Chapter Three - You're Looking at Me Like I'm See Through

Disclaimer - I don't own anything Twilight-related, that all belongs to one Stephanie Meyer.


Authors Note - Thanks to everyone for the follows and favourites! I hope you're all enjoying so far. I just want to say I know it might seem a bit slow at the moment, but I want to establish things and set up some plot points before we get into all the wacky vampire stuff. I hope Bella isn't OCC, I just want to try to expand upon her character a bit, if I can. I also want to mention that this story will mostly be following the book, as that is what I'm using as a reference, though I will take from the movie as well. And without further ado, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!


So I think I better go
I never really know how to please you
You're looking at me like I'm see-through
I guess I'm gonna go
I just never know how you feel
Do you even feel anything?

8, Billie Eilish


I met Bella outside, at nine o'clock on the dot.

I started the engine of my car, pulling up outside her house, fixing my curly chin-length hair in the rearview mirror. I had cut it in the last year, the same childish, longer brunette locks I had sported for years, finally gone, freeing up my face.

"Morning, Bella!" I smiled as she climbed into the passenger side.

She got comfortable, giving me an awkward half-smile, "Hey."

I pulled away from the house, driving at a leisurely pace.

"Can I…" Bella gestured toward the radio, clearly wanted to fill the awkward silence.

I nodded, glancing at her quickly, "Of course."

Bella flicked through the channels, trying to find something to listen to, settling on some generic pop. We sat in silence for a minute, and I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel along to the beat, trying to think of something to say.

"So, your dad's working today then?" I asked, referencing the missing cruiser from her house.

"Yeah, he's working all weekend. He's not used to having someone else in the house. Not that I mind. We don't really have much in common." She laughed awkwardly.

I hummed in reply, not sure how to respond. Thankfully Bella continued.

"Where is it you work? I don't think you mentioned?"

"Oh, it's the small supermarket in town, Hardings. I don't know if you've been?"

She pursed her lips, thinking, "I don't think so, I've been to the Thriftway, it's just off the highway."

I breathed a laugh, "That would explain the lack of people yesterday." I glanced to her, "I only started yesterday, my mom does all her shopping there, so she managed to get me a job last minute. I was kind of desperate."

She bit her lip, "So why did you decide to come to Forks? Did you just finish college or something?"

I continued my tapping of the steering wheel, though it was less in time with the beat of the music, and more in time with my nerves.

"No, uh. My dad was very sick while I was in High School. Cancer, you know? I was just happy he had made it to my graduation, and after that, I guess I wanted to spend time with him while I could, before even thinking about college or anything like that. He died the next year."

I could see from the corner of my eye that Bella's face had slowly taken a red hue, and she stuttered a reply, "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't apologise Bella!" I smiled at her warmly, "I don't mind talking about it, it was quite a few years ago now. I guess after that I just never got around to thinking about anything else. I had a stable enough job and I moved in with my now ex-boyfriend. I guess I felt comfortable. And then when my relationship sort of died, I guess I wanted to get away from Alberta. I needed a fresh start."

Bella mulled over my words, her face twisting into a small smile, "But Forks?" she asked unbelievably.

I laughed, feeling the air relax a bit. "My mom lived here when she was a kid, she only moved to Canada after she met my dad. And after he was gone, I guess she wanted to come back. My grandparents had left her their home, so it was easy enough for her. I knew she had a spare room, and well… here I am." I raised an eyebrow at her, "I understand it wouldn't be everyone's first choice." I added teasingly.

Her eyes widened slightly before she smiled. "Don't tell Charlie."

I parked the car outside the small diner. Looking through the windows I was relieved to see it was quiet enough inside. I held the door open for Bella as I walked in, finding us a small table by the window, and a kind waitress approached us, handing us two menus. After a few minutes, we both gave our orders, and I sipped on the tea I now clutched in my hands, warming them from the cold. I looked curiously at Bella over the rim, as she fidgeted with her sleeve.

"So, how about you? Did Charlie drag you here against your will, or...?"

She smiled slightly again, "No. It was my decision."

My eyebrows flew up, as I smirked, "Oh?"

She laughed before continuing, "My mom's married to a minor league baseball player, so he travels a lot for work." She bit her lip, almost uncomfortable with what she was sharing, "I guess, I could just tell my mom wanted to be with him, instead of being stuck in Phoenix…"

"So you moved back with your dad so she could?" I finished for her.

She nodded in reply.

"That was nice of you." I smiled. "And I bet Charlie appreciates you being here, even if he isn't very good at showing it."

"Yeah, I mean I used to come to Forks every Summer until I was fourteen, but the last few years Charlie came to Phoenix, so I hadn't been in a while. Until now obviously."

The waitress brought us our food, and we sat eating in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet buzz of the room.

"Do you miss it?" I asked. "Phoenix?"

Bella nodded vigorously, "Oh yeah. I feel like I haven't seen the sun since I got to Forks. I miss the heat." I held back a laugh. Of course, the one thing that would warrant such enthusiasm from Bella was the weather. "And, God, the rain! Everything here is just so wet, and cold. How does anyone here sleep? It sounds as though my window is going to cave in, with all the wind. And the fog-" She cut herself off, noticing my shoulders shaking from silent laughter, "Are you laughing at me!"

"I've never heard someone talk so passionately about the weather. I'm impressed, honestly."

"Shut up!" her cheeks flushed red, though she joined in with my laughter. "Well, what do you think?"

"Of the weather?" I asked, continuing when she nodded in confirmation, "I don't mind it, would be nice if it didn't rain, every second of the day, but you take what you can get." I smiled warmly, glancing out the window, admiring the canvas of greens and browns, "but gosh if it isn't pretty."

She followed my gaze, tilting her head, "I suppose we can agree on that."

We continued chatting, any awkwardness seeming to have disappeared. When we had finished our breakfast, (which I insisted on paying for; Bella was not amused.) and then made our way to the local library. We both quickly realised there wasn't much to see, the library being poorly stocked, and we made plans to travel to Seattle or Olympia to find a good book store, sometime soon.

Checking the time, we decided to head back. I stopped outside Bella's house once more, smiling at her as she opened the door to exit. She turned grasping the door, a nervous smile painting her face.

"I don't know if you've plans or anything tomorrow, but do you and your mom maybe want to come over for dinner? Charlie will be there too, after work."

It was my turn to be surprised and my mouth moulded into a toothy grin, "I'd love to Bella! I think my mom isn't working tomorrow, and I'm sure she'd think it's a great idea! I'll let her know tonight, and give you a text to confirm. As long as Charlie would be happy enough with us crashing his dinner?"

"Charlie can't do more than boil an egg, so he'd be happy with anything put in front of him. And he seems to be friends with your mom, so I don't think he'd mind. As long as you're okay with my cooking. I'm not amazing or anything, but better than my dad, not that that's hard."

I nodded, "No, that's fine. In fact, I'm working the early shift tomorrow morning, so I could grab some stuff before I leave work, and then I can come straight to yours in the afternoon, and we could cook dinner together?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Any ideas on what we should make?"

"Not a clue. I'll wander around the aisles and see what jumps out at me."

"Okay." She smiled, leaning back on her heels, "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon then?"

"See you then." I smiled, giving a small wave. "Bye, Bella."

"Bye, Clara." She shut the door, and I watched her retreating form as she walked up the steps of her porch and entered the house.

I pulled away, and began the short journey to work, giving myself an invisible pat on the back.

"Well, that went well.."

I was early arriving to work, so I just hid in the back office, enjoying the short amount of free time. I shifted in the uncomfortable chair tapping my pencil off of the quick sketch I had conjured up in my well-worn notebook. It was the man from my dream the night before, though I was struggling to put his features down on the page. There was an unshakeable frustration I felt, as I wracked my brain. I had started the sketch over and over, any time I had tried to finish the drawing, something inside my head told me it didn't look right. I didn't know why it got to me so much, usually, I enjoyed exaggerating and changing the look of things, yet this one I needed to be just right.

He was tall, that much I was sure of, and his hair fell in perfect messy curls, though I couldn't remember the colour. I tried sketching the eyes, yet the never seemed to be the right shape. I blew out a breath of irritation, just as the office door opened.

I looked up, smiling as Joe walked in, taking off his coat.

He smiled, "Afternoon."

"Finally decided to show up then?"

"Excuse you," he turned his brown eyes to look at the clock that hung on the wall, "I am two minutes early, that's almost a record." Hanging his coat up, he glanced down at the drawing, "Who's that?"

"The man of my dreams," I said whimsically, teasing.

"Oh wow," he smirked, "very handsome. Sure who needs eyes anyway?"

"Shut up!" I laughed, "Eye's are very hard to draw you know."

"Uh-huh." He pulled his apron over his head, "wouldn't have pegged you as an aspiring artist."

I hummed, "Less aspiring, more… casual, part-time hobby."

"Ah, I see." Joe gestured toward the sketchpad, "May I?"

"Sure," I nodded, handing it to him, "Don't be expecting Picasso level artwork in it. You'll be disappointed."

He glanced at me smiling, before bringing his attention back to the pages, flicking through them. I watched him intently, gauging his reaction. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I was always so nervous showing off my work.

He looked at me smiling, "These are great!" He said it sincerely, bringing a blush to my cheeks, and a happy grin overtook me. He continued, quirking a brow, "although some of these are really creepy, should I be concerned?" He turned the pad over, showing a drawing of a lonely worn cabin, surrounded by dead trees.

"No," I laughed, "I just really enjoy horror and stuff, makes my imagination run away from me. And thank you!" I took the pad back from him, pushing it back into my bag, rising and straightening my own apron. "Shall we go and relieve Addy from her duties."

"I suppose if we must."

We left the office together, passing Ron as he hobbled his way to his coat. Addy's face lit up as we came toward her.

"There they are. My saviours." She hopped out from behind the counter, stopping before us.

"What're your plans then?" I asked.

"To enjoy a long day of nothing." She smiled a toothy grin. "But while I have you both here. Clear your schedules, Wednesday night, you're both coming to mine, house party!"

"Oh, no way!" Joe grinned.

I shuffled nervously. A house of people I don't know? Terrifying. "I don't know, Addy. I only know you two, wouldn't it be a bit weird?."

"Honestly Clara, you'll be fine!" Addy smiled reassuringly, "We'll stick with you, and really there won't be that many people! Just my siblings and some of their friends."

"Addy's family is loaded, wait till you see the house, it's huge!" Joe threw his arms out as though it would show just how big the building was.

"My parents did us all a favour and have disappeared from the state for two weeks, and I'm planning on taking full advantage."

I quirked an eyebrow, "I take it you and your parents don't get along?"

She rolled her eyes, placing a hand on my arm, "Get me drunk on Wednesday and I'll tell you all about it." Addy winked, before moving past us toward the office.

Joe moved toward the till, "You look confused." He stated eyebrow raised.

"The words party and Forks just don't seem to go together."

He chuckled, "It's not a party, per se. More of a small social gathering."

"Is that what Addy tells her parents?"

"I doubt Addy even says hello to her parents."

"Mommy issues?"

"Mommy issues, daddy issues. Everything issues."

"Can't wait to drunkenly hear all about it." I tapped on the counter. I looked at Joe, feeling his eyes on me. "What?" I laughed.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to, you know."

"Oh, no I do. I guess I'm just surprised to be invited."

"Why?" His brows furrowed.

"I mean, you all barely know me." I bit my lip, "I don't want her inviting me just because she feels she has to."

He shook his head in amusement, looking at me sincerely. "Trust me, if Addy didn't want you to go, she wouldn't have invited you. Why do you think Ron wasn't invited." He nodded toward the old man, shuffling toward the door.

I laughed quietly, making Joe grin. I lifted my hand in a wave, "Bye Ron!" I shouted. The elderly man grunted in reply.

Joe tutted, "A man of many words if you couldn't tell."

"Working with someone who doesn't constantly talk and make bad jokes. Sounds pretty nice." I held back a laugh at the fake shock that overtook Joe's face.

"I'm hurt. I thought we were becoming friends?"

"Did you now?" I cocked an eyebrow, walking away from him, toward the stockroom. "How disappointing for you," I smirked.

"And my jokes are funny!" He shouted from behind the counter.

I giggled, before entering the stockroom and officially beginning my shift.

Joe, I quickly realised, was a lot more relaxed and laid back in comparison to Addy, who was prone to getting easily stressed and had little to no patience for anyone who didn't merely get their stuff and go.

I liked to think I was somewhere in between.

It was strange how quickly I seemed to fit into their little group. In Alberta, I never really had many friends outside of Nick and his social circle. And Alice of course, but I try not to think about that.

I had to admit, it left a warm feeling in my chest. It was nice to have, well almost, friends, people who didn't know me as the weird mermaid girl or the sad dad-with-cancer girl. And I hadn't been to a 'social gathering' in years. I couldn't keep the grin off my face. How exciting. I felt like a teenager again.

Joe and I stayed until 8:00 PM, locking up the shop, and driving our separate ways.

The next day was much more dull until the afternoon. I worked with Ron, who true to Joe's word, wasn't a talker.

I had text Bella to let her know my mom was looking forward to dinner and informed her we'd be making Chicken Casserole and boiled potatoes.

I gathered the ingredients, bidding Joe goodbye as he took over my shift, and headed back home. Parking up outside the house, I ran inside quickly to see my mom and then hurried across to the Swan residence, arms full of bags.

"Hi."

Bella opened the door wider, letting me into the house. It was much the same as my own I noted, as I moved into the kitchen, unloading the ingredients.

"How was work?" Bella asked as she followed after me.

"Boring. Please, let's talk about anything else." I said, desperation leaking into my voice.

She laughed, moving closer to look over everything I had brought. We chatted whilst we began preparing our meal, delicious smells filling the air, bringing my hunger to the forefront.

"You're really messy, you know that?" Bella knelt cleaning up the mess I had made, causing me to flush with embarrassment.

"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly, "I try to avoid cooking around my mom, it drives her insane. I just get so caught up in what I'm doing, I sort of, zone out."

She shook her head in amusement, rising from the ground. I moved to the oven, opening it and sliding the casserole. I washed my hands, before turning and leaning against the counter. I rung the towel in my hands, looking to Bella.

I tutted, "You know, I never asked you how your first week at school was. So I'll remedy that now," I smiled, "How was your first week?"

Bella let out a breath, "Um… as expected I suppose, being the new girl. Everyones been nice enough, though they do seem to stare a lot."

"Stare?"

"Yeah, you'd think I was some sort of zoo animal or something."

I snorted. I did not miss high school.

"Any friends?"

"Yeah, I guess, some people I have classes with, and can sit with at lunch."

"Not bad, I'm sure it'll get easier. The awkward getting to know people stage is always the worst." I smiled slyly, "Any boys, caught your eye?"

She chuckled uncomfortably, "No way, no one I'm interested in."

She tried to play it off, but Bella wasn't a very good liar, and the blush that plastered her pale cheeks, didn't help. She bit her lip, before continuing hesitantly.

"Although, there was this one guy. Edward"

"Uh-huh. And Edward... Is he pretty?"

She let out a humourless laugh, "Gorgeous. And completely horrible."

"Horrible!" I gasped in amusement, "What did the kid do?"

"I had to sit beside him in biology, and almost as soon as I walked into the room he just kept glaring at me. I thought I smelt bad! He sat as far away from me as he could manage."

"What? Why?" I looked at her confused.

"I don't know! When I went to the office at the end of the day, I caught him trying to switch classes!"

"He tried to switch classes?" I stood up straighter, shock clear in my voice. "Just because he had to sit next to you?"

"I don't know. I hadn't even talked to him, so I don't know what I could have possibly done to make him so angry. He wasn't in the rest of the week, and as stupid as it sounds, I can't help but think it's because of me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean his other siblings were in every day, so I can't see it being something to do with family. Not that I speak to them either." She shrugged.

"God, what an asshole!" I said, my face screwing up in annoyance. "That is so bizarre. Hopefully, he was so intimidated by your intelligence that he decided to drop out. That way you get the whole desk to yourself, and never have to see his supposedly 'gorgeous' face again." I joked.

She laughed, nodding, moving to check on the potatoes. "I highly doubt that."

"I do not miss high school." I shook my head.

"Bad experience?"

"Not bad, not good. Just…" I shrugged. "Meh. Anyone who says high school is the best years of your life are either lying or have no ambitions."

Bella, looked to me, with a half-smile, "Do you have ambitions?"

"I have the ambition, to find my ambitions."

Bella hummed, "Does that count?"

"Oh, definitely," my eyes flashed with amusement and we both chuckled. "Do much partying?" I asked, giggling at the look that came on her face. "I'm not snitching for your dad, don't worry."

She shook her head, "No. Partying and all that, it's not really my scene."

"Sensible girl."

"You?"

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a party girl. I haven't actually been to a club in like a year. But I must admit, I enjoy a drink or two. Or a glass of wine if I'm feeling fancy." I tapped my fingers on the counter. "I got invited to a house party today… Well, a 'social gathering.'" I did the air quotes with my fingers. "The first since I was in high school I reckon. Feel like a kid again."

"And you say you're not a party girl."

"Maybe I'm going through a midlife crisis, at the age of twenty-three. Drinking and getting down with the kids."

She hummed again. We were both laughing quietly when the front door opened.

Charlie's eyes lit up when he found us together, the air relaxed and comfortable.

"Hey, Dad," Bella said.

"Hey Bells," he nodded toward me, "Clara. Good to see you again."

"You too, Charlie."

"How are you two girls doing then?" he gestured toward the kitchen, sniffing the air at the pleasant aroma filling the room. "Smells good."

I smiled, "Yeah, food shouldn't be too much longer. Suppose this is a thank you for helping with my stuff the other day. And thank you for letting my mom and I crash your evening by the way."

Charlie placed his hands on his hips, "It's no trouble, and you don't owe me anything. Your mom's done plenty for me the last few years, it's only fair I return the favour." He shifted uncomfortably, "your mom, on her way over or…?" He trailed off, glancing around the room.

I narrowed my eyes, a small smile on my lips, "Well, I think she's home at the moment. I was going to run and get her when food was ready. But I can go now if you want?"

"Yeah, I mean. If you think she'd want to. If she's busy that's fine-"

"No, no. I'll go get her now." I turned to Bella, who seemed confused by her father's awkward behaviour, "You mind watching the food?"

"Of course." She smiled.

I quickly ran across to my humble abode, laughing at the sight of my mother lounging on the sofa in her dressing gown, hair in a messy bun.

"Classy."

I made sure to imply that Charlie had requested my mother's slightly earlier arrival, and had to bite my lip to keep from laughing once more when my mom descended the stairs, hair much neater, and a light layer of makeup on. I just so happened to find a bottle of wine stashed away, that I had definitely forgotten I had, and pushed it into my mother's palms, saying it would be rude to show up at someones home empty-handed, despite the fact I was one of the halves that prepared the meal.

The evening went smoothly, Charlie and my mom sharing the bottle of wine, deep in their own conversations, whilst Bella and I shared amused looks across the table. The food was a success and I couldn't help but feel proud.

The soft smile on my face couldn't be helped, as I glanced around the table. It was nice, a warmth filling my chest. Life in Forks was better than I could have imagined with only having been here for a number of days, and I, all things considered, hadn't imagined much from the small town.

Things were looking up. What could possibly go wrong?

By Tuesday of that week, I would have my answer.