6Love Beyond Death: A Prequel chapter to the Twilight Books
Witness
Lavender eyes locked with dark brown for what felt like an eternity. Time seemed to freeze in that moment as neither girl moved. As confounding as it was to Amelia, the girl wasn't running and screaming from witnessing something unnatural. Particularly a destructive display.
Couldn't say the same for Amelia. Mentally, she was freaking out. Cursing in all languages she knew. French. Italian. Spanish. Even a few made up English words.
Although, she had a feeling that it translated pretty well on her face. She feared that she may have a mental break down, or an anxiety attack. She couldn't even articulate or form any words, just stand there like a deer caught in headlights. She froze.
She exposed herself carelessly without a second thought.
Can' even use my power in the safety of my own 'ome anymore...
Another shatter echoed from across the table between them, making both flinch at the unexpected sound. If she didn't get a grip on her powers, she may hurt one of them.
Focusing her mind, she could feel a sense of energy withdraw, though she wished that her emotions would obey her command as well. Everything began to come back full force from the slight shack in her hands, the tremble down her spine, her heart rate sky-rocketing, and that feeling as if ice cold water dumped on her.
This wasn't supposed to happen. She limited outside interactions with other kids and people for this very reason because no one could know. No one could ever understand! She lived a sheltered life for the protection of her and her mother as well as others. Yet, no matter how much she tried to stop it, her thoughts were everywhere.
Vhen did she get 'ere?! She saw! She saw everything! V-Vhat do I do?! Ooooh God...grandma Theo!
Before she could voice any thoughts first, the silence was disrupted by the girl.
"Th-that was... H-How did you do that? I-I've never seen anything like it..."
Lilac eyes blinked rapidly, her mind catching up with the girls stuttered question. No longer was she filled with doubt only, but confusion as well. Her mouthed imitated a fish out of water a few times before she was able to form her first word. "Vh-vhat..?"
Following the girls wide surprised eyes around the room, Amelia noticed the extent that her powers unleashed. It was all pure accident on her part, but Theodora may not see it that way. It looked like she took out her anger on the flower pots with a bat. She definitely did NOT want her grandmother to think she had anger problems.
The pots were cracked along walls and mainly the area around the bench where she sat. The vines were longer, now wrapped around the bench securely, in an arch around her spot as if to shelter her. The roses were now huge!
Yeah...can' really explain roses the size of our 'eads...unless I say that ve use a family secret flower growth formula! Kind of like some science experiment gone wrong. Jeez, as if she'd believe that...she saw 'em grow!
Groaning at the full realization of the damage, Amelia's shoulders dropped in trepidation. "Granny Theo's going to kill me for ze pots...just glad that I didn't shatter the glass windows...this whole place ez a glass 'ouse!"
A soft breathy chuckled came from the other girl, which earned a weird look from Amelia. Vhat is with this girl...
Feeling slightly calmer considering the situation, Amelia quickly assessed the girl before her. She stood slightly taller than her, dark brown hair framed her pale soft face with those deep dark brown eyes. Hands tucked in her jean pockets, a simple dark blue t-shirt with a floral print on the front, and simple white shoes. She could tell that this girl was more or less mature for her age from the calm and intelligent look in her eyes. It was different than most kids their age. Yet she had to reserve judgement until she knew how this girl will react.
"Ah..." Amelia grimaced at the thought of explaining since she wasn't entirely too sure herself.
"Amelia! Where are you?" Theodora's voice called from across the house, her footsteps sounding closer.
Wide eyed, Amelia jumped into action, hands gripping her hair and she spun to assess the greenhouse in panic. "C-Coming, grandma!"
Mentally cursing, she darted towards the door, yanking the girl to follow. The girl stumbled a few times until eventually she tripped, pulling Amelia with her right outside the door. With startled gasps, the two grunted in pain at the sudden greeting with the ground. Just as her grandmother came closer, Amelia used her foot to shut the door from the ground in time.
"What on Earth...are you two ok?"
The girls looked up to see two grown women, one being her grandmother. The other she assumed could be this girls mother.
"U-uh, yeah, we just...kind of...bumped et tripped over each other...when we turned the corner..." the smaller girl grimaced at that lame explanation, yet it seemed to have been bought when the two adults chuckled. She glanced at Bella to see her staring straight at her, unsure what she was thinking. Hopefully, she'd play along with her lie.
"Ah, that tends to happen with Bella. She can be so clumsy, gets it from me." The women with a shade or two lighter than the girl, Bella, laughed. Her eyes brightened when she spoke of Bella, in such a motherly way. Amelia felt a pang in her heart at the thought of her own mother from that look. It was so much like her mothers smile...
"Ah, well, it seems Bella(she gestured towards the girl) found you, Amelia. This is Renee, Bella's mother. They live a few houses down. She's a school teacher at the Elementary as well." Theodora smiled at them, but when her eyes connected with Amelia's own lavender, she could have sworn she saw a pointed look, which flickered towards the greenhouse door.
Oh, Gods, she knows! I'm in so much trouble!
"Uh, b-bonjour. 'et ez nice to meet you!" She quickly shot her hand out to shake Renee's who smiled kindly. Turning, she smiled hesitantly at Bella. "And...sorry 'bout earlier..."
Bella gave a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, shuffling awkwardly on her feet. "No problem."
"Wow, you're eyes are beautiful! I've never seen anything like them..." Renee stared in awe at the color of her lilac eyes, a common reaction she'd get from people who were brave enough to speak rather than just gawk. Despite the millions who do that, she'd never get used to the attention. She hated it. In fact, at times, she hated her eyes. "My, you're a beautiful young girl. With eyes like that you must get a lot of compliments!"
"Ah, merci. Er, thank you, I mean. You 'ave no idea." Amelia muttered with a tight smile. Though the older women didn't notice or mind as she smiled warmly at her.
"Well!" Renee clapped her hands, gaining both their attention. "While Ms. Hartwood is out for her errand run, why don't you join us, Amelia? We're going to a pottery class. It'll be fun! We can even show you are around during your stay here! So how about it?"
Wait? She's leaving? Why is this the first time I'm hearing of it?
Amelia cringed on the inside at the over the top enthusiasm, eyebrows raised high on her brow. Judging by the sigh she heard from Bella, this was a normal thing. How embarrassing. Though by the look her grandmother sent her, she really didn't have much choice.
"Uh, sure! Sounds like fun!" Oh, the irony...
"Excellent!" Renee smiled at the girls who shifted uncomfortably, turning to Theodora. "I'll have her back by the time you get home. It'll be a girls day out!"
Theodora smiled thankfully. "Amelia is well-behaved so I've no concerns. But should anything come up, please give me a call. You have my number still, don't you?"
"Of course!" Renee chirped and turned back to the girls. "Well! Let's wait for Amelia in the living room so she can get ready. I would say some clothes you don't mind getting dirty to wear. It can get messy."
With that she was left with her grandmother who watched them go, waiting for them to be out of earshot. Turning to her granddaughter, Theodora sighed. "Everything ok, Amelia?"
"Uh, oui, why wouldn't eet?" She tried to play it cool. Failed judging by the skeptical look she got.
Her grandmother hummed before waving her to get ready. "We'll talk when you get home. It's been a long time coming, sweetie."
As if that comment didn't bother her in least.
With a perturbed look, the small frowning girl turned to change. Quickly jumping into jean shorts, sandals, and a plain slate grey tank top first before gathering her hair and tying it back out of her face. Without worrying over looks, she walked out and greeted the others.
"Ready." She announced.
Amelia's grandmother turned to her and smiled. "Be careful and listen to Renee. And try not to break anything else, alright, sweetie?"
Ugh...
At that moment, she felt as if her eyes could pop out from how wide her went that at that moment. Glancing past her, she saw a surprised look cross Bella's face. She heard it, too. Playing it off as a joke, Amelia tried hard to give a believable laugh, immediately dropping the act once she stepped out the door.
"Have fun, Amelia!"
Ya...sure...
Not even a whole minute in the car she was feeling the girls expectant and curious gaze.
"So..." Bella whisper from next to her in the backseat of the car, eyeing her mom who drove to make sure she couldn't hear over the radio. "What happened in the greenhouse..."
At this, Amelia rolled her eyes in annoyance and mentally groaned. Oh, Deiu. 'ere comes the twenty questions...
"Look," Amelia turned the other girl who waited with baited breathe. "Bella. They were old pots and the heat got to them or something...I don't know...vhatever eet eez you saw, was pure accident. Coincidence. Eet was nothing. I did nothing. You're seeing things. I didn't zee anything! Vhat are you talking 'bout?"
At that she twisted back to face forward stiff, face comically tight with large eyes as she found the back of the front seat interesting.
What was that?! Also, am I trying to convince her or myself? Now she definitely knows something eez off. Stupid! This eez vhy I'm 'orrible at lying!
The look Bella gave her was nearly comical, she pursed her lips to keep from laughing. Sighing, Amelia glanced at Renee who was pulling up at a building. Giving Bella one last look, she unbuckled herself before stepping out, ignoring the determined look the girl gave her. This was going to be a long day, she thought dejectedly.
"Then how do you explain the plants that...grew!" Bella whispered to her as they walked side by side after Renee who spoke briefly with another person who pointed in a direction.
"'onestly! I don't know what you saw!" Amelia gritted her teeth. "You're imagining all of that!"
"Look, I'm not going to tell anyone. I promise!" The girl nearly begged. It was a little annoying, worse with the sudden attention of one person. No one really spent this much time trying to figure her out. Just accepting that she was inverted and socially shy. Despite being quite the opposite. She's can be very outgoing.
At that, Amelia paused to look at the taller girl with a skeptical look. "'ow can I be so sure that you're telling the truth? I don't even know you all that vell, we just met! Although, even if you did tell someone...they vouldn't believe you. Think you're crazy..."
Walking ahead of them, she shouldered past Bella to get to a seat only to see the girl follow and sit in the seat next to her. Renee sat across from them with a happy look as she watched the two of them talking, unaware of the subject.
At this, Amelia grumbled in her thoughts, doing her best to keep the scowl from her face. Ve must look like best friends trying to keep hush hush over lil' girly secrets...or vhatever girls our age talk about...boys?
Amelia sat with a tight-lipped smile at Renee before a scowl took over the moment she looked away towards the instructor. With a deep breath, she straightened herself as they set up the spinning tables in front of them.
With a repeated process of wetting their hands and attempting an artistic hand at molding the clay to however they wanted, the three of them fell into a casual discussion.
"So, Amelia, how're you adjusting to Arizona?" Renee smiled at the girl who acknowledged her question.
Hesitantly, she considered her words. "To be 'onest, it's different than vhat I'm used to."
"I can imagine. I honestly don't know much of Ireland or France myself just photos. I bet they're as beautiful in person." She spoke kindly, though she seemed interested in the topic of Ireland. She continued in after thought. "I also noticed that your accent is a mixture of French and what I'm hearing some Irish, but mostly French, am I right?"
Smiling a small genuine one, Amelia nodded and looked down at her work. "Oui, they are both wonderful. Very much so. I miss France a lot. It feels like it's been forever. But...this eez my new 'ome now."
"As for my accent, eet gets complicated." Humming in thought, Amelia paused for a moment to consider her explanation. "I grew up in France, just like my father as mother vanted. Mother was an Irishwoman, 'aving lived a majority of her life in Ireland before moving to France when she married father. So I lived with the two cultures and the accents sort of just began to mesh together over time. I went to school speaking French as well. It vas important to know English and French."
As if to sense the gradual mood shift, Renee avoided the topic of her mother after that for the time. Happily, Amelia spoke of her old home village in Ireland, her mood picking up once more. She had no idea how much she truly missed it until this moment, but it didn't hurt as it did before when she had first arrived in the States.
One thing for certain, she was glad that they didn't bring up her mom, or when she faltered at a brief mention of her mom. After sharing stories over Ireland and Arizona, they fell into comfortable conversations over random topics.
Nearly half an hour into their experimental sculpting, they were finally finding shapes for their sculptures. She found it calming to focus on an easy mindless task.
She eased her spinning into a slow stop to observe her newest shape when something wet slapped her across her face with a squelchy splat, and stuck there. Flinching at contact, Amelia grimaced at the slightly disgusting feel.
"Arse biscuit!" she hissed out as low as she could when frightened. Fortunately, no one heard besides the girl beside her.
Stunned, she reached up to feel that it was clay. Turning, her eyes locked with the shocked and embarrassed brown eyes of Bella Swan.
She had no idea who was more shocked, she or Bella. Looking at Bella's warped sculpture that barely hung to the table, Amelia couldn't stop the grin spreading across her face then released a hardy laugh at her disfigured mess of a sculpture.
"Pft! Haha! Y-You look like you're 'aving a whale of a time over there!" Amelia laughed out as she enjoyed the mess that covered Bella. "I swear, does everything you do go aresways on ya? The trip and now this? You poor thing."
As Amelia began to wipe the clay off her face as she still laughed, Bella couldn't help but to join in the humor. Chuckling with the Irish girl, Bella yelped at the sudden wet smack against the side of her face, feeling the wet clay slide down. The brown eyed girl looked at the piece both shocked and offended expression which made Amelia laugh harder to the point she had to hold her gut.
It was then that Amelia realized that she hadn't laughed in a long time. She almost forgot that she even could.
Before either knew it, they were tossing pieces of clay at one another, oblivious to the annoyed looks the few other older students gave them. Eventually they had to stop when Bella's mom sternly told them to behave. Even after they couldn't help the giggles that slipped, wide smiles stuck to their faces.
Laughing at her messy appearance, Amelia began cleaning up her station as they continued with the class. Making note, the girl realized that she isn't so much for sculpting or pottery.
Her piece just looked...awkward.
Just looked plain and oddly shaped. No matter how many times she tilted her head to see it in a new angle, it looked plain ugly.
Another thing I'm terrible. Vell, it was a first attempt, can' be too 'ard on myself.
"Look at this, Bella. I call eet abstract pottery!" she giggled out, followed by another giggle from the girl beside her. Eyeing Bella, she grinned. "I think I've found my calling! Maybe I should open my own pottery shop now! I can just picture eet: "Amelia's Abstract Arts"! OR "The Triple A"! "AAA"!"
All she got was an amused head-shake from Bella.
Both girls were relieved when the class came to an end, both leaving behind their work as neither really wanted them. As the girls followed Renee out, Amelia couldn't stop laughing at Bella somehow thinning out her spinning clay enough that it began flinging pieces all over the studio.
"My favorite part vas the instructors face! Eet got so red! He kept his distance from us for the rest of the class." She tried to imitate the irritated instructor, earning a giggle from Bella.
A red flush covered Bella's pale face. "Yeah, that was embarrassing. I tried to stop it, but the clay kept tilting and spinning out of control until it was too late to stop it."
Amelia let out another chortle, smiling at the girl beside her. "It vas fun though...eet's been a while since I 'ad fun really."
Bella smiled back. "Yeah, I'm glad that you came."
Amelia nodded. "Yeah, me too."
As Renee drove the girls home, Amelia could feel herself somewhat lighter, as if a small weight was lifted from her. The little girl smiled to herself as she sat in the back, observing the scenery as they passed houses and buildings.
"You know," Bella began, pulling the other girls attention to her. "You can come over anytime. Since it's summer there's plenty to do. Like the library or the theme park that opened up. Renee usually finds random hobbies to try out, so you're more than welcome to join us."
Amelia observed the girl beside who looked a little uncomfortable, but not in a way that was forced. She looked unsure of her answer. As if she hoped that she would agree.
Nodding her head, Amelia gave her a genuine smile that reached her eyes. "I look forward to eet."
Waving one last goodbye as mother and daughter left to go home, Amelia walked towards the house to see her grandmother smiling at her.
"Did you have fun, sweetie?" Theodora kissed her forehead in greeting as they entered her house. The answer the older woman got made her pause, stunned to see her granddaughter show her a wide smile that reached her lovely lavender eyes. As she went on and on about her day and the girl Bella, Theodora swore she saw her own daughter in Amelia shine through at this very moment.
A/N: I'll probably come back later a adjust the dialogue, but for now, I'm just trying to organize these chapters again!