Hey everyone, so this is my first attempt at writing. I've had this idea in my head for the past few days and wanted to try it out. Let me know what you think.
Disclaimer: I own nothing; Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight.
There was nothing worse than getting a voicemail letting you know that your father was in the hospital. But thinking over the many phone calls I had received about him on the past few months it really didn't surprise me, so I had no clue why I agreed to stay with my grandparents and father over the summer.
Oh, wait it's because my father, Charlie Swan, has drinking and drug problems that "his family needs to help him with." My grandma's words not mine.
Thinking back to the phone call I got almost a year ago is the one that put everything in motion; around 3am my father calls me telling me that he loves me no matter what and then hangs up the phone. I panicked when he didn't answer my calls and called his girlfriend at the time. Come to find out he was drunk to the point that he blacked out and hit her and doesn't remember any of it. She got a restraining order put against him for a year but dropped it about a month later, only to have him do the same thing again. Now there's one for five years. After she did that he went to AA meetings to try and get help, which they did help for a while until he failed some test for his job, causing him to go right back. So that's where he stayed, in a drunken state pretty much all the time which caused him to lose his job and move back in with his parents.
My grandma was an amazing woman, she hold her own in an argument against anyone. She had seven kids of her own and then was a foster parent to a lot more; I don't know how she did it. She has a horse farm that I loved going to when I still lived in forks but when my mom moved to phoenix I had to go with her. I love the way that she is around them, she stands about 5'4 and handles the craziest horses with ease. She's the main reason that I decided to visit Forks for the summer and help my dad. She also never felt the need to fill a silence, so riding back to the house with her in the car was comforting.
As we pulled up to the familiar white farm house I couldn't help but smile, it hadn't changed at all in the past five years. It was two-stories with a porch on the front and a porch swing that someone was always using, and sitting on the steps as usual was their trusted black lab, Ace. She drove around to the back to where the familiar grey and white barn stood, I couldn't wait to get inside and be around the horses. We took my things inside and as soon as I threw them on the floor started digging for my jeans and boots.
About five minutes later I was walking through the doors to the barn and taking in all the familiar sounds and smells, almost tripping over the kittens that were running under my feet. I stopped at each of the stalls to pet the horses, some of them the familiar old ones I had grown up with but most of them were new. When I got about half way down the aisle I found the horse I was looking for.
I couldn't help it I called out as soon as I saw her familiar face, "Tye!" I grabbed her halter and lead from beside the door as I opened it and put it on her leading her to the cross ties. As soon as I had her there I got the tote with brushes and everything I would need and turned the radio to a country station. As I started to brush her I couldn't help but forget about the past few months and just relax. I finished brushing her out then cleaned her feet before going to get the things from the tack room to ride. Just as I was heading through the door the Rascal Flatts song "What hurts the most" came on the radio, I loved all of their songs no matter how sad so I started to sing along as I got the saddle on Tye.
Just as I was done with her saddle I turned to get her bridle and almost screamed, standing there was a person that I didn't know trying very hard not to laugh. He was wearing wrangler jeans that fit him perfectly and a t-shirt that hugged his arms and chest to show off his muscles, his face was perfect in every way; he looked like he should be on the cover of a magazine instead of standing in the middle of my grandma's barn, and to top it off he had the strangest shade of bronze hair that was falling into his face that only made him sexier. As I was looking over him I knew he was talking but I didn't hear a word of it.
"Huh?" That was all I could think to say only adding to my embarrassment.
He cleared his throat before answering, "I'm Edward, who are you and what are you doing in Virginia's barn?"
"Oh, I'm Bella, and Virginia's my grandma I came out to stay for the summer." A look of shock passed over his face as he took in what I said.
"Sorry, she told me that her granddaughter was coming in for the summer but I thought…." He trailed off as blush started to rise up in his cheeks.
Curious as to why he was blushing I asked, "You thought what?"
"That you were a lot younger and that I would have to be helping some little kid around this summer." For some reason the way that he said it annoyed me.
"Well that's not the case so I guess you don't have to 'help some little kid around this summer'." Was all I said to him as I walked Tye to the field and got up on her to ride. I thought back over what he had said and wasn't really sure why I snapped. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by 'little kid,' especially since he didn't know anything about me. I pushed the thoughts to the back of my head and decided to ask my grandma about him later
I rode around the pasture for a while trying to clear my head and take in the beautiful area surrounding the farm but couldn't. I finally gave up and went back to the barn and unsaddled Tye before rinsing her off and putting her away. When I walked into the house my grandma was making dinner and talking with my grandpa so went upstairs to my room. The room right next to mine is my dads, they had let him out of the hospital before my flight landed today and he was sound asleep. I walked into my room for the summer and looked around at the walls, there was not really much there besides the western type boarder and a blanket with a couple horses hanging on the wall. There was also a dresser and a single bed pushed against the wall, but other than that there was nothing in the room; great. I pulled my cell out of my carry-on bag and turned it on to find a couple voicemails and new text. The voicemails were both from my mom, Renee telling me that I needed to call her and that if I didn't by 7 o'clock then she was calling Charlie. I looked at the clock, it was 6:45.
"Shit" was all I said as I punched in my house number. Not even two rings later my mother picked up.
"Hello"
"Mom, hey I jus…" she cut me off.
"Isabella Marie Swan! How could you not call me as soon as your flight got there, I've been worried that you didn't make it and…." She kept going on with her crazy ideas and I knew better than to interrupt her because she wouldn't stop anyway. She finally paused for more than a breath and I took my chance.
"OK now that you are done yelling at me let me explain. I got here fine but you know how I get when I come to the barn, I didn't even turn on my cell before I ran out the door. As soon as I got your message I called you."
"I'm sorry baby, you know that I over react. I didn't mean to yell at you I was just worried."
The phone call went on for another few minutes before I promised to call her in the morning to finally get her to hang up. I grabbed my pj's and went to take a shower, phone calls with my mom always stressed me out and the hot water helped my relax. As I stood there letting the hot water relax me I let my mind wander and it settled on Edward, I tried to remember if I had seen him around Forks on my previous trips but couldn't place him. Everyone around here knew each other in some way and it wasn't always good depending on your family name. I shuddered at what people would think when they heard my last name.
Most people had heard the name Swan only because of my cousins and my uncles; they were always in trouble with the law; mostly for drinking and drugs. That side of my family made us all look bad, and I didn't want to be thrown in that mold.
OK I know that's kind of a weird place to end the chapter but it was just to give a little about what her family is like in this story. I guess let me know what you think and if you think I should continue.
