Chapter 15

After having survived the awkwardness with Charlie we actually managed to have a nice quiet moment, me drinking my hot coffee and Charlie drinking his cold coffee, trying to look chill about it. That was one of the things I appreciated about Charlie, the fact that he knew how to be silent without things getting weird. I looked out the window where the rain was trickling down, as always I might add. Ever since I was little I had associated Forks with the rain and fog. Not in a bad way though, I actually preferred the weather here compared to Phoenix with its scorching heat. But it would have been nice with a bit more sunlight. Suddenly a car came up a driveway, a big red pickup truck.

"That must be Santa Claus coming to town", Charlie said with a cryptical smile and then rose from his chair and headed for the door. I kept on looking out the window, realizing it was Charlie's good old friend Billy Black and his son Jacob in the car. Last time I'd seen him Jacob had been about 12 years old, but that was 3 or 4 years ago I reckoned. I got up and went after Charlie, heading out to the driveway to find him chatting animatedly with Billy and Jacob.

"Welcome back, Bella!", Billy said when he saw me come out the door and wheeled over to give me a hug. I leaned down to hug him and lost my breath for a couple of seconds. Looks were deceiving when it came to Billy Black seeing as he was a guy in a wheelchair but with the strength of a bear. "Hey Billy", I said when I could breathe again, "You look good." "I'm still dancing", Billy said and burst out laughing. "He actually does sometimes, you should see him. Or perhaps not", Jacob added. "Hey Jake", I said and hesitated a bit on whether I should hug him or just opt for a hi and a wave. I opted for the latter, since I remembered Jake as being a bit shy around girls. "How's it going?", I continued, not knowing what to say. How lame was I? "Things are good", he said, giving me a friendly smile, "I hope you'll like it here in Forks, even though it can't really compare to the sunshine in Phoenix. If you'd like maybe we could hang out some day and I could show you the does and don'ts of Forks?" This was new, a talkative and not so shy Jacob Black?

"That sounds great, I'd love to. Maybe we could borrow your car someday, Billy? I suppose we can't really take your patrol car for a spin, dad?", I said good-humoredly to Charlie. "Well, you could always take your own car", Charlie said and as soon as he said it I could tell he'd been bursting to utter that phrase. "Huh?", I said, not quite comprehending what was going on. My car? "Well, Billy and I got talking the other day and he was good enough to point out that a big city girl couldn't be expected to be shipped off to the wilderness without having a vehicle to get around. And then he mentioned he happened to have this fixer upper in his yard that was just begging for a new owner and well, seeing it I just reckoned it had your name written all over it. It does, right?"

I still couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. Charlie was giving me a car? "Oh. My. God.", I said, at a lack for better words to describe my astonishment, "This car is mine? MY OWN?" I was starting to sound like Gollum. "Well, if you want it", Charlie said with a wide smile across his face. "I love it!", I blurted out and headed over to check the car out more thoroughly, "This is like the sickest gift I ever got!", I exclaimed eagerly. "Sick is good, right?", Charlie said hesitantly. "Sick equals rad. I'm down with the kids", Billy said. "Oh yeah, you're the bomb", Charlie said sarcastically, still looking very pleased that I liked my gift. "Can we take it out for a drive, me and Jacob?", I asked enthusiastically and jumped in the driver's seat. "Well, it is your car", Charlie said hesitantly, "But please be careful, Bells. You don't have the best track record when it comes to accidents." I couldn't argue with that, given my history. "I'll be super careful, I promise", I said, "Jake, are you coming?" "You don't have to ask me twice", Jacob said and headed for the passenger seat as I started the engine. "Bella, not matter what he says, don't let him drive the car!", Billy hollered as we drove out onto the street. "I won't!", I called back.

When we'd driven down the street I turned to Jacob.

"You can drive for a bit if you'd like you know, as long as you don't tell, Billy. Deal?"

"You're the coolest, Bella", Jacob said with a big smile, "I've been hounding Billy to let me drive for months, but he says I'll have to wait 'til I'm 16. So lame."

"Well, he's probably just thinking of your best, right? That's what parents do", I said and realized I was sounding like an after school special.

"Yes, I know. He's cool most of the time."

We then sat in silence for a while, just watching the woods pass by.

"I think it's really cool that you moved here", Jacob suddenly said," And Charlie is really happy about it, he's been going on and on about it every time he's been over for dinner. Well, dinner… with him and Billy it's more like the blind leading the blind when it comes to cooking. It's a good thing we have home economics in school or else I'd be malnourished by now."

I burst out laughing.

"I know what you mean. Fine cuisine means ketchup at casa Swan. I've already begun to resent it. They're lucky to have us."

"Yeah, you don't say", Jacob said laughing, "Well, anyhow, it's really great that you moved here. And like I said, if you need someone to show you around, make you a home cooked meal or just someone to hang out with, I've been told I'm pretty good at all of the above."

"Thanks, Jake. That's really nice of you", I said, a bit baffled by Jake's directness, "I'll be sure to take you up on that, I could need a friend here in Forks."

"Yeah, a friend", Jacob said, looking very pleased, "So, can I drive now?"