Destiny

~19~

At lunch in the cafeteria of the High School, Destinee sat alone like Bella, just looking straight ahead. Jessica, Eric, Angela and Mike were watching her and Bella with concern and they talked about the older brunette. But Bella didn't notice.
'I miss them. Especially Rosalie', Destinee thought.
Both of the girls didn't know where the Cullens were.
'But I'm sure it's better for Bella's safety to not have Edward around. It's not fair that she thinks that it's my fault. The incident I mean', Destinee continued in her thoughts and absently touched her still bruised shoulder.

Meanwhile

Alice faced off with Carlisle as the others watched on. Esme was desolate and Emmett was blank. The last named sat next to Rosalie who seemed almost irritated and also highly depressed. Jasper isolated himself in a corner.
"No. We promised Edward", Carlisle said.
"But she won't do well without us. I get flashes of her, but they're unclear..."
"Forget her, let's drag Edward home", Rosalie interrupted.
"He'll come back when he's ready. After Bella moves on", Esme said.
"Yes. When she's living her life, safe from danger..."
"You mean safe from us", Jasper threw in with self-contempt.
Alice wrapped an arm around Jasper, soothingly.
"And when will that be?" Rosalie asked Alice pointedly,"and what about Desti..."
'We promised to be there for her.'
"Can you see him, Alice?" Emmet wanted to know.
They all turned to Alice. She closed her eyes, trying to get a lock on Edward.
"The only decision he has made..."

Edward was in the middle of nowhere, on top of a mountains peak. He was still, face agonized.

"...is to be alone..."

Suddenly, he started running, like he was trying to outrun his memories, faster and faster he raced toward a cliff; a ravine hundreds of feet below. Edward didn't slow, just blasted forward faster; then he leapt off the cliff, floating, but the pain staid with him. His feet landed hard on the other side of the ravine. As they hit ground we she had a vision of Destinee standing somewhere. But something was different about her. She decided to first keep it as secret.

Bella's fingers were hitting the computer keys.

'Time passes. Every tick that goes by... aches... Like the pulse of blood behind a bruise...'

Bella stopped. She stared at her own words. Then she hit 'select all' and 'delete'. The document on the computer was now blank.
She typed:
'Hi Mom,things are great, grades are up. Hanging with friends. Stop worrying. I'm fine.'

Bella pressed 'send' and the cheery e-mail disappeared. Bella rose and returned to her rocking chair, staring out desolately again. She just sat there one or two hours, when Destinee knocked on the door of Bella's room and stepped in with a bowl of steaming soup. Charlie told her to move around a bit and interact with someone.
"Bella? I made soup. I thought you'd be hungry..."
The brunette in the rocking chair turned around with a cold look. She slowly stood up and stood in front of the younger one. Then out of nowhere she slapped Destinee's hands from the bottom so that the bowl flew up and the steaming soup covered the skin of her arm, collar, neck and cheek, barely missing her right eye. Destinee screamed. She was in deep pain. Bella grabbed the young teenager by the long hair. She whimpered.
"This is all your fault. They wouldn't have left if you wouldn't have been with them. Or living. You shouldn't be on this world", the older one of the two hissed.
She pulled her up and then threw her to the ground. Destinee was shaking. And she was definitely scared. So she stood up and left the room hurriedly, leaving the mess with the bowl and the soup behind. Meanwhile someone was watching them, pacing menacingly and hungrily. Destinee sat curled up and crying silently in her fluffy bean bag.