What’s The Next Step 7

Next Step 7

Chapter 7: Looking Back

Edmund
A month passed by in a flash but it felt like it was yesterday. It appears Trisha and her friends still have the virus in their bloodstream. The virus that caused the fever. Sounds like a sci-fi movie. Tyng didn’t find it funny. She knows something. Caleb knows too but he isn’t speaking.

“We can’t still be infected!” Ling shouted in disbelief. She held her arms outstretched. “We are well. No temperature,” she said stubbornly. “I looked at the results myself,” Carlisle said after clearing his throat. Damien asked all of us to leave the room except the adults.

Emmett was already holding the door open. Trisha and Daphne went upstairs immediately. Ling looked intimidating although she sat silently on the plump couch. I heard Edward telling Bella that Carlisle wanted to test her blood too. “Do I have to?” Bella squeaked. She gripped Edward’s arm. “I’m afraid of needles. You know I am afraid of needles,” Bella said. Edward looked like he was in pain when he told Bella that her blood is needed to eliminate suspicions. Bella had the fever a few weeks ago.

“Your family knows something,” Rosalie spoke up. She walked straight up to Tyng. “You know something,” Rosalie hissed at Tyng. Caleb released Tyng’s arm from Rosalie’s grip and together they left the room.

Rosalie is partially right. The Blacklins know about the virus. Caleb found out about the virus for some time. The virus is not harmful but it could turn harmful as well. It is not under control.

Caleb

Edmund did not say much during the incident in the dining room. He spent a lot of time with Trisha. He took Trisha and her friends out every day. Tyng would prefer to stay in my room and blast music. If I’m not painting, I would be dancing with her which is funny because she is so shy. Sometimes, the others will join us if they are at home.

Edmund and I had been waiting for years for a kind soul who will not judge us by who we are. I almost had one close friend. I thought she was my soulmate. She revealed my real identity to the whole school. At that time, my family and I lived in Italy. The Volturi found out and sent their guards to wipe out her memories only because I begged Aro to spare her. The others who knew were annihilated.

The Volturi killed everyone in my school. I was upset because a lot of people died because they knew about my family and I. The Volturi demanded my family to leave Italy. That was also about the time where my dad met Carlisle. He heard of another coven of vampires in Forks. From that day, our families are very close.

I lost my trust in humans ever since. Edward played a major part to bring my trust in humans back. Edward is like a brother to me. He took me under his wing when I began to rebel against everyone. He introduced me to Bella who was still human at that time. Melissa did not tell the full account when she decided to send me to the Cullens.

The Volturi did come to hunt me when news about my ability to paint the future. The day that the Volturi came knocking was also the day Carlisle invited me to stay in Forks to learn to interact with humans again. Alice saw a vision of the Volturi asking me to join them.

I kinda pity Chief Swan. He’s the chief of police but he doesn’t know that his home is filled with vampires and werewolves. His best friend is a werewolf but he doesn’t know. The Cullens aren’t the only friendly coven that lives as a family. Before my family, there is a coven in Denali. I can’t remember their names. I think there’s this female vampire called Tanya. She likes Edward but Edward wasn’t interested. Edward married Bella shortly after defeating Victoria and the newborns. Tanya was devastated but she accepted that Edward is deeply in love with Bella.

“Where is everyone?” I asked my mum when I came downstairs. I didn’t see Tyng anywhere. She wasn’t in her room either. “Can you get the groceries for me?” my mum, Melissa, asked. She was reading in the living room.

“No problem. Where is the list?” I asked as I stood behind her. She handed me a piece of paper without looking back. “Tyng and her friends went out early,” she added. I grabbed my jacket from the hook near the door and closed the door behind me. It was still snowy and it’s piling up fast. I waved at Emmett, Pogue, Tim and Jasper who were shoveling the snow in vain. They played more than they worked.

I got into my Vanquish and noticed that the Porsche and Jeep Wrangler were not there. I stopped my car in front of Emmett and wound down my window. “Did the girls drive the Porsche and your Jeep?” I asked. Emmett held the shovel behind his head and looked at me. “Edward took the girls out this morning. Tyng drove the Jeep. Rosalie and Alice went shopping as usual with Arwen. Legolas and Mr. Baile is still at home,” Emmett replied.

“You know Carlisle and Uncle Damien stayed in the lab for the whole night yesterday right?” he added. “Right,” I said before driving off. I dialed Edward’s number.

“Hello?” Edward answered. “Where are you guys?” I asked. “We’re in this new mall. The one with the big pineapple in front of it. I wonder why they placed a pineapple there,” Edward said.

“Whoa!” I heard Edward yell. “Hey!” I said. I heard the a thud and Bella screaming. “Hello?” Adeline spoke through the phone. “What happened?” I asked. “Hold on,” Adeline said. I could hear metal clinking and Adeline shouting some words that didn’t make sense to me.

I was nearing the new mall. “Caleb, are you still there?” Adeline asked. “Yeah, in fact, I’m already in the mall,” I said as I dodged a family in front of me and walked up the escalator. “Bella lost her footing and fell. Edward caught her just in time,” Adeline said. “Where are you guys again?” I asked as I tried to trace their smell. “We’re in the sports centre. Rock climbing,” Edward spoke.

“Do you want to join us? We got a free ticket left. Might as well use it,” Edward said. “Nah. Got to run errands,” I replied. I checked the time. “I think my mum wouldn’t mind if I did a bit of climbing,” I said while I walked against the crowd.

Edward met me at the counter. I got my gears ready. The girls were all over the wall. Bella was climbing again. “She got some X-gene,” Edward said as he climbed. “They all have,” I replied when I saw Adeline slip but Daphne helped her get back on. “I mean Bella. I thought she was going to stay at a corner and dream away,” Edward said.

I saw Bella heave herself up next to Teva. I was already at the ceiling with Edward. “Ok, this is awkward,” Edward said as we climbed side by side. “I think I prefer the real rocks,” he added. The girls gave up halfway and got themselves lowered to the ground. “Looks like it’s you and me left,” I said and grinned. “Let’s race,” Edward said. We didn’t need to. We both knew we reached the end at the same time.

Both of us laughed while we were being lowered down. “Oh shoot. I’m supposed to get groceries for mum,” I said and quickly unbuckled myself once on the ground. “Whoa! Where are you going?” Adeline asked when I almost knocked into her.

“Groceries,” I said and paid for everyone. “I’ll go with you,” she said. She already has her handbag around her shoulder. “That’s something new,” I said as we walked hurriedly towards the hypermarket.

“The climbing?” she asked. “Where’s the grocery list?” she added as we weave in between the crowd. “Where are you going?” I asked when she went another way. “Buying groceries, duh,” she replied and took hold of a basket. “I know how to shop for groceries,” I commented as we passed by shelves. “Besides, you don’t know the currency.”

“It can’t be hard. It’s just like Math,” she replied. She stopped suddenly and turned around. “The list please?” she said and held out her hand. “You did not bring out any money,” I said and took hold of her hand, pulling her forwards to the frozen section.

“What is your mum planning to cook?” she asked as we loaded the baskets with tomatoes and cucumbers. “Salad?” I said while I frowned at the number of lettuces my mum wanted.

“You said there was a surprise you wanted to tell me earlier,” she said in the car. “We’ll only know once we get back home,” I replied.