Remember Me

Chapter 1~Washed ashore

The waves crashed against the shore ferociously. Just starting to settle down after the storm that had passed recently. The surfers on the beach groaned as the waves became too tame for them to surf, yet too rough to swim in. There just wasn't any winning for the beach goers.

Jacob came running down the small slope, carrying his surf board. "Are the waves still good?" he asked, passing some departing surfers. "Nah Jake. You missed it." one surfer told him, stifling a laugh. "Ah man. Thanks a lot dad." Jacob grumbled aloud, accidentally dropping his surf board. "What did he make you do this time?" the surfer asked curiously. Jacob scowled, glaring at the sand. "First he made me wash the dishes, then weed the lawn." This time the surfer wasn't able to control the small fits of laughter erupting from his mouth. "Shut up Paul!" Jacob growled, clenching his fists. Paul cocked a brow, and glanced at the fists. "Or what Black? It's not my fault your daddy made you miss out on the fun." Jacob glowered at the boy who merely laughed. "I'm not scared of you. Want to tousle?" Paul half-teased. Jacob drew back his right fist and prepared to slam it into Paul's face when a hand reached out and stopped him. "Enough you two!"

Jacob stared into the irritated eyes of Sam Uley. Paul and Jacob's boss. "Sorry Sam." Paul said, casting his eyes downward. "Sometimes you two act like you're still in high school." Sam complained, releasing Jacobs arm. "We only graduated a year ago." Jacob blurted, flinching at Sam's scowl. "You're both 19. That means your adults. Start acting like one." Jacob sighed and Paul flipped him the bird while Sam wasn't looking. "I think for some of us, that's going to be harder than others." Jacob retorted sarcastically. Sam quirked an eyebrow. "I've had enough of your sass Jacob. Clean the beach or I'll dock your pay." Paul burst into laughter at the indignant look on Jacob's face, and before he could receive the same treatment, he ran away, surfboard in hand.

Jacob took at peak at the almost deserted beach littered with loads of trash and debris. "You want me to clean that?" he asked in shock. Sam nodded solemnly. "Clean the beach for an hour then head home." Jacob sighed but knew he had no choice. Without the money he received for working for Sam, he'd be broke and without hope. "Fine." he grumbled, grabbing his surf board off the ground and setting it against the Surf Shack. Sam gave him a trash bag and Jacob jogged to the where the trash awaited his removal.

"Stupid Paul. Being a nuisance. Getting me in trouble. Having to pick up trash like a convict." Jacob continued to grumbled to himself as the hour dragged by. Eventually, his trash bag seemed ready to burst from being stuffed with the trash and his hour was almost up. Deciding to call it a day, he tied the bag and set it near his surfboard.

Gazing out onto the beach, he noticed the waves had calmed enough for a light swim, but most of the people had already gone. In fact, glancing around the beach, he was the only person left. So, peeling off his shirt and sandals, he set them aside and smiled at the water giddily. A sunny day in Forks was a miracle and today the sun was peeking out behind the never ending cloudy sky. As if to say "Hey there! Want to go swimming? I encourage it!"

Needing no more invitation, he dove into the cool water and swam a few feet, relishing his actions. "Ah how nice it is to swim on a not cold, sunless day." he floated on his back for a while, in pure bliss. He knew when he got home, Billy, his father, would want him to do more crazy chores. That is, until the cable got turned back on and he became too absorbed in whatever game was on to bother him. He couldn't wait until next Tuesday. Four days. Only four more days of Billy's incessant cleaning and then he was free to do whatever he wanted. More or less.

Backstroking for a while, Jacob glanced up at the sky and almost yelped when his arm hit something hard. Sinking into the water before swimming away, he glanced over at the planks his arm had collided into. "Hm. Weird." he mused aloud, glancing around at a few scattered pieces of what looked like an empty crated, a couch pillow, a girl, more crates- Jacob found his eyes widening in shock as he realized an unconscious girl was floating half atop a deflating lifeboat. Swimming the twenty feet or so she rested, he swam next to her and pocked her pale cheek softly. "Hello?" he asked. When she didn't stir, he began to panic. Realizing the best thing to do was get her to shore, he grabbed onto the boat and began swimming towards shore.

It took a while, but soon he was dragging the boat on the beach and turning the girl on her back. Placing his ear to her chest, he could hear a faint heartbeat and sighed in relief. "Okay. You aren't dead. But what were you doing out in the middle of the ocean?" he asked her, not expecting a response. Nor did he receive one. Looking down at her, he guessed she was around his age. Maybe a year or so younger. With her scraggly shoulder length brown hair in a mess around her head, and lithe frame, she looked fragile. He didn't recognize her so he knew she wasn't from around here. Making a split second decision, he decided to take her home. There was no way he was going to just leave her on the beach. That would just be rude and unkind. So, scooping her up bridal style, he took her to his Volkswagen Rabbit and sat her in the passenger seat. Strapping her in, he claimed the drivers seat and sped home. Forgetting all about his surfboard that he would have to later come back to reclaim.

Upon reaching home, he was happy to find his father not waiting for him in the living room, but the house was empty. Which meant only one thing. "Fishing!" he cheered silently, then thought about the girl in the car. He headed back out to the car where the girl still sat, unconscious, and opened the door. She almost fell out but was saved by the seatbelt. Unhooking it, he scooped her up again and brought her inside his small two bedroom, one floor house he shared with his dad. Walking into his messy room, he laid her out on the bed and frowned. She was dripping wet from being in the ocean and he wondered what he should do. He didn't want to undress her, but he also didn't want to let her sleep in wet clothes. His father always told him that sleeping wet was a surefire way to catching a cold.

Opening his dresser, he removed a larger sweatshirt and some matching sweatpants. "Okay. I'll only take off her outer layer of clothes." he told the room, as if wishing for approval. Walking over to the unconscious girl tentatively, he lifter her up gently and slid her shirt off. Trying not to glance at the practically see-through bra, he slipped the sweatshirt on over her head and pushed her arms through the sleeves. "Okay, halfway over." he mumbled, lifting her legs up and shifting her pants off. His brow furrowed when he noticed multiple bumps and bruises on them, ranging in color from red to blue. "What happened to you?" he whispered, ghosting his hands over her injured legs. Deciding to worry about it later, he put on the sweatpants and laid a blanket down over her.

Taking the girl's dirty shirt and pants, he headed into the basement and threw it in the washer, along with some other clothes he needed to wash. Then, returned upstairs and grabbed a glass of water. He figured whenever she finally woke up, she'd be thirsty and so he set a glass of water on the nightstand beside the bed in clear view.

With Billy being gone, it bought him some time. He didn't know what he was going to say to his father when he came home and found a new guest staying with them. He supposed for now, he could hide it from Billy but eventually the truth would come out. So wouldn't it be best for him to tell the truth? Hm. But would Billy allow a complete and total stranger to live with them. To make it worse, she was a girl.
Jacob glanced over at the sleeping girl from the doorway. He was probably overthinking things like usual. After she woke, she'd thank him for helping her and leave. Or, be upset that he changed her clothes and storm out.

With both options, she would be leaving. So telling Billy wouldn't be an issue. Before he'd have a chance to tell his father, the girl would be gone. He smiled at this, but sighed inwardly. Not sure of what to do with himself, he closed his door and headed into the kitchen too make him some dinner.

The girl opened her eyes slowly. Her vision swam and she closed her eyes again. Blinking, she opened her eyes for a second time and her vision began to clear. The room was not familiar, but it didn't frighten her. The walls were painted a pale blue and the ceiling held old cartoon stickers, along with a ceiling fan. Sitting up slowly, she scanned the small room. Aside from the full bed she was lounging on, it was pretty bare. Only contained a dresser opposite the bed and a nightstand table. A closet rested near the the only window facing west.

Yawning, she stretched and set her feet on the floor. The blanket cascaded to the floor and she picked it up reflexively. "Can't dirty up the place." she murmured aloud. Startled by her voice, she looked around warily. Spotting the glass of water, she picked it up and sipped it slowly. Room temperature. Her body accepted it gratefully and in three big gulps, the cup was empty. After finishing it, she held it bemused. What if it was someone else's water? Was she even suppose to be drinking it? Where was she? Setting the blanket down on the bed and the cup in the nightstand, she rose and shuffled towards the door. Cracking it open, she peeked into the hallway and was enveloped in a delicious aroma.

Gulping, she made her way down the small hallway and into a kitchen. A boy hovered above a stove, stirring a pot. He was humming to himself cheerfully and she wondered who he was. Not wishing to startle him, she tried to think up a way to announce her presence. Her stomach found the answer. Gurgling loudly, she clenched it and watched the boy turn around. He was taller than her by quiet a few inches, and had lost most of the roundness in his face that indicated he was a kid. No, this was no kid. With his broad shoulders and toned muscles. He must be her age, if not older. He had long brown hair that hung in a loose ponytail and big brown eyes that were currently gazzing at her happily.

"Morning!" he greeted. "Had me worried for a second. You were asleep for so long I thought I might have to take you to the hospital." The girl pondered this for a moment. "Okay." she finally spoke aloud. "Not to be rude but," she bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers. "Go on." he prodded. "Um... who are you?" the boy grinned and pointed to himself. "I'm Jacob Black. A 19 year old high school graduate who is still living with his father." he declared proudly. The girl giggled softly at his exuberance. Jacob returned with a smile and pointed to her. "So what's your name?" The girl looked at him and opened her mouth. "Oh. I'm-..." she closed her mouth without responding, brow furrowing. "That's weird. I can't seem to remember my name." Jacob also frowned. "Well, do you know where you are?" The girl nodded slowly. "Your house?" Jacob nodded and shook his head at the same time. "Yes, but I meant do you know what city your in?" The girl shook her head. "No. I don't even know how I got here." Jacob smacked his head. Had he forgotten already that he'd found her drifting unconscious in the sea? "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners today?" he pointed to a small table in the living room. "I didn't even explain to you what's going on. How about we talk over dinner?" he watched the girl nod slowly before making her way over to the table and taking a seat quietly.

Turning the stove off, he grabbed two plates and forks before setting them on the table. Then taking the pot, he set it between them. "You like spaghetti right?" he asked her while pouring two glasses of water and popping in ice cubes. The girl shrugged. "I don't know but it smells good." she told him, hesitantly scooping spaghetti onto her plate. "Enjoy!" Jacob got some for himself when she was finished and dug into it savagely. The girl brought a forkful to her mouth and took a timid bite. Seeming to like what she was eating, she ate more normally. " So how did I get here?" she asked after a few bites. Jacob swallowed the food before responding.

"I was out on the beach, swimming, when I ran into some debris. I looked around and found you passed out on a raft. Ring any bells?" The girl jolted. "What did you just call me?" she said suddenly. "Hm? I didn't call you anything. Although I'm starting to think you have amnesia." Jacob told her. "No. You said 'ring any bells?' and it didn't. None of what you said made sense until you said that. I think it might be my name." Jacob quirked an eyebrow. "Your name is Ring any Bells?" he asked skeptically. The girl frowned. "No. But it might be Bells. Or something like that." Jacob thought for a moment. "Hm. Bells huh?" The girl nodded. "Yes. I can't remember anything but when you say that, I feel like your talking to me." Jacob nodded in understanding. "Well, there aren't many names similar to Bells. Maybe it's short for something." The girl shrugged, eating more of the food. "I don't know." Jacob drank from his glass. "Hm. Bells. Bell-ina maybe? Bell-isa? Bell-a?" The girl nodded furiously. "I think it's that one."

"Bella?"

"Yes. I'm pretty sure that's my name." she told him. Jacob smiled. "Alright. I think we're getting somewhere then. Bells is short for Bella. So Bella," Bella looked up at him. "Can you remember anything else? Like how you got on that lifeboat?" Bella thought about it for a minute. Forehead creasing in strain. Soon she sighed. "No. Aside from my name, I can't remember anything." Jacob finished his food and swallowed the rest of his water. "Well, looks like you're in a pickle." Bella also finished her food and looked at him solemnly. "I guess I am. Until my memory comes back. I don't know what I'm going to do." Jacob watched her begin to panic and made a split second decision. "But I guess until you recover your memory, you can stay here." Bella gazed into his eyes bemused. "But I'm a stranger to you, and you're a stranger to me." Jacob waved away her concerns. "I'm no killer-rapist-thief-or bad guy and I'm pretty sure you aren't either so I think it's fine."

"But what about your dad? Won't he object?" Jacob scratched his head guiltily. He didn't know how his father would react. But it probably wouldn't be good. "We'll just keep it from him for a while." he told her sheepishly. Bella laughed and Jacob found himself laughing with her. "This is madness. But since I have no where else to go, I guess I have no choice." Jacob smiled, nodding in agreement. "Good luck keeping me hidden." she said, yawning. Jacob collected the plates and set them in the sink. Leading her back to his room, he let her sleep in his bed again. "I'm going to need all the luck I can get." he mumbled when she'd fallen asleep.

Billy probably wasn't going to happy about their addition to the family. So Jacob knew he was going to have to be extra careful not to alert his dad. After cleaning the dishes, he remembered her clothes and hurried to retrieve them from the washer. Hiding them in his closet, he looked at her peaceful sleeping form. "Wonder where I'm going to sleep?" he mused aloud, before sinking to the floor and resting his head on the bed. Glancing at the clock, it told him it was half past nine in the evening. "I should probably bring a chair in here tom...or..ow." he mumbled before falling asleep himself.

Sometime during the night, Bella's hand shifted and ended up resting against his arm.