Chapter 4

Cabin fever

June was an extra rainy month. Here we are five days away from July, and it's been raining since the second day of the month. This has meant that Jacob and I have been spending most our time indoors. Graduation took place at the beginning of the month, and since then I've been laying around, going to work, laying around, cooking, and bumming around. It's getting really old.

Since there weren't any vampires left in Forks, Jake got to spend most of his time human. The pack still ran patrol on a regular basis. Jacob and Charlie were buddy-buddy again. When we were in La Push, we spent most of our time either in Jakes garage, or at Sam and Emily's. But at my house, Jake just wanted to watch whatever game Charlie was watching. So when we hung out in the living room I did a lot of reading.

A few days back, Jake and I made a long and wet trip to Olympia. I made it to a few book stores and picked up 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society.' It's okay so far, better then reading everything I own again.

Occasionally Charlie would let Jake and I in my room; door open, to use the computer. Because of Jakes frequent days away from school, he had summer school. Fifty percent of it was done online, so I helped him as much as I could.

Sam and Emily are going to be getting married this Fourth of July. It's Emily's birthday too. The ceremony is taking place on the Makah reservation. That's where Emily is from and where her family still lives. I was extremely surprised when Jake told me the whole pack was going. But Billy wasn't.

"Billy finds it really uncomfortable to be away from home long. It would be too hard to come get him and drive back and forth on the wedding day." Jacob explained.

"I'll ask Charlie what his plans are. I know he's not going to let me so stay with you for four days with no parents. I can make the drive up on the fourth. Maybe Billy, Charlie and I can drive up together." I suggested. Really I didn't want to stay four nights, any nights away from home. What if I had a nightmare? What if my internal, emotional wound started eating at my guts?

"Yea I defiantly want one of them with you at all times while I'm gone. I feel uneasy not leaving at least one of the guys down here to watch you." he said.

"Don't you worry. I can stay out of harm's way for a few days." I said. I went back to cooking my fried chicken and mashed potatoes, Jake returned to whatever game he was watching. Truthfully I don't know what I am going to do while Jake is gone.

Each time I was with Jacob, I felt warm. Comfortable. Every time he would leave me, I felt cold. Empty. When I was alone, I would think of...Him. Too much. Then when I am with Jake again it's harder to cheer up because I was cold for so long. I'd remember Jake isn't the real key to my true happiness. He's just a spare. I hate thinking of him like that but cold me couldn't help it. But then, the more time I spent with Jacob, he eventually warms me up again. With his smile, jokes and innocent flirting.

Charlie came home a few minutes after Jake and I sat to eat.

"What's up Jake? You're eating here again? MMmm smells good, how's the chicken?" Charlie grabbed a piece of chicken and leaned against the counter.

"Hiya Charlie, you know it's good food when I'm around. Bella whips out her magic wand when I'm over for dinner." Jacob joked with my dad.

"Don't feel too privileged, she cooks like this for me every night. You wish you were so lucky." Charlie walked out of the kitchen.

Jakes face told me, yes, he does wish that.

When we were done eating and cleaned the kitchen, Jake went to join Charlie in the living room. "I'm going to be in my room okay." I said to Jacob

"What's wrong?"

"I'm getting a little bored with the living room. I'm going to clean up my room a little. Go enjoy the game."

"Are you sure? Do you want to go do something?" he asked.

"No way, it's dumping buckets out there. Seriously, your okay, go, enjoy." I leaned up and kissed him on the shoulder.

"Ok." he turned and went.

My room was overly cluttered. I collected the dirty clothes, separated the papers and books on my desk, and made my bed. It felt a little better in here. But I still felt cabin fever or something.

Just then the phone rang. I was going to run down and get it, but I figured it was Billy and I knew one of them would answer it. Sure enough Charlie got it on the fifth ring.

"Hello!" he paused. After half a minute of silence, he continued, "You're kidding me"? Where at? About how much do you think it is?" Silence again. "Yea I'll be there soon. That just sucks." Charlie hung up the phone sounding sad.

I was standing at the top of the stairs as Charlie was heading up to his room. "What's wrong dad?"

"That was Greg down at station. About 5 miles down the 101, a sand tanker tipped over. He says about every grain of sand spilled all over the high way." He didn't bother to shut his door to put his uniform on, while I stood in the hallway and listened to him talk. "It just figures the week Mark is on vacation, we get something like this. Michael and I can't clean this all up...in the pouring rain...by our selves...at this hour.

His face was bright red. He was getting himself all worked up before he even scopes out the scene. I think he was just mostly upset about whatever games he would be missing. I came down the stairs with him to get him his heavy coat.

"Well hopefully it was a small truck." I was trying to cheer him up. He threw me a look.

"Hey Charlie," Jake yelled before he walked out the door. "If you need some help, give me a call. I'll ask some of the guys to come help. They'd be useful with a shovel."

"That's not a bad idea. I'll call you when I check it out." Charlie closed the door behind him, but before Jake or I could move, he rushed back through it. "Hey you two better behave your selves. I mean it."

"Dad, yeah I know." I gripped.

"Jake!" Charlie snapped his head as he spoke.

"Charlie! Yes sir. If you don't call for my help I'll leave at ten sharp."

"Alright. Don't forget! Watch your selves" and he was out the door again.

As I walked back up to my room, I half expected Jacob to return to the TV But he was following me up the stairs. When we were in my room he made himself comfortable on my bed. I went back to mindless organizing.

After I was done putting clothes on hangers, Jacob called for me to sit on the bed with him. I sat on the end and brought my legs into sitting style. Jacob was laying with his feet hanging off.

"How are ya Bells? I haven't seen you smile in a few weeks, you happy?" Jacob looked worried as he spoke, and ran his fingers over my toes.

"I'm fine." I said, a little confused by his question. "Maybe it's all the rain. But I smile, "what are you talking about?"

"I see you smile sometimes, but I just don't see happiness behind it. Sometimes I'll do or say something that I think would make you all cheesy, and you'll smile a bit, But then your eyes wonder and the smile fades. Like whatever I just did, reminded you of something else. I don't know, I could be crazy." Jacob spoke to me with his head down.

"Jacob." I took a deep breath so my voice wouldn't shake. "You make me incredibly happy. I don't know I guess...my mind...it just races sometimes." I was blushing, so I kept my head down too. Jacob knew me so well. I felt bad, lying. I wasn't completely happy. I believe he knows it too.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked.

"No!" I threw myself into his arms, now I was laying down too. "It gets cold when you're gone. I'm not very happy when I'm cold." I gave him a small kiss on the lips.

"Okay, I'll stay." he smiled.

Jacobs hands twisted in my hair and we were kissing. When I'm kissing Jacob, I start sweating. His lips on mine, make me extremely hot.

After a few minutes of softly kissing. Jake put both hands on my hips and pulled me on top of him. My heart started racing. I could feel it pounding in my chest. We kept kissing and Jakes hands were all over my body. Every place he touched my skin it felt hot. As if my blood was boiling under my flesh.

All this heat, radiating from his lips and hands, was getting to be to much to handle. I wasn't ready for this kind of activity."Jake." I whispered with my first available breath.

He sighed, but stopped and let me climb off of him. "You know Charlie would kill you if he busted us like that. You like coming over here don't you?"

"Yea, your right, I just enjoy this alone time too much. I am going to miss you while I'm away. I wish I could just go and come back. Stupid rehearsal dinner and tux fitting." Jake complained.

"Its only four days Jake. We'll both survive. Oh I can't wait to see you in a fitted tuxedo." I bent over and gave him a kiss before jumping off the bed. "Hey I've got the stuff for sundaes, want one?"

"Hell yes! You know it!" Jake seemed just as excited as an eight year old would be.

Jake had hot fudge and strawberry, while I had just strawberry.

"That was good Bella, thanks." he said.

The shrill of the phone ringing startled me, and Jacob giggled.

I got up to answer it, "Hello!"

There was nothing, no sound. "Hello? Is anyone there?" I asked

Nobody answered me, but I listened very hard. I said, "Ok, good bye then."

I kept my ear to phone for one more moment, Jake shouted "Who is it?" Just then I heard someone exhale. Instantly I felt shivers down my spine.

"Hello!" I said again anxiously. And the phone went dead. Why would someone prank call me?

Charlie came barging in the door just then. Thunder and lightning crashed as he opened the door. Because my heart rate was already racing, his entrance made me jump and scream. Dad and Jake laughed at me at the same time.

"Was that you that just called?" I asked, taking the attention of myself.

"No, I was just walking up. It wasn't me." Charlie replied.

That really confused me. Why would someone do that? Maybe Billy was trying to get a hold of Jake. But why wouldn't he just speak to me then. It was quite clear someone was on the other line listening.

"How'd it go chief? Didn't get a call from you, must not have been that bad." Jacob said.

"Actually, it's strange. I drove about ten miles, both ways on the 101. Nothing. No tipped over truck, no sand. So I went to the station. Greg wasn't even there tonight, Michael was. And he said he never called, never heard anything about a sand truck. I called Greg at home, he never heard such a thing."

How odd. I had been standing at the top of the stairs listening to Charlie on the phone. He sounded genuinely surprised by the news he was called with. Did somebody call here to get Charlie out of the house? Then call to see if I was here alone? Maybe...Victoria had friends, she had Laurent after all. Friends that she told about her plan to end my life. Have her friends now come to avenge her? Oh great.

Charlie walked over to the phone and dialled three numbers. He started scribbling on the message pad. "Do you know anyone with the area code 907?" he asked as he walked to an encyclopaedia. I'm assuming to check where that area code is at.

"No." I could only remember about four phone numbers. None of them started with 907."Oh. Dad, someone had called and hung up, right before you walked in. It's not the number you got your phone call from."

His head popped up from the book and he looked surprised. "Alaska?"

"Alaska?" I repeated.

"Yeah, I dialled *69 and the numbers area code was from Alaska. I'm going to call it back." Charlie got on the phone to call it back, while I thought again about who could call from Alaska and why. Again I thought, Victoria, she was friends with Laurent who was friends of a coven in Denali. The Denali friends, I assume would know I'm unprotected.

"Humph." Charlie said as he hung up the phone. "Says that number is no longer available. It was just less than 10 minutes ago they called. Something funny is going on."

"Defiantly." Jacob and I said at the same time.

The three of us hung out and talked in the kitchen while I made dad a sundae. Jacob had another also. I sat with them, trying not to over think things and worry anybody. Jake is leaving in a few days, I didn't need him worried about someone's friends, coming to get me while he's gone. If someone came to get me it is better Jakes gone.

I was dreaming of doors. A round room with six doors. All the same, thick wood with two large ovals carved on the top and bottom. As I would head to open one, the knob would turn. Slower and slower, then faster until I would finally grab it and yank the door wide open. Nothing would be there. No one was turning the knob. The doors would slam shut every time I ran to the next. It was the view from my bed room window. It was dark, seems as if it just rained. There was nothing but dead silence. I'd look, not knowing what I'm looking for, then it was on the next door. My dream self was getting anxious and whiney. Each time I found nothing I would sob.