AN: Yes Renee is Astrid's mom and she is black and Native American. Yes Bella exists but she wouldn't show up until the New Moon plotline, in Volterra. However she and Astrid don't actually meet till the bonfire in Eclipse. No she is not related to Astrid. Bella is absolutely nothing like she was in the book, in fact she's not even human.
Chapter Four: Making up.
Sitting on a log in the forest behind school is definitely not what I expected I'd be doing right now. Like I didn't expect my dear cousin to leave me at school so he and Lauren Mallory can fuck at his house. That little dib-shit told me he'd be my chauffeur because the accident was his fault. Now he's blowing me off when he knows I have a physical therapy appointment in half an hour. With a sigh I lite up my joint.
"Hello Astrid?"
I don't have to turn around to know that it's Edward, his voice is too unique.
"Hi." I reply before taking a deep drag.
I haven't spoken to Edward since I told him to leave me alone. He keeps staring at me whenever he can. I ignore him but everyone else comments on it, which is really annoying.
"What are you doing?" He asks while sitting beside me.
"Relieving my pain."
He nods then just watches me, like usual.
"I'm sorry I lied to you. It was a true insult to your intelligence and gift." He says.
"Are you going to tell me how you did it?"
"No, it's a family secret." He admits.
"You know if you just told me that from the get go I wouldn't have been mad."
"Really?"
"Yup. Your family secrets are none of my business."
"Oh."
A silence falls over us as I take another drag. He's still watching but I don't care, he does it so often it's normal to me now.
"How have you been?" He finally asks.
"The first half of last month sucked but things have gotten better." I reply.
"Why was it bad?"
"My painkillers weren't working well for me so I was hurting a lot."
"You should have told my father, I'm sure he would have given you something stronger."
"Nah I'm good. I have all the pain relief I need right here." I state while holding up the joint.
"I didn't know Marijuana did that."
"Like all drugs it effects people differently. It just happens to make me feel numb and happy."
He nods and the silence comes back.
"Hey shouldn't you be in Bio right now?" I ask.
"Shouldn't you?" He replies with a smirk.
"Nope I have a physical therapy appointment in twenty something minutes."
"Then shouldn't you be going?"
"Yeah but my chauffer is currently home fucking Lauren Mallory."
"So you're stranded here?"
"No. I can have my dad, or my stepdad, or my grandpa pick me up."
"Or I could give you a ride."
Look at him with quirked brow.
"What about your siblings and last period?"
"Mrs. Goff won't mind me missing her class, I barley do anything in there anyway. I can be back before last period ends to pick my siblings up."
"Alright." I agree while I put out the remnants of my joint.
His smile brightens as he helps me to my feet. When we reach his Volvo he opens the door for me and helps me put on my seat belt, which is annoying and unnecessary. He then gets in the driver seat. He starts the car and speeds out of the lot. He's a fast and reckless driver but I use to ride my Harley ever day so who am I to judge.
"How did you make it to school that day. I saw your tire after the incident."
I look at him then ask, "How did you see my tire?"
"I saw it while I was getting my oil changed at Lou's auto shop. Your dad brought it in to see if he had any like it."
"They're run flats, I only ever get run flats."
"Run flats? I think Rosalie might have mentioned once but I tend to ignore her when she talks." He chuckles.
"That's rude. But I understand, I don't like talking to Malibu Barbies."
"More like Ice Barbie with grease monkey tendencies."
We both laugh just as he pulls into the parking lot of the hospital. Edward gets out of the car and opens my door while I take off my seat belt.
"What a gentle man."
He smiles as he helps me out of the car.
"So what are you doing in therapy?" The boy asks while we approach the entrance.
"Wrist and arm movement."
Edward opens the door for me the follows me into the hospital. I know some girls say they love it when a big strong man holds the heavy glass door open for them but I don't, call me independent.
"Oh so you're in the beginning stages of recovery?" He asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"That's what your dad says."
As if on cue Dr. Cullen turns into the hall right in front of us.
"Edward? What are you doing here?" The man asks when he sees us.
His face is a mixture of shock and worry.
"They are blood typing in Biology today."
The doctor's face softens as he nods.
"I see. So why are you here?"
"Astrid needed a ride. I figured I could help here, since I wasn't doing anything."
Again he nods but this time it seems rather dismissive, like he's ordering the boy to leave. Edward doesn't leave instead he places a hand on my back. I glare at him causing him to lower the limb and slip his hand in his pocket.
"Edward shouldn't you be heading back to school?"
"I have nothing better to do but wander around the woods, might as well stay for a bit." He replies with a shrug.
Hmmm if I had popcorn and they were shirtless this could be a very enjoyable soap opera scene. The doctor sighs then gestures for us to follow him into the therapy room.
Edward sits in the corner quietly, except when he called his mother and asked her to pick up his siblings. His dad seemed annoyed by that but never once told him to off. You'd think he'd at least mention it to the boy but he doesn't. I waited for him to go off on the boy for an hour and a half but nothing happened. The doc just focused on my arm while giving his son disapproving side glances.
"Well Miss. Swan your coming along quite nice. I'd say we can get this sling off in a week, though you'll still need the brace." Dr. Cullen says.
I look at him with a bright smile, "Really?"
"Yes. Babies and teenagers tend to heal fast. I'd say that brace will be off by the end of this month, maybe sooner." He chuckles.
I nod then look over at Edward.
"So I take it you're my ride home?"
"Of course." He says as he approaches me.
He takes my jacket from his father then holds it open for me. I slip my good arm into the sleeve then he wraps the rest of the jacket around me and zips it up. We wave goodbye to Carlisle before exiting the room. Somewhere along the way to his car our fingers end up laced together. The shockwaves his frozen skin is sending through my arm are killer but what is really getting to me his how fucking cold his hand is.
"Has anyone ever told you gloves are not the enemy?"
"No. Do you think I should get a pair?" He asks.
"Do you want to keep your fingers?"
He chuckles but nods as he opens my door. Again he waits for me to get in before closing the door then gets in himself.
"So how do I get to your house from here?"
His question seems odd to me because, for some reason I feel like he knows where I live. Pushing away the thought I look at the clock, it's three fifty.
"Not yet, could we just drive around for a bit?" I ask.
"Do you not want to go home?"
"What gave you that idea, Sherlock." I question in a fake British accent.
He laughs but the look he's giving me says he still wants answers, nosey ass control freak.
"Well my mom has been staying at the house since the incident-"
"And you're getting sick of her?" He interjects.
"No. Her husband, Phil, came about two weeks later. It's been absolute torture for my dad. He still loves my mom so seeing them together really hurts him."
"So he and Phil fight a lot?"
"No. Phil respects my dad for letting him stay there and my dad respects him for cleaning, cooking, and being an all around great guy."
"So what's wrong."
I stop look at the boy.
"What?"
"Would you let me finish a damn sentence. Jeeze. You know if you'd stop interrupting me you'd know why I don't want to go home already."
"Sorry." He mutters.
"Just because my dad respects Phil doesn't mean he likes him. In fact he's really jealous of Phil. He's the man that can make my mother happy, he's taller, he's buffer, he's smoother, he can cook, he can do laundry, and he's been there for me when dad couldn't be. Dad feels inadequate and...I think he's kinda depressed, especially when he sees how Phil and I are around each other. It's like there's a perfect family living in his house and he's not apart of it. That kills him, I know it does, so I try not to be around to much."
"So you stay away from home to spare your father's feelings?"
"Yeah."
"But isn't that unfair to your mother and Phil?"
"Their presence is unfair to my father. It's bad enough she's hurting him, he doesn't need me doing it to."
He nods then looks out the window.
"So where do you want to go?" He asks.
"I don't know, anywhere."
Edward starts up his Volvo. He drives around for awhile then stops at the edge of a hiker trail.
"Wanna go for a walk?"
I nod while I take off my seat belt. This time I stay a step ahead of him, to avoid that "chivalrous" crap. We meet in front of his ride then make our way up the trail. He's quite as we walks which isn't unsettling to me. Is it because I have a knife and no problem with using it or is it because I trust him. No it can't be the last part, I barely know him...yet, I do know him. God being around this boy is just a big old mind fuck.
"You really love your father, don't you?"
His words pull me out of my chaotic thoughts. Looking up I find that he's watching me, waiting for the answer.
"Of course I do, he's my father. Don't get me wrong he's not perfect but he's good enough for me."
"Really? That's not what the town says. They think he's the best man here."
I chuckle at the truth in his words. The people here think my dad's a saint, which I guess is true.
"Yeah he's a perfect guy but he's not a perfect dad."
"Care to elaborate?"
"My dad and his friends, Billy and Harry, are really into hunting and fishing. So one summer they decided to bring their kids with them. Harry brought his daughter Leah, Billy brought his son Jacob, and dad brought me. The guys also let my older cousin Paul and his half brother Sam tag along. While the eight of us were walking we spot this beautiful baby deer so we stop. Dad kneels down behind me then gives me his gun. He shows me how to hold it then aims it at the deer's head. He made sure I was standing really close to him, said the gun had a bit of a kick to it, then tells me to pull the trigger. I shot it in the medulla oblongata, it was a lucky kill shot."
"That doesn't sound so bad." Edward says.
"I was eight." I dead pan.
"Oh."
"Yeah. I felt like I was going to throw up, Jacob and Leah actually did throw up. But dad hefted me up in his arms and started cheering and telling me how proud he was so I put a smile on my face and pretended I thought it was cool. From that day on he took me hunting ever summer. I absolutely hated it but I loved how proud he was of me so I never told him."
I can't help but laugh as I remember that day.
"The first thing that ran through my head was, Bambi no."
We both burst out laughing.
"Seriously?"
"Yup. To this day I can't read or watch Bambi without thinking about shooting that deer."
I shudder at the thought. God I'm glad he didn't make me use Billy's shotgun.
"Wow. Did you ever get anything else?"
"Yeah I got a few more deers and a bird or two. I unloaded a clip in a full grown bear once. Damn thing scared the shit outta me so I just shot it up. Dad says I have great survival instinct, but who wouldn't shoot a big ass bear that just pops up out of nowhere."
"How old were you then?"
"Twelve. That was the last day I went hunting with my dad."
"Finally told him the truth?"
"No I stopped spending summers in Forks." I admit sullenly.
"Why?"
I look at him then stick out my tongue. Dead center is a silver tongue ring with a pink gem in the middle.
"You got that wen you were twelve?"
"Yeah, my boyfriend had his sister do it for me. She was gentle but it still sucked."
"What did your mother say?"
"She didn't notice, but I knew dad would. So I told him I was taking some summer classes. I felt bad for lying so I actually started taking summer classes."
"How does a parent not notice a hole in their childs tongue?"
"She's a chatty Cathy, the only thing I have to do is nod and say hmmm. That made it really easy to hide, plus she wasn't really around much."
"So where did you go hunting?"
"La Push."
He stops and looks at me.
"The Native American reservation? Wait is your cousin Paul Lahote?"
"Yup."
"So you're a Quileute."
"Technically no. The Lahote family originally comes form the Makah tribe. Paul's great grandfather married into the tribe so he is a Quileute. My grandfather, his baby brother, met my grandma in Forks. So, technically, I'm not a Quileute but when I'm in La Push I'm treated like I am."
"Are you close to him, your cousin?"
"Yeah, he and Sam are like big brothers to me. In fact I'm going to spend the this weekend at Paul's place. My friends have been planning a trip to First Beach for a while now, so I'm gonna hitch a ride with them. You should come."
I don't know why but I have a feeling he's going to say no. It's this tiny voice in the back of my mind saying He doesn't belong in La Push.
"I don't think so, it's a little too crowded for my taste." He deadpans.
I don't push the subject because I know he wouldn't be welcomed there, I just can't remember why.
"We should head back to my car, it's getting late." He advises.
"Yeah we should." I agree before turning around.
The walk back is silent and so is the drive but I don't mind. I talked a lot today so it's nice to just sit in silence. Edward must not agree because he reaches forward and turns on his radio.
"Clair deLune?" I ask, in surprise.
"You know Debussy?" He sounds surprised, too.
"Yeah. My mom dated a musician when we lived in Cincinnati. He always played this album when he came ho from work. I loved hearing this song, it can just melt my bad day away."
"I love it to. What other types of music do you like?" He asks.
"I like all types of music but my favorite is R&B. My favorite singer is Aaliyah, her music really speaks to me."
"I don't think I've heard her music, my family and I prefer to stick to the classics."
"I'll let you barrow my CDs if you want."
"That would be nice, thank you."
Again the car is silent but the silence is short lived when he pulls into my drive way.
"Wait here." I order.
Before he can say anything I get out of the car and head inside. As I race up the stairs I say hi to mom and Phil, who are packing in dad's room. I still can't believe mom kicked him out of his own room. Entering my room I find my dad sprawled out across the bed, that's just sad. Oh well at least mom and Phil are leaving tonight this is to weird. Walking to my dresser I grab all my Aaliyah albums then head back down stairs. When I exit the house Edward is standing there, waiting for me.
"Here. Take care of them ok."
The boy nods as he takes the four cases.
"Thank you." He says before walking back to his car.
I watch him pull out of the driveway before going back in the house.
"He was cute." Mom says as I reenter the house.
I roll my eyes then walk into the living room.
"So when does your flight leave?" I ask while flopping down on the couch.
"So eager to get rid of me." She gasps.
"I just want to see if I can hitch a ride to school tomorrow morning is all."
Hook.
"I thought Tyler was supposed to be driving you around?"
"Yeah but he ditched me today so I think I need a new drive."
Line.
"Are you kidding me?" She damn near yells.
"Yeah I had to get a ride from this boy at my school."
"Oh hell no! I'm calling your Granddaddy and your Auntie!" She growls as she picks up the phone.
Sinker. I smirk as I listen to my mother vent to her Stepdad about Tyler leaving me.
"No mom don't get Tyler in trouble. He probably had a great reason for abandoning me at school." I defend lamely.
This fuels her fire more which just makes me happier. Tyler will regret leaving me so he can get laid.
