Chapter 10
Paul's POV
She's the sun that shines down on me
The oxygen that breathes life into me
The cause of the twinkle in my eye
The reason for the smile on my face
She's the reason why I stay alive
The flower in her hair so pretty
The big brown eyes so carefree and dearThe smile on those wonderful lips
She's the love of my life
The sun and oxygen
The perfect one for me
The one I want to marry
I stare down at those words, those blasted words. I angrily fold up the piece of paper and stuff it into the shoe box that has other papers just like it. Lined-papers filled with useless and stupid words. Words that I can't express because they are "inappropriate." Not only that, but I can't even let her know about them! I can't tell Bella how I really feel because she is four years younger than me and that would be considered, well, oh never mind. I hate thinking about that, it makes me depressed and angry.
I shove the shoebox back into the corner of my closet just in time when the door opened. My mother walks carrying a basket of clean clothes. She sets it on my bed and looks around my room with a disgruntled look on her face. When she meets my gaze, her face softens up and she walks up to me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she gives me a squeeze of reassurance. I hug her small frame tightly to me.
"So, you've been writing again," my mother asks me, letting go.
"Yeah. I just can't get her off my mind theses past couple of days. I mean like, she's growing up and maturing and it's just getting harder and harder," I say, picking up some of the balled up pieces of paper off of the floor and throwing them in the trash.
"Paul, you'll live. Trust me. Quil has to wait just as long as you."
"Yeah."
My mother looks at me before sitting down on my bed. I go to her and lay down, placing my head in her lap. She smoothes out my hair with her small, calloused hand.
"Paul, Bella is fifteen years old. She's just started highschool; her life is practically just beginning. She's going to need advice that I can say that she will want from you, not from her aunt and uncle. And you are going to have to deal with it when boys start to ask her out and she comes to you for boy advice," my mom laughs, smiling down at my scowling face when she mentions the boys. "You know it's true. Bella is a quite the hottie."
"Oh my god! MOM! You did not just say that!"
"What? You said it in one of your many journals."
"You read my journals?!"
"Of course I did, you dimwit! How could I not when I have a werewolf for a son who imprinted when he was fourteen?! You stopped talking freely all the time. You became so serious."
"Well, I kind of had too. Protecting my imprint is the most important thing to me."
"Oh alright. I've seen that I have been replaced as the most important thing. How sad," my mother sniffs.
"Oh, mom. You will always be one of the most important people in my life."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Good. Now get those clean clothes in that closet of yours and put them in nicely!"
"Ugh. Fine."
"Good boy."
"I'm not a dog!"
"Yes you are!" My mother laughs from down the hall.
I smile slightly as a memory of mine comes across my mind as I pick up the first article of clothing.
Bella and I had just run into my house soaking wet. We were at the beach together and lost track of time before it started to pour. We were laughing. Bella was piggy backing on my back; it's become a habit of ourselves for Bella to piggy back ride on my back.
She had a backpack that had dry clothes in it, so she changed into those in the bathroom while I changed in my room. I was putting away clean clothes when she walked in. I caught my breath when I saw her. Twelve year old Bella was wearing black skinny jeans and a blue, off the shoulder flowy shirt. She had black UGGs on her feet. She looked adorable, especially with the messy mop of wet hair on top of her head.
"What are you looking at?" She grumbles, walking to my closet and grabbing my baseball sweatshirt. I am pretty sure my heart has just stopped at the sight of her wearing my clothes. "Hello? Earth to Paul?"
"What?"
"Oh, forget it."
"No, tell me. You've had something on your mind practically the entire day."
Bella is silent for awhile, just staring off into nothing. I sit in front of her on my bed, pushing the basket to the side.
"What did you do, um, when your dad left?" Bella whispers.
"I comforted my mom. I took up a job to help pay the bills and kept my grades up. Eventually I convinced my mom to move us back here, where I was originally born to get away from the place where my father caused us pain. Bella, does this have anything to do with your parents?"
"Maybe."
"Have I ever told you about this legend? The Wishing Flower?"
Bella shakes her head no.
"Well, there is this flower. It's white and if you blow all of the little feather like things off, you make a wish. If you do this every night, eventually that wish will come true. But it has to be the same wish."
"Did you ever use it?"
"Yeah, I did."
"What did you wish for?"
"That someone would do something about my dad. I couldn't handle it anymore."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm glad he left."
"Oh."
"Hey kids, do you want some cookies? There fresh out of the oven," my mom calls from the kitchen. Bella jumps up from the bed and runs out the door.
"YES!"
I laugh to myself as I follow her out. Bella sure does love her cookies.
Ring! Ring!
I rummage in my pockets for my phone when I finally come back to the present.
"Hello?" I ask, clearing my throat.
"Um, can I come over Paul?" Bella asks me.
"Oh, yeah! Bella, you know you can come over any time."
"Okay. I'm at your front door."
"Just walk in the house, Bella."
"Are you sure?"
"Bella, walk through the front door. I'm in my room."
"Okay."
"So, what does a fifteen year old girl doing here on a Friday afternoon? Shouldn't you be out partying or something?" I ask, still putting clothes away.
"No, I'm just a freshman. Um, can I ask you a question?"
"You know you can ask me anything, Bella."
"Um, does it matter if it's about boys?"
I still at her words momentarily before continuing to put clothes away. "Uh, sure. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I have this crush on this guy. And he kind of asked me out on a date today…" Bella says, blushing.
Oh dear lord, if I don't phase I will be amazed with myself.
"What's his name?"
"Edward Cullen."
I'm going to kill this kid.
"Isn't that one of the guys that bullied you when you were younger?"
"Um, well, yeah. But he's changed, a lot. He's really nice, and cute. He even got Mike to stop bullying me. I just don't know what to do. I mean like, should I say yes?"
Uh oh. I might actually phase. I take a deep breath, clench my fists, and squeeze my eyes shut. After a while I calm down and then turn back around. I become confused when I don't see Bella in the room.
"Bella?!" I can, walking into the hall. I start laughing when I see her with a plate of peanut butter blossoms in her hand.
"What? Your mom said she had cookies and I decided to take some."
"Or all of them."
"Oh, shut up."
"Since when did you start swearing?"
"Since you got hotter than when I first met you," Bella says, and then her eyes go wide. She stares at me mortified at what she said.
She shoves the plate of cookies toward me and then takes off running. I hear the front door slam open and Bella's running feet. I eat a cookie in a daze as I walk into my bedroom and close the door. I smile to myself. My imprint just called me hot.