Chapter 30 – Finally Back to School
Early morning.
The sun was still low, painting the streets gold, when Dante and Bella rolled toward school in her car. Dante rubbed his temples, a dull headache throbbing behind his eyes.
Yesterday when I went to see Margaret and told her about the other girls… well, she wasn't exactly thrilled with the news. She didn't break up with me, but the downside is I'm sleeping on the couch for a good while.
He thought with a wince: Thank goodness she's not Yuno Gasai, or I might not have made it back alive.
Bella glanced sideways at him and asked:
"What's wrong? You look so down."
Dante let out a long breath.
"It's nothing too serious. I'm just being punished for being an idiot."
Bella grinned, eyes still on the road.
"Good thing you know you're an idiot."
Dante clutched his chest dramatically.
"Isn't this the moment when a big sister is supposed to cheer up her little brother?"
Bella smirked.
"Well, I'll think about it."
Dante gasped theatrically.
"I've been betrayed by my own sister in my moment of sadness."
Bella rolled her eyes and said flatly:
"Idiot."
Dante dropped the act, looked at her seriously, and asked:
"So, how are you going to deal with the goth emo now that you know he's a bat?"
Bella's grip tightened on the wheel.
"If you keep calling him a bat, I'll tell Alice you think that about her too."
Dante's eyes widened in genuine shock.
"How did you find out Alice is a vampire?"
Bella gave him a smug sideways glance.
"I'm not dumb. You said they can't tell other people they're vampires, and Alice lives with them and they're a family. Of course she's a vampire too."
Dante groaned.
"Sis, you're playing dirty."
Bella smiled sweetly.
"Well, just stop calling him a bat. After all, you don't want Alice to hear you saying that."
Dante muttered, reluctantly:
"Fine… I won't call the goth emo a bat."
Bella's smile turned victorious.
"Was it that hard to be nice to him?"
Dante's face fell like the world had lost all color.
"Being nice to that goth vampire goes against everything I believe in."
Bella pulled into the school parking lot, killed the engine, and looked at him.
"Stop the drama."
Dante whispered under his breath:
"It's not drama. After all, I didn't give in to the temptation of throwing him into an active volcano or onto the surface of the sun."
Bella, who heard perfectly, shot him a warning glare.
"Don't even think about throwing people into volcanoes or the sun."
Dante thought as they walked toward the school building: Technically he's not a person.
They said goodbye at the hallway split.
When Dante reached his classroom, he immediately spotted Alice sitting by the window, sunlight catching in her pale dark redheads. He slid into the seat next to her.
Alice turned, smiled, and asked with a hint of jealousy lacing her voice:
"How were your vacations?"
Dante caught the tone instantly and thought: Why would she be jealous?
Then the penny dropped—he remembered her power and gave a bitter half-smile.
That's why dating a seer is tough.
He answered casually:
"They weren't bad."
Alice's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I bet you had a lot of fun."
Dante, who had clung to a sliver of hope, now knew for sure: she'd definitely had a vision and already knew about the girls.
He sighed inwardly: That's why dating a seer is tough.
Still, he looked at her and said softly:
"Well, I had fun… but I really missed a certain girl."
Alice, arms crossed, still a bit angry:
"Well, I don't know if you missed her that much."
Dante leaned closer.
"If I invite her to go out with me tomorrow, do you think that beautiful girl would accept?"
Alice's expression softened; she smiled and said:
"Why don't you try?"
Dante locked eyes with her.
"So, Alice… would you go on a date with me?"
Alice's face lit up. She threw her arms around his neck and practically tackled him in the chair.
"Yes! I accept!"
Dante laughed, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tight.
Alice finally let go (though she clearly didn't want to), glanced at the door, and whispered:
"The teacher's coming. We'll talk about this at break."
Right on cue, the teacher walked in and said:
"Good morning, students. As usual, take out your books and turn to page 78."
After a painfully boring hour of history, the bell for break finally rang.
Alice grabbed Dante's hand and dragged him down the crowded hallway.
"Well, since you're asking me out, it's only fair you meet my family."
Dante let himself be pulled along.
"Are we that serious already?"
Alice flashed him a dazzling smile.
"When did you ever think we weren't serious?"
Dante raised his hands in playful surrender.
"Fair point."
They reached the usual table. Alice announced proudly:
"Everyone, this is Dante. That blonde over there is Rosalie. The guy next to her is her boyfriend, Emmett. This is Edward."
Dante smirked.
"Well, that one you don't need to introduce. Of course I'd know the name of the goth emo who keeps staring at my sister."
Emmett and Rosalie barely held back their laughter.
Dante extended a hand.
"My name's Dante. Nice to meet you all."
He sat next to Alice and asked:
"Well, even after we've talked so many times by text, you still haven't told me what you like."
He smiled warmly.
"I want to know. After all, I don't want to take you somewhere you wouldn't enjoy and ruin the date."
Alice's cheeks pinked; she smiled back.
"Well, I don't think you'd take me somewhere I wouldn't like. I trust you."
Dante's smile grew.
"Thank you for the trust. But I'd still like to know more about the girl I'm into. May I?"
Alice's eyes sparkled.
"Yes, you may."
Across the cafeteria, Bella watched her brother laughing easily with Alice and thought:
Well, they really get along so easily. I wish it were that simple for me.
She glanced at Edward.
Dante, catching the look on his sister's face, already knew what she was feeling.
He turned his gaze to Edward and thought coldly:
As soon as Alice tells me she's a vampire and I tell her what I am, I'm going to have a nice little chat with Edward. Either this asshole gets his shit together and commits to my sister for good, or this bastard rejects her fast so she stops building false hope like in the original. I only didn't throw him into a volcano because I'm not irrational. But if he tries to play with my sister's feelings, I'll toss him straight onto the surface of the sun.