I had to get away from Bella, I couldn't handle everything anymore. Playing ping pong with my feelings, going back and forth between me and Edward for her comfort. As much as I loved her, I couldn't do this to myself anymore, I had to get away, I had to be happy by myself. Obviously, the little part about me being werewolf doesn't simplify too much for me, but on this occasion, it really payed to be able to run ninety miles an hour through the large trees and big moutains of the west coast. Fresh air and time to think things through was really good for me, for me to get over my feelings, start fresh for a little while, cleanse myself even, enough to go back home and just let go of her, let go of how i felt and just be able to live my life back home, fullfilling what I've been born to do. Protect everyone from vampires, the evil ish ones, ones with the red eyes.
I made it up to Canada, followed the coast to what seemed to be Horshoe Bay. A big bay, a marina along one side and a Ferry Docking Station in the middle. The moutains were high enough to keep the multiple tourists' camera's busy.I walked along onto a sidewalk that ran along the water. It wasn't the most pleasent looking day, all the cloudy patches and even some drizzles of rain, waters didn't look to inviting either. But the many people still roamed around the small boutiques and little patio restaurants along the walkway. The fact that it was warm and the ocean was in full view, must really keep the people coming, it was even tempting me. But I had little money and no shirt, might not have let me in.
So, i kept walking down the sidewalk and avoiding all the weird glances i got, at least from older ladies and men, the younger women didn't seem to mind my being shirtless or so tall. I had to get some normal clothes, at least for when i get into Vancouver, i needed a job and a place to stay. Shirtless and cut off jeans is not going to get me anywhere. I bought a pair of sweats and a tshirt in the small boutique and had just enough money left for a little booklet of bus tickets. A few minutes later, I was on a bus that went straight to Vancouver.
Didn't take too long, maybe an hour, and i got off as soon as my field of vision was filled with concrete buildings and cars. I jumped off the bus and walked around the streets. Took me a while, but I ended up at a port for Cruise Lines. A big Cruise ship was docked, Princess Victoria III, children and parents walked along the large dock that expand long into the vast ocean out and ahead. Big white tents covered the top of the dock, and they lead into a big glass building which seemed to be a chic hotel.
As unexpected, the clouds decided to clear out and the sun to shine down on me, and everything all the way to the horizon. I felt drained and hot, the werewolf augmented body heat really got in the way sometimes. I found a patch of grass and a fountain by the building across the glass hotel. I wandered over and sat beside the fountain and laid down on the grass, hands behind my head. I heard some light, sweet mumbling coming closer and closer. I sat back up and noticed a couple girls around sixteen or seventeen walking by me, smiling at me. I couldn't help but laugh, somehow i always found a way to make girls smile. Wether it was my sisters, or my mother, Leah or Emily, even girls in my class from first grade till my last year. I seemed to have trouble in the department of love, getting them to love me. Either its alot tougher then i want it to be or I just wasn't meant for it. I smiled at the girls and sucked in a not as fresh, breath of air a released it. I decided now was probably the best time to get a job, well, it was the only time really, i needed one now. I saw a guy, grease stains covered his jeans and grey tshirt. He seemed in a rush, backpack hanging at its best on his left shoulder has he stumbled over to a bus stop. Grease stains meant he worked with cars, personally or as a job, thats what I was out to find. I jumped off the patch of grass, lunged around the fountain and made it just in time to get a squished spot on the bus. I kept my eyes on the guy, he was blond, blue eyed and not very tall. He was skinny too, sorta scrawny and had freckles. He stuck his hand in his bag and dug around, then pulled out a cell phone. He punched in a few numbers and almost immediately started talking. I couldn't hear much, with the talking going on between some people around me, but i caught some words. I heard ''I'm gonna be late'' and ''Don't let Cayden finish up the Mustang''. I was pretty sure he was heading to work, then there was that little doubt that said he might be heading home to help out on that family mustang project. Either way, I was bound to find out.
Wet must have been on the bus for a good, twenty-five minutes before the blonde guy finally decided to get off. I got off and walked as slowly and discretely behind him, everytime he turned a corner, I kept it casual, no need to alarm him. Don't want to think i'm stalking him, even thought i am, he just doesn't need to know. He crossed a couple busy streets till we reached a big one named Broadway, we passed a dozen blocks till we reached an area with a big sign that said Welcome to Kitsilano. He continued down a street and the took a quick right turn onto another street. A couple more blocks later, we reached a water front, and right across the road was a fairly large garage. Not run down at all, looked like one of those chain ones. A big white sign on the edge of the red roof read Jack's Garage. I waited a few minutes, crossed the street and idled by the door. I had no resume, let alone anything really, other then my passport. But i didn't doubt my car fixing abilities, Bella called them major skills, ever since then I seem to notice them more and more. I really didn't want to, but i stuck my hand out, pushed the door open and took a step inside.
It was typical grey walls, being concrete and all. There was a bunch of old pictures that seemed to be from the fifties all the way up untill last year, that ran along the far wall on the left. On the right, Jack's Garage painted in red. Then across from me, was a big wooden desk with a orange, curly haired woman sitting behind it. She wasn't very very large, maybe just a little bit. She was old though, at least in her fifties, maybe even late fifties and had little glasses that made her face look even bigger. But she had a pretty smile, or at least the one she sent me.
''How can I help you, dear?'' She asked, putting her pen down and skooting her chair closer to her desk, and it didn't seem too possible.
''I was hopping I could maybe be one of your mechanics.'' I took a couple steps closer and stood there, waiting.
"Oh, I don't deal with those things. I'll try and find mister Monroe.'' She stood up from her desk and wobbled over to a door a few feet over to her right. ''One second dear.'' She turned the nob and the wonderful sounds of vices being screwed and motors being reved traveled across the room, circling my head, filling my ears.
Then the door closed, and it was all over. I walked around, I was starting to get really hot, even some minor sweating. I wiped my forehead with my arm and sucked in a deep breath and slowly let it out.
It was only a couple seconds later, an older man, in his mid thirties at least, walked in in overalls and a red baseball hat covering what looked like curly blond hair and bright green eyes. He scuffled over to me and stuck out his hand.
''Jack Monroe Jr.'' He said, shaking my hand. I saw him flinch at my super warm touch, but he continued shaking.
''Jacob Black.'' I said, quickly releasing his hand. No need to weird him out too much.
''So you wanna work as my mechanic? Where have you worked before?'' He looked me up and down, probably not convinced of how serious I was about it all wearing sweats and a tshirt.
''I haven't really worked around here. I moved from Forks, Washington.'' I said, head down.
''Well what experience do you have?'' He asked, placing his big hands on his skinny hips.
''Well, I rebuilt a Rabbit and two totally destroyed bikes, one was a Suzuki from 1993 at least. Let alone rebuilt an engine for an old Chevy and a few other little things like that here and there over the last couple years.'' I said quickly and silently, I wanted to get this awkward interview over with. All these memories of building the Rabbit and the two bikes with Bella was starting to make my stomach ache and my head hurt.
''You did all that?'' He asked, his mouth seem to curve upwards a little, giving a hint of satisfaction, maybe even amazement.
''Yes sir. I'm very passionate about cars, and I'm always deticated to my mechanics, always have been.'' I said, lefting my head up and waiting for the most important words I could probably ever hear at the moment, to come out.
''Come show me what you've got.'' I could help but smile and follow him through that wonderful door that lead to the amazing sounds once again. The vices and jacks being used, the motors being reved. I couldn't help but let my jaw drop and look all around me. There were cars jacked up a couple feet off the ground, then some more cars lifted a couple dozen feet off the ground on a platform. There were some men under cars, some more by tool boxes and some more under car hoods. I was so mesmerized, I didn't realise Jack Monroe Jr had lead me to what looked like a brand new black Dodge Challenger.
''Woman brought it in, said she turned it on and the engine immedietly started to smoke. Haven't touched it yet, why don't you throw on a pair of coveralls and let me know when you found the problem.'' He said as he walked away.
''Alright.'' I murmured to myself and through on the coveralls sprawled over the big red toolbox on my right. They were a bit small, but I managed, and immedietly started digging though the engine.
After about thirty-five minutes, the oil was changed, the engine was clean and I had fixed the problem. I wiped my hands, slammed the hood down and pulled off the coveralls. I put the tools back in place and wandered through the garage looking for Jack. I noticed the blonde guy from on the bus, he was fixing an old green Jeep that seemed really banged up. I watched him as I walked by, he made me think of Jack, I wondered if they were related even, maybe father and son. Then I kept on walking and noticed a beautiful and old blue Mustang. A mechanic was under the hood, and the blonde guy was making his way over to the hood as well. But then a toolbox hit my attention, or rather me. It didn't make too much of a sound, but enough to make some heads turn. I felt a little pain, then almost none. Another plus about the werewolf thing, the super healing stuff is pretty cool. I bowed my head and noticed Jack's bright red cap under a white van and marched over.
''Mister Monroe, I'm all finished up. Leak in the cylinders, nothing major. I noticed the oil needed to be changed as well, so I figured I could just switch that as well...'' I sorta noticed I might have been kissing but and decided to just kind of, trail out of it.
I saw Jack's head pop up from the under carriage with a big smile.
''That was fast.'' He rolled out completely from under the car and stood up. ''Now lets see if you were right.'' He dusted himself off and started towards the Challenger. He waved at the blonde who was back over to the Jeep, and kept on his way till he reached to driver's side door. He reached through the window and turned on the car. It made that rolling yet loud sound a beautiful car such as this one, should. And I didn't see any smoke, an didn't hear anything wrong. Jack turned to me with a smile and shut off the engine. I was about to say something, but he immedietely shushed me, it was quiet for a couple seconds then he pointed back to the engine.
''Hear that?'' He said, walking over to the hood and lifting it up. I wobbled over and looked around and found his finger over a valve. ''The valves were blocked, guessing over the winter water was built up, froze at somepoints then melted and got caught in here.'' He pointed back to the valves. He walked over to the toolbox, picked up a towel and dried the valve out. After wards, wiped his hands, handed me the towel and slammed the hood back down.
''You done good though. When do you wanna start?'' He grabbed the towel out of my hands and laid it over my shoulder.
''As soon as I can.'' I said with a smile and extended my hand. He grabbed it and the wrapped his other arm around my shoulders and walked me back to that door that lead back to the big, old woman with the curly hair.
''I'll go get some forms your gonna have to fill out for me, bring them in tomorrow and you can start right away.'' He let go of me and walked into what I assumed was his office. I t was in the garage, a small room with a windowed view of the garage and a big metal door that was always open.
''Here you are.'' He said after rummaging through some papers, handing me the ones he found. ''I will see you tomorrow, Jacob.''
I started walking away, when I realised I had no where to stay, let alone any money to make that possible. And there was only one thing I could do, no matter how degratting it seemed. I turned on my heels and walked back into Jack's office. He look up at me waiting.
''I know this is alot to ask, especially since I haven't even started working yet. But um..." I sucked in a large breath, and glanced back down to my shoes. ''I need an advance on my pay check. I sorta, need, the money..." I trailed on, kicking the floor. I felt terrible asking him, after giving me a job based on almost nothing.
"I expect you here everyday of the week, 9 AM till 5 PM. Understand? And I expect as good a job as today. Alright?" He stood up from his chair and walked over to me with a check. "You seem like a good guy, I trust you." He patted my back and walked me over to the lobby. I thanked him again and walked past the receptionist.
"Bye darling." She said, giving me an exagerated finger wave. I just waved back and went on my way. I couldn't believe my day. How much had happened.