Chapter 4: Where to Go?
Renesmee's POV
Crap. I'm stupid. How could I think that Australia didn't have sun? I got my cell phone out of my pocket to call someone, anyone. Great. No bars. I really must be slow. My cell phone's dead, and I'm a vampire stuck in an airport. Who's gonna believe that story?
"Excuse me? When's the next flight to Seattle?" I asked a short woman behind the desk.
"Tomorrow at 8:30 pm."
I sighed. "What about to Los Angeles?"
"9:30 tomorrow night." Great. I'm stuck here at least another 24 hours. I pulled a dollar out of my pocket.
"Can I please have four quarters?" I handed the money to the lady and she gave me my change. I walked to a telephone booth and put a quarter in the slot. I dialed the house phone, hoping someone would pick up. Someone answered on the first ring.
"Hello?" It was Uncle Emmett. He was easy to talk to.
"Uncle Emmett, it's me. I'm in Sydney. I need to-"
"It's Nessie!" My dad yelled from the back round.
"Yes, we've achieved that. Now let me talk to her," Uncle Emmett hissed.
"No! She's my daughter. I'm talking to her." Uncle Emmett got back on the phone.
"You're in Sydney and what?"
"I don't have enough money to get a flight, and it's sunny! What am I supposed to do? What happens when the airport closes?"
"Calm down." I heard Dad yell something in the background again. "Your father suggests we come to get you."
"NO! I mean, I don't want to be a burden."
"You won't! Just stay put! We'll come and get you."
"Uncle Emmett, put my mom on."
"Hmph."
"Mom? I want to stay here for a little while. Can't you mail me money and I'll get my ticket and come home? I'm an adult."
"Renesmee, you are seven years old. That is not grown up. Your father and I will catch a flight to Sydney and come get you."
"Mom, can you please put on Grandpa?"
"Sure." She sighed and called his name.
"Nessie? What do you need?"
"I want you to mail me money and I'll come home by myself. Please? I can do it!"
"No, that is too dangerous. Your parents must come and get you. Do you have any money to get a hotel room?"
"Nope. What am I gonna do?"
"Did you meet anyone on the plane you can go to?"
"Yeah, but….. Yes. Ok. I'll go look for him. Let me talk to my dad for a moment."
"Nessie? How are you? I'm very sorry for making you uncomfortable. Your mother and I will be there to get you soon." Dad's voice came over the phone.
"Dad! I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me."
"Don't worry about you?!" He yelled, outraged. I sighed. He did clearly not understand what I was trying to say. We were silent for a few moments, and a new voice came on the phone.
"Renesmee, we'll be there as soon as we can, okay? Do you want to talk to anyone else?"
"Is Jacob there?" I asked casually, trying to just seem curiously.
"Nah, he's gone off with Seth and Leah. I think he's at Emily's." My heart sunk. For some reason, I desperately wanted to speak to him. I never felt that way before, and it scared me a little.
"I love you, Renesmee. Your father is really worried about you. Be careful and stay safe."
"I will. I promise. I love you. Bye." My voice cracked a bit. I started to miss my family although I still needed to get away. My heart was being pulled in one-hundred different directions. One was being friends with Jacob, my best friend, two, with dad and the rest of the family, and a third, getting away from everyone, being my own person.
I wandered around the airport aimlessly, keeping an eye open for Aaron, but not expecting him. In a way, I was hoping that he wouldn't be here; I was scared about his muttering. At the same time, he had to come, or I would be a snack for the Volturi. I thought my limbs were going to break, but I had to stay strong. Then, in the corner of my eye, I saw a boy in a bright blue shirt; Aaron. I put on a fake smile, and bounced up to him.
"Hi Aaron!"
"Hi Nessie. What are you doing here? I thought you had a place to stay," He answered, confused.
"They fell through. I'm stuck here." I tried to look gloomy, but it wasn't working. Aaron was looking at me crookedly. I heard a voice come up from behind me.
"Aaron? Who are you taking to?" I turned around to see a girl that looked about my age.
"Lonnie, this is Nessie. I met her on the plane. Her plans fell through."
"Mom won't like this! She hates it when you start talking American girls. She they're evil." Lonnie looked evil. She turned and looked at me. "No offense," She said sourly.
"None taken," I shot back. Aaron cut in on our tiff.
"Nessie, this is my sister Lonnie. Lon, this is Nessie." Lonnie looked at me, and I stared her right down. "Lonnie, Nessie is also 16. I'm sure you'll get along great."
"I'm sure we will." I wanted to punch that girl right smack in the nose. I figured that if I did, I wouldn't be allowed to crash in their house, so I refrained.
"What are you doing here? I thought you left already!" I turned my attention back to Aaron.
"We did, but I forgot one of my bags. We came back to look."
A figure appeared from behind Aaron. She came closer, and I got a better look at her. She had long graying hair, and crow's feet by her eyes. She was holding a toddler with sandy blonde hair.
"Aaron, I found your bag. You're 18! When will you start being mature?" The woman asked him sternly. "Oh! Who is this?"
"Mum, this is Nessie. I met her on the plane."
"An American girl." Her eyes narrowed in my direction. I eyed Aaron worriedly, wondering what this family had against American people. "What's your name again?" She asked.
"Nessie."
"Your full name?" I thought for a moment. The name "Renesmee" wasn't popular or even heard of. I quickly decided on Vanessa which was popular enough. I contemplated on whether or not to reveal my last name but decided that if I needed a place to stay, I would have to.
"Vanessa Cullen." There. I did it. I let out a deep breath.
"Vanessa Cullen, eh?" She asked. "Good enough. Now, do you know our last name?"
"No Ma'm."
"Aaron McCarty! You didn't tell Ms. Vanessa our last name!" She turned back to me. "It's McCarty. I'm Mrs. McCarty."
I was in shock. A few years ago I found out that Uncle Emmett's last name was McCarty. Could they be related to Uncle Emmett? Out of the corner of my eye, I Saw Mrs. McCarty looking at me, so I wiped the thought out of my mind and turned my attention back to her.
"So, ya plans fell and ya wanna bunk at my house. Ya put on this little show to make us feel sorry for ya and we'll let ya stay, eh? Come and sit, Ms. Cullen. We'll talk this out, and then I'll decide." Her voice was bitter again. I was desperate though, so was willing to do anything to gain Mrs. McCarty's trust.
She led me over to the hard plastic airport chairs, and I sat down, uncomfortable. Lonnie was silently laughing and murmuring something barely audible to Aaron. I learned now to read lips, and caught a bit of their conversation.
"Mum never let's anyone stay that's not….. Or when she questions… She'll get…"
"Ms. Cullen, where are ya from? Forks, Washington," I answered confidently. I was not going to let an aging woman and rude 16 year-old get in my way.
"Are ya parents divorced?"
"No."
"Are ya home schooled?" I took and extra second before answering that question. Finally, I answered "no". Mr. McCarty asked me countless questions, and I was growing impatient. Why did she need to my favorite color, or if I've ever been to another state in the U.S.A.? The time slowly passed, and it reached 2:00 pm. From behind me, Aaron's impatient voice was heard.
"Mum! Please make a decision! Nessie has never been to jail, stole anything, and she's not an illegal immigrant!"
"Fine. Ms. Cullen, ya may stay with my family, but only for two days. Do not overstay ya welcome." Lonnie's mouth dropped, as did mine. Aaron jumped in the air, and escorted me to the exit. My stomach flipped and I dodged the sunlight that was dancing through the small window pane.
"Our car is under the pavilion. We don't have to worry about the sun," Aaron enthused. The knot in my stomach immediately untied and I pranced out of the building. Aaron kept up with me, as Lonnie and Mrs. McCarty trudged slowly behind us.
"Our car is the black SUV," He called. I nodded threw open the door to the car. Aaron got in beside me and Lonnie hopped in the front seat. Mrs. McCarty buckled the toddler in the seat beside me and started up the car.
"This is my sister, Perris. She's two years old. I also have a brother, Riely, but he's away right now, so it's just the three of us. And my mum, of course." Aaron explained knowledgeably. I nodded like I cared, but I was thinking more about my family than his. I wondered what mom and dad thought of this, and I hope Jake wasn't worried. Jake was a big brother to me. He was a teddy bear, and I could go to him for anything. Claire was lucky, she got a werewolf to imprint on her, and Quil would be hers forever. I wasn't sure if I would have wanted Jake to imprint on me, but it was too late now, Jake has seen me millions of times. I looked up, and saw a ragged small house appear as Mrs. McCarty cut the engine.
"This is our house! How do you like it?" Aaron asked me, smiling broadly.
"It's nice. I like the color." It was a light blue, and had vibrant red shutters. It hurt my eyes a bit, but I spit out complements anyway. Aaron grabbed his luggage out of the trunk as I delicately picked up my bag and took it inside. The small kitchen was clean but packed with pictures. There were photos of children and adults, black and white, color, and bordered. There was a picture of a stunning woman wearing a long elegant wedding dress standing beside a tall, muscular man. A caption underneath it said: Mr. and Mrs. David McCarty. May 2, 1992. I looked at another picture under that one showed a picture of the same man, but many years older. That picture said: David McCarty, beloved brother, husband, and father. December 14, 1959- May 8, 2014. That explained many things to me. Lonnie's cold shoulder, Mrs. McCarty's hesitance, and the small, run-down house.
"Nessie, you can sleep in my room. I'll sleep on the couch." Aaron and I rounded into the living room, and I saw the pitiful couch. I declined his offer.
"No, that's okay. I'll sleep on the couch. Stay in your room." Aaron frowned but continued on his way toward the steps. "Anyway," He continued, "this is my room; this is Perris and Lonnie's room, and this mum's room." He pointed to a different room each time.
"You have a nice house," I recognized. His face lit up.
"Really? Thanks! And, this is our study." He entered a cramped room filled with books and one computer. Surprisingly, there was only one picture on the wall. It was blown up and in a gigantic frame. I walked over to it. It was in black and white, and there were five people in it. I knew I shouldn't have asked, but I did anyway.
"Aaron, who are these people?"
"They're my ancestors from the 1920s and 30s. The one with the dress is Maureen. She died in the 1990s. The next one is Clarisse. She's really old now and in a nursing home. Brielle is the one with her hair one the top of her head. The short, burly guy is Ronald. The last one is Emmett. He disappeared. He was up somewhere in the states alone, and something happened to him. He was only twenty. Everyone assumed that he was killed in the woods."
That clicked with me immediately. Uncle Emmett was mauled by bears when Aunt Rosalie found him. I found Uncle Emmett's descendants! I nodded solemnly at the story. Little did Aaron know that in the next three days I would be talking to one of his ancestors.
"Aaron! Why are ya in the study? Ya know ya shouldn't be in there. Get out, now!" Mrs. McCarty's voice boomed from the living room, echoing throughout the house.
"Sorry mum!" He called back and hurried me out of the room. He smiled at me sheepishly. "Mum never likes it when we're in the study without her permission. Sorry 'bout that. Hey, do you wanna call your parents or somethin' so they know where you're at?"
"Yeah, that's a good idea. Do you mind if I use long-distance?"
"Nah, its fine. There's a good phone in Lonnie's room. Let's go in there." He escorted me into a brightly colored room with loud music. I recognized that it was Keith Urban. He was one of my favorite singers. Lonnie's cheerful smile curved into a frown after seeing us enter.
"What do you want?" She sneered. "Get. Out. Right. Now."
"Nessie needs to use your phone. She's going to call her parents."
"We have other phones in this house," She sang, annoyed.
"Yours has the best reception."
I walked over to the phone and dialed Mom's cell.
"Hi Mom!!!"
"Nessie, where are you? Did you get a place to stay?"
"Yes. I'm staying at Aaron McCarty's house. I'm welcome to stay two days." I emphasized on McCarty.
"MCCARTY!?! Is that-"
"Yes! Shush. There are other people in the room," I whispered.
"Sorry," She whispered back. "We're all at the airport right now. We are getting ready to buy tickets. Who should come?"
"Don't bring Uncle Emmett. He's too loud and rambunctious. Know what I mean?" I tried to be sly, but I could feel two pairs of eyes burning into the back of my head.
"Put on Dad."
"Hi Dad. I'm staying at Aaron McCarty's house. Let Mom explain." I emphasized on McCarty again.
"Nessie, how are you? We're very sorry about what we've done. When you're home we'll talk. The dog and I are going to have a long chat on the plane ride."
"Jake's coming?" My heart soared. "When will you be here? Tomorrow?"
Dad laughed. "You're more excited to see Jake then your own father?"
"Noooo. Dad, where's Aunt Alice? I have a question for her."
"One moment…. Alice! She's coming. Wait a sec."
I heard the phone drop, and my attention was lost. Aaron and Lonnie were muttering behind me and I listened.
"You shouldn't be! It's not good. You'll get tangled." Lonnie's voice was gruff.
"We can get her. Tonight. When she's sleeping. Will that make you happy? She'll be gone, like Dad."
I hoped they weren't talking about me, but if they wanted to get me when I was sleeping, they had a kink in their plan.
"No. It was Dad's own fault, and you know it." Lonnie's voice was angrier than before.
"Ness, you there?" Aunt Alice was finally on the phone.
"Yeah. Can you see anything? I have a question."
"Sorry kid. Nothing right now. How are you doing? Any trouble?"
"How's Jake?"
That's all you have to ask your Aunt? How "Jake" is. But, to answer your question, he's doing pretty well. Forks is Forks. Nothing exciting, so don't worry about missing anything fun."
I smiled. "Okay. Are you coming?"
"No, Rose is."
"I'll see you when I-" She hung up, but I pretended to still be in a conversation to hear Lonnie and Aaron's.
"She's just too much. I can't be around her anymore. You're too crazy with everything. Get on with life. You're stuck on it. Get up and move on. We'll get rid of her, and you won't have to worry about it anymore. I knew going to America was a bad idea. You're always doing this." Her voice was hostile.
"Lonnie, you need to go to a mental hospital. She's fine. If we have to get rid of her we will, but we shouldn't. It's not right."
"AAAAAHHHH! I HATE YOU, AARON EMMETT MCCARTY! GET OUT OF MY LIFE, AND LET ME LIVE IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lonnie stormed out of the room and pounded down the steps. I heard a car start and drive away furiously. I turned around dumbstruck as Aaron ran down the stairs. Perris started to cry and another set of footsteps walked up the steps. Mrs. McCarty appeared at the door way. She was holding a long tube.
"What did you do now, Ms. Vanessa Cullen?"
Ohh! A cliff hanger!!! I'll update as soon as I can. If you would like, please review! Thanks!
Love, Tarryie
