was that voice.

Bellamy turned and looked to see whose voice it belonged to, and immediately spotted Jasper beside him wearing a worried expression on his face. His sister was also close by, walking together with Edward out of the classroom.

He was about to call out to her, check what she was doing when Jasper spoke up again, "Bellamy?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, no, sorry, I'm fine." Bellamy scrambled to stand up and shove his school materials into his bag. "But I should really get going now," he didn't give Jasper a second look as he ran out of the room and looked for his sister's smaller figure in the crowded corridor.

When he didn't spot his sister in the crowd of students, he decided it would be better to go wait by the truck for her.

Bellamy weaved through the inflow of bodies, narrowly missing a few elbows to his face as he made it outside to the parking lot with all his limbs and face both safely unharmed.

Though there were several close calls.

The parking lot was already filled with lingering students, all of them busy coming up with plans for later today. Bellamy could even see Mike, Angela, Tyler, Eric and Juliet huddled together by the same black van he'd see him near every day.

They hadn't seen him yet, which was great and gave him ample time to quickly move over to his truck without being noticed. He glanced around to make sure no cars were driving by before crossing the lot and over to his truck.

As Bellamy got to his truck, he didn't bother unlocking it and hopping inside, instead he jumped up into the truck's bed and sat down. The weather wasn't that bad, just a little windy and grey.

So he wasn't too worried about hanging around in the bed of his truck, as long as Bella didn't take her sweet time getting here that is.

While waiting for his sister, Bellamy couldn't help but peek over at Jasper who was waiting with his family in front of a Jeep. Jasper was currently talking to his sister Alice if Bellamy remembers correctly, giving him the perfect opportunity to ogle the boy all he wanted without getting caught since he couldn't in class.

He leaned back on the palm of his hands while his eyes took in Jasper's appearance, raking down his lean figure.

Jasper was wearing a nice white collared shirt with the first two buttons undone, showing off a little of his neck and the smallest peek of his collarbone. It looked nice but it made him wonder how he wasn't shivering like a newborn fawn.

His dark blue jeans wouldn't be keeping him very warm, they were only jeans after all.

Did Jasper not feel the cold or something? Because Bellamy swears he's read something like that in the newspaper once, something about a medical condition where people couldn't feel the heat or the cold.

He could be wrong and it could've said something else entirely, but for now, that was what Bellamy was going along with. He continued to watch Jasper from his truck, unaware of his sister sneaking up on him until she stood right in front, staring him down.

"Fuck—" Bellamy jumped at the sudden appearance of his sister materialising in front of him. "I need to get you a bell," he sighed and clutched at his chest, right above his rapidly beating heart. Bella on the other hand barely even smiled, her face looked glum which quickly worried Bellamy.

"What happened?" He quickly got up from the bed of the truck and hopped down to join his sister.

"It's just— I thought me and Edward were getting along, okay? I never told you this but remember our first day when I disappeared to go to the bathroom before lunch?" Bella nervously chewed her lip.

"Yeah? Why, what did you do?"

"I thought I was being smart by going to the reception to see if I could change seats. Mostly because I wanted to see your face when you found out you were stuck with Jasper, and also because I wanted to sit next up near the front. I hate the back, it's hard to see from there and everybody's in my way."

Bellamy... hadn't been expecting that none, he'll be honest. He will admit though that it would've been funny to randomly come in one day and find out he'd be sentenced to the back of the class out of nowhere.

"Okay? That's it?" That couldn't be all, right? His sister looked way too frazzled for that to be it.

"Edward was there," she snapped. "He was requesting a transfer out of the class but when he saw me, he looked guilty and stormed out."

"What an ass," he mumbled more to himself before continuing, "And you still like this— wait, is this why you've been so weird? Because Edward hates me?" Bella immediately shook her head, "No! not at all, I think it's me he wants to get away from."

"That makes zero sense Izzy, I'm the one who was stuck next to him, you haven't even talked to him before now." Or had they and Bella just never told him about it? 

"I walked in first, remember? I walked in and I saw him, but when he saw me he suddenly got all weird and looked like he'd smelt something foul." Bella looked hurt when she mumbled the last part, her voice even dipping lower into a whisper the longer she spoke. 

Suddenly, everything was making sense for him. He thought it was just a crush, that his sister finally found somebody she liked and was just being crazy about him. But he'd been wrong, so, so, so wrong.

There'd been more to the story and he was ignorant to all of it.

"So what happened in class today, that was you trying to talk to him?" Bellamy leaned against the truck's bed and frowned as he thought about all the signs he'd missed.

"Yeah, but I thought it was okay because he was talking to me normally, he even offered to walk me to my locker." That sounded nice and all, except his sister's face said it was anything but. "And then I noticed his eyes, they were brighter, almost golden and I could've sworn they were black the first time I saw them. So I asked him, but he suddenly clammed up and walked away."

Bellamy was beginning to feel less bad for being a dick to Edward. In fact, he felt almost happy about it. Edward clearly deserved it if this was how he treated his sister behind his back.

"Are you okay though?" He knew she must've been disappointed, clearly she'd wanted to at least be on friendly terms with the guy. "I'm fine, just— I'm confused, okay? That's all," she turned away from him and glanced over her back towards where Bellamy knew the Cullen family would be standing.

He didn't bother looking their way, he knew they were there because of his earlier staring, but right now his focus was on Bella and making sure she was okay.

Bellamy was about to ask if she wanted to start heading home when the sound of tires screeching and a loud honk caused him to whip around to see what was happening. On the other side of the parking lot was Tyler's van sliding out of control, the ice causing him to spin around and start heading directly for them.

"Isabella!" Bellamy didn't even think twice as he turned and grabbed his sister, shielding her body with his own in an attempt to take the brunt of the attack.

His head was low and his eyes screwed shut as he waited for the violent impact he knew was coming.

Time seemed to move impossibly slow for him, it almost felt like it'd frozen. However, when Bellamy heard a loud smash and felt the ground underneath his feet rumble, he knew it was his mind playing with him, trying to give him a false sense of security.

Which was impossible since he knew he was about to be squashed by almost four thousand pounds of metal. Bellamy waited for the pain, waited to feel his bones crack and shatter and his body to twist in ways the human body shouldn't.

When none of that came, he slowly and carefully peeled open his eyes to peer around.

Crouching in front of him and Bella was Edward Cullen... somebody Bellamy knew shouldn't be in front of him right now. It couldn't be possible, Bella had been looking at him across the lot. 

The two boys stared at eachother, both of them seemingly trying to figure out what had just happened, when students began screaming and shouting their names, all of them scrambling to get around Tyler's van.

"Bell?!" His sister started to thrash in his hold, her body twisting around in his arms to turn around and face him.

"You idiot! Are you okay? Are you hurt?!" Bella completely ignored Edward's presence, her back facing towards him as her eyes frantically took in Bellamy's appearance.

"I'm fine, but are you okay? Did you slam into the truck?" Now it was his turn to check over his sister for any injuries.

"I'm okay, we're okay..." Bella's head slumped onto his shoulder and moved in to hug him. Bellamy wasted no time in returning the hug as tightly as he could. He was so glad neither of them had gotten hurt, he didn't even want to imagine what could have happened to them.

It was then that he remembered Edward and looked up, only to find that the Cullen had disappeared, leaving in his place a large dent on the side of Tyler's van, right where his hand—

Wait, his hand?

Straight away he began remembering the way Edward was crouched in front of them, his hand stretched out like he'd stopped them from being crushed with pure strength. That couldn't have been what happened though normal, there was no way. 

Unfortunately, he couldn't even question Edward since he'd taken the chance to run away when Bellamy was checking on his sister.

While Bellamy was still reeling over everything that had happened and what he'd seen, the other students in the lot finally made their way over and started hovering around them.

"Bella! Bellamy! Are you guys alright?!"

"What even happened?!"

"Are you two hurt?"

"Oh my god that was crazy, are you two alright?"

Bellamy could already feel a headache coming on from the multiple voices all shouting at him, their fear and worry reeked and it was beginning to put him on edge.

"Bell, it's okay, we're okay. Just breathe," she whispered.

She must've felt his anxiety spiking and jumped to start comforting him, something he was extremely thankful for. So much had happened in so little time, he couldn't be sure he didn't have a concussion with how sluggish he felt right now.

There were more screams and yelling as people finally took notice of Tyler hanging out of his window with blood running down his forehead from where he'd smashed it into the steering wheel. He didn't look at anybody else, his eyes boring into Bellamy's with guilt.

"I'm so sorry Bella, Bellamy. I panicked and I couldn't stop when I saw you two. Please, I'm so sorry," apology after apology, Tyler didn't stop yammering even as a few students went around through the side of the van and the passenger seat to help Tyler out and check him over.

"Somebody call 911!"

"I have 911 on the phone now!" Bellamy could hear the panic and fear in most students' voices, some sounded like they were crying and others were loudly yelling at eachother to move.

"Everybody! Come help me move Tyler's van out of the way!" It took a small horde before they were able to move the dented van out of the way, but it gave teachers better access to them rather than trying to forcibly squeeze their way through a small gap.

Bellamy took notice of a small medical kit he knew must've come from the infirmary. Which surprised him since the accident happened only a few minutes ago, so for somebody to have already gone and gotten the school's med kit... that was strange.

"Don't move, let me check you over for any wounds," an older lady spoke up as she approached them and got down to one knee. He could already hear the sirens off in the distance, slowly growing louder the closer they got.

It was a small town, but he didn't think it was small enough for the paramedics to already be closing in unless they had their foot to the pedal the entire way here.

"Okay, well, the good news is that you don't seem to be injured anywhere," Bellamy's eyes seemed to have drifted off as the older woman's hands slowly ran through his hair. Her fingers felt delicate as they moved around to get a good look for any obvious signs of blood or open wounds.

The lady moved on to check over Bella before finally deeming the two of them unharmed. "You both seem unharmed, but I do still think you should go with the paramedics. So when they get here, please hop into one and get professionally checked out at the hospital, okay? I'm just a school nurse, there's only so much I can do for you two."

"Thank you, we will Mrs Daisy," replied Bella.

"I need to go check on Tyler now, but you two stay here!" Was the last thing she instructed before racing over to help Tyler with the cut on his forehead.

The paramedics arrived only a minute later and first rushed over to him and his sister after being shown where they were, and helped them up from the ground they'd cemented themselves on top of. 

They were then quickly taken into one of the ambulance van's waiting for them.

Bellamy wasn't sure what he'd been looking for when he looked out into the crowd one last time, but when his eyes fell on Jasper, he felt his erratic heart begin to slow down.

Jasper looked scared, his eyes were wide and boring into his like he was desperate to approach and search him for injuries himself.

Bellamy could also just barely make out the tightly clutched hands hanging by his side. All signs of an anxious person trying to hold themselves back. He almost wanted Jasper to give in, to run forward and ask him if he was okay.

He wanted to know if he was right and that the boy whose eyes he eagerly sought out everyday cared for him.

However, the look barely lasted more than seven seconds before the doors shut in his face and cut off the connection to Jasper.

Something about that unsettled him, the fact that just seeing Jasper was enough to calm him down. He barely knew Jasper, he only knew the things he heard about him through others, not anything original he's sure.

But he barely had any time to dwell on that thought when he was whisked off to the hospital and had medics hovering around him, all trying to diagnose him with some injury they thought he had.

And he should, he should be a lot more injured. He should've died there, he should've been crushed but Edward had somehow stopped the van, saving both him and his sister from certain death.

Bellamy looked over to his sister who was already looking back at him. The two shared a look, one that shined with revelation. They knew Edward had saved them and they wouldn't believe otherwise.

Now came the issue of how Edward saved them.

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Somehow he'd successfully convinced the nurses waiting at the front of the emergency unit entrance that neither twin needed a wheelchair and that their legs were working perfectly fine, and were walked inside, slowly.

The emergency room was large and white, vividly white.

Why did the hospital and its staff think white was a good colour? No idea, but he wasn't about to question the hospital director on their choice of colouring. Even when he felt like the walls were beckoning for him to walk into the light.

Bellamy and Bella were both placed right next to each other on beds with shabby curtains which were supposedly meant to give them a sense of privacy. Not that there was much privacy when Tyler was right next to them, only a flimsy curtain separating the apologetic teenager.

"I'm so sorry guys! There was this car and I tried to swerve to avoid it but the road was iced over and I couldn't stop." Tyler had started his apology marathon the second he sat down on the bed beside his and Bella's, and not a second sooner.

So far he's said sorry four times while the poor nurses tried to stop him from getting up, forcing him to sit down so they could neatly stitch up his forehead.

"Tyler, forgive me if I'm wrong, but did we not already forgive you for almost murdering us with your van?" Tyler's expression went white and his eyes teared up a little at the realisation he'd almost killed them.

Something Bellamy hadn't been intending to do when he decided to speak up.

He just wanted to lighten the mood, maybe even crack a joke here and there, anything to stop Tyler's constant spew of apologies.

But considering the glares he was receiving from both his sister and the nurse attending to Tyler, he may have gone about it the wrong way and instead traumatised him.

Well, further traumatised him.

"Sorry," he whispered and shrunk back down on his bed to try and hide from the eyes drilling holes into his skull. "Please sit down properly, Mr Crowley." The nurse sighed and got up again to pull the curtain back.

Sighing, Bellamy got himself settled and watched as nurses and doctors ran around, all of them rushing off somewhere to help another patient or to get more help.

Minutes went by before Bellamy heard the door to the emergency unit swing open and the staticky voice of somebody talking into a walkie-talkie. Curious, he turned his head to see who it was and spotted his dad hurriedly making his way towards them.

"Bella, Bellamy," he sighed. The relief was evident in the way his tensed shoulders relaxed, his eyes swimming over their bodies for any signs of obvious injuries.

He did a double-take when he passed by Tyler.

"You and I are gonna talk, okay?" He pointedly said, finger raised and all. Unfortunately for Bellamy, the curtain stood in the way of seeing Tyler's reaction, but he's sure it would've been good.

After all, if he had the chief of police threatening him with a 'talk', he'd be up and running in the opposite direction by now.

"We're fine, Dad. Calm down, Tyler didn't mean it." Bella being the peacekeeper that she is tried to help Tyler out, but he didn't seem to get the memo as he pushed the curtain back, his puppy dog eyes glistening with unshed tears as he looked to them once more.

"I'm so sorry guys, I tried to stop, I really did!"

"We know Tyler and it's okay," Bella said in a placating voice, there was a small lopsided smile on her face to try and seem comforting.

"No, it sure as hell is not okay." Charlie stared at Tyler, his frown deepening the longer he looked at the teenager. This time it was Bellamy who tried to help settle the growing tension between the two and give his sister a break.

He knows she hated it when people were fighting, it always made her uncomfortable. Even more so when it was their dad who rarely ever got mad.

"It's okay Dad, it's not his fault. There was this car and some ice, there was no way he could've stopped." Charlie finally looked away from Tyler and turned back to them, but he didn't look any happier.

"You two could've been killed, you do know that, right?"

"...Dad, it's all I have been thinking about," it was the most honest he could've been with him. From when the accident took place to now, the possibility of them not being here right now was all Bellamy could think about. He could've lost his sister, hell, he definitely would've lost his own life if not for Edward.

So yes, their near-death experience had been on a constant cycle that looped through his mind, reminding him of the fact they could've died.

Charlie didn't seem to know what to say in response to his honesty, but at least he seemed to back down a bit. But maybe he counted his chickens too soon because only a second later Charlie was turning back to Tyler, "You can kiss your license goodbye."

Both he and his sister groaned in unison at their dad's antics. It was pointless to even try anymore, Charlie seemed adamant in punishing Tyler.

"I heard the chief's kids were here," a voice announced from nearby, startling Bellamy who hadn't even heard so much much as a footstep. Usually, doctors and nurses were loud, their feet stamping on the ground as they rushed around with clipboards rattling in their hands.

Bellamy turned and clocked the approaching doctor.

Straight away he noticed the similarities in the doctor and Jasper. They had the same brightly coloured hair, albeit Jasper's was a tad bit darker than the doctor's, but the two shared the same golden eyes and flawless porcelain skin.

There had to be a connection to them, they looked far too similar for it to be a mere coincidence.

"Dr Cullen," greeted Charlie.

And there it was, that name, Cullen.

Bellamy knew they had to be related somehow, but for this to be the supposed 'father' of all of them... it couldn't be though, from everything he's heard he knew they were adopted. Yet all of them shared some kind of semblance, something you rarely ever saw in adoptees.

He turned to his sister and noticed her eyes already narrowed at the doctor with an inquisitive glint in them.

"Charlie," he replied in kind as he moved over to stand in front of Bella. "Isabella," the doctor stated as he picked up her clipboard and read out her name. "Bella," the trio of Swan's quickly corrected in unison.

Doctor Cullen looked up in surprise before giving them a disarming smile, "Bella it is then."

"Now I know the nurses have already said everything was okay and you could go ahead a fill out your hospital release forms, but I just wanted to come give you two one last check-up before sending you on your way." Bellamy wasn't so sure that was the real reason considering who he was and who his supposed children were. 

Even so, he didn't question the older Cullen's intentions and watched intently as he did a routine check-up on his sister.

"Look here," he said as he put up a finger and slowly moved it back and forth while a flashlight shined in her eyes.

He did this for ten or more seconds, "You both might experience some post-traumatic stress or disorientation, but your vitals look good." Dr Cullen lowered his hand and turned off the flashlight, "Though from what I'm seeing, there are no signs of head trauma and both your x-rays came back clear."

The doctor moved over to him to do the same, his finger moving back and forth while the light searched his eyes before giving them his final diagnosis. "I think that the two of you will be just fine," he revealed with a gentle smile.

"I'm so sorry guys! I'm so—" Charlie didn't even wait for Tyler to finish before he was yanking the curtain back and cutting off his string of apologies.

'Thank you' Bellamy mouthed to his dad.

"You know it would've been a whole lot worse if Edward hadn't been there. He saved me and my brother," Bellamy almost started choking when his sister started talking. He thought she'd be more subtle or at least wait before questioning the doctor right in front of their dad.

"Edward? Isn't that your boy?" Charlie's brows raised, "Yeah, it was amazing." She continued to add, "I mean, he got to me so fast. Yet, he was nowhere near me," while Bella was forcing answers out of the doctor in a rather obvious way, Bellamy was busy watching Dr Cullen's expression for his own answers.

A glance, a single, flickered glance is all he got. But that singular glance said more than words ever could. 

Dr Cullen looked uncomfortable, he had since Bella brought up Edward's name, almost like he wanted to excuse himself from the conversation. Instead, he seemed to settle for a charming smile, one that could've possibly persuaded them to stop if Bellamy didn't already know things he shouldn't.

"Sounds like you were both incredibly lucky. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more patients to overlook." Dr Cullen looked away from the twins and said goodbye to Charlie before disappearing, effectively escaping from Bella's mini-interrogation.

"Come on then, let's go get you two signed out and home." Bellamy got up with his sister and the two trailed behind their dad out to the reception where all the paperwork lived. 

When they arrived, Charlie stopped them.

"You should probably call your mom." Instantly Bellamy groaned and knocked his head back against the hospital walls.

"You called her? Seriously?" Even Bella was alarmed, neither of them wanted to talk to her, at least not now. Their mother could get quite... fussy whenever they got hurt. It was the only time Bellamy ever felt like she truly cared for them, when they were bloody and bruised.

"Thanks, Dad," Bellamy sighed and shooed away his dad to go fill out the forms while Bella pulled out her phone to make the daunting call to their mother.

Bellamy rarely ever called his mother, he's pretty sure it's not even saved in his contacts list. His sister was the one who did most of the talking, and even when Bellamy did call his mother through Bella's phone, it only ever lasted a few minutes before she had to do something, anything else besides talk to him.

They simply weren't close.

Figures, seeing as he spent most of his childhood fighting against Renée, always arguing back and being a general nuisance to her life. Bella was her sweet little angel compared to him, plus she was a girl which instantly made her their mother's favourite.

Bellamy and his sister moved further down the corridor to make the call and were just about to turn when they spotted Edward, Rosalie and Dr Cullen huddled together, all of them whispering to each other.

He was about to turn around and leave when he heard something that caught his attention.

"—let them die?"

What?

Bellamy quickly moved to plaster himself to the wall and peeked around the corner with his sister like a pair of comedic meerkats.

"This isn't just about you, it's about all of us Edward, and you've put us in danger." Rosalie stepped in closer to Edward as if she was prepared to fight him, and honestly? Bellamy fully believed she'd dominate over Edward. 

There was no way somebody with that kind of look in their eyes didn't have the strength to back themselves up.

"I think this conversation would be better moved to my office," he hadn't even realised Dr Cullen was staring straight at him and his sister until the man spoke up, pulling Bellamy's attention towards him.

Edward and Rosalie both turned.

Now they had three Cullens staring at them, great.

Just as Bellamy was about to leave and pretend they hadn't been caught ears dropping on their conversation, maybe even whack his head against a wall for a few good minutes, Bella spoke up. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She directly asked Edward, her hands were fiddling with her phone which made it look like Bella was nervous but her expression said she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Dr Cullen was the first to move and pulled Rosalie away, leaving Edward to slowly walk towards the twins with reluctance written all over him.

"What," he rudely asked once he was stood in front of them. It took Bella by surprise, but not Bellamy, he couldn't care less about Edward's manners right now. And unlike his sister, Bellamy has never thought of Edward as a gentleman.

"I— how— how did you get over to us so fast?" Bella's lashes were rapidly fluttering and her words became a jumbled mess as she tried to think about what questions to ask him.

"What are you talking about Bella, I was standing right next to you?"

"No, no you weren't," Bella argued.

"Yes, yes I was." Bellamy could already tell that this back and forth wasn't going anywhere and stepped in front of his sister, pushing her behind him as he took over the conversation.

"My sister saw you on the other side of the lot, standing with your family. So if you're trying to call her insane, you might want to think better of it because her brother's standing right in front of you."

Bellamy wasn't going to let Edward run rings around them and try to confuse them, not today. Today he wanted some kind of an answer, he wanted to know if he was right and if there was something more to the Cullen family.

Because it was draining having to think about them at every waking moment. He was done with the secrets, done with the constant nagging at the back of his head warning him that there was something more.

Edward seemed to realise that if he said the wrong thing here, Bellamy was most likely going to take a swing at his perfectly proportioned face.

"I'm not trying to call her insane, Bellamy. I just think she might have hit her head because I was there, calling out her name. She might just be confused," Edward's attempts at trying to backtrack failed, so spectacularly in fact that Bellamy almost wanted to give him an out.

The keyword here being almost.

"So what you're saying is that your father, Dr Cullen, didn't properly diagnose my sister? Because I remember him specifically saying neither of us had any head trauma, meaning I could possibly sue him for medical negligence." Bellamy stepped up to Edward and looked him up and down.

This might be the guy who saved their lives, but he's also the guy whose been giving his sister a hard time at school.

He wasn't exactly happy with Edward right now, and him trying to tell them that what they saw in the parking lot was wrong, that they were simply confused? It really didn't help with that feeling. 

"Then again, you're not a professional doctor, are you? So anything you have to say about me or my sister should otherwise be ignored and forgotten about, no?" He finished. 

Bellamy hands were clenched and jaw locked, ready to attack at moments notice if Edward tried to do something stupid like call his sister confused again. 

Bella decidedly having enough grabbed the back of Bellamy's jacket and pulled him away. "Bellamy, stop." She glared at him to shut his mouth before spinning to face Edward, "I know what I saw."

Edward's face started to contort with annoyance, he didn't like that neither of them would just give up.

"Okay, and what exactly was that, huh Bella? What did you supposedly see."

"You... you stopped the van. You pushed it away with your hand!" She still remembers opening her eyes to see Edward staring back at her with his hand holding back the van that would've crushed them.

"Well, nobody's gonna believe you, either of you, so..." Edward bit the inside of his cheek and looked down to the ground.

"I wasn't going to tell anybody," Bella quickly stated and looked back to her brother for backup.

Bellamy tiredly sighed, he was still exhausted and this conversation wasn't helping him in the slightest. "She's right, the only thing I wanted to say was thank you. You're a dick but you saved me and my sister, whether your family liked it or not, you did it. So, thank you."

Happy with his response, Bella looked back to Edward, "I just need to know the truth."

"There is no truth, Bella."

"You're lying," she eagerly shot back, causing Edward to groan and look around for anybody else who could be listening in. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" He stated when he turned to look back at his sister.

Ha, funny.

Bella was sometimes like a dog with a bone whenever she came upon something that caught her attention, and she never stopped until she knew every little detail about it. No matter how big or small the detail, she just needed to know it.

Sometimes she'd go days without sleep trying to figure out a puzzle only she could see and Bellamy would have to be the one to force her to sleep.

So yes, she wasn't going to let this go, and neither was he.

"No," she said.

"Well," Edward coldly scoffed, "I hope you enjoy being disappointed, because you won't find anything." And that's strike two Edward, because Bella always ends up figuring it out. 

Edward didn't wait for a response from either of them and quickly left, leaving them standing alone to watch his figure disappear around the corner.

"Come on, we need to leave, Dad should be wondering where we are by now." Bellamy grabbed his sister's hand and gently pried her away from the spot she'd rooted herself to. "I'm not insane, Bell... I know there's something they're not telling us," she whispered.

"And I believe you, okay? I was there too, I know Edward hadn't been anywhere near us." He might not have seen Edward personally but he remembers his sister turning to look at the moody teenager, and if he'd been anywhere near them Bella would've elbowed him to shut up.

So all that crap about being nearby and calling out to his sister? A  complete lie.

A bad one, but a lie nonetheless.

But if Edward wasn't going to tell them the truth, they'd figure it out themselves. Or at least Bella would, she was smart like that, stubborn too. 

For now, however, Bellamy simply wanted to go home and fall into his bed so he could sleep for the next twenty-four hours, hopefully undisturbed.

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It was the middle of the night, early into the morning of a new day and Bellamy had no idea why he was wide awake, staring out of his window and watching the isolated tree in their front lawn wave in the wind.

He could barely see outside, the street lights being the only thing to illuminate the desolate streets.

Everybody was still fast asleep in bed, houses darkened and locked up tight while their owners lost themselves in dreams they'd barely remember come the morning light.

Bellamy has tried to fall back to sleep, but every time his eyes closed, all he could see was a black van speeding towards him, causing his body to freeze up and paralyse itself. He never gets hit though, every time it's close to hitting him his eyes snapped open.

A brutal cycle, but an expected one.

Dr Cullen had mentioned post-traumatic stress before he left, and Bellamy can't help but think this might be the beginning for him.

Then again, it was normal to have nightmares after almost dying, so he wasn't too worried about his sanity. Still, he wasn't happy about the loss of sleep. Bellamy enjoyed sleeping, it was the one place where he didn't have to think, where he could just be.

Nothing he could do about it now though, not after waking up from the same nightmare for a fourth time. 

Well, Bellamy would check with his dad in the morning to see what helps with nightmares, but that was in the morning. And seeing as it was only one in the morning, he would have to somehow distract himself for five hours before he could even think of waking up his dad.

Bellamy stretched out his body with a groan and got up to walk to the large wooden bookcase he'd recently assembled with his sister. 

It was a sort of pet project, mostly to distract themselves from the never ending mysteries that revolved around the Cullens, and also because they had been wanting a bookcase for a while now.

Currently, it was already half-filled with books from both his and his sister's collections. 

They had a whole range of different genres, from romance to fantasy, sci-fi to horror, thriller to crime. There were even a few comic books in there from when Bellamy was younger which had been collecting dust in a forgotten box under his bed.

Now he just had to come to a decision. Did he go grab something random off of the shelf and spend those hours reading something he'd most likely already read, or should he find something else to keep himself busy with?

And if so, what?

Bellamy sighed loudly and roughly scrubbed his face with open palms.

"That's it," he said. "I'm going for a run." He didn't want to read, and he couldn't sleep because of the nightmares, so that left him with one last plausible activity that could help keep his mind off of everything that had happened.

He could be wrong and this could all blow up in his face, but he wouldn't know until he tried.

Plus, what's not relaxing about a quick midnight stroll around the neighbourhood?... Okay, he could think of a few, like the possibility of being murdered or kidnapped, maybe even mugged.

Wow, this was starting to sound like a horrible plan.

Then again, considering that he was currently in Forks, not Phoenix, it might be safe. He just couldn't imagine being murdered in a close-knit community like this one, especially as his dad was the chief of police and wouldn't stop hunting down his killer until he got justice.

Or the killer could flee the country before his body was found, leaving his dad will no leads and no suspects.

Yeah, no, that was enough.

All he was doing was sending himself down a spiral of paranoia, something he didn't need any more of.

Bellamy took a minute to breathe in and out, calming himself down and forcing the vivid images of his mutilated body out of his mind. It was one of the downfalls of having an overactive imagination. Anything he thought about, any kind of scenario and his mind would play it out for him like a scene from a movie.

Didn't help that he was a fan of horror movies either.

When he was calmer and his mind had settled down, Bellamy stood up from his window and moved to his wardrobe to change into something warmer.

He didn't want to be too warm since he was going running and would quickly sweat through his clothes, and only picked out a simple hoodie that had seen better days, his usual gym tights which stopped down to his ankle and a pair of shorts to go over the top.

Once dressed, he grabbed some socks and his running shoes before double-checking that he had everything he'd need.

Phone and earphones, check.

Spare house key, check.

Water... not check.

He'll have to grab a bottle from out of the fridge, other than that, it seemed Bellamy was ready to go. 

With that in mind, he turned off all the lights in his room and quietly descended downstairs.

As Bellamy slowly made his way down the stairs, he could hear the soft chatter of the television coming from the loungeroom, meaning his dad must've passed out in his chair again. He'd have to be extra quiet then, his dad would not be happy about his spontaneous late-night jog.

Bellamy soundlessly tip-toed to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water. He was about to close the door when the light suddenly switched on, causing him to almost jump out of his skin.

"Bell? What are you doing? It's one in the morning," the breath Bellamy had been holding in quickly released from his chest and he turned to face his sister. "I couldn't sleep, thought a run might do me some good," he whispered back in response.

"How about you? What are you doing up at one?"

"I couldn't sleep either," Bella's eyes shifted away from him, almost like she was hiding something. There was only one reason why his sister would try hiding something from him, and he already had a pretty good idea as to what it was.

"Is it the dreams?" His sister's eyes widened as she whipped her head to face him again. She looked like she was about to deny it, but her resolve quickly crumbled. "Yeah... I saw Edward again, but he disappeared the second I looked away from him," she murmured.

Bellamy hummed, he wasn't exactly sure what he could say to comfort her. They weren't nightmares, it was more like her mind was playing tricks on her.

"Do you want to join me on my run? It might help clear your mind, or it could help you think, it's different for everybody I guess." For Bellamy running could sometimes help put things into perspective, while other times it did the opposite and emptied his thoughts.

"No that's—" she paused, her lashes fluttering as she thought about her response. "You know what? Sure, I was bound to be dragged into one of your early morning runs eventually." That was true, Bellamy had spent a lot of his time trying to convince his sister to run with him, only to ever get shut down with the same excuses every time.

'I don't run' she'd say, or 'I'd only slow you down'. Oh! And his personal favourite, 'get out of my room Bellamy' she'd yell as she threw a pillow at him.

"Wait, seriously? You'll come?" He was a little surprised she'd agreed with him so easily, he'd been fully expecting her to refuse and disappear back upstairs. 

But no, apparently his sister wanted to surprise him today.

"I need to get changed first," Bella turned to quietly race back upstairs but paused and turned back to him, "What do I wear?"

Bellamy tried not to laugh and wake up their dad, "Just put on a hoodie and some tights Izzy, try and find something similar to what I'm wearing." Bella nodded her agreeance and was about to leave when Bellamy stopped her, "Oh! And make sure to bring your phone and a pair of earphones. Music is a must-have when running." 

He's pretty sure it was some kind of unspoken rule. 

"Okay?" She sounded confused yet didn't question his request and left to go get changed, leaving Bellamy alone in the kitchen.

While he was waiting, he grabbed another bottle of water for his sister and left it on the counter for her. He also put on his sneakers and switched off the kitchen light, not wanting it to wake up and alert their dad.

By the time his sister returned in an outfit similar to his, Bellamy had just finished counting his fingers for the tenth time.

"You ready?" Bella questioned once he spotted his sister walking towards him.

"Yeah, let's go before we wake up dad," Bella noticed the bottle of water on the counter and picked it up with a grateful smile. "Thanks," she said.

"Don't thank me yet, you'll be needing that in about ten minutes." Bellamy tried not to let it show, but he was excited to go running with his sister. He knew she wasn't the most athletic of people and that this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so he planned to treasure this moment.

He also just wanted to watch her struggle to keep up with him and have to take twenty-minute breaks after running for five minutes.

But again, she did not need to know that.

The two siblings sneakily went out through the front door and tried to re-lock it as quietly as they could. When they heard the lock click into place, they paused and waited to hear any telltale signs that it'd woken their dad up.

After a minute of waiting for any indicators only to be met with silence, Bellamy deemed it safe and carefully made his way down the steps. He was mindful of the few ice patches he saw on the pathway and helped his sister step over them knowing how clumsy she was.

Once on the street, Bellamy untangled his earphones and searched for the playlist he frequently used on his run, his sister doing the same. 

When he found a song he liked he pressed play, turned off his phone, put it into his pocket and began jogging down the street with his sister beside him.

Bellamy was quick to fall into a familiar rhythm and paced his breathing. He could hear the soft melody of music flowing through his ears and consuming his mind, it helped relax him as he took in the scenery surrounding him.

It was a cloudy night and he couldn't see much, but he saw the light from the moon trying to shine through the cloud bank, creating a sort of magical glow that lit up the night sky.

This was the first time he'd ever gone running so early. He had been completely oblivious to the beauty that the early mornings held, he was so used to getting up at six for his runs that he missed ever seeing this view.

He might have to start making it a habit to go running at one in the morning.

If only so he could see more of this.

Surprisingly, Bella kept up with Bellamy's steady pace. He could see her from the corner of his eye sticking closely to his side, her head tilted up to stare at the moon, similar to what he was doing.

The run seemed to be doing well for his sister, she hadn't even noticed that they'd been running for ten minutes straight now and she hadn't tried slowing down for a break.

So either his sister had a lot more stamina than he previously thought, or she hadn't even realised that she was tired.

Bellamy was hoping for the former but knowing Bella, that definitely wasn't the case.

They ran for a bit longer, mostly because Bellamy wanted to see how long his sister would last and so he could continue to admire the world around him. There were a few houses they'd passed whose lights were on, indicating the owners were still up and about while others were completely pitch black and curtains sealed shut.

It was strange to Bellamy, to be up at this time of the night wandering the streets and seeing the rest of the world dead asleep when he couldn't even close his eyes. It felt almost intrusive to know so much about these people, to have a special kind of insight into a group of stranger's nightly habits.

After another ten minutes, Bellamy decided it was about time to take a break and stopped Bella.

"Hey, let's take a five-minute break and have some water, then we'll start to make our way back okay?" Bellamy suggested as his sister took out her earphones. Bella seemed to realise just how tired she was and happily followed Bellamy to sit down on the curb and gulped down her water.

Bellamy felt beads of sweat sliding down his forehead and back, it caused him to shiver whenever the wind blew against him.

"So, how are you feeling?" Bellamy questioned after a few moments of laboured breathing and birds chirping in the distance. "Good, actually. I think I needed this," she replied with a relaxed smile. 

Her body was slouched over, her arms resting on her knees and her rapid breathing had slowed down quite a bit.

"Have you figured out your thoughts then?" Bella let out a startled chuckle, "No, ha, not in the slightest." Her words sounded sombre to his ears. She seemed a little lost and confused, but accepting of the fact she might never understand her dreams.

Bellamy wasn't sure how he was meant to comfort his sister, not with this. But rather than sit around feeling dejected, Bellamy decided enough was enough. They were out here to feel better, to feel clear-minded and calmer.

At least that's why Bellamy was out here.

"Come on, let's start making our way back," he and his sister had already been outside for a good twenty to thirty minutes. He didn't want to stay out for too much longer as the weather started to get chiller and sweat pooling on his skin.

He'd end up getting sick, and he hates getting sick.

"Alright, sounds good. Do you still remember the way back?" Bella dusted herself up and stood to join her brother.

"Yeah, we're only a few streets from home." Bellamy had begun memorising all the streets and roads close to their house once they moved here, he did it because he thought he and his sister would walk but then they ended up with a truck which gave him even more reason to familiarise himself with the area.

Bellamy placed his earphones back in and put away his bottle of water before he and his sister took off down the street.

The run back took longer, both siblings were fatigued and knew it. But that didn't stop them from admiring the view as they made their way home. Bellamy would even slow down sometimes if he saw an animal or a wonky-looking tree that he just had to show to his sister.

By the time they made it back home, it'd been an hour since they left and both twins were a sweaty mess.

"Dibs on the shower!" Bellamy had barely even gotten a breath in when his sister sneaked the keys out of his hand and took off into the house. Silently, of course, since their dad would still be fast asleep on his chair.

With shoes off and on stretched on her tippy toes, Bella speedily went upstairs to take ownership of the hot, steaming warm shower.

Leaving Bellamy shell-shocked outside with only one shoe untied.

"That bitch..." He lowly cursed under his breath. It's his fault though, he should've known his devious sister would've been hatching out a plan to get to the shower first. It's how their mornings were usually spent, but these days Bellamy had been waking up a little earlier so he'd gotten to hog the bathroom for longer.

This must be her revenge, and dammit if it wasn't a brilliant plan.

Bellamy continued to take off his shoes and got inside, he made sure to turn the lock on the door seeing as he didn't know where his sister had dropped off the keys.

He also checked on his dad on the way up to his room to make sure he was alright and still sound asleep. When Bellamy peeked into the loungeroom, he spotted the television off and one of Bella's spare blankets she used to cover herself whenever she was downstairs laying on the opposite couch.

Moving forward, he picked the blanket up and covered his dad with it. It was too cold for him to not have one.

Once securing his dad and making sure that the blanket was tucked into the chair tight so Charlie wouldn't randomly throw it off, Bellamy continued walking upstairs to his room.

He had no doubt in his mind that his sister would take her sweet time downstairs, so he took the chance to take his hoodie and shorts off, leaving himself in only his tights.

Bellamy tossed the hoodie into the dirty laundry basket he kept close to his door but put the shorts away. They'd been over the top of his tights, meaning it should be relatively safe to use again as long as he didn't ruin them.

...

'Fuck it' Bellamy thought as he brought the shorts up to his nose to take a sniff.

One experimental sniff and he officially declared them safe to reuse... thankfully. He would've been pissed if they reeked of body odour. These were his go-to cover shorts, just a simple, lightweight pair of shorts that stretched over his hips.

They were comfortable and easy to move in, which was great for when he went out for runs or wanted to play a quick round of ball with his friends back in Phoenix.

An seeing as he didn't play basketball anymore— mostly because it wasn't a sport he enjoyed playing with strangers— running was all he had left. Which wasn't a bad thing, at least not to him. Bellamy's always enjoyed running, even when he was a kid.

It's just, running is a bit more private and sentimental for him. It's something that helps him feel alive, something that helps him breathe when it feels like the world was closing in on him. Some might say he's weird for thinking like that, but everybody's got something, something that keeps them sane... tethering their minds to their bodies.

For some it was music, others art, hell, Bella's was books of all things.

And for him, running was it.

Basketball was a constant for Bellamy. It was where he grew up, where he got taught things by some of the older kids, things he still remembers to this day. 

It's where he met some of the most fascinating people he's ever had the pleasure of meeting and where he found himself spending almost every day.

So yes, basketball was important to Bellamy, but to him, it was the people there who made it important but those people aren't here. That was one of the downfalls of moving and something Bellamy had been reluctant to think about. 

He'd been thrilled to know he was moving back to Forks with his dad, and he still is.

Yet, sometimes he does miss Phoenix.

He misses the endless sunshine there, the crowded streets, the people. It'd been his home for so long that he sometimes couldn't help but get a little homesick. 

That doesn't mean he regrets the move because he doesn't, he's glad his mother let them go.

It was just the few secluded moments when he was laying in bed thinking back to the memories he of of the city or in gym class watching the boys play and remembering how he and his friends used to play together.

They were short and bitter-sweet.

Bellamy hadn't even realised how much time he'd spent standing in the middle of his room, reminiscing about the past until he heard the distant sound of the shower turning off. Indicating that his sister was finished and would be out soon.

Quickly, Bellamy grabbed out a pair of sweatpants from his wardrobe and headed downstairs to wait outside the bathroom door.

When his sister finally emerged, he softly knocked her over the head.

"That was evil and you know it," he blurted.

All he got back in response was a wide crooked smile before Bella disappeared into her room, fully dressed with wet hair sticking to the back of her shirt.

Bellamy shook his head and tried to suppress his own smile as he turned and entered the bathroom. He wasted no time in getting undressed and turning the water back on. It was still warm thanks to Bella and didn't take long to become hot.

The shower itself was everything he wanted and more, the warmth from the water washed away all the sweat and possible dirt he'd gotten onto him and helped relax his muscles.

It was comforting and Bellamy so badly wished he could just sit in here and soak up all the water. That, however, would be stupid and would get him into a lot of trouble. He'd also have the issue of looking like a wrinkled old man if he tried to stay under the water for longer than an hour.

But that just made his time underneath the showerhead all that more special.

Bellamy made sure to get a good six or seven minutes under the water before he began to wash his body and scrub himself clean of all the grime.

The overall time he'd spent in the shower was a lot less than Bella's, and only because after ten minutes he started to notice the water was getting colder and he did not want to stick around for when it became freezing.

In the end, Bellamy got out, dried himself off and changed into the clean pair of sweatpants he'd brought down with him.

After that, Bellamy wasted no time in racing upstairs back to his room where he soon found himself in the same position he'd woken himself up from. In his bed, eyes wide open and mind racing with anxiety.

He was sluggish and his blinking had slowed down, his eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Both the shower and the run had worked wonders in getting him relaxed. Yet he still struggled to allow his eyes to close, still fearing that if he did, he would see Tyler's van speeding towards him at full force.

Bellamy groaned under his breath and hid his face in the pillow.

This was going to be a very long night.

Chapter Text

"Izzy! Hurry up and get in the damn truck!" Bellamy hollered from the truck window.

Today was the day they and the rest of their biology class were meant to go on a trip to a local community college to learn about compost. Bellamy wasn't that excited about that aspect of the field trip, but it did mean they'd be free of classes for the entire day.

The ride to the college and back would be an hour each way, not to mention going through the greenhouse and learning about everything in there to do with compost would take even longer.

Now that was what Bellamy was excited for.

He was fully prepared to wander around at the back of the group and observe all the greenery.

And after they were finished, all Bellamy had to do was ask his sister for the important keynotes she picked up because there was no way she wouldn't be listening to everything and bam, he would be up to date with everybody else.

A master plan some would say, genius even.

Bellamy was still thinking about the trip and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to a beat in his mind when finally, Bella came stumbling out of the house with her backpack in hand.

"It's about time Izzy. What even took you so long? And please, don't tell me it's because you lost something." Bellamy waited for his sister to hop into the truck before firing up the ignition and backing out of the driveway.

"I couldn't find my bag. I thought I left it in the dining room but it was in your room," she rushed out in one breath.

"Of course you did," Bellamy mumbled under his breath.

Bella was always leaving her crap in his room, it got to the point where he's positive half of the stuff up there was his sister's. Yet, even though she knows she has a habit of leaving things up there, she continuously forgets because she's a scatterbrain.

"Shut up," Bella reached over and whacked the back of his head, "It won't happen again, I'll be careful." It will happen again, there was no doubt about that.

"Oh, Bella, don't lie to yourself now." Again she reached over to hit him, harder this time. "Ow! Could you be any more violent?! I'm driving you know?" Bellamy was being overdramatic now, he had perfect control over the truck and his eyes hadn't left the road once.

"Just drive, Bell." Bella sighed and slouched into her seat, her head tilted to the side as she watched the scenery change from her window.

Neither of them spoke up again after that, the two siblings decidedly enjoying the peaceful silence as they made their way to school.

When they arrived and pulled into the parking lot, the first thing they spotted was the two big yellow school buses and the crowd of students lingering nearby. Bellamy and his sister weren't exactly early, but they weren't late either.

So it was a bit of a surprise to see so many of their classmates already here and waiting. Almost their entire class was here, along with the senior biology class.

Bellamy turned his focus away from the huddle of students and found a spot close to the school buses and parked there. It wasn't the same spot they would normally parked in, but Bellamy didn't want to have to walk too far.

He wanted to be in and out of here so he could go out into the forest later.

It's been ages since the last time he'd gone, meaning the creepy stalker slash possible axe murderer should be long gone by now, at least he hoped they were. If not, he's got quite the surprise waiting for him later this afternoon.

"Come on then, let's go learn about compost." Bellamy sarcastically cheered with his hands up in the air waving around like he had a pair of sparkly pom poms. His sister chuckled and rolled her eyes at his antics. 

She followed Bellamy out with her backpack in hand.

Bellamy on the other hand had decided to leave his backpack at home since he'd already known ahead of time that there was no way he'd be paying attention today.

The only things he had on him were his phone, his wallet, the keys to the truck and his earphones. The earphones were mostly for the trip to and back from the college, but he wouldn't put it past himself to continue listening to music whilst on the tour.

"Hey guys! Wait up!" Bellamy had been busy untangling his earphones and waiting by the truck until it was time to board their bus when a voice shouted out to them.

He looked up and spotted Mike jogging up to them with a wide and nervous smile.

"Ah, here we go," Bellamy mumbled loud enough for his sister to hear. She tried hard not to smile, but her wobbling lips gave away her amusement.

"Hey!" Mike said once he came to a stop in front of his sister who he hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from. Already Bellamy had an idea of what was going to happen, and while normally he would love to watch Mike embarrass himself, he really didn't want to see him ask out his sister.

"Izzy, I'm gonna go wait by the bus, okay? Come find me when you're done." Bella reached out her hand to try and grab his coat, but Bellamy dodged it and quickly escaped.

There was no way he was sticking around to see that of all things.

He walked around for a bit and eventually found a nice spot near the second bus where he could lean against the hard metal frame and listen to his music through the recently untangled mess that was his earphones. 

The earphones had been a bitch to untangle, there had been several knots he had wanted to take a pair of scissors to and just cut. That, however, would mean he'd have to buy a new pair so it still hasn't happened.

No matter how much he wished he could do it.

Bellamy spent a minute or more looking around at the group of students all talking and laughing with eachother until he got bored and decided to focus on his music.

Closing his eyes, he began to tap his fingers to to loud beat of his music when suddenly he felt somebody step into his space. He hadn't seen anyone close to him before, so it was a little weird they'd gotten to him so quickly but he was in no mood to talk and planned to ignore them, hoping they would take the hint and leave him alone.

His hopes were quickly demolished when he felt them tap on his shoulder twice to get his attention.

Opening his eyes with an annoyed grunt, Bellamy was prepared to tell whoever it was to take a hike and annoy somebody else. He was tired and he'd barely gotten any sleep all weekend, making him one of— if not— the most unapproachable person here.

He'd hoped his 'do not approach me' aura would've done the trick and warned people away.

What a foolish wish that had been.

"What—" Bellamy snapped, only to quickly swallow the rest of his words when he spotted Alice Cullen of all people standing in front of him with a friendly, warm smile. She gave him a wave and started to say something that he couldn't hear over the loud blaring sound of his music.

"Sorry, what? Could you repeat that?" Bellamy questioned as he took out his earphones to hear what Alice was saying.

"I was just coming to say hello! You seemed lonely," he's not so sure lonely would be the right word he'd describe himself as, but it wasn't like he was about to tell Alice she was wrong either. There was something about her that made Bellamy want to agree to her every whim. He put it down to her smile... it was a very nice smile.

"Uhm, thank you for coming to check up on me?" He was struggling to find the right words to say that didn't make him out to be a total ass. 

Bellamy didn't want to offend Alice, she seemed to be quite nice, actually.

"Of course!" Alice smiled and stepped closer to him, her body a familiar cold that he'd felt with Jasper and caused the hairs on his arms to stand up. At this point he couldn't even say he was surprised, the Cullens were a weird bunch, even down to their atoms.

There was also a weird tingling sensation at the back of his mind, like he'd forgotten something important and he was on the verge of remembering it, but Alice's eyes seemed to draw his attention and he quickly put the thought away for a later date.

"So, I know you're new to Forks, but what's your favourite part so far?" Bellamy opened his mouth to respond to her question when Alice cut him off and continued to speak. "My brother, Jasper— he's the one with the gloomy aura around him— he likes the forest!" She excitingly exclaimed with a clap of her hands. 

Her words startled him, he'd been only seconds away from saying the same thing.

"Does he really?" Bellamy questioned.

"Oh yeah, he's always out there, says he likes feeling the grass under his feet and watching the animals roam." That was... interesting, to say the least. Bellamy added that small snippet of information to his slowly forming image of Jasper.

"In fact, we live out in the forest! Our mother, Esme, thought it would be a beautiful place to settle down in, so he's always out there treating it like his own personal backyard." Alice's eyes shined brighter the longer she spoke, Bellamy could physically feel her excitement radiating from her smaller body.

"You guys live out in the forest? Seriously?" Bellamy could already imagine how beautiful waking up in their house must be, to see the tall, luscious green trees every morning or watching the rain drizzle down their windows at night.

He was a little jealous of the Cullens now, he's always wanted to be surrounded by nature, especially out here in Forks where it's constantly raining.

A nice wooden cottage with a fireplace and lots of windows, even a porch would be nice so he could sit outside and watch the rain while he's sipping on hot chocolate with a book in the other hand.

It was a blissful dream of his, one he hoped would come true in the future.

"Yeah! It's beautiful really, but being so far from town is dreadful. Sometimes I want to go shopping out in Port Angeles, but it takes so long to get there!" Alice's face screwed up into an adorable pout that almost had Bellamy cooing.

...almost!

Alice's expression cleared up fast and an easy smile returned to her lips, "Jasper loves it though. He say's it feels private, secluded even. He's not much of a people's person," she leaned forward and whispered the last part like it was some big secret.

Bellamy couldn't stop the grin that curled up on his face even if he wanted to, Alice practically calling her brother a loner was just too good to be true.

Hell, everybody knew Jasper Hale was a bit of a loner. They all were, it was just how the Cullens were, which is why Alice suddenly coming to talk to Bellamy out of the blue was throwing him off kilter.

"Oh! Another thing about Jasper is that he really likes books! He has a complete wall filled with books he's collected over the years, and he's read all of them!"

The more Bellamy got to know Jasper, the more he started to see the similarities between them. He could already see him and Bella becoming the best of book buddies and sharing recommendations with eachother.

Ugh, they'd end up spendings hours together talking about books if that were to ever happen.

Bellamy was about to ask Alice what Jasper's favourite book was when a voice pulled them out of the little bubble they'd created.

"Alice!" Both Bellamy and Alice turned to see who was calling out to her, and standing not too far away was the very man they'd been talking about, Jasper Hale.

The first thing he noticed was how ethereal he looked in his dark green sweater vest, a white collar peeking out from under it and a black overcoat. The next was how his grey checked scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck and hung low, falling to his hips.

Bellamy's mouth grew drier the longer he looked. 

This boy was going to be the death of him, that's for sure.

"Oh, Jasper! I'm so glad you've come to join us, I was just telling Bellamy here about—"

"Alice, please, we're going to be late." Jasper was quick to cut off Alice and pulled her away from Bellamy. He looked like he was about to walk off without even saying anything, but turned at the last second.

"I'm sorry about my sister, she can be quite... verbose, at times." Bellamy swallowed harshly, he could hear Jasper's words but he was distracted by the boy's eyes and the way his blonde curls fell over the top of them.

He wanted to reach forward and gently brush Jasper's hair out of his face so that Bellamy could have the chance to peer into those amber globes and study them until he knew every imperfection, every blemish.

There had to be one, just one. Jasper Hale couldn't be perfect all over, Bellamy refused to even entertain that thought.

Actually, now that he's thinking about it, this is the second time he's gotten the chance to study Jasper up close and personal. The first time he'd been too nervous, not used to having the boy in such close proximity.

Now would be different, he'd grab this chance and use it to the fullest.

"It's okay," he finally responded, "I found her verbosity to be quite informative." Bellamy watched as Jasper's lip twitched like he was trying not to smile, almost as if he knew exactly what it was that he and his sister had been chatting about.

"You wouldn't be the first," Jasper spoke low and quiet like the words were more for himself than for Bellamy. His eyes went misty for a second, his head tilting to the side in a way that looked like he was listening to something.

Just as Bellamy was about to question him and ask him if he was okay, Jasper's eyes cleared, "Mr Molina is rounding everybody up now, you should go and find your sister." He instructed Bellamy before disappearing off with Alice who looked far too pleased with what had just taken place.

"Well, that had been... something." Bellamy mumbled to himself.

The entire conversation with Alice till now had sent him into a head spin. He's sure there was some kind of meaning to it, but right now he was still reeling from that fact he'd gotten the chance to talk to two Cullen's in the span of mere minutes.

A rare opportunity, if the gossipers of Fork's was anything to go off of. 

Bellamy decided to shake it off and find his sister, he could think about it more once he was on the bus.

It doesn't take him long, he spots his sister almost immediately still standing by the truck with no Mike in sight. She's gazing off somewhere, but he can't tell what it is because of the bus sitting in his way. 

He starts to walk over when a body steps in front of him, blocking his path.

"Bellamy!" Oh crap... "Hi, I was just looking for you!" Jamie coyly smiled, her lashes fluttering as she looked up at him.

"Uh, hi?" Bellamy furrows his brows as he tries to come up with an escape plan, that was until he felt Jackie grab his arm and press herself into his ribcage.

Alas... seems he's destined for failure.

"So! I was thinking, since prom is coming up in a month, I figured me and you could go together." She spoke lowly and grasped his arm tighter, pressing it into her bosom. Bellamy had to wonder what gave her the courage to ask him of all people to prom.

After all, he hasn't once shown any interest in the teenage girl, in fact, he's done his best to avoid her at all times.

"I could help find you a tux to match with my dress and you could come and pick me up, maybe even put a corsage on my wrist?" At this point, Bellamy was looking around for his saviour and locked eyes with his sister who was already watching the show. 

He pleaded with his eyes for her to come and save him, but she simply smiled and shook her head.

This was revenge, wasn't it?

He'd unknowingly screwed himself when he left Bella with Mike— Oh... Mike had asked her to prom, hadn't he? 

Internally he groaned and tried to plaster on the kindest smile he could manage as he looked back to Jenna. "That sounds nice, really, but I'm pretty sure I have something happening that weekend, something really important. I don't think I can be your date, sorry." 

Bellamy forced his arm out of Jenny's unyielding grip and took a step back.

"Jessica!" Somebody called out, causing Jasmine's crestfallen expression to shift into something that didn't look so, well, crestfallen. "I'm coming," she yelled back.

Ah, crap, her name was Jessica?

Jessica whipped back around to look at him, "Are you sure? It is prom after all, can't you push back whatever it is you have on that weekend?" Her eyes shone with hope, practically begging him to say yes so he could take her to prom.

"Sorry, I really can't, it's too important to be pushed back." Bellamy had been victim to Bella's puppy dog eyes one too many times when they were younger, he was more or less immune to them by now. So Jessica's eyes weren't going to suddenly win him over, no matter how bight and sparkly they seemed.

"But I'm sure you'll find somebody else to take you!" He added for good measure.

Jessica opened her mouth to say something else when Mr Molina called out to everybody, "Hey, guys, come on! We gotta go, we gotta go." His voice quite literally saved Bellamy.

"Sorry, I gotta go get on the bus now, but I wish you luck in your search for a prom date!" He wasted no time in escaping Jessica's clutches and returning to his sister whose smile could light up a whole damn Christmas tree.

"I'm so glad you enjoyed yourself, asshole." Bellamy lightly elbowed her in the ribs as they filed onto their assigned bus. They searched the bus for an open row and found one in the middle, the perfect spot for the Swan twins.

"You brought it onto yourself," she retorted as they walked through the narrow aisle and took their seats on the right-hand side of the bus.

"I hate that you're right," he sighed. It was basically karma's way of getting him back for ditching his sister with Mike of all people. Wait, speaking of Mike, "Did Mike ask you to prom?"

"Yeah," she grimaced at the reminder of the event but cleared up once she remembered what her brother had just gone through. "I take it Jessica asked you as well?" Now it was Bellamy's turn to grimace, his expression contorting with unease.

"Evidently, she did." Bellamy had to hand it to the girl though, she'd worked up the nerve to ask him out to prom when not many would be willing. "I came up with some bullshit story about something happening that weekend, so now I'm not going to prom unless I want to be caught up in a lie."

Bella's face whipped around, her eyes wide, "That's what I told Mike! I said I was going up to Jacksonville that weekend!" Her smile grew larger as she realised they'd unknowingly backed up each other's lies.

"Seriously?" She rapidly nodded, "Oh you're so my twin." Bellamy reached over and ruffled his sister's hair with a smile on his face.

It was moments like these, the ones where their minds unknowingly linked up that Bellamy always enjoyed and made sure to remember. They were rare moments, believe it or not. Normally they'd be able to look at and just know what the other was thinking because of how well they knew each other.

But to say the exact same thing without any prior knowledge was big, especially for them. Albeit it wasn't the same word from word, but it's the thought that counts, no?

Bella giggled, her face lighting up with joy.

"Only we could come up with the same excuse to get out of prom." Just the everyday lives of one Bellamy Swan and his favourite twin, Isabella Swan.

The conversation fizzled out after that, the two siblings both relaxing into their seats as they prepared themselves for the hour-long drive to a local college campus. Bellamy was already digging into his pockets for his earphones and plugging them into his phone so he could listen to music.

It's not like there was much else to do, and Bellamy wanted to see if he could get a quick nap in.

Sighing to himself, Bellamy crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, his mind cleared of any lingering thoughts.

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When the bus arrived at the local community college, Bellamy was practically dead to the world. It took a lot of shaking on Bella's part for him to even open an eyelid.

"We're here already?" Bellamy's voice was hoarse and eyes hooded, already they were attempting to reclose. "Yes, so get up!" His sister was having none of it and yanked on his arm, forcibly pulling him up to his feet.

His earphones must've fallen out at some point because they were hanging from his shirt, music still echoing quietly from them.

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming, give me a second." Bellamy barely felt functional right now, his body was stiff and aching to be cracked. His mind was no better, that nap had done wonders for his exhaustion, but the problem now was that al he wanted to do was sleep more.

"Everybody's left, hurry up!" His sister turned on her heels and marched out of the bus to catch up with the rest of the group who'd begun the tour.

This left Bellamy alone, contemplating how much trouble he'd get into if he went back to sleep.

Hmm... yeah no, it wasn't worth it. Bella might be okay with him not paying attention and taking notes off of her, but she would kill him if he skipped out on the entire tour. With that in mind, Bellamy stretched his limbs and listened to the satisfying popping sound that followed.

He then walked through the narrow aisle, descended from the bus and set out to find the rest of his classmates.

That task didn't take long, the greenhouse they were visiting was large, but not that large. And it wasn't exactly hard to miss the loud chatter that came from a horde of teenagers.

When he caught up with the group, he noticed they'd stopped to check out some comfrey plants. A fact he only knows thanks to his sister and their sixth grade science project. 

Their poor plant, Mr Williams didn't even last a week under their care.

"Now can anybody tell me what this plant is called?" Mr Molina called out, his eyes searching through the crowd of students for somebody who could answer his question. 

It didn't take long, as some student up near the front raised their hand, "Yes?" Mr Molina said, pointing to the girl at the front. 

"It's a Symphytum, sir."

"Very well done! Yes, this particular plant is called a Symphytum and is commonly referred to as a Comfrey, or 'Knitbone' as it is the plant's high concentration of Allantoin that helps reduce inflammation of sprains and broken bones."

Bellamy couldn't be blamed for zoning out by the end of Mr Molina's explanation, his voice just had that effect on him, as all teachers did.

Instead, his focus went back to the crowd of students, or in this case, one very specific student.

Jasper was drifting around the back of the group with his two siblings, Alice and Edward. His golden halo wasn't hard to miss. Bellamy could easily seek out those curls in a crowd, if only because of how much he stared at the teenager.

Mr Molina continued to lead them down the greenhouse as he animately talked about compost and tried to keep everybody's attention on him. It didn't work well, at least for Bellamy who was too caught up staring at the back of Jasper's tall figure.

And okay, maybe he was mostly staring at the boy's neck and watching as his curls bounced around, sometimes giving him a glimpse of his perfectly pale, porcelain-like skin.

It was hypnotising, he couldn't tear away his eyes.

"Ah, come look at this guys!" Mr Molina's voice broke Bellamy from his gaze and he snapped his head around to try and find what it was.

"Here we have a compost bin! It's mostly filled with eggshells, carrot tops... all kinds of vegetables and fruits." So he'd been getting excited over compost, great, good to know nobody had gone and slipped, maybe even broken a bone.

Bellamy sighed and turned to look at the flowers and plants he passed by, only vaguely listening to Molina's speech about the properties of compost.

"Okay, how about this, did you guys know that composting is a biological process during which naturally occurring microorganisms, bacteria and insects break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings and certain kitchen scraps into a soil-like product called compost?" Bellamy had to admit, he was impressed by the way Mr Molina said all that in one breath.

"It's a form of recycling, a natural way of returning needed nutrients to the soil." Molina's head bobbed around like he was searching for something.

"Compost is cool you guys!" He said before his eyes stopped on somebody, "Now if you could Eric, stuff that into the compost bin." Wait, Eric? Stuffing? Okay, now that! Had Bellamy's interest peaked.

"Aye aye sir," Molina pulled a grinning Eric over to the compost bins and had him put something through it, Bellamy couldn't be sure what though because he was too far back. But out of nowhere, Mr Molina pulled out a glass jug and showed it off to everybody who was still paying attention.

"Now I'm gonna make myself a steaming cup of compost tea!"

Huh?

No... wait, no way.

He liquified it?! Oh, Bellamy was going to be sick, just the thought of all the rotten food and bacteria inside that thing.

"I'll be taking that!" Tyler swooped in and took the jug out of their teacher's hand, something Molina didn't seem to mind so much as he continued to prattle on. "This is recycling in its most basic form guys, it doesn't get any bet—

"Hey!" Mr Molina suddenly shouted. "Don't drink that, it's for the plants!"

Yep, definitely going to be sick.

While Bellamy was busy ridding himself of the image of Tyler gulping down... compost tea, he was oblivious to a certain teenager who'd broken off from his family and was waiting only a few steps in front of him.

Though he didn't remain ignorant for long, Jasper's unique blend of cologne quickly gave him away and alerted Bellamy to his presence.

"Jasper," Bellamy greeted once he was within earshot.

"Bellamy," Japer stepped to the side to give him more space.

Just like that, both teenage boys were now walking side by side and trailing after their classmates.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Jasper tried to turn his head, hiding his face from view, but Bellamy had already seen the ghost of a smile on his lips which lit up the boy's normally tense expression.

The knowledge that he'd be the Jasper Hale smile quickly had a small grin beginning to form on Bellamy's face.

"I was just curious about how you're feeling, I suppose," he admitted and turned back to look at Bellamy.

There was still a smile hanging off of his lips, not as wide or as shy as the one he'd gotten a glimpse of only moments before, but a smile nonetheless. It tilted up higher on one side, turning into more of a smirk than a smile.

"I never got the chance to ask earlier this morning," he added.

Bellamy was a little surprised Jasper was asking him that question, he would've thought that Edward had told them everything.

"I'm good, actually. Me and my sister came out of it without a scratch."

"Yes, I heard about that from Carlisle, he said you two were extremely lucky in that regard but I thought it'd be best to make sure." Jasper's eyes were bright and staring into his, the smile on his face growing the more he stared.

So Doctor Cullen's name was actually Carlisle Cullen? He'll have to remember that for future reference.

"I didn't know you to be a gentleman," Bellamy finally responded once he found the words.

It was so hard to speak in Jasper's presence sometimes, especially when he was so close and Bellamy had to somehow still function like a normal human being when an angel was standing right in front of him.

An angel with honey-coloured hair, bright amber eyes, and smooth pore-free skin that should be impossible for any and every hormonal teenager in the world. Oh, and don't forget the bruise-like purple shadows under his eyes that would normally make somebody look sickly or tired, but somehow only added to Jasper's overall inhuman beauty.

"There's plenty you don't know about me, Bellamy." The way Jasper said his name just now... it sounded almost like a melody on his tongue.

One that had Bellamy's legs wobbling and heart picking up in speed.

"I guess I don't, but I would like to change that if you're willing." Bellamy wasn't sure where that boldness had come from, it suddenly sprung out of him without warning. He hadn't even realised what he was saying until he'd said it.

"I'd be more than willing, darlin'," and there goes his heart, falling all the way down to the pits of his stomach where butterflies were waiting to eat it. "But only if you share some things about yourself as well."

"Hmm," Bellamy pretended to think about it for a few seconds, tossing the idea around in his mind before moving to hold out his hand.

"Deal," he said.

Jasper's smile turned into a wry smirk, one that showcased his pearly white teeth and sharp canines. "Deal," he reached forward and covered Bellamy's hand with his own. They stood there, at the back of the tour with their hands clasped in each other's. 

Neither attempting to let go.

Bellamy could feel Jasper's cold fingers grazing over his knuckles and sending a trail of goosebumps along his arm.

Again, there was the strange feeling of electricity. It wasn't as sudden or surprising as the last time, but softer, like a current that ran under his skin. He was aware of it, but he could easily ignore the feeling.

Not that he wanted to, of course, it was just a nice feeling. It made his mind feel fuzzy and warm. Even the butterflies in his stomach seemed to agree as they fluttered around wildly.

"Okay, cool. I guess that makes us friends then." Jasper's eyes sparkled with obvious amusement, "I guess it does." Bellamy could feel his face flushing and the fact that he could feel it meant that Jasper could very likely see it.

'How delightful' Bellamy mockingly thought as they walked out of the greenhouse together.

The tour was pretty much finished and the students had ventured off to do their own thing while Molina talked to the college director.

"Hey, Bellamy!" Somebody called out. Looking over, he spotted Eric with a stick and a worm attached to the tip. "It's a worm!" Eric looked like a kid on Christmas day, smiling from ear to ear as he held up his prized worm.

"There's worms in there?" Bellamy intrigued by that knowledge walked over and looked into the massive container filled with what he guessed was compost and loads of pink, wiggling worms. "This is so gross," he said as he reached his hand in and pulled out a worm for himself.

It wiggled around in the palm of his hand, tangling itself around his ring finger.

"It's kind of slimy... and weirdly warm." Bellamy's never touched a worm before, so he's not sure if this is considered normal, but it is extremely weird.

A little off-putting too, only because he wasn't used to it.

"Is it?" Jasper questioned and reached to slide a finger along the earthworm's skin. His eyes widened when he felt it, "Huh, you're right, they are slimy!" He exclaimed.

"See?!" Bellamy smiled and held up the finger the worm had made itself at home on for Jasper to touch when he noticed that a little ways away from where he was standing, was Edward and his sister.

They were talking, or more like Edward was talking and Bella was on the receiving end of his so-called 'talk'.

"Bellamy..." Jasper cautiously warned.

"Don't, Jasper." Bellamy didn't look back at Jasper as he strode towards his sister. He could hear a sigh from behind him that sounded a lot like Jasper's voice, but he decided to ignore that because he could understand the frustration.

He too would hate it if somebody got all up and personal in his or his sister's business. However, seeing as this was his sister, Bellamy had every right to get involved. And Edward didn't have the greatest track record when it came to respecting Bella or doing something as simple as being nice to her.

"I can see that you do! I just... I don't know why." Bella quietly said, her words only meant for Edward but were loud enough that Bellamy could hear as well.

"You don't know anything, Bella," Edward spoke slowly and punctuated every word, every syllable. It was said in such a condescending way that it almost had Bellamy scoffing in response.

And it hadn't even been said to him!

Bellamy moved in to grab his sister and leave, maybe even curse Edward out a little bit when out of nowhere, Alice popped up with a wide smile and twinkling eyes. "Hi, guys!" She gleefully said, "Are you gonna be riding with us?" It was an innocent question, an invite even.

Edward on the other hand made sure that it wasn't.

"No, our bus is full." That's it, Bellamy had to do something now or he'd regret it for a lifetime. The guy deserved to be put in his place, he was acting like a grade A douche and seeing as nobody else was willing to do it, Bellamy would happily do it for them.

So, the second Edward's back was turned, Bellamy stepped forward and dropped the worm he'd been watching twirl around his finger down the Cullen boy's shirt and watched as he jumped.

"Dammit Bellamy!" Edward yelled and started squirming in an effort to get the worm out of his clothes.

Bellamy knows that the sensation of the worm trailing down his back must feel all kinds of wrong, and damn did that thought bring a smile to his face. "Come on Izzy, our bus is waiting for us." He pulled his sister away from the scene and forced her up into their bus.

"Oh!" Bellamy paused at the last second and turned back to look at Jasper and Alice who were trying not to smile but didn't step forward to help Edward. "It was lovely getting the chance to talk to you two." 

Their brother might be an ass, but that didn't mean he would suddenly despise the whole lot. Well, he was still a little iffy about Rosalie, her glares at lunch were getting a bit obvious.

"We'll have to do it again sometime soon!" Alice yelled back with a small wave of her hand.

Bellamy laughed at her response and moved his eyes to Jasper who was already looking back at him with a small grin. "Until next time, darlin'." Jasper slowly drawled out the nickname, putting a heavy emphasis on the usage of his accent.

There it was again, that traitorous skip of a beat in his chest.

He needed to leave before he did something stupid like self-combust because a boy called him 'darling' of all things.

"Until next time," he agreed before turning and disappearing into the bus. His sister was already sitting down and waiting, her head lowered as she thought about something. 

Most likely about Edward if he had to take a wild guess.

Bellamy joined his sister and sat down on the aisle seat, he didn't try to talk and gave her the space she seemed to need. He knew that eventually, she'd come talk to him.

Until then, he'd wait.

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Bellamy stepped over the large broken branch and continued walking further into the forest.

He had waited a while before decidedly coming back and he'd already told himself last night before their field trip that he would come back out here.

So, here he was once again.

There was still a hesitation though, a thought in the back of his mind that warned him he shouldn't be out, but he'd waited long enough to know that whoever had been here the last time would be long gone by now.

And if not, he brought his dad's taser, pepper spray and a small sharp blade that was currently hiding in his boots. All of this was done in preparation in case he had to possibly outrun an axe murderer.

It might, just might also be because his sister wouldn't let him out of the house if he didn't have some form of protection on him.

Luckily for him though, his dad had been at work for his shift which gave Bellamy enough time to sneak his spare taser and one of the many bottles of pepper spray he kept in a box. 

Why did he keep it in a box? No idea, and Bellamy wasn't about to ask. He's not even sure he even wants to know the answer to that particular question.

Bellamy did have to admit his sister might've been onto something when she forced him to take the items with him. It made him feel safer, more confident that if anything did happen he'd have a way to protect himself long enough to run.

And if that didn't work, the knife was his backup plan.

One he really didn't want to be forced to use.

Bellamy sighed and shook those kinds of thoughts from his mind. Instead, he focused on surveying the area around him.

So far he'd seen a few birds, squirrels and even bunnies rummaging around the forest floor for food. Yet the second they saw or heard him, they scattered like the wind before he could get a closer look. It was unfortunate but expected.

He would've been more surprised if they didn't run away from him as what most wild animals would do, especially smaller ones like them who consider everything and everyone to be a potential threat.

Bellamy continued to track through the forest, his head on a constant swivel and coat wrapped tightly around his body.

It had rained the night before so the trees and grass were still wet and he would occasionally feel drops of water dripping down his face and neck which sent shivers down his spine.

At this point he was simply wandering, he still kept track of where he was going and in what direction for when he was ready to head home. But there wasn't much else to do than to explore and lose himself in his thoughts.

Such as his confusion about what had happened with Alice this morning. 

He never expected the pixie-haired girl to be the one to approach him first. In fact, he thought that the Cullens as a whole stuck closely together and never ventured outside of their tight-knit group.

So suddenly having a face full of this vibrant and outgoing teenage girl... it was puzzling, to say the least. And the way she spoke, always bringing Jasper up into the conversation, it was almost like she'd been playing—

Huh...

That couldn't be it, was it? 

... oh crap, was Alice trying to play matchmaker?

The mere idea had Bellamy's cheek growing hot, a healthy red flush settling on his face and neck. If that were the case, and he's not saying it is! 

Just hypothetically— if she was playing matchmaker, it meant he'd been really obvious about his growing attraction to the boy. Or that she knew something about Jasper that he didn't which would be more realistic seeing as he barely knew anything about Jasper.

Nothing outside of what Alice had let slipped today.

But, let's just say for example that what she knows might happen to be a mutually shared attraction perhaps? Hypothetically of course! All of this is very, very, very hypothetical.

Bellamy had to pause in his step to fan his heated cheeks. He felt embarrassed that he was thinking like this, it made him feel like a schoolgirl whose crush had just smiled at her.

Argh, just the mental image of him looking like that had Bellamy crouching to the ground and hiding his face in the palm of his hands. He's had crushes before, hell, he's had partners before but they've never made him feel so... giddy?

This was new territory for Bellamy.

He was used to being the one in control, in being confident in his feelings and his actions. He was headstrong and never tried to cower from his emotions. Yet here he was, in the middle of a forest with a bright red face and rapidly pulsating heart all because he'd referred to Jasper as a 'crush'.

How absolutely juvenile of him.

Disappointing too, Bellamy had never known himself to be so childish in this regard. Originally he'd thought himself as mature for his age, but apparently, he was wrong and this was how he was finding out.

Bellamy took a deep breath in and held it for a few seconds before releasing it.

This was no place to be having a sudden existential crisis. 

Let alone did he even want to be having the crisis in the first place. So, when Bellamy felt himself calm down and his pulse become a steady beat again, he got up, dusted off his pants and set out to keep moving.

He continued to wander for another twenty minutes before the sky became a dark orange haze and daylight began to fade.

It was by then that Bellamy figured he should start making his way back. He may like the forest, but he wasn't about to try and stay out here any longer than he already had. 

The forest was no place to be at night, even he knew that.

Bellamy made sure to stay alert as he started to make his way back.

Thankfully he hadn't gone in too deep, preferring to keep close to the outer tree line than the last time he came in. It was another sort of protection detail of his. He thought that as long as he kept a good distance between the inner forest and himself, he should be okay.

But he should've known better, Bellamy was rarely ever that lucky.

A few minutes passed and Bellamy was getting closer to the main road when suddenly, there was a loud crunching sound from behind him and his head whipped around.

There was nobody there, but he knew from the sound that it had been a pile of leaves that'd been stepped in. 

Now it could've been an animal, but for it to only have happened once when the entire floor was covered in fallen leaves? Call him insane or paranoid all you want, but he's positive it wasn't an animal because an animal would've been nosier, much nosier.

Bellamy searched through the scattered trees for a figure, anything that could give him a location of where this person was hiding. 

As long as he knew where they were, he could run off in the opposite direction and start to make some distance between himself and them.

Fuck, he hoped this wasn't the same person from last time.

The mere thought had Bellamy taking a step back, and then another. He continued to slowly walk backwards, sometimes peeking behind him to make sure he wasn't about to hit anything.

He did this for what felt like a lifetime but was only minutes.

Bellamy was so tense, his mind was in overdrive and the panic was beginning to settle in. He was so nervous that he could feel beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead.

The silence actually made all of this so much worse because now he was expecting an ambush or for something to jump out at him. It felt like he was now starring in how own personal horror movie, and wow! Did he hate that feeling.

After a while of nothing happening— no movements in the distance, no more noises or branches being broken, no footsteps running after him— he thought he was safe and that maybe it had all been in his head.

Just another case of Bellamy Swan going insane with paranoia. That was until he took another step back and walked into something hard... something cold.

Bellamy froze, his heart dropping to his stomach.

It was them.

The same person from the last time was here was once again, stalking him and watching. Only this time, Bellamy had gone and walked right into their trap.

He's not sure any of his items could save him from his stupidity, not now that he'd made himself vulnerable to an attack. Bellamy had quite literally put himself in the perfect position to be murdered. His back was turned, his neck exposed and his hands clenched by his side.

Any sudden movement would alert them, so he couldn't even grab out the damn taser or knife.

Oh, he was so screwed!

Bellamy closed his eyes and tried to calm down so he could think of a way out of this situation, and it almost worked until he felt the person's fingers graze up his hand. 

It was a delicate touch, so softly done that it felt almost, caring? As if the creep behind him wanted to savour the feeling of Bellamy's warmth.

He feels beyond insane for thinking that way, but there is no other way to describe the sensation. Bellamy knows what care feels like, he knows what a loving touch feels like and that's exactly how it felt to him.

Loving.

Bellamy's heart almost jumped out of his chest when he felt the fingers gently trail up his arm, he couldn't feel much of the touch because of his coat, but he could feel the pressure. They continued to trail up until suddenly he felt them stroking just underneath his ear and along his jugular.

They stayed like that, slowly adding pressure to the vein the longer they stood there. It felt like they were trying to find his pulse, trying to listen to his heart beating rapidly in his chest and sending his blood soaring.

Okay, that was a pretty scary thought, actually. That probably meant they wanted to feel his fear, to feel his pulse jumping sky-high.

Meaning they were probably a sadist and he was about to be murdered in a very horrific manner. One that could leave the poor person who stumbles upon his body traumatised for life.

If there even was a body left for them to find, seeing as he was out here in the forest where there were multiple animals who would tear apart his corpse to feed themselves and possibly their young...

Oh god, he's imagining it now, fuck why is that image in his head!

Bellamy didn't think it could get any worse than that, but fate proved him to be wrong once again when he felt the person move in closer, trapping him against their chest. 

The first thing he noticed was how cold they were, even with a coat on and a sweater underneath, his body still shivered when they touched him.

The second thing he noticed was the strange familiarity he felt in the biting cold. And lastly, the third thing was how their chest didn't move... almost like they weren't breathing.

As if it was a corpse standing behind him and not a person.

He knew it must be a man though, from how broad their chest felt and the hardness to it. A woman would be softer, smaller too, but this person— this guy, he was the same height as Bellamy.

And Bellamy was relatively tall for his age so he had to know who he was, especially in such a small and deserted town like Forks. But the problem with that was that the only person that came to mind that was both the same height and had the same freakishly cold skin was...

No... it couldn't be, was this—

"Jasper?" Bellamy's voice hitched and his breathing picked up.

He didn't want to believe that the man behind him was the same boy who he'd been fawning over since arriving in Forks.

But the evidence was overwhelming.

Bellamy knew that Jasper was unusually cold, almost deathly. He also knew thanks to Alice that Jasper lived somewhere out here, that they all did!

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!

Was he about to be killed off by a family of beautiful serial killers?!

Bellamy wasn't even thinking anymore as he dropped to the ground and tumbled forward, away from Jas— whoever it was behind him. He quickly grabbed both his taser and knife from his boot and prepared himself for an attack.

Yet, when he turned, there wasn't anybody there.

He stood back up and quickly looked around, his eyes flickering from tree to tree, looking for even the slightest hint of a shadow. His fear had completely overridden any other emotion and he was now entering flight or fight mode. 

And honestly, there was only one logical choice in this situation.

Bellamy didn't wait around any longer than he already had and quickly turned and sprinted out of the forest. His legs were burning, his breathing rapid and his mind severely overwhelmed with everything that just happened.

Despite all of that, he didn't stop once, he didn't look back to check if somebody was running after him, he simply ran.

When Bellamy does finally get home that late afternoon, he's practically drowning  in a pool of sweat and can just barely breathe. He's still clutching onto the taser and knife, not once did he allow his grip to lesson in case he got jumped out of nowhere.

"Bellamy?" His sister called out from the kitchen, she must've heard him stumble his way inside.

He tried to regulate his breathing, but his mind was still screaming at him and telling him that he wasn't safe and that he had to keep running, but he was home, he was safe, he knew that.

"Here Izzy, I'm fine, I'm going to grab a shower real quick!" Bellamy yells out to try and divert his sister's attention.

He has an idea of what he looks like right now and he doesn't want Bella to see that. Bellamy doesn't wait around for her response and runs upstairs, practically throwing himself into the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

Once inside, his body finally gives in to his exhaustion and he collapses onto the cold tiled floor.

Bellamy almost feels like crying.

With the fear and adrenaline no longer pumping through his body, all he can feel is the overwhelming dread that the Cullens might be hiding a darker secret and that it might've just almost gotten him killed.

Bellamy felt stupid for not realising sooner why Jasper's body temperature felt so familiar to him, why Alice's touch caused his hair to stand up in alert.

His body was hurting too, every muscle in his body felt completely overworked from having sprinted nonstop for as long as he did without any breaks. The slightest twitch had him groaning out in pain.

'This was going to hurt so much more in the morning' he thought.

Bellamy stayed there, curled up on the ground for a while. He was trying to work up both the energy and motivation to strip himself out of his wet, clinging clothes and into a nice warm shower.

That in itself took around ten minutes.

His muscles cried out every time he moved but he had to if he wanted to get his clothes off. Thankfully, the pain had been worth it when he felt the hot spray of water pelting him in the face, soaking his hair and body.

"Fuck!" Bellamy winced.

He was still hurting, but the water helped with the pain.

Bellamy stayed under the stream of water for an hour, long enough for his sister to notice and yell at him to get out before he used up all the hot water.

"I'm coming out now!" Bellamy yelled back to his sister. He waited until he heard her bedroom door close before trying to get up.

Again, Bellamy couldn't stop the small whimpers of pain that rolled off his tongue. It was a small noise, one that came from the back of his throat. Though when in a quiet bathroom, it was the loudest thing he'd ever heard.

Another whimper and Bellamy finally pushed himself up from the shower floor and wrapped his towel around his waist.

He then quickly walked upstairs to his room and locked himself inside.

'What the hell just happened?' is the first thing he thinks as he throws on a pair of old sweatpants and dives under his covers for warmth and comfort.

Bellamy's still at a loss for words as he tries to go through everything again in his mind.

None of it made any sense though? He knew somebody had been behind him, he'd felt them. Yet every time he's looked back to see who his supposed stalker was, they've disappeared.

It kind of felt like he was chasing after a ghost.

Huh, a ghost, maybe that's the explanation for everything. He's being haunted by a mischievous ghost who finds it hilarious seeing Bellamy terrified.

Oh, if only it could be that simple.

However, nothing was ever that simple, not as far as Bellamy was concerned. 

Plus, He had a gut feeling that there was more to it all, that this did have something to do with the Cullen's. The only question he had on his mind now was... who were the Cullens, and what were they?

Because they couldn't be human, not if Edward could stop cars with his bare hands and come out unharmed, or if Jasper could come and go like the goddamn wind.

There was something more, something that he was missing or just wasn't seeing.

But what?

Chapter Text

Bellamy was seriously considering strangling his sister.

Why you ask? Well, he'd have to take you to the beginning, to where it all started.

It was a cloudy day and the sun was nowhere to be seen— an otherwise average day for the citizens of Forks.

Bellamy was busy eating his lunch and minding his business while tuning out the sound of Mike and Jessica's voices. The second they'd brought up prom again— Jessica looking at him and Mike to Bella— he'd completely zoned out.

A stupid mistake on his part, because had he been listening, he would've been able to put a stop to the plans the teenagers were curating.

"Hey, Bella! La Push baby, you in?"

Bella's expression shifted into confusion, "Should I know what that means?" She innocently asked.

Mike being Mike thought it was the perfect time to jump in and play the gentleman as he explained what La Push meant to Bella. "La Push beach, it's down on the Quileute rez and we're all going this weekend."

"Yeah, there's a big swell coming in," added Jessica.

Eric jumped up and acted like he was surfing a wave as he spoke, "And I don't just surf the internet!" Mike decided to join in on Eric's antics and jumped up as well to match him. The two boys smiled and laughed together.

"Eric, you stood up on your board once, and it was a foam board." Jessica was quick to shut down Eric's cockiness, causing a smile to form on Bella's face.

She might not be close with them, but it was nice to feel part of their circle sometimes, even if it was only for a moment.

Angela ignored both Jessica and Eric and turned to Bella, "But there's whale watching too, you should join us!" She was looking at both Swan's, but Bellamy was so far out of it that he didn't even feel the eyes on him and Bella doubted her brother would say yes, anyway.

Eric finally took notice of Angela trying to convince Bella to come with them and joined to persuade her, "La push baby, it's La Push."

Bella laughed, "Fine! I'll go if you stop saying that word, okay?"

"Seriously dude. It's creepy man," Mike threw a piece of torn bread up into the air and caught it in his mouth.

"What about you Bellamy? You coming with us as well?" Jessica's question brought all the attention onto Bellamy, but they were quick to realise he wasn't even paying attention and instantly became awkward.

"Sorry, he stayed up late so he's not completely here." Bella scrambled to try and save the relaxed and easygoing atmosphere, "But he'd love to come, we'll both be there," she declared.

Just like that, everybody began smiling and laughing again, happy that they'd somehow convinced the Swan's to join them on their trip down to La Push beach.

Bella on the other hand was trying to figure out how she was going to get her brother to agree to come with her to La Push. She's well aware of his hate for beaches— always complaining about the sand or the sun— he rarely ever went to the beach with her even when they lived in Phoenix.

She sighed and disappeared to get her lunch.

A few minutes went by and the table continued to chatter and laugh, smiles and jokes going all around.

"Hey, isn't that Edward? Why is he talking to Bella?" Angela suddenly spoke up, earning everybody's attention, including Bellamy who'd been otherwise lost to the world.

"What?" Bellamy questioned.

Angela pointed somewhere and Bellamy's eyes followed and spotted his sister at the salad line with a bowl and some tongs to pick up pieces of vegetable and fruit. And right beside her was Edward Cullen, the very same guy who the other day had completely shut Bella out.

Bellamy still hasn't heard from his sister about what happened, and he hasn't asked either.

He's been trying to avoid the Cullens as a whole after the creepy episode in the forest. He still waves and smiles at Alice whenever he sees her, but Bellamy's sure they've caught onto his avoidance by now.

Especially since he practically ran in the opposite direction when he spotted Jasper coming down a hallway, just trying to get to his next class.

"What are they talking about?" Mike's tone was laced with jealousy as he sat back down in his chair and focused on Edward and Bella. None of them knew what was being said, they could only try and guess through their expressions.

"Maybe she's inviting him to La Push?" Angela suggested.

'La Push? What the hell was La Push?' Bellamy thought.

"Ha!" Mike obnoxiously laughed, "No way. The Cullens have never gone to La Push before, it's common knowledge."

"It might be common for you, but considering me and Bella are new, she won't know that now will she?" Bellamy hadn't torn his eyes away from his sister, he'd been paying attention to every little body signal in case Edward tried anything again or made her uncomfortable.

So the second he saw Edward stalk off back to his family, leaving a confused Bella behind, he jumped to his feet.

"I'm gonna go find out," he said as he walked away from the table.

Bella was unaware of her brother's approach until he stood right next to her, "Izzy? What was that about," he asked as he glanced at where Edward and his family were sitting, huddled together and whispering.

He could see Jasper already looking back at him, a look of hurt in his expression. Bellamy didn't look for too long, he was more concerned about what in the world Edward wanted with Bella and why his sister hasn't punched the rude asshole in the face yet.

"Nothing, I was just inviting him to La Push, but he said it was too crowded." Bella shook her head and mumbled over her words.

She was upset over Edward not coming.

"His loss, our gain." Bellamy reached forward and stole a slice of zucchini from his sister's bowl. "By the way, what the hell is a 'La Push'?" Bellamy questioned.

"Oh, uh— It's a beach...? They invited us to come along with them over the weekend because the swells will be huge." She didn't turn to look at her brother, she knew her face would scream 'I'm guilty' and he'd know something was up.

"Really?" Bellamy choked out a laugh, "Sounds like hell. Imagine going to a beach in this kind of weather? They have to be insane! They'd sooner catch frostbite rather than any waves." He smiled and shook his head, he's glad they were smarter.

"We'll be busy sleeping in anyways, so, sucks to be them I guess."

Bella was silent as she continued to fill her bowl, something Bellamy was quick to catch onto.

"You did refuse them... right?" Bellamy stood up straight, no traces of his previous smile to be found. "Bella! Please tell me you said no!" Finally, she looked up at Bellamy with a face that screamed 'I accepted their invite'.

"Nooo, Bella, why would you accept? You know I hate the beach?! Plus it's the weekend, it's practically a requirement to sleep in on weekends!"

"I'm sorry, okay! They were just so nice and I thought it might be fun?!"

"Bella, please. It's how cold right now? And the news said it'd only get colder over the weekend, yet you wanna go to the goddamn beach of all places rather than curl up in bed with a hot chocolate and a book?!"

"There's whale watching there too!" Bella squeaked.

Bellamy could only look on in disbelief, "No, Bella. Just no. I'm going over there and telling them I'm not coming." He moved to walk away but Bella quickly stopped him, "No, please Bellamy! They were so excited about it, plus you never know, it might turn out to be fun!"

"Ha! Fun?! That's not exactly the word I'd describe it as."

"Bellamy, please, you have to go!"

"Yeah, not happening Izzy," he scoffed and shook his head. There was no way in hell he was going to a beach where he'd have to wear two shirts, a parka and jeans. He'd rather sit at home, laze around and stuff his face full of food than freeze his ass off at 'La Push'.

"You're going Bellamy, and that's final!" Bella had enough and put her foot down, demanding that her brother come along with her.

She'd already said they would both be coming and she didn't want to go back on her word.

Bellamy's eyes hardened and he crossed his arms over his chest, the two siblings glared at eachother and waited for one to succumb to the pressure.  Eventually, Bellamy grew tired of it and ended the stare-off.

"I'm not going," he said.

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!

"Yes, Bellamy, yes you are!" His sister snapped and whacked him on his arm.

"You're going to La Push with me and that's final!" N arrowing his eyes once more, Bellamy bent down and spoke low, "Over my cold, dead,  rotting  corpse."

⋅   •   ⋅   ⊰   ∙   ≼   ☫   ≽   ∙   ⊱   ⋅   •   ⋅

"I'm going to smother you in your sleep tonight," Bellamy hissed through the chattering of his teeth. He couldn't believe his sister had somehow talked him into coming with her to this hellhole.

Bellamy wrapped him up tighter in his bundle of blankets provided by everybody once they realized two things. One being that he was not a fan of the cold and two, he hated the beach with a burning passion.

"Why'd you come if you hate the beach so much?" Angela finally questioned, she'd been curious about it ever since she spotted Bellamy walking towards them with the biggest scowl known to man.

"Because I'm weak," was all he said in response.

Both Jessica and Angela looked at eachother in confusion before looking at Bella who was trying to hide a smug smile. And just like that, the puzzle pieces were all coming together.

"Ah," Jessica and Angela said in unison.

Something about the 'so that's how it is' tone in their voice had the vein in Bellamy's forehead throbbing.

Yes, he was an idiot who'd succumbed to his sister's wishes once again. He understood that now could everybody move on?

Maybe instead they could finally watch Mike, Tyler and Eric drown in the freezing cold waters.

Didn't that sound like more fun?

Bellamy would at least like to see one wipe out if only to prove how stupid the whole lot of them were for going out in this kind of weather. He still doesn't understand why they'd want to go swimming in conditions like these.

What he does know is that Tyler had issued a challenge to Mike, something about paddle boarding? Whatever it was, Bellamy was content with watching the boys in the water.

At the moment he was just watching and waiting for somebody's legs to turn into a solid block of ice, essentially pulling them down and drowning them.

It hasn't happened yet, but Bellamy had all the time in the world to wait it out.

The girls at one point became silent and joined Bellamy's side to watch Tyler, Mike and Eric out in the water. It was a peaceful scene surprisingly, the waves crashing into the rocks, the distant laughter from other teenagers down on the beach next to a massive pile of sticks he imagined would be set alit sometime soon.

Sighing, he huddled up closer to his sister for warmth and looked out to the beach below.

It was pretty, he'd give it that.

Eventually, the boys came running back up to the van, all three shivering as they fought over the towels. The sight was a little comical with Mike and Tyler both pulling and tugging on the same towel while Eric sneaked in from behind to grab the others.

Bellamy laughed once Mike and Tyler spotted Eric tangled up in towels looking like blobs rather than human.

"So, I keep thinking that Eric's gonna ask me to prom, and then he just... doesn't?" Angela's chuckle sounded self-deprecatory, her voice distressed and hurt which pulled his focus and he turned away from the boys to listen in on the conversation at hand.

"You should ask him," suggested Bella.

"Are you sure you want Eric of all people?" Bellamy cut in. "I mean, if you haven't noticed he's a bit stupid. The guy quite literally went and volunteered himself for frostbite, they all did." His response earned a startled laugh from Angela.

"I'm just saying! You could do better than Eric." Angela smiled shyly, her head dipping to her chest to hide her flushed face.

"I doubt anybody else would want to take me," she sighed.

"No way, Bellamy's right! You're a strong and independent woman, who wouldn't want to take you to prom?" Bella twisted around to face Angela as she spoke, "I say go for it, do what you want and if it blows up in your face, we can both help you find a better guy."

"You guys would do that for me?" Angela finally lifted her head to reveal a small smile.

"Oh, absolutely. I already have a few contenders in mind," like a certain boy from English who Bellamy's caught Angela peeking at now and again. If he remembers correctly, the guy's name should be Derek.

"Oh oh oh! What about Jayden from History?!" Jessica suddenly shouted, causing everybody to turn to look at her.

"Who's Jayden?"

"Bellamy, seriously? He sits right in front of us." When Bellamy showed no signs of recognition, Bella simply sighed and looked away from her brother in disappointment. "Why would I even know that? He sits in front of us, it's not like he's our desk mate," argued Bellamy.

"No, not Jayden, he's too..." Angela struggled to find the right word until Jessica cut in to help, "Loud? She suggested.

"Yes! Loud, that's it."

"Personally, I was thinking Derek from English." Bellamy watched as Angela's went progressively red in the cheeks.

Jessica, like the gossip hound that she is, jumped at Angela's flustered appearance. "Derek?! Really? Why haven't you told me about him, is he cute? Oh oh, is he tall? Because you're quite tall yourself so you'd look better with a taller guy."

Angela quickly put a stop to what could've become a two-hour rant of questions that Bellamy doubted Angela even had, "No! He's just some guy in my English class. I sometimes look at him, yes, but only because he sits right in front of the window!" Wow, Angela was totally lying right now.

Bellamy had seen her do more than just 'look' at Derek.

He's seen her straight-up gaze into his very soul.

"Anyways!" Angela said once she saw Jessica opening her mouth to ask more questions, "This is about Eric, I want to ask Eric to prom."

"And I still think you could do better, but by all means, if you want to take Eric then get up and ask him to prom yourself." Bellamy leaned back and stretched out his legs.

They were starting to cramp from being crossed for so long.

"I think you should just do whatever it is your heart wants you to do. You've only got one chance, you should follow through with what you want." Bella and Angela shared a mutual soft smile, the two girls reaching out to hold hands.

"Thanks, Bella." Angela quietly whispered.

"Well, I say grab Eric by the horns and show him who's boss!" Jessica sent a suggestive wink Angela's way, causing the girl to become a flustered mess all over again.

"That's not—" Angela sat up to defend herself when a voice cut in out of nowhere and interrupted her. "Bella! Bellamy!" Everybody looked up and noticed three Quileute boys walking towards them with Jacob Black in front.

All three had long black hair that cascaded down and over their shoulders in soft waves, one even had a small braid that reached down to his chest.

"Jacob!" Bella smiled and turned to the other girls, "Guys this is Jacob, he's a family friend of ours." Everybody said hi and gave him awkward smiles, they didn't have much else to say besides that.

"Are you stalking me?" She jokingly said as she punched his biceps, her attention shifting to him.

"You're on my rez, remember?" Jacob knocked into her gently before turning and looking at him with a raised brow, "You got enough blankets there?"

"No, wanna hand me that lovely jacket you've got on? I can add it to my ever-growing collection." Bellamy shot back with a wry smile.

Both boys looked at eachother, the tension rising until finally they cracked and began to laugh. "Hey man, it's good to see you." Bellamy untangled himself from his horde of blankets and went to give Jacob a quick one-armed hug.

"You too, I've been meaning to come down and see you guys but I've been busy with school. We should catch up sometime soon though," Jacob returned the hug and clapped Bellamy over the back.

While Bellamy got himself situated in his cocoon again, Jacob spoke up, "You going surfing Bella?" His eyes trailed up and down her clothes, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Ha, hilarious." Bella rolled her eyes.

"You should keep her company, her date kind of bailed on her," Jessica revealed.

Bellamy groaned at the reminder of Edward, he'd been having a great time without the Cullens invading his mind, all until Jessica had to go and open her mouth to speak.

"What date?!" Eric, Mike and Tyler all jumped up, the three boys now suddenly very aware of the conversation at play. Bellamy simply sighed and rolled his eyes, he turned to look at Angela and mouthed 'you can do better' to which she chuckled.

"She invited Edward," Mike's expression contorted, clearly jealous that Bella's attention was going to Edward.

"I did it to be polite, that's all." Bella stuffed her face with the red liquorice twist she and Jacob had been munching on together in hopes they'd drop the conversation.

"I think it's nice she invited them. Nobody ever does," Angela, the sweet angel that she is, jumped to Bella's aid. Mike on the other hand scoffed and lowered his head, "Yeah, 'cause Cullen's a freak."

One of Jacob's friends chuckled in agreeance, "You got that right." But where Mike was just being an ass and speaking from a place of jealousy, this guy— whatever his name was— sounded like he truly despised the Cullens as a whole.

And that had Bellamy on edge.

He might not be the biggest fan of the Cullens right now, but that didn't mean he was okay with listening to people trash them when they weren't even here to defend themselves.

Bella ignored the insult; her curiosity winning her over, "Why, do you guys know him?" Jacob shot his friend a look, but it was too late, the native was already looking at Bella with a serious and dark gleam in his eyes.

"The Cullens don't come here," is all he offers up in response as if that explained everything.

Newsflash, it didn't, it explained nothing.

Bellamy loudly scoffed and began to shed himself free of the blankets. "This has been real interesting, or whatever, but I think I'm gonna go explore the beach now." He hopped out of the van and roughly shoulder-barged past the two La Push natives on his way down to the sand.

And if he smiled when he heard them grunt in pain? Then that was for him to know, and him alone.

While on his way down to the beach, Bellamy would occasionally stop and look at some shells lying along the shore and watch as teenagers ran around, throwing sand and splashing eachother in the cold waters.

Everybody was laughing and smiling, all having a good time.

It was nice. It felt relaxed and carefree with the loud crashing of waves in the background and the call of seagulls above. Bellamy had to admit that his sister might've been correct in her decision to come down here.

He should now find a quiet place to relax in, maybe even take a nap. Preferably by the bonfire he could see a small group of people building.

They had dug out a pit and were filling it with branches they found along the shore.

Bellamy crept closer to the pit and found himself a nice big rock to lean up against. It wasn't too close to the bonfire, he had a good amount of distance between him and them. He observed the group for a bit, watching them drag up sticks and rough house with eachother.

Most of them seemed to be Quileute natives, he hadn't seen any of them in school and they were all very clearly around the same age as him. They also had similar hairstyles and the same caramelised complexion, so he figured they must go to school with Jacob on the reservation.

He watched them build for a while and pulled over his hood, his arms and legs crossed as he relaxed back against the hard stone.

They'd done a good job with the pit and their selection of wood, it made him wonder if this was a regular occurrence for them. It didn't take long for them to finish the pit and watched as the bonfire came to life, fire erupting from the hole they'd dug.

A few of them had even brought a few cans of beer, most likely snuck in by an older member and were now sitting around on logs or plastic beach chairs. Their legs were kicked up and their laughter rowdy.

It was all so... normal.

And with all the strange occurrences he'd been experiencing lately, he's almost forgotten what being normal feels like. He's just so used to the weirdness.

With a sigh, Bellamy forced himself to focus on the scene in front of him and not on the family full of mysteries. He knew that if he continued going down that train of thought, he'd be left unsatisfied and muddle-headed.

Time went by and Bellamy found himself growing more comfortable. The crowd of teenagers hadn't tried approaching him and had given him a wide berth, giving him a sense of privacy just long enough that he allowed his eyes to close.

But he should've known that privacy on a beach full of tipsy teenagers was just a dream, a rather foolish one at that too.

Barely any time had gone by and Bellamy was only half awake, he could still hear the excited chatter of people around him. It was like white noise for him, he could hear it but it was distant and fading.

That was until his body suddenly went on alert.

He hadn't been completely sure what was happening at first as— his mind still dazed— but when he heard the shuffle of feet near him, he quickly realized that somebody was looming over him.

For a second he thought that it might just be somebody checking to make sure he was still breathing, something most people do when at a party, a rather normal routine check-up done by those sober and still aware of their surroundings.

That was until he heard a clicking sound and felt an unbearable warmth near his face.

Instantly, Bellamy's eyes shot open and he sat up.

"Oh, you're awake... well, this is awkward." Bellamy's vision took some time to adjust but eventually, he took in a tall tanned teen with bright forest green eyes crouching in front of him with an uncapped marker that was only centimetres from his face.

"You're joking, right?" Had this guy seriously been about to draw on his face?

"Uh—"

"Don't answer that, you've already been caught red-handed with the weapon, so I suggest you cooperate and hand the marker over to me." Bellamy held out his hand and waited, he was still a little confused with why this was happening in the first place, but honestly?

This was hardly the weirdest thing he's woken up to, maybe a top ten, but definitely not the weirdest. Thankfully, the guy put up no struggle and handed over the marker to him with a loose smile hanging on his face.

Bellamy returned the smile with his own snarky grin as he grabbed the marker and threw it somewhere far away, hopefully, to never be seen again. His actions earned him a startled laugh from the stranger, one that caused his entire face to light up.

"Was that necessary? What if that was my grandfather's marker?"

"Was it?"

"No, but it's the principle that counts, is it not?" Bellamy was trying hard not to smile and give away his amusement. This was some stranger who'd just tried to draw on his face thinking he was asleep, he should not be smiling and having fun right now.

"I don't think there's a 'principle' for drawing on strangers' faces," retorted Bellamy.

"Well," the green-eyed teenager shrugged off Bellamy's response and made himself at home on the sand.

"You know, most people run when they're caught trying to graffiti another's face." His words did not affect the strange boy and all Bellamy could do was watch as the guy got settled and comfortable beside him.

While the teenager was distracted, Bellamy decided to take the chance to observe the other. The first thing that called to his attention was the hair, it was long and black and flowed down over his shoulder in a loose braid.

It looked a lot like Jacob's hair, only longer, much longer.

He had to be a Quileute native, explained why he'd never seen the guy before. Bellamy knows he would've remembered eyes like his, especially with how green they were. They reminded him of the forest; so vivid and bright.

Bellamy was distracted and hadn't realised he'd been caught staring until it was too late.

"You do know that it's rude to stare at a stranger, right?" At some point, the teenager had turned to look back at Bellamy, giving him a glimpse of the golden flecks blending into a sea of green.

"I think it's fine when said stranger is a criminal," the teen cackled in surprise. "Besides, I'm only familiarising myself with your face so I can help give the sketch artist back at the station a clear and detailed description." Bellamy tried hard not to smile when he saw the guy's expression fall and his mouth drop in horror.

There was no way he was going to report somebody for trying to draw on his face, he'd have to be insane to even try. That didn't mean he couldn't give him a good scare, now did it?

But something must've given away his thoughts because one second, the teenager was horrified, and then the next he was smiling. "You have a very dark sense of humour, don't you?"

Bellamy hummed, "It runs in the family," he said.

The teenager grinned and tilted his head to the side, he assessed Bellamy with a curious look. "Oh, I haven't even introduced myself yet." His eyes brightened and he quickly wiped his hands on his jeans before reaching forward to shake hands with Bellamy, "I'm Lucas, Lucas Moore, and you are?"

"Bellamy, Bellamy Swan," he reached to shake Lucas's hand when the other teenager spoke up again. "As in Bella's brother?" Bellamy's brow raised in confusion, "How do you know Bella's my sister?"

"You two are all Jacob can talk about these days, especially Bella. He never shuts up about the two of you, it's a little hard to forget your names when it's all you ever hear." He smiled at the mental image of Jacob going around and talking about him and his sister to anybody who'd listen.

It was quite nice, actually, that Jacob was so excited about their return to Forks.

"You're a lot different from his descriptions though, a little dark and prickly." Wait, what? Bellamy scrunched his face as he thought about the traits, dark and prickly that had just been assigned to him.

"I'm dark and prickly?" Bellamy echoed.

"Yeah! You've got a wicked dark sense of humour and you seem a bit prickly, like somebody with a lot of thorns." What kind of first impression had Bellamy been giving Lucas to suddenly be deemed as somebody with thorns?

"Okay, so let me get this straight," said Bellamy.

"First, you try to draw on my face while I'm sleeping, and then you proceed to insult me by saying I'm... thorny?" Lucas's eyes widened and he quickly scrambled to try and correct himself, "Well, I said prickly— wait, that's beside that point! I didn't mean it as an insult, in fact, most plants with thorns happen to be the prettiest! Take roses for example!"

"Roses?" Now Bellamy was trying not to smile as the boy in front of him continued to ramble in an attempt to save himself.

"Yes! Roses! The thorns on roses are only a natural defence to deter away predators, but as long as you handle them with care, you won't get pricked by their thorns!"

"So now you're hitting on me?" He'd only said it in a joking manner, he knew Lucas was most likely not flirting with him, yet the pure confusion on Lucas's expression... Bellamy almost laughed in the poor guy's face.

"Wha— No!... I— I don't think I am?" Lucas looked so confused like he'd just stumbled onto a complex mathematical question and he wasn't even sure himself. "I feel like I would realize if I was flirting, wouldn't I?" Bellamy never got the chance to respond and further tease Lucas before his sister's voice cut in, "Bellamy!" She yelled.

He whipped around to spot his sister running towards him, sand kicking up with every step she took.

"Seems I'm being summoned away by the she-devil herself," Lucas chuckled and shook his head.

Both he and Bellamy stood up and dusted the sand off of their pants. Bellamy opened his mouth to say goodbye when Lucas beat him to it. "It was nice meeting you, Bellamy. I do hope we meet again, you seem interesting. So if you're ever visiting the rez, you should let me know, maybe we can catch up?"

"Okay, now you're definitely hitting on me," Bellamy jokingly stated, causing Lucas to let out a bellowing laugh.

"Sure Bellamy, this is me flirting and not an attempt at befriending you." Lucas rolled his eyes and gently shoved at Bellamy's shoulder.

"Wait... that was you trying to be friends with me?" Bellamy looked at Lucas with a sympathetic stare, "You don't have a lot of friends, do you, Lucas?" Said boy clutched onto a section of his shirt just above his heart, his mouth open in mock offence.

"I'll have you know I have many friends! So many friends. You should consider yourself lucky that I even considered trying to be yours!"

"Oh yes, of course. Thank you so much for trying to draw on my face and calling me prickly, all in the name of courting me into what you consider to be 'friendship'." Bellamy and Lucas looked at eachother with matching grins.

"Bellamy!" His sister called out again.

She'd stopped a few feet away and was now waiting for him to finish talking, but he could see she was growing impatient with every second wasted.

"I'll see you sometime soon Lucas, knowing how small Forks is, it's inevitable." Lucas nodded in agreement, "I'll make sure it happens, don't you worry about that." Lucas waved Bellamy goodbye and watched as he walked over to his sister and disappeared back up the beach.

"Are we finally leaving now?" Bellamy questioned once he was standing in front of Bella.

"Yeah, I found some stuff out that I think would be better to discuss back at home." Bellamy didn't even question it, he was just happy to be leaving.

Because while it hadn't been a total disaster and he'd even met the strange Quileute native, Lucas— one of the better moments of this trip— he was desperate to get back home and into his bed.

The drive back was quiet, the only noise being Bella's fidgeting and the soft tapping sound that came from the bouncing of her leg.

He didn't question it though, his sister was always a bundle of nerves after being out in a crowd for too long. She preferred her alone time, which is why he'd been so surprised that Bella had forced them both to go to the beach.

By the time they got back, their dad was curled up on his chair with a bowl of mac and cheese that Bellamy had made last night on a whim. He'd been hungry and craving something cheesy, and he knew there were still packets of mac and cheese left so at two in the morning, he was stuffing his face with the cheesy goodness.

It seems his dad had found the leftovers Bellamy put away for later.

"Hey Dad," greeted the twins.

Charlie looked up from the baseball game playing on the television, "Hey, you're back already?" He questioned as he wiped at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, Bella had enough and wanted to come home, think she realised socialising isn't exactly her thing." Charlie nodded along with Bellamy's words, they both knew Bella was an introvert who'd rather be in her own space than go out and make friends.

Not that the concept of friends was elusive to her! Bella had plenty of friends in Phoenix, but it's just that she preferred to be in her own space and do her own thing.

"Well, did you guys have fun? Make any friends?"

"I think I might have, not sure about Izzy though." His mind thought back to Lucas and smiled when he remembered just how ridiculous their first meeting was.

Honestly, who tries to draw on somebody's face and then befriend them all in a thirty-minute timeframe?

"Oh?" Charlie's curiosity was peaked, "Do I know them?" Bellamy hummed in response, "You might, he said his name was Lucas Moore. I'm pretty sure he goes to school with Jacob out on the reservation."

"Moore... Moore," Charlie tested the name out on his tongue and tried to think back. "Ah! Moore! Yeah, I know that name. Moore sometimes works with Billy to help fix up their truck, he's their go-to car guy if I'm not mistaken."

"Wait? Lucas?"

"What? Luc— oh no! I meant his father, Adriel." That made a bit more sense, Bellamy just couldn't see Lucas being the person people flock to when in need of car repairs.

Now Lucas's father on the other hand, Bellamy could see that.

"Anyways, enough of that, you should go upstairs and get changed, you and your sister are dragging sand throughout the house." Bellamy looked down to where he could see a small pile of sand building on the carpet.

'Ah, that wasn't good' he thought.

"Yeah, I think I can feel a handful of sand in my boots..." he hated the sensation, and now that he was aware of the sand between his toes, he eagerly wanted out of his clothes.

Bellamy quickly run up to his room, abandoning his dad and leaving him to continue watching his game. The first thing he did when he stepped into his room he yanked off his clothes and chucked them into his dirty laundry basket by the door.

He also made sure to be careful when pulling off his boots, making sure he didn't spill any sand on the floor before tipping it into the bin. He watched as a pile of sand came flowing out and filled the bottom of his rubbish bin.

Great, just great. He'd be feeling sand in those shoes for the next two weeks, even after flushing them clean.

That was the curse of sand, it got everywhere and leeched onto every surface like a parasite. Two months would go by and he'd still be finding random bits of sand in his pockets or lining the edge of his clothes, it was a menace.

He'd be better off just burning the clothes he took today.

After making sure he got every bit of sand out, even using his fingers to caress the inside of his boots for any remainder, he finally put them away and got changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a brown sweater.

A few minutes went by before he heard the sound of his sister's footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Bellamy?" She questioned.

"Yeah, come on in Izzy," Bella opened the door and quickly walked over to join him on his bed. "So, what's this all about then?" He'd been curious about what it was she'd learned, especially considering she wouldn't tell him back at the beach, so it must be important in some way.

"Well, after you left, I went off with Jacob to ask him some questions because I thought it was strange how they'd reacted to the Cullens." Of course she did, he should've known Bella would go chasing for more information on Edward.

She was a goddamn bloodhound.

"So, what'd you learn then?" Bellamy leaned back and got himself comfortable, ready to listen to his sister's discovery.

"Apparently there are Quileute legends about how the tribe is supposedly descendant from wolves, real wolves." Is Bella trying to tell him that the Quileute tribe are secretly all werewolves...?

"You're not serious, are you?"

"I am, but that's not even the weirdest part." Bellamy highly doubted that, being a supposed 'descendant' of wolves was pretty high on the weirdness scale, he wasn't sure what could possibly top that.

"Jacob said that the Cullens are a sort of natural enemy clan."

Foot, meet mouth.

"How could a family that only moved to Forks a couple of years ago be a part of a Quileute legend?" Bellamy could feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on.

"I have no idea, but Jacob said that his great-grandfather— the chief— found the Cullens hunting on their land. But Jacob said the Cullens were more commonly known as the 'Cold Ones' in their tribe." Bellamy shook his head, he hated how much sense that title made.

Jasper and Alice both had temperatures below freezing, and he's sure that if he checked the rest of the siblings, they'd have the same unnatural temp.

"I know!" She exclaimed, "But apparently, the Cullens claimed to be something else, so they made a treaty that said the Cullens had to stay off of Quileute land or they'll expose them for what they truly were."

"And? What are they?"

"Well I don't know, but Jacob gave me the name of a bookstore in Port Angeles that has the original story. I was hoping to go some time this week and see if the book had anything else on the subject." Bella reached into her pocket and brought out a green sticky note with a name scribbled on it.

Thunder & Whale bookstore.

"So we're going on a big adventure to discover the hidden secrets of Forks?" Bella glared at him, her lips twitching as she fought off a smile. "Sure Bells, we're going on a big adventure to unfold the secrets of a dreary town called Forks."

She rolled her eyes and got up from the bed, "I think we should go visit Port Angeles soon and see if we can find that book." Bellamy had no issues with that, he also wanted to get the book and read through it, see what the full legend had to say.

"Sounds good," he said and watched as his sister left after saying goodnight.

Bellamy sighed and flopped down onto his bed and spread out like a starfish. There were so many mysteries and strange occurrences surrounding the Cullens, and now they're a part of some legend?

He's beginning to wonder if he was living in a messed-up dream.

One where he was stuck in a never-ending loop of misdirection. If they solved one problem, another would pop up out of the blue and they'd be off to solve that one and then another, and then another.

It was a nightmarish situation, and he didn't fancy himself getting stuck in that kind of loop.

Bellamy rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, he was better off going to sleep and worrying about everything else in the morning. It wouldn't do anybody any good if he stayed up until the early morning thinking about the Cullens and who they were.

⋅   •   ⋅   ⊰   ∙   ≼   ☫   ≽   ∙   ⊱   ⋅   •   ⋅

For once, the sky was clear and the sun was high up for all to see. It was warm, the warmest he'd ever been since moving to Forks.

So warm that people were in T-shirts and shorts, some of the girls even bared the chilling winds and wore skirts. It was an unusual sight for Bellamy who'd been used to seeing everybody covered from head to toe, not an inch of skin to be seen.

But now skin was all he could see.

What was even stranger was how not a single Cullen was in attendance today. All day long, Bellamy had been on the lookout, and it wasn't until lunch that he finally got a reason behind the lack of models wandering the halls of Fork's High School.

"He's not here," Jessica suddenly announced.

She'd been sunbaking on top of one of the rarely-ever used tables that sit just outside the cafeteria. "Whenever the weather is nice, the Cullens disappear," she finished with a sigh. The warm rays of sunlight seemed to be doing her some good, her cheeks were rosy and no longer pale and lacking of colour that wasn't makeup.

Bella frowned, "What, do they just ditch?" She asked.

"No, uh, Dr and Mrs Cullen pull them out of school to go hiking, camping, stuff like that." That made no sense to Bellamy, he couldn't imagine his dad or mother pulling him and his sister out of school to go hiking.

Even if Forks was raining and cloudy almost every day of the week, they still wouldn't be pulled out for a rare sunny day. And Bellamy found it even stranger that a doctor of all people was pulling them out for a day of 'family bonding'.

You'd think that as a physician, Dr Cullen would take their education more seriously.

"I tried it out on my parents," she turned and looked at them with a wry smile, "Not even close." Now that Bellamy could understand, that was a normal parental response.

"The Cullens only ever get stranger, don't they," mumbled Bellamy. His sister looked his way, her eyes shining with a familiar and inquisitive gleam.

"Guys! You won't believe this, but I'm going to prom with Eric!" Angela came sprinting over to them, smiling from ear to ear. She rushed to sit down beside him and Bella, "I just asked him. I took control like you guys said!"

Bellamy was genuinely happy for her and it showed in his expression, "About damn time, I was wondering when you'd pop the particular question."

"See, I told you that would happen." Bella reached over and hugged the beaming teenager. "Are you sure you guys have to go out of town that weekend? Because I'd love to see you guys there," Angela questioned as she pulled away.

Jessica having heard the question piped up and looked at Bellamy, "Oh yeah," he said. "It's a family thing," Bella responded to help back up their lie.

"Well I think we should go to Port Angeles to shop for dresses," Jessica huffed and went back to sunbathing. Bellamy knows Mike had ended up asking her to prom, he'd heard about it earlier today through Angela, but it seems the girl still had her hopes up for Bellamy.

"You should go before all the good dresses clear up," Bellamy could already see hundreds of teenage girls wandering the streets of Port Angeles, all of them looking for the perfect dress.

What a nightmare.

"Wait, Port Angeles...?" Bella's interest spiked and her head popped up. "Mind if I come?" she asked.

"Yeah," Angela said in a 'duh' tone, "I need your opinion."

"You should come as well, we'll need a guy's opinion too." With the way Jessica was openly staring at him like a slab of meat on the chopping block, he doubted he was invited to tag along for just his 'opinion'.

"I don't know—" Bellamy started, only to get cut off by his sister, "He'll come!" She said.

He turned to look at her with widened eyes. Bellamy could understand why Bella wanted to go to Port Angela's, seeing as that just so happened to be where the bookstore was located. But why did he have to be dragged along with her?! He'd rather be at home and just wait for her to return with the book.

"Perfect!" Jessica beamed, turned on her feet and stalked off to class, giving Bellamy no chance of talking his way out.

Bellamy looked his sister dead in the eye, "You're a horrible person, I hope you know that." His sister brushed off his comment with a grin, "Come on, we've got to get to our next class." She stood up and followed the crowd of students, leaving Bellamy to rush after her with his bag in hand.

"I'm going to regret this so much," he groaned.

Chapter Text

Currently, Bellamy was perched on a couch watching Jessica and Angela start their own runway show.

It's been an hour since they started shopping for dresses, and so far they've been to two boutiques but none of the dresses there had been what either Jessica or Angela had been looking for, which is how they ended up here, in 'Petite Jolie'.

Three stores and Bellamy already wanted this trip to be over, he's not sure he could handle a fourth.

"Okay, so! I kind of like this one but... I don't know, the one shoulder strap looks weird to me." Jessica came strutting out of her changing room in a dark sleek purple shoulder strap dress that fell to her ankles.

Sure, it was a beautiful dress, but it would've looked better strapless.

"It's weird, don't do it. Look for strapless dresses if you're planning on socialising the entire time, otherwise, try to look for a two-shoulder strapped dress if you're going to dance and move around a lot." Bellamy waved away Jessica and turned back to his sister who looked bored.

"Having fun Izzy?" Bellamy innocently smiled in the face of Bella's death glare, "Shut up Bellamy." He laughed, happy that it wasn't only him suffering. 

Normally he enjoyed shopping, but that was usually only for himself or his family.

"This was your idea, you only have yourself to blame." As he finished talking, Angela came out in a green, short-laced dress. "Well, what do you think?" She looked to Bellamy who'd been the only sibling to give them valuable feedback.

Bella was busy gazing out of the window, her attention drifting and her responses to the girls were lacklustre to say the best. It became obvious very quickly that Bella wasn't interested which left Bellamy to be their go-to advisor.

"Hmm," his eyes ran down her figure and assessed how the dress looked on her.

"I hate it," he said. 

"What? Why, what's wrong with it?" Angela gazed into the mirror and twirled around on the spot, her eyes were glancing around her figure trying to spot what part of the dress Bellamy hated.

"You're too tall for short dresses, you need a longer one, something that hugs your body." Bellamy got up and went over to a nearby rack to find a dress he thought would suit Angela best.

It wasn't long until he spotted a beautiful dark purple dress that he knew would compliment both Angela's dark complexion and figure. "Here, take this and shoo." He passed the dress over to Angela and watched her disappear back into the changing room.

While he was up, he also decided to look for a dress that he thought would suit Jessica. He'd noticed early on that she always seemed to pick over-the-top dresses, ones that made her look like a child playing dress up in her mother's wardrobe.

He searched for a bit, rummaging through the racks of dresses in the sales section until he stumbled across a light pink dress with a large bow on the mid-back and spaghetti straps. 

It was long, reaching down to what Bellamy would presume to be Jessica's ankles. He checked the tag to make sure it was Jessica's size, and when he saw it was, he moved over to her changing room and chucked the dress over the door.

"Here, try this one on," Bellamy called out from behind the door.

"Okay!" Jessica yelled out.

Bellamy went back to sit with his sister and watch the tourists walk up and down the street while he waited for the girls to finish putting on their dresses. He hoped they liked them, especially considering it was getting late and he could tell his sister was getting impatient the longer they were here.

Time went by slowly and all Bellamy could hear was the soft rustling of clothes and the sound of hangers being moved and rattled.

The first to finally emerge from the dressing room was Angela, she stepped out in a long dark purple slip dress that reached her ankles. The straps were thin and the material around her chest flapped a little, making it look like there were small ripples.

It was everything he'd envisioned and more.

"That's the one, don't bother looking anymore because I won't accept anything less than that on you." Angela beamed with pride and whipped back around to the mirror to look herself over. She was running her hands down what he assumed to be silk and admiring the way she looked. 

The dress was form-fitting, so it hugged her body and showed off her slim build. In other words, she looked great and Bellamy had no doubt in his mind that she'd have Eric stumbling over himself when he spots her in this.

While Angela was busy admiring herself, Jessica came out of her stall in the dress he'd chosen. 

It was a good length, thankfully. 

He'd been worried it'd be too low but it reached just above her ankles. The dress itself was tight, just like Angela's and it showed off all her curves and even pushed her boobs up a little.

"Give me a spin please," Jessica was happy to oblige and spun around on her heels.

The back of the dress dipped and showed off a bit of her back. There was also a big pink bow sitting in the middle of her back, the flaps from the bow falling just above where a slit ran from between her legs. It was a long slit, reaching from the very bottom of the dress to where her thighs were.

In the end, he had to admit, they both looked gorgeous in those dresses.

"How do you feel about it?" Jessica was still looking at herself in the mirror with a pleased smile, "I love it," she said. "This is my dress, I don't even think I could find anything else that could compare." Bellamy nodded, he too doubted there would be a better dress for her anywhere in here.

"You should find some heels though, preferably three inches to give you some more height. It is a long dress and while you're not that short, adding a little more height will completely change the overall look." That was one of the other things he'd been worried about when giving Jessica the long dress.

So far it looked good even barefoot, but he knew it'd look better with a pair of heels that added to her height.

"Oh please," she scoffed, "I can run in six-inch heels. I think three inches will be simple enough, don't you think?" Jessica battered her eyelashes with a mocking smile.

"...Six-inch heels?" He was a little impressed, he knows thanks to his mother how deadly heels could be to one's balance.

Jessica nodded, "Six-inch heels," she whispered.

"Huh... okay then," Bellamy turned to Angela. "You would look good with some dangly necklaces and rings, silver maybe?" Angela grinned, "I have necklaces like that. Jess can help me pick them out, we've already agreed to get ready together and help accessorise eachother."

"Great! That's my job done then, you guys should go get changed and pay for—" Bellamy was cut off by a loud bang behind his head.

He whipped around to see what had hit the window when he spotted four boys who looked like college kids catcalling and leering through the window at Jessica and Angela.

There was no hesitation as Bellamy shot up to his feet, "Fuck off!" He loudly yelled. The frat boys jumped a little, their eyes had only been on the girls and were either ignoring his presence or oblivious to him.

But now they were face to face with him, and he's sure his expression looked anything but pleased with their intrusion.

"Don't make me say it again!" He yelled again and banged his fist on the window as a warning. The four boys looked at eachother and hesitated, seemingly weighing their options. In the end, they decided it wasn't worth the trouble and walked away.

It wasn't until he could no longer see their silhouettes that Bellamy took a deep breath and turned, "It's fine, go and get changed, they're gone." Both Jessica and Angela looked uncomfortable, their arms wrapped around their chests and faces devoid of colour.

He didn't want to leave them alone, but he doubted the boys would be back. Port Angeles was a big place, and the bookstore they were going to wasn't too far away... it should be fine.

"Me and Bella need to go grab something but we'll meet you at the restaurant, okay?" Angela was the first to agree and shot a wry look to the window before disappearing into the dressing room with Jessica hot on her trail.

Just to be safe, Bellamy checked out the window again for the four boys, when he didn't see them he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on, we should get going now if we want to find the store before the sun starts setting." Bellamy turned to his sister and helped her stand up from her seat. 

Bella nodded, he could see she was a little on edge with what had happened and just wanted to get the book, have dinner and then leave.

A feeling Bellamy could relate to.

The two Swans walked out of the boutique and Bellamy made sure to double check the crowd for the four frat boys before they went left and started heading towards where the bookstore was supposedly located.

They had to go up a hill, a fact Bella had dreaded once she found out. 

"Seriously?" She asked as she turned to look at him. Bellamy simply shrugged, he was more than happy to carry his sister up if needed.

She sighed, loudly. "Let's just go," Bella begrudgingly began to walk up the hill, her face screwed up in a tight scowl with Bellamy leisurely trailing behind. The walk to the bookstore was a little longer than he'd anticipated though. 

He thought it'd take fifteen to twenty minutes but it ended up taking thirty to get there, a fact both he and his sister had overlooked.

The store was a little way up the hill and it overlooked the busy port below. There were trees and shrubs surrounding the white wooden store and a porch that wrapped around the building. An otherwise picture-perfect bookstore.

"Why don't they have bookstores like this in Phoenix?" Bellamy mumbled. 

"Because it was Phoenix," his sister bluntly stated.

'Can't exactly argue with that logic now can I?' He thought as they walked up the stairs to the front door. Bellamy was the first to reach the entrance and quickly moved to hold it open for his sister to walk through first.

"Thanks," she said lowly, barely louder than a whisper.

It didn't take her long to go off searching by herself, leaving him to walk around and look at all the different books they had. A lot of it was non-fiction or had to do with the history of Forks, there weren't many things here that interested him.

However, they did have some cool trinkets near the front desk, stuff like handmade bracelets, and little keychains with plants and trees. There were bookmarks too, and for some odd reason, stamps.

Why would they have stamps in a bookstore? No idea, but he ignored them in favour of the bracelets he'd spotted sitting in a bowl.

"Do you want a bracelet Izzy?" Bellamy called out to his sister as he rummaged through the bowl. He'd already found a nice green one with different shades. 

There was also a brown one that had a silver wolf dangling from it. Now that one he was buying for sure, he already knew it'd look good and fit in with the rest of his bracelets back home.

"Bracelet?" Bella's head popped out around the bookcase she'd been searching through to look at what Bellamy was doing.

"Do they have a blue one?" She questioned.

"Let me check." He's sure he remembered seeing a light blue mixed with dark blue somewhere in here, he just had to find it again. Which didn't take long seeing as the bowl was on the smaller side of things.

"Found it!" Bellamy called out and held the bracelet up for his sister to take a look at.

Bella peeked out from behind the bookcase again and looked at the bracelet dangling in his hand. She stared at it for a few seconds with a tilted head before coming to a decision, "Sure, I like it."

"I'll add it along with the others then!" He turned to look at the cashier who'd been silently watching the entire interaction. "Hi, could I leave these here to pay for later?"

"Yeah, I'll put them aside for you two." The guy picked up the bracelets and put them into a small see-through bag. 

Seeing that they were already packed and ready to be paid for, Bellamy figured it was about time he started helping his sister search for the Quileute book. With both siblings now on the hunt, it didn't take long for one of them to chance upon the book.

"Hey Izzy, is this the book?" Bellamy had been flipping through a few stacks of books when he noticed a blue book with a circular image of a Native American man who wore a crown of feathers on the front cover.

His sister sighed, "You can't keep saying that every time you pick up a book, Bell." Okay, so maybe he'd been a bit repetitive in his search for this damn book, but he swears it wasn't on purpose.

It's just that they all looked like they could be the one!

"Should I stop looking altogether then?" Bella, regardless of what she'd said earlier, looked up to check the book in his hands when her eyes suddenly brightened and she smiled.

"This is it!" Wait, really?

"Sweet, let's go pay and meet up with the girls. I think we've kept them waiting long enough." They got up and walked to the counter to pay for both their bracelets and the book. Bellamy hoped this thing would have some answers for them, something that could explain the oddities and mysteries surrounding Forks.

Including the Cullens.

"Here you go," the guy managing the counter said as he handed them their stuff in a small plastic bag. "Thanks, have a good rest of your night," said Bellamy as he handed over the money. "You too," the man breezily replied. 

And just like that, the two siblings left the bookstore with a bag in hand and growling stomachs.

"Where did Angela say the restaurant was again?" He was starving, his stomach protesting angrily because he hadn't had any lunch before coming to Port Angeles. It was a mistake on his part, he should've known it'd be hours before they found something they liked.

But alas, he was a fool.

"Bella Italia, I think." She pulled out her phone to re-check the message from Angela and nodded once her answer was confirmed. "My phones a little low," she mumbled as she stared at her phone.

"I'm pretty sure we passed that place on our way to Petite Jolie, so you can turn your phone off to save battery." Bellamy knows they'd passed it by because he still remembers the way he'd lingered and looked inside. The scent of freshly cooked food had almost compelled him to ditch the girls and grab a meal for himself.

He didn't do it, obviously, but he'd been close.

"Yeah, sounds good..." Bella voiced back while he glanced around. They were walking down an empty street that he knew was once filled with people, yet as the sun disappeared, so had the everybody else it seemed.

The entire place was eerily quiet, almost unnervingly so. He could still hear the distant sound of cars in the background and the muted sound of laughter a few streets over. 

Besides that, the only other sound that he could hear was the sound of the wind whistling in his ears. Everything seemed peaceful, if not a little quiet, but his body had other ideas.

His body was tensed up like it was expecting something to jump out at him, he wasn't sure what it was though or what was causing the hair on the back of his nape to stand up, but he knew that something had to be wrong.

"We should hurry up," he said. "I don't wanna keep Angela or Jessica waiting any longer." That was one reason, the other was that he could feel something penetrating through his skull.

A gaze maybe?

Thankfully his sister hadn't yet picked up on anything, "Yeah, I think we've been gone for too long... I might text Angela." Bella stopped and rummaged through the bag to look for her phone when Bellamy quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pushed her to keep walking.

"Don't stop!" He whispered.

"What do you—"

"Isabella. Just keep walking, please." The sudden use of her full name startled Bella, the only time her full name was used was when she was in trouble or when Bellamy was serious.

"Good, now I need you to wrap your arms around my neck, okay? I need to pick you up." Only a few metres behind them were two men, men who Bellamy vividly remembers seeing in front of the boutique.

He's not sure when they'd begun to follow him, but the fact that he'd only seen two when he knew that there were four only further put him on edge. There had been a beer bottle as well, he'd only vaguely made it out in the dark, but he'd seen it gleam under the street light.

They had a weapon.

"Isabella, now!" Bella complied with his instructions, her head bobbing nervously as she wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing Bellamy to pick her up and hold her tightly to his body.

She was quick to take notice of the men following after them from over her brother's shoulder and understanding dawned on her, as did dread.

"Bellamy..." she whispered.

"I know, it's okay. I'll get us out of here and we'll go straight home, okay?" Bellamy was focused on reassuring his sister and speeding up in pace when he became keenly aware of the echoing footsteps that drew closer.

"Hey! Where are you guys going?! Come party with us, we won't do nothin'!" One of the boys suddenly shouted, his speech slurred and indicating that he was heavily intoxicated.

And from the way his friend was laughing at his choice of words, he was also lying.

"Hold onto me and don't let go!" Bellamy didn't wait for any confirmation from his sister and broke out into a mad dash, he needed to get them off of this street and onto a busier one filled with people.

'Filled with witnesses' his mind so helpfully supplied.

Instantly, the footsteps followed and the sound of them chasing after him caused Bellamy to further speed up.

Bellamy could feel the panic crawling up his throat with a vengeance as he pushed himself to run faster, hoping that he could outrun them. But with the way his thighs were burning and his lungs felt like they were being crushed, he doubted that would be happening anytime soon.

The sound of their footsteps gaining on him, their yells and hollering growing nearer caused Bella's nails to dig into his shoulder, her head buried underneath his chin while she whispered for him to go faster.

He wasn't sure where to go though and could only listen to the sound of cars roaring in the distance in hopes it'd direct him onto the main street. The closer he got, the louder the sound became and he quickly made the decision to follow after it. 

He sprinted until he found himself in a large open space parking lot with very few cars scattered around.

There was also the smell of fish lingering in the air, causing him to question exactly where they were. He didn't get any time to linger on that thought when he spotted the remaining two boys sneak out from behind a car.

"Fuck!" Bellamy yelled.

They'd led him here like a goddamn sheep! 

Bellamy whipped around to check if there was still time to escape, but the guys who'd been chasing them were standing there, huffing and puffing. They were tired but he could see the excitement in their eyes, like a predator who just caught their prey.

His anxiety was reaching a new extreme as he slowly began to realise what was about to happen.

"Izzy," he murmured.

"I need you to let go now," Bellamy lowered his sister to the ground and gently helped remove her hands from around his neck. "I'm gonna need you to run for me, okay?"

"What? No! I'm not leaving you b—"

"Isabella!" He fiercely whispered, causing his sister's jaw to snap shut. "I need you to run the second I tell you to," he repeated. "Call Dad and tell him what's happened, get somewhere safe first and don't stop running no matter what you hear, is that understood?"

Bella nodded and swallowed down her nerves with a loud gulp.

She could do this, she could get help.

"The second I say go, Bella, you go. Not a second sooner," Bellamy grabbed the back of his sister's neck and pulled her in for a tight hug. If this was going to end up the way Bellamy thought it would, this might be the last time he gets to hug her.

"Look who we have here boys!" One of the men slurs.

"Hey! Lovebirds! Stop huggin' and come play with us!" Another one yells.

Bellamy held onto his sister for a second longer before letting her go and pushing her behind him. He slowly crept backwards as the four college boys prowled closer.

"Nah man, look at 'em, they're clearly related." The man with short brown hair and crinkled eyes smiled as he leered at him and his sister, his eyes ranking them up and down. "I'm thinking... brother and sister maybe?" He whispered.

His friends all laughed, "Seems we caught ourselves a pair of siblings boys!"

"Our lucky day," the tallest of the group stepped forward, a malicious grin spread out on his face and a half-filled bottle of beer in hand.

Bellamy could feel his body vibrating, his hands shaking as he clutched them tightly and ignored the pain of his nails biting into his skin. He was angry and scared, terrified even. He knew this was going to end in a fight, but he wasn't sure how well it was going to turn out for him.

It was four against one after all and he had his sister to protect.

"I'm only going to say this once... walk away." Bellamy spat the words out like they were poison on his tongue, his jaw clenched and eyes frantically appraising the four in front of him. He wasn't sure if anybody else had any hidden weapons like knives or even a gun, but they did have a beer bottle which could easily be smashed and the shards used to cut him.

He had to be careful, he had to plan this out. There was no way he was going to win, not when pitted against four guys who were both older and stronger than him.

But he could hold out long enough for his sister to make a run for it.

"I knew it when I saw you at the dress shop, but you've got balls, huh?" Bellamy glanced at the bottle he was holding before looking back up. The guy having seen this smiled wider and tried to reach out and touch him, but Bellamy quickly shot forward, headbutting the guy in the chin.

"Fuck!" The man shouted as his head was thrown back, giving Bellamy exactly what he wanted.

"I warned you, fucker." Bellamy hissed and threw a quick punch to the other's throat. He instantly gagged and hunched over, his hands reaching for his throat as he tried to breathe through his splattering coughs.

"Walk. Away." Bellamy stepped forward and kicked the guy in the head, forcing him to roll back towards his friends.

He'd hoped that maybe he scared them, that maybe they'd rethink their actions and decide that they weren't worth the hassle. But his hope was quickly squashed as two of them ran forward— one in a baseball cap and the other being the guy with crinkled eyes— while the other stayed back to check on his friend.

"I'll kill you for that!" The comment had no effect on him, he had only one goal in his mind and that was to protect his sister regardless of what happened to him. 

All he needed was a moment where they were all down for the count or too distracted with him to notice her slipping away.

That was all he needed, just that one simple lapse in judgement.

Bellamy put his hands up to protect his face as the two guys closed in, they're expressions bitter with rage. The guy in the baseball cap threw the first punch, slamming right into Bellamy's side and causing him to cough out a groan.

That was gonna leave a mark.

Bellamy didn't allow himself to crumble though, he stayed upright and rushed forward to tackle the man to the ground.

His friend didn't let Bellamy get the upper hand though and rushed forward to take advantage of the situation. He grabbed Bellamy by the neck, pulling him off and dragging him away from the other. 

Bellamy struggled in his grip, he tried twisting his body and clawing the guys skin while the man wrapped his hands tightly around his throat, essentially choking him as he slammed Bellamy's head into the ground.

"Bellamy!" His sister screamed.

He could see through the corner of his eye her tiny figure racing forward, only to be grabbed by the man Bellamy had sent crumbling to the ground.

"Let her go!" Bellamy screams, voice rupturing as he does.

The man merely laughed and pulled his sister in closer, his hands wandering over his body in a sleezy manner that had Bellamy seeing red. 

"I'll kill you, I'll fucking kill you." Bellamy could barely talk and it was becoming harder to breathe, but with all the strength he could muster, Bellamy grabbed the guy who was choking him and twisted his arm hard enough that he let go.

Giving him the perfect moment to roll away and get back up to his feet.

The crinkled-eyed man tried to snatch him up again, but he was too late, Bellamy was already sprinting towards the taller male and tearing his hands off of his sister's body. "Dirty pig," Bellamy spat as he kneed the taller man in the groin.

The short-haired guy collapsed in pain and Bellamy in a blind rage took the chance to get on top and begin laying into him.

Punch after punch, he didn't stop for nothing. 

It didn't matter to him that his knuckles were bloody or that the man underneath him had become unresponsive after the sixth hit. What mattered was that he'd touched his sister.

He'd touched the one person he should've never even thought about touching. But Bellamy's rage left him completely unaware of his surroundings, a fact that quickly became a weakness and an opportunity.

"Keep your filthy hands off of my—"

"Stop! Bellamy look out!" Bella suddenly yelled, causing Bellamy to pause and try to lift his head to look, but he didn't get far before a glass bottle was smashed into the side of his face, knocking him to the ground.

"Bellamy!" She cries out again, he can hear her running towards him but the sound is cut off by something louder.

There's a bright light suddenly shining onto Bellamy, he could barely see it, he was disorientated after that hit and his body aching with pain. He could hear the roar of an engine though and he prayed to anybody that was listening that it wasn't reinforcements.

He knew he couldn't fight for much longer, not after that hit.

The light comes speeding closer and with an angry screech, the car comes to a screeching halt just a metre in front of where Bellamy's body laid bruised and battered.

Bella took the momentary distraction to continue running to her brother's side. When she got to him, she gasped. The entire right side of her brother's face was drenched in blood and his eyes were barely open.

There was a sudden slamming of a door that startled Bella and caused her to look up. What she saw caused her to cry out in relief and hug her brother's head close to her.

It was Edward.

But before she could call out to him for help, another door opened and slammed shut, and a loud, inhuman growl resonated in both hers and Bellamy's ears.

"Jasper," croaked Bellamy.

He would know that golden halo from anywhere.

But when his vision cleared and the world unblurred, Bellamy sucked in a cold and unsteady breath at the sight in front of him.

Jasper's usually angelic features were twisted into something almost demonic.

His pupils a bottomless pit of black, a colour he'd never once imagined to see on the boy's face. His lips were curled up in a snarl that showed off his wickedly sharp canines and his adam's apple bobbed with every growl that rumbled in his throat.

"Jasper..?" Bellamy hesitantly voiced once more.

The sound of his voice seemed to do to trick and he got the attention of Jasper, his piercing eyes now settled on Bellamy's face and examining the splattering of blood on his skin.

"Get in the car!" Edward orders, his eyes flickering to the twins who are still dazed over the sudden appearance of the two Cullen boys.

Bella was the first to move and helped Bellamy stand up on his feet. He wasn't dizzy anymore, but the adrenaline from earlier was wearing off now that he knew he and his sister were safe, meaning that the pain from all the hits he took was beginning to take a toll on him.

The two slowly walked towards the silver Volvo and climbed into the backseat, leaving both Jasper and Edward outside.

"Jasper, don't." Edward could hear his brother's thoughts and could see the images of their mutilated bodies filling his head, causing his own anger and hunger to strengthen.

"Get in the car, Jasper." There was a moment, a small moment where Edward thought Jasper would attack, but instead, he stiffly turned and jumped into the front seat, his door slamming shut and ratting the car from the force used.

With Jasper out of the way, Edward glanced back at the four men and let out a low menacing growl before walking backwards until he was beside the driver's door.

Inside, Bellamy was hunched over in his seat with his arms wrapped around his torso. He was trying not to cry out and worry his sister any more than she already was. He'd heard Jasper get in and then Edward, but he didn't lift his head. 

Hell, Bellamy's not even sure he can lift his head right now.

"Where's the nearest hospital?" His sister eagerly questioned, her voice muffled as she nervously chewed on her nails. "Bella I'm fine, seriously. I don't need the hospital, but we do need to go meet Jessica and Angela, we've been missing for over an hour now."

"What?! No way, you're hurt, Bellamy! I'll send them a message and tell them what happened, but we're going to the—" Bellamy had turned his head to watch his sister pull her phone and try to send off a message to Angela, only for her face to fall.

"It's dead," she mumbled.

"See? Even more reason for us to go." Bella wasn't having it though and shook her head, "No, Bellamy! Just look at yourself, you're covered in blood! You're going to the hospital and that's final," she yelled.

Her glare was fierce and her eyebrows drawn together in frustration due to her brother's stubbornness.

Bellamy could already see where this debate was going, and considering neither of them were willing to stand down, he'd have to meet her halfway because he was not okay with leaving Angela or Jessica fretting over them for an entire night.

"Fine, since I can't go, you do." He watched as his sister opened her mouth to argue when Edward unexpectedly jumped in to agree with Bellamy.

"He's right Bella, we have another car not too far away. It's ours but we only use it when we're in Port Angeles" The Cullens were sickeningly rich, weren't they?

Wait, hold up, when had they started driving? And how hadn't Bellamy even realised with all the bumps?! Okay, no, he's getting side-tracked here, focus on one thing at a time. 

Bellamy shook his head and looked out the window to watch the passing cars as he questioned the two Cullen boys sitting in front.

"You guys have a random car that you only ever use maybe five times a year, just sitting and collecting dust?" Honestly, who in their right mind would buy a car they barely even use?

"Of course, Rosalie and Alice shop a lot and use up most of the space in the trunk, so we have a spare car for them to use." That... that sentence was both mentally and physically painful to listen to.

Bellamy wanted to question their mentality a little more and try to figure out whose insane idea it was to buy a car for shopping bags when Bella decided she'd had enough of their mundane conversation.

"No! I'm coming with you Bellamy, I'm not leaving you!" She reached forward and grabbed his hand, her fingers mindful of the bruising and ripped skin on his knuckles.

"Bella, stop, okay? I'm fine, but you need to go meet up with the girls. We can't stand them up without explaining to them what happened," the last thing Bellamy wanted was to be questioned, which was why he was sending his sister to do the explaining for him.

And by the look on his sister's face, she understood that as well, even if she was still reluctant to leave him.

"Just tell them I got hurt and that our Dad came to pick me up, okay?" Bella's eyes were still wet with tears and her breathing a little heavy, "I'll be fine," he promised.

In the end, she agreed, "Fine..." she mumbled under her breath.

"Good..." That was one problem solved, now to address the other one, "Take Edward with you as well." Bellamy turned to look at Edward. He didn't enjoy sending his sister off with him of all people, but Bellamy also wasn't about to let her walk to the restaurant by herself.

Not after what just happened.

"I'll make sure she's safe, I promise you that Bellamy." He could see Edward looking at him through the rear-view mirror, his eyes both serious and stern.

It wasn't that he didn't think Edward couldn't protect his sister, because he knew he could.

And it was that reason alone that he was letting his sister go with him in the first place, but what made him uncomfortable with the idea of Bella being alone with Edward was the fact that the boy had too many secrets and was genuinely an ass every time Bellamy's seen him talk to her.

Bellamy glanced down at his ruined sweater and his blood-stained jeans. Bella was right, there was no way he could go outside looking like this, he looked like he was coming from a crime scene.

"Just take me to the stowaway car and I'll drive myself to the hospital, okay?" His response earned him strange looks from everybody.

"Uh, I don't think so. You can barely keep your head up, how do you think you're gonna be able to drive yourself to the hospital?" It was only now that Bellamy realised he was struggling to keep his head up.

He had been using his palm to prop his chin up so he could see everybody.

"I'll take him," Jasper suddenly spoke up.

"Really?" Bella questioned all while he tried to calm his traitorous heart. It'd been the first time he'd heard Jasper's voice in a week, and he hadn't realised how much he'd missed the teenager's southern accent until it was right there in his ears.

"Of course," replied Jasper.

Bella looked away from Jasper and turned to look at her brother. 

He was a mess, his clothes were tattered and his skin was already blossoming with bruises. She'd feel better if he was taken to the hospital by Jasper, she wouldn't be gone for long anyway.

All she had to do was find Jessica and Angela and apologise for ditching them.

"Okay, that sounds good," she mumbled more to herself than in response to Jasper. The ride to the spare car was a quiet one after that, Bella was too nervous and fidgety to keep up with any small talk and Bellamy was too tired to care that the car was uncomfortably silent.

It wasn't until they got to a massive, seven-layered carpark that they began talking again.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Bella had rushed out of the car and over to his side to help him out of the car, but he merely shook his head. "I'm not ninety years old Bella, I don't need an escort. I can walk perfectly fine on my own," he said as he slowly got out of the backseat.

His body might look like it'd just been involved in a car wreck, but that didn't mean he was broken and disabled, he could still move around. He was simply tired and with the adrenaline wearing off and the exhaustion weighing him down, he was slower than usual.

Still, he didn't need help, not unless he suddenly had two broken legs he was unaware of.

Bella didn't push to help him, which he was thankful for. But she did follow closely behind him and open the door to the other car Jasper had unlocked for them.

"Thanks," mumbled Bellamy as he brushed past Jasper and slid into the passenger seat. "Of course darlin', I'm happy to help," the small and stiff smile on Jasper's lips caused a ripple of butterflies to erupt in Bellamy's stomach.

Even battered and bruised, Jasper could still give him butterflies.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Bella asked for the tenth time as she crouched by the opened door and searched his face for any signs that he was lying.

"Bella, go," is all he says in response.

She puffs out her cheeks and stands up with Edward right behind her. "I'll charge my phone and call Dad, I'll let him know what happened and I'll meet you at the hospital, okay?" Bella's voice was so soft and soothing that Bellamy almost leaned into her for comfort.

"I know," he said. "I'll be fine until you get there, okay? You can annoy me all you want after I've taken a week-long nap." He's not even sure a week would suffice at this point, maybe a month-long hibernation instead.

"You get a five-hour long nap and that's it," she warned.

Bellamy laughed and followed up with a groan when he realised laughing hurt a lot worse than breathing did.

"Stop! Don't laugh!" His sister frowned, "I'll meet you at the hospital, okay? Until then stay safe and don't move!" Bellamy had zero plans on ever moving again.

"You know you're the one holding me up from going to the hospital in the first place, right?" Bella glared at him and sighed, but with one last lookover to make sure he was okay, she finally left with Edward in tow.

He watched from the passenger seat window as his sister and Edward disappeared in the silver Volvo to go meet Angela and Jessica at the restaurant they had all planned to eat at.

It wasn't until he was sure they weren't coming back that he finally turned to face Jasper. "You going to tell me how you and Edward found us? Or is that yet another secret to add to the ever-growing pile of secrecy?"

From the way Jasper was avoiding meeting his eyes, Bellamy figured he was right.

Bellamy sighed but didn't push Jasper,  he wasn't going to beg or demand for answers, he knew better than that.

He was also too tired to put up with Jasper's lies, all he wanted to do was rest.

"I'll find out eventually, whether you tell me or not." The Hale boy doesn't respond, but Bellamy can see how his body tenses and his grip tightens on the steering wheel.

"Nothing ever stays secret for long," he finishes and lets his head drop onto the passenger door. There was a moment of silence and neither boys moved until Jasper finally started up the car and backed out of the carpark and onto the main road.

The drive to the hospital was a quiet affair and with every minute flying by, the harder it became for Bellamy to fight against his exhaustion. At one point Jasper had cranked the windows down fully and the cold air had forced Bellamy to stay awake.

He'd turned to ask Jasper to put them back down but noticed that Jasper's body was unnaturally stiff and unmoving. His chest wasn't lifting, almost as if he wasn't breathing.

Bellamy stared for a few minutes until deciding that now wasn't the time and locked away the image of Jasper not breathing for a later date, preferably when he was able to keep his eyes open for longer than a minute.

Eventually, it got too much for Bellamy, "How much longer?" He questioned.

It'd felt like they'd been driving for hours now and Bellamy wasn't sure how much longer he could fight to stay awake.

"We're almost there, why?" Jasper hadn't pulled his eyes off of the road, his head was still tilted away from Bellamy and his hands gripping onto the steering wheel.

"Mmm, I think I'll sleep until we get there." Bellamy slurred, his eyes were so heavy and his body aching with every breath he took.

"Bellamy, that's not a good idea. I think you should stay awake, we're almost there, just a few minutes Bellamy." Jasper's voice sounded so distant and far away, it was strange but Bellamy didn't think too much about it.

He was tired and he just wanted to sleep.

The last thing he saw as he let himself drift off to sleep was Jasper's worried expression, his mouth opened and moving but the words muted to Bellamy's ears.

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"They're all superficial wounds, sheriff." Bellamy was sitting on a chair waiting for his discharge papers so he could finally go home. He's been locked up in the emergency ward for over a few hours now and both his dad and sister were hovering over him like they were worried he was going to drop dead at any second.

"Are you sure? I mean, his clothes are a mess and there's so much blood." His dad tried to lower his voice so that Bellamy couldn't hear, but his dad's never been much of a whisperer.

"He'll be all healed up in a month, but he should take it easy with his body until then. He's heavily bruised and while we didn't need to stitch the cut on his face but he will need to keep it bandaged up so it won't become infected."

Charlie's frown deepened, the nurse's words hadn't helped him in the slightest.

The nurse could see this and simply sighed, "All you can do is wait and allow the body to heal with time."

Bellamy watched as the nurse lifted her hand and rested it on his dad's shoulder in a comforting manner, "What you should be more concerned about is how he'll fare mentally. He just went through a very traumatic experience, so I suggest keeping a close eye on him and maybe even visiting a therapist if needed."

He could feel his right eye twitching at the mention of needing a therapist.

"Hey, Dad? Are those papers done?" Bellamy was quick to put a stop to the conversation at hand. He wasn't about to let the nurse fill his dad's head with thoughts of therapists and mental health, he knew himself well enough to know if he needed professional help or not.

And he didn't— need help that is— what he did need was a shower to wash himself clean of all the blood, and grime and have a long, long, long nap.

"Bell," his sister sighed from beside him.

She'd gotten here a little after Jasper had run away.

The sudden memory of Jasper's figure speed walking away from him as he was being wheeled into the emergency room caused an ache to bloom in his chest. He didn't expect Jasper to stay with him, but he had hoped Jasper would at least walk with him.

Not just drop him off at the front of emergency care and then abandon him the second he was in the care of nurses and doctors.

"Uh— yeah, almost," Charlie looked down at the papers in his hand. "How about you and your sister go wait in the car while I finish up here?" Bellamy glanced at the nurse and then back to his dad.

Bellamy had a rough idea of what the two would start talking about when he left.

"Sure," he eventually said.

He could reassure his dad at a later date, for now though, he just wanted to get home and spend the weekend resting and lazing in his bed with dozens, if not hundreds of icepacks surrounding him.

Bellamy and his sister said goodbye, disappeared into the hospital parking lot and jumped into their dad's cruiser. They didn't talk, mostly because Bella seemed to have other things on her mind and Bellamy was too tired to question his sister.

So that's how they stayed, silent as they waited for their dad. Thankfully, the wait wasn't a long once and in jumped Charlie with a bundle of paper in hand.

But again, nobody talked and Charlie silently started up the engine and pulled out of the carpark. The entire ride was like that, quiet as Charlie frequently glanced back at Bellamy through the rear-view mirror and Bella stared out of the window and watched the trees pass them by.

There was no chatter, no music, no listening to the radio. It was silent, everybody was lost in their own worlds and distracted by their thoughts. 

By the time the trio got home, Bellamy was the first to jump out of the car and race inside.

He always had a set of spare keys on him so he quickly unlocked the front door and went straight upstairs to the bathroom. He could hear his dad calling out from behind him telling him to be careful.

"Be careful and don't run in the house!" Charlie yelled from downstairs. "Okay!" Bellamy echoed back as he locked himself inside the bathroom. 

There was no response but he could hear somebody coming upstairs, most likely his sister walking to her room. He heard her door shut as he heated the shower and pulled off his clothes. His clothes were a wreck with random tears and blood staining the fabric. 

He placed them carefully on the edge of the sink, he'd have to get a plastic bag and throw them out later.

But with his clothes off— only his underwear remaining— Bellamy got a good look at the state of his body and the extent of his injuries.

The first place he looked was his face, he had cuts and abrasions from where their knuckles had repeatedly slammed into him. There was even an indent above his brow, one that looked similar to something a ring would leave behind.

'Explains why their punches had hurt so much' he bitterly thought and reached to lightly trace around the indent.

His under-eye and cheeks were also bruised, and there was a bandage on his cheek that was already red thanks to the cut hiding underneath. It was from when one of the guys had smashed an empty beer bottle on him.

Those weren't even the worst though, the worse had to be the large purple marks on his neck in the form of fingers. He was going to have to wear turtle necks until it healed up, the bruise was too eye-catching for people not to take notice.

And if people noticed, there would be even more questions that he didn't want answered.

Bellamy's eyes drifted down to his torso which was black and blue with large bruises and scrapes decorating his skin from when he was dragged.

There wasn't an inch of his body that had been spared, from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, he was either bleeding from scraps and cuts or bruises were beginning to bloom. Bellamy looked like a mess, he knew it would be bad but he never once thought he'd be this damaged.

No wonder why his dad looked so surprised and suspicious when the doctors told him that he was fine and that his wounds were only superficial.

Bellamy stared at his body for a minute longer to take it all in and get used to his new appearance. It was kind of like looking at a stranger, he didn't look like himself; he was wearing somebody else's skin.

Eventually, he finally stripped the last remaining piece of fabric off of his body and jumped into the shower. He'd already taken off the bandage since they couldn't get wet and simply stood under the spray of water, soaking up every little piece of warmth he could get and ignored the sting of pain that followed.

He felt so much better now that he was washing his body clean of blood and dirt, all the built-up sweat as well. It didn't help with his exhaustion though, if anything, he was even more tired now that he was relaxing in the water and feeling his muscles loosen up.

But the shower was everything he needed and more. He ended up spending a good half hour in the shower until he figured enough was enough and he got out. 

Turning off the water and drying off his body, Bellamy quickly escaped from the bathroom and up to his room. In his rush to be freed of his dirty clothes and cleaned of sweat, he'd forgotten to first grab a change of clothes.

Which was exactly what he was sprinting up the stairs to his room, clutching onto the towel covering his waist and ignoring the jolts of pain from his overused muscles. When Bellamy was safely tucked away in his room, he continued to finish drying himself off and got changed into a large black hoodie and a pair of sweatpants.

Bellamy's eyes were barely opened by the time he was dressed, even his movement had become sluggish.

He was quickly running out of energy. And with that in mind, Bellamy went around and switched off the few lamps he'd left on and climbed into bed, fully prepared to pass out and spend the next couple of days in isolation.

That was what he'd been planning on doing until there was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he shouted.

The door opened and in peeked his dad's head, "Hey, can I talk to you?" He asked. "Uh— yeah, sure?" Bellamy slowly sat back up and rested against his headboard, he also scooted over to make room for his dad who sat on the edge.

Charlie looked around the room for a minute, seemingly trying to come up with a way to say whatever it was he wanted to say. There were a few seconds of silence before Charlie looked back to Bellamy, "I'll catch them... those four boys. I'll catch them," he quietly vowed.

Bellamy's heart thumped loudly in his chest. He understood what his dad was trying to convey to him. His dad's never been very vocal about his emotions, a lot like Bella sometimes. 

Meaning Bellamy sometimes had to read between the lines.

"Thanks, Dad," he doubted they'd be caught, but it was the fact his dad would try that had Bellamy tearing up slightly. The two looked at eachother softly before Charlie reached out and clasped Bellamy's shoulder. "Go to bed," he said, "You can have the week off to rest."

"I will, I'll hibernate plenty." His joke brought a small half smile to his dad's face.

As Charlie stood up to leave, his door reopened again and in popped his sister's head. "Oh, hi Dad," she hadn't been expecting to see him here.

Charlie shook his head, "Go on then." Bella quickly side-stepped past their dad and joined Bellamy under his covers.

"Watch your brother and make sure he doesn't hurt himself in his sleep."

"Bella's the kicker, not me!" Argued Bellamy, and in response to him, his sister nudged his foot. "Go to bed, the both of you," sighed Charlie.

"Night Dad!" The twins yelled as their dad left and closed the door behind him, leaving the two to get comfortable in bed and shut their eyes.

Bellamy was almost asleep when he heard his sister speak.

"Are you okay, Bell?" She softly spoke, her voice barely above that of a whisper.

"I'm okay Izzy," Bellamy replied as he turned onto his side to look his sister in the eye. "I promise, it's just a little bruising, I'll be up and about in no time." His sister regarded him for a few seconds before nodding and closing her eyes to drift off to sleep.

Bellamy watched her for a few minutes to make sure she would stay asleep before he gave into his own exhaustion and closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless slumber.

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Alright, so.

I'm screwed.

I have tried, trust me, to write the next chapter for this fanfic but I've lost all motivation, or at least I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I've been trying to write, even going on to take breaks and write for different fandoms in hopes a spark of creativity will hit me but I've got nothing. I just stare at the blank page not knowing how to even start it off, so I apologise but I have no idea when I'll update this next because my brain has decided to shut down.

I might just do a whole wipe and delete everything, maybe redo it all over again but with a different OC and storyline than this one. 

Again, honestly don't know what I'll do or if I'm coming back but I won't delete it for now since I know a few people have said they really enjoyed this story, so I'll keep it up for those who just wanna come back and re-read it. But I do think for now it's gonna be stuck in an indefinite hiatus.

Sorry for those who were waiting and really wanted another chapter, I just can't seem to get any of my writing mojo to work.