Chapter two
Night had fallen by the time Adele unpacked all of her bags. She laid the rest of her jeans in the bottom drawer of the dresser and pushed it shut. The room looked a little more comfortable as she took in her books on the bedside table and her guitar case resting against the armchair in the corner. Adele had slipped into some flannel pajama bottoms and a plain cotton t-shirt to get more comfortable. The house had a slight chill to it and she already had a tendency to be cold.
She slipped on some socks and headed towards the kitchen. She would have to go grocery shopping tomorrow, but she wanted to see if there was anything she could snack on before she went to sleep. Opening the fridge she saw multiple water bottles, but not much else that could be edible. Adele rummaged through the cupboards and found some hot chocolate mix, which would have to do for the night.
While the water was heating up on the stove, Adele gazed out the window. The serenity of the forest was overwhelming. She was glad she didn't get scared of bumps in the night anymore or else she wouldn't be able to stay here by herself. She could hear the wind blowing against the house and she watched the leaves sway with the movement. She was so zoned out she jumped when the kettle started to whistle. She giggled to herself, pouring a cup of water and then slowly mixing in the hot chocolate powder.
Cup in hand, she tip-toed back to her self-designated room. Adele climbed into bed and sipped the steaming liquid. The warmth and sweetness of it made her sleepy almost instantly. Within a couple minutes, she was out for the night.
The next morning Adele woke up startled, and didn't really understand why. She was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes. Her body was tense, but she couldn't remember why she felt this way. Had she been having a bad dream? She didn't normally wake up this early on her own. Her eyes went to the clock on the wall and she read that it was just barely ten. Just as she was settling back down into the pillows to sleep for maybe another hour, she heard a loud banging noise.
She hopped out of bed, not even bothering to look in a mirror, and headed straight to the front door. Why was someone here so early? How did they know she was here? She hadn't stopped to talk to anyone in town. Feeling anxious about what laid on the other side of the door, Adele paused and ran her fingers through her hair. She took a deep breath and squinted through the peephole. All she could see was the back of a woman's head.
She unlocked the door, and opened it slowly as the woman turned around to face her. If Adele had been in a normal emotional state, she may have gasped out loud at the woman before her. Her face was beautiful but it looked like she had been mauled on the right side. Two huge scars ran from her forehead down to her chin. Luckily for Adele she was so emotionally numb, she must've just looked tired to the woman standing outside.
"Hello!" The woman's smile was so bright and infectious that Adele found herself smiling slightly back at her. She looked to be about Adele's age or maybe a year or two older, and she was holding a big basket full of things.
"Um.. hello." Adele wasn't exactly sure what to do in this situation. It was ten in the morning and she was still in her pajamas, probably looking just as damaged as she felt.
"Would you like to come in?" She opened the door a little wider to let the woman in. She hoped that was the polite thing to do. She wasn't really used to random people coming over with gifts. The woman walked in almost immediately and set her basket down on the coffee table in the living room.
"I'm Adelaide, Adelaide Bristol." The woman looked up and smiled again, coming towards her with her hand outstretched.
"I"m Emily Uley." They shook hands and Adele hesitated, trying to decide what to do from here. Should she excuse herself to get changed, or would Emily Uley care if she sat here in her flannel pants and fuzzy socks while they chatted? Emily giggled quietly and Adele smiled a bit awkwardly.
"I'm sorry I just busted in on you here. I'm a bit of a force of nature," Emily sighed, her perfect smile lighting up her face. It was hard for Adelaide to squash the envy of Emily being so carefree and completely beautiful even though she had physical scars to match Adele's emotional ones.
"My husband and I live up the road a bit," Emily added, tossing her hand towards the front of the house as she spoke. Adelaide's eyebrows rose as she took this new information in. She realized she was being somewhat of a mute and tried to smile as Emily continued to speak.
"You're probably confused as to how I, or I should say we, know that you're here. As you know, this is a small area and everyone knows everything that goes on around here. Plus The Adams' mentioned that you'd be coming at some point and asked Sam and I to keep an eye on you."
Adele nodded before speaking, "That makes sense I guess. I didn't even realize anyone saw me yesterday." While she spoke, Adele thought back to her drive the day before. She was almost positive she hadn't passed anyone on the road once she got within ten miles of La Push. She'd remembered thinking that it was so quiet and no one was around. How had someone known she'd gotten here so soon?
Emily laughed and caused Adelaide another burst of irrational jealousy. "Well, you'll learn that not much around here goes unnoticed." She winked at Adele and her jealousy subsided a bit. It was too hard harboring any ill-will towards this girl.
"Anyways, I forget myself sometimes. I brought you some things to welcome you to La Push. Don't tell me I didn't have to. I am so excited to have another girl here my age. You wouldn't believe how many men I am stuck with on a daily basis. I barely get female interaction besides my mother." Emily grinned at Adele and she felt herself smiling back, even though she hardly knew this person.
"I'm sorry, I've barely let you talk since I waltzed in the door. I'm usually not this excited." Emily grinned apologetically towards Adele, who wasn't sure how to handle being put on the spot.
"It's alright, I'm glad to know I'll be getting some social interactions this summer. I didn't even take into account that I wouldn't know anyone here." Adele realized how helpful it would be to have Emily around some of the time during her stay here. Phone calls to Sierra could only keep her sane for so long.
"Are there not very many girls our age here?" Adele asked, taking a seat across from Emily on the couch. The fact that Emily was always surrounded by men confused her, and she was hoping she would get a little more information. Adele inwardly frowned, she didn't need to be thinking about boys right now. She was here to relax and heal so that next year she could finish out school and move on. She knew deep down it would never be that easy. She looked back up Emily, realizing that she hadn't answered her question yet.
"Um.. well there are a few. I guess not a lot of girls around here like me. Rumors and all that.." Emily stopped talking, looking thoughtful. Adele couldn't help the words that burst from her mouth.
"Rumors? Like what?" She blinked and then quickly gave a nervous laugh. "You don't have to answer me. I didn't mean to pry. I guess I'm nosey on impulse." Emily giggled and shook her head, indicating that she didn't mind the questions.
"I got together with Sam, my husband, in kind of an unconventional way." She looked somewhat sad as she continued to speak. "I think most girls think they would be traitors to the female race if they were to befriend me. Most of the friends I had before college have left the reservation already." Adele had so many questions, and took the information greedily. Why she was feeling like she needed to know everything about Emily? Why did she care?
"Anyways, that's why I'm so glad you're here. Even if it is just for the summer. My husband and his friends are wonderful, but they're around all the time. I never get a moment to be a girl." Emily smiled at Adele. "I hope we'll be good friends." Adele knew that they would. She didn't know why exactly, but she already felt so much at ease with Emily.
"I'm sure we will be," Adele added and Emily's smile grew. You barely noticed her scars once she smiled. Adele found herself barely noticing them at all anymore. She wondered how this sweet girl could make all the girls around dislike her.
"So, what did you bring me?" Adele reached for the basket, sending Emily a teasing smile. She pulled out the first box and saw that it was hot chocolate mix. "Oh fantastic! I just had the last mix last night." Adele sifted through the rest of the basket, thanking Emily after everything she pulled out. Thanks to her new neighbor she wouldn't have to buy any sweets for the rest of the summer. There were enouh cookies to last her a lifetime. Emily had truly outdone herself and Adele knew she must be desperate for female companionship.
"So what does your husband do?" Adele asked, as they both sipped some tea. Adele was sitting crosslegged on the couch and realized she was still in her pajamas with her new friend. What a great first impression. Emily's face lit up as Adele mentioned Sam.
"He does a number of different things. He co-owns a mechanics shop mainly. He's been investing in properties around here lately.." As Emily spoke, Adele couldn't help but see how much she cared for her husband. It was written all over her face. Even though they were talking about mundane things like work, Emily made it seem so wonderful. Adele wondered if she'd ever feel that way about a man.
Emily glanced the clock on the wall and gasped. "It's already noon! Time flew by!" She laughed, standing up and setting her cup of tea down. Adele stood up along with her as they walked to the door.
"I'm sorry I took up so much time! I should get back to the house and start making lunch. The boys will be wondering where I am." She winked at Adele, grabbing her purse and walking outside. Adele waved as Emily hopped into her jeep. She watched as Emily started the car and then rolled down her window, popping her head out.
"Adele, we're going to have a bonfire tomorrow night! You should come! I'll come by tomorrow and pick you up? Around seven?" Adele was shocked that she was already being invited out, one day after she arrived.
"Um.. Sure. That'd be great, Emily." Adele smiled as Emily clapped her hands. "I'll see you tomorrow! Make sure to wear a jacket, it gets cold out here at night." With one last wave, Emily was driving away and Adele was standing on the front porch in her pajamas.
"Oh Adele, what have you gotten yourself into?" She murmured to herself, heading back inside. She was wide awake now after having a two hour chat with Emily. Adele headed into her room and changed into some dark jeans, leaving her white cotton shirt on, and pulling a thin fleece over it. She glanced in the mirror over her dresser and winced at the paleness of her skin. She wasn't tan, but usually she wasn't this dead looking. After applying some eyeliner and mascara, Adele decided she at least looked alive. Her hair was down in waves, hanging around her face. She decided not to mess with them and let them do the natural thing today. Hopefully she wouldn't see anyone who would care. She was just going to go to the grocery store after all.
Unluckily for Adele, the grocery store in La Push on a Saturday was the place to be.
It didn't take long to find and the parking lot was full, which seemed unusual to Adele. She felt a bit out of place with her blonde hair and pale skin as she walked into the store. Everyone was staring at her and it made her a bit uncomfortable. She grabbed a shopping cart and headed down an empty aisle. Hastily grabbing the necessities such as bread, milk, and eggs, Adele took her time going through the fruits section. She wasn't the best grocery shopper and she tended to be an irresponsible one when she was hungry. Her stomach growled and she knew she was in trouble.
"I've heard it's not wise to grocery shop on an empty stomach." Adele twisted around, embarrassed that her stomach had sold her out. The man before her took her breath away. Tan skin, short dark hair, and muscles. Lots of muscles. Maybe what made him the most attractive was the fact that he was bouncing a toddler on his arm as he grinned at her. Adele was a sucker for a man who was good with kids. She assumed most women were.
"You must be Adele." He spoke again and she nodded, barely surprised that he knew who she was. "Is she yours?" Adele motioned to the adorable little girl giggling in his arms. The man looked down smiling gently at the girl before him.
"No, she's just a little nuisance who won't leave me alone." The little girl shook her head violently at Adele, making her giggle.
"Claire." The little girl pointed to herself and then pointed to the man holding her and announcing his name as well. "Quil." Adele smiled at the pair of them, they were truly adorable. It was different to see a man who looked to be about twenty-five willingly hanging out with a toddler who wasn't his own.
"It is so nice to meet you Claire and Quil." Adele offered her hand out to Claire who took it and shook it enthusiastically. Quil smiled at the two of them, setting Claire down in the grocery cart in front of them.
"It's nice to meet you too, Miss Adele." Adele blushed as Quil smiled down at her. He was so handsome. They made small talk before Adele decided to move on and finish grocery shopping. As much as this man looked like a Quileute God and seemed like an amazing guy, she wasn't looking for a relationship. Sierra probably would've punched her if she could see what was going on.
"Goodbye Miss Adele!" Adele giggled as she waved goodbye to Claire who was trying to climb over Quil's shoulder to say goodbye. She found herself really enjoying this reservation so far. The people who spoke to her were so friendly and welcoming.
The rest of the day was spent unpacking groceries and reading, before she fell into a much needed sleep.