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CHAPTER NINE: THE ASK AND THE ANSWER
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THE LAST TIME MAGGIE saw Bella Swan, she was on the brink of death after being abandoned by her boyfriend in the frozen woods. Months had gone by since then, and yet the same sunken stare plagued Bella's eyes as she wandered the streets of Port Angeles alone.
"Bella?" Maggie called out as she spotted her across the street.
It was late in the evening. The sky was an inky shade of black lit up by a half moon. Maggie knew that her aunt and uncle would not be happy that she was out so late. Earlier in the afternoon, she'd told Wren that she was heading into town to buy some books for an assignment, but the drive and the search for what she was really there for had taken far longer than she expected it would. She'd come into town for books, yes, but not ones for a project. No, in her arms as she made her way back to the car was a stack of books on Quileute legends, on mythological creatures with red eyes and a lust for blood.
It seemed that Hayden had called her Velma Dinkley for a reason.
"Bella?" she repeated as she neared the girl, reaching out with her spare hand to grab the girl's arm. Bella flinched in surprise, her eyes still unfocused as she frowned at Maggie. "Hey, are you okay?"
Bella hesitated before speaking. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
Maggie's face flushed. She'd seen Bella Swan before, but it was evident that Bella hadn't been paying attention to the people who attended her search party. "Oh, um, not really but your dad is a friend of my uncle's." He was also the police officer who attended her best friend's murder scene, but that wasn't exactly a good topic of conversation. "I'm Maggie Sullivan."
"Oh," Bella's eyes flashed with recognition. She smiled awkwardly. "Right, sorry, I've heard of you. You're friends with Jacob Black, aren't you? He's mentioned you before."
"You could say that," Maggie chuckled. They went quiet for a moment, neither quite knowing what to say. It was clear Bella was out of it, though she was aware enough to wonder why Maggie Sullivan -- someone she'd never even said two words to before -- had approached her in a dark street. Whereas Maggie was cursing herself for caring in the first place. Okay, that was harsh, but she should've just gone home instead of going out of her way to embarrass herself. "I just wanted to check if you're okay. You seem a bit lost."
Bella's face paled. She let out a shaky laugh. "I'm alright, thanks though."
"Are you sure?" Maggie implored, not quite believing her. "Who's taking you home?"
Again, Bella's face faltered. "My friend, Jessica, was supposed to but--" At Maggie's raised eyebrow, she seemed to shrink in on herself, both with embarrassment and something that the younger girl couldn't quite comprehend. "She, uh, left." The silent 'me' was implied.
