Reliving the Past
Once on the plane I let out a sigh of relief, it was only at this time at which I could do so. Even though I have made it on to the plane my journey away from this place is still a long one. One that could go very wrong.
The hardest step is going to be letting go of everything, to get my mind around the fact that I had been hunted, and that there is every possibility that I still am.
But I am just going to take it one step at a time and this, was a fairly big step. Thank god Charlie has an extra room or else I'd be at a loss for a place to stay.
Only two days earlier I rang him, not knowing what else to do, asking if he would mind me coming to live with him. I told him that Renee doesn't mind and that I had it all settled with her and that there was no reason for him to call her.
I couldn't afford to tell her what was going on or where I was going, I didn't need to drag her into my mess.
As much as leaving her in the dark pains me I know it is for the best, even though she has no idea where I am at the moment. I just hope that she honours my wishes in the letter I left her, I did not need to be picked up by the police, them believing that I was kidnapped or a runaway.
The captain's voice echoes through the plane, telling us to strap in and have a nice flight. It will be a nice flight once its over and we have touched down safely in Forks.
Knowing that no one knows where I am is a comfort, if only I could drop of the radar completely. But once I finish school and turn eighteen I can go and do whatever I want.
The plane took off with a jolt, frightening me, I never did like flying.
Looking out the window in an effort to calm myself I soon found myself last in my thoughts, not a very good place to be sometimes. This time was no different but at least I came back out with some progress.
I decided that I will make the best of my year with Charlie.
I'm going to start anew, no one in Forks knows me so I can be whoever I want. I'm going to live my life, no more fears or worries, I've had enough of that in the past month to last me for the rest of my life.
Its all in the past and hopefully it will stay that way.
I'm focusing on my new life now, I'll get god grades, have lots of nice friends and maybe even a new boyfriend. The last thought stuck me as odd, I didn't think that I would be able to move on that quickly, but these are different circumstances I guess.
I am sure he has probably moved on already.
Stop thinking about it, this is why you shouldn't think so much.
My sub-conscious has a point, that is why I never liked to think so much, unwanted and unpleasant memories tend to pop up and catch me by surprise. Then all of a sudden I'm thinking about something that I never wanted to think about again.
Having been lost in my internal battle for quite a while I never even noticed that we had began to descend. This is the particular part of flying that I didn't like, the landing. Faster and faster we descended, the ground coming up underneath us at an alarming speed. We crashed down heavily onto the ground, everyone jostling about, my knuckles going white from griping the sides of my seat.
The plane started to settle and soon we were slowly driving along the lane way, coming to a gentle stop. People started clapping and I joined in with them, but I was not only clapping for the pilots success but for my own as well.
I made it to Washington. The biggest, hardest part of my escape plan was over.
Once we were allowed out of our seats I jumped out of mine like I was on fire, grabbing my small carry on bag with me and practically ran out of the plane and on to the baggage area.
Waiting for my bag to come around on the caravel I could feel my patience slipping, slowly and slowly until I found myself pacing up and down the caravel, glaring at all the happy tourists who have their luggage.
Of course my bag was one of the last to come out, typical.
Grabbing it off the caravel I moved swiftly in and out between all the other passengers, making it out to the front of the airport in less than five minutes.
I took a deep breath of fresh air, filling my lungs with the sweet taste of freedom. At that moment time seemed to stop and for a split second I found myself smiling. My lips slowly raised themselves into an unfamiliar smile.
Time sped up dizzyingly as I felt a heavy hand fall down on my shoulder and guide me to face my captor. Readying myself for a fight I sucked in a breath, building up to a scream.
"Bells!"
What ? No one calls me that except for……. Charlie! Phew, its only Charlie. I let my lung bursting breath out in a slow uneven sigh, turning around and pressing my face into my fathers chest.
I felt him stiffen for a fraction of a second until he wrapped his arms around my in a forgotten fatherly gesture. I'm sure that his hesitance was because he didn't quite expect a hug from his distant daughter who came to live with him without giving him a reason for her move. And maybe because I haven't given him a hug since I was around eight years old.
"I… eh… missed you Bells," Charlie said timidly.
I didn't know what to say to that, no one had said that to me before. No one has ever missed me, I'm to unimportant to be missed. Hell, I'm hardly ever seen!
" I missed you too, dad," I told him. It wasn't a huge lie, just a small one, one that can't hurt.
"Right, well eh… lets get your bag in the car and we can go home," Charlie said, bending down to pick up my bag.
Home. I never will have a home again, I was chased out of the only place that I had ever felt comfortable and I can never go back until this is all over. And something gave me the feeling that this will never be over.
Charlie walked away, in the direction of the parking lot. I trailed behind him slowly, wary. I didn't particularly like new surroundings, they made me feel vulnerable.
We came to a stop in front of a police car and I nearly jumped out of my skin. Did Charlie call the cops? Had Renee figured out where I was and called the cops? I started to hyperventilate but Charlie didn't seem to notice, I watched him pull out a set of keys and unlock the car.
Wait. That didn't make sense.
Oh yeah, now it makes sense. Charlie is a cop. How could I forget? Everything that has happened has taken a huge toll on me, I can't even remember my dad's occupation.
I stepped into the cruiser hesitantly, not really sure how I felt about my father being a cop. He can either provide better protection and refuge that I had hoped for, plus he had a gun or he could find out what I was involved in and put me in jail.
But I don't think that he will put me in jail, at least I hope he wont. If it comes down to it I'm sure he will believe my story, seeing as my story is the truth.
We talked very little in the car. I watched as trees zoomed by the window in a never ending line. This whole state seemed to be surrounded by trees.
I pressed my forehead against the window, the cool glass soothed my head as memories threatened to spill out and cloak me in darkness.
Charlie tried a few times to try and get some information out of me but I just left him with vague answers that didn't really add up. I wasn't going to tell him about my situation, it wouldn't do anyone any good.
After about an hours drive we pulled up in front of a modest, cozy two story house, just on the edge of the forest. It looked like a nice area to take a walk with a book on a fine day.
Although from what I've heard of Forks, I don't think there will be many fine days to take a walk.
"Home sweet home," Charlie mumbled, stepping out of the car. I followed him, still staring at the house. I walked forward, feeling certain that I will be able to make the most of what I have.
In the driveway sat a beat up, red truck, which to me looked adorable.
"Hope you don't mind but I bought you a car when I heard you were coming," Charlie said gesturing with his free hand, as his other held my bag, at the truck. Wow. My eyes began to fill with tears. This had to be the kindest, most sincere gesture that anyone has given me.
I heard him walk up behind me and I turned around an caught him in another unexpected hug. He must really think that I was messed up, but I just couldn't help myself.
"Its beautiful. Thanks," I said, wiping away my tears.
I felt Charlie pat my back and I untangled myself from him and took my bag out of his hand with a smile. He led the way up to the house. He paused at the door and told me that there was a key under the eave if I needed it.
The inside looked even more cozy than the outside. I wished that I had come to live with Charlie before everything had happened. Then I would have had a nice, comfortable life, not this hectic one.
I shook myself out of my self-pitying thoughts, there is no point in dwelling over the past, what's done is done.
"Your room is upstairs, the first on the right. Are you hungry? I could order some pizza," Charlie said.
"Eh… I think I'll unpack first and then see how I feel, thanks," I replied, already half way up the stairs.
I stopped outside the door, timidly reaching for the door handle, unsure of myself. I need to be strong, I'm safe now, there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to open a silly door. With these thoughts I twisted the handle and eased the door open.
What I saw surprised me. Instead of seeing the expected pinks and frills, there was yellow paint on the walls and no frills in sight. Thank god. The only thing that had remained from the last time I was here was the old rocking chair.
I unpacked my few belongings slowly and stood in the middle of the room, pondering. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of Charlie's voice.
"Bells, could you come down here?" Charlie asked.
Oh no. He couldn't have found out, could he? The phone hadn't rang and no one had come to the house, how would he have heard the news.
"Coming," I replied shakily. I made my way down the stairs, almost falling twice, and that had nothing to do with my clumsiness. I entered the kitchen warily. I was getting ready to beg Charlie to let me stay, to tell him that whatever he heard was a lie. But he spoke before I could.
"I know that you are a grown up now, but… I want you to finish school, so I enrolled you into Forks High," Charlie said, trying to sound stern but it was obvious that he was out of practice.
Even though I don't like going to school, hearing him say that sentence made me feel the happiest that I could ever remember being in a long time. He hadn't heard about me, I wasn't being shipped off, I was safe.
The air instantly felt lighter and it stopped feeling like the walls were closing in on me.
"Yeah, that's okay dad," I said, with a slight smile on my face, turning away to go back upstairs until a thought hit me.
"Wait, when am I starting?" I asked. Please don't say tomorrow, please don't say tomorrow!
"Eh… tomorrow," he said sheepishly.
Ugh. No. I don't want to start tomorrow, I'm not ready yet. I didn't want to disappoint Charlie so early in my stay, though. So I only nodded my head, attempting a smile to let him know that I wasn't that mad at him.
"You can order that pizza now, if you like," I told him, effectively changing the subject and I was hungry.
His answer was to reach for the phone. I went back up to my room and laid down on my bed. For once I didn't think, I just let my mind wander freely as I stared unblinkingly at my ceiling.
Fifteen minutes later the pizza came and I sat down to the table with Charlie, feeling more comfortable that I had expected I would. We talked and caught up with each other, he told me about all the people that I would be going to school with, the people that he thought were nice.
He made everyone sound so pleasant, nice and normal. I should fit in nicely here.
I went to bed that night feeling quite excited about tomorrow, about starting over again and remodelling my life.