Author's Note: I'm back! The musical went great… it was very time consuming but totally worth it. I'm sorry for the ridiculously long delay… I found myself living in the school auditorium near the final days of the show. Not to mention the immense exhaustion I experienced juggling school, the musical, dance and singing gigs. Please don't hate me… and I hope you enjoy the chapter. I promise I will never make you wait that long for a chapter ever again. I hope you're not disappointed with this one. =]
Love,
Mel
20. Dynamite
I was on my feet at once. The second the door slammed against the back wall of the foyer, I heard profanities. Slurred, loud, hurtful profanities. There was some rummaging downstairs, and then I heard the heavy, stumbling footsteps climb the stairs. The sound was piercingly familiar, but I refused to believe the memory. It just couldn't be…
I looked at the twin's bewildered faces then, and realized they thought the same thing. I shook my head at them, furrowing my eyebrows. "No… no, it can't be. He left."
We grimaced as we heard something fragile and glass shatter on the floor, and another loud profanity echo through the house. I looked into the nervous eyes of my sisters. "Stay here. I'll take care of this."
Suddenly, I heard the haphazard footsteps begin descending the stairs loudly, and I ran for my door. It wasn't my father... it just didn't make any sense. Why would he come back after what my mother had done, sounding like he did pre-rehab? He was a mature adult; the one out of the two of my parents to take care of this mess. Maybe he had a drink to numb his frayed nerves due to my mother's confession, but whoever was pounding down the stairs sounded undoubtedly intoxicated.
Maybe it's a burglar, I tried to reassure myself. A drunken, angry burglar who knew we had money. And if that was the case, I had to protect my frightened sisters. I stalked toward the door as fast as my heavy feet would allow, dreading what I would see when it opened. The sounds couldn't belong to my father. The sounds coming from outside my door were sounds of the past. But when I forcefully opened the door, I realized my assumptions had been incorrect as I watched the thinning, dark-haired head stumble down the last of the steps, his beloved brief case in hand. Peter Jameson, my drunk father.
I ran toward him in a daze, practically flying down the stairs toward his stumbling figure. "Dad?" I asked frantically as he swung closed the front door he left ajar after he bounded inside.
I dashed for the door and opened it again, flying out the front and down the porch steps into the pelting rain. He was trying to run for an unfamiliar lime green Aero, another new car he'd been triumphing over, yet refused to buy because of the efficient Magno-train. Why would he have a car? He refused cars. He always had; only for my mother would he let up against his hatred of these vehicles. Unlike my mother, he knew the value of a dollar, which was another reason I admired him instead of my selfish, good-for-nothing mother. He was a good man. He was a good father…
"Dad!?" I called again, running for the mysterious car.
He didn't turn around. "Get back in the house, Ava." He slurred loudly.
I refused to turn around. "Dad, wait! What's going…" I was cut off abruptly by the absurd, yet familiar sight I saw through the wind shield of the mysterious car. I had to blink a few times before I could let myself believe what I was seeing, but even with that, I still was dubious of the sight. I took a few steps closer to the car, until I was only a foot away from the hood, and there was no denying what I was seeing. My heart dropped to my feet.
She was blonde, blue-eyed, beautiful and unmistakably familiar; not inhumanly beautiful like blonde-goddess Rosalie, but pretty for a human. She was sitting in the driver's seat, and her already big eyes grew even wider when she caught a look of my most likely frazzled expression. My hands balled up into fists.
I ran to him, the blood curdling and asphyxiating anger assaulting my body once again. "DAD!" I screamed at him before he could get his hand on the handle to open the door.
He was near the passenger door then. "Dammit, Ava! I told you to get in the house!"
This couldn't be happening. Everything I believed about my father, the reasons I cared about him and stuck up for him when he left. Everything was slipping between my fingers. I refused to believe this. No, no, no. That was not Harley Mitchell, my father's secretary from Honolulu sitting in the get away car. The get away car that was his one-way ticket away from his family. He was not cheating on mom.
I stomped toward him then, his hand was on the handle of the door. "NO, DAD! WHAT ARE…"
He cut me off when his body suddenly became ridged, and he snapped around to face me, his palm connecting with my face hard and unexpectedly. I stumbled backwards, tears stinging my eyes immediately. His expression went quickly from furious to horrified when he realized what he had done. "Ava…" He said as he reached for me, his bloodshot, dark brown eyes pleading.
My father had never laid a hand on me. Not even before he set off for rehab. Even though his drinking problem caused mass amounts of controversy when it came to family and social status, he never physically hurt any of my family. I never considered these actions as possible coming from him. We were the reason he went to rehab to fix his problem in the first place. We were the reason he worked so hard. But at that moment, for the first time, I doubted these statements he made, and just as suddenly, I realized the simplicity of it all. My family avoided the truth.
He was lying.
Through the blistering tears, I glanced behind his shocked expression at the blonde woman in the car, looked down at his suitcase, and I don't know what came over me then. It was like my body was taken control of by some outside, enraged force, and I couldn't shake this bizarre angry adrenaline off. I pushed his open arms away as hard as I possibly could; taking every ounce of control I contained to resist causing any fatal injuries to him or myself.
I ran for the front door with the rest of my angry energy, slammed the door shut behind me, and quivering with anger, peered out the window that covered the wall. He was still standing in front of the driver's door with a dumb look on his face, which only made me even more infuriated.
"Ava?" I heard come from behind me faintly through the ringing of my ears.
Finally after what seemed like a few millennia, he got in his car with his dirty mistress and pulled away; away from his family, away from what he referred to as his life, and I knew he wasn't coming back. The closure was all I needed for the anger to rush out of me in the form of tears.
I felt arms enclose me from behind then, humming in my ear quietly and rocking me side to side.
"How long has this been going on?" I asked, sounding completely disconnected from my body.
"I think a year." The voice was soft in my ear, as if I never yelled at her in the first place.
I turned around to face her then. Her eyelids were drooping around her blue irises and her hair was a blonde, frizzy mess around her exasperated face. It was the first time in my entire life I'd seen her so out of whack. She had let go, and was ready to stop pretending. "I'm so sorry, mom." The tears engulfed my voice, making the words come out in helpless squeaks.
She embraced me into a tight hug then. "I love you, Ava." And at that moment, I knew she wasn't lying.
***
That night I let my mother cry herself to sleep on my shoulder with my sisters while sitting on her overly profligate king-sized mattress that had self-adjusting thermostat balance according to body heat, memory-foam comfort, and computerized bedside service. She had me poke the water glass on the touch screen at least ten times and each time one appeared seemingly out of no where on the nightstand, she'd down it like she had just spent an entire week in the desert.
Lucky to the situation, but unfortunate to my aching heart, Ronan didn't come by that night. He had probably watched my horrible encounter with my father a number of times by now, because not only was it forever embedded into my memory, but it continued ringing through my head restlessly. I was still in complete shock, but this was just something, no matter how hard it may be, I had to shake off and face.
My family needed me, and even though I was still trying to get used to the fact they were no longer the antagonists in my now completely twisted and backwards life, it was almost comforting. It wasn't like my view on the family I had made a complete turn around to the point that I completely trusted them and immediately forgave them for the neglect I received my entire life, but I wasn't cold towards them either. I could feel the wind of change tousling my hair and the world around me, and fighting it wasn't an option. I knew change was inevitable.
I woke with a start the next morning, straightening my bent neck too fast and wincing when a sharp pain shot up the side. I rubbed it gently, knowing it was going to be stiff for the rest of the day, as I looked around my mother's large room. I glanced at both sides of me, finding Allison sound asleep on my right and my puffy-eyed mother along with softly snoring Alicia on my left.
I took my sleeping arm out from around my mother gingerly so not to wake her, and shook it out to deplete the painful tingling. I slowly drew my knees to my chest and carefully pushed the covers away from my feet. I crawled between my mother and sister, causing Allison to roll over and moan something inaudibly. I quickly slipped out of the room then, closing the door softly behind me and taking in a deep breath. The fact I just spent the night with my sisters and mother was outrageous. I took a quick glance at the clock on the hall wall then; the hands on the analog read eight-thirty. I hit my palm to my head, snapping myself back into reality and realizing I was already a half-hour late for school.
I frantically ran toward my room, practically pulling out my hair at my stupidity. Where was my English paper? Did I even start my English paper? It didn't matter; I already missed first period English. I didn't even get any clothes ready! I was beginning to mutter things to myself under my breath when I swung the door to my bedroom open and my thoughts were abruptly diminished. I gasped at the glowing gold eyes, and a smile lit up his already illuminated face. My love.
I wanted to jump into his rock-solid body, wrap my legs around his cold waist and plant kisses all over his god-like face, but I realized grudgingly that wasn't a possibility. I smiled gallantly at him anyway.
"Ronan!" I whisper-screamed, prancing to him in my slippery socks on the hardwood floor.
He smiled even wider and grabbed my hands, the length of my arms tingling as he did so. "Avs." He greeted me, placing my palm on his cold cheek. "It feels like I haven't seen you in years."
I placed his hand on my cheek, closing my eyes. "You have no idea." I took a deep breath, trying to breath him in as much as I could from the nearly impossible distance between us. "I missed you last night."
He didn't answer me, and I opened my eyes to find his expression a bit saddened. "Ronan?"
He shook his head. "I knew I should've been there for…"
I stopped him there in mid-sentence. "No. I'm glad you didn't come over. You know I would've thrown a fit if you saw me in that state." I rubbed his hand that was on my cheek. "I can't stand seeing you hurt. Plus, my family needed me." I rolled my eyes and smiled. "And you can thank Emmett for stopping me from smashing everything in my room, because I know I would've if I was left alone in there."
Ronan shook his head and smiled. "For someone so small you have quite a temper."
I rolled my eyes, looking away from his glowing face as my mouth formed a scowl. "Must have inherited from my bastard of a father…"
Ronan looked surprised at my sudden outburst. "Ava…"
"Okay, you can't tell me that's not a relevant choice of words." I reasoned, shaking my head.
"Take a deep breath, Avs. You're right. He's a complete bastard for leaving you. For giving up his beautiful family…" He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, and I shivered under his touch. "And his even more beautiful daughter. The one I would do anything in the world for. In my mind, it's utterly outrageous." He chuckled. "I can't be without you for one night, let alone forever." He looked deep into my eyes then. "He's out of his wretched mind. Leaving you is absolutely out of the question."
I smiled, my heart swelling and exceeding the maximum capacity of my chest, causing happy tears to run down my cheeks. I squeezed his hand. "I love you."
"I love you too, Avs. I want to take you out this afternoon." He told me, and I smiled excitedly.
"Where are we going?" I asked curiously.
He smirked. "You'll find out when I take you there."
I groaned. "Seriously?"
"Seriously, Avs. You're so pushy." He smiled.
I rolled my eyes. "Well you're so infuriating with all your surprises. You know I have an over-active mind already…"
He stroked my hair. "Don't fret, Avs. You'll find out after school today." He took a deep breath then. "I'll let you get ready. I'll have to meet you there if the sun doesn't come out as it's supposed to." He rolled his eyes. "Stupid school gossip blog."
I shook my head. "Stupid overly-observant Cindy." I gasped then, slapping my hand to my head, remembering. "Dammit!"
"What?" He asked, dubious.
"The movie tonight!" I pouted.
Ronan smirked. "That's all taken care of."
I raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean…?"
"Mark forgot he has to go to his older brother's college football game in San Francisco this weekend, so Cindy postponed the get together till further notice. Edward just texted me." He shook his unfolded pod phone in my face, revealing its high-tech quality music speakers and LED touch screen.
I shook my head and smiled. The convenience of mind-reading. "Good. I'll see you later then."
He took my hands in his and gave them a light squeeze. "Can't wait. I'll be right behind you in the Black Jak when school ends."
Suddenly, we heard my mother's bedroom door open, and hurried foot steps sprint down the hallway. My eyes widened, but before my mother could even get to my door, Ronan disappeared out my wide-open window, letting an unfamiliar warm, sweet-smelling wind begin to circulate my room.
I heard a knock at my door before I could make anymore observations. "Come in." I answered a bit too quickly, still sitting awkwardly on my bed.
My door swung open, and my puffy-eyed, messy-haired mother entered my room, breathing quickly. "I'm so sorry we didn't wake up on time, sweetie! I wasn't thinking to set my alarm and…"
I shook my head. "No, mom. It's totally fine. I should've set the alarm for us… you were in no state to be thinking about that last night."
She pursed her lips and hugged herself then, nodding. "I'll send the attendance offices an email. You go get dressed and I'll get breakfast ready. I'll drive you…" her eyes slowly averted to my wide-open window. "Why is your window open?"
"Oh… um I just wanted to let some fresh air in here… it's pretty nice out today for once." I lied, even though the last part of my answer wasn't. For once, it actually felt above fifty degrees in Forks, and the clouds were clearing; the indication of a fresh start for the new Jameson family.
She nodded, surprised herself by the abnormal weather. "Your right. I'll make sure to open more when I get home. As I was saying, you get ready and I'll drive you and the girls in…"
"Oh, mom, that's really nice of you but I think I'll just drive myself in today. I have plans after school." I told her, getting off my bed and starting for the door, but my mother blocked the way.
"What are you doing?" She asked me.
I hesitated, furrowing my eyebrows at her, but she just stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, waiting for a response. I was confused by her unfamiliar question at first, but then the events of last night reentered my mind, reminding me she actually cared now.
"Oh, um, a friend's just taking me out…"
My mother's eyebrows rose. "A friend?"
"Yeah. We won't be back late…" I assured her, trying to usher myself out of the room before she went deeper into questioning.
"Who is he?" She asked, a small smirk on her face. I let out a long breath. She knew me better than I expected.
"His name is Ronan. Ronan Swan. He goes to school with me." I confessed, looking down at my pink, fuzzy socks.
"Is he nice to you?" She asked sternly.
I nodded and smiled. "Yes, mom. He's very nice to me."
She smiled along with me. "Good. I would like to meet him before he takes you out tonight."
My jaw practically hit the floor. "You… what?"
She raised her eyebrows at me again. "I sure hope that won't be a problem."
I shook my head. "Oh… of course not… I'll, um… I'll have him meet me here at the house after school…"
She smiled. "It's a plan then. I'll drive you and pick you up to bring you home. I can't wait to meet this Ronan fellow."
"I can't wait for you to meet him either, mom." I told her with false excitement as I trudged out of the room. I was finally about to experience the down-side of parental supervision.
***
"How was your day?" My mother chirped as I slid into the back seat of the auto-pilot BMW.
"Fine." I replied absently as I texted Ronan hurriedly for the umpteenth time that sunny day the Cullens took a rain-check on for obvious reasons.
I glanced at the sky, noticing the clouds coming in to cover the sun, just as Alice promised. I let out a sigh of relief before folding my pod phone back into its ear-piece size and shoving it into my bag, hoping Ronan would get the reminder to give me twenty minutes to get ready before he made his big entrance. I was dreading the moment.
My mother would have to love Ronan. He assured me in at least ten responses to my agitated texts that my mother would like him. That was only a light weight off my exhausted shoulders, however. I'd seen the movies. I'd even experienced the situation myself with Joseph's high-class parents. Meeting the parents was just down-right awkward. Not to mention intimidating. And excruciatingly embarrassing when you find yourself knocking over a glass of dark purple grape juice on the lush white carpet at dinner, a moment I still, even long after Joseph, find myself grimacing at the memory.
But, luckily, Ronan wasn't human, and hopefully he'd be taking that to his advantage.
My senses were sharp when the car parked itself in the garage and my seatbelt unbuckled. It was show time.
I jumped out of the car and practically sprinted up to the bathroom to prepare for this "date of a life time" as Alice described in one of her numerous texts she sent me during the day. I found the cosmetics she promised on the counter as soon as I stepped into the bathroom and let out a relieved sigh.
What would I do without Alice?
As I began frantically applying my foundation and light eyeliner, my knees started trembling in excitement for this, as Alice also called "eventful date". Where was he taking me? Were we going to the beach on this beautiful day? To another dinner? Dance?
My mouth curled into a smile, remembering our first date and doing my best to block out the horrid end. Ronan sure knew how to woo a girl.
I finally sprayed the non-sticky curl into my hair, giving my copper red locks volume and bounce with out the frizz. I fluffed it with my palm to make sure it had set and wasn't stiff, then put the fruity lip plumper Alice left me on my smiling lips before prancing into my bedroom.
I wasn't too surprised to find a gorgeous, strapless sparkling royal blue dress laying on my bed- Alice wasn't one to miss a chance to make me look my best- along with a small, black shopping bag that looked vaguely familiar from our Seattle trip, the one bag Alice took a solo trip to retrieve while Bella, Nessie and I met the guys at the coffee shop. After I finished gawking and shaking my head at the beautiful dress lying in front of me, I couldn't help but give into the sudden curiosity. What could possibly be in that petite, mysterious bag Alice rushed to retrieve alone in Washington?
I began ripping into the bag like a five-year-old devouring the paper of a much anticipated toy on Christmas morning, but instead of giddiness filling my stomach when I caught of glimpse of what it contained, the dread and nervousness for the date instantly hit me like a semi.
I picked up the abomination with the very tips of my fingers, cringing at the exponential amounts of frill. And overly-obtrusive color. I don't even think I owned a shirt so bright… and blue. And the lace. Ugh… the lace. I couldn't help but grimace again, a small choking sound escaping my throat.
Before I could even get my hands on the even skimpier, matching frilly bottoms to the horrifying surprise, my eye caught an even more terrifying note in Alice's handwriting:
Ava,
Don't freak out. Just wear it. I removed the straps for your dress. These additions will make you look your best. And don't forget what I said before: if you got it, flaunt it. You're going to look beautiful.
Love,
Alice
I put the note down, swallowing hard. Why the hell did Alice buy me freaking lingerie? Well it wasn't technically lingerie, more like an extravagant push-up bra with just as overgenerous panties… and that's exactly what it was. Alice wasn't one to settle for neutral colored couture- even if it was undergarments. She probably just wanted to make sure I looked the best I possibly could in the new dress she bought for me. She just wanted her human mannequin to feel beautiful on her surprise date. My mouth curled into a smile, and I shook my head at my silliness. Of course those were Alice's reasons for this bag.
I glanced at the clock then, and realized I only had two minutes to get everything Alice had let for me on and to be waiting by the door as planned. I quickly slipped into the new dress, and unwillingly, the bra and panties, as well as putting the diamond chandlers into my ears, and clasping the even flashier diamond necklace around my neck. I forced the matching dark blue, one-size-too-small shoes onto my size six feet, figuring they were Alice's, threw my pod phone into the matching clutch, and rushed downstairs to the door as Ronan knocked right on cue. I was ready for anything.
I automatically opened the door before my mom could even get to the door, finding Ronan with his dark brown hair messed as usual, just the way I liked it. He wore black dress pants, and powder blue dress shirt, topped off with a silk, black tie. I was in awe at his gorgeousness, as was my mother standing behind me.
Ronan stood there, staring at me with the same amount of surprise, but quickly snapped himself out of his daze and smiled at my mother standing behind me. I turned to face them as Ronan held out his hand.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jameson." He introduced himself politely as my mother took his hand absently as she stared at him. "My name is Ronan Swan."
She was still gaping at his god-like face, practically drooling. "Please, Ronan, call me Sharon."
I wanted to slap my palm to my head. Could she at least close her hanging jaw?
"Sharon." Ronan's smile was amused, and I wanted to just slap him across the face. He would never let this moment go. "I won't have your daughter out late. We're just going to enjoy the weather with a picnic."
My eyebrows furrowed. A picnic? Talk about human dates.
"Oh, sounds splendid!" My mother blurted. She turned to face my twisted expression. "You have fun, okay? Keep your pod on you."
I nodded, longing to be anywhere but here. "Kay mom. See you later." I said as I turned on my heel out the door, Ronan quickly following and linking his arm with mine.
"It was nice meeting you, Ronan!" She shouted out the door to us as I retreated. "You kids have fun! Be safe!"
I picked up my pace, my face prickling from her final remark. Ronan chuckled as he opened the passenger door for me, and I hurriedly slipped in. He was still laughing as he slid behind the wheel.
"Go." I demanded, a smile starting to grow on my lips at his contagious, care-free laugh.
"Gladly." He remarked as he sped down my long driveway eagerly.
