Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Magic Of Heartbreak

By Mama4Dukes

Chapter 07:

Bella spent the entire day at school trying to figure out what to do about Victoria. She couldn’t possibly live at her house forever, or could she? No, no, no. Something had to be done. Maybe they could break into the Cullen house, and Vicky could live there. No, but there was the issue of income and identification.

Angela and Lauren were coming over to her house at six pm to figure out what to wear to the dance. They would ask questions-like asking her where she lived, who her parents were, why she wasn’t having any pizza, etc. Maybe Leah would have an idea. After all, she knew what Victoria was now that Bella had told her.

She rushed home after school. “Vicky, I’m home!” she called as she walked into the house and did a double-take. The house was gleaming. There was not a spot of dust anywhere. It wasn’t like Bella was a slob-far from it. It was just that she and her father had fallen into a routine. Every Saturday, they mopped the floors and did the laundry. They also wiped down the countertops, tables, and kitchen appliances. Occasionally, they cleaned the windows, too. This was different; even the doorknobs were sparkling.

“Hi, Bella. Did you have a good day at school?”

“I did.” Bella looked around the house once more. “Did you clean the house?”

“I sure did. I wanted to earn my keep. Is it satisfactory?”

“It’s more than satisfactory. I didn’t know houses could get this clean. I hope you didn’t raise the standard too high. What if my dad starts expecting this all the time?”

“Your house was dusty, and the windows needed cleaning, too. I tried to think back to when I used to be a maid. I started off as a scullery maid in the Earl of Blacktree’s house. He was my father, you see; although, he wouldn’t acknowledge it. I was told I looked just like him. Anyway, I helped in the kitchens and then helped upstairs in the main house. I was always very good at cleaning.”

“I’m sorry. When exactly was this?” Bella questioned.

“Oh, I was born in 1550 in London. My mother was a maid at the Earl of Blacktree’s London home. She was imposed upon, and I was born as a result of the imposition.”

“How old were you when you were changed?” Victoria was the oldest vampire she knew. She was even older than Carlisle Cullen.

“I was eighteen.”

“That’s how old I am,” Bella informed her. “I’m sorry for asking this, but if you were born in the circumstances, you were born in, at the time you were born. Can you read?”

“Yes, I can. I was lucky. After I was changed, Hildi- my coven mother-educated me. After she was killed, I read on my own to keep up my skills.”

Bella wondered how developed Victoria’s skills were. Would she be able to attend school with her? She would think about that later. She was jogged out of her thoughts by her phone ringing. It was her father, reminding her to pick up his order from Newton’s.

“Darn. I forgot about that.” She turned to Vicky. “I need to run an errand for my father. Do you want to tag along? It’s overcast out.”

“Sure. I’d love to.”

---

The human girl and the vampire arrived at Newton’s, where they were greeted by Mike. “Hey, Bella. How are you?” And then he took a look at Victoria, and his jaw dropped. “Hi, I’m Mike Newton,” he breathed.

“Oh, hello.”

“Hi. Hello. Hi.” He seemed at a loss for words. “Are you new here? Will you be attending Forks High School?”

“Uh… Yes, yes, I will,” the vampire replied before Bella could stop her.

“What grade are you in?”

“The same as Bella.”

“You’re a senior-like me, then.”

“Yes, yes, I’m a senior citizen!” the vampire replied brightly.

“Haha, you have a sense of humor. I like that in a girl.” Mike chuckled. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Victoria Sutherland. But my friends call me Vicky. Bella is my friend.”

“I’m friends with Arizona, too.” Mike had a soppy smile on his face, so did Victoria.

“Arizona is my nickname because I’m from there,” Bella informed her friend. She took the opportunity to change the subject. “Mike, my father asked me to pick up his order. He said to remind you about his law enforcement discount.”

“Oh, sure. Hang on. Let me get it for you. It’s already packaged up. That’ll be one-hundred-twelve dollars and sixty-three cents with the discount.” He counted the change out for Bella, who thanked him and grabbed the package.

“Okay, we have to get going, Vicky,” Bella stated. “Vicky!”

“What is it, Bella Swan?”

“We have to go.”

“Oh.” She had a sad expression on her face. “Well, goodbye, Mike Newton.”

“I’ll see you at school, Vicky.”

Mike saw them to the door of the store and watched as they got into their vehicle. Bella, of course, could see him watching them out of the rearview mirror as they drove away. He had a lovesick expression on his face.

“Oh my God! Now we have to worry about Mike Newton. What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. I’ll just go to school with you. That boy smelled really nice-nicer than you, in fact. He’s very handsome and polite.”

“Vicky, you’re a vampire. You need a birth certificate to attend school-and at least a parent, I think. How are we going to manage this?”

It was the question of the day, and Bella was utterly flummoxed. She had no idea what to do, but something had to be done before more people found out about Victoria.

---

By the time Bella and Victoria arrived at home, Leah was waiting for them. “Where were you? You told me to meet you here at four.” She was holding a few dresses on hangers.

“I know. I’m sorry. I had to run to Newton’s for my dad.”

“Well, I’ve only been waiting for ten minutes, so no big deal. What’s up? And Vicky, it’s so nice to see you again.” Leah approached the vampire and gave her a hug. “Ooh! You feel different. Your skin is cold and hard.”

Victoria, touched by the spontaneous hug, couldn’t stop the venom from filling up her eyes. “I haven’t had a human hug in centuries.”

“Centuries? How old are you?” Leah questioned.

“We should go inside. Other than me, you’re the only one who knows Vicky is a vampire.” Bella opened the door. “Angela and Lauren will be here at six, which means we have a little over an hour to figure out what we’re going to do.”

As soon as they walked into the house, Victoria blurted, “I was born in 1550, and I was changed in 1568 when I was eighteen years old.”

“For real?”

“Of course, she’s serious. She’s the daughter of an earl.”

“You’re almost like royalty. Earls are very powerful. I’ve read about them in some of my romance novels.”

“Except I was born the bastard daughter of an earl. My mother was a maid in his house. She was imposed upon.”

“Oh, your poor mother. To be in such a vulnerable position and be assaulted by her employer. How dare he?”

“It’s okay. My father was the first person I drained when I was changed.”

“But you’ve been alive for over four hundred years! For almost five hundred, in fact. That’s pretty awesome.”

“It is now,” Victoria concluded, realizing how happy she was to be amongst her new friends.

They were about to sit and discuss what to say when there was a frantic knocking on the front door. Bella, of course, answered the door, thinking it may be an emergency. It turned out to be Angela and Lauren.

“What are you two doing here? You’re not supposed to be here for another hour.”

“We’re here early. Deal with it.” Lauren was armed with a giant suitcase. She turned to Vicky. “What did you do to Mike? We stopped in at Newton’s so I could buy a new yoga mat, and Mike Newton grilled us with question after question about you.”

“About me? That nice boy asked about me?” Victoria had a love-struck expression on her face.

Bella was thinking about how hairy the situation was getting. She had no idea what to do or say. All she knew was that she was in a jam. At least Mike Newton no longer had a crush on her; he had transferred his affections to Vicky.

“Are you really starting school with us?”

“Yes, yes, I am. As soon as I get a birth certificate and a parent.”

Bella dropped her face in her hands in frustration.

“Don’t you have parents?” Lauren asked.

“I did. They’re dead.”

“Oh my God! Not only was your boyfriend a stinking bastard, but you’re all alone in the world. If I ever see James, I will kick his ass for you!”

“He’s dead, remember?” Angela reminded her. “Anyway, how old are you? Because if you’re eighteen, you can enroll in school without parental consent. You just need a place of residence. Where do you live?”

“Bella said I could stay with her!” Victoria replied with confidence.

“Oh, well, that’s good then. You just need your birth certificate, and you can enroll. Where did you go to high school last? You said you were on the cross-country team.”

Realizing that she had no answers, Victoria turned to Bella, who was glaring at her with her arms crossed in front of her. Before either of them could come up with anything, Leah Clearwater blurted out, “You guys! We have to help Vicky. She doesn’t have a birth certificate or a home. She’s a vampire!”

“Leah, you can’t go blurting out that Vicky is a vampire to everyone!”

“The five of us have a fucking bond, Bella! This is different.” Leah pointed out.

“So, vampires exist?” Lauren questioned.

“They do. Vampires exist. The Cullens were all vampires. Do you remember how ethereally beautiful they were? Vampires are reborn to entice humans. They are at the top of the food chain, after all. Most vampires feed on humans, but Vicky and the Cullens are humane vampires. They get their nutrition from animals.”

“Oh, so they’re like us.”

“Yes, animal blood is their main fuel source.”

“Well, gee, I think drinking animal blood is better than slaughtering animals for their meat,” Angela stated. “That’s so much more humane than humans are.”

“No, no, no! I am not going vegan for you, Angela, no matter what you say,” Lauren informed her.

Angela looked hopefully at Bella and Leah.

“I will support your newfound veganism and be your biggest cheerleader, but don’t expect me to consume that Beyond Meat stuff. I tried it once, and it is definitely not the same,” Bella stated. “Anyway, we’re off-topic. Since the secret is out, yes, Vicky is a vampire. Now all of you have to swear an oath of secrecy. You cannot divulge Victoria’s secret no matter what. Most people aren’t as open-minded as we are.” She held her hand out, lifting her little finger. “Everyone pinky-swear now.”

The girls all swore not to say anything before Bella continued, “Because Vicky is a vampire, she doesn’t have any documents to prove who she is. This is why she can’t enroll in school.”

“That’s not necessarily true, Bella,” Angela interjected. “As a result of Plyler vs. the Department of Education, public schools cannot deny admission to a student due to their undocumented status. Forks High School is obligated to enroll her.”

“Where the heck did you learn that?” Bella asked.

“Yeah, I mean, you’re like quoting legal cases and stuff,” Lauren pointed.

Angela had an appalled expression on her face. “Uh, we just learned about it today during social studies. You girls are in my class.”

“Oh, well, clearly, we’re going to need your notes. I was busy texting Leah,” Bella admitted.

“And I was doing my English paper,” Lauren added.

“I swear, the two of you need to be more attentive in class! Look at all the important information you missed. It looks like the only thing we need now is an address for Victoria because I’m sure the admin will try to hook her up with social services if she doesn’t have a home address.”

“Well, can we use the Cullen’s address? They aren’t here.”

“Oh my God! You’re a genius, Lauren.”

“I have my moments.”

“I actually have a better idea,” Leah offered. “My dad has a hunting cabin on the border of Forks and La Push. It’s just a cabin where Dad and his buddies use as a base camp when they go hunting or fishing. I don’t see why we can’t use that address. How often does the school send mail anyway?”

“They don’t. Everything went online beginning this year. So, the only thing we need is a phone number then for emergencies.”

“We’ll just use my cell number. Forks High doesn’t have it for sure, I graduated from the tribal school.”

“Perfect. We’ll go with your plan,” Lauren declared.

Bella was utterly stunned. She was pretty sure Lauren would accept that Vicky was a vampire, but Angela was a different ballgame altogether. Her friend was very pious, and she had been pretty sure she wouldn’t accept Victoria’s differences, but here she was, trying to figure out how to enroll her in school.

“Kachina said I can trust my friends,” Victoria noted. “I’m so happy you’re all my friends.”

“We’re happy you’re our friend, too,” Angela replied kindly.

“Okay, let’s move on to the next topic. What are we wearing to the Fall Ball?”

“The prom dress Alice Cullen forced me into last year is up for grabs. I hate it,” Bella offered.

“That’s because your skin tone is too light for it. The royal blue will make you look washed out. I think Angela will look better in it. You should try it on.”

“You definitely should,” Bella agreed. “If it fits, it’s yours.”

“Oh, I don’t know, it looked costly.”

“Apparently, it’s from Paris, but really, you can have it. I’m never going to wear it again.”

The girls decided to go upstairs to Bella’s room to check out the dress. “Lauren, call Pacific Pizza and place an order for us. My dad gave us pizza money.”

“Charlie is so awesome!” Lauren quickly placed a call ordering pizza, salad, and some sodas for everyone. “Okay, Vicky, what are you wearing to the dance? There’s no real specified dress code, but it’s an unspoken rule that it’s semi-formal. Most guys wear ties.”

“Maybe you can wear the nice dress in your suitcase?” Bella suggested as she pulled out the pretty, red cocktail dress from the stolen suitcase.

Lauren shook her head. “Uh-uh. The color will clash with your hair. Bella, you try it on.” Lauren emptied the contents of her suitcase onto Bella’s bed. “I have this purple dress that does nothing for me, but I bet it will work for you, Vicky.”

Within seconds, everyone was trying on dresses. “Lauren, where did you get all of this?”

“Some of these are my mom’s from when she was in high school. I remade them. I like coming up with new designs.”

“These are incredible.” Bella admired the workmanship on the dresses. “Ooh, hold on. Let me get something from my closet for you.” She brought out the green satin dress that Alice Cullen had dressed her for her ill-fated birthday party in September. “Try this one on, Lauren.”

“Oh, that’s really nice.”

“Leah, what were you planning on wearing?” Angela asked.

Leah dropped her dresses onto the bed. “I have no idea. One of these, maybe?”

“No, no, no.” Lauren, who all let do the planning, dug through Angela’s dresses and then through her own. She pulled out a daring, white strapless cocktail dress. “Try this. You have the height and the body for it.”

“This looks fancy.”

“It is. It was my aunt’s wedding gown. It was for her third wedding, or maybe her fourth. She’s been married six times.”

“Six times! Who gets married six times?” Victoria asked. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

“I don’t know. She said she believes in the power of love. Anyway, she gives me all of her wedding dresses to play with whenever she gets divorced. I shortened the dress and added the black velvet trim at the waistline.” She looked up at Bella. “Hey, you look fantastic in red. What shoes are you wearing?”

“I was going to wear my Chucks.”

Angela, Lauren, and Leah all goggled at Bella. “What? What’s wrong with my Chucks?”

“Aside from them being muddy, and, too, beat up even for school?” Angela, who usually was a no-frills girl, asked.

Leah held up the offending shoes in front of Victoria. “Would you wear these to a semi-formal dance?”

“Oh, no. She has to wear something finer.”

“Traitor,” Bella mumbled, just as Leah tossed the offending shoes out the window. “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Ow!” A voice from outside yelped.

Leah looked out the window. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I have your delivery.”

“Oh my God! Riley Biers, is that you?”

“It is. Hey, Leah, how are you?” The girls rushed downstairs in their finery to grab their dinner. A boy with dark blond hair stood on their doorstep. He was tall and lean and had a kind smile. “I know everyone here, but you.”

“I’m Vicky.”

“Nice to meet you, Vicky.” He turned to Bella next. “You’re Chief Swan’s daughter. I know of you, but we’ve never met.”

“Oh, I’m Bella.”

“It’s good to finally meet.” He turned back to Leah. “It’s really great to see you again. I was wondering what happened to you. Are you going to the Fall Ball tomorrow night?”

“We’re going. We were just trying to figure out what to wear.”

“You look really pretty in white. Are you… Are you bringing someone?”

“No, no, there’s no one to bring.”

“That’s good for me.” He gulped. “I mean, well, I have another delivery to make. I’ll see you tomorrow, Leah.”

“Yeah, see ya.”

Leah watched Riley drive off in his car. He kept waving to her and almost hit a truck while driving.

“Oh my God! He is sooo into you!” Lauren noted. “Riley Biers is completely, totally into you.”

“He definitely thought you were hot,” Bella concurred.

“Do you really think so?”

“Heck, yes, I do,” Lauren insisted. “Most guys see Bella, and they are crawling on their knees, waiting to do her every bidding, but Riley blushed three different shades of red when he was talking to you.”

Leah had always liked Riley. He used to be Sam’s best friend before everything went haywire. There were many occasions when the three of them used to hang out together. When she really thought about it, Riley was burned by Sam just as much as she was.

Who knew? Maybe if Riley showed up at the dance tomorrow night, he might ask her to dance. It would be nice to dance with a guy again.

---

Sam Uley angrily huffed as he arrived in La Push. He had run into Riley Biers while he was picking up a few pizzas for the pack. Riley had just returned from delivering a pizza to Leah and her friends. According to Riley, she looked gorgeous and would be attending the Fall Ball, which happened to be tomorrow, which coincidentally was Halloween.

Sam wanted to go to the Fall Ball to keep an eye on Leah, but it would look too fishy if he went. Besides, it would hurt Emily if she found out he continued to lust after his ex. “Damn it!” he shouted as he phased in the woods.

Sam never wanted to become a wolf, but those damn Cullens showed up, and now he and two others had transformed into shape-shifting wolves charged with protecting La Push from the Cold Ones. His life had been perfect. He had been in love with Leah, he was the quarterback of the football team, and he was on his way to earning a scholarship to college when those leeches showed up and ruined his life. In one fell swoop, all his hopes and dreams were wiped out.

He ran hard and fast in wolf form before diving over the cliff and into the water to cool off. That was when he had a spark of inspiration. He would send his two wolves to the Fall Ball to keep an eye on Leah. Yes, that’s precisely what he would do.

---

It was decided that Victoria would start school on Monday with them to focus on the dance. While Bella was sleeping, Victoria went for a hunt so she could feel sated. She was reasonably confident about being in a large hall with many humans, but she wanted to be safe. She was excited, she had never been to a ball before. The scent of their blood never really affected her. She took down a mountain lion and two deer before returning to the Swan residence.

Seeing that the house was still quiet, she hopped into the shower to rinse off the dirt before changing into some pajamas. She watched Bella sleeping with envy. She wished she could sleep but knew it was wishful thinking, so she lay down next to Bella, closed her eyes, and simply rested. After a few minutes, she realized how at peace she really was.