Just my fucking luck.
It was raining, I hadn't brought a coat and my ride hadn't shown up yet.
Just great.
I don't know why I expected any different. My family had warned me that the weather in Seattle and it's surrounding area was akin to the cloudy British weather I was accustomed to, but even then I didn't expect this forceful downpour. I peered outside, past the pristine gleam of the sliding doors and into the torrential rain beyond. Water flowed down the walls and streets, with a current strong enough to sweep away a small child. People huddled together under shaking umbrellas, desperate for warmth and shelter from the bitter rain.
I groaned inwardly as I realized that I would soon have to join them.
As I debated whether it would be reasonable to just back up and sit over in the cafe for the next ten minutes, a brash voice behind me spoke up.
"Move it! You're blocking the doorway!" They yelled, shoving me to the side and sheltering their head under a backpack as they dashed outside. Others behind me gave me pointed looks as I turned around, making my cheeks redden and force me to stutter an awkward apology. I took this as a cue to stumble outside into the frigid weather, ducking my head down to keep it as dry as possible.
Why didn't I turn around I thought, briefly letting go of one of my suitcases to pull my flimsy jacket closer to my body.
It wouldn't have been weird to just turn around and walk over to the cafe! My umbrella and rain coat are packed in my suitcase, for gods sake! Why did I think I should even come wait outside?
Grunting in frustration, I hauled my two suitcases and carry-on luggage towards the nearest shelter, hoping it would provide some refuge. The old metal creaked and groaned as more and more droplets bombarded it in a stream of endless water, straining the structure and making it shudder. It didn't provide much cover as I could feel cold droplets splash onto my head every ten seconds or so, but it was better than nothing. The old couple next to me didn't seem to think so, as every time a particularly large droplet of water landed on either of them they would make odd grunts and grumbles to voice their displeasure.
Another splash landed on my head, and I put down both suitcases next to me so I could rake my fingers through my quickly dampening hair. There was no use trying to save it now; I would look like a petrifying, drowned rat no matter how many times I brushed it. I had wanted to look good for this day, too; I had straightened my usually wavy and erratic hair to make myself appear older and more sophisticated. That didn't seem very likely now that my hair hung limp from my head, appearing a near black colour from the rain. I looked like a hobo now, and no amount of hairspray or brushing would change it.
God dammit.
I continued to run my hands through my sodden hair, attempting to rinse out some of the water. It flowed down my fingers and hands, rolling into my sleeves and putting a chill deep into my bones. Shivering, I began roughly rubbing my arms as to warm them from the cold. I would have to get used to this, I reminded myself. Joy said it usually rains most of the week in La Push, and if it didn't, it would still be overcast. That wasn't much different than the usual soggy weather I was used to, other than it was more likely to snow here than my previous home. Another thing that was different here was the smell. Petrol, bleach and concrete. In England, there was the faint smell of the countryside or fresh air, even in some of the larger cities like London or Manchester. Here, the city smelt dirty and industrialized. It was foreign to me, and served as another reminder of how far away from home I was.
Another scent suddenly assaulted my senses, and left as soon as it came. It burnt my nose and made my eyes sting. A faint, stickly sweet smell clung to the air now; seeming to bother no one else but me. That's weird, I thought, glancing around to locate the source of the smell.
There was none.
There was something off about this place, I decided. Not just Seattle, but Washington in general. The descriptions my cousins gave me of the house and community I was to be living in for the next two years was too vague for my liking, not to mention the current crime and disappearances in the area. I shivered again, but this time, it wasn't from the cold. I didn't know what it was, but something about this move had made me feel uneasy about everything. I could feel myself becoming paranoid, and unconsiously drew my arms closer into my chest to serve as some sort of protection.
Obviously, before I moved I looked up some info in the area. The current crime wave in Seattle was a major concern, as it was suspected that serial killings were still taking place. I wasn't sure what was worse; a body showing up, mangled and charred from who knows what torture, or no body showing up at all. The fact that all the disappearances happened fairly late at night did nothing to ease the deep sense foreboding that was beginning to form over me with each passing minute. I looked to the couple next to me, hoping their presence would provide some sort of comfort. Sharp, angular faces glared back at me, daring me to look again. My cheeks turned red again and I looked up towards the sky instead, hoping to see some ease in the furious weather the sky was forcing down upon the city. It seemed to swallow up all light, even the buildings and billboards proudly displayed on the sides of tall structures seemed grey and withered with the rain. I felt as if I stood there much longer, I would begin to melt; all my colour escaping me and flowing into the drains below.
It was now 4:42pm, Seattle time. That meant I had been up for almost 24 hours, as technically my body thought it was still in the British, 11:30pm time zone. For a fleeting moment, I was grateful for the rain keeping me frozen and awake. I would probably die of embarrassment if I fell asleep outside the airport. That moment passed as soon as it came, however, as I became aware of the dratted rain soaking into my oldest pair of converse. Even my eyelashes had begun to drip with the build up of water that had landed on top of my head, running down my face and jacket before dropping off of the bottom. I grumbled complaints that fell on deaf ears as I shuffled from foot to foot, impatiently looking out for the crappy land rover my estranged cousin was to be picking me up in.
Just as I was about to start looking for a phone booth to ask where the hell he was, or probably call a cab, a car came screeching around the corner. The sharp turn sent waves of water crashing over many pedestrians, earning the land rover a multitude of rude gestures and angry faces. I don't know the speed limit, especially this close to the airport, but he was probably going at least thirty over. His general disregard for the well being of others, as displayed in his inconsiderate attitude towards road safety in general gave me a bad impression of him.
Now usually, I don't think of myself as a judging person. We all make mistakes, and if we try our best to try and correct them, that makes us better people. However, today I was gradually becoming grumpier and grumpier with each passing second, already irritated with my cousin even before I had met him. I was glad that his wet, rainy windows could mask the scowl I was directing towards the car, because if my current drenched state wouldn't make him be wary of me, my death glare sure would. He seemed like an asshole.
The car pulled up a few feet in front of me, just barely mounting the curb. It was rather beat down and old, as I could plainly see patches of rust and scrape marks along the side. The passenger door was horribly dented, as was a good portion of the hood. I ignored the tutting and disapproving stares of the bitter couple next to me as the door slowly opened and I tried to soften my judging stare so he wouldn't think I was rude or impolite. First impressions are everything, right? Even if his was rather shitty, it didn't mean mine had to be. Hell, I even tried to smile a little!
Whatever expression I had on my must have been quickly wiped off by a look of utter shock horror. This man getting out of the car I had been told to look out for was huge! He easily towered over my now apparently puny height of 5"8', which made me feel extremely uncomfortable. It was a rare occurrence that anyone, especially a guy who was supposed to be around my age was taller than me, so I was obviously a little taken aback. If I'm honest, I felt a little threatened already.
He had to be at least 6"2', and looked around twenty.
The next thing I noticed was his build. Jesus Christ man, this guy looked like he could drop kick Chuck Norris! Extremely burly and muscular, especially in the tight wife beater he was wearing. He looked like some sort of bodyguard or something! He briefly stretched out and yawned, giving me full view of both his bulging muscles and stark white teeth. The hell was he trying to do, intimidate me or something? I watched him search, quickly scanning the entrance of the airport with deep brown eyes. He spotted me and a grin began to form on his face.
I felt myself shrinking back towards the glass wall of the shelter as he approached me, his grin stretching further across his face with each step. Finally, he stopped in front of me, stretching out his hand (I assumed) for me to shake. I gripped it firmly, and he pulled me forward into a hug, making me lose my footing. I was now dangling between his arms, my chest being constricted by his literal bear-tight hug. The air rushed out of my lungs and once again, I felt heat rush to my cheeks at this embarrassing situation.
"So, you're the cousin, huh? Sure you're not adopted, or something?" He laughed, still managing to look down in me even though I was trapped in his grasp.
Commenting on my paleness, I thought.
Classy.
He set me down, and I quickly assessed the damage.
"Y-yeah, I think that sometimes too...But um, you're Quil right?" I think he might have cracked a rib, it feels like I have internal bleeding...
"Yep, Quil Ateara the Fifth, at your service! Where shall m'lady be traveling to today?" He asked, performing a sweeping and over-exaggerated bow. The corners of my mouth twitched upwards at his antics. I bent over to grab my suitcases, hitching my carry-on higher on my shoulder as I straightened myself out again. He still wore that shit-eating grin. I was beginning to think it was his trademark.
"Home I guess? It's been a pretty long day and I'd like to nap for a little, if that's okay?" I asked, biting my lip. He nodded enthusiastically and motioned towards the car. We both dashed back through the rain, towards the car and the warmth it would provide. I shoved both of my suitcases in the back as fast as I could and followed Quil's lead into the warm interior of the car. As soon as I shut the door I was greeted by an almost overpowering smell of the outdoors; a rain-soaked, woodsy scent that seemed to stick to the seats like glue. It was a welcome change from the carcinogenic smog that had settled around me outside.
Quill followed suit and set himself down in the drivers seat, shaking his short hair like a wet dog would. He turned the key in the ignition, making the car roar to life. Suddenly I remembered his little 'power water slide' trick he pulled on innocent bystanders not five minutes ago, and any sense of comfort I may have felt immediately vanished.
"Um, Quil?" I asked, my voice still quivering from the cold.
"Yeaahum?" He replied, leaning over the back seats as he reversed so as to get a better view.
"Can you um, please drive a little carefully? I'm not saying that you uh, don't already, it's just that... Well, I've been awake for almost a full day and it would be brilliant if I could just nap for a little while?"
Jesus Christ woman! What are you, a mouse? If you wanna nap you fucking nap! Telling him not to drive like a ruddy maniac isn't asking much! I scolded myself for being so forward. God, how rude he must think I am...
"Oh yeah, sure! We have a pretty long drive ahead, and mom wants you fully awake so she can feed you a 'proper dinner' when you arrive." He smiled, giving me a reassuring glance.
"I'm not sure if Gramps will be back before us, cause he's still on a fishing trip, but I'm sure you'll meet him before the weekend is over. It's just me, mom and him, so you're gonna be like the little sister I never had!" Quil was practically beaming by now, looking over to me every few seconds. I caught his eye and returned his smile with a bashful one of my own, folding my hands into my lap.
"You're pretty quiet, huh? Don't like talking much?" He asked, turning his stereo on and turning the volume down.
"I guess...I'm pretty tired too, maybe that's why. I'm sorry." I mumbled.
Now usually, I wouldn't be this quiet. With friends, I would be yelling obscenities left and right, throwing insults and punches simultaneously. I'm a sarcastic bastard at my core, and it was a wonder how I hadn't offended my cousin in some way by now. However, since he was new to me and I was going to have to live with him for the next two years, I decided to tone my normal personality down a lot. Don't want him thinking I'm an asshole before he really knows me now, do I?
There was also the fact that if I did actually offend him, it seemed like he would waste no time in shoving my head through the window and dumping my unconscious body in the forest. Seriously, this dude was scary.
"Oh! No need to apologize, it's fine! I understand that feeling. Actually, just last week I..." Quil began rambling, so I just left him to it. By this point, my eyes were half closed and I was really struggling to keep them open. The radio station he had put on didn't help much, if anything it served to make me sleepier.
Just a few minutes, I thought. I'm sure he won't miss me if I just have a quick kip...
I woke up apparently an hour and a half later, with Quil's face literally two inches from mine.
"We're almost there!" He announced, as a large sign that read 'Welcome To Forks' passed by.
Aw, shit.