The Unbeaten Path
AN: I know, I can't believe I'm doing this either. This probably will not be updated again until later this week. I want to finish my other one first. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or its characters, they belong respectively to Stephanie Meyer. These words however are my own.
The slow chug of the Volkswagen Rabbit that had been affectionately been called 'Bugs Bunny' rolled to a stop in front of the gas station on old Higgens Line. Ironically, it was close enough to the Forks High School that several students were already eagerly gassing up, buying liquor, and cigarettes for their Friday night weekend. Slowly, Jake got out and went to one of the pumps. Renesemee watched him, his smile as big as the day they first really talked about love.
She remembered thinking that she was the luckiest hybrid around, even if there were only a few of them left, enjoying the simpler things in life just like her Mother did. The youngest of the Cullen family had everything she ever wanted, her family, her health, her Jacob. However, she wanted something more, she wanted an ordinary life outside of her extraordinary world.
Once Bugs was full and the bill paid Jacob slipped back inside, instantly taking her hand in his. Renesemee smiled at him again; the warmth seeping through his fingers reminded her of comfort.
"Is Bugs all full this time?" she asked throwing him a cheeky grin "You could get more miles out of a toaster".
Jake pretended to be offended, "It's okay Bugs. She is just jealous of our long term relationship that's all" he mocked as he slipped on his seatbelt and peeled out of the gas station, easily weaving in and out of cars and onto the street. Renesemee swore he would make a great race car driver.
Flickering back her curls like the girls did in those drama's she scoffed "Jake this car was ancient when you re-created her" she said to him, folding her arms with a grin to match his.
"Whoa, hey there Nessie" Jacob belittled, gently stroking the wheel "This car's a classic! A real testament to all car's in its time"
"Which is older then even you or I are" she teased, laughing. "Your still sore that Aunt Rosalie won't let you under the hood of any of her cars"
Jake gripped the wheel and grimaced "Blonde? She can barely change the motor oil let alone refurbish an entire car"
"I don't know…" Renesemee began, "She did a pretty good job on Dragon".
Turning towards the Movie Theater Jacob squelched the tires before coming to a complete stop. The teenagers outside the car with their dates looked at him as if he were nuts. He ignored them.
"That was your inheritance. At least you get better use out of it then your Mother did, she nearly killed herself on it" he emphasized by pointing to his head "Good thing Bells has a skull as hard as a rock now".
They both climbed out of the car and Jake slipped an arm through hers "Besides Dragon is a motorcycle. All Blonde did was give it a fresh coat of paint"
Renesemee shook her head as they made their way up to the ticket booth. They looked at the list of movies that were playing. Plenty of action ones with guns, violence, gore, and blood. Jacob seemed eager to watch each one.
"You can be such a boy" she huffed, looking at the list again. One in particular caught her eye, although she had seen it a thousand times before.
Jacob paid for the tickets when she selected a movie "Well I do have the body parts of one you know" he said as he ordered extra large popcorn.
"And the hard-wired brain" she added, with a hint of sarcasm.
He grinned, "That too".
When Jake asked what movie they were seeing, Renesemee sent a flicker of a famous scene through her thoughts. He groaned a little.
"That one again?" he asked, when a part of the major plot unfolded in his mind "Haven't we seen this one just last week?"
Renesemee shrugged "It happens to be my favorite. You know that" she said as they made there way into the cinema and one of the many empty aisles. They took a seat and Jake propped his feet onto one of the headrests in front of him.
"I know, I know…it's just we already have the initials down don't we? R hearts J isn't on your charm bracelet for nothing" Jake sighed and stuffed in a mouthful of popcorn "Well at least somebody dies in it" he added, and went silent when Renesemee shushed him.
Romeo and Juliet were one of Renesemee's most favorite Shakespearean pieces of all time. She read it more then any other piece by him, more then MacBeth and A Midsummer's Night Dream combined. It was without a doubt one of the most influential pieces in her life and obviously to her parent's life as well. She didn't cry though, not like her, Mother always would, and she jabbed Jacob in the stomach as he yawned when the movie was over.
"That was nice" he said, tossing the empty popcorn and soda containers into the trash. He met Renesemee's skeptical gaze "No, really, I know it's your favorite and I'm glad we seen it. It's sort of like a Friday night tradition huh?"
Renesemee didn't say anything as they headed back to the car. A younger girl, a teenager, dropped what looked like a binder full of notes; the girl sighed and bent to pick them up.
"Here you go," Renesemee said, handing a piece of loose leaf that read a few lines from Shakespeare play to her. The girl looked up grateful and Renesemee recognized her as one of the only other audience members that had been in the cinema.
"Thanks" the girl said, standing with a smile "I don't know what I would have done without these"
Renesemee tried not to look awkward. She did not usually talk much outside of her family and a few of Jacobs's friend.
"Uh…studying for a test?" she asked, nodding at the crumpled paper.
The girl blushed, "No, I just like Romeo and Juliet that's all. It's somewhat silly…but I like the story between them. It's so tragic!" she blushed hotter and apologized.
Renesemee shook her head "No, don't be. It's one of my favorites too. 'He that is strucken blind cannot forget. The precious treasure of his eyesight lost'," she quoted, and both girls smiled again.
Stuffing the text into her binder, the girl added, "You would be prefect in our drama club. Do you go to school around here?"
Jacob tightened his grip on Renesemee's hand, she thought of the story her parents told and said no "My parents and I move around a lot so I go to home school" she said, a perfect imitation of her mother's voice.
The girl seemed crestfallen "To bad then, it would have been nice to have someone with talent" she smiled, brighter then before "Thank you for your help though. See you around!"
The young teenager left and met up with some friends. She seemed to smile and laugh a lot; Renesemee watched her leave and then followed Jake again to his car.
"You okay?" he asked, after fifteen minutes of silence while being on the road "You seem kind of quiet"
Renesemee didn't answer at first. She stared out the window at the rain; it poured endlessly making the outside look like a gigantic black void. She sighed.
"I'm just thinking that's all," she said, not turning to face him.
Jake took her hand again "About what?" he asked, his gentle curiosity spilling over onto her.
Renesemee hesitated a moment and turned to look at him "My parents love was like a storybook fairy tale...romantic...epic...timeless".
"And your...what? Afraid that you won't be able to measure up?" his eyebrows scrunched together, seemingly puzzled.
"No, no Jake that's not it" she said, cupping his cheek when they stopped in front of the Cullen household "I know whom I love the most. Its how my parents met and how their love was created that I never had a chance to have. I couldn't, not until I was finished...well being me"
Jake frowned "There is nothing wrong with who you are"
"Other then being a half breed you're right about that" Renesemee smiled, even as the man beside of her scowled.
A growl escaped his lips as she traced a finger over his chin to soothe him "And I'm a gigantic mutt on the inside. We all have our crosses right? I don't want you to have to change yourself to fit into a scenario you think you have to have. Just because your parents followed one path doesn't mean you have to as well"
Renesemee watched as Jake lowered his eyes away from her "This isn't about them. It's about me...and you if you want it to be"
Jake's head raised a little and Renesemee took the opportunity to kiss him on the cheek "It's been sixteen years Jake. Don't you think its about time we were able to live our own lives?"
"You can't be separated from your parents any longer then I can be separated from you" Jake rebuffed, sternly. Obviously, he did not understand the question.
Renesemee sighed "I don't mean for forever Jake. I'm talking about being able to live a fantasy I was only able to dream of when I was little. And as I got older...I wanted it more and more"
"I still don't understand" he said, confused.
A smile spread across the small half vampire's face "It's easy Jake" she told him in a matter – of – fact tone "I want to go to High School".