Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters. I am responsible for my own fictional characters and their actions. No, they will not come out of the screen and kill you. Just enjoy the story and try not to flame me. :
There it was; my final assignment before leaving the tenth grade forever. The topic was as horrid as the assignment:
"What I Will Do This Summer"
Sure, most people would love to talk about themselves, and trust me, I'm one of them. But, I didn't want to face the fact that after these last three days of school, I would be shoved from my home in sunny California to drizzly, blah Forks, Washington. Population: who cares? Why? Because my parents decided that going on a trip to Venice this summer as a second honeymoon was the best idea I have heard in a while according to my mother.
Which leaves me alone and bored and without the sun and my glorious tan that I got last weekend. My brother, Dan, started out his vacation early after graduation, by taking a twelve day cruise to the Caribbean with his girlfriend Sandra, and then going to Florida afterwards. Of course, my parents didn't think it was responsible to leave me with my friends at their homes. According to them I am a "handful"; Bull.
"Carrie, what are you going to write yours about?" Brad, the boy I had been in love with since third grade, asked me in a casual fashion.
"Well, uh, I was going- I mean, I was going to write it about- my trip to Washington. W-what are you going to write yours about?" I stammered. I always had a problem talking to boys. I had no idea why, I just couldn't manage to get to words out right.
Brad took no notice, but was staring across the room at Angie, his glossy girlfriend whom I hated. "I was thinking of writing about you," he said.
Did I hear right? I gulped and tried that again. "Sorry?" I asked.
"I was thinking of writing about Peru," he said. That made more sense. It was disappointing, but it made sense.
"Oh, that's cool. I forgot that you are going this summer with, Angie, to deliver emergency supplies and stuff. I mean, most people are going to spend their summer tanning on the beach and buying the new Limited Edition Coach Handbags." I chuckled. He still didn't look at me. Angie was looking at him now, smiling and flirting and blowing those stupid air kisses at him. I loathed that worm.
"Okay, well have a good summer Carrie," he said and walked over to Angie as the bell ring.
So Uncle Charlie and Bella could take on "the handful" huh? I guess that is what I was; a spoiled, rich handful that only cared about herself and no one else. Well, this summer, that was going to change.
When was this drive going to end? I didn't think I could handle five more minutes of Uncle Charlie describing the families in Forks. I didn't care. I didn't want to hear about him being Police Chief Swan that drove around in his cop car. I didn't want to hear about how much I had changed since he last saw me. But most of all, I didn't want to hear him talk about how much fun I would have here.
"Honestly Carrie, you and Bella can talk and have girl time. It would be great for her to get away from that boy that she is so involved with. Do you have a boyfriend Carrie?" he asked while focusing on the slippery road ahead.
I shook my head, which was leaning against the window and stayed silent. Why must I have to deal with this?
Uncle Charlie seemed to be a bit too excited because I felt a jerk on the road as he saw my response. "Excellent! Now she won't want to be rude by talking about him all the time and now I can stop her from seeing him constantly!" This made no sense. I had no idea who he was. I took my head off of the warm window and looked at him.
"Uncle Charlie, may I ask you something?" I asked examining his face and waiting patiently.
"Yes, anything you want." He replied still joyful. This was too freaky, I couldn't stand having to sit in this car and talk, but at least I could shut him up for a couple of seconds.
I sighed and looked directly at the road in front. "Did you even tell Bella I was coming?"
I saw it. I flicker of guilt hit is face the minute I finished my sentence. Then he was back to his giddy self, a smile plastered from ear-to-ear. "Of course I did silly! You kids always assume the worst in me!"
I was about to accuse him of his lie but then we pulled up to an empty house and I could tell Charlie felt a little relief. "Oh, Bella is out with him I suppose. Come in and make yourself at home. You'll be using the pullout couch for a bed if that is alright," he said and led me into the dark house and showed me around.
"Can we do this a little later Uncle Charlie? I want to freshen up a bit, and I am really tired." I said and began to make my way up the stairs and left him in a stuttering mess of "sure" and "okay's".
The shower wasn't like the one I was used to. Nothing was like what I was used to; A pullout couch? What the hell? I sighed and remembered my promise. I would not be selfish and I would not be a handful. Welcome new-and-improved Carrie Madding.