Chapter 12: Jacksonville
Bella POV:
I woke up and looked outside my bedroom window. Jikes, it was raining again. Meaning it was sweater weather. Or you could say, just a normal day in Forks, Washington. I did not want to get up this early so instead, I grabbed my phone. Jake would´ve for sure answered me by now. Or at least, that's what I thought. I opened our chat and saw nothing.
Heh? This was madness. I wasn't even that mean to him yesterday, right? He could not still be mad at me for that little outburst, right? Oh no, I really did not want to fight one of my best friends. Maybe I could cancel being grounded for one day. I only had to convince Charlie. If I told him I needed to see Jacob since we had a fight, he would love to drive me to their house, I was sure of it.
With a newfound motivation for the day, I jumped out of my bed. I quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and put on a blue blouse. I walked towards the bathroom and washed my face. I put on some lip balm and a fresh coat of mascara. Operation begging Charlie to drive me to Jacob´s house could begin.
I walked down the stairs and did not see Charlie. He must have already left then. New plan, maybe I could ask him after school. Oh wait, how do I get to school then? I´m still grounded and not allowed to drive. I was eating my cereal and contemplating taking the bus to school when the doorbell rang. I swear, if this was a Cullen, he wouldn't live to see that day. I rushed over to the door, opened it to find…
´Jake!´ I exclaimed happily. Before I could think it through, I pulled him into a tight embrace. ´I´m so sorry, Jakey,´ I said to him, still nearly crushing his bones with the force of my hug.
´Woah Bells, what's gotten into you?´ He awkwardly patted my back in return. I guess we never really hugged this long before. and maybe it's because I´ve known Jacob since we were both kids, but this hug felt extremely comfortable. It wasn't weird. There wasn't any tension, it was just plain comfortable. The complete opposite of hugging Edward actually. I was always a little bit afraid to push Edward´s limits, not allowing myself to hug him fully, afraid that the inevitable would happen. He made my heartbeat quicken, made my palms sweaty and made my thoughts go mushy. Jacob was different. He wasn't ice cold, to begin with, and my body easily melted into his.
I stopped hugging him, took a step back and looked at him. I guess he felt a little bit embarrassed, as he avoided eye contact and looked down at his feet.
´What are you doing here?´ I asked him. He looked up and smiled again.
´I´m giving you a ride to school, Charlie said it was fine.´ He pointed at the car behind him. I hadn't even noticed the bright red Peugeot 208. Woah, that was a nice ride. Better than the one that was crushed in the accident.
´Since when do you have a new car?´
´I don´t. I could borrow Sam´s car since mine is practically dead. You remember Sam, right?´
´Tall guy, long black hair and brown eyes? It rings a bell,´ I said with a wink. Since Jacob and I began hanging out, I´ve met a few of his friends. They basically all looked alike; tall and handsome young men with long, dark hair. Jessica would have even called them ´totally hot.´ I didn't mind hanging out with them.
´That's the one. Now, hop in. I don't want to anger Charlie any further.´ We both got into the car and he drove away. We were lost in thought until I remembered Jacob mentioning Charlie.
´So, how did you convince my dad to give me a ride?´ I asked him. ´I´m still grounded and your car is dead.´
Jacob took a deep breath before he spoke; ´Bells, promise me you won't get mad?´
´I'm intrigued, Jake. Spill it out already.´ He sure knew how to grab my attention. Why would I get mad?
´First, promise me.´
´Fine, I´ll promise.´ This was getting annoying, I was so curious!
´Okay, well… Charlie felt bad for telling Billy about The Return Of The Cullens,´ he said in a dramatic, cinematographic tone. I smiled at him, encouraging him to continue. ´And well… I don't know how to tell you this.´
´Just say it. Please, pretty please?´ I had to keep the annoyance out of my tone.
´Alright,´ Jacob quickly continued. ´Edward has given you two flight tickets for your 18th birthday, right? They are expiring soon. Charlie called the airline company to ask if they could change his name… Into mine. So we could get to Jacksonville this weekend. As a little surprise trip, what do you think?
´Has Charlie really arranged this behind my back?´ I was shocked, to say the least. Quiet Charlie saw I was down for a few days and wanted to cheer me up because he felt bad. I felt my throat tighten and had to fight back tears. How sweet of him!
´Please don't be mad at Charlie, he only wanted you to have a little fun,´ Jacob mistook my quietness for anger. He nervously looked at me, to see how I reacted to all of this.
´Oh Jacob, I´m not mad. I´m so excited. We´re going to Jacksonville together,´ I exclaimed. Realisation suddenly kicked in. Jacob and I were going to Jacksonville! This weekend! Sun, beach, Florida! Jacob was startled by my sudden outburst. His eyes got wide in shock before an immense grin took over his face. He had to laugh with me and he looked instantly relaxed. Did they really think I would get mad over this? This was one of the nicest surprises I ever got. I had to thank Charlie for this.
I took my phone out of my backpack and called Charlie. He picked up and I started screaming; ´Thank you, Dad! Jake just told me the news. Thank you so much!´
He was quiet before I heard the smile in his voice; ´Oh well Bells, I´m happy you like it so much. I'm sure you both have a wonderful time together. I´ll pick you up after school, okay?´
After thanking him some more, I hung up. I turned to face Jake.
´You´re such a sneaky one, you know that? Telling me not to get mad. I thought for sure something bad had happened.´
´I really did not know how you would react, Bells. I mean, you were a little bit on edge with this whole Edward thing. Not that I blame you,´ he quickly added because I wanted to interrupt him. ´Charlie felt really bad about it. He wants you to have a good time there, Bells. And I might want to meet the infamous Renee,´ he ended with a wink. I couldn't wait to introduce my best friend to my mother. Oh, this was all so exciting.
´You´re going to love it there. We must go to the beach. There is an amazing little restaurant which serves the best milkshakes I´ve ever had. Oh, I cannot wait. When are we leaving again?´ I almost jumped up and down in my seat.
´Woah Bells, careful or you'll break another car with all your jumping around. But to answer your question, I´ll pick you up on Friday after school. That works for you?´ He quickly glanced over.
´Yes!´
I was so happy, it must be contagious. The smile could not leave my face for the whole ride, I was so very thrilled. Sooner than expected, Jacob pulled over. I looked outside and noted that we had already arrived at school.
´Have a great day, child. Learn a lot and behave!´ Jacob jokingly said. I´ve decided to play along.
´Yes, Daddy. Don't want to disappoint you and Mum.´
´That's right, child. Now go and make your old man proud.´
´I´ll try.´
´And remember Bells, on Friday we will go to Florida. Don´t forget that. If today turns out to be a crappy day, remember that this weekend will rock. You will see your mum and we both will have a great time. Think about that, alright?´
I smiled back at Jacob. Even if today would be horrible, this was the best news I could have received and I was very thankful for the opportunity to visit my mum with my friend.
´Both you and Dad have literally given me the best news ever, Jake. I´m beyond delighted right now. Thank you so much. I'll make sure Jacksonville is worth the hype. You have my word. Have you ever seen a beach where the sun actually shines?´ I referred to La Push, a large beach here in Forks where it's always grey and cloudy.
´Truth to be told, I didn't think that was even possible. Now get out of this car or else you´ll gonna be late!´ Jacob already opened the door for me. Alright then, I´ll leave. I got out of the car, packed my things, turned around and said;
´Bye, I´ll see you soon.´
´Bye Bells.´
I watched Jake drive away. Oh, this was so cool. I could not wait to tell my friends about this. I had to contain myself to not do a little happy dance in the parking lot. But Jake was right about one thing, thanks to our little banter I needed to hurry to be on time. I was so lost in thought that I hadn't even noticed the silver Volvo. I was so lost in thought that I hadn't noticed Edward standing next to that silver Volvo. And I was definitely too lost in thought to notice the defeated look he was giving me.
I happily entered my English lesson. Angela and Jessica were already there. I excused myself to our teacher for barging in like that and sat down next to Angela. They both looked quizzically at me. I couldn't just tell them right there, as I wanted to give them as many details as possible and we didn't have the time to do that right now. As soon as the lesson ended, Jessica turned around and asked me why I was this happy.
´What are you talking about?´ I teased her as we all got up and left the room to go to our next period.
´You´re actually glowing, what´s up?´ Jessica continued.
´Alright, alright. I´m going to Jacksonville this weekend. Jake just told me in the car on our way to school. I´m so excited!´ I was already jumping up and down again. Oh, I really couldn't wait.
´Get out, you´re actually going to Florida? Urgh, I´m so jealous,´ Jessica said. Until she stood still and remembered something. Her eyes widened. Both Angela and I turned around to see why she wasn't walking with us anymore.
´Wait a minute, what did you just say? You´re going with Jacob? Tall, hot Jacob? Tall, hot Jacob, to Florida? To the beach in Florida?´ she stuttered. I needed to stop this before it got out of control, she wasn't making any sense right now.
´Her best friend Jacob, Jessica,´ Angela said. Oh, I could hug her. I shot her a smile before I addressed Jessica.
´We´re just friends, Jess. I'm more excited to see my mum again instead of seeing Jake in his swimwear. Iewl. Now come on, I´ll tell you all the details on our way to class, alright?´
Jessica rolled her eyes at us but she eventually joined us again.
´You´re both no fun. You could let a girl dream. But fine Bella, and don't you dare leave anything out.´
´I wouldn't dream of it. Alright, so Jake suddenly arrived at my house. Turned out, Charlie felt bad for telling his best friend that the Cullens returned, so he wanted to do something nice for me.´
´That's really sweet of him,´ Angela said. Jessica hummed in response.
´It is! Both Charlie and Jake did this behind my back and I was so thrilled. I actually had a little stupid fight with Jake yesterday and he ignored all my texts, so I was a little scared I had hurt his feelings,´ I continued. Jessica asked me what the fight was about and I told them I was just on edge all day and I took it out on him. I wasn't fair to him and he did not deserve it.
´But anyway, he stood outside my house and wasn't mad at me at all. Then he told me we´re going to Jacksonville this weekend and I freaked out. I wish it was Friday already, I literally cannot wait.´ The smile returned to my face and I imagined I started glowing again.
´I can't wait to hear your stories, Bella. You deserve a little break,´ Angela said as we arrived at our Maths classroom.
´I´m still jealous AF. You better tell me if there will be any juicy details,´ Jessica whispered to me as I sat down next to her. I started laughing and responded;
´I can assure you, there won't be any. Unless I walk into my mum and my stepdad Phil, but I don't think you would want to hear about that,´ I jokingly said.
´Then please just tell me what Jacob looks like in his swimwear, please,´ she pleaded. I faked being shocked, but I knew Jessica would eventually ask this question anyways.
´I´ll make sure to take pictures and leave a 5-star review on Yelp, is that alright with you?´ I sarcastically asked. She stuck out her tongue, and the lesson began so we had to pay attention to our teacher.
The next lesson was Biology. With Edward. I had absolutely no idea how he would react. I really hoped he would respect my wishes to be left alone. I had to give the Cullens credits since no one talked to me today. I had seen Alice and Jasper only briefly in the hallways, but neither looked my way or acknowledged to recognise me. I hoped Edward would do the same, but I hadn't seen him all day.
I entered the classroom and saw him sitting there. He simply looked straight ahead. He wore a grey, buttoned-down shirt with jeans and he looked amazing in it. I felt my heartbeat quicken and I felt slightly embarrassed by it. I had to women up and forced myself to have the same attitude and posture as Edward.
So I sat next to him, and also looked straight ahead. I did not look at him and instead focussed very hard on our teacher. I had to ignore Edward, I had to.
And that might be harder than I thought.
Edward POV:
The day Bella told me she didn't want to talk to any Cullen anymore, Alice blocked her thoughts for me. She never blocked her thoughts for me, so something must be wrong. I knew she wasn't exactly pleased that Bella did not want to talk to any of us right now, and she correctly blamed me for that, but how did she think I took it? I felt horrible! But I had to suck it up, I needed to suck it up. For Bella´s sake.
´Alice, what aren't you telling me?´ I asked her once we arrived at our home.
´Jasper, please calm us right now,´ she demanded Jasper. I immediately felt a wave of calmth that took over my anxious state.
´Thank you,´ she said to him. She turned to me and said;
´You won't like it, but I had a vision that Charlie agreed to send Bella to Jacksonville this weekend. With Jacob. You remember the tickets you gave her for her birthday? He called the airline company to change your name to Jacob´s. Please just stay calm, Edward.´
Even though Jasper tried his best to calm my nerves, it didn't work. Bella went to Florida this weekend? With a guy that wasn´t me? Jealousy took over and blurred out every normal thought I had. I knew I did not have the right to feel jealous at all, but still…
What if something happened to her? What if her plane crashes? What if someone harms her? What if that Jacob kid harms her? What if he tries something she doesn't like? What if he tries something she does like?
´I need to stop her…,´ I mumbled. However, before I could run over to her house, I felt a few pairs of strong arms around me. Jasper grabbed me from my left side, and even Emmett grabbed me from my right side. Alice stood in front of us, her eyes black and filled with anger. Even though she looked like an adorable woman, her sight even frightened me right now.
´Don't you dare rush over to Bella's house right now,´ she started.
´But...´
´NO! You´ve done enough, Edward. Think about it, if you try to stop her right now, she NEVER forgives you for that. Do you want that?´
´She isn't safe...´ I tried to beg her. Alice had to acknowledge it wasn´t safe for Bella to travel all the way to Florida. What if something happened to her? We needed to keep her safe. I needed to keep her safe.
´She is perfectly safe with her mother and her best friend, Edward. Listen, I want to be near her, just as much as you want to. But before that, we need to respect her wishes. She wants to be left alone by us, even though it hurts us right now. Think about that.´
I felt more at ease right now, and I knew it was partially Jasper's gift and partially Alice´s speech. I nodded at both my brothers, and they correctly interpreted that I would not run away.
´I´m sorry,´ I started. I knew she was right, but still… She would leave all weekend and I didn't know how she would return. If she would return. Alice hugged me.
´I know. I miss her too. She comes back, I´ll promise.´
That calmed me a little bit.
That night, I thought about all the outcomes of Bella´s little trip. All outcomes were horrible. As if my family sensed I would flee the house, there was always someone watching me. It might have been Alice´s orders. However, I knew they were right. If I thought about the trip long enough, I would really flee the house and beg Bella not to go. I also knew Alice was right. If I did that, all my chances with her were lost. So the only reason for me, not to leave, was the little pinch of hope I've felt in my heart. If I could let Bella go on this trip, my chances with her increased. And I needed to feel hope. I relied on hope. Hope kept me sane.
The next day, we arrived quite early at school. And I swear, I heard the thoughts of my newfound nemesis, Jacob, before I heard the thoughts of the love of my life. They were discussing their trip to Florida. A little part of me hoped they would not go and that Alice made a mistake, but hearing how happy Bella was about it, the hope quickly disappeared. They were laughing together, planning little trips in Jacksonville and I was immensely jealous. It should have been me. I was the one she was supposed to go to Jacksonville with. She should have made those plans with me.
I´ve heard Alice´s thoughts, begging me to leave Bella alone. And believe me, it took all my strength to not go to their car. Strength I did not know I had.
The rest of the day was even more torture. Bella was so happy about the trip and I felt immensely guilty because she needed that trip, because I´ve returned. I was the reason for her escape.
However, hearing Jessica´s thoughts and outspoken remarks about Jacob fuelled my jealousy too. Jacob hot? I couldn't see it. Luckily Bella deflected everything about him. As I could not hear her thoughts or hear her whisper in her sleep anymore, I hoped and prayed that was the truth. And that she didn´t see Jacob as more than just friends.
Biology came. I looked straight ahead, afraid of what would happen if I looked at Bella. I needed to control my urges. I needed to. I thought about Alice and what she said to me. I had to ignore Bella, I had to respect her wishes and by doing that, I might get another chance. I heard her heartbeat quicken as she approached our table. I hope that some things might never change.
She sat next to me and mimicked my posture. Alright, the tone was set. This is how we would behave around each other. I had to ignore Bella, I had to.
And that might be harder than I thought.
Bella POV:
We were in Jacksonville! We really were in Jacksonville! It was everything I needed. Sun, warmth, beaches. I needed this escape. This little change in atmosphere. As soon as the airplane landed, I looked over to Jacob and saw the shock on his face upon seeing so much sunshine. I felt the same way, once you get used to the rain in Forks, it's hard to imagine this much sunshine.
My mum and Phill waited in the arrival hall. I hugged my mother for minutes. It must have been a little bit awkward for Phill and Jake, but I did not care. I haven't seen her for far too long. She stopped hugging me, looked over to Jacob and asked;
´So, is this your boyfriend?´
Both Jake and I turned red by her question. Great. We weren't even in Jacksonville for an hour and we´ve already felt embarrassed.
´Mum, no,´ I told her.
´You remember Jacob, right? Billy´s son? Don't embarrass him, we´re friends.
´If you say so,´ she said with a wink. I turned to face Jake and silently whispered ´I´m sorry´ to him.
Jake shook both Rene´s and Phill´s hands and introduced himself.
´Leave ´em, Rene,´ Phill interfered. I smiled at him, happy for his support. I knew I liked Phill a lot.
Both Jake and I went to the toilet to change into our summer clothes. I was wearing a floral dress and Jake wore a shirt with some khaki pants. We then left the airport and went to the car. Seeing the beach again made me so tremendously happy, I felt immediately at ease
Phill suggested Jacob and I could go to the beach, while they would prepare lunch. Oh, this weekend will be amazing. Jessica´s thoughts about a half-naked Jake flashed before me in a split second, before I pushed them back. I would not let my hormonal friend´s thoughts interfere with this little trip!
Upon arriving at home, we both dumped our luggage and changed into our swimming outfits. We wore our normal clothes above them. We quietly walked to the beach before Jacob broke the silence.
´You didn't lie, it's absolutely beautiful here.´
´I know right. I'm so happy to be back. Don´t get me wrong, I love Forks. But being here, even just for a weekend, is simply amazing.´
´I can imagine, Bells. Not everyone be likin´ da rain, girl,´ he jokingly said. I had to laugh with him since it was a little inside joke. Once I arrived in Forks, I quickly grabbed the attention of one of the boys, named Mike. He asked me that question and it shocked me to the extent that I frequently used it as a little joke. Jake happily continued using it.
We arrived at the beach and removed our normal clothes to reveal our swimwear. I glanced over at Jake. Holy mother of…
Listen, Jake is my friend. Nothing more. But even if he's only my friend, I had to give Jessica credit. She was right. Jake had one of the most sculpted and muscular bodies I had ever seen. He was huge. His golden tone made him fit it perfectly with all those other perfectly sculpted people at the beach. He had to work out, right? How come I´ve never noticed this before? I mean, I have eyes. And I could see Jake isn't ugly but where had he been hiding this?
I had to contain myself. I was eyeing him out. Control yourself, woman! Luckily, he did not see that.
´Last one in the water is a rotten egg,' he shouted at me before heading off to the sea. He jumped into the water and he dived a little bit. I shook my head, controlled my own emotions and also jumped into the water. I swam quickly to catch up.
´Took you long enough,´ he said annoyingly.
´I saw something I like.´