Thanks to my beta, Stargazer 1364
Vampires, Werewolves, and Mermaids, Oh My!
1: Vampires Shapeshifters and Mermaids, Oh My
The Mermaid Of La Push
Rikki in Forks
Chapter 1
I curse myself in my head once more. Forks, Washington, really? Did my built up karma really have to whisk me away to the rainiest town in the US?
Let me explain. My name's Rikki Chadwick; I'm seventeen. I'm blonde, have blue eyes and pale skin. I've lived on the Gold Coast of Australia my entire life. My dad, who I lived with, suddenly croaked, and I'm forced to move to the US with distant relatives. I have no idea what I'm in for. I thought the worst you could get was a fish tale. But that comes later...
It's a total drag! I mean, I could just move in with my boyfriend Zane or my happily willing BFFs Cleo and Emma. But no, I have to travel across the globe to live with these supposed relatives of mine. And there's one tiny little problem... They live outside of Forks, Washington, one of the rainiest areas in the US. Why is that a problem, you ask? Can't I handle a little rain? I sure hope so because..when water touches my open skin, I transform into a mermaid. You heard right. When I get wet, I grow a giant fish tail, and so do my friends Cleo and Emma. And how am I going to keep this under wraps in the drenching town of Forks? I have no idea.
I bang my head against the wall as I pack the little about of things I own away, and my BFFs scream in my ear.
''What are we going to do with you, Rikki? How can you just leave us like this!" Cleo screams, but she knows what it's like to lose a parent and it's not my fault I have to go.
"Whatever you do, you must NOT get wet Rikki! Do not get wet!" Orders Emma.
"Yeah I know, Em. I'll be careful."
"You can't just be careful; you have to be EXTREMELY careful. Don't mess up. Watch your back, and watch your step. If we-you-get caught, who knows what'll happen, what your new family will think! And eventually they'll trace us back here, and hunt us and dissect us!"
"Cool it, Emma! Everything's going to be all right! For all we know, they could be a pack of werewolves or vampires or something," I say.
I am going to miss Zane, Emma, Cleo, and even Lewis, Cleo's boyfriend, so much. Zane's face when I told him I had to go flashes through my head. Of all the times he's broke my heart, I never thought I could make him look so sad, in so much pain. I love him. Please don't make that face ever, Zane.
Now I'm moving with my relatives in America, Sam Uley and his family who live on an Native American reservation outside of Forks. I've never met them, and I'm nervous. I hope they will accept me. I'm positive I'll stick out like a sore thumb. I know I shouldn't doubt them; they must be nice enough if they're willing to invite me to stay with them. I've only ever spoke to Sam over the phone, and he did seem very nice, sense of humor, super young, so I try to calm down as I get off the plane and head to baggage claim. A guy waves me over and I gulp.
"Rikki Chadwick?"
"Sam Uley?"
"It's nice to finally meet you, Rikki."
"Yeah, thanks for letting me stay with you," I say.
"It's no problem." He gives me an awkward one-armed hug, and we load my luggage into the back of his truck. "You're gonna love it down at La Push. I must warn you, our gang of rowdy boys often invades our house, but don't let them bother you. I'm sure all of you will get along." He turns the key in the ignition as a climb into the passenger's seat.
Great. Just what I need. "So these boys, they're your friends?" I mutter and fasten my seat belt as we exit the airport roads.
"Heh, sort of. They're more like little brothers to me. Practically everyone is related to each other in some way on the reservation. So you can just call them cousins of both of us. For some reason they've chosen my place as their hang out. I'll shoo them out if they give you trouble."
"No that won't be necessary." I say shyly and flip open my piece-of-crap cell phone, scrolling through the seemly thousands of texts from my overeager best friends. No texts from Zane, I note. I pout to myself.
Sam looks - maybe - 25 (Sam is 19, jsyk), so these boys must be his age or teenagers. "Will they be going to my school?" I question carefully.
"Yes, they're your age," He sees through me, and I blush. Stop blushing! "But actually, you'll be going to Forks High. The kids on the reservation go to the local school."
"Great. So I won't know anybody." I sigh.
"Hey, you'll get along just fine. And don't worry, it's not just boys and you at our house. I have my fiancé, Emily. I bet you two will hit it off immediately. She thinks it a blessing to finally have another girl around the house." Good. I won't be boy-trapped at least. What if they're hot?
We finally arrive, and thank Kira it's not raining. Sam helps unload my things into the house. I do a double take of my outside surroundings. The scape is beautiful. But there's too many trees for my liking. Too much forest green, not enough gold and clear blue and bright green. Tropical colors are lacking here. The trees surrounding me suffocate me and make me feel trapped.
Sam brings my things into what must be my room inside this small and simple-looking house that I will now call home. It's cozy and claustrophobic in here, just like I'm used to, considering I used to live in a trailer home back on the Gold Coast. A pretty woman who I assume is Emily greets me and gives me a light hug. A gentle embrace. "It's so great to be having you in our home. Finally, another girl!" she laughs lightly.
"I'm so grateful you guys are letting me stay with your family."
Like Sam, she has dark skin, and I can't help but notice the visual scar that adorns the right side of her face. I try not to stare, but she notices. "It's just an old mark I've gained over the years. Don't mind it." She smiles.
"I'm sorry," I sweat. "I didn't mean to stare."
"It's alright. I'm used to it by now."
Sam pulls me aside, "Thanks for not freaking over her scar. Emily's sensitive about it."
"Yeah, sorry."
Emily gives me a tour of the little house and gives me a moment to get settled in to my new base of operations. Blank walls, simple miss-matches wood furniture. Old ans stuck window. I take a liking to the bed because they bothered to put one of those drape-y thingies over it. It's purple, but it makes me feel cozy. I feel like I have some privacy with it, so I can make the room into my own little fort. Otherwise, the bed very uncomfortable- squeaky springs and a noticeably stained mattress covered by cheap sheets and a torn quilt. I unpack and load my clothes into the rickety dresser: many and many water-proof articles and hoodies, and a pair of high-tech rain boots Lewis purchased for me with Zane's money.
I check my neck for the amulet necklace that each of us-Cleo, Emma, and I-have with a picture of the previous trio of Mako island mermaids-Gracie Watsford, Louise Chatham, and Julia Dove-inside. Another thing that reminds me of Zane.
I once came across an amulet similar to Cleo's in a jewelry shop window while on a date with Zane. I discovered it belonged to Julia Dove, a previous generation mermaid and friend of Ms. Chatham's. I tried to buy it, but I had no money. Before I could make enough money to purchase it, Miriam, Zane's jealous ex, bought it to tick me off. Zane knew I really wanted that necklace, and it was his fault because he accidentally told Miriam I wanted it, so he asked her to give back. She said she would give him it if he kissed her. He kissed her in front of me, and she threw the necklace in the water. Zane said he was sorry and dove in the water to find it, but Emma had gone under to get it! We're lucky Zane didn't see her down there in her mermaid form. I almost revealed our secret when he handed me the dripping-wet necklace.
It's such a hard secret to keep.
I then add my personal touch to the room, scattering frames of my gang of friends around the room. On the dresser I place a few frames. One picture is of Cleo, Emma, and me sitting in the moon pool on Mako Island (our tales aren't visible of course). Another is of my boyfriend Zane and me, on a date at Sea World Australia** where Cleo works. Another is the same as in the lockets, of Ms. Chatham and her friends. There is even one of all of us- me, Cleo, Emma, Zane, Lewis, Ash, Will, Bella, even Charlotte Watsford- posing on the beach in our bathing suits. I sit on the bed and sigh. I'll probably never see any of them again. There's no way I could afford the trip back, and neither could Sam and Emily. I know they collected a little from each close family on the rez to pay of my ticket here. And swimming from here to Australia is out of the question. I whimper.
Emily comes in and puts her arm around me. "It's going to be alright. You'll love it here, in time." She says.
"I know." I say.
"So..tell me about Australia."
"It's the opposite of here. No trees, just sand and green grass and ice blue water. Sunny all the time. Wonderful."
"Here can be wonderful, too. I bet all these trees are suffocating you, though."
"Yeah," I laugh weakly. "Totally."
She frowns. "So did you have many friends there?"
"Yes, I have my best friends Cleo and Emma and Lewis, and my boyfriend Zane…"
"You miss them."
"Yeah..I loved it there."
"But then you came here." She pouts and squeezes me tighter; I don't want her pity. But I like her.
"But then I came here." I huff. She pats me on the back and I go to wash up for dinner.
In the tiny bathroom a wipe my face with a wet towel. Just as I hold onto the wall and gear for the coming tail, I hear a door swing open followed by voices and thumping. "Oh—" I fall over an press my back up against the door and cover my mouth. I used my mermaid heating power*** to dry myself and regain my legs before I am discovered. Emily knocks on the door of the bathroom. "Are you alright Rikki? I heard a thump." I finally get my legs back.
"Yeah, I fine," I get up, open the door, and give her a smile.
"Oh.., alrighty then. We'd better get the pizzas out of the oven..." She doesn't look convinced and mutters to herself, starting back down the hall. "The boys are here, Sam warned you about them, correct?"
"Yes." I prepare myself and adjust my messed clothes. I try to make myself busy and help with the food as the boys enter the kitchen. My eyes fall upon nine extremely gorgeous Quileute teens. All have dark skin and unique facial features, yet they all look like they could be brothers. Maybe I can get past Zane. Too bad they're all my "cousins."
After Sam, they all pile into Emily's tiny kitchen and grab a slice of pizza. The pizzas look like they're still extremely hot and I am surprised it doesn't burn their fingers. So many pizzas Emily has made. I guess teenage boys will eat like teenage boys. I've seen Lewis and Zane eat like pigs, but these guys make them look like they ate a tiny snack.
Emily rolls her eyes with me and sets aside slices for her and I before they're all gone. They guys finally notice I exist, hiding in the corner, and freeze. "Oh guys, I'd like to introduce Rikki. She's a distant cousin of ours and she's living here with us now. Please welcome her," Sam says. I give a weak wave and return to blowing on my pizza. If only my mermaid power was to cool things, like Emma's. Snort.
The boys -I wish I had something to refer to them as other than that- shyly acknowledge my existence.
"Rikki, this is Quil, that's Collin, Paul, Jared, Brady, Seth, Embry, Leah, and that's Jacob." Sam points to each person, and I make a half-effort to remember their names. I notice a stern-looking girl, Leah. Her expression almost looks like she's in pain. And the last one - I note - Jacob, is exceptionally cute. He, besides the young-looking one whose name I think was Seth, is the only one who smiled at me though he, too, looks like he'd rather be somewhere else. Such range in age. The youngest looks about twelve!
They go back to ignoring me and stuffing their faces. I feel awkward, so I ask Emily if she needs any help with anything. She tells me she's got it all under control, but I insist on her giving me something to do. She tells me to get some unopened liter-bottles of Coke out of the pantry. I check for any condensation on the bottles, open them, and place them on the counter along with some plastic cups I found to be consumed, fearing they'll drink straight from the bottle by the way they eat (a whole slice down in two bites!). Emily and I lean against the wall and quietly eat our pizza and make small talk. The boys are being boys, yelling and hitting each other, but I notice the occasional glances at me. Some of them hostile, most of them just curious. All awkward.
I am an intruder. Do they suspect me? Of course they don't. I don't have a tail...yet. It's only a matter of time till I eff up.
It's annoying how the two, Jarey and Pete - I think - keep staring at me, my chest in particular. Very annoying.
They finally leave with Sam ('Jacob' smiles at me before exiting ), and Emily and I clean up their mess. "It's tiring just to be in the same room with all of them, isn't it?" says Emily.
"Overwhelming. I know what you mean," I say. I tell her I'm going to call my friends, and she leaves me alone in my room. I ball up in my bed text everyone back home, too tired to talk. Zane reminds me how much he misses me in one text, and I cry myself to sleep. Why me?
I'm free to do what I'd like the next day, until the afternoon when Emily's taking me into town to go school shopping. I decide to go for a swim. I've been informed there's a beach nearby, but I have my doubts. I pull on my suit and a tee and shorts to eliminate suspicion and grab my towel. Emily and Sam are nowhere to be found, but a note from Emily left on the counter informs me there's milk and cereal waiting for me, and I am promised a proper breakfast another day. Also Emily leaves numbers I can reach her and Sam at. I put these into my crappy phone and consume some quick Lucky Charms. I head towards the sound of crashing waves.
There's a nice breeze, almost chilling, and the lights are beautiful, but the water is murky and cold looking. After kicking off my sandals, I throw down my things, do a double check for anyone around, and luckily I'm the only one I can detect. So I dive in, and my suspicions are confirmed- it's COLD and murky. Still I explore the bay and lose track of time. No dolphins to swim with, no coral reefs or colorful fish. What I would do to be back where I belong. But this is my "home" now.
Tomorrow I have to face school, and I'm not looking forward to it. Attempt to make new friends, same ol', same ol'. But I don't want new friends. My true friends are all I need. They understand me. We share this secret and that has made us weak and strong. The lyrics of t.A.T.u.'s Nas Ne Dogonyat
Nas Ne Dogonyat
Nas Ne Dogonyat
Nas Ne Dogonyat
Not Gonna Get Us
Not Gonna Get Us
They're not gonna get us, they're not gonna get us, they're not gonna get us
starting from here
lets make a promise
you and me
lets just be honest
we're gonna run
nothing can stop us
even the night
that falls around us
Soon there will be laughter and voices
beyond the clouds, over the mountains
we'll run away on roads ever after
lights on the airfield
shinin' above ya!
Nothing can stop this
not now I love ya
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
nothing can stop this
not now I love ya
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
not gonna get us
not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
gonna get us
gonna get us
not gonna get us
not gonna get us
not gonna get us
not gonna get us
not gonna get us…
we'll run away
to everything simple
night will come down
our guardian angel
we rush ahead
the crossroads are empty
our spirits rise
they're not gonna get us
my love for you
always forever
just you and me
all else is nothing
not goin' back
not gonna make me
they don't understand
they don't understand us!
don't understand us
understand us
understand us…
not gonna get us…
not gonna get us…
not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
nothing can stop this
not now I love you
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
nothing can stop this
not now I love ya
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
they're not gonna get us
not gonna get us
not gonna get us….
they got us..
Nas Ne Dogonyat…
This song resonates throughout my cranium as a glide through this dark underworld.
I want my old friends. I can just make myself invisible, hide in the shadows, alone, be miserable. I'll be miserable either way.
After swimming aimlessly for seemly hours, I head back to shore. I haul myself up into a secluded area of rocks and dry myself. With my powers, this takes about five minutes. Finally, when I have my legs back, I pull my clothes back on and see my reflection in a pool. I look like crap. I think twice about splashing my face when I hear someone call my name.
"Rikki?" I whip around. It's Jacob. How much has he seen? Has he been here the whole time. He walks toward me. "Are you alright?" He sees my puffy eyes.
"I'm…managing. It's...Jacob, right?"
"Right. So you were swimming? For how long?"
"Oh, just an hour or so, how long have you been here?" I question carefully.
"I just was around. Thought I saw you from up the hill and came down to see if it was really you."
"Oh."
"You were in that icy water for an hour?"
"Yeah." Thank Kira, he doesn't know. Or he's not showing it.
"So you were just hanging out?" he asks skeptically.
"Yep," I lie.
"Hey..are you hungry? We should go over to my place and find some grub. Its a nice walk from here."
"O-okay. Yeah, that sounds great." I grab my things and he jogs over to help me out. "Um thanks." We both kneel over to collect the things I so foolishly flung in the sand.
"Hey what's this?" He dangles my locket.
"N-Nothing!' I snatch it out of his hand.
"Oh..okay." I try to put it on unsuccessfully. "...Need help?" He brings it around my neck. "Here." I hold up my hair. He hooks the latch. "There."
I try to hide my blush. "Thanks." We kneel there for a moment in awkward silence. "So yeah."
"Yeah." We stand up. He offers a hand up. I take it. My hand lingers there, in his warm grasp. He leads me away.
He shows me around the reservation, pointing to landmarks and trails, showing me my new home. And as much as I'd hate to admit it, I feel at home right now next to Jacob. He's so handsome as he tours us around, telling me the best hangout spots and such. He really is handsome with his tribal, long brown hair; his innocent smile that makes me feel fuzzy inside; and the sparkle in his eye. Oh Kira, what am I, Cleo?
We arrive at his little red shack of a house; he gives me a mini tour. I am lost in him. "Jacob? Who's this?" Jacob and I both jump ten feet in the air and quickly release each others' hands.
"D-Dad! You're back!" Jacob says. The man, a older-looking guy in a wheelchair who looks of much wisdom, raises a skeptical eyebrow and glances at our hands guiltily hidden behind our backs.
"Who is this?" he repeats, although he already knows.
"Oh right! Dad, this is Rikki, the new girl staying with Sam Uley."
He looks at me. "I've heard very many things about you, Miss Rikki." He says as if it's a bad thing.
Jacob looks at him expectantly. "Rikki, meet my dad, Billy."
"Nice to meet you." I extend my hand.
"Yes.." He gives it a shake, and our hands linger there.
"Well, we'd better find that food I was talking about, right Rikki?"
"Right, Jacob!" A relief. The old man was starting to creep me out. His black eyes were boring through my soul.
"Dad, I was just showing Rikki around. I promised her lunch."
"You shouldn't have. You won't find anything in that fridge."
"Oh."
"Well that's okay, I'll just.."
"No, Rikki! I promised you lunch, and you'll get lunch!"
"It's alright, really-" But he's already taking me out to his truck.
"I'll take you out. Is that okay?" He asks.
"Y-Yeah!" His dad reluctantly throws him his keys. "You know what, Jacob? Actually I think I'm supposed to be back at Sam's by now."
"Oh. Another time then."
"Yeah!"
"Well, at least let me drive you over there. It's a good walk from here."
"Nah, I need the exercise anyway."
"Oh, come on Rikki. I'm itching for a drive around."
"Fine then," I giggle. I hop into his truck.
"So tell me Miss Rikki, where are you from? You have an accent."
"Didn't they tell you anything? Australia, born and raised. The US is a whole new thing for me."
"Australia! That's on another continent!"
"Actually, it's its own continent, country, and island."
"Smart alec."
"Do..do you like it?"
"Like what..?"
"My accent."
"..I do." I blush, and he rubs the back of his head. "Yeah..So, ta think us dark skinneds had a Aussie relative opposite the globe."
"Yeah, I never knew I had you guys till now." And on a tribal reservation of all things. I don't exactly fit in here with my white skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. I tell him about the Gold Coast, the sun. He's fascinated. I stare out the windshield and hover over old ghosts.
"Hey, you okay?" he asks.
"Oh I'm just thinking," I tell Jacob.
"And what would you be thinking about?" he questions.
"Stuff back home," I reply.
"Stuff? Like? Friends? School? Ex?" he asks mischievously.
"Friends. I couldn't give a darn about school."
"Friends? Ex?"
"Why are you so intent on the secrets of my personal life?" I blush and push myself away from the windshield.
"Sheesh." He looks over his other shoulder. "Just curious.." He throws up his hands. "..You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
For an instant, I ponder if he wants to know if I have an ex because he wants to ask me out. What am I thinking? Of course not..
"...Well, I have these friends: Emma, Cleo, Bella, and Lewis. We're really close, Emma, Cleo, and me. And I had my boyfriend Zane...he's a complete idiot." I gesture with my hands in front of my face and squint.
"That's good to know."
"And your friends, all those loud boys and the girl?"
"They're okay."
"Mmm... What about you? You have a girlfriend?"
"Nope."
"Ah..."
"...So how did all of you guys come to be such great pals? I mean, Sam's 25, isn't he? And you're what, seventeen? There's a decent age diff there. A little old to be hanging with a gang of brats." I cross my arms.
"Hey now now now! La Push is a small place. We've all gotten to know each other pretty well. Truthfully, I didn't even like Sam at first. Still don't."
I raise my eyebrow at him. "Really? He seems so likable." I tilt my head.
"I'm fifteen, by the way." He grins.
"Fifteen? Is that even the legal age to drive in this country?"
"No..."
"Ugh."
He drops me off at Sam's, and I wave goodbye. I hear him drive off as I launch myself onto my bed-palace and the rain starts. Bleh. Seeing the pour doom outside my window makes me ill, and I cover it. I prepare my rain gear for this afternoon's outing. Kira, help me.
Squeal!