Two: Heading North

We woke up around eight that next morning and decided to take the free breakfast that came with the hotel stay. We pulled on sweat pants and loose t-shirts and sneakers and sweaters before heading downstairs to the eating area. We ate eggs and sausages and potatoes and I got an apple juice and Maddie an orange. We sat at a small, circular table by the window and talked about our plans for that day.

The plans were simple: Get to Port Angles and then to Forks before returning to Port Angeles for lunch at The Crab House, some sight-seeing, and dinner at Bella Italia. From what I'd told Maddie, there was nothing really eventful about Forks anyway. I'd been when I was seventeen with my father, and nothing had stuck me as particularly feasible to keep locked in my bank of memories.

It was my turn to drive as we checked out of the hotel and gathered up our belongings. I took the keys and put them into my jeans'—because we had to change—pocket before heading down to the parking lot. I unlocked the trunk for our suitcases and things and Maddie lamented quietly that she hadn't painted a single stroke while we were away. I rolled my eyes and told her that there would be time for that later.

I reminded her as I got behind the wheel that I hadn't even written a sentence—well, physically, anyway—while away with her. That seemed to calm her down some as we pulled away from the Econo Lodge and into the sleepy little town of Sequim. It didn't take very long to return to the highway and continue north to Port Angeles.

It would be less than half an hour, and less than twenty miles to Port Angeles, and then a little over an hour to Forks. The plan was so simple; a five-year-old could figure it out. We wouldn't stop in Port Angeles at first, just drive through it. Then, we would go on to Forks before getting out of the whole mythical Twilight-ness of it all and then hightail it back to Port Angeles for lunch, shopping, dinner, and clean sheets at the Port Angeles Inn, where Maddie could really get some good painting done.

We simply drove on the highway then, enjoying the quiet, peaceful nature of it all, and the green-like scenery that seemed untouched by modern tendencies. If you told me it was 1990-something, I could believe you, although Maddie and I hadn't been born until the mid-1990's. We still missed the fact that it was a simpler time, however.

Once we made it to Port Angeles my car started acting a little funny. We made it into the main part of town before we decided to get it looked at. I found a place on my phone called Bruce's Specialty Auto Inc., and decided to take it there. We managed to get there quickly, and pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. We found the office without much difficulty and made our way inside. On the desk inside, it was stacked with various papers about car insurance and whatnot and the bearded man with glasses and a potbelly behind the desk was on the phone. He gave us an apologetic look and said that he'd be with us in a moment.

Maddie and I looked around at the various papers and photographs tacked to the bulletin board to our left. One spoke about how it was Twilight mania, another one said that gas prices were at an all-time low, and that Bella Italia was the most popular restaurant locally. Maddie and I smirked at one another before the man hung up the phone.

"What can I do for you two ladies?" he asked.

I stepped forward. "My car's making a funny noise," I told him. "And it keeps rumbling and stuff. You think you could take a look at it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, sure I can." He came out from behind the desk. "I'm Rick, by the way," he introduced himself as we stepped outside.

"I'm Sophie and this is Maddie," I replied.

"This Volvo here?" he asked.

I nodded. "This is the one."

"Why don't you pull it into the garage? Or do you want me to do it?" he asked, shuffling from one foot to the other.

I handed over my keys and allowed him to get into the car. He didn't say anything about our bags, and he probably thought that we were die hard Twilight fans or something. Frankly, I didn't care, I thought as he pulled into the garage. He nodded as he got out of the car.

"I'm going to check the vacuum lines," he told us, and popped the hood. He stuck his face right in there and began to fiddle with this and that before popping his head out. "Hey, Jerry!" he called to the back. "Jer-ry! Can you come out here, please?"

A young man came out from the back and smiled at us. He came and stood beside Rick and stuck his head into my hood as well. He nodded and spoke in car talk language with Rick before pulling and straightening out various things under the hood. "Water pump," he informed us before coming out and wiping his hands on his checkered cloth.

"Okay," I said. "How much do you think it'll be?"

"Two hundred," Jerry replied.

I nodded. This would seriously deplete my funds, but I nodded. The job needed to be done. At this rate, Maddie and I would only have enough for cheap meals and a one-night stay at the Port Angeles Inn. We would have to return to Seattle tomorrow at this point.

"That'll be fine," Maddie said, handing over her credit card.

I shook my head and took her by the arm. "Excuse us, please," I said before hauling her away from the both of them. "What are you doing?!" I cried in a concerned voice. "That's my car in there, you know! I didn't expect anything, you know, and…"

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said with a smile. "I've got this one, don't worry."

I sighed. "All right," I said. I returned to the men and told them to run the card through while Maddie called a cab to get us to our hotel. Jerry heard her making the call and offered us a ride, which we accepted. We lugged our things into the trunk of his truck and got in. I took the window seat because I saw how Jerry was looking at Maddie and didn't want her to miss a moment of fun on this vacation.

We made it to the hotel a few minutes later and I said that I would check us in as I hopped out of the car. I gathered my own bags from the back of the truck and walked inside the inn to the front desk. I gave my name and the woman behind the counter handed me a key. I told her about Maddie so as she could come in in her own good time and get her room key. I went upstairs to the room and shut the door behind me.

I set my luggage down and picked the room closest to the window and lay down on the bed, my bones popping ever so slightly. The bed was quite comfortable and eased my stiffness from riding in the car so long over the past day. I was so comfortable that I barely heard Maddie come in from behind me. I heard her set down her things and then I rolled over so as I could see her.

"So…?" I asked.

She pursed her lips. "So…he asked for my number…"

I immediately sat up so as I was cross-legged on the bed. "No way!" I cried, my eyes widening. "Are you serious?!"

She looked away as she began to unpack and shrugged. "I don't know. Well, he did ask for it, if that's what you mean…"

I nodded. "And?" I asked.

"And nothing," she said softly.

"Did you give it to him?"

"Yes."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"Yes."

I smirked to myself and propped my head up with a pillow. "So…what else did you two do in his car?"

She threw one of her shirts at me and made a disgusted sound. "Ugh, please, Sophie!" she cried. "That's so childish!"

"What? Are you a prude all of a sudden?!" I demanded, tossing her shirt back at her.

She sighed, shaking her head at me as she began picking out drawers in the dresser for her clothing. "Jerry said that your car would be ready by tomorrow, and that he'd give you a fifty dollar discount," she said in a quiet voice. "We'd still be able to see Forks before going home since it's only over an hour away from here…"

I raised my eyebrows up and down so much that Maddie threw her shirt at me again.

Jerry dropped off my car the following morning and handed me a fifty dollar bill, but I was convinced that he wanted to get on Maddie's good side. I simply thanked him and loaded our things into the car while the two of them said their goodbyes. I was very tempted to honk the horn, however, just as I looked in the mirror, I saw him kiss her, and she wasn't pushing him away! I felt a gasp building up in my throat, but did nothing.

I remained silent behind the wheel as he walked her to the door, kissed her again, and told her that he would call her later. He then sped away on foot, for the distance back to the car place was at least twenty-five minutes. I started up the car and we drove out of the inn's parking lot, still no words passing between us.

A lump was rising in my throat. How could this be happening? Maddie was life my sister, like one half of me. I couldn't believe that, within a twenty-four hour time span, a guy was attempting to eat out of the palm of her hand, and it infuriated me. I guess I was just upset that I wasn't nearly as pretty as she was and just had to accept it.

I found myself staring at my face—pale skin, golden-brown hair, hazel eyes —and found myself wishing for Maddie's blonde hair and blue-gray eyes. It took me a moment to convince myself that I was crazy and to watch the road before I plowed us into something. I kept my mouth shut about going to a back alley plastic surgeon while we were in Forks.

We kept driving on the 101 Highway for some time. It was a basic route, albeit curved in some places, according to the map that Maddie was studying in the passenger seat. We were passing by a body of water called Lake Crescent, and it was just lovely. We continued on the highway until signs told us that we were, at last, in Forks.

We were able to drive the length of the town in no time. It looked just the same as it had when I'd gone there two years beforehand, although there seemed to be more Twilight mania. Bella's "truck" was still on display, and the local high school looked more or less the same. I made the turn around and quickly made a break for the edge of town, and soon we were back on the highway.

Maddie looked longingly at Lake Crescent as we drove past it, so I pulled off the exit and into the Olympic National Park area. We got out and stretched and Maddie dashed over to the lake to take some pictures. She asked if she could paint for a while, and I shrugged, telling her that it didn't make any difference to me. I leaned up against a tree, simply watching the clear blue water and the slight trickle of sun putting diamonds on its surface and inhaled the clean tasting air.

I heard a muffled gasp then and turned around sharply. "Maddie?" I asked to the barren area. "Maddie?" I said again, making my way back towards my car, panic entering my bloodstream. My heart was racing as I returned back to the car, where I saw Maddie drenched in blood. My knees went weak at the sight of her, and I opened my mouth to scream.

A cold hand closed around my mouth, blocking out the scream and sending chills of fear down my spine. The being turned me around, his red eyes boring into my hazel ones. He grinned then and tore my head back and sank his teeth into my throat. I screamed and screamed against his hand, thrashing about in his hold over me.

My eyes wore rolling back into my head. My vision was falling away from me. I couldn't move. My breath was cutting short. He was attempting to drain my entire system of blood. Vampire… This was a vampire! My mind screamed at me. I began to thrash again, determined to survive this, as he grew tired of me, and threw me against a tree to die.