Dad put a single arm behind my back as we walked out, I refused a wheelchair once I was discharged in favor of my father's arms. I was led to the glass doors of the exit, passing people who were loitering outside - most I didn't even know.
"I'm fine," I tell some as they come towards me, Dad tugging on my person to force me to get to the police cruiser. "Just muscle cramps," I tell them with a smile.
I fell into the passenger seat and moved to put my belt on, waiting for Dad to enter the driver's side.
We drove in silence, not even the police scanner on. My mind was reeling with what Edward had told me. Not be friends? Why? What was the point of that? I thought we were doing well so far in the friend department. He actually talked to me, not just talk to me for the sake of being the new girl or a new girl as in, someone they didn't grow up with since Pre-K.
I slammed the cruiser's door a little harder than necessary on my way out, thinking about the real reasons a lot of the populace of Fork's spoke to me. I was the unknown yet known. My father was the chief of police and my 'mom' was from La Push. But there were enough variables for people to think about it.
I decided I might as well go to bed early that night. Dad continued to watch me anxiously as if I would fall to the ground at any moment. And while typically I was fine with that, it didn't bother me. But with my nerves so agitated it only added to the fire. I took my medication and swallowed it via tap water. I even took my sleep aide so I could actually fall asleep early.
I fell asleep, dreamlessly as the medication tended to do that. And I then realized I shouldn't have done that because Dad had to wake me up every two hours. And one of the times he tried to wake me, I wouldn't. He got pretty scared, to say the least. I felt like the biggest asshole known to man, honestly.
When I officially woke, unable to fall back asleep it was four in the morning. A quick sniff of my dark hair let me know that I still smelled like a hospital. The worst smell. I stood up, my knees cracking when I shifted off of the bed. I stayed in one spot for a single moment, cracking my neck and back, stretching. I picked up some of my toiletries, taking them into the bathroom along with a spare thing of clothes that didn't reek.
I took a long shower, letting the warm water roll over me in waves. My legs felt relaxed, and the steam helped my dry throat I had barely been able to recognize. Morphine. Hell of a drug.
Once I finished in the shower, I went to brush my teeth. I had spent the better part of an hour in the bathroom at this point, finally just deciding to go out and watch the sunrise.
I picked up my gifted camera and a single book with bookmark post-it notes scattered throughout. I basically hopped down the stairs, not letting my father be re-awoken by the chairlift.
Outside it wasn't raining, but it was dewy, leaving a light fog around us. The clouds were scattered, allowing the night to shine through. The night… stars that are from millions of light years away, only shining for a brief time. For all we know, they've all burned out, leaving their stardust in their wake and a scar in our skies. We see the past of them, not their current state. It's a mind-boggling to think about while looking at them, I guess. The sun was rising now, hidden by the tree lines that contorted around my backyard; leaving the stars blinded by the light we have here.
I didn't even read my book, leaving the words of Walt Wiltman unread for this morning.
A quick look at the oven's overhead clock allowed me to know that it was six in the morning. With a quick grunt, I let my book slide across the table and moved to the fridge, taking out the necessary ingredients for some pancakes and bacon (center cut, it was a bit extra but it's the healthiest option Forks has).
I was just beginning to finish the last of the bacon when Dad started his way down the stairs, rubbing his eyes and still in his pajamas.
"Why're you awake so early?" He gives a contagious yawn that forces me to swallow my own.
"I just couldn't go back to sleep after the four o'clock wake up call, so I took a shower, watched the sunrise and made breakfast. Real therapeutic," I joke placing the last sizzling piece of bacon on the large plate. "And some of the pancakes look like dinosaurs. Like this one!" I placed the plate of pancakes next to their counterpart of bacon. "Only if you squint… and tilt your head. Maybe just use your imagination."
"How're you feeling?" He asks, going to take a seat while I set the rest of the table.
"I'm doing great," I answer. "Sorry about the sleep aide, I just… wanted to get yesterday over with."
Dad nods, not breaching the subject further. I place our own personal plates on the table and the silverware. "I did have Deputy Jameson bring the truck back over. You wanna drive? Or want me too?"
"I'll drive myself, I'm not going to let a little scare get to me."
Dad took a deep breath, cutting into his breakfast. "You could have died Gwen."
I start to follow suit, cutting my pancakes up and putting syrup all over them. "I could have, but I didn't. I won't let this stop me from everyday life."
And that was the end of the argument. We didn't speak of it and just got ready for the rest of the day. I put on my favorite jeans, not to tight but tight enough that made me feel good about my body and a long sleeve blue shirt with some slip on vans. I let my hair down from the bun I had placed it in last night and quickly brushed through it, not giving it much thought.
I was out the door in the next two minutes, Dad following my lead. We said our goodbyes and started for opposite sides of the town.
The parking lot was nowhere near as busy as it was yesterday, letting me park in the same spot as the other day. Immediately a crowd comes to my car.
"Gwen!" The first one to get to my side is none other than Tyler. His deep skin had much more color than it did yesterday. "I am so so sorry, here let me take this for you." And without my consent he takes my bag, putting it over his shoulder.
"It's fine Tyler, I can take my own bag. My legs were just a bit in shock. Everything's cool now." I take my bag back from him and put it on both shoulders now. "I gotta head to Brit Lit, I'll see ya later." And with a small wave, I started my long journey to Ms. Bruer's room.
I have stopped a total of fourteen times. Not including when I was stopped the piles of students who would join in. I kept saying I was fine, that it was just shock that made me feel the pain. But they kept at it and in all honesty, it got tiring real quick.
Lauren was being much nicer than she has this previous two weeks and went as far as to offer me her notes from yesterday. I gratefully accepted and wrote them down quickly, putting it down in the correct part of my notebook. But of course, it came with a price.
"Alright, now you have to tell me," She demands when we finally finish on today's notes of how Shakespeare wanted Macbeth to be portrayed. "What do his arms feel like?"
"What?" I asked, just about to drink some water. I was glad I didn't. I probably would have to spit it out all over my desk in disbelief.
"Edward," she hissed, scooting over to me. "What does his arms feel like? Are they ya know… muscular, rock hard - oh my gosh! What about his abs?"
I stared wide-eyed, not sure how to respond to the questioning. "I um… I don't… Know, really."
Lauren guffawed, not believing it for a second. "How can you not know?" He carried you to the ambulance."
I shrugged my shoulders, taking a sip from the plain water bottle. I then packed my things away, putting them in my book bag before heading out the door once the bell went off. And I was swarmed once more.
"Gwen, let me get that for you," Tyler insisted taking my books - again without my consent - and towards the front doors of the building.
"I can carry my own things, Tyler," I comment, not really caring for his overbearing attitude. "Don't worry about it."
"But Gwen, I am so so so sorry about yesterday. Please let me -"
I stopped on the sidewalk, causing Tyler to stop a few steps ahead of me. "No, Tyler. There's no point in being remorseful when nothing happened. My legs tensed up, that's it. Now, I'll take this," - I gently remove my books from his arms and wrap my own around them - "And head to class. You should too."
And with that, I went to my next hour Spanish. And I didn't really want to, not with how Edward treated me yesterday. I don't blame him. But when class started and attendance was done, Edward still wasn't there. It made me feel soothingly relaxed. Today would be without that obnoxious nerve-wracking feeling in my stomach.
Then it was Gym, which in all honesty, was the worst. Coach Clapp refused to even let me do my physical therapy exercises. With a deep breath, I walked around the perimeter of the gym, unwilling to just sit out the whole class period. I did this for about ten minutes before I sat down to get a breather.
Angela kept looking over at me, sympathy in her eyes. I just gave her a smile so she could focus on the class's basketball game.
And after Calc it was lunch. Awesome and great lunch. I just ate the mozzarella sticks, dipping them into the provided marinara sauce. It was sunny today, the sun soaking the wet ground that was always drenched in water. Ben joined me at the decently dried lunch table that was outside for these specific warm days. Ben soon brought over Austin, who in turn brought Jessica and Lauren then Mike, and I was already saving Angela a seat.
"Is that what's for lunch today?" Lauren wrinkled her nose at my tray, where I was sharing with Austin since I could not finish the large portions all by myself.
"Yeah, but they might have some fish sticks left over," I tell her with a shrug.
"Ew, I'm going over to Tyler, has anyone seen him?" I shake my head and look around the bunched together tables that were my new friend group.
"Last I saw him was after second hour," I inform since no one else was speaking up.
"Thanks for that useless info." Lauren saunters off, leaving a chuckling Ben and Austin, who just turned to one another sharing an inside joke of some kind.
"The fact that you don't get pissed off, astounds me," Angela tells me.
"The fact that you still haven't made a move on Ben astounds me," I whisper to her, earning me a swift hit on the shoulder and my laughter to escape my lips.
"Hey, Ang," Ben said from the other end of the table. Forcing Angela to stretch her neck out to see what her crush wanted. "Coach says track practice will be outside if the weather keeps up. Wanna spread the word?" A blush grazed the other's cheeks and she gave a sharp nod. "Cool, thanks."
"When he only thinks of me as his fellow teammate, it makes it a bit hard," she grumbled. I put an arm around her, kissing her forehead.
"He'll come around," I comfort. "Come on, bells about to ring." I go to grab the tray but my new-found best friend waves me off.
"Hey, I'll put the tray away," Angela tells me, taking the blue tray with her to the Canteen.
"Alright, I'll see you in class?" I ask and she shook her head, a solid no.
"No, I have to go to the dentist, so I'll see you tomorrow," she answers. "And I'll text you tonight." I nodded and picked up my bag.
"Alright," I reply. "I'll make sure to tell you what we're doing in class." She thanks me and we both separated in different directions.
The clouds began to come overhead and I briefly looked up, seeing them become thicker and thicker. Maybe track practice will have to be inside once more. By the time I passed Building two, the rain started coming down so quickly that I quickly became drenched. I picked up my pace so I could enter Banner's room and wring my hair and clothes out over the sinks. Once done I moved to sit in my regular seat, feeling at ease that the table was empty without the Cullen there. I knew he wasn't here today but for some reason, I felt… safe.
It wouldn't last long.
"Hey, you've reached the Black Residence. We can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message we'll be sure to get back to ya."
"Hey, Jake or Billy, whenever you get this, Jenny, my truck, I named her that. The girl won't start and I was wondering if you could give me a hand. Call me back when you get this alright? Love ya. Bye." I hang up my cell phone, looking under the hood once more. And I've come to the conclusion for the hundredth time.
I know nothing about cars.
I start dialing Dad's number only to be sent straight to voicemail. "Hey, Dad. It's me. Your daughter. You didn't charge your phone. Or you have it off. You're probably on duty for some sort of super important mission that if you don't succeed the world will perish or something, so I'll leave you to it. Bye, love you." I give a groan after hitting the end call button. "I'm going to scream." I slam the hood down and round back to my door, yanking my book bag out along with my crutches. I write on a piece of paper from my notebook and put it against the drivers' side window (from the inside so it'd stay dry and readable), explaining the situation as to why the car would be there, signing my name at the bottom.
I hold the helpful walking sticks in one hand and start my trek home. I would stay longer, but since I was one of the last people to leave the school (I helped with the Decathlon Team; I wasn't allowed to be officially apart of it so late in the year but I did help with some of the geography questions for the next meet in addition to helping Yearbook Committee with the prototype yearbook) and the last teacher just drove off after escorting me out the door.
It's not that far. I tell myself. Only about half a mile. You can do it, if you need to sit down, just sit on the curb and then get back walking. All there is to it.
I'm not even halfway through the parking lot before a silver Viper pulls through going three times the speed limit and screeches to halt a few feet away from me. The window rolls down and there was Alice Cullen, in the flesh, looking at me like she found me with my hand in the cookie jar.
"Hey," I wave, letting a smile cross my face. "Schools closed, Mr. Varner just left." I start moving towards the slick sidewalk and while I'm doing so the pixie nearly ejects herself from the car, standing on her feet and crossing her arms. Despite the teen's stature being so small, it still sends shivers down my spine.
"What are you doing, Gwen?" I narrow my eyes at her in confusion.
"Walking home...?"
"What's wrong with your truck?" she nods towards my truck.
"Don't know really, oh you have Calc fifth ho-" she raised a hand to silence me.
"I don't care about what we did in Calc. What I'm worried about is the fact you're walking home. In the rain."
"It's less than a mile, don't worry." I shrug, starting off again, hoping to get out of this awkward conversation.
"Get in," she orders me, pointing at the passenger's side. When I don't move, she starts to get a bit snippy. "Now, Gwen!" I take a deep breath and make my way over, sliding into the passenger side. Once Alice is back in the car, her smile broadens to look more like the cat who ate the canary.
"Did you just get back from your trip?" I asked, trying to make small talk. It's something I overheard Jessica explaining to Austin.
"We got back this morning, but we were all beat. Caught some Z's."
"Ah." I turned my focus onto the streets, looking at them fly by. My eyebrows came together in confusion and I looked over to Alice's side, to glance at her speedometer. "Hey, you're going to get pulled over!"
The teen slowed down considerably. "Sorry, lead foot."
"It's alright, I just don't want you getting a ticket."
"Hey, do you have a cell phone?" I nod yes. "Do you have my number?" Alice asked, looking a bit perplexed.
"No," I answer. "I only have family, Angela, and Ben. That's it."
Before I could even blink a flip phone is being handed to me. "Here, put your info in and I'll text you tonight." I nod and start clicking on the number pads in order to spell my name 'Gwen' then putting my cell phone number and home phone in there, along with my email.
"I filled everything," I tell her, saving the contact and holding out to her. Her gloved hands take the phone with grace and before I know it we're parked outside my house. How did she know where I live? Was the town that small everyone knew where everyone lived? "Um thanks, Alice. I'll uh, see you around?"
"Tomorrow," Alice confirms.
"Alright, and tell your dad thanks for me, you know... the hospital?" I have one foot out the door and hands filled with my book bag and crutches.
Alice nods. "I'll make sure to tell him."
"Thanks." I wave, slinging my backpack over my shoulder once I'm completely out of the car and making a move to the steps, gingerly going up them with minimal difficulty. Opening the door led me to a... peculiar sight, for the lack of better words.
"It's six o'clock, Gwen, I brought you McDonald's. Did you forget what today was?" Jacob asks, hands on his hips. I groan, face palming my forehead. I finger gunned him.
"Bonfire night."
"That's right, now, get something warmer on and we're heading straight for the Rez."
"Jenny died, Jake!" I whine. "She's still at school."
"We'll just take my bike to the school and then we'll put my bike in the bed of the truck-" I playfully cleared my throat and narrowed my eyes. Jacob raised his hands in defense. "Bed of Jenny once we fix it." The large fifteen-year-old takes my shoulders and points me towards the stairs. "Now, warm clothes. Dry clothes," he stressed.
"Fine!" I comically huffed. In my bedroom, I put on a pair of leggings and then some flared jeans over to keep me warm, some nice hospital thermal socks and then I change into a thick sweater with my jacket on. I look around trying to find my beanie when I notice something. "JACOB EMPHRIAM BLACK!" I call down the stairs, leaning out of my doorway. "What were you doing in my room!?"
"You were taking, forever!"
"So, don't go through my stuff!" I walk down the stairs, carrying my beanie and his own. I throw it at him. "If I find out you ever do that again-"
"What, you gonna crutch me to death?" he asks, lifting up one of my crutches I set aside near the jacket rack and holding it like a sword.
"Damn straight," I joke, digging into the McDonald's bag on the kitchen table. I eat a single chicken nugget before starting for the door. "Come on, let's get going." I went down the steps with ease and then moved to his motor bike that stood next to the garage. I wiped it off with my sleeve and sat down, feeling the cold faux-leather send chills up my spine.
Jacob was on my heels, sitting in front of me before turning it on with a single key. "Hold on, I'm going to go a bit faster than normal." I nodded and scooted forward a bit, the hair of Jake's ponytail tickling my nose. We started zooming off, the slick roads no match for the thick wheels of Jacob's do-it-yourself motorbike.
When we got back to the school, my truck was still there - as I would hope so. We parked the bike and started shaking the water we've accumulated off. The rain was turning into a mist, thankfully. But I'd rather get into the cab of my truck before it turned to raining cats and dogs again.
"Alright, I'm going to pop the hood, think you can try starting it?" Jacob playfully tasked me. I scoffed but still took my keys off of my belt loop to unlock the door. I took the piece of paper explaining the circumstance of my truck being there off and set it next to me. I saw Jacob raise the hood up, then giving me a thumbs up to go.
I put my keys in the ignition and let it rip, expecting it to just rumble and stall before refusing to start. Imagine my surprise when the car did indeed start, and sounded even better then this morning. My mouth widened and a disbelieving smile graced my lips. Jacob looked at me with stern eyes after he shut the hood. I rolled down my window manually and leaned out. "I swear to god, it would not start."
"Well, something happened. Did you happen to get someone to help you?"
I shake my head as I watch him put his bike in neutral to move it to the bed. "No, the only one who helped me was an upperclassmen named Alice. She just drove me home in her sick ride."
"Sick?" Jacob grunted in exertion; picking the motorbike up and placing it in the bed before rounding over to the passenger side, he yanked the passenger side open and hopped in. "What do you mean by sick?"
"She had a Viper," I tell him. "It was silver, all pretty."
Jacob whistled. "Where do you get your friends?"
I shrugged and put the truck into drive. "I don't know. They just show up sometimes."
"I want your luck," Jake snorted. The rest of the car ride was quiet as we started for First Beach. The only thing filling the silence was some popular music station from Port Angeles. When I saw the many cars, I knew we were in for a long night. It wasn't a Council meeting only. Meaning, all of the tribe could be here today.
I swung my door open only to hear the rattle of voices and the crackling of fire. My first bonfire. How could I even forget?
"Look who decided to show their face to La Push!" I hear a prepubescent voice yell. His small frame comes barreling towards me now that I'm standing on the rocky sand, and I barely have a moment to comprehend the body that slams into me.
I grunt but still wrap my arm around him. "Missed you too, what did you do? Grow a foot since the last time I saw you?" I joke, letting go.
"A little more than a foot." The thirteen-year-old winks. I laugh, putting my arm over his shoulder, his arm coming around my waist.
"Oh, Gwen," I hear the familiar voice of Sue Clearwater, make her way on over. Her son lets go of me so his mom could wrap her arms around my neck. "It's so good to see you walking," she gushes.
"Thanks, Sue." I hug back. I feel lips press against the side of my head before she takes my hand.
"Jacob, I expect you to get Gwen some food, understood?" Jacob makes a big show with huffing and stomping towards the fire to grab some hamburgers that were being grilled over the fire. Sue just moves in front of me so I'm out of everyone's line of sight. Staring into my eyes she tries to decipher... something. "Are you doing alright, sweetie?" I take a deep breath. Here it comes.
"Yeah, so long as I don't go to the old house-" I was cut off.
"It's gone. Billy sold the house, and the new owners bulldozed it. It's gone, Gwen." I nod, sobs racking the inside of my body, but I just take a deep breath to calm them.
"Good."
Her arm intertwines with mine and we make our way to the fire pit. "Now, how're you doing in Forks?"
"You hear about that almost car crash I had?"
"Harry may have briefly mentioned it when he heard from Charlie over the phone," she teased. I sit on one of the logs and a plate is immediately placed on my lap and Jacob sitting to my right side.
"Where's Leah?" I ask, taking notice of her absence.
"Date with Sam," Jake snorts. A small whistle goes off, signaling the Council Meeting to start. Jake just grins at me before taking a chip off my plate and chewing it giving me that look. The
one where he's fed up with all the stories.
"The Quileutes have been a small tribe, since the beginning," Billy starts. "And the fact, that one of our own have made their way back to us, brings warmth to our hearts." Billy gestures to me. "Gwendolyn Abendorth, now more recently Swan. While she hasn't been here for the better part of her life, we will welcome her with open arms. The history she may have with my sister, will not discourage my niece from being with her roots, despite the horrors she has been forced to face. Gwen is valued, she is loved. We must always remind her, no matter what is to come." Billy's face looks stoic and looks ready to fight anyone who wishes to disagree on the matter. Jacob puts his arm over my shoulders and hugged me to his chest, kissing the top of my head.
"We are most happy to have you back, Gwen." Harry smiles wide. I only smile back, ducking my face down to hide my growing blush.
Billy, who is the chief of the tribe, continues. "With the growing of our tribe, the stories must still be passed. We must make sure that our memories, our stories, stay with us. And while we are small, we have magic running through our veins." Jacob makes a silent snort that I can feel through his chest. "Shapeshifters, and transform into the powerful wolf from where we have descended from. And with it, we scare off our enemies, and protect our tribe. It happened long ago that Q'waeti' journeyed all over the land setting the people aright and instructing the people that would come in the future how they should act. Q'waeti' instructed the people how to build houses. How to hunt. How to live. But how?
"One-day Q'waeti' came upon Beaver. Beaver was sharpening his stone knife, and Beaver was very stingy. Q'waeti' asked what was Beaver doing. Whereupon Beaver said: "I am sharpening my knife in order to kill Q'waeti'," said Beaver. Then Q'waeti' took what Beaver was sharpening and stuck it on Beaver's tail. Then he said: "You shall always have this stuck to your tail, and live in the water. You will just slap the water with your tail and dive when the people come."
Harry began now, taking over for the other. "Then one day he came upon Deer. Deer was sharpening his shell knife. Thereupon Q'waeti' asked Deer what was he sharpening it for. Whereupon Deer said: 'I am going to kill Q'waeti',' said Deer. Then Q'waeti' seized the shell that Deer was sharpening. Then he stuck it on Deer's ears. He said 'When you see people you shall run frightened and stop, and look back.' Then Q'waeti' went on his way," it was amusing to watch Harry tell the story. He did the little motions with his hands. "Not long afterward he reached Q'wayi't'soxk'a River. But he did not find any people. Then Q'waeti' spit on his hands and rubbed them. Doing this he rubbed off the human dead skin into the water. Thereupon many people appeared. Then Q'waeti' said to the people whom he had made: 'You shall dwell here,' said Q'waeti'. 'Your name shall be Q'wayi't'sox - Queets.'"
The old and croaky voice of Old Quil carried sound now, "Then Q'waeti' reached the Hoh people. He saw that these people walked on their hands carrying their smelt nets between their legs. At that time all the Hoh people walked on their hands. They were called the Up-side-down people. Since that time the Up-side-down people were known as the first people who had existed. Then Q'waeti' turned right side up the ones who walked on their hands. "You shall use your feet to walk," said Q'waeti' to the former Up-side-down people. 'Go and fish smelt. You shall catch much fish when you fish smelt'. Ever since then there is much smelt at Hoh.
"Then Q'waeti' went on and reached the Quileute land. He saw two wolves. There were no people here. Then Q'waeti' transformed the wolves into people. Then he instructed the people saying: 'For this reason you Quileute shall be brave, because you come from wolves,' said Q'waeti'. 'In every manner you shall be strong, with the spiritual capabilities even I possess.'"
"Bayaq - the Raven - did not like the Quileutes," Billy continues. "And wanted them dead, for they held to much of the spiritual power. So he devised a plan to kill us all, he possessed the Chief Ak-la-Toh's fourth child of his seventh wife, Tala-Toh. But Tala-Toh was strong and used his own cunning words in her favor, seeing the flaws of the wording he would speak into her ear. She took his power, and placed his own body on a flat plane. Using his power, she created a mountain that he would forever need to claw his way to the top. To this day he claws his way to the top, hoping for the breath of fresh air."
"From then on," Harry continued. "Tala-Toh was seen as the protector and despite her many brothers, was named Chief."
Old Quil takes this as his cue to speak once more. "We thank Q'waeti', for his spiritual guidance in protecting us from his own brother, and his spiritual sister, for her dedication" Old Quil finishes. "May Bayaq forever be trapped under the stone and Q'waeti' forever walking among our people."
"For the rest of the night, we'll celebrate the return of one of our valued tribesman," Billy states. Once he's done speaking most of the tribe (we're about forty to sixty strong tonight) crowd around me. The usual questions pop up on how I'm doing, are my legs better, how do I feel being back in La Push. Just trivial things that I've come to terms to now.
"I'm fine," I reassure everyone. "My legs are doing so much better, Doctor Denali was beyond the best surgeon in the world. She was phenomenal. I'm walking better every day."
"How are you feeling about your mom and dad?" Quil blurts out, earning dark looks from the others, I give a soft glance and a small smile.
"It's fine to ask, guys." I try to gain their attention so they're not ready to rip the poor guy in half. "Mom's in jail and Dad wasn't my dad. The abuse is done, it's over. I'll have a hard time with things, that's a given, but with your guy's help, I'll get better. No doubt about it."