ix. it all fell down

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CHAPTER NINE:
IT ALL FELL DOWN

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"WHEN WE WERE FIVE, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case, a princess. When we were ten, they asked us again. We answered rock star, cowboy, or in my case, a gold medalist. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this? Who the hell knows. This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, this is the time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere, fall in love a lot, major in philosophy because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind and change it again, because nothing's permanent. So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask us what we want to be, we won't have to guess, we'll know."

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ALICE'S GRADUATION PARTY WAS in full swing. She'd invited the entire graduating class to their home, and even some of the younger students too. Verona lingered in the corner while her best friend did her thing, determined to ignore the humans around her, who were talking and laughing and dancing to their heart's content. She wasn't interested in playing host or socialising with any of them. She would've been fine spending the night with her family, just doing what they always did, but she knew how much the party meant to her sister, which was why she didn't ditch like she desperately wanted to. Instead, she sat on the stairs and blocked the other levels of the house from anyone who might've gotten any wild ideas, while counting down the minutes until everyone could be kicked out.

She thought for sure that she was about to go mad when a familiar brunette came rushing into the living room, murmuring greetings to her friends as she sped past them. Finally, she reached where Verona was sitting, greeting her with a shy smile as she took a seat beside her.

"Having fun?" Verona asked, fingers gripped around an unopened soda can. For appearances, of course, she'd much rather eat dirt than ever consume human food.

"You bet," Bella scoffed, scanning the party around them. "A room of drunk teenagers. What's not to love?"

"I know, right?" Verona chuckled, before changing the subject. "You seen any of the others?"

"No," Bella frowned. "Can't you just smell them out or something?"

"There's too many scents in here," Verona muttered, handing her drink to Bella upon noticing the human girl's gaze. "It's messing with my head."

"That's too bad," Bella mustered a small, joking smile. "Looks like you're stuck with me then."

"Eh, you're not so bad," Verona smirked.

"Thank you?"

"You're welcome."

That was the first decent conversation Verona had with Bella Swan. Italy didn't count, they'd been too stressed to focus at the time. And before that, she'd never gone out of her way to speak with her. Rosalie's views had been her views too, she just chose not to voice them out loud. But now that Bella's fate was set, what was the point? She was okay company for the time being, better than most of the mortals she associated with. Verona didn't have much to lose.

"Here we go," Bella sighed in sudden annoyance.

Verona frowned, looking up in time to catch three putrid scents entering the room. Scrunching up her nose, she searched for the three shape-shifters that just arrived, rising to her feet as she found them. Bella was quick to follow her, the two moving to greet them by the door. Verona's disgusted look never once wavering.

"What are you doing here?" Bella frowned at them.

"You invited me, remember?" Jacob smirked, his two friends standing either side of him with their arms crossed, trying to seem intimidating. Verona rolled her eyes, turning her glare back to Jacob.

"Was her right-hook too subtle for you?" she snapped. "That was her uninviting you, so why don't you just take the hint?"

He paid her no attention as his eyes lingered on the brunette by her side, her lips pursed as she peered at him apprehensively. He let out a sigh, running one of his hands through his disheveled hair.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he mumbled. "About, you know, the kiss and your hand."

"You can't be serious," Verona scowled. "That's the worst apology ever."

"I'd blame it on the whole inner animal thing, but it was really just me being an ass."

"Nope, scratch that," she rolled her eyes. "You managed to make it worse."

Jacob's friends were caught between annoyance at Verona's blatant remarks and amusement at their friend's frustration as he let out a sigh, gaze never wavering from Bella. The girl in question was shaking her head, but she wore the tiniest smile on her face as she stared up at him, her distrustful expression beginning to fade. He sent her a smile back before reaching into his jacket pocket.

"I brought you something." In his hands was a chain, a wooden carving hanging from it with elegance. Jacob looked down at it with pride as he held it out to her, hope shining in his eyes. "I made it myself."

"You made this?" Bella gasped, accepting the bracelet with a smile. "It's really pretty." She looked towards the girl beside her, holding it up for her to see. "Vee, what do you think?"

Verona's scowl didn't fade at the nickname or the present, even when a part of her agreed with the human girl's words. Instead, she just gave an indifferent shrug, a choked splutter leaving her mouth as she looked away.

"It's okay." Jacob smirked at that, causing her eyes to narrow into slits. "Don't get cocky there, Dog. I only said it was okay."

He opened his mouth to spit something in response, but she was no longer listening to him. Instead, her gaze had darted from the boys to someone standing behind them, their golden eyes turning glassy as they froze, lost in the future. Verona was crossing the room in an instant, those she'd been standing with shouting after her in confusion. Alice's eyes were still glazed over when Verona reached her, gripping her elbows as she began to sway on the spot.

"Alice," she breathed in worry. "What did you see?"

Bella appeared beside them, the three shifters hot on her heels as she raced upstairs to join them, eyebrows furrowed in concern. Alice was silent for a long moment, an expression of sheer panic forming on her face, her eyes losing their glossy tinge as they darted towards the girls standing opposite her.

"The decision's been made," she whispered, out of breath.

"What's going on?" Jacob asked, exchanging a hesitant glance with his friends. "What decision?"

"We're not going to them?" Verona's attention was completely on her sister, dread beginning to bloom in her chest.

"No," Alice muttered. "They're coming here."

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"THEY'LL BE HERE IN four days," Alice's voice was tense as she addressed those around her, which wasn't just her family, but also the three shifters who downright demanded to be involved in their discussion, having heard the words 'supernatural' and 'threat' and deciding that their presence was needed.

"This could turn into a blood-bath." Carlisle's words were ironic, but Verona didn't let her amusement show as she listened with intensity, a frown on her face as she stood beside her best friend, their arms linked together.

"Who's behind it?" Edward asked from across the room.

"I didn't recognise anyone," Alice sighed, thinking back to her vision and frowning. "Maybe one."

"I know his face," Edward muttered as he looked into her thoughts. "He's a local. He didn't start this."

"Well, whoever did is staying out of the action."

"They must be playing with the blind spots in your vision," Carlisle hummed.

"Then it has to be someone who knows about your power," Verona glanced at her sister, arching an eyebrow as everyone stared at her. "Just think about it. Not everyone knows she sees the future. It has to be someone who has extensive knowledge of her gift and can come up with a way to work around it."

"Verona's right," Jasper said, gripping onto his wife's waist in paranoia. "But either way, the army's coming and there aren't enough of us to keep Bella safe and protect the town."

"Hold up," Jacob spat, fed up he was with their cryptic words. "What damn army?"

"Newborns," Carlisle sighed. "Our kind."

"What are they after?" Embry asked, glancing around the room with wariness.

"They were passing around Bella's scent," Alice said. "Her red blouse."

"They're after Bella?" Jacob gasped, his eyes going wide. "What the hell does this mean?"

"It means an ugly fight with lives lost." 

Everyone went silent at that. Verona's mind was racing with every possible outcome, what they were going to do and who could be responsible. Victoria was definitely a strong candidate. So was someone else, but she refused to let her mind linger on that, not when it made her feel sick to her stomach.

"Okay," Jacob sighed, sharing a look with his friends, each of them with determination in their eyes, knowing what they needed to do. "We're in."

"No," Bella protested. "You'd get yourselves killed."

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Jacob scowled.

He was determined to protect her, to keep her from the harm coming her way. She may not have loved him like he loved her, but she was still his best friend, and she was in danger. He couldn't stand by and let something happen to her. Bella, sensing that he wasn't going to give in, looked towards her boyfriend to bring him in line.

"If it means more protection for you..."

Bella shot him a disbelieving glare. Normally, Edward was the first one to deny any assistance from the wolves. But he could see what was at stake, and he knew that if he didn't agree to the wolves' help, he wouldn't just be putting his mate's life at risk, but his family's lives as well. And he didn't want them to go down for something that he caused. No, he was willing to put his differences with the wolves aside for this one instance.

"Jacob," Carlisle spoke up, sensing that Bella wasn't done arguing with them. "Do you believe Sam would agree to an understanding?"

"As long as we get to kill some vampires," Jacob smirked. "He should be fine."

"Jasper?" Carlisle looked towards his son, waiting to hear what he had to say. Jasper was the only one there with knowledge on newborns. If anyone would know what to do, it would be him.

"They'd give us the numbers," Jasper murmured in reluctant agreement. "The newborns won't know they exist. It'd give us an edge."

"Carlisle," Bella pleaded, desperate for him to turn down the wolves' offer. "They're gonna get hurt."

"We're going to need to train." Carlisle spared her a brief glance, but he didn't acknowledge her words as he turned back to the wolves, who stared at him with raised eyebrows. "Fighting the newborns requires knowledge that Jasper has. You're welcome to join us."

"Alright," Jacob nodded, taking a determined step forward. "Just name the time and place."

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VERONA HADN'T STOPPED THINKING about it since the wolves' left. The realisation stuck with her, replaying in her mind over and over until she was no longer able to stand it anymore. She had to call him, to know the whole truth, even if it destroyed everything she'd worked so hard to build over the last few weeks. She couldn't tolerate the uncertainty any longer.

That was how she came to be sitting outside, the wind whipping through her hair as she sat by the porch, staring at the dark sky above. The stars weren't out that evening, neither was the moon. Maybe that was a sign, a sign that something terrible was about to happen.

Dialing his number, she moved the phone up to her ear, waiting with bated breath for him to pick up. He did on the third ring, his sweet voice drawing her in as he greeted her. She could hear the smile he was wearing and it hurt her to know that smile was about to fade.

"Verona," Alec beamed. "I didn't expect you to call so late."

"Did you know?"

Her voice was a loaded gun and her question was the bullets. She'd jumped right into the deep end, her voice shaky, her heart begging for him to say something, to put her worried mind at ease. But he didn't. He stayed silent, his unneeded breaths the only sign he was even there.

"Verona..."

"Did you know?" Her voice broke, yet still, he didn't say anything. "Alec, tell me the truth."

"I'm sorry."

He was met with the dial tone. Verona flung her phone onto the ground beside her as she hung up, letting out a shout of frustration as she hung her head in her hands, her fingers gripping the roots of her hair and tugging as she sobbed, the backs of her eyes burning with tears she couldn't shed. A moment later, someone appeared beside her, their movements hesitant as they sunk to the ground, their arms enveloping her in a hug.

"It's okay," Rosalie sighed as Verona continued to sob. "Just let it out."

It all fell down around her, the life she'd tried so hard to build. It all fell down with two single words, tearing her apart at the seams.

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