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Ten Years Ago, Age Six
Ten Years Ago, Age 6
"You know that day I first met you?" he whispers.
Penelope nods as she looks up at the white wall paper ceilings above her head. Her hands clasp together in a tight ball on her stomach as she counts the number of corners where the wall paper is peeling off. She can feel the tears burn beneath her eyes.
"I was trying to impress Bella," he says softly. "Paul says being serious and mean is cool and that girls like that."
"You like Bella?" Penelope whispers, closing her eyes. She can't hold the tears back anymore.
She didn't cry when Charlie came in with the other police officers, guns in their hands to arrest her parents and their friends who were making their daily visits. She didn't cry when her mom screamed nasty words at her calling her a slut and a sell-out. She didn't cry when her dad emptied his pockets and wads of money fell out, the very money he said they didn't have to send her to school. She didn't cry when Charlie said that she had to leave her home once and for all. She didn't cry when Charlie promised her that everything would be okay when she knew it wouldn't.
Yet lying here on Jacob's bed in his small cozy room hidden in the welcoming forest land of La Push, she's crying.
"Yeah, she's real pretty."
"Do you like me?" Penelope asks.
"Eww no! You're my best friend, best friends can't like each other."
Penelope frowns and opens her eyes. Best friend? What's a best friend?
"Poppy?" Jacob asks.
Penelope rolls over in the bed and looks Jacob in the eyes. Jacob raises his hand and brushes her cheek with his fingertips and pulls her into a hug, hiding his face in his red t-shirt that he lent her.
"Yes?" she asks into his shoulders.
"Everything's going to be okay."
Penelope's lip starts trembling and she shakes her head. "I'm going away from you."
"No," he whispers. "You're right next to my school, I'll visit you whenever I can. I promise."
"Penelope?" Billy calls. "It's time to leave dear."
Jacob tightens his grip on Poppy. "It's okay," he whispers again.
Penelope doesn't know if he's consoling himself of her now. She nods mutely and pushes herself off her bed. She walks over to her small suitcase and picks it up.
She feels Jacob's arms wrap around her waist as she starts to leave the door. Blushing, Penelope turns around and before she can say anything, Jacob leans down and presses his lips onto the tip of her small nose.
"Good bye Poppy."
~Liya
Thank you to brokenwings1995 and corkykellems! I'm glad that you are enjoying the story so far. I'm glad you like the whole back story concept brokenwings1995 This whole story is going to be a story of the past, proceeding to the present yearly, so we can see the beautiful chaos that is love.
Thank you for your feedback! Reviews and follows are appreciated
