Chapter Six: What Makes Me Tick
Did I mention how big the house is? Well yeah, it's really big. Like supremely big. Larger then large even. I had to take a moment and wipe up the drool, that's how amazing it was.
"So, welcome to our humble abode." Edward said.
"Come on." Alice dragged me by my hand into the dining room.
"Looks like you've brought a guest." I heard Carlisle's familiar voice before I saw him.
"Honey, this is Lacey." Carlisle introduced me to another member of his elite looking family.
"Hi, I'm Esmee his wife. Welcome to our home." She shook my hand.
I was still struck by awe. How could one family live so…rich while I had been living so poor all my life?
"It's raining. You know what that means!" Esmee said, clasping her hands.
"What are we doing " I asked.
"We were thinking about playing a little…baseball." Alice grinned mischievously.
"No, guys no. I thought it was just dinner." Bella started to protest.
"Why what's wrong with baseball?" I laughed.
"It's not what's wrong with baseball the sport, what's wrong is how they play it." She explained.
"Oh really? How do you guys play baseball?" I asked.
"We play…with lightning and thunder." Edward said carefully.
"It'd be easier to show you…" Emmett sighed.
"Just get in the car." Alice rolled her eyes.
…
We drove to a clearing near the edge of the forest. Everyone was geared for baseball; they were wearing normal baseball looking clothes. How bad could it be? I looked up at the violent sky. It was not just ready to rain it was ready to pour.
"So guys, what's up with the secret smiles? I mean how interesting could baseball be?" I rolled my eyes.
I never would find out how interesting baseball was Cullen style. Because just then, Edward jumped back a few feet and dragged Bella to the ground. The whole family was moving to one side, fleeing from this unknown danger. I was frozen; I didn't know what was going on.
"Get her out of the way!" Edward shouted.
A powerful force literally had me flying in the air until I slammed into a tree, the air knocked out of me. I gasped, struggling to breath. I saw Rosalie, a malicious grin on her face and if I wasn't so delirious from the pain I would have thought she did it on purpose. Then silence, what the hell was going on? I was seeing double but even I could tell there was no reason to run. Then I heard it. No actually, I felt it. The ground was shaking something was coming this way. Something large. Or maybe somethings. I was suddenly very scared.
"It's the wolves…" Rosalie cracked her neck and crouched, ready to pounce.
Indeed it was, they burst through the forest knocking down several trees along the way. My throat went dry for a second, who was Jacob? There were a lot of them, about seven. They stood in front of us, the tension in the air rose. Bella was safely tucked behind Edward, Alice and Jasper stood off to the side, Emmett was with Carlisle and Esmee, but me? I had Rosalie for protection. Rosalie, who would just as soon as see me get eaten by this very pack of wolves, was assigned to protect me.
"If you are here for your girl, she is safe. No harm has come to her, she was only with us for dinner tonight." Carlisle spoke loudly and slowly.
All he got in return was a growl. The biggest, blackest wolf looked between Carlisle and I back and forth. Until finally he trotted over by Rosalie and I and gave me a stare. He nudged Rosalie out of the way and crouched down, I sighed as I understood what he wanted. He wanted me to climb on. All the way up there.
"You're too tall can I ride on him?" I pointed to a shorter grey wolf with spots on his back.
The black wolf growled then yelped at the grey wolf to come over. Once again, I was expected to get on his back and I did. This can't be Jacob, he is way shorter then him not to mention the color of his fur, I thought as I latched on to the strangers back.
"Bye guys…" I waved faintly and then the Stranger Wolf lurched forward.
I almost fell back as the pack took off, but I held on tightly. We were running through the forest, barely dodging trees and the scenery was nothing but a green, brown and grey blur. My stomach was hitting my thorax but I didn't mind anymore, it was actually calming. Funny, I never thought I'd adapt this quick. I opened my eyes when I started to recognize the scenery, we were nearing the house. Soon enough the trees thinned down and I could see the shack. It was a very hard stop, considering how fast we were going and I was almost flung off Stranger Wolf's back. Sliding down his back I tried to regain my posture but it didn't work and I ran to the same bush I had barfed on before.
"Come inside honey." Emily rubbed my back and led me in the house.
I shook my head but couldn't complain. The house was empty, only Billy was home looking quite worried.
"Where have you been?" He asked, looking up and coming over to hug me.
"She was with the Cullens." Sam burst into the house, shirtless and surrounded by other members of the tribe.
"Is that true?" Emily furrowed her brow.
I sat down on the couch and sighed. Here we go.
"Does she even need to answer you can smell them on her from a mile away." Jared sniffed the air to prove his point.
"Are you stupid? Is that what it is?" Sam asked, bending down and looking me in the eye.
"No. I didn't think it was such a big deal…" I trailed off.
"NOT A BIG DEAL?" Sam shouted, walking away from me.
"Calm down honey." Emily sighed.
"I was going to have dinner over there. It would have been fine, the Cullens don't drink human blood Jacob even said so. I'm not stupid, Bella was there too." I defended myself.
"Dinner? It was all a trap and you were stupid enough to fall for it!" Sam growled.
"What?" I asked, stupefied.
"Vampires don't eat food. They can't it's impossible for them to eat anything except blood." Jacob sighed.
"So what are you saying? It was just an excuse? They were trying to eat me?" I said sarcastically.
"It could have been if we hadn't shown up. You're lucky you were wearing Jacob's jacket, if you hadn't we wouldn't have been able to sniff you out." Paul finally piped up.
"Okay, everyone calm down." Billy spoke up.
"Get out of the house if your name isn't Jacob, Billy, and of course Emily." Sam voice thundered over everyone else's.
I jokingly stood up but Jacob planted me back down with a firm hand and the smile fell from my face. They all piled out of the house, giving me dirty looks along the way.
"One more time, I am going to ask you one more time. Why did you go over there?" Sam finally said after everyone left.
"I already answered your question, now if you're done barking at me I would like to say something. I choose whoever I want to hang out with, just because I am living here doesn't mean you can control me. Isn't that the whole reason why I left my house? I don't need a babysitter, I don't anyone to hover over me and I especially don't need anyone to sniff me out and hunt me down to chase me away from perfectly normal people." I hissed.
"NORMAL PEOPLE? GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! You are nothing like your father, Billy should have never even thought of bringing you here. He should have left you for dead with that abusive step-father of yours and your weak mother, you sicken me." Sam spat at the ground near my foot and kicked down the front door.
I ran outside after him but he was gone. There was nobody around, maybe for miles. It was just the forest. Now more than ever I missed my mother. She wasn't weak, Sam didn't know anything about her, nobody but me did. I was the one who spent the most time with her, I knew everything about her, she loves me the most in the world and I am here because of her.
I kicked at the dirt near my shoes and lay down, right there on the grass. The sky was the same grey, dingy color it had been since I got to this stupid state. Pretty soon someone sat next to me. I could tell without turning that it was Jacob. No, I'm not psychic or anything. But he had this smell, like strong soap, grass and dirt, and just a hint of sweat. Now I'm starting to sound…creepy.
"I hate the color of this sky. Its so…blah." I whispered.
"Yeah but I'm willing to bet New York isn't any better." Jacob replied.
"Not much…but there are days. Days where the smog and confusion clear up and you can take a subway to central park and just lay down to look up. The sky is so blue, so clear and the clouds just float on those days. It's so blue, you wonder how you can capture that color and just paint the world with it. The sun is up there, beaming down on you and warming your skin. It makes you feel special like you're the only one getting this…treatment."
"Poetic. But you aren't being open; think…grey is like an empty canvas. You have a chance to start over here, you've got a new life." Jacob finally said.
I mulled over the words. In a way, he was right.
"Wow, Jacob the Sensitive." I took a fistful of grass and let them fall on his shirtless chest.
"I have my days." He shot back.
"So let's see I know Jacob the Wolf, Jacob the Bipedal and now Jacob the Sensitive. Multiple personality disorder much?" I laughed.
"Let's not forget Jacob the Sexy." He smiled.
"Yes but Jacob the Sexy is omnipresent." I bit my lip, hiding my blush.
"Mmm…come to terms with your disorder yet?" Jacob put grass on my shirt.
"Come on bum. I have to make it up to the Cullens…" I trailed off.
Jacob sat up at these words and looked at me, hurt in his eyes.
"You don't owe them anything. I thought you got the message, you have to choose a side." Jacob furrowed his brow.
"Choose a side? Come on people, this isn't a war!" I laughed, surprised at his attitude.
"It isn't official but there might as well be. Look, listen; understand this Sam is the alpha. He is the leader. What he says goes and he said no frolicking with the vampires." Jacob said through clenched teeth.
"I'm a New Yorker Jacob, we don't know what common courtesy is, we are rude and loud, we put a gun to the head of anyone who even tries to rob us and we sure as hell don't follow rules." I hissed.
"Welcome to La Push, population Quileute Tribe, us. You're not in New York anymore." He snorted.
"Well I play with whoever the hell I want to play with, you can take the girl out of New York but you can't take the New Yorker out of the girl. And for the love of god, put on a shirt. All of you." I rolled my eyes.
"Space Heater Jacob reporting. I'll get too hot in a shirt. Besides, if you've got the body flaunt it. Need directions to the beach? It's over there and there and there, and let's not forget right there." Jacob starting getting into body builder poses.
"Yeah, yeah we get it. But is there seriously a beach?" I laughed.
"Actually yes. Did you pack a swimsuit?" He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Yeah...but I don't know Jacob, its kind of cold." I showed him the goosebumps on my arm, proving my point.
"And I'm hot." He pulled me to his chest, proving his point.
"Are you trying to seduce me?" I said to his thin t-shirt.
"Maybe." Jacob scratched his chin in thought.
I could feel a blush coming on, he had no idea the effect he had on me. Clueless.