I sighed loudly as I put the last plate in the cupboard. I grabbed a napkin from the table and dried my hands, after washing a huge amount of dishes. I sighed again loudly as the nightmare of dirty dishes was over. I went over to the living room to see my father sitting down in his usually brown chair, enjoying a game of soccer.
"I'm done with the dishes, dad," I said.
I stood there for a minute, waiting for an answer. Seeing that he was too distracted by the game, I took a seat next to him, pretending to be entertained by a football being passed across a field. I attempted to watch the game with interest. I never understood it. What was so interesting about it? Wouldn't a person rather go out and play a real game instead of watching others do it?
I glanced at my dad once more. I laughed silently at his facial expression. His jaw was wide open and his eyes couldn't seem to get any bigger. I was amazed –he must really love football. Seeing that he did not want to start any conversation, I got up from my seat and turned towards the door. Luckily, my action seemed to drive his attention from the game.
"Where are you headed to?" he mumbled.
"I don't know, going to see a couple of friends I guess," I said turning around, desperately trying to avoid another question.
"Jacob?" he asked.
I was intimated by the tone of his voice. It sounded like the typical voice he would use to make me feel guilty after I committed a "crime", which in usual cases would ne not washing dishes. But this was different. I didn't see how not visiting Jacob was a crime. I glanced at him and attempted to reply in the same tone.
"No, not Jacob," I remarked." I don't feel like seeing him, I don't miss him."
"You haven't felt like seeing him for the past 3 weeks." He mocked.
That was it. Why did he have to be like this? Just because he happened to be best friends with Jacobs's dad, doesn't mean that I had to be friends with his son. This is what I hated about my dad. He expected me to be a duplicate of himself. Why does he have to choose my friends? I bet if he was best friends with Edwards's dad, he would be nagging on me to go visit Edward everyday. It's a pity that my dad isn't best friends with my boyfriend's dad; I wouldn't mind vesting him everyday. I mean, don't get me wrong, I do like Jacob, but visiting him everyday isn't what I anticipate.
Seeing that I was drowned in my thoughts, my dad spoke again.
"I really think you should go see him Bella, the kid misses you…You're his only best friend."
I laughed at his false conclusion. Only best friend? What explains that bunch of shirtless pals he hangs around with everyday? My dad took the laugh as an insult. He suddenly got up and left his game to talk to me. That's a first.
"Bella! You don't have to be so arrogant! Just because he isn't as rich and handsome as Edward doesn't mean you toss him in the trash!" he barked.
I started at him in shock. I felt my cheeks turn into the colour of my red shirt. How dare he accuse me with his stupid false thoughts? I opened my mouth to defend my self, but surprisingly, nothing came out. Unfortunately, he acknowledged my state of shock and thereby he took advantage of my condition.
"I know, the truth hurts," he mumbled.
I couldn't take it anymore. The words "How dare he?" were all I could think of. I had to find a way to get out of this awkward and shocking situation. I pressed my lips firmly and gave him another disappointed glance. Before I stormed out of the house I managed to shoot a couple of words towards him.
"Really dad, really?" I yelled.
I ran quickly onto the street as I heard my name being yelled several times from the house. As far as my dad was concerned, he could continue watching his game without disturbance – I wasn't going back home anytime soon.
I kicked a rock off the pavement as my dad's fatal words echoed in my head. Why did he have to be like this? I recall whenever I would ask my mother why they split up, she would always give me that same ambiguous answer, said in a certain tone that tended to irritate me. "Its complicated", she would say .Currently, complicated seems simple when interacting with my dad for a month now. Some times at night, when I was alone and didn't have Edward on my mind or wasn't worried if he would suddenly appear behind my curtains, I would allow myself to be drifted in such thoughts that I never had spoken of. What were the odds of me not visiting my dad for the summer? I mean of course I wouldn't have met Edward, that's one disadvantage. I recall my effortless attempts in figuring out the losses I would have faced if I hadn't come to visit my dad this summer. Usually, meeting Edward would be the only outcome. Nevertheless, the advantages of staying with my mother this summer were numerous. Not dealing with my dad himself would be a huge load off the shoulder. I never really came to a point where I hated my dad, but disliking him would always be a frequent feeling.
Being deeply drowned in my thoughts, I suddenly jumped at the sound of rattling from behind. I turned around to see raccoons fiddling around in a trash can. I shook my head and brought my mind back to reality. I glared at the animals that had disturbed my moments of deep thought and continuous walking. I sighed loudly. I looked around at the green tress that surrounded me. I slowly tried to visualize tall buildings in place of the trees, that I had once witnessed back home with my mother. I sighed again.
"This is going to be a long summer" I whispered under my breath.
As I reached the end of the street I took a turn by the corner to see a familiar house. Had I walked that far? I must have been really drowned in my thoughts to not notice the distance I had crossed from my house to Jacob's. I starred at the Jacobs's house that was surrounded by unevenly cut grass. As I starred closely at the pale wooden front door, I imagined Jacob crashing it open and running shirtless to meet up with the rest of his "gang".
"What a jerk," I mumbled.
Being intimidated by the thought I quickly decided to leave the area before my current visualization could come true. After all, they do say imaginations come true. As i turned around, I was taken by surprise.
"AHHH JACOB!" I screamed.
"What" he teased as he laughed in that same old annoying tone. "Gotten scared?"
I was completely shocked by the fact that he was standing behind me this whole time. I bit my lip anxiously hoping he did not hear me calling him a "jerk".
"Noo…nooo" I managed to spit out.
He smiled warmly. I looked deeply in his eyes, for a moment there, it was like old times - maybe I really never did lose my Jacob. Seeing that our interaction soon turned into an awkward silence, I immediately rushed to open a topic.
"So what are you doing out here?" I asked quickly, practically eating my words.
"What are you talking about he asked in a confused expression." I live here"
I blushed awkwardly at the stupidity of my question and immediately looked down to cover the change in color of my face.
"That question should be directed towards you, what are you doing here?" he asked. His expression suddenly changed from confused to amused.
"Missed me?" he smiled slyly.
I pressed my lips firmly. My mouth was open and my conscious was prepared to throw a fit, but my emotions pulled me back. I closed my mouth and smiled.
"Yes actually Jacob, I haven't spoken to you in a while" I said in the most causal tone my mouth was capable of.
My answer took him by surprise. It was obvious he was expecting a complete different answer. "What the hell? Miss you? no way" could be a possible example. Seeing that he was "touched" by my kindness, he grabbed my arm and pulled me close. He hugged me tightly and lifted my feet off the ground. As I was in a state of suffocation from his tight grip I attempted to spark a sign of intimidation and pressure. After 2 minutes of squeezing me tightly, he released me slowly. As he looked into my eyes once more, it seemed that he got the point that I would want to be anywhere in the world right now, other than his arms. As the awkward silence began to emerge again, he spoke up in an excited tone.
"So do you want to come in for some lemonade?"
"Omg sure!" I said, attempting to reply in the same excited tone.
Sadly, he detected the fakeness in my voice and a glare of disgust was his immediate reaction.
I followed him through the dusty narrow front door of his house and into the kitchen. The kitchen was quite small. At times I felt pity for Jacob. A big healthy boy like him would definitely want a kitchen filled with food and necessities. Sadly a dusty old tiny room was all his dad could afford. I watched him take out a jug full of lemonade from the fridge. He looked at me and gestured towards the cupboard for the glasses. As I opened the cupboard, I struggled to find 2 cups among the dust and sand. Spiders were crawling all over the dishes. The knot in my stomach that formed after having an intimating conversation with my dad, grew larger. Seeing that I was incapable of taking 2 cups from a cupboard, Jacob slowly shoved me away and dug his hand to find the objects he desired. He pulled out two dusty half broken cups. The knot is my stomach grew.
"Ugh I thought my dad washed the dishes". He complained. "But oh well, a little dust won't harm ey?"
We sat down outside near the trees.
"So what have you been up to these days?" He said.
"Nothing." I replied.
I thought of saying something more interesting, but it's not like I turn into a werewolf every once in a while and get to experience all the fun stuff.
"Nothing? Really?" he mocked.
I attempted to doge his annoying tone of curiosity.
"What about you?" I said, hoping to distract him from asking me further questions.
"Nothing" he imitated.
Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, I sat quietly, open for more annoying questions.
"So how is that thing you're hanging out with?"
It took me a minute to figure about what he was talking about. I sat up.
"Excuse me?" I said in the most insulting and threatening voice possible.
"You heard me" he said unsurely.
"He has a name Jacob" I said through my teeth. "And yes EDWARD happens to be doing fine, I haven't seen him for a day and I already miss him." I teased.
I caught a glimpse of the change in his facial expression – from normal to pain. He tried to look away but it was obvious what I had said had hurt him. For a moment I felt bad. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again when I came to a conclusion that staying quite would be the best solution. Suddenly he got up in rage and anger. I jumped in shock from his unexpected reaction.
"I really don't understand why you hang out with him" he shouted.
"Jacob how dare you—"
"Yes how dare me! "he interrupted." Ever since you've been hanging out with snow white and his weird family, you've been acting all rude and snobby.
"Weird!" I shouted. "You know nothing about him!"
"Oh yeah? I know enough!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "I know that he's freaking a vampire and can kill you! He can't control himself, he will harm you!"
"Oh Jacob please, it isn't like you're not dangerous."
It slipped. I watched as his facial expression changed from angry to disappointment. I felt terrible. I felt like crying for forgiveness. I got up on my feet before he could decide to go away.
"Jacob, I'm sorry-"
"No you're not" he interrupted." I guess there's no use talking to you anymore. You might as well turn into a vampire yourself."
"Jacob!" his dad yelled from the house. He must have heard our argument. Were we that loud? Jacob had no intention to reply back to his dad. He looked back at me again.
"Mark my words Bella" he threatened. "One day when he hurts and you bleed, I won't be there to help you. Just remember that."
That was the last thing he said. He turned around and headed for the woods. I attempted to make him come back.
"Jacob pleas wait-"
It was too late. I watched him helplessly running into the woods until he disappeared into the dark. I broke down onto the ground and started crying. What was wrong with me? How had I let it all come to this? I heard a person open the house door from behind. It was probably Jacob's father. I heard his footsteps, coming down the front stairs, slowly heading towards me. I had to act quickly. Not wanting to face him, I immediately broke into a fast run, heading towards the wood where Jacob's shoe tracks were seen. I heard Jacobs's dad call my name several times from the house. I kept running – and never turned back.
After 5 minutes of continues running, I stopped. I wasn't in his sight anymore. I started walking slowly, further into the woods, crushing leaves and wooden sticks that laid beneath my feet. I thought deeply about the event that had happened earlier today. The memory of my dad's frustrated voice filled my mind again. The knot in my stomach grew once more. The thoughts of Jacobs's words invaded my mind, introducing itself with phrases such as "He's dangerous" and "I won't be there to help you". I couldn't take it anymore.
I continued walking aimlessly, listening to my conscious that only spoke of the dreadful past. I found myself shifting my eyes between the trees and the ground, hoping to find something "unexpected". Between the broken tree branches and leaves on the ground, far away, I could see an object lying on the ground. It was a shoe. As I got closer to the mysterious object, I unleashed its originality. I laughed out loud. It belonged to Jacob. So let me guess? He got so mad, that he transformed into a werewolf, leaving all his clothes behind him.
"Pathetic," I said with utter frustration.
I continued walking towards Jacob's "left over" possessions. I wondered where he was right now. Being drowned in my thoughts and considering some possibilities, I felt some sort of anxiety building up in my atmosphere. Where was Jacob? Was he okay? The knot in my stomach grew as I started to fantasize all kinds of horrifying troubles that can occur to him. I kept walking, starring at my feet crushing the leaves under them. After a moment of deep thinking, I shook my head and laughed quietly at the pathetic thought. Nothing can possibly happen to him. After all, he is a werewolf.
I lifted my sight from the ground and stared ahead into the forest. This action unfortunately almost made me trip and fall due to an unexpe cted meeting. I stopped. I stopped. I felt my whole surrounding darken and my atmosphere slowly being drowned in a black hole, trapping me in a place where escaping was an impossibility. I was terrified. I felt my jaw slowly dropping downwards, while "Ohh…my….goshh.." slowly came out. I found myself staring at Jacob's shoe that I once observed from a distance a couple of minutes ago. Nevertheless, It appeared different from where a stood earlier. It wasn't a shoe. It was Jacob. He was lying on the ground. He was injured. I felt my whole body paralyzed. I couldn't take it in. What's happening? I stood there, starring at reality and its misfortunes. I swallowed hard. After a few seconds, I came back to my senses. I broke into a run towards Jacob's body, yelling " JACOB! JACOB!" My whole body was shaking. Tears came running down my cheers as they interrupted my shouting. I couldn't breathe. I crashed into the ground next to Jacob as my shaking legs couldn't run anymore. It was only when I clearly saw Jacob's body, that I realized another terrifying fact. He was injured badly. His t-shirt and the ground surrounding him were stained with his blood. I lifted my hands that were soaked into his blood and starred at them, terrified. I looked at Jacob's ill and intimated face. I shook him vigorously.
"Jacob, Jacob!" I yelled under my tears and sob.
He opened his eyes with such effort, that his whole face cringed in agony. He was alive – for now at least.
"Jacob, are you okay?"
He continued to star at me speechless while his facial expressions conveyed that he was in pain. I needed help. He needed help. I looked around the forest, hoping to see someone, who would help me get Jacob to the hospital. No one was to be found. It was only me and Jacob in this dark lonely forest. I turned back to see him struggling to speak.
"I told you so…" he muttered.
I urged him to stop speaking and save his energy to survive, but he was determined to continue.
"I told…you..so…I wont..be..here…he…is..dangerous..please."
He stopped to take a deep breathe. At this point I was choking with tears, unable to acknowledge the horrifying state Jacob was in.
"Bella please…" he began.
That was it. Those were his last words. I looked at him, hoping he'd begin talking again. He didn't. He never did. He closed his eyes and all the pain on his face seemed to go away. He was gone.
"NO NO NO " I screamed.
I picked up the blood soaked leaves beneath me and crushed them while I cried my eyes out. How could this happen? "No, no, no" was I could hear. I felt the ground rotate in circles. My eye sight became blurry as the river of my tears wouldn't seem to want to hold back. I cried and cried and cried. I was able to let out a "Noooooo" every now and then between the pauses of my crying. I held Jacob's shoulders and smashed my head onto his chest, allowing my hair to be washed by his blood. I couldn't stand it anymore.
The horrifying scent of blood filled up my nostrils. It was everywhere. I lifted my head from Jacob's chest to realize that my whole body was covered in blood. As I sat up once again, my back hit something. My back came in contact with a substance that was behind me, which I couldn't see. It came in contact with a substance that wasn't there before when I first approached Jacob's injured body. I stopped crying. My breathing became heavier as the anxiety and panic began to build up in my atmosphere. What was behind me? I leaned my back towards it once more. The substance moved. I felt my breathing become so heavy to a point where I sounded like a woman in a hospital, possibly giving birth. Suddenly, I felt drops of liquid touch my skin from above. Was it raining? The liquid dropped onto my skin once more. I rubbed the liquid off my forehead with my hand, to examine it. That's when I stopped breathing – completely. It wasn't water. It was blood. How in the world can blood be dropping from above? The substance behind me took a step backwards causing my back to crashing onto the ground. I sat up again quickly. I couldn't turn back. I reassured myself, that the creature that stood behind me was Jacob's killer. I starred at the blood dripping from my shaking hands. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for death. I knew that anytime know the killer would strike. I imagined a knife being shoved into my back. My breathing began to slowly get heavier again, picking up the pace. I waited for the killer to act, but there was nothing – just the terrifying silence. The forest was so quiet, my breathing echoed throughout the place. I had to turn around. My emotions tried to hold me back. Some emotions told me to break into a run and not look back, hoping I'd reach the street before the killer caught up with me. I couldn't. I had to face him/her. I pressed my lips firmly, and held my back my fears. This was it. I turned around.
It was a mistake. I shouldn't have turned around. I felt my senses building up a new feeling other than fear. The first thing I saw were the bleeding teeth. Jacob wasn't killed by a knife; he was eaten by this creature. I slowly looked away from the deathly teeth and into the creature's eyes, hoping I would know what kind of creature it is. That's when, I stopped. I felt my whole body starting to shake in an uncontrollable way as I opened my mouth to scream. My face began to sweat, washing off the stains of bloods. It couldn't be. I covered my mouth in shock as I found myself starring into the eyes of a white hungry vampire. It was him.