Solstice

Chapter 8: The Plan

"She knew." I couldn't believe what I was staring at, it couldn't be possible. But there it was in my hands, no less. A picture of me, Angela and Edward, from our wedding. And as if I needed more proof that it was real, in Angela's familiar handwriting, were our names and the date. Too many questions were going through my mind for me to even pick out just one to focus on. All I could think about was getting back to Edward. I scurried with all the evidence of our previous existence and ran back towards the school. Just as I ran back onto school property, I realized I didn't have the keys to the Volvo, so I made my way to my locker and stashed everything in there for the time being. When I walked back into class, I took my seat next to Sarah.

Alice always told me that I was a horrible actress, but I tried my best anyway to pretend like nothing was wrong. It was harder to do, since Edward kept giving me the side eye wondering what was going on. But could I tell him, or anyone? With the Volturi coming, I couldn't risk them finding out that Sarah knew our secret. Aro's gift would ensure that they would find out, and they would insist that she be destroyed. Though usually the rule is to either become one of us, or die, I was sure just know the Cullen's by association would guarantee her death. I couldn't let that happen to anyone of Angela's family.

But she knew. Somehow she pieced it together. I replayed the conversation with the note passing yesterday, she must have been asking me what were we really, but lost the nerve cause she thought she was crazy. Her thoughts. How did Edward not hear this? If she thought we were the same Bella and Edward from the photo, she would have had hundreds of questions going through her mind, how didn't he hear any of them. And Alice, I'm sure at some point Sarah made a decision to confront me about the photo, why didn't she give me a warning?

The bell rang and I gathered my things like the rest of the student body. The questions were still going through my head when Sarah's voice cut through them sharply. "Bella, would I be able to partner with you for the project? I know you could always be with your boyfriend, but I was just thinking maybe since you're new and none of my friends are in this class, maybe we could be partners?" I honestly didn't know what to make of her.

"Yeah, umm, sure," was all I could muster. I didn't even know there was a project assigned. I must have been gone longer than I expected. I'll get it from Edward. And with that, she was out the door.

Me and Edward were the last students to leave the classroom. We walked quietly to lunch. At first Edward tried asking me what was wrong, but I didn't know how to word it properly. My initial reaction would be, we need to move. But I knew Carlisle wouldn't like that idea for the fact that we wouldn't know what Sarah would say once we were gone. At the cafeteria we sat together, again, minus Renesmee. I was glad she was finding her own friends, I didn't want to have to pull her from school. No we were staying, that much I was sure of. I kept shaking Jasper's gift off of me. He was trying to flood me with peace and contentment. But I didn't want any of that right now. I wanted resolve and I wasn't going to get it with fake emotions. I didn't even bother with the props in front of me. I only kept my focus on Sarah. I kept looking at her while she was at her table, but se wasn't really paying attention to me or my family. I needed to get to the bottom of this.

"Alice, do you see me doing anything in the future?" I wanted to talk to Sarah, but I wanted to make sure that nothing bad would happen.

"Yeah, you're having lunch with that girl over there. You're talking and she seems a little scared, but the conversation is hushed, I can't even make out what you're talking about. Even the vision is hazy, like you haven't fully committed to having it yet. Why?"

"I don't know yet." Without warning, I stood up and walked over to Sarah's table. When I was behind her, her friend nudged her and Sarah looked back up at me. "Sarah can I talk to you for a minute?"