Not Quite Normal.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.
Chapter nine- home sweet home.
I stood on the side of the road absently waving as the Ute slowly disappeared into the horizon. It was almost lunchtime on Saturday and Jim had just dropped me off by the big wooden sign that announced that I had arrived home.
It was strange because normally when I saw that sign I would want to turn around and leave –I used to totally despise Forks- but now I was so glad to be back I could barely contain my excitement.
I was just waiting for Jim to get out of sight so I could take off into the forest.
Jim had been slightly unsure about leaving me on the side of the road. He had insisted on driving me to my house but I'd kindly refused and told him my house wasn't far. I also told him the walk would give me time to think things over. He'd eventually agreed but still insisted on me coming to his friend's party, which I had not so kindly refused. I had snapped a bit because I was getting annoyed cos he was keeping me from seeing Jake.
I watched as he turned a corner and disappeared from sight. I could still hear the sound of his engine though as it slowly got fainter.
Well. Here I come Jake.
I turned and ran into the forest.
I could feel all the tiny butterflies fluttering round in my stomach knocking into each other. Wow I had never been this nervous before. I really needed to puke and I didn't know why.
It didn't take long to get to La Push or for me to come across the smell of werewolves. Unlike the rest of my family the smell of werewolves didn't bother me. It was just this faint not entirely unpleasant wet dog smell. It wasn't the nicest smell in the world but it was bearable. And I had become used to it so it didn't even bother me anymore.
I had just crossed the boundary that no vampires were allowed to cross. The rest of the wolf pack had agreed to make an exception for me because of the whole Jacob imprinting on me thing so as soon as I crossed that invisible line I felt safer. It wasn't like I was scared of my family or anything it was just that now they couldn't reach me.
I could now see the opening in the tree's just up ahead that would lead me out onto the Black's front lawn.
Then I was there.
The dim light filtered through the menacing gray clouds onto the lush green lawn. Jacobs house wasn't much to look at but it had this strange homely feel to it. Unlike most of the massive big houses –if that's what you would call them- we always lived in.
The werewolf scent was stronger now and from inside I could hear the sound of the TV and running water accompanied with the occasional clink of glass and china.
Here goes then. I took a deep breath and slowly walked up to the front door. Knock. Knock.
The water shut off and I heard soft footsteps as someone came to answer the door.
I stepped back as the door slowly creaked open to reveal Rachel with an annoyed expression that quickly changed to surprise then just as quickly delight.
"Oh my god!" She cried clearly happy to see me. "Wow Ness! Is that really you? Oh My God! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod! Jeez it's so good to see you! Wow Jake will be so happy your back!" She just stood there for a while talking flat out before throwing her arms around me and hugging me as tight as she could. I was glad I wasn't fully human because if I were then that hug would no doubt really hurt. "Hey Paul," She called as she let go of me and leaned back into the house, "come see who's here! Wow it's really you," she said turning back to me slightly more composed.
"Yeah," I said smiling at her previous enthusiasm, "It's really me."
"Oh well would ya look at that! If it aint my old pal Renesmee," Paul appeared at the doorway and slapped me hard –with enough force that it actually inflicted pain- on the back.
I winced. "Hey Paul."
"Long time no see," he said glancing over my shoulder seemingly looking for something or someone.
"Yeah. How are you two?" I asked.
"Good," Rachel said answering for both of them.
Jake mustn't be home. Or maybe he was home but he didn't want to see me so he sent Rachel and Paul to distract me while he snuck out the bathroom window. That would explain why they weren't inviting me inside.
Oh great! I'm back to these thoughts again!
"Yeah," Paul agreed. "Hey Rach invite poor Ness in." It was like he could read my mind.
"Oh right yeah. Come in. Sorry I was just so happy to see you."
"It's fine," I said as I walked past them into the house.
"Make yourself at home," Rachel said shutting the door and following me into the lounge room with Paul close behind. "Can I get you anything? We don't really have much though. Paul's been over heaps lately," she joked smiling up at him.
"Love you too babe," he laughed as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips quickly but passionately.
I always found this loving mushy side of Paul weird and slightly scary.
"No I'm fine thanks Rachel. What ya watching?" I asked as I sat down on the old shabby worn out couch.
"Some movie." Rachel came over and sat down next to me. "Jake is going to be so happy your back. He should be home soon. Oh and Hayden too."
"Hayden?"
"Quil's cousin. You're going to love Hayden."
"Am I?"
"Yup. Hays a total legend."
"More than me?" I asked looking at her with a hurt –well an attempt at one- look on my face.
"No never Ness," she replied throwing her arms around me again.
Rachel and I had always gotten along really well. She was like a big sister to me.
"So where's the rest of your family?" Paul asked.
And so the questions begin.
"Alaska."
"So you came by yourself then?" Rachel frowned at me, looking like mum does when I do something she doesn't approve of.
"Yeah. And please don't give me that look."
"Sorry. But why?"
"I missed you."
"What just me?"
"Everyone," I gestured with my hands around the room meaning the whole of La Push.
"Fair enough. And your parents let you?"
"What is this? Twenty questions or something?" I chuckled.
"Something like that. Although I'm not sure how many I've- don't change the subject. They let you come?"
"Yeah," Rachel raised an eyebrow at me and I knew she wasn't buying any of it. "Fine no."
"That's what I thought. Do they know where you are?"
"Yes." Up goes the eyebrow. "No."
"You ran away then?"
"Yeah kinda."
"Oh Ness they must be worried sick!"
"Na not until Monday."
"Still. You need to let them know where you are."
"No! Rachel you don't get it!" I practically screamed at her. "If they know where I am they're just going to drag me back to Alaska and I'll probably never see any of you again! They're trying to make me forget about you and Jacob, Paul, everyone! I can't go back," I finished with a sob.
"Oh honey I'm so sorry," Rachel said softly, hugging me again but not as violently as before. "But why?"
"I don't know," I sobbed as the tears leaked out of my eyes soaking the front of Rachel's shirt.
I was probably being overly dramatic and making my family seem really horrible but I had to get my message through to her. They must not know where I am!
"Jake was devastated when you all disappeared. He's been trying to continue on with his life because he didn't think he would ever see you again no matter how much we all told him he would. He searched for you for two months without ever finding any clues as to your whereabouts. He barely slept or ate, he was hardly ever home and he was worrying everyone sick. I've never seen him like that Ness. He seems to be better lately but not fully. His smile rarely reaches his eyes and he spends hours just staring out to see like he's waiting for something. Or someone."
"I'm soooo sorry," I moaned. Was she deliberately trying to make me feel bad? Because if she was then it was working.
"Shush Ness. It's not your fault. It's not your fault," she cooed. "Come on stop crying honey." She wiped my tears away gently with the back of her hand.
"Sorry," I said letting out a small giggle when I saw the wet patch on her shirt.
"It's okay," she laughed. "You right?"
"Yeah," I said drying off my face, " I'm fine."
At some stage Paul had moved to sit in the armchair next to the couch and was now sitting there awkwardly not sure what to do.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." I quite often had mini breakdowns when I got worked up, and it normally didn't take me long to recover. I didn't want to be like this when Jake got home.
"Here comes Hayden," Paul reported sounding slightly grateful for a distraction. He was now standing peering through the curtains out the window.
"Where's Jake?" Rachel asked.
"Dunno. Can't see him. Its just Hayden."
"You're going to love Hay," Rachel told me. Again.
I smiled, "so you said." Rachel sounded like she was very fond of this Hayden guy. If I was Paul I would be keeping a close eye on the two of them.
I heard the front door open and a slightly high pitched feminine sounding voice called out, "anyone home?"
"In here," Rachel answered.
Maybe Hayden was going through puberty. No one had told me how old he was. He did walk like a girl too, and trust me; it's not hard to work out who was male and who was female just by the sound of their footsteps. Or maybe he was gay. I had nothing against gay people but it was the only other explanation I could think of. Plus him being gay would explain why Paul was so unfazed about Rachel's excitement over him.
"There you are." I turned and saw a girl about my age –well my body's age- with long straight red hair wearing jeans, a flannelette shirt and bare feet. She'd tied the ends of her shirt into a knot that sat just below her breasts revealing a black tank top. She had a few black smudges on her face but you could still tell she was quite pretty.
I looked around behind her trying to work out who she was and where Hayden was.
Maybe she was Hayden's girlfriend.
Then she spoke again, "hey Paul. Rachel. Who's this?"
"Hayden this is Ness." Oh my god I'm so stupid! Hayden wasn't going through puberty, he wasn't gay and he walked and talked like a girl because he was a girl. He wasn't a he. He was a she. Hayden was a she. "And Ness this is Hayden," Rachel finished.
Hayden's eyes lit up and she said in an excited voice, "wow! Really?" She held her hand out and I shook it hesitantly. She sounded kinda like a psycho, and smelt like freesias, lily, cucumber, oil and grease. "It's so nice to finally meet you!"
"Finally?"
"I've heard so much about you," she laughed. "Jacob is always talking about you." I swear her smile faltered for a fraction of a second but I wasn't quite sure. "He really missed you."
"Yeah I missed him too."
She didn't look much like Quil. Oh actually I think she had a smaller version of his nose.
"Where's Jake?" Paul asked.
"He said he was going to ask Sam something."
"More like scrounge food off Emily," Paul said rolling is eyes.
"Yeah knowing Jake," Rachel agreed. "Plus there's no food here."
"I've never met a vampire," Hayden said suddenly. Okay random much.
"Technically I'm not a vampire." She was really weird. She just wouldn't stop looking at me strangely. I don't think I like her.
"Still you go around sucking people dry so technically you are," she laughed.
Both Rachel and Paul fell silent.
No I definitely don't like her.
"Actually I do not suck people dry." I was trying really hard not to lose my cool, cos when I lost my cool I really lost my cool. And let me tell you, it was not pretty.
"Animals, people same thing." Same thing? Same thing!
"Well-" walk away! Walk away! "Whatever." I turned back to the TV, which didn't really help seeing as there was some girl doing the exact thing I wanted to do right now, bashing the crap out of some other girl.
"What's wrong with her?" Hayden whispered to Rachel. Clearly she also knew nothing about vampires otherwise she would know how god our hearing was.
"Fucking suck you dry," I muttered under my breath.
"Um… Nothing… She's just tired is all… Um… Come help me get some drinks," Rachel said as she dragged Hayden out of the room.
That was one of the good things about Rachel; she always knew when I needed alone time. Or maybe she was just taking Hayden away before I could rip her heart out of her chest and shove it down her throat. Or just leaving Paul in charge of calming me down seeing as he was still sitting in his chair staring at the TV screen blankly.
My moneys on the third. Rachel was never any good with advice and talking to people about their problems.
"So," Paul said coming over and sinking down next to me on the couch with a sigh. "I take it you don't like her."
"Ha! Understatement."
"Great," he groaned. Something about the look on his face told me he was hoping I would like her and that it wasn't good that I didn't like her.
"Great what?"
"Nothing. Hey Jake should be here soon." I am normally peeved when someone changes the subject at a like that, but in this case I didn't mind. Besides the new topic was much more interesting.
"Yeah. Do you think he'll be happy to see me?" I couldn't help asking.
"What? Does that question somehow have a double meaning? Of course he'll be god damn happy to see you. He'll be ecstatic to see you Ness. Rachel told you how long he spent searching for you." He paused. "Renesmee imprinting doesn't wear off. Even if that person you imprint on doesn't love you back, or if they leave you, Ness even if they were to go out and brutally murder all your family and friends you would still love them. Ness Imprinting lasts forever. Jacob's love for you is forever. It will never die… even if you do."
"Thanks," I smiled at him. Paul always had this weird knack at cheering me up.
He punched me in the arm lightly and said, "Chin up."
"Here comes Jake," Rachel said as she walked back into the lounge room alone.
Maybe Hayden had left. But who cares about her, he was coming!
I had hoped for it to just be the two of us but I suppose I can't have everything go my way.
My plan was very simple; when he came over to hug me I would reach up and kiss him on the lips –but not a kiss that said "friends", anything but that, anything to just get the message through- and hopefully he would kiss me back –in a non-friendly way of course-.
I could now hear his cheerful whistling and the sound of his bare feet padding along the grass toward the house.
But something was off. His whistling was strangely toneless and his footsteps seemed too slow.
I turned in my seat so I was facing the doorway that separated the lounge room from the hallway. Through that door and to the right was the front door. The same door I had come through and the same door that Jacob was now coming through.
I heard and felt my heart speed up as he slowly opened the door.
He came into view and smiled -the smile wasn't for me since he hadn't seen me yet- at the owner of the footsteps that were coming down the hall toward him. God! Maybe she didn't leave afterall.
"Hey," Jake said to her his voice sending chills of delight up my spine. I hadn't realized until now how much I had missed the sound of his voice.
"Hey," Hayden replied as she came into view stopping in front of Jake. I couldn't see her expression because her face was slightly turned away from me and covered by her hair on her right side. "Took your time."
"Sorry Hun," he smiled at her. Hun?
Then what Jacob did next was totally unexpected.
I watched in horror as he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to Hayden's in way that clearly didn't say "friends".
:O!!Oh no!!!! lol bet you didn't see that coming!! Anyway please keep reading and reviewing!!!
Will love you all the more for it :)!
Thanks Annie x