I loaded up the end of my things in my brand new black Nissan Rouge. My truck was filled with my filled with bag of clothing and memorabilia that I wanted to take with me to Forks. I had some pictures, books, and a few stuffed animals. My mother was giving me her last hug and crying. Her new husband Phil was brining out my cat, Stormy, who I had gotten at a shelter two years ago.
"Remember to get a hotel room tonight. I do not want you driving all night long. You have a 26 hour drive ahead of you," Renee told me.
"Yes mother I know. Thank you again Phil for the money," I nodded to Phil as I took my cat from him and placed her in the front seat with me.
"No problem kid. Since I am now an official Tampa Bay Ray I have money to throw around, like the car I got ya."
"Thanks again Phil, the truck Charlie got me last year finally died. I did not want to have to get a ride in the Police cruiser to school."
I gave me mother another hug and gave Phil one too, we where not too keen on physical contact. I got into my front seat and put my seatbelt on. I pulled out of the driveway of the only home I had ever really known and left my warm and happy home of Phoenix Arizona and started to head to cold and wet Forks Washington.
I was going to be moving in with my father, Charlie, and his new family, the Clearwater's. My dad had married the widow Sue last year. She has two children, Leah and Seth who I had known my whole life. Leah was off at college so we never really saw her. Seth was still in high school, like me.
Due to the expansion from my father and I to the new family of 5 we moved after the wedding last summer. I only saw my father for two months ever summer, along with every other Christmas and Easter. My father and I where not total strangers, but we were not best friends like Renee and I. I was going to miss her, but since Phil got a job as a pro ball player she was going to follow him when he played. So I was going to go and live with Charlie.
My mother did not like the idea but also understood while I did it. I think that she was also secretly thankful deep down. She wanted to make sure that I would be able to keep in contact with me so her and Phil give me a brand new laptop and cell phone so my mother can always get a hold of me.
I spent the rest of my first leg of driving thinking about what I was giving up, but also what I was gaining. I was going to see what it was like to go to a small town school. Living in Phoenix I went to a high school with hundreds of students in the school. I think Forks had a total of 300 students.
I stopped in Reading California to sleep for the night. I would get up early and hopefully be at Charlie's before dark. I snuck my cat into the hotel with me so she would be able to stretch her legs. I called my mother to let her know where I was for the evening. Then I called Charlie to let him know where I was in my voyage.
"Hey Dad I am Reading. I will hopefully be in Forks before dark tomorrow," I told my dad.
"Hey Kid. Wow you made good time. I will let Sue know. She is excited for you to come. She wants to take you out the next day to buy stuff for your room. She wants you to feel welcome."
"Dad, I already feel welcome," I told him.
"I know, but since this is a new house she wants to make sure everything is perfect."
"You do know this is not the first time I have been in the new place."
"We know, but you are officially moving in. You are going to permanently be here. I want you to feel as comfortable here as you did at home with you mom," that last statement was very unCharlie. That must be Sue telling him things like that. I really did like Sue, she is a sweet woman.
"OK Dad, I will call you when I enter Forks."
"OK Bells, I will see you tomorrow, love ya Kid."
More unCharlie behavior, "Love ya too Dad." Then I hung up the phone.
I went to bed quickly with Stormy sleeping on my chest like she normally does. I woke up early, got the contental breakfast, and was on the road again. I listened to a whole bunch of different CDs while driving and not really thinking. As I drove I saw all kinds of left over Christmas decorations in the towns. It was three days after the holiday. I would be spending the New Year with Charlie. It was just turning dusk when I reached Forks. I called my Dad when I saw the wooden, "welcome to Forks," sign.
I only took a few minutes to get to my Dad's house. I was really glad that my new car had a GPS system. It made getting around a lot better. I pulled up to my new home. It was a pretty while two story home. It was a lot larger then my last one with Charlie. I saw my father, Sue, and Seth sitting on the front porch waiting for me. I climbed out of my car and grabbed Stormy immediately and walked up to the pouch.
"Hello dear, how was your drive?" Sue asked with a hug.
"Long," I told her.
"Seth, go get Bella's things and bring them up to her room," Sue barked to her son. Seth was a good kid, just starting his freshmen year this year.
"I am going to put Stormy in my room and come down to help you guys," I told Sue and my dad. As I walked past my father I gave him a hug.
I climbed the steps to my new life. My room was the first door on the left. Across the hall from me was the bathroom and Seth and I would be starting. Seth's room was next to the bathroom. Leah's room was next to mine. Leah left yesterday to get back to school. She was taking winter classes. At the end of the hall was Charlie and Sue's room. They had their own bathroom, thank god.
I walked into my room which was painted green. I had picked it out over the summer. My father had gotten me a full bed and two new dressers, a book shelf, and a desk when we moved. I had a lot more room in my new room. My room also had my rocking chair that came from the old house. I set Stormy's crate on my bed and told her I would be back soon.
I went down stairs and helped Seth and my father bringing the last few things into my room. We where done in ten minutes. I sat on my bed and looked at all of the stuff around me. Seth was the last person in my room, "Hey mom wanted you to know we are gonna eat in twenty minutes, she was waiting for you,"
"Thanks, I am gonna unpack till then," I told him.
Seth slipped out of my room and closed the door. I found an open floor space for Stormy's cage and left her out. She walked around the room exploring her new home. I started with my clothes unloading it into the draws and closet. I made a dent when I head Charlie call me and Seth for dinner.
I sat down at the table and was bombarded with talk.
"So I enrolled you at Fork's High School. Your first day will be on the 2nd."
I nodded as my dad told me about the school. I knew most of the kids who would be there. I did not talk to them; mostly just saw them while I was visiting Charlie. He had introduced me to the kids here I just never had time to form bonds. The kids I was closed to where on the reservation. My dad was best friends with a lot of the guys down there. That is how he met Sue.
"So Seth, are you going to Forks with me?" I asked.
"No, the school on the reservation is letting me still attended there, even though I don't live there anymore. That is where all of my friends are, it is easier for me."
I nodded in agreement. I was glad that I was not close with anyone at my old school. I would have hated being separated from not only my mother, but also my close friends. Sue broke though my thoughts.
"So I wan going to take you into Port Angles tomorrow to go shopping for everything you are going to need. I wanted to get you some shelves, new sheets, things like that."
"Thanks Sue, that would be wonderful," I told her.
The next few days when by in a blur. I went shopping with Sue. She bought me more stuff then I had needed. She was trying to compensate for what I lost and I was thankful for that. I had finally moved into my new room and it started to feel like home, even Stormy liked it. We spent New Years on the reservation with our friends. The next day I was going to start at school. I had driven by the school two days ago to see the lay out of the building. It was a whole bunch of small numbered building. I was not going to have a problem getting around.