A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story to their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.
Chapter 17-
Bella's POV-
"We are going to Forks!" I questioned- declared- protested and stated- anything and everything in between, as I played with the hem of my shirt, apprehension thick in my tone.
It was not that I did not like going to the small neighboring town named Forks… but yeah, that's exactly it.
I don't know what it was, but it always made me nervous and anxious to leave La Push and travel anywhere outside, no matter how near our destination be.
My heart resided in La Push- and it refused to leave its home- not even temporarily.
It sure did make stuff complicated though, when Charlie and Sue would take us on a family vacation to some place amazing, and due to my nervousness and need to return back home instantly, I would be a cranky mess throughout those seven or eight days, troubling the rest of them to no extent.
I stopped crying after I turned eleven, though, accepting and realizing that I would be returning home once we had finished our sightseeing; it was not like I was never returning home again, the thought of that enough to give me nightmares.
Also knowing that my suffering should not affect my family who looked forward to these- once in a year- trips did help.
I just could not be that selfish.
Anyhow, I swear I could feel some vague and unexpected pain in my chest at that thought of never going back home, the utter despair threatening to drown me in its wrath….
The best trips of my life would definitely be when the Black's accompanied us to wherever we went that year. Frankly, those were the only trips that I enjoyed and looked forward to, the days flying like they were mere minutes.
But then again, I had my best friend with me- twenty-seven!
Who would not enjoy that?
Right?
"The party is in Forks," Leah gave me the 'Duh' look, shaking her head in sheer amusement as she once again concentrated on driving our car to our destination.
"No." I instantly protested, evidently panicking as I waved my hands in the air with no near end in sight. "Turn back. I want to go home."
I needed to go home.
I needed the comfort of familiarity.
Screw this!
I was not brave enough to go to a party, and definitely not one outside of La Push.
I wanted to go home!
I needed to go home.
"Leah, turn back," I pleaded with her, twisting and turning in my seat. "I want to go home."
She rolled her eyes at me, as sympathetic as one can ever be. "I am already late for the party, any later and the rents' will be back before I make it home. So, no, I am not turning back. You will just have to wear your grown-up panties and deal with it."
"Leah." I squirmed in my seat. "Please,"
I was not like this.
At all.
The discomfort that was rising in me with each passing moment…. it scared me.
Why did I ever agree to this?
It was a stupid plan.
I was a stupid girl.
I wanted to go home.
"Leah, I am telling you…."
She ignored me, increasing the volume of the music playing, humming to the popular song, with not a care in the world for the girl that sat beside her with tears of desperation rolling down her eyes.
I had always known that Leah was selfish and self- centered, but how much of those, I was learning today.
She just did not care.
She could just not see beyond her happiness and desires.
The other's needs and helplessness could go down the drain, for all she cared.
I clutched to my chest tightly, sweat droplets starting to make their presence known as I breathed heavily into the hand that was covering my mouth.
The pain had started; the very pain that I experienced and ignored every time I left the safety of the house, knowing that this pain was completely irrational but yet experiencing it every damn time I walked a mile out of La Push.
I wanted to go home!
I wanted to stop feeling this pain.
I just wanted to be normal again.
"We are here," Leah announced, smiling wide as she glanced into her pocket mirror, fixing her hair and make-up, pouting a few times to assure that her lips looked completely desirable and kissable.
Why though, I could not understand?
She had a boyfriend, and he was going to be here today.
It was not like she had to search the market, so as to say.
Okay, so maybe, that was the exact reason why she was this decked up and all…
Eh. If I had a boyfriend, I would roam around in my old sweats the entire day. Why bother with that shit; he would already be mine?
Anyhow, to each their own, but either way I was not doing a thing to clean up my appearance. If I was sweating like a pig, it was alright.
If my hair was all tangled and greasy, could not care any less….
Now, I wasn't always this disinterested or unperturbed by my appearance; I generally made it a point to look like I had a home, but at the moment, I just did not have it in me to pretend.
I was not enjoying any of these shenanigans, so why bother?
"Bella." Leah rolled her eyes at me. "You are going to a party; you are supposed to look excited and happy!"
"Oh. Is it so? Had you not told me I would never have known?" I deadpanned.
She waved me off, a frustrated sigh leaving her lips, as she grabbed her clutch and spare hair tie, walking out of the car, willing to be the life of this party.
I nervously followed her in, for let's get realistic here- it was ten in the night, I was not going to be able to walk back home at this late an hour, had that even been a possibility in the first place. And neither was I sitting in a dark car on a dark street, screaming and praying at every sound that reached my ears.
Nope.
Not doing any of those things.
I would just have to tolerate Leah and this party for the next few hours.
Charlie and Sue would be back by 1 or 2 am, and Leah would be forced to return home by then.
So, yeah, just a few more hours, it is.
It would be difficult though, no doubt in that.
I cringed at the sweaty bodies all around me as they danced on this makeshift dance floor, loud- wait- correction- terribly loud music played from the speakers, causing me to shut my ears in worry and annoyance.
Who on earth plays music this loud?
It is literally a decibel higher than tolerable; I could actually feel a headache developing.
Don't they have any neighbors, or you know, common sense?
Leah though, seemed content to be here, Sam and her on the dance floor as they took advantage of the crowd and almost did everything one should never do in public.
Yuck.
Why am I even still looking at this?
Did I enjoy giving myself the gift of nightmares?
Seems to be so. I sure am one masochist!
I instantly looked away, forcing myself to walk in the direction of the makeshift bar in one corner of the room….
Before you get any ideas, I wasn't planning to get myself hammered. Nope. Sensible almost adult here. But I sure did need a glass of water. My throat was parched.
Also, I needed to be away from the crowd. It was insane!
There were literally more than a hundred people in this cramped up living room; giving me the impression that the host of this party was pretty popular in our age group.
Not that I knew who had thrown this party, or whose house this was, for that matter?
I only knew one person out of these hundred here, that one person being my forgetful sister who had very conveniently forgotten my presence, not even looking away from the eyes of her boyfriend once to see whether her sister was in the room or not.
I am so lucky, right!
Okay, so, yes, I did know Sam, too, but he did not count; the way he and Leah stood closely and made-out at the moment- not a fuck spared for the rest of us in here, they were just counted as one!
Let's not even argue on that.
I sighed, shaking my head.
Why was time going so very slow?
I could have been home right now, reading my book in my pajamas.
But no, Leah had to drag me out here, forgetting the very purpose of getting me here once we actually got here!
Gosh.
It was so frustrating.
"Hey, can I get you something?"
I looked up, the deep seductive voice of the speaker garnering my instant attention, leaving me with no other choice but to know of who this was.
Blame the curiosity in me if you want.
He was good looking; I would give him that.
Short black hair, pale skin- a Forks native, probably, well-built and tall, not exceptionally but reasonably.
And that wide honest smile on his face.
It was something, indeed.
"Wa…Water," I stammered through the word like a complete idiot, searching around for a brick wall to bang my head into instantly.
He smiled though, like it was no big deal- and he was used to this level of dumbness in his routine life. "Sure,"
He was quick to grab a bottle of packaged water for me, offering it to me as he waited for me to gulp it down, looking at the crowd assembled with disinterest in his eyes.
"Not your scene?" I asked.
He looked like the typical jock, but what did I know?
"Nah," he grinned, "This is more like my sister's thing. She is a social butterfly."
I gave out a humorless laugh at that. "I can relate. My sister dragged me out here."
"Oh," he raised an eyebrow in question. "And who is this sister of yours? I pretty much know everyone in here."
Excluding me, of course.
But he was kind enough to not point that out.
"Leah…Leah Clearwater…um, do you know her?"
He frowned, pausing for a few long seconds, "Sam's girlfriend, right?"
"Yeah," I nodded my head in agreement.
He gave out a boisterous laugh, "I play football at times with the man. Can kick my ass."
I hid my smile, taking a sip of my water.
"Not to be rude or anything," he paused, "But you don't look…."
"Yeah," I sighed, already knowing where he was going with this, "my dad married her mom…"
"Say nothing more," he shook his head in amusement. "I can relate. I have three step-siblings, my mother having married their father."
I hummed in response, noticing that Leah was finally two steps apart from her stuck like glue- boyfriend, this being my chance to talk to her.
And I was no fool to let this opportunity go wasted.
Who knew when I would- if I would- get this chance again in this night?
"I need to go." I spoke in haste. "It was nice meeting you…."
"Emmett. Emmett Cullen." He grinned back at me.
"Bella Swan."