Eclipse of the Eyes Chapter 2: Waiting, a twilight fanfic

A/N: Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter of Eclipse of the Eyes. It's in Jared's point of view. Uh, not really much else to say, but I hope you enjoy yourselves!

Disclaimer #1--I don't own any of the original characters, plots, scenes, etc. from the Twilight series. They belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Disclaimer #2--I also do not own the song Waiting. It belongs to The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Chapter Two- Waiting (Jared's POV)

Six o'clock in the morning here and it's after dark for now
I'm waiting for the moment she said you would come around

Feeling sorrow
For all the things you had to steal and borrow
Bring back the days we had before tomorrow
Relapse and then collapse into yourself once more

My lids felt heavy as I forced myself to let in the light of the rising sun. I didn't want to face another day. I wanted to clamber back to the passive sanctuary that was sleep. Free of obligations and emotions all at once.

I grabbed a folded shirt from my bureau and pulled it over my head. I slid on a clean pair of jeans and shook out my hair. Lethargically, I shuffled down the hallway to the bathroom.

I splashed icy water on my face and looked at my appearance in the mirror. I gripped the sides of the sink tighter as I saw the slight bags under my eyes and the just overall worn look of my face. I didn't want to have these problems; I shouldn't have to deal with this situation. Last year, I had been a lighthearted and carefree teenage boy. This year, I was a mature and distressed man.

I flicked off the faucet and turned back to my room. Lack of sleep was catching up to me. Who could sleep through all the arguing and hollering? Shaking my head, I staggered down the steps and towards the smell of bacon.

"Hey, Jared, sweetie, can you grab that," my mom said pointing to a plate of steaming pancakes. I swiped the plate off the counter and brought it to the table.

I looked just like my mother: Trademark Quileute reddish-brown skin and raven black hair. My eyes, though, were my father's. And I hated them.

My mom kissed my head and sat down across from me. I could see faint bruises appearing on her forearms and a reddish hand-print on her cheek. I was happy, at least, that Rayen was asleep so that she didn't have to see her mother like this. Rayen was my seven-year-old sister and the only reason I stayed sane. She was the spitting image of our mother, hazel eyes and all.

It was exactly like my mom to pretend like nothing was wrong. To act like everything was fine. But it wasn't.

"Mom, how long are you going to let him do this to you?" I asked.

"That's not him," she answered simply.

"What?"

"The man that gives me these bruises is not your father. It's from the alcohol. I'm just waiting for my husband to come back," she whispered with tears in her eyes.

"He doesn't even drink that much," I pointed out. "You know that, Mom. You have to understand that he isn't coming back," I begged.

I didn't get an answer. She just stood up and brought her dirty dish and glass to the sink. It killed me to see her so resigned about this whole circumstance. Along the way she had just given up because she was waiting for her husband to come back. What she didn't understand was that he was the same man. He had changed, but it was permanent and he wasn't coming back…ever.

"Mom, please-"

"Jared," she beseeched me, her voice hoarse. And just like that, she was gone. Collapsed into herself again.

Waiting for this life to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't. Hold on. This light. Is breaking into the
Day this life is going to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't. Hold on. This light. Is breaking into the day...

Mr. Hodges droned on about some war, and I tried not to fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes I saw my parents screaming and cussing at each other. Ugh, why do I get this life, I cursed myself.

"Miss Connweller?" Mr. Hodges asked for the third time. He anxiously tapped his foot and rolled his eyes as the girl finally spoke. The rest up class was lost to me.

~*~

I leaned against the flagpole outside of La Push Elementary School waiting for the children to get let out. I closed my eyes and let all the feelings swirling in me rise and take over my body. I started to shake as I felt the anger I encompassed towards my father, the frustration I held for my mom, and the distress I suffered for my sister so that she didn't have to grow up in a completely dysfunctional family. I trembled even more.

"Jared, are you okay?"

My eyes snapped open as my shaking ceased. "Yeah, I'm fine, flower," I replied smiling and ruffling her hair.

Normally a guy would take it as a hit to his manliness if he called anyone "flower", but that was what my sister's name meant. It was exactly what she reminded me of. Bright and happy.

"Okay, okay," she laughed, "stop messing up my hair."

I chuckled, her high maturity level was amusing, but complied to her request. "Let's go home," I said and gestured for her to hop on my back. She did with much enthusiasm. We walked to my truck in silence. Eventually, wrapping her tiny arms around my neck, she pressed her head against where my collar met my shoulder. Almost instantly her head flew back up.

"What's wrong, flower?" I asked in alarm.

"Holy cow, Jared! You're skin is really, really hot," she exclaimed. "Are you sick?"

"I don't think so."

"If you say so," she sang.

The truth was that I hadn't very hot lately. I mentally laughed. Oh, the irony.

Void I can't fill
The doctor tells me to relax and stand still
Prescribes me a new pill to quell my anger
Wish I could make her pull herself up off the floor

"I'm sick of you sitting around doing nothing-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Altsoba," my mother yelled, effectively cutting off my dad. She rarely used his Native American name because he hated it, but she used it now. My parents, both full Quileute, had disagreed when it came to naming their children. My mother had wanted traditional, Native American names, but my father had wanted to give us, in his words, "normal" names so that we could fit in. To compromise they split it, the first child would have a so-called "normal" name and the second, a Native American name.

"I don't care what-"

"Jared?" A hesitant whisper came from my slightly ajar door. I turned to see Rayen, her eyes wide with fear. Seeing this expression on her face made her truly seem her age.

"Yeah, flower?"

"Can I stay with you? I don't like all the shouting."

"Sure thing," I said pulling back my sheets and quilt. "Hop in."

Ray slid in next to me and buried her face in the pillow trying to drown out the arguing. I knew it wouldn't be that useful, though I didn't say anything. Fortunately, I heard her soft snoring a few minutes later. I didn't fall asleep for another two hours.

Waiting for this life to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't. Hold on. This light. Is breaking into the day
This life is going to change seems like it's taking me forever
And I can't. Hold on. This light. Is breaking into the day, again
Into the day, again

Wednesday, the middle of the school week. I was feeling absolutely horrible. Worse than at the beginning of the week. I had a constant headache and my body was sore all over, not to mention that my skin was extremely warm.

"Hey, you don't looks so great, Jared," my friend, Gareth, said. "Maybe you should go home." He looked at me warily.

"Yeah, I feel like crap. I, uh, don't want to miss anything, though." Could I be any more of an awful liar?

"Okay," he laughed, "whatever you say, man."

We both went back to eating our lunch. I looked around the lunch room to see Kieran Bennett making her way over to our table. I kind of forgot that we were dating. I know that makes me sound like a horrible person, but lately with everything that was going on I just had my mind on a lot of other things.

"Hi, Jared."

"Hey, Kieran," I sighed.

Kieran was a very pretty girl, don't get me wrong. She was from California so she could make guys fall at her feet with her light tan, beach-blonde hair, navy blue eyes, and model body, but…she could be a real bitch. She was nice when we had first met. I don't know what happen; along the way I had lost interest, but I was too much of a gentleman to break up with her.

"So…do you want to hang out after school?" she asked.

"Umm, I have football practice later. I wish I could, though." Lie. "I would love to another day." Another lie.

"Oh, okay," she said with a smile. "Well, see you later," she muttered pecking me on the cheek.

~*~

"Hey," Paul said as I sat down at the beginning of Spanish.

"Hi."

Paul Argento was not exactly one of my closest friends, but I got along the best with him. Well, except when he had one of his melt downs. Paul had quite the temper. He could be one scary guy when he was mad. He was pretty funny when he wasn't being an ass, but it was usually at others' expenses.

"Uh, Mr. Lupus?" Senorita Marta questioned.

"Hmm?"

"The principal wants to see you."

Kids around me made various calls of "oh, you're in trouble."

~*~

As I was walking to the principal's office, I wondered why I would be called there in the first place. I really hoped that nothing bad had happened, especially to Rayen. This thought brought on quicker steps, and I was almost running to the front office.

I heard a tiny gust of air leave someone's chest as I bumped into them. I didn't look down as caught them by the shoulders, muttered a hasty "sorry", and continued down the hall. My eyes stayed locked on the office door as I moved around the person.

Waiting for Miss Sadie, our principal, to get off the phone and fill me in on what happened was unbearable. It felt almost like she was doing it on purpose just to make me squirm. I knew that wasn't true, though. Miss Sadie was actually a very kind person, not your typical no-running-in-the-halls authority figure.

I was finally called in and asked to sit down in one of the chairs across from her desk. She looked frustrated. As if she was debating how to tell me in the least harmful way.

"Jared," she started, "it seems as if your sister got into a fight at school today." She folded her hands in front of her and placed them on top of a stack of papers. "She wasn't hurt," she added upon seeing my worried expression. "Actually, it seems as though she came out unscathed, but I don't think I can say the same for the other boy involved."

I had to stifle a smile. That's my girl, I thought. I had never really taught Ray how to fight, but she was a feisty one, so it would figure that she could hold her own.

"Mr. Kennedy informed me that he could not get a hold of your parents, and I assured him that I would try to as soon as I got off the phone with him." Her voice was soft. "I couldn't reach them either."

I, of course, knew why she could not contact my parents. My dad was too busy taking out his anger and exasperation on my mother, and my mom was too busy letting him. Naturally, though, I couldn't tell her this.

"And this brings us to the reason why you are here," she finished satisfied. "The elementary school needs someone to pick Rayen up and bring her home. I am willing to let you off for the rest of the day seeing as there is only one period left of school."

I just sat there and nodded, not sure if that was the end of her little speech.

"You may leave now," she said amused, gesturing with her head towards the door.

"Thank you," I said quietly while standing up. She simply nodded her head and smiled.

I reached La Push Elementary in record time thanks to my rapid driving. I pulled the keys out of the ignition of my truck and stepped out of the car. My legs ached when my feet hit the ground, and it triggered a domino effect throughout my whole body. I doubled over from the throbbing in my bones, clutching the truck bed in support and grasping my head as sharp pains shot through my skull. My eyes squeezed shut as if that could make it any better.

Slowly, the pain subsided and I was able to stand straight. The dull ache in my bones didn't go away, though. I was very shaken up, but I managed to force my legs to move towards the school.

Rayen was waiting for me outside of the main office. She sat on a bench swinging her legs back and forth impatiently. I gathered my expression and put on a smile for my little sister.

"I heard you got into a tussle today. Care to explain?" I said, trying to sound stern as I tucked my smile away.

"Well, you-you see, Jimmy was m-making fun of my pig-tails, a-and I told him to s-stop, but he-"

"It's okay, Rayen," I laughed. "I'm not mad at you." I leaned down to whisper in her ear. "If you ask me, little Jimmy had it comin' to him."

She giggled and hopped off the wooden bench. We walked into the office to sign her out. As we were leaving, I was informed that the principal wished to see us.

Rayen and I walked into Mr. Kennedy's office. He stood and held out his hand for me to shake. "Hello, Jared." Yeah. Pretty much everyone was on a first-name basis in La Push because everyone knew each other. "I presume that you are aware of the unacceptable behavior that your sister has displayed today?" he asked. Gee, who put a stick up this guy's ass? See, I can make jokes even in a situation like this.

"Absolutely, I plan on making it clear that this is never to happen again," I said winking down at Rayen as Mr. Kennedy turned away to look out the window. I questioned if he knew that all he'd ever see was rain, and today was no exception.

"Good, good. Well, that was all I had to say, so I guess you're free to go," he finished glaring down at my sister. I heard her disguise her laughter as a cough in response.

"Thank you, sir."

We chuckled all the way to the car. I was still laughing when I told Rayen to get in.

Take time to contemplate who you are and where you want to go.
Take time to contemplate who you are and where you want to go.
Into the day…

I heard arguing coming from inside the house when I pulled up. I turned to look at Rayen and saw her eyes wide as she sunk back into the upholstery of the seat.

"Hey, flower, why don't you go over to Mrs. Harris's house and talk to her for a bit?" I asked, but I didn't really intend to give her any room to dispute it. Mrs. Harris was a very nice old lady that lived next door to us. She reminded me of a gentle and cheerful grandmother as she always invited us over for milk and cookies.

"Okay," Rayen said dimly. She got out of the car and walked across our lawn to a light blue house. I waved to the smiling figure of Mrs. Harris as she let Rayen inside. Once the door was shut, I stepped out of the car and grudgingly trekked up our front walk.

"Why do you never do what I ask, Litonya?" my father's voice boomed.

"This isn't you, Alt. The man I knew loved his kids and family. The man I knew would never hit a woman."

I was glad to finally hear my mother put up a fight. Although, I felt a twist in my stomach when I thought of the consequences of this. I had never told anyone what happened in my house for two reasons, the first being that my mother wouldn't let me, and even though I'd like to believe that was the biggest reason, it wasn't. The second incentive to not tell, the biggest one, was that I felt guilty. I had sat back and watched as my father slowly ripped down my mom, physically and emotionally. Logically, up until now (And I don't mean now as in this year. I mean now as in this past week.), I hadn't been bodily strong enough to remove or subdue my dad.

Glass shattered and a loud thwack resounded as I entered the house. I ran to the kitchen to see my mom on the floor clutching her cheek as broken glass lay speckled around her. I looked into my father's eyes to see anger, irritation, and just, just…nothing. I looked into my father's eyes to see my eyes staring back. But…they weren't my eyes. My eyes were a soft swirling brown, his were hardened coal. I could easily see that the father from my young childhood was gone. Apparently my mother couldn't.

"Get out," I ground out through my clenched jaw.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Get out, now," I repeated. My hands, my legs, and, basically, my whole body began to quiver violently as I stared my father in the eye.

Ending A/N: Uhh, well, I hope you liked it. I really would love to hear your feedback so...

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