Part 2

Charlie rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms, watching as the History classroom slowly filled with students. PT yesterday had been brutal, but she would be lying if she did not slightly enjoy the feeling of sore muscles, the prove of having done something. Her gaze flickered over to the teacher, who appeared to be reading a book. She was curious what his lessons would be like: back in Phoenix, she'd had an awesome teacher, and his love for the subject had motivated her to look into potential courses in University. Should she decide not to return to dancing full time, she would have a plan B.

"Hey Charlie." A brown-haired boy sat down in front of her.

Charlie relaxed her arms back down and looked at his face, squinting her eyes until realization dawned on her.

"Heyo Luke," she said, finger guns out, before her expression turned questioning. "right?"

"Yes," he laughed. "I didn't know you were in this class too?"

"Ah well," Charlie said, shifting in her chair. "I am, I just managed to fall and cause a bloodbath before I even finished my first day. Which means that it's my first history lesson today."

"Cool," Luke smiled. A notification sounded and he returned his attention to his phone.

Charlie, in turn, inspected the desk she was sitting at, snorting at some of the messages that were written on it. The murmurs in the classroom grew softer for a moment when the door slammed shut, but soon everyone back to talking loudly.

Charlie's gaze was pulled away from the desk by some weird force and it landed on a certain blonde, who sat down gracefully in the chair next to hers.

Oh God. That was Rosalie.

Charlie's heart started beating faster, and she cleared her throat quietly, looking away. From the corner of her eye, she could see Rosalie had turned around and was now talking with the other blond – Jasper? – who had taken a seat in the last row.

The lesson started just a minute later, and when Charlie managed to focus back on the teacher, she was sad to discover that his main priority was reciting most of the textbook to them. She took some notes, determined to make the best of it, but she soon started doodling funny figurines in her notebook, unable to keep her attention on the lecture

"You are Charlotte," a wonderful voice stated, rather than asked.

Charlie's eyes shot up from the paper, and a quick scan of the room told her the others were all working in pairs already. Shit, what had she missed?

Returning her gaze to her apparent partner, she nodded. "Uh, yeah, that's me. I usually go by Charlie, though. And you're Rosalie?"

Her eyes trailed up to Rosalie's, her heart skipping a beat when their gazes met. Rosalie's eyes widened almost indiscernibly, body freezing completely. Charlie was not even sure if she was still breathing, but before she could ask, a cough sounded from behind them and shook Rosalie out of her trance.

Rosalie looked at her brother, before settling her focus back on Charlie. "Yes."

Charlie blinked. "Well, uhm, it's nice to meet you."

There was a barely disguised chuckle from the back row as Rosalie nodded once.

"Uhm, well, alright. Let's do this, then?"

Together they bowed over the worksheet they had been handed, and tried to figure out the answers. Charlie was doing everything she could not to stare at Rosalie – her parents had raised her well, and you weren't supposed to stare at people – but she often caught herself doing just that.

There was something about Rosalie that kept pulling her in.

-x-

"Where has your mind gone off to?" her dad asked, hooking his bait onto the line.

Charlie shrugged as she looked at the rippling water, poking one finger down into it. "It's just- I don't know."

"Is everything going alright at school? Do you miss your friends back in Phoenix?"

"No, I mean, I do, but that's not it," Charlie said with a sigh, bringing a hand up to pull at her hair. "There's this girl? And I think I have a crush on her. But a really bad one. A really bad one." She waved her hands around frantically to enunciate her words.

Her dad hummed.

"I can't get her out of my head and it's driving me crazy!" Charlie said.

"Do you know if she feels the same way?"

"No," Charlie groaned. "I don't even know if anyone else in Forks is out as anything other than Straight™." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Wait, I don't think anyone even knows I'm gay."

"They don't?"

"Well, I don't think I told anyone. And it isn't like sexuality is something we regularly discuss during lunch."

"Either way," her dad said, gazing out over the water. "You won't know unless you ask her. But only do it if you feel it's safe."

"Hmm," Charlie nodded. "I'll think about it."

-x-

Charlie's knee bounced nervously, as she tried to persuade herself to actually eat her lunch instead of pulling the bread of her sandwich into smaller pieces.

"You're staring," Anna said, making her jump in her seat.

"What?" Charlie asked, swiveling around.

"You were staring at the Cullens," Anna chuckled. "Who is it that has caught your eye? Let me guess… is it Edward?"

Charlie could see her incredulous look surprised Anna. "What? Oh god no! His broody face would make me depressed for days. A perfect fit for my sister, maybe, but definitely not for me."

"Then who?"

Charlie chanced another glance at the Cullen table and sighed, laying her head down on her arms. "Rosalie is so beautiful."

"Yeah, I know," Anna said, before a look of realization came over her. "Oh wait, you mean-"

"I really want to ask her out. But I think she would turn me down. What do you think?" Charlie asked.

"Oh, uhm, I don't know?" Anna answered.

"What are we talking about?" Meghan butted in."

"Charlie is crushing on our resident Ice Queen," Anna explained, patting Charlie good-naturedly on the head.

"Ooh, you should ask her to go on a date with you," Meghan said, nodding. "And if she turns you down, Forks High will just have one more thing to gossip about."

"Lovely," Charlie groaned, sitting up straight in her chair. "That's really reassuring, Megs."

-x-

"You should definitely do it!"

Charlie frowned. "Are you sure?"

Her mom smiled, her image blurring on the screen for a second as she moved to find a spot to sit in the living room.

"Very sure. You won't know how she feels if you won't give it a chance."

"But I barely know her," Charlie said, pulling a face. "Isn't that too soon? Shouldn't we like, get to know each other first?"

"Isn't that what going on a date is all about?" her mother challenged. "Learning about each other as you explore your feelings?"

Charlie's look turned pensive. "I think you may have a point there."

"Well, whatever you do, let me know! I want all the details," her mom said, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Charlie laughed. "I'm going to end this call, I should start on my homework. Love you!"

-x-

"Uh, Rosalie?" Charlie asked tentatively as the students flitted out of the classroom. Her heart was beating so loudly she was surprised no one could hear it.

"Yes?" Rosalie said, turning around from where she was packing her bag.

"Uh, would you," – Charlie licked her lips – "would you maybe go out with me some time? On a date?"

A soft smile flickered on Rosalie's face before she schooled her features. "No. I'm sorry, though."

"Oh," Charlie said, a hint of disappointment seeping into her mood, her chest feeling ever so slightly tighter. "Well, that's okay."

Rosalie sent Charlie a smile that stopped time for a minute. It was gone as soon as it had come, as Rosalie picked up her bag and left the classroom, joining her brother who stood waiting in the doorway.

-x-

"She likes you," Cass said when they were sitting in Spanish class the next hour, her eyes wide.

Charlie frowned, twirling her pen around with a flick of her fingers. "No, she doesn't. Don't you understand that she just turned me down? As in, she doesn't want to go on a date?"

"She did," Cass acknowledges. "But she did it so nicely! Telling you no is like the nicest way of letting you down. Do you think you're the first one to ask her out? Lots have tried and she totally destroyed them."

"Huh," Charlie said, halting her movements. "That's kind of interesting."

"I told you," Cass sang. "She likes you."

-x-

"Hey Bella!"

"Hi Charlie."

"How are you doing? Did anything interesting happen since I've been gone?"

"No, not really. It's very boring here."

Charlie laughed, laying back on her bed, looking at the patterns on the ceiling.

"And what about you? How are things in Forks with Dad?"

"Things are cool here, and Dad's lovely. He's been driving me to school and PT, so we've spent quite a bit of time together these past few weeks. We went fishing last weekend."

"Of course you did." Charlie could hear Bella chuckle. "What else would you have done? Anyway, are the people in school nice?"

"They're kind of great, actually. I made a few casual friends already, which was easier than I expected since I was the center of attention when I arrived, since nothing quite literally ever happens here. Oh, and I tried to ask this girl out, but she turned me down."

"Awh, poor you. Is she pretty?"

"Yeah," Charlie sighed. "She is really beautiful, and kind, too, though she's a bit guarded. Just like the rest of her family. Oh! There's this guy, a brother of hers, who would totally be your type! He's all broody and pretty and stuff."

"What?"

"Just as depressing as you," she finished, teasing.

"Oh well, about that…" her sister trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Uhm, I have a date with Joseph next week?"

Charlie shot upright. "Isabella! How did you not tell me this immediately? That's amazing!

"I know."

Charlie could practically see the blush spreading across Bella's cheeks.

"Well, it's good to know that at least one of our love lives is progressing," Charlie said dramatically.

It was silent for a few seconds before they both burst out laughing.

-x-

"Hi," Charlie said to Rosalie, who sat down in her usual seat.

The hint of a smile that broke through Rosalie's stoic mask was enough to make her heart beat faster.

"Hello."

"How, uh, was your weekend?"

"It was alright," Rosalie answered. "Thank you for asking. Me and my family went hiking."

"Cool," Charlie grinned. "I used to do that in summer when I visited him with my sister. Lots of good trails up here."

Rosalie nodded. "Yes. What about you?"

Charlie frowned. "What, uh, do you mean?"

Rosalie's lip twitched ever so slightly. "How was your weekend?"

"Oh," Charlie said in understanding, her face warming up with embarrassment. "It was good. Me and my dad went to our first cooking class, which was a lot of fun.

Rosalie's look was encouraging, and she continued. "Neither me or my dad is a very good cook, and I decided we should learn how to make some meals if we don't want to keep eating take-out. It was a bit funny, though, because the class we took was mostly filled with overly sweet middle-aged couples, and well, me and my dad obviously don't fit that standard."

"It sounds like you had an interesting time for sure," Rosalie said, tilting her head.

-x-

"What are you trying to do?"

Charlie jumped and nearly let the hammer slip out of her hand at the sudden voice. She twirled around and found her dad standing in the doorway of her bedroom with a curious expression.

"I'm hanging up some pictures!

Her dad hummed, pulling up his eyebrows. "And are they supposed to be crooked like that?"

Charlie sent him a glare. "They're not crooked."

"Kiddo, I need to turn my head sideways to properly look at them."

Charlie groaned, stepping back from the wall to notice that her dad might be slightly right. Just slightly though.

"Well, if you know it so well, why don't you come and help me?"

Her dad grinned. "I'm glad you asked. I'd rather not pull a muscle in my neck any time I look at this wall."

Charlie stuck her tongue out at him. "You suck."

-x-

Charlie slammed the door of her locker shut and turned around, only to bump into someone else.

"Sorry!" she said, stepping back to let the other person pass.

"It's alright!" the short girl replied with a grin, hand smoothing down her flowy blue dress. "It was my fault too, I should've looked out."

Charlie smiled back and was about to move on when the girl spoke up. "Oh, you must be Charlie!"

Charlie nodded. "Yep, that's me. And you are" – she cocked her head – "Alex?"

"It's Alice, actually," Alice answered, laughing. "But you were close enough."

"Ah, Alice," Charlie said, remembering now. "A Cullen!"

"Correct," Alice nodded.

"Cool," Charlie answered. There was an awkward silence in the air for a few seconds before Charlie moved her hand to the strap of the backpack that was slung over her shoulder, pulling it higher. "Well, I'm gonna go on my way. It was nice to meet you, Alice."

"See you around!"

-x-

"Guess what?" Charlie said to her dad as pulled the door of the car shut.

"What?"

"I can start going to dance class again!" she said excitedly. "Not at the same level I used to be at, obviously, but I can start again! Tim gave me the OK!"

Her dad smiled. "I'm very happy for you. Have you already looked for schools in the area? Or should we take some time to figure that out when we get back home?"

"Jasmine said she'd send me some recommendations when I got the green light. She's going to be so happy when I tell her I can start training again!"

"It seems like we have something to celebrate," her dad nodded with a grin. "How about we stop by the diner to have dinner?"

"Great idea," Charlie agreed, eyes shining with happiness.

-x-

"You seem happier than usual," Rosalie commented offhandedly when they were working together in History later that week.

"Oh," Charlie breathed. "My Physical Therapist finally gave me the OK to start training again for dance. I got injured during a performance a while back, so I had to take a break from the heavy training. Was a bit depressing."

"You're a dancer?" Rosalie asked, surprise in her eyes.

"Yeah," Charlie nodded, twirling her pen around with her fingers. "I've been dancing since I was very little, maybe five, or six? I competed a lot with my partner these past few years."

Rosalie hummed, before their attention was pulled to the front of the class as the teacher announced an upcoming project on the Second World War. The classroom was soon filled with tortured groans, and even Charlie, who used to love projects like these, could not bring herself to be excited to write a report.

"Do you want to partner up?"

Charlie's eyes widened and she turned her head towards Rosalie. "Uhm, yeah, sure, uh, I mean, I'd love to."

"Good."

Maybe this project was not that bad after all.

-x-

"We should get together this weekend," Rosalie said during the next History lesson. "If we get an early start we won't have to stress out for the deadline."

"Sounds like a plan," Charlie agreed, giving Rosalie a thumbs up. "Where do you want to meet?"

"I thought we could do this at my house," Rosalie answered. "My father has quite an extensive library, and we could make use of the information we find there. Teachers love it when you use books instead of just the internet these days.

Charlie smiled. "That's true. I think I know where you live, so that's good." A frown crossed her face. "Okay, that sounded creepy, even to me."

Rosalie let out a short laugh, startling the students near them. "It is fine, I understand what you are trying to say."

"Well, it's a date then!" Charlie said excitedly, before hastily correcting, "A study date, I mean, not an actual date, not that that's bad, but, well-"

"You are rambling," Rosalie interrupted, her tone almost… teasing?

Charlie's face flushed. "Yes, yes I am."

-x-

"Thanks Dad! I'll give you a call once I'm done here," Charlie said, before slamming the door of the car shut and looking up, really looking up at the ginormous house in front of her for the first time. And when she said ginormous, she meant it: who on earth has a house as big as this? And in tiny Forks? The Cullens must be loaded.

Nervously checking the time on her phone, Charlie saw she was just a few minutes early. Squaring her shoulders, she made her way over to the porch, climbing up the steps leading to the front door. Her finger came up to press the doorbell, and before long she could hear the muted sounds of the shrill ring echoing through the hallway.

Only seconds later the door opened, revealing a gorgeous woman. A smile broke out on her face as her eyes met Charlie's and she pushed the door open further.

"Hello darling, you must be Charlie!"

"Uhm, yes, that's me," Charlie answered with a nod.

"Come on in! It is so nice to meet you, Rosalie has told us all about you. I'm Esme, by the way."

Charlie followed Esme into the house, watching as she called upstairs for Rosalie. Would Rosalie even be able to hear that in a house this big?

It turned out that yes, Rosalie could hear Esme perfectly fine, as she soon came down the stairs. Her attire was a lot more casual than what Charlie usually saw her wearing at school, and for some reason it took her breath away.

"Hey," Charlie greeted, eyes stuck on Rosalie.

"Hello," Rosalie said. "Welcome. Let's go upstairs, none of my siblings will be in our way then."

Charlie toed her shoes off, leaving them underneath the coat rack, shrugging her jacket off to put it there too. "Lead me the way."

Rosalie's room was at the very end of the house, and it had a perfect view of the forest.

"Wow," Charlie breathed, moving over to the floor to ceiling window. "This is amazing."

Rosalie took a seat on the king-sized bed in the center of the room. The furniture was all made of a dark-toned wood, not something Charlie would have thought to be a fit for Rosalie at the first glance. However, as she turned back to face Rosalie, she suddenly realized that there was nothing more fitting.

Rosalie's features were relaxed instead of guarded, the contrast almost striking. The cozy atmosphere the room exuded had Charlie relaxing too, all nervousness she had previously felt about spending time together with her unrequited crush slowly ebbing away.

Rosalie moved to sit cross-legged on the bed and looked pointedly at Charlie, who took the unspoken invitation and climbed up onto the bed, sitting opposite of Rosalie. One hand came up to pull at her hair under the heavy gaze. Her eyes shot up to meet the golden gaze and a smile tugged at her lips.

"So, where should we start?"

-x-

"Oh my god," Charlie said, her eyes wide. "How on earth does someone even end up with this many books?"

Rosalie brushed past her into the room the Cullens – rightfully so – called their library. "Both Carlisle and Jasper are avid readers, and even Edward likes to pull open a book every once in a while. A lot of these copies we inherited from the earlier Cullens."

"My sister would go absolutely crazy if she saw this," Charlie commented, still in awe, following Rosalie

"She lives in Phoenix?"

"Yeah," Charlie nodded. "She still lives with Mom, though she wanted to come with me when I first mentioned I wanted to move to Forks. She loves books, especially the classics for some reason. You wouldn't believe how many rants I've had to listen to."

"I think I can imagine," Rosalie said dryly.

"Right," Charlie said

"Anyway," Rosalie continued, walking over to the far-right corner and starting to pull several books from the shelves. "These should all be fitting to our subject. Come, hold this for me."

They both loaded their arms full and made their way over to the kitchen, which was now empty of people. Charlie was glad she did not have to climb back up all those stairs with everything in her arms. Especially since it seemed like some of these books were priceless.

"Where do we start?" Charlie said, looking helplessly at the big pile of books. While they had made a list to plan out what their report would contain, there was a lot of material right in front of them and she definitely did not feel like reading through all of them. It would take her weeks, if not months to finish all of that.

"Hmm," Rosalie said, gaze scanning everything that lay on the table. "Let me get Jasper, I think he has read most of these. Maybe he can point out some relevant chapters."

She disappeared upstairs and returned with Jasper in tow.

"Hey," Charlie greeted.

"Good afternoon," Jasper said.

Rosalie was right about Jasper's knowledge, and Charlie watched in amazement as he picked up the books and easily found them the pages with usable information. She helped Rosalie to mark all of them and thanked Jasper for his help.

"No problem," he said with an easy smile. "I am glad I could help."

Once Jasper had gone back upstairs, Charlie turned to Rosalie. "Wouldn't he have rather partnered up with you? Who is he working with, anyway?"

"He doesn't mind," Rosalie answered with a shake of her head. "And he's working on his own on this project, our class has an uneven number of students. Besides, he is a true history nerd, if you did not understand that from his choice of reading material. It's handy to talk with him when you need help, but he is too much of a perfectionist for me to work together with without going crazy."

"I get that," Charlie nodded.

-x-

The parking lot was nearly empty and Charlie's patience had slowly morphed into impatience, a feeling of foreboding creeping up on her as she walked around, waiting for her dad to pick her up. Fiddling with the strap of the sports bag she held in her hand, she stared humming the song that was stuck in her head, looking around for any sign of the approaching cruiser. He should have been here long ago, and he was always on time. She had tried to call him a few times, and she could not help but worry about why he did not pick up.

Just when she had decided to walk up to the office to see if they had maybe heard something from the police, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

Charlie's shoulders sagged in relief when she heard her dad's voice on the other side of the line. Worrying her lip between her teeth, she listened as he apologized and explained he had been called in to a major accident on the road to the reservation.

"I'm really, really sorry, but I can't leave now."

"I understand," Charlie sighed, disappointment washing over her. "Don't sweat it, I'll call the dancing school to tell them I won't be in today. Better luck next time."

The call with her dad soon ended as he had to get back to work. Charlie shoved her phone into the pocket of her bomber jacket, zipping it up. Running a hand through her hair, she closed her eyes and tried to deal with the disappointment

It was not the end of the world, and much worse things could have happened, things she did not even want to think about. Instead, she tried to focus on the fact that her dad was safe, just busy, and she could always join dance class another day. No matter how much she had been looking forward to this, it was not the most important thing in life right now. It had been just that for more than a decade, but since her injury she'd had time to review the choices she had made and she now actually understood there were worse things than not being able to dance.

Besides, she had gone months without dancing practice, what was another day?

Charlie finally left the school parking lot, pulling her headphones from her backpack and pushing shuffle on one of the playlists Joseph had made her before she had left. Nodding her head to the beat, she imagined the way she would move to the music when she got the time and started walking at a firm pace.

About ten minutes into the walk, as she passed the Newton's store, a bright red car pulled up next to her, slowing down before coming to a stop at the side of the road. The window rolled down and Charlie quickly took her headphones off, hanging them around her neck.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I had to wait for Emmett to finish talking with Coach Clapp," Rosalie said, one hand on the steering wheel as she nodded towards Emmett in the passenger's seat. "And I could ask the same to you. Are you not supposed to be at your dancing class right now?"

"You remembered that?" Charlie asked, surprised. A pointed look from Rosalie answered her – unnecessary – question. "Well, yes, but my dad was supposed to take me there and he got stuck at his job. Car accident or something."

"Where is the dancing school?" Rosalie asked.

"Port Angeles.

Rosalie nodded and seemingly made up her mind. "Get in the car."

Charlie frowned. "Why? What do you mean?"

"You want to dance," Rosalie said. "So, you're going to dance. Get in the car, I'm taking you to Port Angeles."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Wait, actually? You've got to be joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Rosalie asked, raising her brows. "I have never been more serious. Now, jump on in unless you want to be late."

Charlie did not have to think twice to follow Rosalie's instructions and she climbed into the backseat, buckling her seatbelt. "I can't thank you enough."

"No problem," Rosalie said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

"And hey Emmett, nice to see you again," Charlie said.

Emmett grinned. "Back at you. Though I must admit you do look a lot better when you're not covered in blood."

Charlie burst out laughing. "I think I'll agree with you on that one."

She looked up at the building with a mix of trepidation and excitement.

"We will pick you up when you are done," Rosalie said, leaning against the car. "Or would you like us to come inside?"

Charlie thought about it for a second, but soon shook her head. "No, I think it's best if I do this on my own."

"Of course," Rosalie said with a nod. "Good luck, then. And have fun.

Charlie watched as the red BMW drove back onto the street and took a deep breath, trying to up her courage to walk in. She did not know why she was feeling so hesitant, she had been looking forward to this moment ever since she first had to take a break from her rigorous training. But now that she was actually here, and the moment had arrived, she found herself having to break through an invisible barrier that was stopping her from moving forward.

With a last deep breath, she finally stepped up to the door and pushed it open, taking a first good look around. The smell that assaulted her senses was not what you would call pleasant, but the familiarity of it was a bit comforting. It was surprisingly quiet inside, other than for the rhythmic sound of the receptionist typing on her keyboard.

"Hey?" Charlie asked, stepping up to the counter.

The receptionist looked up. "Good afternoon! What can I help you with?"

"I'm looking for Frances? Do you know where I can find her?"

"Ah, of course," the receptionist nodded with a friendly smile. "You must be Charlotte, Frances said you'd be in earlier today."

Charlie smiled in response.

"Well," the receptionist continued. "If you walk straight that way, and turn left, you should find the dressing room. You can access the dance studio through there."

"Oh, thank you!" Charlie said.

"No problem. Good luck today!"

With the instructions Charlie easily found her way to the dressing room and she quickly changed into the leggings and shirt she had packed earlier that day. It was very silent, with no other dancers around, but in a way Charlie was grateful for the calm surroundings. She did not know how well she would have coped with this entire thing if the dressing room had been filled with people.

Once finished, she opened the door slightly and peeked inside, pushing it open fully when she spotted a somewhat familiar-looking woman next to the sound installation. Charlie stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind her, catching the attention of the woman.

"Hi!" she said, standing up from where she had been sitting on the ground. "Charlotte, right? It's so nice to meet you, I'm Frances."

Charlie walked forward and shook Frances's hand. "Call me Charlie! It's nice to meet you too."

She opened the door slightly and peeked inside, opening it fully when she spotted a familiar woman next to the sound installation. She stepped inside, letting the door fall shut behind her, catching the attention of the woman.

"Welcome to our wonderful studio," Frances said, motioning dramatically to her surroundings. "It's a great place, best in the area, for sure. You're from Forks, right?"

Charlie nodded, but could not help but frown at the familiar way Frances moved around. "You don't happen to be family of Cassandra in any way, do you?"

"I am," Frances said surprised. "Cass is my little sister. I'm impressed you figured that out already."

Charlie smiled. "You're alike."

"I've heard that before, yes," Frances said with a laugh. "Anyway, why don't we get on with a warming up and a bit of stretching, before we take a look at what we can best do to build up from where you are at now?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Charlie nodded.

-x-

"Oof." Charlie let out a breath as she climbed into Rosalie's car before sitting back and closing her eyes. It was silent for a bit until Charlie's stomach let out a growl. Embarrassed she sat upright and buckled her seatbelt

"Let's get you something to eat," Rosalie said decisively.

"Oh, that really isn't necessary," Charlie protested. "I can wait until I get home."

"It is no problem for us to stop by a restaurant." When Charlie still did not look convinced, she rephrased, "I- we would like to take you out, alright?"

"Okay," Charlie finally agreed, glad for Rosalie's offer as the idea of having food soon crept to the forefront of her mind. It had been way too long since she had properly worked out, and she had forgotten how hungry it always made her. "Thank you."

"No problem," Rosalie answered. "I think I know just the place."

She stoically looked forward as she maneuvered the car onto the street, not reacting to Emmett's surprised look.

Just about ten minutes later they arrived at a small restaurant near the edge of Port Angeles. Charlie spotted the bright red letters on the front which spelled out the name of the restaurant and a smile broke through her exhaustion.

"I've got to take a picture of this," she mumbled, patting her jacket's pocket for her phone. Pulling it out, she quickly snapped a picture and set the image through, typing a short message to accompany it.

Emmett and Rosalie were watching her with curiosity, and Charlie cleared her throat awkwardly when she looked back up and realized how weird she must have looked without any context.

"My sister's name is Bella," she explained, pointing to the sign saying 'Bella Italia'. "I thought it was funny you took me here. I let her know she now has a restaurant that was name after her. It's kind of lame, I know."

Emmett laughed, whereas Rosalie just shook her head with a roll of her eyes, though her lips quirked up ever so slightly. "Let's go inside."

It was not busy at all inside, and a server soon came up to them to point them to a table near the window. They all ordered something to drink, and the server returned with three menus.

"Hmm," Charlie hummed, scanning through her menu. "What are you guys going to have?"

"Nothing."

Charlie looked up at Rosalie. "Nothing? Aren't you guys hungry?"

"We had some early dinner before we picked you back up," Emmett said. "We got hungry while waiting."

"Owh," Charlie nodded. "But do you really not mind that I am-"

Rosalie's pointed look cut off her sentence. "We already told you we wanted to take you here. Now quit asking questions and pick something to eat."

Charlie ended up ordering some vegetarian lasagna and they talked about some light things as they waited for her food to be made.

"So, vegetarian, huh?" Emmett asked, sitting back in his chair with a glint of something unreadable in his eyes. "Just not feeling meat today, or…?

"No, that's not it." Charlie shook her head. "I've been a vegetarian since I was twelve. My mom had another obsession, this time with vegetarian cooking and I took to it. I also saw some videos that really messed me up, and I decided to stop eating meat."

"Nice, we're vegetarians too," Emmett said, which earned him a warning look form Rosalie.

"Really?" Charlie said, surprised. "All of you?"

"Yep," he nodded. "Carlisle really values life and it kind of stuck with all of us."

"Cool."

The server arrived with a steaming plate of lasagna and Charlie was practically drooling by the time it was placed on the table in front of her. With an "enjoy your meal" the server disappeared and Charlie dug in.

Damn, after a hectic day like this one, that shit tasted good as fuck.

-x-

With a wave of goodbye Charlie watched as the red BMW turned out of their driveway. Her eyes tracked it until she could no longer see it and then she finally walked up to the door. The cruiser was still not in the driveway, meaning her dad was not home yet and she would have the house to herself for a while.

She fumbled with her keys before finally getting the door unlocked and pushing it open, leaving the keys on the dresser next to the coat rack. Humming along to the song that was stuck in her head, she made her way over to the kitchen, pulling out her phone to check if she had any new messages.

"Hello."

Charlie let out a shrill scream, her heart jumping in her chest as her eyes shot up to the offender. "Leah! You idiot! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Calm down, you exaggerating weirdo," Leah said, sticking her tongue out, her legs swinging back and forth from her spot on top of the counters. "It wasn't that bad."

"Not that bad?" Charlie scoffed. "You scared the living daylights out of me! What on earth are you doing here anyway?"

"I thought I would come and say hi to my childhood friend, since said friend has not been around to see me in the few months she has been back in Forks."

"And you decided you would best do that at" – Charlie glanced at the clock – "half past nine in the evening?"

"Yep," Leah nodded, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"I hate you," Charlie groaned. "I love you, but I hate you because I was really looking forward to taking a nice and relaxing shower."

"Sorry." Leah shrugged in a way that said she was definitely not.

"Well," Charlie said, dragging a hand through her hair. "Now that you're here, would you like some tea? Or… hot cocoa?"

A grin spread across Leah's face. "I'd love that."

They settled themselves on the couch in the living room with steaming mugs and a package of cookies Charlie had pulled out of the pantry. It did not take long for them to catch up on what had happened since the last time that Charlie had visited Forks, and they soon found themselves back in that place of easy conversation and lots of laughter.

She had missed this.

A/N: I'm back with another part for you today :) I hope you enjoyed reading it! There's still 4 more full-length parts coming up, as well as two short scenes at the end. I hope you'll leave me a review to tell me what you think!

- Laura