Please be aware, that English is not my native language. Enjoy the first chapter of my little story, which was inspired by a German TV show!
Btw, I am still looking for a beta.
German for Beginners
Chapter 1
The airport was crowded with people and it was loud. I looked up at the signs and sighed. "I think you need to fetch your plane now." I looked at Angela who was looking at me with tears in her eyes. "Oh no…don't! We said we wouldn't cry! It is just a year and we will send each other lot of video-messages and talk on the phone. It will be just the same…" this is the moment my voice left me and the tears took over. We hugged and cried for some time until we broke apart and Angela said "Yes, I really should get going or I'll miss my plane" I just nodded as she grabbed her bag. "Send me a text when you're there!" She looked at her watch "Which will be like 3 in the morning here. I wouldn't want to wake you." That was typical for Angela, she was just so thoughtful. "I don't care. Just text me or call me. I have to know you are safe." She smiled at me one more time and hurried to catch her plane.
Going home wasn't easy. I was standing at our door, holding my keys in my right hand and breathing hard. I didn't know how to handle my mother now. I turned and leaned onto the door with my back. Next thing I knew, I was falling on the floor "Whaa…" was all I could say before I was lying on the floor, looking upside down at my mother. "I thought I heard something outside. What are you doing on the floor?" I was trying to get up. "What am I doing on the floor? I didn't do it on purpose." I got up (not really elegant, I must admit) and looked at my mother, she was still looking young with 43 and I hadn't see her that happy in a long time.
I raised an eyebrow "Are you still going out with that European guy?" I asked her, while closing the door and trying to ignore the pain in my back due to the fall. "Don't call him that! He is German, but lived here for a long time now." Actually, I wasn't paying that much attention, in the end it would not work out as it usually does. Okay, I had to admit that it was going longer than I thought it would, 14 months now. He was a doctor and they met when I broke my foot (again) in the ambulance, while visiting Seattle. I hurried to my room, shutting the door.
I decided to tape my first video for Angela. I took my cam and recorded myself. "Hey Angela. This is my first tape. I just got back from the airport and I'm really sad. I'm hiding in my room and trying to avoid my mother. By the way she is still going out with that European guy… but I have a feeling that this is over soon. I just know my mother, she is just a free spirit and just… weird. You know what I mean, lovely weird… but still. Anyway I just wanted to tape my first video for you and let you know that I already miss you like crazy. Good night" I waved goodbye to the camera and turned it off.
I was hungry so I decided to make my way to the kitchen. Unexceptionally, I found my mother in the kitchen, a rare sight. She wasn't exactly what you would call a housewife. She worked as a therapist and had her own practice in town, which worked out quite well. "Renee what are you doing here? Trying to poison us with food again?" "Poison you? That was only one time and I said I was sorry a thousand times." I laughed "Yeah sure. But anyway what's up?" "Well…" she started "I want to take you, your sister and brother to dinner tomorrow night. I thought about Chinese Food." I smiled. That was it. My mother always went with me, my sister and my brother to a Chinese Restaurant when her newest relationship had failed. "Well Mom, I'd loved to. Where are Alice and Emmett anyway?" "Alice is in her room, working on some clothes as usual. And Emmett has practice, you know it's Thursday, right?" The calendar hanging next to the fridge clearly stated that "Yeah, I know. The whole thing with Angela just got me confused." "Oh darling", my mother said as she came to hug me "It will be alright. You will make new friends and it's only a year." I rolled my eyes. Only a year, why did everyone keep saying that? A year is a long time. I tried to free myself out of the hug and made my way to the fridge. Looking for something to eat I said "A year is a long time, really. Stop saying that it is not. It all sucks" I sighed, "Mom, we need to get some groceries, there is nothing in here" Renee waved her hand "Yeah yeah, I know. Why don't you drive to the store and get something. On the way home you can pick up your brother from practice." I sighed, damn that brother of mine. "Yeah okay." I went to my room, checked my Make-Up and grabbed my purse. My outfit wasn't exactly what one would call fancy, but it was good enough for me.
On my way out, I decided to say Alice goodbye. As usual I found her sitting at her desk with her sewing-machine, probably working on a new outfit. "Hey Alice, I'm going to the store to pick up something to eat. Maybe if I'm in the mood I'll even pick up Emmett from practice." She laughed "Yeah he'd be lucky." "Did Renee ask you about the dinner tomorrow night? Chinese Restaurant…" "Yes, I've heard. Means the relationship with the European guy is over. Although, I haven't seen her that happy in a long time. Hopefully she will find someone else." A moment of silence followed, in which both were lost in our own thoughts. Most of the guys Renee dated were… well different. Even though no one of us had ever really met the European guy (I am not counting him fixing up my foot, while I was on drugs), she seemed happy, really happy, which was odd.
"Anyway do you want to come along? Or do you need something special from the store?" "No thanks, Sis." She went back to sewing something and I left her store was empty and I had some time left, because Emmett's practice wouldn't be over until 8.30 p.m. I just loved to shop for groceries, smelling the food, deciding what to cook or bake. I was in my own world.
I waited for Emmett in the parking lot while listening to some music and eating a sandwich I bought at the store. Music and food what more does a person need? In my opinion nothing, really. I closed my eyes and waited. And soon the silence would be interrupted by my dear brother. Two people couldn't be more different from one another. My brother and I were different, while he was sportive and tall; I was rather small, not as tiny as Alice, but still not really tall.
Emmett opened the door with one motion. "Hey Sis. What's up? How come that you're picking me up?" He gave me a kiss on the cheek and managed to steal the rest of my sandwich "Hey, that's mine!" With one bite it was gone "Not anymore!" Emmett laughed. "Eww at least swallow everything until you speak with me. Anyway, I noticed that we didn't have anything to eat at home…" Emmett's laughed interrupted me "Like that's something new." "…well and I decided to go to the grocery store and as the nice person that I am, I decided to pick up my dear brother. I can make you something to eat when we'll get home. Oh by the way, I think Renee broke up with the European guy. We're going to the Chinese Restaurant tomorrow night." "Oh men, I liked the dude." "What are you talking about? I'm the only one who's ever met him. Though I don't remember him that well due to the drugs they gave me for my foot. All we know is that he is a doctor and German." Emmett shook his head "I know he's got two children." "What?" I asked in disbelieve "Yeah, Renee told me some time ago, although I don't know how old they are or anything." Well it's over now, was all I could think on the way home.
The next day went by pretty fast and I almost forgot about the dinner when Alice came in my room. "We have to get ready! Come on, I knew you would forget about it. I picked you out something to wear…" Alice was bouncy and excited as usual, she just had that energy. When I saw what she picked out for me to wear all I could do was shake my head "Alice, it's just the Chinese Restaurant, nothing special." "No I have the feeling that you need to wear something special. Trust me with that one." All I could do was to shake my head, I clearly had no choice. In the end Alice always wins, she is just really annoying for someone her size. I grabbed the damn outfit and looked at her as annoyed as I could, she smiled anyway. "I know you are a good sister!" she gave me a kiss on my cheek. "That's something I can't say about you…" Alice just laughed and left my room.
I looked at the damn outfit and sighed. Whatever, it's just a Chinese restaurant I thought to myself, while putting on the outfit. Alice even made me wear nail polish, this was just weird.I sat on my bed while trying to put on the nail polish, when my mom walked in. "Come on, come on. We're going to be late…" She paced back and forth in my room. I rolled my eyes "Mom, it's just the Chinese Restaurant. I'm sure they will wait for us." I sighed and looked at my nails, not good, but still good enough for me. I started to wave my hands up and down in the air, so that the polish would dry faster. "I'm ready. And it's not me that you should be worrying about. You know, that my dear sister Alice…" I was suddenly interrupted by Alice, who appeared in the door frame "Did I hear my name?" She grinned "I'm ready, we can go now".
20 Minutes later we were getting out of the car and my mom was fidgeting the whole time "Mom, will you stop now? What is wrong with you?" She was nearly running to the restaurant, where we were greeted by a lovely Chinese lady "We reserved a table for seven person under the name Swan" my mother said. "But seven…?" my brother began to ask. Emmett's and Alice's face mirrored my confusion. My mother followed the waitress to the table and was talking rather fast "Well kids, there is something I must tell you, something very important… Ah there they are" She mentioned for us to follow her to a table where three people were already seated.
There was a man about 45 years old, a young woman with blond hair and a young man with red brown hair. The man was smiling as he spotted my mother and the two others were just as confused as we were. "Renee, my dear, there you are" he said with a slight accent. He went to hug my mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek. What the hell was going on here?
Then he stood right in front me "Hello. My name ist Carlisle Kullen. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, I assume you are Bella, right?" He shook my hand "Ehhh…okay" was all I could say. Then he went on to introduce himself to Alice and Emmett. I looked at my mother, she was avoiding eye-contact with me now. What was going on here? "Why don't we all have a seat?" my mother asked. I took a seat across from the woman who must be about my age or older. She looked stunning and a bit arrogant, she seemed to be very angry "Vater, was ist hier los?" she asked her father in, what I could only assume was German. This made her sound even more angry, what a harsh language. "Well", her father responded in English and I saw the anger flash in her eyes "we have gathered here to tell you something really important." He reached out for my mother's hand. My mother smiled "Yes, we would like to announce that we will be moving in together".
Thank you for reading!