Chapter 2~ Friends

The next morning, Jacob woke first. His eyes fluttered and he vaguely wondered why he was sleeping slumped against his bed. Had he fallen off? Wiping his eyes sleepily, he yawned and remembered yesterday. Glancing up at his bed, he saw Bella sleeping peacefully, arm outstretched towards him. Smiling softly, he stood up and stretched, hearing his bones crack. Shuffling out the room, he showered quickly and changed clothes. His father was in the living room eating a bagel. "Going fishing again?" he asked, hoping he would. Billy nodded, wheeling his wheel chair into the kitchen. "Yes. Harry Clearwater is coming with me and afterward we're going to cook the fish at his house so stop by if you want some." Jacob smiled, his back to his father. He wanted to jump in the air with joy. Bella would be safe for yet another day. "Okay dad." A horn honked outside and Billy wheeled himself to the door. "That's my ride. See ya son." Jacob waved and watched his father wheel out of the house.

Once Billy was gone, Jacob decided to cook breakfast for himself and Bella. A simple breakfast since he didn't know what she liked to eat. Although, with her amnesia, she probably wouldn't remember either. Pancakes! After sliding the fourth pancake onto a plate, he turned off the stove and returned to his bedroom to wake up Bella. The sleeping beauty was nowhere to be found though. "Bella?" Jacob called, looking around his small room before racing around the tiny house. A door opened an a weary Bella exited the bathroom. "I had to use the restroom." she told him, stifling a yawn. Jacob smiled and led her to the kitchen. "That's fine. I thought you'd gotten lost or something." he mumbled, passing her a plate. "Pancakes. You like pancakes?" Bella took her fork and stabbed the fluffy pancake. "I don't remember. It looks good...ish I guess." Jacob drizzled some syrup on top of her pancakes and waited for her to take a bite. "Well?" he waited expectantly. Bella's lips quirked into a smile. "Delicious!" Jacob puffed with pride and they finished their meals.

"So," Jacob began, sitting the dishes in the sink and grabbing a seat on the couch. Bella was seated next to him. "You don't remember anything?" Bella scratched her head thoughtfully. "I can't remember anything. It's like I have no memories. Up til yesterday anyway. I remember waking up but nothing before that. It's sort of foggy." This intrigued Jacob. "Foggy how?" he asked. Bella thought up a way to describe it. "It's like, I know the memories are there. But it's hard trying to access them. It's like trying to look through murky water. I think I need something to trigger the memories before they can come back." Jacob nodded that he understood what she said. "Well, you know your first name. So there's hope we can recover your full identity." Bella shook her head. "Actually I've been thinking. You've done enough for me and I don't want to impose." Jacob waved away her concerns. "Nonsense. If I were in your position I hope that someone as nice as me would help me out." Jacob smiled and Bella laughed. "So how are you going to help me?" she asked after laughing. Jacob thought about this for a second. "Well, until you get your memory back, I will lend you my home. But," he whispered the next part. "Make sure my dad doesn't see you. That definitely won't be good." Bella nodded, agreeing. "And I will take you out on the town, so to speak. To see if the scenery jogs your memory."
"Okay."
"Also," Jacob glanced at Bella's attire. "Since your going to be living here for a little while, maybe I should get you some clothes that actually fit you." Bella glanced down at the oversized clothes Jacob had clothed her in. "Hm. That would be nice but it seems like your going through an awful lot for me." Jacob shrugged then grabbed a set of keys off the table to the side of the couch. "No trouble. I'm only here to help."

He headed for the door and Bella followed after him. "I guess we should stop by the mall first to get you some clothes and shoes." he said, glancing down at the large sandals he'd loaned her. Bella's tiny feet were practically falling out. Bella agreed and he drove them to the mall in Port Angeles.

"I'll pay you back whenever my memory returns and I go home." she told him, sifting through clothes on a rack. Jacob snorted and held the clothes she picked out in his arms. "These are cheap right? I don't want you to spend much money on me." Jacob laughed and followed Bella to another rack. "You picked a thrift store to shop in. I don't think money will be much of an issue." Bella picked up a pair of black flats that were her size and decided to get them as well.

The cashier looked happy with their purchase. She even threw in a few free accessories. In total, Jacob spent close to sixty dollars. Which wasn't too bad when in the end they purchased about two weeks worth of clothes and a pair of shoes. After shopping, Jacob set the clothes in trunk and allowed Bella to changed into her new clothes via the car. When she stepped out, she looked more normal. Dressed in some black pants and a black and white stripped shirt. Except her hair. It was still as scraggly as ever. Jacob grabbed her hand and lead her to the beauty shop. "Since I don't know how to do hair, here is the best place right?" he asked, sitting across from Bella in a chair for the people waiting. Bella shrugged, hoping this wasn't going to cost too much. The woman in charge of fixing her hair, sifted threw it bemused. "What happened to you? Got shipwrecked on an island?" the question was rhetorical but Bella nodded. "Not an island. I was shipwrecked here. Unless here is an island." The woman gaped in shock at Bella and didn't say anything else. Jacob stifled his laughter.

The lady washed and straightened Bella's messy hair. Once it was finished, it hung down to her shoulders and Jacob tried not to ogle her. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, but he found her attractive. "So what do you think?" she asked him, indicating her hair. "Beautiful." he whispered, then snapped out of his gaze. "Looks nice." he told her. She smiled at him, which of course sent his heart fluttering. "So where to now?" Bella asked as they walked out of the mall. Before Jacob could respond someone shouted "Hey Jake! Over here!" Jacob turned towards the voice and saw his two best friends. Embry and Quil. "Hey guys whatsup?" he greeted, walking over towards them. Bella followed after, slightly hiding behind Jacob. "Oh ya know. Just chilling." Embry told him. Quil noticed Bella and half-waved. "Who is she?" he asked, nodding towards Bella. Jacob glanced down at Bella and wondered briefly if he should tell them about how he found her. "That's Bella. A new friend of mine. I brought her here to shop." he decided to play it safe and keep her situation undewraps for a while. "New friend huh?" Embry asked, waggling his eyebrows. Jacob shoved his friend playfully and laughed. "It's not like that." he told him.

Quil looked at Bella and smiled. "So what brings you here to La Push?" he asked. Bella shrugged. "Beat's me. I'm still wondering that myself." Quil laughed and Embry joined in. "She's funny." Quil told Jacob who nodded. "Hysterical."

"So I take it your parents brought you here for a vacation huh?" Embry asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Well, that's great. This place is the most boring-est place ever." Quil came up on the other side of her. "But we will show you it's highlights." he told her. Jacob had to stifle a laugh at his friends. "We are we going?" Bella asked them when they began leading her away from the mall. "Everywhere!" Embry told her enthusiastically. "You guys." Jacob called, before the trio could take another step. "What?" Quil asked. "I brought my car. We don't have to walk miles around the city." he told them, walking towards his car and putting the bags in the trunk.

"Awesome Jake! Let's go for a ride." Embry exclaimed enthusiastically. "Shotgun!" Quil called, racing for the passenger side door. "Hey! That's my seat!" Embry complained, fighting Quil for the seat. Jacob sighed and glanced at Bella who was giggling at the pair. "Stop fighting! Neither of you are getting that seat. Bella will sit there." Quil and Embry groaned simultaneously but took their seats in the back. "So where would you like to go first?" Jacob asked them. "Actually, there are no highlights of La Push. But Jake there's a carnival in town. Let's go there." Embry told him. "Sure." Jacob responded, driving towards La Push. "So are you staying with relatives or at a hotel?" Quil asked Bella. Bella was about to reply when she got the flash of a memory. "I think so." she told him, trying hard to remember. But the flash was gone and she was left with nothing. "Yeah, I know the feeling." Quil said. "Sometimes I wouldn't want to claim my family either. Crazy people."

"What ever Quil Your the nutty one of the group." Embry joked, rolling down his window. "Your one to talk Embry. You're crazier than me." Jacob snorted and they turned their glare to him. "Got something to say Jake?" Embry asked sarcastically. "Yeah. Continue arguing and I'm kicking you out of the car." The boys let out sighs and immediately perked back up when the carnival came into view.

Jacob parked in the parking lot and they headed towards the carnival. "I'm glad I have money!" Quil said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out ten. "Aw man. Spot me Quil." Embry said, realizing he was broke. Quil glared at his friend. "Alright but you owe me." Embry rolled his eyes and the quartet walked up to the stand issuing out carnival braceletts. After paying, they walked towards one of the rides. "Let's go on the yo-yo first!" Quil decided, heading towards the line. "No! The bumper cars!" Embry declared. While the pair argued over which ride to go on first, Jacob led Bella way from them and towards the games. "I will win you a teddy bear." he decided, walking towards the game where you had to knock down a pyramid of bottles.

The man behind the stand smiled when they approached him. "Five dollars for three tries." he told them. Jacob gave him a five, then aimed at the bottles. The first time, he missed completely, so angling his arm, he tried again. But he barely nicked the bottle at the top. So he tried again his final time. Time itself seemed to slow down as he aimed carefully then threw the ball with as much force as he could at the bottles. The ball flew threw the air at an alarming speed and sent the bottle at the very top to go flying the floor. "I did it!" he cried. The man running the stand snickered and gave him a palm sized plushie. "There's your prize." Jacob looked from the toy in his hand to the large teddy bears hanging up around the stand. "How do I get those?" he asked. The man pointed at the largest pyramid set up. Seven rows, a total of 28 bottles. "I want to try." he told the man, paying another set of five dollars.

Bella watched curiously as Jacob continued to spend his money and try to knock down the giant pyramid. Try after try, he did not succeed. Although he came very close many times. Forty-five dollars and 134 throws later, Jacob was on his last ball. "If I don't hit it," he looked at Bella. Face grim. "I'm sorry." A small crowd had gathered by this time and was watching intensely. "You can do it!"

"Win that bear!"
"Whoop!" some people from the crowd cheered, and Jacob steadied his hand. "Here we go." he said to himself. Leaning back his hand, he aimed at the pyramid and threw the ball with as much force as he could muster. The ball sailed threw the air and knocked down half of the corner. Once the foundation became unsteady, many more bottles cascaded towards the floor. Falling down like an avalanche, all of the bottles eventually made their way to the floor except for one. It teetered on the edge. "Well boy. Looks like you lose... again." the crowd, including Jacob, groaned in disappointment until they heard "Chink." turning back to the table, they saw the last bottle had indeed fallen off the table.

"I won!" Jacob cried and the crowd cheered collectively. A few people walked by and congratulated him on his win, and the rest dispersed. Once the excitement died down, the man looked at Jacob. "So, which bear would you like?" Jacob looked at Bella and she smiled. "That one." Pointing to a large fluffy panda bear with a top hat and bowtie. The man knocked it down and passed it to Jacob. "Congrats kid." he told him, stashing the money in a bin. Jacob smiled and passed the large bear to Bella. "It's so cute. My favorite bear." she squealed, nuzzling into the bear over half her size. "Your favorite bear?" Jacob asked surprised. This confused Bella. "I think so." she told him, cracking a smile. "Yes. Just like my name, I'm pretty sure this is my favorite bear!" Jacob laughed and they began walking toward the Ferris Wheel. "Well this day hasn't been a total waste then. You remembered your favorite bear." he told her happily. Bella laughed and they took a spot in the short line. "What good does knowing my favorite bear do me?" she asked skeptically. "I don't know. But it's a something right?" Jacob countered. "Hm. I suppose." she replied.

The line moved quickly and soon they were taking their seats in the tiny compartment. Bella was happy the bear fit inside, she didn't want to leave it outside with the man running the Ferris Wheel, it might get stolen. "So far, we know your name is Bella. You like pancakes and your favorite bear is a Panda." Bella nodded, gazing out the glass walls at the carnival around them. The Ferris Wheel lifted them up until they were at the top, looking down. Then it stopped for a while. "Let's hope that in a few days, you'll be alright. Memory fully restored. I'm sure there are people out there looking for you." Bella shrugged, spotting Embry and Quil on the ground. It looked like they were arguing over a funnel cake. "I don't know. You said I was floating on a raft right?" Jacob nodded. "Well, then I must have been in some accident. What if I'm a lone survivor?" After saying this, something inside told Bella this wasn't true. She thought about more but no memory of the events that day surfaced. She was still in the dark.

"Hm. That's possible. But then, when you do recover your memory, you'll be sad to remember that." Jacob frowned at her. "Let's hope that if there was an accident, everyone was as fortunate as you and were saved." Then a thought hit him. "I guess tomorrow we can check the police station and see if a missing report on you was put out." Bella smiled. "Yeah! If the accident did happen, then I'm sure by tomorrow I'll have been reported missing."

The Ferris Wheel began it's descend back to the ground, and after one more loop around, their turn was over and they had to get off. "That was fun." Bella told him, clutching the giant panda to her. "It was." Jacob admitted, walking towards a food stand. "Hungry?" he asked, already ready to buy some food. "You've spent a lot on me today. I don't know if I'm comfortable with this." she told him. Jacob waved away her concerns and purchased a large cotton candy. He broke off a piece and held it before her face. "Nonsense. Just think of this as a date!" Bella quirked an eyebrow. "A date?" she asked bemused. "But you don't know me." she opened her mouth and ate some of the cotton candy out of his hand. "I know. But if it'll make you feel better about the money then it doesn't matter. Besides," he smiled, eating some cotton candy himself. "Even if I did know you, you wouldn't remember." Bella laughed. "I guess that is true."

They ran into Quil and Embry on their way to the car and found the pair holding a large bag filled with a load of constellation prizes and food. "You cannot expect my car to be able to hold a large teddy bear and that trash." Jacob cocked an eyebrow and the pair frowned. "Aw come on Jake. The Rabbit is big enough." Embry insisted, throwing the bag inside the car and squishing himself next to it. "Whatever." Jacob rolled his eyes and took the drivers seat. Quil scooted in next to Embry while Bella took her spot in the front, the panda in her lap, obscuring her view of the windshield. Jacob dropped off Embry and Quil at their homes, then headed home himself. "Have fun today?" he asked Bella as he parked in his driveway. "I did." she admitted, looking down at the panda. "Good." Jacob got out the car and headed inside the house. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Billy sitting in the living room with Harry Clearwater. Bella was right behind him, also stopped. "Hey Jacob." Billy greeted, spotting his son. Then he noticed the girl behind Jacob. "Who is she?" Billy asked, rolling around to see her properly. Jacob sighed. What was he going to do now?