Chapter 14 – La Push
Devan's POV:
Silver was getting ready for the day as if last night had not happened. She cheerfully danced around our room, putting on a more casual outfit than usual, but still a lot more fancy than an average 14 year old would wear. I got dressed in jeans and a hoodie. My signature look, I suppose you could say. I put on my runners and my checkered hat and packed my shoulder bag with a few things I thought we may need. Silver finished sliding her Sephora lipstick over her lips and then looked at me with a neutral expression. Once our eyes met she grinned and signed. 'I need to borrow your black flats'
I laughed a silence laugh in her direction and signed back, 'Sore feet. I told you those shoes were ridiculous' with a smug attitude. She stuck her tongue out and her hands told me, 'No. My feet are great. We are walking and my only flats don't match this outfit' I sighed and nodded. She already had them on anyway. I was just pleased that she was not sad anymore. It was an odd occasion to to see Silver that sad. She rarely cried or got sick. Those two things always made me worry about her because I was never prepared for it.
'Come on. Let's go' she signed and started to head to the door. "Where?" I asked out loud. She didn't answer. I guess we were not giving up our privacy just yet. She stopped at the door and waited for me to follow.
'Breakfast?'
'No. I have money. We'll buy food,'
'I will just tell Esme that we are going,' my hands told her. She looked annoyed, but stopped and let me go. 'Meet you outside then' she signed before I turned away from her. We both headed out of our room in separate directions.
"Esme?" I asked softly. One thing about living with vampires if there is no need to yell for anyone. It had taken me a whole year practically to get used to that concept. I had to be constantly reminded there was no need to raise my voice in the house. Esme appeared at the end of the hallway as I walked down it. She smiled lovingly.
"Yes, dear?" she asked. I stopped in front of her and told her.
"We are going out. It is so nice today. Is that okay?"
"I don't see why not. Do you need a ride to town?"
"No thank you. Silver wants to walk," I said. Her face fell a bit at Silver's name.
"How is she?"
"Uh…okay. I guess. I am not really sure, but I think she just wants to forget about it," I answered honestly. Esme understood.
"Well, Alice has a good reason for what she did. She would never do anything to hurt either of you, you know that,"
"Yes," I agreed.
"Be safe. Make sure you watch your footing,"
"I will," I laughed. She smiled and rubbed my shoulder.
"Do you have your cell phone in case you need to call one of us for a ride?"
"Yup, see you later," I said as I took off down the staircase.
"Be back for dinner," she told me, which meant 6pm on the dot. That was one of the house rules.
"We will!" I called out. Oops! I had forgotten again about raising my voice. I hurried down the stairs and to the door. Edward was sitting by the piano. We had plans to hang out today, but Silver needed me more.
"Tomorrow, Edward. I am sorry," I told him as I went for the front door. His eyes were kind.
"Don't be sorry. I understand"
"Thanks,"
"Please be careful. Watch were you are going," He replied. I shot him a glare and went out the door as he added, "and don't fall in any holes,"
I thought I heard him chuckling behind me as I walked out to the front yard where Silver was waiting for me.
*
*
*
We made it to town in about an hour. Silver was walking with a bounce in her step. I was slightly confused. She has been so distraught last night. I was expecting her to be more upset today. She was chatting on and on about Courtney's new pool and how she was going to have a pool party sometime this Summer. I was not interested, but I didn't tell Silver that. I was worried she might crack and all the anger she was holding in would be directed at me. She sensed my fake enthusiasm for the topic.
"I am fine, you know,"
"You are?"
"Yes. You don't have to pretend to care. I appreciate the effort, but it is actually creeping me out a bit. It is not the Devan I know and love," We exchanged smiles. That was nice of her. Maybe she was feeling better after all.
"So…what now?" I asked as we hit the main road.
"Hmmm…I dunno. Food?" she suggested.
"Oh, thank goodness. I am starving!" I exclaimed.
*
*
*
We finished our breakfast at the diner. Silver had pancakes and I had eggs on toast. I realized that it was nearly noon already. We had really taken are time eating. Silver reapplied her lipstick and then looked at me like she had just had an idea.
"Oh! I know!"
"What?" I said as I gulped down my orange juice.
"We should go to the beach!"
"The beach?"
"In La Push! Tanna says it is really nice. She surfs there with her brothers sometimes. And last Summer when the gang went you had a broken wrist so I didn't go," She said. I wasn't sure if she was holding that against me.
"Is it far?" I asked unenthusiastically.
"No…not at all. And we have not been to the beach since we went back to Australia to visit friends that one summer! It will be so much fun!"
I didn't want to argue. She was so thrilled at the thought. I smiled and agreed. She beamed with joy and shoved her stuff into her bag. Then she slipped a few bills under the saltshaker and stood up. I guess that meant it was time to leave. I quickly finished my orange juice as I stood up. I managed to place it down just in time. Silver was already taking me by the hand to leave.
"What's the rush?"
"I dunno. I just want to get to the beach!" she sang.
This was going to be awful. I hated going to the beach. The sun was too hot. The sand got in everything. And it kind of smelled like fish. To me it was overrated. Silver could not be deterred. She walked so fast that I tripped twice as I attempted to keep up with her pace. I didn't hurt myself, but I had to endure Silver rolling her eyes at my klutziness.
We walked for about 30 minutes and then we reached La Push. Through the forest we walked towards the blue ocean that glimmered with sunlight. I had to admit. It was beautiful. Even if I didn't like the environment I was in for various reasons, I could appreciate its beauty.
Just as we hit the sand my bag rang loudly. Silver looked ticked at me when I reached into my bag and opened the silver phone and put it to my ear.
"What are you doing? Alice demanded.
"We are in La Push. At the beach. Why?" I answered, a little stunned from the tone of her voice.
"I lost you. I can't see your future when you are there. What are you doing there?"
"We didn't plan on it. Silver just decided she wanted to see the beach,"
"Come home, now Devan,"
"But…why?"
"Just do as I tell you," she instructed.
"Well. I…."
"Listen, Silver will--" Alice began to say something, but then Silver took the phone from me. She had heard Alice's voice since the volume was so loud.
"We'll come home when we are ready. Stop telling us what to do!" Silver barked into the open phone without putting it even close to her ear and then she snapped the phone closed.
"Silver!" I cried out loud. "That was rude!"
"Don't worry. I will take full blame and punishment when we get home. I am not ruining this. Not because of something Alice says. It is a perfect day and the beach is beautiful. She is probably just jealous that she can't come out in the sunshine!" she spat venomously.
"I doubt that it the reason," I rationalized.
"Who cares? Let's go for a swim!" Silver said. Her mood switching instantly from annoyed to extremely cheerful. She began to strip off her clothing and kick of my black shoes.
"Silver…it will be cold," I whined. I wanted to be supportive and go along with her, but I hated the ocean. It was too cold, salty and sandy for my taste. "Plus…I will probably drown, knowing my luck. And I told both Esme and Edward I would be careful while I was out today,"
"Stop being such a wimp and take off your cloths. It will be fun!" She snapped, but with a cheery smile that was almost hysterical.
"Fine," I sighed and I slowly took off my hoodie and jeans. I looked around to make sure we were alone. That would be the cherry on top of this outing. To be seen in my underwear by someone is didn't know. Or worse! Someone I did know! The coast seemed clear so I followed Silver into the surf.
*
*
*
I couldn't believe it. I was actually having fun. The water was cold, but once you got used to it, it wasn't so bad. And the waves were not too powerful so we rode them in, flipping around like rag dolls as they rolled into the shore and died down. I stood up and flipped my hair out of my face and laughed. Silver stood up a few feet away. She laughed along with me.
"This is wonderful!"
"Ya…I am having fun too. It was a good idea, Silver!" I admitted.
"You see. You should follow my lead more often,"
"Hah! Ya right!" I laughed. She splashed water at me. I splashed her back and thus started a splash war that turned into to wrestling match in the slow tide. Sand had to be caked in our hair before Silver decided she had enough.
"No more," She gasped for air as she tried to stop laughing. I sat up and released her as she released me. I breathed heavily to catch my breath. We looked at each other and she said, "You are sandy!"
"You are sandy too," I retaliated. She giggled and stood up.
"Let's go rinse off the best we can and then dry off in the sun,"
"Okay. Sounds good," I agreed.
We were able to get the majority of sand rinsed off, but not all. I felt like a giant, human salt lick as we sat on big pieces of driftwood in the sunshine. I pulled lotion out of my bag and poured a huge dollop into my palm and extending my hand to Silver.
"You brought sunscreen?" she asked dismayed by the idea.
"Ya. It is sunny out!" I answer reasonably.
"You are such a mom," she teased me.
"Fine. Don't then. I just thought we might need it," I pouted. I don't know why I was explaining. Silver didn't care. I slipped my hat on leaned comfortably on the warm wood and relaxed. Silver passed me a magazine from her bag to flip through.
An hour or so later I noticed the Sun was getting closer to the horizon line of where the ocean hit the Sky. I looked in my bag for my cell phone to check the time. I couldn't find it so I dumped out the whole bag. It wasn't there.
"Silver! I lost my phone!"
"Seriously?"
"No. I am just pretending I lost it to get a rise out of you. I am that kind of girl," I shot sarcasm at her, "Of course I am serious!"
"Okay. Chill out. Let's get our cloths back on and go look for it,"
"Ya. We need to head home anyway," I agreed.
"We will just retrace our steps…..minus the stint in the ocean. That would probably prove pointless even if we did find it in there," Silver rambled as we dressed. Our under-things were perfectly dry by now. They had dried long ago, actually.
We went back the way we came and even checked the shoreline, but we couldn't find it. This was just my luck. This was the third cell phone I had banished. I had dropped the first one and it broke. The second one somehow, and I still think Emmet was behind it, got washed in the dishwasher.
This was like the straw and the camel. I was going to be teased for sure by the others. Carlisle was so kind, but at some point he was going to snap and really scold me for being such a klutz. I was still waiting for that day. After we gave up hope of finding my cell, we walked into the forest and I prayed today would not be that day.
*
*
*
Silver and I were just about leaving La Push when she stopped suddenly and leaned against a tree. I spun around and looked at her. She was not looking well. And her skin in the shade of the trees was now more visible to my sight. It was pink where the sun had hit it.
"Silver?"
"I think I am going to throw up," She carefully spoke. Before I could say or do anything she knelt down and vomited behind a tree. That was gross. I knelt down next to her and pulled her hair back. I fanned her with the magazine she had given me earlier. I didn't have any water on me so I knew we needed to call home for a ride. We couldn't walk all the way home. When she seemed to have everything in control I reached into her bag to get her cell to call for a ride.
"What are you looking for?" she asked weakly.
"I am going to call for a ride. You can't walk home like this. I think you have sun stroke,"
"I didn't bring my cell," she mumbled as she closed her eyes and sat back to lean on the trees. That was not good. We would have to walk to the diner to use the phone, then.
"Come on," I said taking her bag and helping her up. "Put your arm around me and lean on me,"
"Thanks," she managed to say. She was not well, that was for sure. And he skins was hot to the touch. Her temperature was too high and she was starting to dehydrate.
"Just let me know if you feel like you are going to be sick again so I can stop," I suggested. She nodded and we slumped along the forest path back towards the main road. We kept having to stop for Silver. She continuously thought she was going to throw up, but most of the time it was a false alarm. At this rate we would not make it home for dinner. It was probably 6pm already. The sun was still out, but because of all the trees in Forks, one of the Cullens could drive out to get us without the sun hitting their skin if we called from the diner.
"Silver? Devan?" A voice called out. Silver as resting on a tree stump and didn't look up. It was Seth and another boy. Seth didn't seem as friendly anymore. I guess what Alice had said to him last night had stuck.
"Hey," I said awkwardly.
"Are you all right?" Seth asked Silver. His coolness melted as soon as he saw her in her weakened form.
"She has heat stroke," I told them. "And we lost our cell phone so we couldn't call for a ride. Do either of you have a phone?"
"No, sorry," the older boy answered. He was very handsome too. He had dark brown eyes like Seth but his hair was shoulder length instead of short and spiked.
"We will take you home," Seth offered looking to the other boy who nodded along.
"I will run and get my car. You bring her up to the roadside. Meet you there!" he told Seth. And then he ran off. Seth didn't say a word. He gallantly picked my sister up into his arms and cradled her as we walked to the nearby road.I trailed beside them.
"Thank you, Seth," I said. He nodded. He was so quiet. Silver was conscious, but she didn't say a word either. I think she was either far too embarrassed or too weak to speak.
A tiny, beat up car that putted along comically drove up with the tall boy scrunched up in the front seat. I would have normally been amused and poked fun at the sight, but I was too worried about getting home. Silver was so hot. I knew it was a bit of a drive to out house so when I saw the large puddle at the side of the road I took off my hoodie and I carefully wet it with the clear rain water. It wasn't the best, but at least it was cool. Seth helped me take off Silver's blazer so she was just in her tank top. I wrapped the wet hoodie under her armpits and around the back of her neck. Then Seth picked her up again. We all loaded into the tiny vehicle and drove to our house in silence. Silver scared me a little by falling asleep. She woke when I called her name, though, so that calmed me a bit.
It took us 20 minutes to get home. The sun was pretty much out of sight when we pulled up. The whole family filed outside. They heard the car driving up, no doubt. I got out first as Esme ran to me.
"Silver is sick," I told Carlisle as Esme embraced me. He hurried past to get to Silver.
"Here, give her to me," I heard Carlisle say.
"I am so sorry. I lost my phone and Silver didn't have hers. We tried to get to a phone, but she was too ill," I rambled. Esme hushed me and tucked the hair hanging in my face behind my ears. Then she began to usher me inside, behind the rest of the family. I turned to see if Seth was still there. He stood outside the car, looking very concerned. I broke from Esme's grasp and ran to him. I pulled a scrap of paper and a pencil from my bag and wrote Silver's cell number.
"Here. Take this. Wait a day or so before you use it," I said and put it in his hand. He didn't smile. But I could tell from his eyes that he was grateful.
"Thank you," I told him again and then I ran back to the house to catch up with the rest of my family who were all inside. I heard the car drive off as I got in the door.
Alice was waiting for me. I gulped thinking about how we had ignored her plea for us to come home when she had called early this afternoon.
"I am sorry, Alice. I didn't know,"
"I just wish you would have listened,"
"If you knew she'd get sick, why didn't you say?"
"I didn't get a chance. And when you enter onto Quileute's land it is hard for me to see you,"
"I didn't know," I said. I felt so guilty. Like it was all my fault. I hadn't even thought to try to see what the future held. I didn't use my talent very often. I didn't like to use it very much. Alice could read the guilt on my face and she smiled sweetly and reached out for me.
"Don't worry. Silver is going to be fine," she whispered soothingly into my ear as she held me and rubbed my back. I hugged her back tightly. Silver and I really were lucky the day we found her and we all became a family. I couldn't imagine life without our Great Aunt Alice.
Please Review!