So. Much. Thinking.
I had recently acquired quite a bit to think about. What had happened to my previously quiet, happy life? A lot, and it didn't look like there was going to be a change back. I had the thoughts of Jake to mull over, and now the prospect that my Mother had just given me. I hadn't even told Charlie that I was suspended yet. I wondered how he'd take it, considering the recent turn of events today. Did I want to move in with Renee? I barely knew the woman.
Repressed rage fired up at the thought of how she had left Dad and I to go frolic and have her own life, not tied down to anything. How could she leave her only daughter? At the same time, Phoenix sounded gorgeous, and the prospect of having a motherly figure in my life made it sound so nice. I wanted it at that moment.
I heard the door open downstairs and a gruff voice speaking. I heard Charlie's respond and footsteps up the door. My door swung open, and before my eyes could register, Jake was on his knees by at my feet.
"Bella, I heard when I was going to come in. It can't be true though. You wouldn't, would you?" Jake pleaded, his eyes sad.
"Jake...what?" I asked as he took my hands in his.
"You can't go. I mean, if you did go, I'd go with you. But I don't want you to go." He said. His eyes seemed to be shining with unshed tears.
"I don't understand what you're talking about." I replied, confused.
"Phoenix. You can't." He said, and wrapped his arms around me. Oh, he had...heard? The wolf hearing, something said. My stomach dropped.
"Phoenix." I whispered.
"Are you going?" He tilted his head to look up at me.
"No." I replied, and with that it was decided. I didn't have to think on it, I had a perfect life here. In Forks. I wouldn't want to mess that up to go spend time with someone who walked out on me years ago. Jake let out a long breath of air.
"Thank God." He said under his breath. "But maybe you should tell your mom. I think she's got Charlie convinced that you're leaving today.
"I guess I should." I replied, sighing. I got up and walked downstairs, Jake on my heels. I realized that I had only been up there for about half an hour, but it turned out, all I'd needed was to see the loss in Jake's face to know whether or not I'd stay.
When I arrived in the kitchen, Renee was talking at Charlie, excited and chatty, while Charlie was slumped in his chair looking defeated. They both looked up when I arrived, Renee's face excited, while Charlie's sad.
"Bella!" Renee bubbled. "I was just telling your dad about the beautiful landscape and dryness of Phoenix. He knows you'll love it." Charlie cleared his throat at this, looking like that wasn't at all what he knew, and looked away, taking a huge swig out of his beer.
"Yeah, it's funny that you're still talking about that, because I-" I started.
"I know! You're going to love it there. You'll get a tan, and away from that pale skin." Renee cut me off. "We have the cutest little house, and you'll have more of a chance to meet real people at the big high school out there. The crime rate is pretty low, and I know you wouldn't get into trouble. We'd go to the beach every day!"
"Yeah, that sounds great, but I-" I tried to say again.
"I knew you'd be more than happy to come with me, and get away from this small dinky town, and into a new life." Renee kept prattling on about how great Phoenix was, and the same anger that made me punch Lauren flared up again, she was talking about my roots again. I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Excuse me Renee, if I may. Bella actually has something she wants to say." Jacob's voice rang out, deeper than usual and demanding power. Renee stopped in her tracks and stared a Jake, and it was then I realized, looking back at Jake as well, that to someone who didn't know him, he looked dangerous. I almost laughed out loud at the thought, but the way his stance was stopped me. He was almost crouched around me, his deep brown eyes dark and his muscles tense. I put a hand up at them to soften his anger.
"Jacob Black, it's been years. How have you been?" Renee asked, appraising Jake. "My, you've grown into quite the young man, Sarah and Billy must be some proud."
Jake visibly flinched at the mention of his mother, and I wanted to kick Renee. It was something that we just didn't talk about, and Renee should have known that. Of course she didn't though, she hasn't been around.
"Thank you." Jake said through clenched teeth. "Now if you'll listen to Bella." Jake poked my the small of my back with a big finger.
"Renee, it's not that all of that doesn't sound nice, it's just that Forks is home." I started, but once again Renee cut me off.
"Oh I know you love Forks, honey. But you can start a new life in Phoenix, I can guarantee that you'll love it, a better home..."
"Renee." Jake growled. Renee stopped and stared up a Jake, as he probably looked ferocious by this point.
"I want to stay in Forks. I'm nearing the end of school, and I don't want to start somewhere new. I just made a move to Forks, I don't want to go anywhere farther from the Reservation." I finally got out. I let out a sigh of relief that she didn't interrupt me again. I didn't think Jake could handle his temper with that. Charlie looked visibly relieved as well, and I thought I saw a hint of a smile.
"But Bella, it would be a better life, and you'd be with me, don't you want to spend time with your own mother? How could you do that?" Renee pulled her eyebrows up into a forlorn expression. I couldn't believe that she actually had the audacity to go there.
"Are you kidding me Renee?" I asked incredulously. "I can't believe that you'd leave a small child, alone and motherless and not show up until yeeeeaaarss later to give her guilt about not going to somewhere new to live with you when she has made a life here." I was almost yelling, and my hands were flailing uselessly. Jake tried to put a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.
"Well, Bella. I'll just leave you a little while to think about it. I'm staying in the motel on the other side of town, so I'll come back after you've thought it completely through and we'll talk about it further." Renee clasped her hands together, looking at me fondly, even though she had no right to do so. She stepped forward and gave me an awkward kiss on the forehead before saying goodbye to everyone and leaving.
Charlie sighed and sagged down further into his seat. Jake and I sat down at the table with him. I dropped my head into my hand and looked at Charlie.
"Boy, will you grab me another beer out of the fridge?" Charlie asked Jake, pointing to the refrigerator. Jake got up easily, loping over to the fridge and opened it, grabbing two beers out, and sitting back down. He cracked one open and raised it to his mouth before Charlie grabbed it.
"Thanks for opening it for me." Charlie said, taking a drink. They both chuckled.
"Chief I was thinking I could have one." Jake joked, Charlie grabbed the other one, pulling it towards him.
"I don't think so minor." He grinned.
"So what's with?" I asked, causing Charlie to put his beer back on the table.
"What?" Charlie asked absently.
"Why was Renee here?" I asked.
"Obviously to try to coerce you into moving out of here and in with her." Charlie replied, shrugging. I sank back into my seat, suddenly remembering the note in my back pocket, and figuring I should show Charlie, I pulled it out. After the stress of that attack by Renee, this should be a good time to show him.
"Here. This is for you." I said, heaving the note at him.
"What...?" Charlie asked, unfolding it and reading it. Once he finished, he looked up at me, eyebrows raised. "You got suspended for a week out of school...? For punching a girl in the face?"
"Bells." Jake whistled.
"Dad, you have to..." Now he was the one cutting me off.
"Bella, you can't go around thinking that you can just punch girls in the face. This is terrible behaviour for a daughter of the Chief of Police! How do you think this is going to look on me? It's going to look like I can't raise you, or didn't do a good enough job alone." Charlie's voice got very low as he said this. "I'm so disappointed."
"You don't understand Dad." I mumbled, looking at him.
"What don't I understand? You punched a girl in the face, at lunch time. Did I raise you to be a fighter? Did I do something wrong? I thought I told you hitting people was a bad thing to do! Why did you do it?"
"Dad!" I raised my voice exasperatedly. All the stress of today was really getting to me. "I couldn't just sit there and let her make fun of the Reservation, me, Jake, or you! What, did you expect me to lay down and take her bullying further?" Charlie didn't reply, his eyebrows were hidden under the wisps of hair covering his forehead, his eyes wide.
"You were...defending me?" He asked, his eyes crinkling.
"Yes. I couldn't just have her doing that. That's why I got suspended." I replied. I hadn't realized that I had stood back up, I sat back down in my chair slowly.
"That sounds like a legitimate reason. I'm sorry I freaked out. I just never thought that anything like this would happen raising you." His eyes were still wide with surprise. "I'm not going to ground you for something that she deserved. But I expect that this will never happen again. If it does, take it to the administration."
"It won't happen again Dad." I said, shaking my head and looking down at my lap.
"Chief," Jake said after a few moments, very softly. "Would it be okay if I took Bella down to La Push?" I looked up, trying to catch Jake's eye questioningly, but he was looking at Dad.
"Yes, you kids go have fun." He said tiredly, waving us away. Jake took my hand and started leading me to the door.
"Bella." Charlie called quietly just as we reached the doorway.
"Yeah Dad?" I replied, turning and looking at him.
"Thank you." He mouthed. I nodded, smiling at him before turning and leaving with Jake.