What did you think? I am aware that the writing is quite different to what I have previously posted, but my style has evolved and changed over the years and I want to reflect that as I edit and continue this story. I have noticed that some of my chapters are quite short, so I have decided to combine some in order to help the story flow better.
Chapter 2: Weird and Weirder
Bella awoke that morning to find that she had thrown all of her blankets off of the bed during her sleep, and that a fine film of sweat had formed on her skin. She was hot… really hot. Unusually hot.
Looking outside, Bella noted that the weather did not appear too much different to what it had been yesterday: somewhat cloudy and a bit dull. Odd, but not notable; Bella often found herself surprised by the weather patterns of Forks, having moved from Phoenix, Arizona, which was perpetually arid and dry.
She resolved to ask Charlie whether that night had been noticeably warm.
Brushing it off, Bella got our of bed, yawning broadly and lifting her arms above her head in a stretch and causing her small tank top to ride up, exposing her pale, flat stomach as she did. Edward would have said it was distasteful. Not that she cared.
Bella headed to the dresser to retrieve a shirt before taking a shower, tugging hard as she opened the top drawer, as it had a tendency to stick. To her surprise, she pulled much too hard, yanking the drawer entirely from its frame and only just catching it before it dropped to the floor. Weird. She had been sure that drawer was stiff. She supposed it was possible she had been mistaken. Maybe her time with Jacob in La Push had led to a development of muscle strength; unlikely, but possible.
Shrugging, Bella collected the rest of her clothes and made her way to the shower, pausing by Charlie's door to make sure that he was awake. Failing to hear any snores, Bella continued down the hall to the shower, making sure to lock the door before stripping down and turning on the water, waiting for it to heat up before she stepped in.
As she lathered up the soap, Bella reflected on the events of yesterday, wondering how she had gone from almost dying because of a guy to making out with a different guy on her kitchen bench in only a couple of hours. It was weird, she reflected, that things had so quickly changed; but then again, when was the last time her life could have been described as normal? She supposed she had begun distancing herself from Edward the moment she began hanging out with Jake, relying on him to bring her happiness. Then there was the whole mortal enemies thing. Slowly, without realising it, she had grown to feel for Jacob in ways that were beyond those of friendship. It wasn't love, not yet, but it was certainly heading in that direction.
As for her dangerous escapades conducted in the name of Edward, all was suddenly clear. She had grieved for Edward when he left. It was as if he had died (only later did she realize the irony of that statement) and she had been left to mourn him. So, when his voice had appeared in her head, it felt like a ghost visiting her from the afterlife, and she was determined to latch on. It was not for love, but for familiarity. If Edward were there, she could pretend that she hadn't wasted months in a comatose state. If Edward were there, she could erase the pain and heartache he had caused when he left. If Edward were there, she wouldn't have to face the reality that she was moving on.
But she had moved on.
"Goodbye, Edward," Bella murmured softly, shampooing her hair and allowing the soft, fruity smell of strawberries to comfort her.
Bella found herself thinking back to the night before, the way Jacob kissed her passionately, but softly, as if she were strong yet fragile at the same time. She thought of the way her body had pressed against his, the way his hard muscled had tensed, then relaxed, at her touch. She thought of what could have been, had he not looked up and seen the time. More kissing. Some touching.
Without realising, Bella's left hand had made its way towards her breast, where it rested softly, squeezing lightly. Her right hand had continued travelling further down, resting just above the sweet spot between her legs. Though no one was around, Bella found herself blushing. Never before had she been so brazen with herself, even alone. It was odd, but she felt good, questioning why she hadn't tried it before.
Deciding that she would… explore this later, Bella shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, drying herself quickly before crossing the room to where she had left her clothes in a heap in the corner. Passing the mirror, she caught a glimpse of her reflection, causing her to stop and take another look.
Her face, which she had always thought made her look younger than she was, a constant source of frustration, had changed. She looked older. More mature. Like a twenty-three-year-old, rather than the eighteen-year-old she was. Though she stared thoroughly, Bella was at loss as to what it was that made her seem so different. Unable to find any physical changes in her appearance, bar the unsettling feeling that something was not right, Bella gave up, supposing it was some trick of the light.
This feeling of unease only increased when Bella slipped her t-shirt over her head, finding that it was both too short and too tight around her chest. Examining herself in the mirror, Bella was sure that her breasts looked somewhat bigger than usual, and that she seemed to have grown. It didn't seem possible, however, as she'd only bought that shirt in Port Angeles two weeks ago – she couldn't have developed this much over only two weeks, could she? No. Everything she knew about biology (which, admittedly, was not a lot) told her that this was impossible. After pondering a while, Bella concluded that she must have picked up the wrong size at the store.
Bella couldn't understand vegetarians, not with the rich smell of bacon wafting throughout the house as she fried it, along with some eggs. Hoping to surprise Charlie (and hopefully Jake, if he chose to come over) with breakfast, Bella had set about cracking, toasting and frying, reveling in the smells her cooking created.
God, that smells good.
Bella's stomach agreed with a growl. Only then did it strike Bella how hungry she was, and how little she'd eaten the night before, what with the call and the kiss.
Checking the time, Bella was disappointed to find that it was later than she had anticipated. Charlie would be at work and Jacob would be on patrol. Who would eat all of this food? She'd made up enough for one grown man and one werewolf with an abnormally large appetite on top of what she'd usually prepare for only herself. Bella sighed, disappointed that her hard work would go to waste, but resolving to eat what she could, and save the leftover bacon for a quiche for dinner.
Taking her plate to the table, Bella found herself salivating at the thought of the salty bacon, the crispy, buttery toast and the runny, rich yolk of the fried egg. Tearing into her food as if she hadn't eaten in years, Bella wolfed down the meal on her plate. A meal that, on an ordinary day, would have kept her full until lunchtime was devoured in mere minutes, prompting Bella to return to the kitchen to retrieve yet more food for her still-grumbling stomach.
And that was how Bella found herself, not seven minutes later, surrounded by empty plates, her mouth full of the last of the breakfast she had made to serve three.
Oops.
Despite having just eaten five times her usual serving, Bella was surprised to note that she still wasn't full. If anything, she was still hungry. Figuring she should make some more breakfast, Bella opened the fridge to find that she had used up all of the eggs in her first round of breakfast.
Sighing, Bella retrieved the keys for her truck and some money from the kitchen counter and walked out to where the red vehicle was parked.
Looks like it's time for a trip to the grocery store.
The drive to the local store was uncomfortable to say the least, which was strange, as Bella often found herself shivering in the cab of her truck, even without having the air conditioner running. Bella was forced to lower the temperature to its minimum and put the fan to maximum, but still she could not dispel the fine beads of sweat that formed just above her eyebrows and on her lower back.
Bella all but danced with relief when she finally pulled up outside the store, glad to finally escape the stuffy, stale heat of her beloved red chevy. Now she just needed to survive the ride back. Fun.
Walking into the store, Bella let the cool air that blasted at the entrance was over her in a wave of ice, cooling her skin and relieving her of her warm discomfort.
Glancing at the list she had composed quickly before journeying out to the shop, Bella noted that she should start at the frozen foods section to retrieve some sheets of puff pastry, which she intended to use in an apple pie later that day.
She quickly made her way throughout the store, moving from the frozen food aisle to the fresh produce section to the herbs and spices and finally to the candy aisle, where she selected a chocolate bar as a reward for her efforts.
All in all, Bella found that it had been one of her quicker shopping trips. She had just joined one of the checkout lines, when her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice from behind her.
"Bella?" Angela's light brown hair fell in front of her face and she pushed it out of her eyes to better see her friend. "I haven't seen you since the start of spring break!"
"Angela?" Only now did Bella realise this was true. She had been spending so much time with Jacob in La Push that she had neglected to visit her friends in Forks. She felt her stomach drop in guilt. She liked Angela, and resolved to spend more time with her closest human friend. "I've been spending more time around La Push lately, it's nice there" She replied, glad to see that her friend did not seem angry about her absence.
Angela nodded understandingly.
"It's nice there," She confirmed with a smile, "lots of cute boys on the res."
Bella made a non-committal noise in response, wondering where Angela was going with this.
A wicked smile appeared on her normally gentle face, looking out of place and wrong.
"Are you sure the only reason you've been spending so much time in La Push is because it's 'nice'?" Angela made little air-quotes with her fingers as she said it, raising an eyebrow. "You haven't met a Quileute guy that you don't want us to know about?"
Bella blushed scarlet, and stammered.
"Uh… Angie? Are you alright?" She asked, trying to deflect the attention off of herself. No matter how much had changed in the past few days, Bella was still the awkward girl who had no control over her embarrassment. "You're starting to sound like Jessica."
Angela seemed suitably distracted for the moment, her face dropping as she considered Bella's words.
"You're right," She admitted slowly, obviously still thinking. "I guess I've been spending more time with her since you've been spending time with your mystery lover over on the res," She grinned, letting Bella know that her blush hadn't gone unnoticed. Thankfully, Bella was saved from having to answer by a call of 'Next!' by the cashier, signaling for her to bring her items forward.
"Bye," She smiled at her friend kindly. "We'll have to meet up some time, before you become Jessica 2.0."
Both girls laughed and Bella turned away to pay for her items before leaving to return to her hot and stuffy truck for the ride back home.
As Bella pulled into the driveway, she noticed Charlie's cruiser parked out the front of the house.
Charlie should still be at work… What is he doing home?
Bella's answer quickly came as she walked through the door to find her father on the couch with a beer in hand, watching intently as the Seattle Mariners played against a yellow team Bella could not identify.
Having bought a large amount of food, Bella was forced to make two trips from the truck to the kitchen, noting with surprise that the bags seemed lighter than usual, and that she didn't so much as stumble the whole way from the driveway into the house.
That must be some sort of record.
Charlie, having heard the door open and close, called from the living room.
"Hey, Bells!"
"Hey, Dad," Bella walked in from the kitchen, having transferred the last of the bags. "Do you want some lunch?" She asked, knowing already that he would reply with the affirmative.
Not sticking around for his reply, Bella turned and returned to the kitchen, where she prepared some sandwiches on a plate, promptly delivering them to her father, who was still intently watching the game. He thanked her distractedly as she walked away to make her own.
As it turned out, Bella was still hungry. Very hungry. Eating seven sandwiched in seven minutes hungry.
It was a good thing she'd thought to buy three loaves of bread.
As Bella set about putting away the rest of what she had bought at the store, she reflected on what Angela had said. She had been spending a lot of time in La Push, hadn't she? Another wave of guilt settled in her stomach as she considered the friends she had been neglecting. Yes, Jacob was great, but she didn't want to lose her other friends, especially considering that she still had a term left with them, and she didn't want to spend it friendless.
And then there was Charlie. Bella hadn't really considered the fact that she had been leaving Charlie alone many of the times she had gone to La Push. She knew he was glad that she had decided to spend more time with Jacob, but couldn't help but feel uneasy that she had left him alone in doing so.
Bella decided she'd start trying to make up for it by watching the game with him, even if the boredom killed her.
Charlie looked up as Bella positioned herself in a recliner to watch the game, sending her a questioning look, acknowledging that this was unusual behavior. Bella, feeling as if she had been caught, simply shrugged in the hopes of dispelling any suspicion that Charlie had. It seemed to be enough for the police chief, who returned his attention to the game. Bella was sure his smile was a little bit wider than before.
Father and daughter sat in silence watching the game for a while, the only sound coming from the television, and the occasional snort from Charlie, when a Mariner made a particularly silly mistake.
As advertisements filled the screen (they'd said something about the end of an inning, which Bella had assumed was a bit like halftime in football), Charlie asked Bella is she could pass him the remote. She did so, knowing that he liked to mute the advertisements.
As she passed the remote to him, their hands met briefly, but it was enough time to cause Charlie to stop. He moved closer to his daughter, placing his hand on her forehead and giving her a strange look.
"Bells, you're burning up," Charlie observed in concern. "You have a fever. Go and get some rest, you must be feeling awful."
Bella looked at him in confusion.
"I feel fine. Really, I feel great," She tried to convince him, but Charlie wasn't having any of it.
"Nonsense. Go and get some rest, or you can't go and see Jacob tomorrow," He said sternly, playing the part of strict father.
Bella nodded, knowing there was no use arguing. If anything, he was probably right. A high temperature would explain how she had so easily discarded her blankets last night, and why her truck had felt like an oven.
Just as she had begun to climb the stairs to her room, Bella remembered that she had agreed to go to a bonfire with Jake and the pack that night. She supposed that wasn't happening. Figuring there was no way someone as clumsy as herself could manage to sneak out of her house unnoticed, Bella retreated back down the stairs to call Jacob and let him know she couldn't make it.
Dialing the number she knew by heart, Bella waited for him to pick up. He answered on the second ring.
"Hello? Black residence," His voice was deep and authoritative over the phone, such a far cry from the Jacob she had known just months before. Pre-wolf Jacob.
"Hey, Jake, it's Bella," She explained down the phone, unable to continue as she was cut off by Jacob's excitement.
"Hey, Bells! What do you need?"
"Actually, I was calling to tell you that I can't make it to the bonfire tonight." I explained anxiously, hoping he wouldn't be too disappointed. "I've come down with some sort of fever… I feel fine, but if I go, I risk incurring the wrath of Charlie Swan: Police Chief and Protective Father."
Jacob laughed heartily from the other end of the line. Bella felt her stomach erupt in butterflies. It was a nice noise, his laugh.
"That's alright," He assured kindly. "I was actually just about to call you to tell you that the bonfire's been called off. Someone's close to phasing, so we're all on alert. Sam has us all doing extra work to make sure that when whoever it is does phase, he's not alone."
"Who do you think it will be?"
"My bet's on Quil," Bella could hear the sadness in his voice through the phone. She sighed in empathy. She knew the transition had been hard on Jake, and that he wouldn't wish it on anyone else, especially one of his best friends.
"Well, I suppose it worked out for the best then!" Bella joked, trying to lighten the mood and draw Jake's thoughts away from the dark place she knew they were going.
"Yeah, I guess they did," It seemed to work. "By Bells, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asked in a decidedly more cheerful tone.
"Yes," She confirmed. "Bye Jake. At least try to stay out of trouble."
"Sure, sure," He replied lightly before hanging up, employing Bella's favourite catchphrase of his.
Ok. That was longer than expected. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll hopefully have some more chapters up soon-ish.
