Just the Girl

Chapter 6

Bella was holding on to her steering wheel too tight. She knew it. Her forearms protested, her tendons stood out, and her knuckles were so white they were practically glowing. Relax Swan, relax, she tried to convince herself. Her hands didn't agree. She was looking very specifically for a turn off that Rosalie had said would be hard to find. A small figure was standing on the side of the road, waving exuberantly. Bella squinted, trying to figure out who would be all the way out here.

Bella laughed. The small figure jumping up and down was Alice. Bella pulled up next to her, and Alice hopped around and jumped into the back seat of the car. "Onward, chauffeur!"

Bella put the car in park and turned around to glare at Alice. "Excuse me?"

Alice stopped bouncing, took a deep breath, and began again. "Hello Bella, it's good to see you. I am here to help guide you to our house, which can be difficult to find. Onward chauffeur!" Bella didn't stop glaring. Alice ran a hand down her face and grumbled. "Onward chauffeur...please?" Bella made a face, nodded, then put the car in drive. Alice started bouncing again. "On your left there's going to be a very small break in the bushes. Turn into it."

Bella watched for the break. She saw a three-foot gap that didn't even look big enough for her Mustang. "That?"

"Yep." Alice leaned forward between the seats and pointed. "That's it!"

Bella stopped moving. "Buckle up right now!"

"Bella, Bella, Bella, I'm tough!"

"Alice Cullen, no one is tougher than windshields when their skull goes through them. Buckle up or we are not going anywhere!"

Alice barked out a harsh laugh, before sitting back and buckling up. "I bet my head would beat a windshield."

"You are hard-headed, but not that hard-headed. I don't take chances."

"Noted. Go through that tiny spot that doesn't look big enough. Drive slow."

Bella grumbled under her breath, "Drive slow, don't speed through that tiny space you don't know well. Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome!" Alice was definitely still bouncing in the back seat. Bella turned cautiously into the gap in the trees. She drove slowly through the space. It looked like she was just venturing deeper into the woods than she would normally go.

After three minutes of driving during which Alice bounced the entire time, Bella got impatient. "Are you and your family leading me to my death?"

"Excuse me?" Alice finally sat still.

"Look," Bella gestured towards the window while she kept her eyes dead ahead. "Rosalie invited me over. You waited to guide me. Now it looks like you're leading me over the river and through the woods..."

"Just wait, you'll see," Alice assured Bella. Bella could hear the smile on her face.

"If I die, at least deliver my body to my father."

"Sounds perfect! Now, look!" Alice bounced forward and pointed straight ahead. "See the light?"

"Buckle up right now!" Bella shouted.

"I am buckled I'm just small and these belts stretch really far!" Alice yelled in one breath. "See, see, see!?"

"Calm down you crazy little imp!" Bella did see what Alice was pointing out. There was a bright light ahead; a break in the trees. Bella kept driving slowly toward it until suddenly the trees opened wide. Bella's eyebrows shot up. "Wow."

"I know."

The forest suddenly opened wide. They were no longer trapped in a small green tunnel. Instead, they were driving on the left side of a giant green meadow. Hemlocks, Firs, and Spruce trees stood tall around the entire oval meadow. Bella imagined what the meadow would look like when the sun was shining. The shade probably only went so far, so the center of the meadow would likely be entirely lit up. The grass already practically glowed in the grey light. Bella thought the meadow looked like someone's Instagram photo after the filters were used. She intended to tell Alice so, but then she saw the house.