I'm still just playing around inside Meyer's world...
AN: Wrote this rather quickly 30,000 feet in the air on a commuter flight. Haven't had much time to read back through it yet so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have a feeling the grammer is badly off so my apologizes, hopefully I'll be able to fix it up when I get back home from holiday. This is the continuation of chapter 2, not the next chapter, (February) which will be along shortly! Thanks.
The next morning Jacob was right on time, wearing not much other then his big goofy smile and a pair of snowboarding pants. What is he trying to prove by dressing like that in the middle of the winter. I get it you have muscles you don't have to catch your death trying to show me that.
"Bells! Are you ready for some action" He chirped, jumping out of the bed of his pickup truck in one swift movement. When he reached my side I could see he held a small package behind his back. Slyly. He held it out to me, bowing slighting. "A peace offering for you, sort of an apology for corrupting you with hard liquor" he laughed.
"Oh don't be ridiculous Jacob, I'm perfectly fine and I don't want any presents." I muttered, pushing trying to walk around his out stretched hand. But Jacob quickly swooped around me, wrapping his free hand around my shoulder as he pulled me towards the truck.
"Ah.. well its not really a gift anyways, its just something you need for today, so you don't have to hide behind me the whole time... besides they are are and were just collecting dust around the house."
Clearly, he wasn't going to let the issue drop, I would have to open the gift. Grabbing it from his hand, I tore into the box's metallic green wrapping. Inside, nicely wrapped up in brown tissue paper, laid a pair of matte gray winter goggles, with tinted pink lens. "Oh wow I didn't realize Billy's or your favorite color was pink" I said with sarcasm.
Jacob blushed, and whispered "yeah, yeah you know you could just say thank you Bells.
"Your right, thanks Jacob its just that I don't deserve any gifts from you, and I didn't think you were serious about taking me out on the snowmobile either... we really need to talk... you know about new years eve" I stammered back to him.
This some how caused Jacob's face to beam with pleasure again, "Gee your welcome Bells, and of course we are going up the mountain today, its a new year and high time you started enjoying it." With that he skipped off to the drivers side of the truck, humming slightly to himself. It looked like I was going snowmobiling today after all. Jacob really didn't know what he was getting himself into taking me out on such a risky endeavor. I was excited though, because it probably meant my imaginary Edward would grace me with his presences, he only seemed to appear when I was acting 'reckless'.
The ride up to the snow trails was painfully unbalanced. The left side of the car was engulfed in a strange aura of carefree peace and happiness, which seemed to be radiating off of Jacob. He maneuvered the dips and turns of the road effortlessly, all the while babbling on about one thing or the other, the sun often reflecting blindingly off of his shiny black hair. Somehow Jacob seemed to be completely ignorant of the black hole of awkwardness I was being sucked into over on the right side of the car.
An entire day alone with Jacob Black. No, an entire day alone, preforming coordinated physical activities with Jacob Black. Not only are you going to embarrass, or possible kill, yourself, but you are also going to give poor Jacob the wrong idea. I could feel my heart racing uncomfortably, and was glad, for once, to not be in the company of someone who would be able to hear it. But you had to come here today, damage control was totally necessary your not going to let anything risk your hurting the Cullen... though you really should have a talk with Charlie about what he is doing to Jacob, its not right.
"Ja...Jake" I said, interrupting him in the middle of some one sided conversation he was happily having. "I didn't forget that you ignored what I said back there. I... I thank you for the gift and the.. uh.. outing but we do really need to talk..."
Jake frowned slightly before giving a noticeably fake chuckle. "Its not that critical Bella, you didn't tell us anything we didn't already know..."
"No Jake" I interjected, a little too loudly, "I need to know exactly what it is I said and did last night, I need to know... everything."
He was silent now, contemplating something that caused his face to look oddly old and tense. Finally, the black hole had infected both sides of the car. "tssssss" he blew air through his clenched teeth and turned to look at me. "You know, you really outta relax." But if your so concerned about it you could always just tell me everything you know now, and I'll let you know if you add anything new this time" he said with a devilish grin. "But you should get on with it now, we are getting pretty close and I'm sure the rest of the boys would rather not hear this sad story again."
I had never felt more exasperated then I did in that moment, Jake was acting as if he was the one with a secret to hide. Immature, irresponsible, unhelpful... why can't he just make this easy I fumed to myself as I squinted out the window, the sun was reflecting off of the snow covered trees, making them sparkle not unlike how my Edward would shine in the sun. It was so much harder for me to protect the Cullen's but I had to try, they always looked out for me.
Jake turned off of the main road and started making a slow bumpy trek up the mountain, causing my brain to knock around inside my head. It was a nice distraction from the anger and worry I had been consumed with. And it must have caused me to make an amusing face because Jake could not seem to stifle his laughter at me. "Ah, Bells no one would ever guess you were actually born in Forks, what has those Phoenix folks done to you" he chuckled. "Just relax and let let your body flow with the road and you won't feel it as much."
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine" I replied. I was surprised to hear laughter inside my own voice. It was a foreign sound to me now, and it sounded very nice. As we approached a small green cabin, Jake intentionally jerked the truck hard to the left, causing me to slide across the bench seat into Jake's hard shoulder. A strange eeeeking noise fell out of my mouth. The truck erupted with laughter, full blown side stitching laughter.
"Whats so funny vampire girl?" Sam said as he opened the passenger side door.
My laughter immediately halted. "Wha what did you just say?" I asked, glaring at Jacob who still wore a huge smirk on his face.
"Well, I didn't say anything. Sam over there, he called you Vampire girl" Jacob replied with a stifled laugh that caused his voice to sound rough and scratchy. "But I think that was rather uncreative, I much prefer Vampella."
It was hard to hear the groups laughter over the incessant beating of my own heart. They all know, every last one of them. I was finding it increasingly harder to breath and I could feel the sting of my own traitorous tears threatening to overtake the little control I had let. I didn't even notice when they all stopped laughing until I felt four set of concerned eyes bearing down on my face.
"Jesus Bella your so pale, please come down its all in good fun." Jacob said genuinely worried.
"yeah vamp... I mean Bella, really we all make mistakes sometimes. Yours just happened to be getting hoodwinked but a family of bloodsuckers." Sam added."Who, thankfully realized they had out worn their welcome, so who cares! And we are more then willing to fill in the gaps in your newly freed up schedule" he added warmly.
Can they really feel this way, so unconcerned with the fact that all their old wise tales are actually true? Did they already know everything before I opened my big fat mouth? What...
Just then a huge slushy wad of snowball cleared all thoughts from my head as it crashed into my temple. It was outrageously cold, and yet somehow felt wonderful. Little Quin peaked out from behind two awaiting snowmobiles, with a second round of frozen ammo in hand.
"Don't you dare do that again" I scolded with attempted intensity. But his only answer was to slightly flick his wrist, sending the snowball straight into my forehead. It was even musher then the first, his hand having unusally melted the frozen snow into a goopy mess. Icy water trickled all down my face, plastering my dark hair over my eyes. And yet I could hear that same odd noise I heard in Jacob's truck again. The sound of my own laughter.
Jumping up, I charged over to Quin and tackled him into the snow, effectively starting the great snow battle of the modern world. For hours the five of us ran, jumped, played, and pumpled each other with one snowball after another. Until I felt my lungs burning from exhaustion and finially plopped down on the ground in defeat. Jacob quickly trotted over and whispered "See Bells no need to worry here, just like I told ya. We are sorta a fun bunch of guys are we not?" He ran away, jumping on Sam's back before I could answer.
But Jake was right, I didn't need to worry about these boys knowing my secret and that realization made me feel so much lighter and free. There is someone you can talk to now Bella, or at the very least, you have found a few decent distractions of your own I thought as I laid back down to stare at the passing clouds.
