He was following me.
I think he was trying to make it seem casual, non-intentional; but it was kind of hard to miss that even in the canteen, he was sat a few chairs away, staring. And all his brothers and sisters were staring, as well. I felt self conscious as I ate- they weren't eating anything- and eventually entirely gave up the enterprise. I picked up my tray and quickly left the room.
And he followed.
I walked around the buildings, trying to confuse and loose him, but as I turned round the back of building four, he was there, leaning against the wall, not moving. I gasped in astonishment; was he a crazed stalker, or just really enjoying irritating me?
"Is there a reason you are doing an excellent imitation of my shadow?"
He just simply stared down at me.
"Hello?" I said, walking over to him. "You didn't answer my question."
He shrugged.
I hissed, and started to walk away.
"Wait!" I stopped involuntarily. I didn't hear him come closer but suddenly he was beside me. "Emily."
He didn't continue, just said my name. I turned to face him, and was shocked at how pained his face was. He looked like someone had stabbed him.
"What?" I said, trying to make my voice kinder. I don't know if it worked.
"Where's your mom?"
I stared at him. What kind of psycho asked something like that?
"Why? Did you know her?"
He looked suddenly even worse. "Did I know her?" he whispered.
"Yeah, did you?"
"I still do," He looked suddenly unstable, "don't I?"
I didn't understand. What was he on?
"Er, well, um, if you did-"
"If I did? Why are you talking in the past tense?"
Jeezis, this was difficult. How do you tell someone this kind of news? Yeah, so my mom kinda copped it ages ago…
"Please tell me what you mean."
His voice was strained, emotionless; his face was suddenly blank. I couldn't do this!
I jumped as he gripped my shoulder; his touch was ice cold. I met his eyes, and suddenly I found myself telling the truth.
"My mom died."
He gasped, and fell to the floor. I jumped; what the hell?
"Are you okay?" This was psychotic behavior, alright.
He raised his head to me. "how long ago?"
"Um, seventeen years ago…it's kinda weird you didn't know already…"
I heared something dry, racking, painful sounding; he seemed to be crying. Rolling my eyes, I sat down next to him, and gingerly, feeling awkward, I put my arm around him.
"Um… it's okay," I said, mentally taking note that I was crappy at bedside manner. Doctor was off my future career list.
He didn't move. He looked like a statue.
"Er… hello?"
He still didn't move. I was starting to feel really stupid, when I heard a high, trilling voice. "Edward!"
I looked up, and saw the small, pixie like girl who was Edwards sister; she ran over to us much to fast, I blinked a couple times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. She turned to me, her face livid.
"What did you do?" She hissed.
My own temper rose. "Me?" I replied, "I did nothing! I just told him about my mom and he spazzed out!"
Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "Your mom."
"Yeah!" What was it with these people and my mom? Had they all been part of some secret society of wierdo's or something? Ha, it'd be a shock to Charlie's system to find out his perfect Bella had been a member of a suicide pact or something like that. I enjoyed the idea more than I should. I suddenly realized that I was totally jealous of my mom.
"Your mom was Bella, wasn't she?"
My jaw dropped. "Er, yeah."
"Edward?" She dropped to her brothers side, and I withdrew my own arm gratefully. "Edward, you're not thinking of taking off, are you?"
He raised his eyes. "I have to."
"No," the girl's voice was suddenly frantic. "No, Edward, you don't, Bella would never have wanted-"
But his attention was back to me. His head snapped around, making me jump again. "Who's your dad?"
"What?" He was just being plain rude now.
"Who. Is. Your. Dad?"
I glared at him. "Like it's any of your business!"
Edward growled, and lunged at me. The girl yelled at him, but he pinned me down on the ground, his face, insane looking now, closer to mine than was altogether comfortable.
"WHO IS IT?"
"Jacob Black!" I spat back. Edward's face changed form insane to livid.
"Where is he?"
"Gone," I hissed.
"Gone where?"
I laughed dryly. "Like I know. He took off after my mom died."
Edward gave a sort of weird spasm when I finished the sentence. His eyes suddenly looked dead. He relaxed his grip on me, and withdrew.
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah, well you freaking well should be!" I sat up, rubbing my arms. "Talk about spaz- hey, where're you going?"
Edward had stood up, and was shaking all over. The girl was staring at him horrified. Edward turned to her. "Thankyou, Alice."
"Don't go," she whispered.
He shook his head, turned to me, then looked away quickly. Suddenly, he was gone.
"Where'd he go?"
I turned to Alice, who's face was contorted into one of absolute grief. He breath was becoming uneven, and then suddenly she wasn't breathing anymore.
"Hello? Are you okay?"
"He's gone…to Italy…"
I blinked. Why was she looking like he'd died? Italy was supposed to be really nice.
"I had to let him…go…" Alice was suddenly on the ground. I rolled my eyes. Not again.
Alice turned to me. "He loved you mom, Emily."
Another Bella-fan-club member. I groaned, and stood up. "Right. Okay."
"Emily," She interrupted my leaving.
"Yeah?"
"Look after yourself."
I blinked. Alice was looking at me earnestly. "Um, okay."
I walked away, and didn't look back.
All this crazy stuff was part of my mom's life, not mine. It wasn't any of my business, and I didn't want any of it. I wasn't going to wallow in her mess. I was going to live my own life, and hopefully be around for my kids, just like she hadn't for me.