Chapter Eight – Port Angeles

Chapter Number: Eight

Chapter Name: Port Angeles

Page Numbers:  152-178 (Hardcover)

Date of Chapter: March 8, 2005

Summary: Bella, Jessica and Angela drive over to Port Angeles after school so that Jessica and Angela can shop for dresses for the dance. On the way there, Bella is horrified to learn that Tyler seems to think he is taking her to the prom – which in turn, is why Lauren doesn’t like her.

While dress shopping, Bella asks Angela whether it’s normal for the Cullens to be out of school a lot. Angela explains that it is as they go backpacking a lot.

After the dress shopping is complete, Bella goes looking for a bookshop while the other two take their shopping back to the car. While looking for a decent bookshop, she gets lost. Trying to find her way back to the others, she is cornered by a group of men who have herded her into a deserted street. Bella realises that they are after more than just her handbag, which she had considered deliberately dropping.

Rather than trying to run from the men, Bella stands still, bracing herself for their attack and desperately trying to remember what self-defence she knows. Her throat is so dry she has no voice to scream, although she tries swallowing so she can try.

Before either Bella can scream, or the men can attack, a car speeds round the corner, stopping just in front of Bella. It’s Edward.

Once Bella is in the car, Edward drives away from the street and out of Port Angeles, running a series of red lights to do so. He appears to be struggling to contain his anger and tells Bella to say anything to distract him.

Bella tells Edward about Tyler saying he’s going to take her to the prom, and what she thinks she could do to him so he’s unable to carry out the threat. To Bella’s disbelief, Edward says he’d heard about what Tyler had been saying.

Edward explains to Bella that he sometimes has a problem with his temper and that it wouldn’t have been ‘helpful’ for him to ‘hunt down’ the men who had been about to attack Bella.

Bella reminds Edward that Jessica and Angela will be worried about her, and he drives her to the restaurant without being told where she was to meet her friends. Once at the restaurant, Edward informs Bella that he is taking her for dinner.

Jessica and Angela are shocked to see Bella with Edward, but leave her alone with him after he says he will drive her home.

On entering the restaurant, Bella is irritated by the welcome the female host gives Edward. She is further surprised when Edward refuses the table they are offered, appearing to tip the host so they can have a more private table.

Once seated, Bella comments on how Edward ‘dazzles’ people. This seems to confuse him although he does ask Bella whether he dazzles her or not – she admits that he does.

The waitress, who comes to serve them, is equally dazzled by Edward, aiming all her questions at him rather than Bella. Edward, however, ignores the waitress, encouraging Bella to order some food, although he orders nothing himself.

Edward is concerned that Bella should be going into shock, however, she says she is fine. Despite this, she starts to shiver after drinking the coke the Waitress brought. Realising that she has no jacket, as she left it in Jessica’s car, Edward gives Bella his own. Bella notices that the jacket is cold and smells amazing.

Bella continues to maintain that she feels fine, despite Edward’s puzzled concern, as she feels very safe with him. This comment does not appear to please Edward.

Wanting to start questioning Edward, Bella comments on the colour of his eyes, as she had noticed that they were currently very light, which usually means he is in a good mood. This observation stuns Edward. Bella then goes on to explain that she expects him to be in a bad mood when his eyes are black and that she has a theory about it. Following Edward’s enquiries, Bella tells him she will explain her theory in the car, as long as he answers a few questions first. Edward agrees to this.

Bella starts by asking Edward why he is in Port Angeles but he refuses to tell her, so she starts a different line of questioning. Through the discussion of a supposedly hypothetical situation, Edward admits that he can read minds – with the one exception of Bella.

Bella persuades Edward to explain how he knew she was in trouble, and how he knew where to find her. As she does so, she touches the back of his hand. His skin is ‘cold, and hard like a stone.’

Edward explains that he followed Bella to Port Angeles, as he is trying to keep her alive. This doesn’t bother Bella as much as she thinks it perhaps should. She then points out that maybe, since the incident with Tyler’s van, Edward has been interfering with fate and that she should have died. Edward responds by ominously reminding her of the first time they met, admitting that her number had been up then. This scares Bella momentarily, but she is able to calm herself before Edward looks at her again, as far as she is concerned, she is still alive because of Edward.

Drawing the conversation back to how Edward was able to find her in Port Angeles, Bella aggress to eat while he talks. Edward explains that he had been monitoring her whereabouts through Jessica’s mind and hadn’t noticed when she had gone off on her own. He explains how he traced her through the thoughts of other people, finally finding the minds of the men who had her cornered.

As he speaks, the anger Edward appeared to feel directly after rescuing Bella returns and he describes how hard it was for him to leave the men alive, which was why he couldn’t let Bella go home with Jessica and Angela.

After Edward has finished speaking, he and Bella leave the restaurant – neither walking close enough to the other for their bodies to touch; this saddens Bella as she remembers what Jessica has been saying about her and Mike almost reaching the first-kiss stage of their relationship.

As they head out of Port Angeles Edward tells Bella it’s her turn to talk, as she had promised she would tell him of her new theory about him in the car.

Characters involved: Bella Swan, Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber, four thugs, Edward Cullen, restaurant hostess, Amber (waitress)

Characters Mentioned: Charlie Swan (the Chief), Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie, Tyler Crowley, Lauren Mallory, Renée Dwyer, Alice Cullen, Carlisle CullenEmmett Cullen, Esme Cullen, Jasper Hale, Rosalie Hale, woman in the bookstore

Places visited: Port Angeles, La Bella Italia in Port Angeles

Memorable quotes:
“How did you know where…?” 
~ Bella realising Edward has taken her to the restaurant without having been told it was where she needed to be.

“It was cold – the way my jacket felt when I first picked it up in the morning, hanging in the drafty hallway.”
~How Edward’s jacket feels when Bella first puts it on.

“Usually you’re in a better mood when your eyes are so light…You’re always crabbier when your eyes are black.”
~Bella commenting on Edward’s mood changes

“Just one exception” 
~ Edward pointing out that he can’t read Bella’s mind.

“His skin was cold and hard, like stone.”
~Bella about Edward’s skin

“Your number was up the first time I met you.”
~Edward confesses to being a threat to Bella.

“I was strangely anxious.”
~How Edward feels when he does not know where Bella is.

Important Information Learned:
Bella feels very safe with Edward, despite discovering he is a potential threat to her.

Bella is not the only one who is dazzled by Edward’s smile and eyes, other women are affected by him too and he doesn’t seem to notice.

Bella doesn’t appear to react to danger in the same way others do – she should have gone into shock but doesn’t.

Edward can read minds – with the exception of Bella, and is able to track someone by reading people’s minds.

Edward is trying to keep Bella alive and safe

Edward is a real threat to Bella.

Edward’s skin is cold and as hard as stone.

Edward searches for Bella in his car until the sun starts setting, only then does he consider getting out to search for her on foot.

Bella needs to have more proof / explanations before she is willing to share her new theory with Edward.