"You don't have to stay, I can take care of myself." My father said, his voice still raspy from crying at the funeral.
I put my hand on his shoulder and he looked at me. "I know- but I am staying, end of discussion. You're my father, I love you, and I want to be there for you." I said with a soft smile, I didn't much like forks but I needed to be with my dad.
He smiled and looked back to the road. "Jacob, Billy's son, will be staying with us for a while, until he can go back to his house. Will you try and make him feel welcome? Please?" There was a smile on his face as he said it.
"Sure. What are you guys going to want for dinner?" Charlie was a great guy, and an even better dad, but a horrid cook!
Then, something that could have made any kid cry happened- a huge, childlike grin flashed across my dad's face. "Will you make fried fish with those homemade French fries, like your mom used to make?'"
"Yeah she taught me, I'll have to go to the store to pick up some stuff, though." I said as we pulled up to the driveway.
I saw a red rabbit VW parked on the empty side of the driveway. As Charlie walked into the house, holding the door open for me as he did, I could hear the sound of the TV on in the living room. I instantly ran upstairs and changed clothes, into my favorite creamy soft blue jeans and a pair of brown boots that were already worn down but gave me an extra two inches- making me all of five feet, two inches tall. I looked at myself in the small mirror I had in my room my Coke t-shirt, red and faded, matched my jeans and I looked pretty cute, or so I thought. I walked down stairs and first thing I saw was Charlie and some native American boy . I hadn't met the stranger yet, but he was so cute! Now have you ever gotten butterflies in your stomach? Well take that and add getting hit in the heart with a bolt of lightning. That was what it felt like, when Jacob's eyes met mine for the first time. He stood and I was frozen where I stood. For a reason I don't really understand, I felt like being very close to him, but I just managed to resist the urge to touch him as my father's voice broke my trance and I continued down the stairs.
"Mackenzie, this is Jacob Black," my dad said raising an eyebrow in my direction.
I stuck out my hand when I was 2 feet from Jacob, "it's nice to meet you. Sorry it had to be under such horrid circumstances," I said as he shook my hand.
His hand felt like it was on fire. "It's nice, to meet you too." Jacob said smiling, his porcelain white teeth glowing.
"Are you ready? Charlie said you needed a lift to the store." Jacob added looking from the floor to my face and back again. I nodded my head and Charlie handed me his coat. It was a standard issue police jacket that had "Swan" printed on the back. I climbed into Jacob's car.
"Wow, this is a nice car." I commented softly to Jacob. I could see he was happy I had said so because he then launched into a story about how he built the car from the ground up and had to save all his money just to get a couple of parts. I nodded at the right times and laughed at others. Being around Jacob was like being around a five year old with a new toy. "So where are you going to go to school at?" Jacob asked as we pulled into Thrift-way, the local supermarket.
I got out of the car and replied, "Forks. I would go to the school in La Push but I'm not from there and my dad wants me to go to FHS." I did a little fist pump sarcastically. Jacob let a booming laugh erupt from him. " So what are we getting?" Jacob asked as we walked in, I took a cart and headed straight for the spices.
"I'm making fried fish, and homemade French fries." I said absentmindedly. For some reason I couldn't get Jacob's smiling face out of my mind. Jacob made a loud lip smacking noise and I laughed. It went on like that as we got other things for dinner. Jake wouldn't let me carry a single bag to the car or into the house.
When we walked in Charlie was de-scaling some fish. A huge pile was already sitting in the sink. "Hey, I'm just finishing up. Jake, do you want to go watch the game while I have a word with Mac?" my dad asked. We both laughed, and Jake went off into the family room.
"What's up, dad?" I asked, ready for anything.
He looked around the corner, "How's Jake doing?" I was thinking he was going to say something else.
"He seems okay, but I mean, we just talked about normal stuff I guess. He didn't bring up Billy, and neither did I." I said as I washed my hands.
He nodded and disappeared back into the family room. I heard more banter and male bonding. My father and I had always been close he hadn't cared that I was gay. He loved me no matter what; he was always worried about me though. I can understand why, but it gets annoying. He is such a caring old man, always worried about somebody somewhere. I took out a knife and began chopping the potatoes, and dropped them into the fryer.
Then I opened the beer cans from the garage, and poured them into the batter, Reene's secret. I hated the taste and smell; it looked like pee, smelled like pee, so it was beer. As I pulled the last pieces of fish and the last bunches of fries from the fryer Jacob and Charlie were already making plates.
I laughed, then I grabbed a can of pop, not caring what flavor, and guzzled it down. Within moments, the phone rang. " Hello, Mac Swan here." I said into the phone
"Is Jake there? It's Sam Uley." The voice said in a rushed tone.
"Yeah one sec," I put my hand on the mouthpiece and motioned for Jake to take the phone.
"Hello?" I heard only a muffled response, "Sure. I'm on my way." Jacob headed for the door.
"Yo, Jake. Where are you going?" Charlie asked swallowing his food.
"Just going to go hang with the guys. Thanks for the food Mac, I'll be back by one AM." Jacob said but before he could reach the door Charlie spoke.
"Make it midnight.' There was a commanding tone in his voice. Jacob nodded sullenly, and left.
I sat on my bed waiting for Jacob to get back, it was 11:55pm and I could tell Charlie was going to be mad if Jake broke curfew. I heard the front door open and Jake come in. Charlie said something to him then came up the stairs.
I jumped off my bed and bounded down the stairs, wearing only a huge t-shirt and a pair of my dads old flannel pants. "I just wanted to say goodnight, Jake, and thanks for taking me to the store," I said, as Jake took off his shirt and walked toward me.
"No problem. We should hang out more often." He bent down and planted a kiss on my forehead. I felt like my head was about to burst into flame, but it lost that feeling as Jake pulled away. I must have been going crazy, so I nodded and ran up the stairs without another word.
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