Hi, this is Vennela (your vennela)! You may or may not have enjoyed my other stories, but I do hope that you will like this one. After all, I wrote it with the splendid Mel. :D
As you will find out, this is mostly an intro to when Edward runs into Bella. Unfortunately, that chapter won't come up until later.
We're sadists, aren't we?
Mostly, I want to emphasize what Mel said in the preface. I really hope you enjoy this story.
Mel and Vennela
Chapter 1 - Visit
I stared at the road ahead, remembering what Renée had said about rapists, robbers, thieves, womanizers-
I shuddered.
Charlie had wanted to postpone our annual visit to Forks, but Renée had insisted; she said a tradition was a tradition - either go now or don't go at all this year. She had actually tried to show me how important tradition was, but it bombed. Instead, she had unintentionally encouraged me to make the trip nonetheless. She had been right, though. I was rotting from boredom, but improving my social life was an activity I feared. I would always prefer my mother to anyone else in the world, but it was not only that. I never felt completely comfortable with anyone, not even my mother. The sense that I didn't belong haunted me to no end.
I remembered exactly what had happened the night before:
Charlie had come home, with two roses, a box of chocolate, and a wide smile. It had been his and Renée's wedding anniversary. I had blushed and looked away as my parents kissed - their public display of affection was never much appreciated by me. It was just... gross to watch them make-out.
When they parted, Charlie gave one of the roses to me. I had smiled and thanked him. Renée put her rose in the vase on our small dining table where I put mine as well. My mother sighed as she looked at the empty jar next to the vase.
"Next time you go to Forks, Charlie, make sure you get me one of those special, colorful fish. Here, I have a Mason jar somewhere... I don't know why, but the fish die in less than three months... Maybe it's the water here-" She stopped talking abruptly, at the look on Charlie's face, for his smile had disappeared, and he was donning a frown.
"Renée, I'm not going to Forks this year."
Renée looked surprised. I couldn't blame her - I was a little shocked myself. Charlie and I always went to Forks. True, it was a boring pastime - in my opinion, anyway - but it was just always something we'd done.
"Why not?" Renée had asked.
Charlie sighed. "My cases are overwhelming me. I won't be able to find time. Maybe later in the year."
It was Renée's turn to frown now. "Charlie. A tradition is a tradition. You should just skip this year. Or go now. I'm sure you could put your cases off for a while. Besides, Bella's been rotting from boredom this summer. You two should go down."
I looked up from my dinner. I was not rotting from boredom.
Charlie just shook his head as he hung up his belt in the coat closet. "Renée, I really can't make it."
"Charlie-" She caught sight of me and I waved, letting them know I was present. Renée walked to Charlie briskly.
I heard her whisper to Charlie urgently and Charlie rolled his eyes. Renée's face tightened as she saw it.
"I was just saying," she sniffed.
I decided it was time to intervene. "I can go alone," I said. I needed something to do this weekend, anyway.
Renée turned to me with her eyes wide. Charlie's face was a mask of shock.
"What?" Renée asked flatly. "You want to travel across the country by yourself? Honey, you look so gorgeous, you would be raped in five seconds flat. All those womanizers, robbers, thieves- goodness, forget raped, you would be dead in five seconds flat!"
I sighed. "Mom... I'm sixteen-"
"Exactly! You're too young."
It took an effort not to roll my eyes. Here was a woman who believed that there was no greater evil than the rising prices for chicken telling me that I was too young.
Charlie nodded vehemently. "It's also illegal, Bella."
I shook my head. "I'm not going to stay there. I'm just going to visit Grandma and Grandpa's graves, go hiking, get the fish Mom wanted, and come home. It should take less than a day."
"Grandma and Grandpa's graves are not going anywhere. We can wait until next year."
"Dad... Phoenix probably has the highest crime rate statistics. And if I'm not raped here, what makes you think that I'll be raped in Forks?"
They both hated the idea and argued, but I just stared at my food. I wasn't sure that I liked how they both still saw me as a child incapable of traveling alone. I was sixteen and wise beyond my years. There was no plausible excuse for why I wouldn't be allowed to spend a day in Forks. Finally, after they were exhausted, I went over my decision with them.
"I'm going, Mom. I won't stop anywhere there aren't people. I'll have my pepper spray with me. I'll even carry a map!" I encouraged. Not that a map would do me any good - I could barely tell when one was right side up, let alone read one.
Reluctantly, my parents surrendered, admitting defeat. I knew that, deep down, they knew I could hold on my own. With my promise to stay safe and bring home a fish for Renée, they let me go in the pick-up truck that Charlie had bought for me last summer from his friend, Billy.
As soon as I saw the bleak clouds threatening to rain, I knew I was in Washington. Although this area was as alien as France to me, I was in the place where I was born. It brought a strange sense of home to me. But I loved Phoenix infinitely more. I would rather be in a sunny place than a cloudy place cursed with eternal rain. I was so glad that my father went with my mother when she moved out - even gladder that my visits to Forks were just to visit Charlie's beloved deceased parents, not permanent.
When Renée had threatened to leave Forks with me, Charlie had suddenly snapped back to his senses. His parents, the reason he and Renée had lived in Forks, had died roughly five months after their marriage. Renée had constantly suggested, hinted, sometimes even begged to leave Forks. Charlie had shrugged her off, selfishly, wanting to hold on to the memories that Forks had for him. Finally, Renée had enough. Angry and in tears, she had packed her bags and lifted me onto her arms and was about to leave Charlie's life when Charlie came home from his police work. He stared at Renée's tear-streaked face for quite a while (at least, that's what my mother had told me) and told her to wait; he was going to come too.
Ever since, we had lived in Riverside, California. Charlie had started out as a simple policeman, but now was the chief of the squad. Renée was a kindergarten teacher - she excelled at her job, being not much more mature from a kindergartener herself. We had bought the small house and had lived there for quite a while now. Not that I complained - we were in the lower part of middle class. Renée made sure I got into my head that we were so much better off than many of the people in this world and we were supposed to be thankful for whatever God gave us.
I smiled whenever she said that. I smiled whenever she tried to play the part of a responsible mother. She was my mother and best friend, yes, but almost the exact opposite of responsible. She was the naïve, childish, happy-go-lucky woman that my father fell for some eighteen years ago.
I had probably been more mature than Renée when I was two.
Of course, that could just be the dominating Charlie in me. We weren't exactly the idols of social behavior. Charlie, my father, was content with nodding occasionally while Renée chattered happily about her latest 'thing.' He would add his own part in the conversation when needed, which kept Renée happy. He was extra careful with my mother. The time when he almost lost her had somewhat brought back the romantic in him. He would bring a small bouquet home now and then and Renée, with her everlasting smile, would put it in a special vase she made in her pottery class.
However opposite my two parents were, they were happy together. And they never forgot me in their fairytale. I'd always had a special spot in their bed when I was scared. When I was little, Charlie would put me on his lap whenever we watched a movie.
Our lives in Phoenix were as perfect as could be, leaving aside the fact that I would rather be alone than with someone else - something that did not get me very many friends and gave me a sense of non-belonging.
Charlie loved his parents very much and insisted that he visit their graves every year. Renée happily consented and even told him to take me along; I had not seen my grandparents when they were alive, there was no harm in greeting them when they were dead. So it became our unofficial, yet strong tradition to visit Forks every summer. Charlie would catch up with his old friends there and I would spend my days there rereading the classic stories that I had come to live for.
He could not make it this summer because of his job demands, but I went, seeking to get away. From the few friends I did have, one or two would call every so often to see how I was doing, probably more from courtesy and boredom than real friendship. Hannah had pointed out that she was free this Saturday and she really wanted to 'check out the new store in the mall. Bonnie said it was totally cool. Did you like the top Lena was wearing the last day of school-?'
Trying to picture Hannah and me shopping at the mall, while I feebly attempted at gossip, immediately put me on the idea of visiting Grandma and Grandpa.
I took a left turn and braked. The monstrous noise my truck made stopped. Chewing my bottom lip furiously, I glanced at the map, trying to make sense of all the squiggly lines I saw there.
Finally resolving to take the road dead ahead, I pushed the gas pedal, heading into unknown territory. Who knew that the simple road I had expected to drive was about to get so... twisted? For I could never have predicted the simple routine of my life would alter so abruptly, and with such unfathomable force that I would could never go back to the girl I had been driving into Forks that day.