Disclaimer: I don't own any original Twilight characters
I could only imagine the bewildered expression on my face as this exotic goddess grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the mega mart. "Did ya come on foot?" she asked letting go of my wrist in the middle of the parking lot. The sudden heat made me break automatically into an uncontrollable sweat. "No…my car is over here…," I pointed into the direction of my truck.
"Oh, can I ride with you then?" Whoa, I took a second to observe my situation. One minute I'm buying preserved fruit and now I'm about to go on a joyride with…a complete stranger. "What's your name?" I asked absentmindedly. The young girly looked slightly confused, as if this hasn't been asked often.
"Marli," she added simply, "with an 'I'.
"Oh, that's different." I immediately regretted what I said, afraid of offending her. I waited for her response.
"Humph…that's one way too put it," she chuckled lightly.
"So, um, where exactly are we going?"
"I won't answer that 'til I know your name," she replied a bit smugly as we reached my beaten down truck. "This the one?" Marli added.
I chuckled, embarrasses. A girl like this must own a Porsche. I smiled as I thought of Alice and her yellow speed demon.
The next words to come out of her mouth surprised me. "My dad had one just like it. I used to help him fix up the piece of shit of an engine all the time when I was little. Learned a bit from it, I guess," she said, a bit lost in her own remembrance.
"You're using quite a bit of past tense," I said sheepishly, assuming where this was going.
I was right. "Parents died couple years ago. Drowned. I stayed with my grams for a while, then she got sick of me," she paused to chuckle, "and shipped out to live with my brother and his…wife." She said the last word coldly, obviously having a bit of resentment for the new member of the family. I let the conversation drop and unlocked the car. We both shrugged in.
"Take Lander for 'bout half a mile then turn left and keep going way out into the country side of Forks," Marli said as if she'd memorized the words. I started the truck and the rumble made her flinch, and her dark eyebrows furrowed casting shadows onto her shimmering eyes. She pulled her glasses back over her face and stared out the window, slipping off her flip flops to bring her slender legs up to rest her chin on her knees.
"So, where are you originally from?" I asked, suspecting the answer. My mother taught me a thing or two about being intuitive.
"California, Santa Cruz," she said smiling slightly. 'I love the boardwalk, nothings better than corndogs and rusty roller coasters," she added joyfully.
"I can tell."
Marli's expression twisted as she patted her stomach hidden by the material of the sweatshirt. "I did not eat that many that many corndogs!" she snapped bitterly. One thing I liked instantly about Marli is that she was blunt and honest, even though she was being a bit uneasy right now.
I bit my bottom lip to keep from giggling. 'Oh no, no! I didn't mean that. I meant that I can tell you're from California," I said shyly.
"Oh, how?"
"Well, you have an amazing tan, you look like you work out every day and have never touched a corndog," I added for her sake, "and you just have this beachy glow about you," I stated.
Marli turned her head toward me with her glasses slipped to the bottom of her nose. "That's real sweet, I'm flattered," she said wholeheartedly, tears practically welling.
"You ask as if no one ever compliments you!"
Marli snorted. "Pft, the girl whose dead parents barely had a dollar to their name that graduated as a sophomore and whose science lab partner ended up marrying her 27 year old brother who for the longest time was gay…nope, not one snide comment. Ever." Her voice cracked at the last word, I felt a sudden wave of compassion hit me and I wrapped my fingers around her petite hand. This girl's story was harsh, the least I could do was help comfort her.
Marli sat there staring out the window for what seemed to be the longest time. I still held onto her hand as this ear shattering silence was killing me.
"Bella…" I whispered almost inaudibly. I knew she would understand.
Her breathtaking smile flashed across her face and she chuckled. "Well, hello there."
A/N: Reviews are vital here!! Please leave any suggestions or whatever. I honestly don't care if they're anonymous.
Kristen
