A/N - I am so very sorry for my absence! I moved 700+ miles away. I have been adjusting to my new life and been taking care of my now 2.5 year old. I also have had to get a job so my time has been limited. I will try to do regular updates. But with a busy schedule I make no promises. I will not disappear for as long as I did before. Please feel free to reread my previous chapters. Also, this is a chapter without a beta reader, Microsoft Word was my "beta".
So without further adieu...Chapter 2!
Chapter 2
Elena – 6:30PM – December 25, 2009
We arrived exactly at 6:30. Ric stretched his hand out and rang the Swan's doorbell. Chief Swan answered the door.
"Hello, I'm Chief Swan, but you all can feel free to call me Charlie. Come on in."
"I'm Alaric Saltzman, this is my wife, Jenna, her niece, Elena Gilbert, and her nephew, Jeremy Gilbert. Thanks for being so hospitable to us by letting us join your holiday dinner," Ric said as we entered into the surprisingly small house. "Here, this is for you," Ric continued, handing Charlie the bottle of whiskey.
"Why, thank you, you really shouldn't have, but thank you just the same" Charlie responded, sounding shocked and slightly embarrassed by the gesture.
As we entered the house, the hallway ran back toward the kitchen, where the smells of dinner wafted towards us making us each moan in appreciation. I noticed a small living room off the hall to the right and a staircase off to the left. There appeared to be a den or office behind the staircase.
When we got to the kitchen Bella was just pulling food out of the fryer. I noticed a small table set for six, with a bottle of ketchup and a bowl of what looked like homemade tartar sauce, and glasses filled with ice water. It was situated in a small alcove off the kitchen that was also connected to the living room.
"Hi, Bella!" I exclaimed.
"Hi! Elena, right?" Bella confirmed.
"Yes, that's right. The food smells de-lish!" I affirmed.
"Thank you! I'm glad you all could make it. Now, if you all don't mind taking a seat at the table, dinner is ready to be served." She gestured toward the table as she grabbed a huge bowl of waffle fries and a huge platter of what looked like fish. As she was taking them to the table, she tripped over the seam in the flooring between the alcove and kitchen. She bumped into the table, dropping the platter of fish and bowl of fries onto the table, toppling a water glass in the process. The water spilled all over me. I stood up, shocked.
"I'm so sorry, Elena!" Bella stammered, "I just tripped and I didn't want to drop the food on the floor because we promised you all food and…"
"It's okay, Bella. It's just a little water, now mind you very icy water," I quickly cut her off trying to reassure her.
She turned and grabbed a giant bowl of salad and a bowl of green beans. Carefully, she set them on the table.
Just then, Jeremy started laughing. Full on rolling with boisterous booming laughter. Ric, Jenna, and I all whirled in shock. He hadn't laughed since mom and dad had died. In between bursts of laughter, Jeremy managed to get out one sentence, "And…I…thought…only…I…had…this…bad…of…luck!" Jeremy continued to hold his stomach as he laughed. Soon everyone joined in, except for Bella and me.
"You look to be about my size," Bella said, turning to me, "do you want to change into dry clothes?"
"Sure," I replied relieved to get out of the wet clothes.
Bella turned to the group, "Feel free to dig in while we run upstairs. We will be back in a jiffy."
"Sure thing, Bells," Charlie replied, chuckling.
I heard Charlie call everyone to order and say Grace as I followed Bella up the stairs.
Bella –7:00PM – December 25, 2009
Elena quietly followed behind me. I'm such a klutz I thought to myself.
"Again, Elena, I'm so…"
"It's fine," she said cutting me off.
"So," Elena began, "Have you read Twilight?"
"And if I have?" I responded, avoiding the direct answer.
"I was just curious. Do you know Stephanie Meyer?"
She wasn't gonna let this go, I could see that. I opened my dresser drawer. I pulled out a green sweater I never really wore and held it out to her with a smile. "Yes, I know her," I replied. I walked to my closet and grabbed a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, like the ones she was already wearing, and handed them to her.
"Thanks," she replied, "so did she ask you if she could use your name? I mean it is fiction but that must mess with your life. You must get the reaction I had, like, all the time from Twilight tourists." She swiftly slipped into the sweater and then fumbled with the jeans.
"Do they fit?" I asked cautiously, again, avoiding her question.
"Yeah, thanks, I'll get these back to you after I wash them"
"Don't worry about it. I don't really wear those anymore"
"Well, thank you, thank you very much." She said seeming stunned.
"Well, we should get back down before all the food is gone," I stammered, trying to avoid the book at all costs.
"Oh yeah, sure thing," she said as she turned for the stairs.
I turned, closing my door, and followed her down the stairs.
As we sat down at the table, it was clear Charlie had dried her spot and gotten her a fresh glass of ice water. He had also conveniently made it so that I was sitting between her and her brother. I'm guessing Charlie likes the family and wants me in with their kids, or at least it's something he would do. I speared a fillet of fish and popped it on my plate. Then I grabbed the tongs and took a pinch of the fries. I took a small heap of beans and a small bowl of salad. I put some ketchup and tartar sauce on my plate and looked around the table. "So, what did we miss?"
As Charlie was giving a summary he said the one thing I was avoiding upstairs…my book.
"…well then, I asked these good folks what brought them to little Forks, Washington. And by golly, they said that Elena and Jeremy here were given the option on where to move to and Jeremy didn't care so Elena picked Forks because to the Twilight and New Moon books. Well then, I told 'em how you and your counselor had written the books but you forgot to change the character names…" Charlie trailed off as my jaw hung down and a look of horror crossed my features. "Bells, was it something I said?"
"Dad, you didn't," I shrieked, "How could you? We just met them!" I looked around the table in horror.
"Bells," Charlie said placating, "it's just fiction. It's not like there are such things as vampires and werewolves. And although I don't bring it up, you are rich honey. Once I said your high school love life was the inspiration, well it is a best seller, they would imagine it was probable that you had money, Bells. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"I guess, sorry for my rudeness, everyone. I don't like to brag," I said, secretly fuming inside. I hoped Tabby would be home soon so I could have a session. I needed our girl time.
After that, I noticed Elena glancing my way every now and again with a strange look in her eyes, but I couldn't place what that look was and this was no place for THAT conversation.
At around nine, we said our goodbyes and the Saltzmans and Gilberts walked back to their home. As Charlie shut the door I whirled. "Dad, how could you? I mean we just met them? I thought we agreed to let me tell the people I trust about Tabby and me being in counseling, what happened to that?"
Charlie looked stunned, "I'm sorry honey, I forgot, It's not the end of the world."
"Dad, I just would have liked them finding out on my terms. Promise, no more memory lapses concerning this issue."
"I promise," Charlie said hanging his head in guilt.
"I love you, Dad!" I said trying to cheer him up. "This was a fun Christmas. I'm gonna head up to bed, though. Good night!"
"Night, Bells! You will always be my little girl. Sleep well!"
I trudged upstairs. The dishes would wait for me until tomorrow. I sleepily pulled on my ratty tee shirt and holey sweats. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
Elena – 9:30PM – December 25, 2009
When we arrived home from the Swan's house, Jeremy said goodnight and headed to his room. Ric told us that he was going to try out the new shower, asking Jenna if she wanted to join him.
"EEEWWWWW!" I shrieked, "gross, Ric, I'm still right here!"
"Sorry, Elena, this newly wed thing is complicated when you have kids that understand stuff around. I'll try to keep your proximity in mind though," he said, turning and walking to their bedroom.
"Aunt Jenna, can we talk?"
"Sure thing, Sweety. What's on your mind?"
"Well, what if Twilight is all true, why publish as fiction. Damon said vampires burn in the sun. I'm so confused."
"I really don't know, Elena. You will have to get to know her and see if she will someday tell you about the books. But work on friendship first. You saw how she reacted to her dad spilling the beans. Give her time. If she ever feels like talking be her listening ear. But patience is key. It's her life. She doesn't have to tell you anything she doesn't want to. Someday you may want to introduce her to the "real" Stefan. Just be a friend, first. Now it's getting late and we are still adjusting to this time zone. Good night, girly! Love you! Sleep well."
"Good night, Jenna!" I turned and headed up the stairs to my room. I opened the door and groaned as a saw the boxes still needing unpacking. Maybe Bella would be willing to hang out tomorrow or the next day while I unpacked. Get to know each other better. I'd check in tomorrow and ask her.
I slipped out of my new to me clothes and into my pajamas. I grabbed a pen and my diary from my night stand and began writing, recounting my day.
Dear Diary,
Today has been surreal, I mean I met and had dinner with THE Bella Swan. So I was waiting downstairs with Aunt Jenna and Ric went to talk to Jeremy about coming down for dinner…
A/N - Will Elena and Bella make it as friends? Or will the secretes they each hold about vampires keep them apart? Keep reading to find out!
