twispitefic

Title: Addiction
Author:

elementallove
Inspiration: Between New Moon and Eclipse
Summary: Angela Weber had always been the quiet one, but she was protective of her friends.
Author's Note: This is basically a 'what if' situation. You kind of have to believe that Meyer wrote Bella as a better friend to Angela and the rest then has been written in canon. This started out as Angela just cussing out Edward but it evolved from there into something a little bit more touching.

Angela Weber walking into class Monday morning...and stopped dead in her tracks.

There, in the back of the classroom, sitting in his seat like he had never left it, was Edward Cullen. And next to him, looking like the sun had finally returned, was Bella Swan. Nothing seemed to have changed since the last time she saw the two together. And that pissed her off.

Not stopping to acknowledge Jessica or Mike who were trying to get her attention, Angela stormed to the back of the classroom, unaware that everyone was watching her and the showdown they knew was about to happen.

Edward glanced up first; his face was set into the same pleasant, bland expression he normally wore. Only his eyes gave away the agitation he was feeling, as they darted from Angela to flicker briefly over the faces of the watching students. Bella finally looked up, surprised to see Angela in front of them and looking so angry.

Edward opened his mouth to speak, but Angela beat him to it.

“You, don’t talk,” she spat, pointing a finger at him. “You,” she turned to Bella, “what the hell are you doing sitting next to him like nothing’s changed? Like the last six months never happened?”

Bella’s eyes were wide. She had never seen Angela this mad before. Edward again tried to speak.

“Angela, I understand why you’re mad and you have every right to be,” he said smoothly, trying to soothe the irate girl.

Angela just glared at him. “Thank you for your permission, asshole, but I don’t really care what you think. I want to know how the hell Bella could take you back after everything you did to her. And I’m not just talking about the last six months. I’m talking about when she ran away to Arizona, you followed her, and she came back beaten to within an inch of her life.”

Bella hadn’t said anything up to that point, but at Angela’s last remark, her voice returned. “Now, wait a minute, Angela. What happened in Arizona wasn’t Edward’s fault. I fell down two flights of stairs and out a window. I’ve told you this before. None of it was Edward’s fault”

Angela gave Bella a disbelieving look. “My brother is a forensic scientist down in Phoenix. He inspected the hotel where you had your supposed accident. Legally, that information is confidential and he’s not allowed to say anything to me. However, he told me there was no way it could have been an accident. The evidence just didn’t support your little story about falling down stairs and out a window. He also asked one of his buddies that worked at the hospital to tell him what time an ambulance was called to bring you to the hospital.”

Edward was looking more unhappy by the minute, while Bella looked nervous. Angela continued, however.

“It turns out, Bella, that no ambulance was ever called to that hotel, not on the day you had your ‘accident’. So tell me, how did you get to the hospital?”

Bella stuttered. “The-the Cullens drove me.”

Angela raised an eyebrow. “Doctor Carlisle moved you, using no medical equipment, with you having a broken leg, several cracked ribs, and possibly a concussion? I find it hard to believe that a doctor would do something so stupid.”

Edward bristled at that, but Angela ignored him. “Your story makes no sense, Bella. Now, I don’t know why you want to protect this bastard, but I’m almost willing to beat that drugs are somehow involved. It would explain why you went into a complete withdrawal when he left, since you couldn’t get your fix. Now that he’s back, you can get more drugs.”

Bella gasped, outraged. “Angela, that’s not true! I’m not on drugs!”

Angela looked at her sadly. “But you are addicted, Bella. And addictions are need to be broken.”

The school nurse entered the classroom then, Mike having gone to get her halfway between the confrontation at the back of the room. She had a nurse from the local hospital with her, and trailing behind them, looking morose, was Chief Swan.

Bella looked at him wildly. “Dad, Angela says I’m addicted to drugs, but I’m not. I swear.”

Charlie walked over to his daughter and gently pulled her out of the chair. “I know you don’t think you are Bella, but Doctor Cullen pumped you full of morphine after what happened in Arizona. That’s some powerful stuff. It’s also been discovered that he has been buying large amounts of drugs and claiming they are for the hospital, when in reality, he keeps them at home. With all the time you’ve spent over at the Cullen’s house, I’m a little worried. We’re just going to have the nurse check you out, OK?”

Edward started to stand as well, but Charlie gave him a sharp look. “Sit down. This is between me and my daughter. And your whole family is under investigation, so I suggest you don’t cross me.”

Edward looked dumbfounded, not used to Charlie standing up to him. Charlie continued talking, looking like he had wanted to say this for a long time.

“Since my daughter has met you, she has ran away to Phoenix, ran away to Italy, went into a depression for months, and been almost killed. And that’s just the things I know about. I have no doubt that I haven’t been told everything that has happened since Bella met you and your family. Now, I’m going to say this one time, and one time only: stay away from my daughter. If I find you anywhere near her again, I’ll have you brought up on charges of stalking and harassment.”

Shocked at actually being yelled at, Edward slowly sat back down, not taking his eyes off of Charlie, who wrapped an arm around Bella’s shoulders and led her around the classroom. Bella hadn’t said a word since her father had addressed her, too shocked at what he had implied about Carlisle to get angry at him for what he said to Edward.

She passed Angela on the way out, who leaned forward and hugged her. “Please get better, Bella. I miss my friend,” she said softly.

It was as that moment that Bella took a good, hard look at Angela and her father, seeing the bags under their eyes and the new wrinkles they hadn’t had before (more pronounced on her father than on Angela, but still there). She finally realized how much worry she must have caused them in her depression, and then just leaving without notice, especially since her dad had been at a funeral when she had left. How must he have felt, coming home from the funeral of a friend to find his daughter gone? It must have been awful for him. No wonder he was so angry when she came home; he had every right to be.

Bella felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought of the pain she must have caused him and Angela. Hugging Angela back, hard, she cried, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” The tears were falling fast now, soaking Angela’s shirt, though she didn’t seem to care.

“It’s OK, Bella. Just promise me you’ll try to get better, even if it’s not a drug addiction. Being this obsessed with a guy just isn’t healthy,” Angela soothed her.

Bella pulled back, giving Angela a watery smile. “I’ll try. I promise,” she said, then hesitated. “Maybe...maybe when I come back from wherever I’m going, we can go see a movie in Port Angeles together.”

Angela smiled. “I’d like that. And we can get dinner down there, too.”

“Just not Italian,” Bella said, letting out a light laugh. God, when was the last time she had actually laughed with a friend? She couldn’t remember. It felt nice, though.

Angela gave her a final smile as Charlie, slightly smiling as well, led Bella out of the classroom, the two nurses trailing behind.

With help, Bella’s addiction would be broken and she could have her friend back.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

hyperactivator.livejournal.com

I love this. Of course people would think that the Cullens were into drugs. The endless money,the secretive attitudes, the pale unhealty looks it's obvious.

Very clever.

quicksilvermad.livejournal.com

Hell yeah, Angela!

evanesco75.livejournal.com

What a strange feeling, truly, to see Bella grow a heart! I felt warm, but then I felt pissed because I know canon-Bella wouldn't ever manage to shake off the Cullen mania long enough to consider other people for even a second.

Great job!