"There's no place like home."
••••••••
In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington state, a small town named Forks existed under a near-constant cover of clouds.
It was this gloomy but lovely town that my mom escaped from when Bella and I were just a few months old.
That's where my resentment came from as I was a lot closer to dad than to mom, Bella being the opposite.
I knew both my parents weren't perfect, but at least dad admitted to his faults and tried salvaging something for their kids while mom ran around Phoenix, leaving me to take care of Bella and the house.
An airhead mom was cute until so far.
Bella stopped going to Forks the summer she was fourteen, old enough to put her foot down and fully in love with Phoenix while I squeezed every single vacation I could, spending them in Forks with family friends Billy Black, Harry Clearwater and their families.
Well, now that I knew about the Quileutes from my awakening as a vampire, I doubt I'd be spending much time on the Reserve.
••••••••
After a four-hour flight to Seattle, another hour up to Port-Angeles and an hour drive, we were in Forks.
To say I was excited was an understatement. I'd ditched the big hoodie at the airport, content in the gloomy weather while ignoring the gloomy face of my sister.
See, I liked shopping, and I loved clothes, so when in a sunny city and forced to hide, putting on Bella-level bland clothes was like an insult to my person. Cloudy, cold Forks where I could unleash my wardrobe again was my personal heaven.
Bella didn't talk to me the entire way to Port Angeles, which frankly I didn't care for but wasn't that unusual. These past few months since my becoming a vampire, she seemed to eye me a little more disdainfully than before... if that was even possible. If I had to guess, I'd say she was jealous that something obliviously good had happened with me, but she would never admit to that.
When we landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. While Bella's face became even longer, my smile got bigger as we took our luggage, my hoodie already a thing of the past. I impatiently waited for my slow poke twin before we could get out of the airport and spot my dad, Charlie, near his cruiser.
With an even bigger smile, I dropped my bags and threw myself into his arms, careful not to make direct contact with his skin and control my strength.
"Daddy!"
I heard his familiar chuckle as he squeezed me tighter in his arms. "Hey princess, I've missed you."
"Missed you too, dad." I said, taking a step back and admiring his features. "Been waiting for this day for ages."
While we were having our mini reunion, Bella had finally caught up to me and stood to the side, looking as awkward as she always did with dad. They both were in each other's presence it was the weirdest thing ever.
"Good to see you, Bells. You haven't changed much." Dad gave her an awkward one armed hug. "How's Renee?"
"Mom's fine." Bella replied with a small smile. "It's good to see you too... dad."
Bella probably sensed my glare, telling her something along the lines of 'Call dad Charlie to his face and we're gonna have problems.' And that's why she'd hesitated.
Dad looked down at our stuff, glossing over Bella's two beanbags while he snickered at my three suitcases and two bags, as if he was prepared for the sight. Again, not my fault I liked clothes... and they liked me, or my credit card but same difference.
••••••••
"I found a good car for you girls, really cheap." Dad told us as we were already in the cruiser, headed home.
I'd seen the 'good' car in one of my visions and I already wanted to poke my eyes out. Grateful as I was to dad, I wouldn't call that piece of junk a car, and I knew Bella was going to love the thing.
"What kind of car?" Bella asked, suspicion lacing her tone.
"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy." Dad answered.
"Were did you find it?" I could understand Bella's suspicions here as she hadn't seen it yet and we didn't save enough money if we were to repair a broken car.
"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" Dad asked Bella.
"No." As if this brat could consciously remember someone from Forks.
"He used to go fishing with us in the summer." Dad nudged her memory a bit. "He's in a wheelchair now, he can't drive his truck anymore so he offered to sell it to me for cheap."
"What year is it?" Bella, relentless in her questioning, didn't see dad's little wince, this was the question he'd wanted to avoid at all cost.
"Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine. It's only a few years old really." Dad lied.
I could practically feel Bella restraining herself from rolling her eyes as she continued. "When did he buy it?"
"Geez Bella, let it go." I finally chimed in to save dad. "I'm pretty sure Dad already bought it. We have a car, we save money, smile and express some gratitude."
Dad gave me a relieved smile while Bella glared at me. "I don't know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if something went wrong..."
"Well, good thing it's also my car then." I interrupted her. She knew I adored cars and everything I liked, I made a point to own it or master it— pretty sure I could fix our car if something went amiss.
Bella gave up trying to argue with me and turned back to dad with a forced smile. "That's really nice to buy us a car Ch-Dad. Thanks."
"Well, now, you're welcome." Dad mumbled embarrassed.
I chuckled in the back, finding how my dad, this big sheriff being embarrassed by his daughter's feelings, cute.
The rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence, Forks' green scenery passing by. As beautiful and lost as I remember, which was fantastic.
••••••••••
Eventually, we made it to Dad's. He still lived in the same three-bedroom house that he and mom bought in their early days of marriage.
Parked on the street before the house was the 'new' car, and I could tell Bella was already head over heels for the thing. It had a faded red color, big rounded fenders as well as a bulbous cab. I maintained a happy smile for dad but in my head I'd already retched twice. I mean, I loved the gesture, but as a car lover, this wasn't a car. Though I wouldn't dare complain, I loved seeing dad happy to make us beautiful gifts like these.
"Wow Dad, I love it! Thanks." Bella exclaimed, looking at it with shiny eyes.
"Thanks daddy." I said, the joy in my voice genuine.
"I'm glad you like it." Dad mumbled with a satisfied small smile.
•••••••••
While Bella only had one trip to make —the smart girl—, it took dad and I two to get all my stuff into my room.
Bella's room was the west bedroom that faced out the front yard while mine faced the back forest. We shared a bathroom, which wouldn't be an inconvenience seeing as I didn't sleep and would have all the time in the world to get ready for the next days. Might as well get ready before anyone else.
Dad's room was downstairs, fortunately with his own bathroom.
I unpacked in no time, the slight ocd in me making sure my extensive wardrobe and collection of shoes were clean and well organized.
My last bag looked like a suitcase but was actually a treasure I'd found on internet. A small, compact fridge where I stored my IV blood bags. Useful since I wouldn't have time to hunt in the next few days.
After a much needed shower, I downed three of the blood bags before I hid the fridge in my closet and changed into my sleepwear.
For the long sleepless night ahead, I put some opera on and opened my medical books.
My nights were never boring but that night, I had a vision on who I'd meet the next day to school and couldn't decide if meeting my own kind so soon was good or bad.
