Chapter 10 – Happy Birthday to me
B – P.O.V.
I lay in bed awake but not yet ready to start the day. The sun is not up yet, I cast my shield around the house, and find that Nate and Zora are both still in bed as well. Mom, Huilen and Dermott are in the great room. I'm sure they are planning our trip, we leave today to track down the only coven of vampires that know about us hybrids.
I can't wait to meet them Huilen say that the members of the coven are so old that even they don't know the answer. The Amazon Coven are human drinkers, it should bother me but I just can't find it in me to care. They remember the Mayan's, even if they were turned at the end of the Mayan civilization, which makes them at least eleven hundred years old. I can't wait to hear the stories they have to tell.
Zora wanted to tell me all about them but I wouldn't let her. I put my foot down after she described them at feral looking, and told me how they moved in an animal like way. I wanted to form my own opinions about them. In the back of my mind I wonder if her description was why every time she and mom wanted to travel to see them in the past three months my intuition told me no.
I still can't figure out how my mother ignores it. Not that I want to ignore her gift, I would just like to understand how or why she pushes it aside.
I still have a few things left to pack for our trip, my i-pad and my extra pair of shoes. I'm still not real clear on why I need both sets of shoes considering I will outgrow them before I wear them out. We're going into the jungle to meet vampires who still dress in tribal wear, I'm sure they aren't going to care what I wear. But after going round and round with my dear sister I gave in letting her have her way. Now my birthday outfit is sitting out for me to put on then I must remember to pack those shoes as well when I change to leave.
I'm sure that she planned my outfit to color coordinate with moms or something along those lines for pictures. Mom and Zora have made a big scrapbook of my life thus afar with mostly pictures of just me do to the whole I age very fast while everyone is not aging at all or only slightly faster than humans. They love to put me in the in front of the camera, while I would love to never have one more photo taken of me "growing up." It's not as if we won't remember what I was like at any point during my childhood, perfect memory and all.
Mom has a hard time understanding that even as a child I'm just as smart as she is. She often expects me to act the age I look. She knows I am different from a human child, she has no issues with the things I can do physically its the mental side of things she can't seem to wrap her head around. I tried to explain it by telling her humans my age like to do things like jump rope or maybe coloring and then I asked her how long she could do those activities without being bored. It worked for a week then she seemed to revert into thinking I should be watching cartoon movies. So for a week we watched all the Disney movies.
I have watched all the Disney Princess movies at least twice as they were mom's favorites. The older ones are all the same, some prince rescuing a damsel in distress. The newer ones are better at least the princess can function without their prince. The Disney story of Mulan is pretty good, but not compared to the real story. I did thank her for having me watch them because the books and original fairy tales are good reads. It is the modern adaptations that are soft, watered down versions making the original message of the tail get somewhat lost. So at least for a while when she asked what I was doing I could answer reading or researching fairy tales. She loved that I was finally doing something she deemed more age appropriate.
While my mother and I have a hard time connecting. I love her dearly and perhaps when I look older our relationship will be more of what she thinks a mother-daughter relationship should be. Today I'll focus on trying to be more of a "normal" daughter; children's birthday parties are more for the parents anyway.
I hop out of bed when I notice the others are up and moving, go to the bathroom to rush my morning routine so that Zora can't come and do my hair or change my outfit. Mom greets me in my bedroom with big hugs and "Happy Birthday Baby Bella." I think getting her and Zora to stop calling me that would be the best gift.
"Wanted to be the first to wish you happy birthday and give your gift in private!" I roll my eyes internally, there is no such thing as private. Not that it bothers me but why say it if it isn't true. She hands me a purple gift bag.
"Thanks Mom" Inside the bag is a small square box and a flat box that's about five by seven, I look up wanting her to tell me which one to open first.
"Oh small one-first."
I rip open the paper, flip off the lid inside is a lovely sapphire art Deco ring with a chain in the bottom of the box.
"I love it Mom, thank you so much" I give her a hug and then place the ring that's too large on my finger just to look at it.
"Well, I know it won't fit yet, but I got you the chain to wear it on for now. I think the ring was your grandmother's. I know you have looked into our family history and thought you may like a piece to keep with you." She is right, I have been working on our family history, Dermott's as well, and this is a great present.
"It's perfect Mom." I put the ring on the chain, then put it on before tearing into the next box. When I get it open it's a post card of the Hollywood sign, I must say I am confused and have no idea what to say.
"Umm, thanks?" I don't mean to make it a question. Mom just snickers at me with a bright gleam in her eyes that I have never seen before.
"You'll see, come on time for your birthday breakfast."
We go to the great room and it has been decked out in purple streams and balloons. The whole family breaks out in song as we walk in the door. Zora is holding a large fruit tart with a very tall skinny birthday candle in the center. When the song is over, she pushes it towards me.
"Make a wish, Baby Bella."
I wish they would stop calling me that as I blow out the candle. I looked up why we have birthday candles the other day, it all started in Ancient Grease as offering to god and goddesses. When I tried to tell Mom about but she rolled her eyes and said who cares where it came from as long as your wish comes true, but Zora, Huilen and I spent the afternoon reading Greek mythology.
After Nate, Zora and I ate our tart, we moved on the presents. Dermott and Huilen got me a small digital camera and a post card of the skyline of Chicago. Zora gave me a small photo album that only holds one photo per page and an "I heart New York" post card. Nate gave me two extra memory cards for the camera and a post card from D.C. I thank them for all the thoughtful gifts, but still had no clue about the postcards.
"OK so what's the deal with the postcards?"
"Well, after we are done with then Amazons, we're taking you on a birthday road trip! It's going to be great we're driving all over the U.S. and Canada seeing all the sights. You'll have so much fun, Baby. Then after we bum around North America, we are heading to Europe!"
"Wow guys thanks so much, we should all have a great time," I try to happy but I failed miserably. I'm sure we would have fun, but I'm not too sure about leaving our home. I guess Dermott can see my mood falling fast because he cuts in with.
"Alright, everyone get your packs its time to head out!"
We all shot off to grab our packs and then meet up on the forest floor. We picked a spot to meet up at in four hours, so that we could split up to over more ground. Dermott told Mom not to approach any vampire smells. Although he said it was unlikely that we would find them this far north unless they were looking for us. I was sticking with Nate during the first leg of our search. I would have to get piggyback rides while we searched because I am so much smaller, I can't keep up unless I am in the trees. I can't track scents very well from the treetops when the scent is on the forest floor. So we each ran off in separate directions.
Nate and I ran in silence for a while, I was busy thinking about our road trip and who knows what Nate was thinking about. I don't get a good or bad feeling about this trip, and it's not the same indifference as I have had in the past. I feel nothing from mom's intuition about the road trip. I need to know why. Every little choice we make comes with a twinge of something from mom's gift. I keep thinking it over as I repeat 'every little choice' over in my mind it hits me. This is too big of a choice with to many smaller choices involved. So I will have to break it down into smaller parts.
I think about us going to D.C. , that choice seems fine. Then I move on to New York, I get the indifferent feeling; Chicago seems like a good choice, Hollywood is indifferent. I am not sure what to make of it all and I would like to talk to Mom about her gift but that gives me the sinking feeling in my stomach. I will just have to go over it with Nate instead. After all I did promise to keep him in the loop. I don't know how to start it's not like I have figured what it means.
"So about the road trip. . ." I start to tell him but then trail off.
"I know it's not really your thing but you'll have fun and see some great places, everyone's excited to show you some of their favorite spots" I feel bad immediately
"No, no that's not what I was going to say, I mean it will be fun to get out there and see things and while I am not real sure how I feel about not having a place to call home, the rest of it sounds great."
"Well, why did you sound so apprehensive when you brought it up. Do you get a bad feeling about it?"
"No, that's just it when Mom said we were going, I got nothing that's never happened before. So I have been thinking trying to figure out why?"
"Your favorite thing to do, figure out why." Nate chuckles out.
"Yeah, Yeah, make fun of me on my birthday I see how it is. Fine, see if I tell you what I figured out." I retort mockingly, because Huilen said Nate was just as bad as I am when they first moved into the human world he couldn't get his hands on enough information either.
"OK you're right, tell me what you think you know." Nate and Dermott both always tease me about thinking I know something. I can't help but snap at him a bit.
"Fine. It's too big of a choice with too many parts. We are not making one decision but many smaller ones. I was thinking smaller and choose to go to the cities from the postcards. D.C. and Chicago are good choices but New York and Hollywood are indifferent."
"OK so we just break the road trip down into small choices. That sounds good to me, but this trip will give you a chance to see what will happen if you go against your intuition, because with us traveling for that long someone is going to go against your feeling at some point."
"I'm sure you're right. I just don't know if Mom has really thought about it. I mean her post card was in Hollywood, so we go to Hollywood, what are the vampires going to do about the sun. We can't go to a movie opening or anything like that cause she would end up on Access Hollywood. I just think, no feelings, this is going to a hard trip for her." I can see mom wanting to do stuff then being upset because she can't.
"Isa, you worry so much let us all figure it out together. She has a list of stuff she wants to see we will find away to make it work." I hope he is right but for now we need a plan to make all work.
When we all met up I switched off to Zora, her pack was so big that she made Nate carry it because we couldn't find a way to work it out otherwise. We only had a three-hour run this time till we would reach the designated camping spot.
I traveled in the trees for the first hour of our time together. I love flipping and swinging from branch to branch, the best part is when I'm completely air born, it's like flying. That would have been a cool power to have, way better than a shield that makes me pick up other powers. I think I am starting to hate Moms power. It wouldn't be too bad if she used it too, but I feel like I have to use it to our family's advantage by helping to keep us safe. It's not like the shield that I can just toss out around us then none can touch us, this power takes time, I feel like I have to look at each choice we make and don't like that I am second guessing everyone's choices.
With the road trip I have to find out where we are planning to start it, then track the choices from that point forward. I'm sure that we will start on one of the coasts, East or West? I chose east first and seems good, then I chose West the feeling of dread I get is almost as bad as when I choose to tell everyone about my powers. So we have to start our trip on the East coast that's a good or safe starting point.
I hop off of a branch, onto Zora's back knocking her off her feet in the process, I giggle a bit but it really was an accident. She growled at me when she stood up, I could tell it wasn't going to end well, but burst out laughing anyway. I couldn't help it Miss Pris is dirtier than I have ever seen her and her hair is a mess.
"What the hell Bella? I am just running along and you drop out of thin air, knocking my ass to the ground and getting me all dirty! Now you're laughing about it." I know she's mad but I still can't stop giggling,
"I'm sorry, really," giggle. "I have never been able to get the drop on you before," giggle, "I didn't do to on purpose, I was just bored and wanted to talk." She huffs, wiping the dirt off her clothes, while glaring at me. I bite my lip to keep from laughing some more.
"Aw hell Bella, I got a hole in my shirt, I only brought ten and you wreaked one on the first day," She growled out. I have never seen this side of her she is really pissed. I put on the puppy dog eyes, but can't even do that without giggling so I just smile at her and say
"I thought all big sisters expect their little sisters to ruin their stuff."
"Fine, whatever you say, just hop on and let get a move on." Zora huffs out. I hop up letting her calm down for a bit.
"You can't stay mad at me its my birthday! I wanted to talk with you about our road trip we need to start planning. I wanted to know where you want to go first?"
"New York City of course, just think of the all shopping, Broadway plays, there is lots of history for you and Dermott loves the architecture."
"Do you think Mom will be OK with that many people? If we stay in the city, she can't hunt."
"I guess your right. We should stay outside of the city, probably up state."
"What if we don't start in New York, say we fly to the east coast and work our way up to New York. Oh - we could do Christmas and New Years in New York!" I know she is over the moon about that idea, because she lets out a big squeal.
The rest of our run Zora is going on and on about the trip, none of the things she is suggesting give me a bad feeling but not many of them appeals to me really either. I think she and Renée will have similar taste when it comes to things they want to see, I don't mind going to the places they want. I just have some things I would really like to see as well. At least with Zora starting to map out the trip I can get a handle on what mom's intuition tells me.
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* Big thank you to snowgoose who is a great beta*
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and the twilight characters, no copyright infringement intended. 12/4/12