Jacob holds his hand out to help me up. I don't really need his help, but remind myself I'm trying to woo information out of him. I grasp his hand delicately, like I saw Rose do in Titanic when getting out of the car. Based on the smirk on his face, my ruse is working so far. Mindy jumps up when she realizes I've moved, and follows us as we make our way down the beach. We walk in silence for a few minutes, trying to figure out how to get Jacob to talk about what Sam said on my part. I have no idea why Jacob is quiet. We are walking south along the beach, away from James Island. Looking out over the water, I can just barely make out huge shapes in the water.
"What's that out there on the water?" I ask in a fake shy voice, pointing to them. I guess I can start with some mundane small talk.
"That's Cakesosta. They're just some tiny islands. Actually, they're really more like giant boulders, sticking up out of the water... Are you cold?" He noticed my slightly over-dramatic shiver, and is already taking his jacket off to put it around my shoulders.
"A little, thank you." I say, ducking my head after making brief eye contact. So far, he seems to be falling for my charms. "So, you're like sixteen or seventeen now, right?"
"Actually, I just turned fifteen." He says, puffing his chest out a bit.
"Oh, I guess our ages didn't come up much when we were kids. And you don't exactly look fifteen." I say, fluttering my eyelids a bit. I watch too many damn movies.
"I'm pretty tall for my age." He says, standing a little straighter as if to prove a point.
"So, do you make it to Forks often? It seems my dad is always coming down here on the weekends to fish with your dad or some friend of his named Harry. Do you guys ever spare my dad the trip and visit him instead?" I ask, trying to make it sound like I'm asking him to visit. I may regret that later...
"Unfortunately not. I don't have a license yet, and dad can't drive anymore since he's in the wheelchair now. When I get my license though, I can come up as much as I want. Well, once I finish fixing up my car." He says, perking up.
"Oh, well I'll hold you to that." I say, playfully bumping my shoulder into him.
I grab a piece of driftwood from the ground and throw it, Mindy bounding after it. She tries to duck her head to grab it in her mouth and smoothly turn to bring it back. Her plans are foiled though when she misjudges how low she needs to duck her snout and instead plows head-first into the sand and tumbles over. She gets up, shakes out the sand, picks up the stick, and runs back to us. Her tail is wagging like crazy at our laughter. Jake grabs the stick and throws it out for her as we take a seat on a driftwood log about a quarter mile from the group.
"So, who was that guy talking to Lauren back there? He seems a little too old to be hanging out with us, doesn't he?" I say, trying to make him think I prefer his company over the older kids.
"Sam? He's nineteen, but has the attitude of a middle-aged man sometimes. He only tagged along with us to make sure we didn't cause any problems with you pale-faces." He says, flashing me a grin, adding in a wink for good measure.
"Yeah, he did seem to have a bit of a 'tude on him. Why was he bashing on the doctor's family?" I ask, glad to finally be getting to the main course.
"The Cullen's? They aren't allowed on the re- and I'm not supposed to talk about that. Don't tell anyone I started saying anything." He laughs, making me think whatever the Quileute's problems are with the Cullen's, he doesn't necessarily believe in.
"Oh come on, what do you take me for? My dad may be the Chief of Police, but I'm no snitch. I mean, I'm clumsy enough to get stitches on my own." He finally understands one of my lame jokes, and gets a good belly laugh out at it. "Tell me the story with that. I can't see why the Cullen's would be banned from the reservation. They've only been here for a couple years, from what I've been told. What kind of trouble could they have caused to warrant that?"
"Well..." He hesitates.
He seems torn on wanting to tell me, mostly likely thinking it'll impress me, and wanting to keep the secret. I decide to drive it home by brushing my hand along his, which is resting between us on the driftwood. He snaps his head up at that, and I give him my best shy smile and look away quickly to throw Mindy's stick. I seem to be doing better at this than I thought.
"Do you like scary stories?" He asks, putting on what I assume is his best horror movie narrator voice.
"Oh, I love scary stories!" I say, channeling Jessica as best I can. Hand clapping and all, which gets Mindy excited too.
"Haha, okay well... Do you know any of our origin stories? Us Quileute's I mean." He asks, looking over at me as he scratches Mindy behind the ear.
"No. I've only read a small blurb in my history book." I say, turning to fully face him.
"Well, we have a lot of legends. Supposedly, our tribe goes back hundreds, if not thousands of years. We have one story that dates back to the Flood, which tells how our ancestors supposedly survived it by tying their canoes to the tallest trees." He rolls his eyes at that, meaning he doesn't believe in that particular tale.
Well, I don't see how that would have worked. The trees would have been torn out by the roots by the force of the water. I better not tell him that though, since I want him to think I'm vested in his tribe's stories, despite the fact it seems he is just as disbelieving as I am. I just grin stupidly and nod in encouragement at him.
"Another story we have, that dates back even further, is that we are descended from... wolves." He puts extra emphasize on wolves, lowering his voice and all. "And, supposedly, they are our brothers still. It is against tribal law to hunt or kill them, unless absolutely necessary for self-defense. I'm not old enough yet to get the full story on that part of our history though."
"Oh, well I hope you'll tell me when you become of age." I smile sweetly at him, hinting to him that I hope he's still around when that time comes.
"Me too..." He looks into my eyes for a minute before snapping himself out of it and continuing. "Um, anyway. As old as the legends of our wolf ancestry are the tales of the cold ones... And some more recent stories of them."
"The cold ones? That's not a very creative name." I joke with him, playing into his obvious disbelief in tribe superstition.
"Seriously, I'm sad I come from such unimaginative people. I'll have to think of another name sometime. Anyway, I'm getting off track. I'm supposed to be scaring you!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Give me a sec." I muster up a face of mock horror, complete with fake biting my nails.
"Much better! So, my great-great-grandfather, Ephriam, came across a pack of cold ones while he and a few other tribe members were hunting. They were different from the others of their kind, though. Ephriam noticed the difference, and though he still didn't fully trust them, he made a truce with them, which was signed into a treaty. It states that as long as they don't hunt on our lands, we won't expose them to the pale-faces. Your people had been expanding for years around that time, and were really getting settled in nearby."
"What made the cold ones so threatening they needed a treaty?" I ask, pleasing him with my attentiveness.
"Well, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf... Uh, wolf that turns to man... Let's just say werewolf to make it easier."
"So, if these cold ones weren't dangerous, why the fuss?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around everything.
"Despite their supposed civility, there is always a danger to humans when it comes to the cold ones. You never know when they'd get too hungry to resist a tasty human. This pack claimed to hunt solely animals, though. Ephriam believed them, since they were in the process of drinking a bear when he and his tribe stumbled upon them." He smirks at the expression on my face.
"So, what does this have to do with the Cullen's? Are they supposed to be descendants of these cold ones or something?" I ask, trying to keep calm.
"No, they aren't their descendants. They're the same ones." He grins and looks away when my jaw drops, throwing Mindy's stick again. "There are more of them now than there were. Ephriam met Carlisle and three others back then. They'd gone before your people finished settling in here. There's another male and female now, from what I understand, this time around."
Unbeknownst to him, I am not really scared of his story. I'm more shocked that I'm finally figuring out why Alice, and the rest of her family for that matter, are so different from everyone else I've ever met. I knew there was something about them, but hearing Jacob talk about the cold one's, I can't help but feel what he says is right. I can even picture the events unfolding as he describes them, so vividly it's like I'm there. I can see Carlisle, Edward, Rose, Emmett and some other woman who I guess is Carlisle's wife, crouched over a bear with blood dripping down their mouths.
Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett are wearing dark suits, vests, dress shoes, and are either wearing or holding fedoras or fiddlers caps. I can also make out the chain of pocket watches hanging from each of their vest pockets. Rosalie and the other woman, Esme I assume, are wearing similar era fashion. Each are wearing long overcoats, which are slightly open to reveal loose fitting dresses underneath, heels, and they have their long hair in finger waves. For some reason, I don't see Alice or Jasper with them. I guess they're the new additions he mentioned, which might explain why I excluded them in my imaginings.
I can see a man who looks like an older version of Jacob. He and the three others that are with him are wearing a simple pair of cream colored cotton looking pants, matching cloth shoes, no shirt, and have war paint on their faces and bare chests. They have daggers tied to the waist of their pants and have a simple bow and quiver of arrows around their backs. I realize I've been in a daze, and Jacob is looking at me with a worry crease between his eyes.
"Uh- so, what does that mean? The Cullen's are some kind of vampires or something?" I say, making my voice as nonchalant as possible.
"Pretty much. They're just blood suckers bound to snap at any moment and drain the next unsuspecting human that crosses their path at the wrong time. Or so that's what all the old geezers think." He says with a laugh.
I just stare out at the Cakesosta islands in the distance. I rub my arms under Jacob's jacket, which is still wrapped around my shoulders. I realize I have goosebumps, so rub harder in hopes that will make them go away. I want to turn over everything I've learned here with all my observations, but I can't with Jacob here. I give myself a moment to put up my facade.
"You know, you're a pretty good story-teller. Look at my arms, I have goosebumps and everything!" I exclaim, holding up my left arm and pull back my sleeve for him to look at.
"Awesome, glad to be of service." I says with a slight bow. "I guess I just broke the treaty though..." He says, a mock look of horror crossing his face.
"Don't worry, I'll take it to the grave." I say, shoving him off the driftwood playfully.
"Seriously though, please don't tell Charlie. He got hella pissed at my dad when he found out no one on the res will go to the community hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there." He says, looking up at me after dusting off the sand and picking off something slimy from his pants from where he mock fell onto the ground when I pushed him.
"So, I bet you think we're all a bunch of crazy, superstitious natives now, huh?" He says, helping me up from our makeshift bench.
"Nah, not everyone. Just you! But, you're pretty good at telling scary stories, so I guess it's okay." I say, giving him a playful wink.
"BELLA!" Someone calls from behind us, making us jump and Mindy to start barking.
"Jesus Mike, are you trying to give me a fucking heart attack?" I say through gritted teeth to myself after I turned around and saw who it was while petting Mindy to calm her down. He's still a bit away, so didn't hear me.
"Is that your boyfriend or something?" Jacob asks, glaring at Mike.
"God no, do you think I'd put up with that?" I whisper to him, turning away from Mike and giving him a wink for good measure.
"So, when I get my license, would it be okay if we hung out sometimes?" He asks, an ear splitting grin on his face.
"That would be awesome! And next time Charlie goes down to hang out with Billy, I'll be sure to tag along." I feel bad for using him, so figure this will be the least I can do to make it up to him. He does seem like someone that will be fun to hang out with and talk to, I just hope I can find a way to break to him gently that I don't want to be anything more than friends...
"Sorry if I scared you guys, I'd been looking for you. Where've you been? Eric's about to start his 'surprise'. I figured you wouldn't want to miss it." Mike says after getting closer, Jessica trailing a few paces behind him. He looks over at Jacob, measuring him up. He smirks slightly after a moment, seeming satisfied that Jacob doesn't seem to pose a threat to him.
"Here, obviously. There isn't really anything else around here that I can see." Man, Mike asks the dumbest questions sometimes. "Jacob was just telling me some awesome stories." I give Jacob a warm smile, which he beams at proudly, puffing out his chest.
Mike looks between us, looking deflated now that he's seen that I've gotten closer to Jacob that I ever did with him. "Well, we should head back before he starts without us."
"Alright, come on Mindy." I say, as I start following behind him and Jessica, Mindy and Jacob on either side of me.
We make it back to the others, who have all come back from their various excursions. Eric is passing around sparklers and lighting them. He hands one to Lauren, and right as it is lit Mindy snatches it from her and starts running around the group with it, causing everyone to laugh. I'm more laughing at the look on Lauren's face though, which is a mixture of amusement and anger. Seems she has a soft spot for animals, which is battling her usual bitch attitude.
"Give 'em the ol' razzle dazzle Mindy!" I call out as Mindy bounces around, making the sparkler trace lines in the air.
"Alright, now it's time for the main attraction!" Eric calls out over the laughter as he pulls out a plastic tube and a few boxes.
I'm sitting in my seat from before, Angela next to me trying to write her name in the air with her sparkler. Jacob takes a seat on the ground next to me. I call Mindy over, her sparkler having died out now, and have her sit in front of me. Not wanting her to get the same idea with the cannon Eric is setting up that she did with the sparkler, I hold her collar to make sure she stays with me. Eric, having dug a flat spot in the sand and laying down a piece of cardboard to set the cannon on, sets to twisting two fuses from two separate shells together and then drops them both into the tube. He lights them and steps back.
A few seconds later, there's the sound of the shells shooting out of the tube, a bright green crackle effect and bright purple waterfall effect, shortly followed by the loud bang of the fireworks. Mindy struggles a bit against me, trying to run to the lights, but gives up not long after when she realizes she won't get away. She watches intently as Eric sets up another double shell. These ones are a red ring and a gold falling leaves effects. For the last one, with encouragement from Tyler, Conner, and Mike, he puts together three shells. Knowing this can't end well, I have Jacob, Angela, and Mindy come with me away from the group.
Eric lights his creation just as we get a good twenty feet away, which thankfully we did because before the shells can even leave the tube, it falls over toward the bonfire. Everyone screams and splits off in different directions to avoid the explosions. We can't help but laugh as people try to dodge the pink, blue, and yellow fireworks that are going off around them. They're too close to the ground to make out what kind of effects they are, and some of the stray sparks cause the grass behind the group to smoke dangerously. It rained the day before though, so the grass is still damp and doesn't catch.
We wait until everyone finally settles down and rejoin them. Unsurprisingly, with that fiasco everyone decides to call it a night. Eric is pouting, since he doesn't get to use the box fireworks he brought. Apparently, they each hold between fifteen and thirty shells and go off in quick succession, sort of a finale. Grudgingly, he helps us all load up the surfboards, cooler, and chairs into the bed of my truck. With a quick goodbye to Jacob, complete with reassurances that I'll visit with Charlie as promised, Angela and I get into my truck and make our way back to Newton's.
When we get there, everyone gathers their things from my truck and puts them in their own vehicles. After everyone stands around talking, mostly about the upcoming Softball game against the Tenino Beavers. The game is the day before the upcoming dance, which is the next topic of conversation. Jessica and Lauren talk excitedly about the best colors to match the theme of the dance, which is Mardi Gras.
Finally, after having not paid attention for the last fifteen minutes of conversation, Angela and I say our goodbyes and I drive her home. We make plans to hang out the next day, this time at my house, and I head home. I grab myself a drink and head up to my room where I hit play on Killing Me Softly With His Song by Fugees. Now that I'm alone and don't have any distractions, I start going over the story Jacob told me and comparing it to my own observations.
He said that his great-great-grandfather supposedly met the Cullen's before. Doing some quick math, that would have had to have been sometime in the 1920s or 30s. I start turning over past conversations I've had with Edward and Alice, since I've talked to them the most, and see a common theme in the way they speak. Alice has definitely acted and spoken more like kids do now, but I remember times where she has slipped and used a word or phrase common in older times.
I remember one time during drama when she seemed more relaxed than usual, and I was telling her a story from a time around when I was born.
"Charlie was in the Army reserves during that time and couldn't make it to my birth, since he was deployed in Iraq. They wouldn't let him return to the states for when I was born, so my grandma and grandpa visited my mom in the hospital and then helped her at home for a couple weeks, until she got settled into her new role as a mom."
"They sound like wonderful people." Alice commented with a smile.
"They were." I answer sadly, which makes her look at me curiously. "After they left, they stopped in Nebraska to see family. The night they arrived, grandpa went into the kitchen to make him and my grandma a bowl of ice cream to share. He collapsed on the floor and had a heart attack, just like that. I only met him the one time, when I was a newborn and he held me, so I don't really know much about him except stories I've been told."
"I'm sorry, Bella." Alice said, seeming to not know what else to say.
"It's okay. My mom said that there was some good that came from it. See, dad wasn't allowed to come home for my birth, but they let him back for his dad's funeral. That allowed him to see me for the first time. He was supposed to be deployed for eight months, so if he hadn't come back then, he wouldn't have seen me until I was at least six months old. He would have missed a lot of my firsts in that time, if he had had to wait. Instead, they let his service end early and he went back to the Police Department full time."
Alice didn't say anything for a minute after that, seeming at a loss for words. So, for some reason, I decided to tell her something only my mom and Charlie know, having never told anyone else before. I got that familiar feeling that I could tell Alice anything without judgment or her thinking I'm crazy, so went for it.
"I think it happened for a reason. I even wonder if he kind of... died on purpose."
"Bushwa!" She said with a slight southern accent that took me by surprise.
"No, I'm serious!" I hurried on, ignoring her odd word choice. "My mom told me that every year on the anniversary of his death, I would randomly smile at seemingly nothing in whatever room we were in and talk about how Grandpa was a good man. I never knew him, they didn't talk about him, but would just say that out of the blue. My mom and I talked about it when I was older, and we both think that Grandpa wanted to make up for everything he put my dad through, somehow. His death let Charlie come home and see his only daughter for the first time that much sooner."
Alice reached out and gently put her hand on my arm, rubbing slightly in a soothing way. My jacket sleeve had ridden up slightly, so my breath hitched when her finger grazed my skin. She's so cold! She retracted her hand quickly when she heard my reaction, and gave me an apologetic look. I just looked at her with concern, unzipping my jacket and putting it around her shoulders without a word. She gave me the sweetest smile, and pulled the jacket tighter around herself. After that, she starting drawing in her notepad while I did the same in mine.
That wasn't the only time she's used odd words or phrases. There was the time I heard her mumble under her breathe "bluenose" when Rosalie told her she wouldn't go shopping with her that afternoon. There was also the time she said to me "you know your onions" when I showed her a website I designed for a local business back in Phoenix. Mostly though, Alice acts like most other teenagers in our time. Edward, however, is another story.
Not only does he seem to have an outdated view on things, but he talks so formal all the time. He may not use old slang terms, but he still just gives off an aura of being old-fashioned. Besides that, he acted like some old codger who forgets times have changed. Besides the way he treats me, like I don't know what I want and need him to tell me, I've noticed how he's treated others in school.
I was sitting with my friends in the cafeteria, looking around the room while I listened to the inane chatter of my table-mates. I usually gloss over Edward, not wanting him to ever get the impression I'm giving him attention he obviously wants. However, I couldn't help but do a double-take when I see he is glaring daggers at a gay couple a few tables away from him. The taller of the boys had his hand on the thigh of his boyfriend, while they were chatting with each other, smiling happily. Just then, a football player, his friends following close behind, elbowed the shorter boy in the head hard enough that it connected with his boyfriends next to him.
"Faggot! Get a room, why don't you." One of the friends spat at them as they walked by, pushing their trays to the floor as they went.
Edward grinned at the display, obviously happy someone stopped whatever was offending him. My hands balled into tight fists, I could feel my skin protesting while they stretched over my knuckles and my nails dug into my palms. I was about to get up and give those football players a piece of my mind, when a memory of my freshman year hit me and I wrapped my arms around myself and turned away. Angela looked at me in concern, but just put a hand on my knee in comfort, not wanting to bring everyone's attention to me. I gave her a small smile in thanks, and worked on my calming methods, not looking at Edward again the rest of the day.
I go over my observations of Edward and Alice, and combine that with what I know about vampires from movies, books, and past Google searches. Look-wise, they mostly match the myths. They're pale and beyond beautiful. I have yet to see a red tint in Alice's cheeks, despite how flushed she should be after how much she participates in gym. Her cold hand when she tried to comfort me and Edwards when he grabbed my arm would confirm why the Quileute's call them the cold ones.
I know for a fact they are strong and fast, or at least Alice is considering the incident with the van. I haven't noticed any fangs though. And I've had the garlic bread in school on spaghetti day, and that didn't seem to bother Alice when she was sat next to me. I have yet to see any of them actually eat any of the food on their trays at lunch, either. They seem fine outside, so the sun must not be a bother. Actually, it's always cloudy here, so they are never truly in the sun. The one time the sun was out, they weren't in school. I've also noticed Alice's skin seems to have a slight glow to it when we are outside versus inside. But I've also seen her reflection in locker room mirrors, she definitely has a shadow, and I've gotten a picture of her to attach to her name in my phone.
After a moment, I laugh at myself. I'm seriously laying in my bed trying to decide if my crush is a vampire! Maybe I need to add delusional to my list of mental conditions. Well, I think I should call it a night on this note. Maybe I'll wake up mentally refreshed and can dwell on this more, with a clear head. I take a quick shower and go to bed, Mindy lying snugly against my legs and Chip purring happily on my chest while I put on something I only listen to when I'm trying to clear my head of arrant thoughts before bed, classical music. Turning off the lamp next to my bed, I relax and let Sheep May Safely Graze by Johann Bach lull me to sleep.
Suddenly, I'm in the woods. I don't recognize my surroundings, so I can't be near my house. It's dark, and I can only make out the trees and ground that's directly in front of me. I look up into the canopy of the trees and can't even make out if it's so dark due to the tree coverage or thick clouds blocking the light of the moon and starts. Suddenly, I hear the crunching of leaves behind me and spin around to find a frantic looking Jacob. He takes my hand, pressing a finger to his lips to signal for me to be quiet, as he drags me back in the direction he came from.
"Jake, what are you doing? What's going on?" I whisper yell at him, pulling back slightly to slow him down.
"Bella, be quiet. He'll hear us. We need to get out of here!" He says, tightening his grip and moving us faster.
"Who are you talking about? Jake, stop! You're starting to hurt me." I say, wrenching my arm free from his grasp.
"He's right Bella, we need to go. Come on!" A cold hand grasps mine gently and pulls me with Jake.
"Alice?" I say, looking at the beautiful woman leading me through the maze of trees, steadying me when I trip over a fallen branch or root.
"Yes Bella, I'm here. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, didn't I?" She says, looking back to give me a small smile.
I let her lead me through the woods, not paying attention to our path while I take in hers and Jake's appearance. It seems the only thing she is wearing is a black dress that comes down to her knees, where it flares out slightly. I'm surprised to see she's barefoot, considering she doesn't seem to react to all the rocks and other painful objects she must be stepping on. Her skin is glowing, allowing me to make her out easily in the dark, despite there being no light around us.
I tear my eyes away from her, reluctantly, and squint to try to make out Jake. He seems taller and more broad than he did just a few hours ago at the bonfire. He's wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, but also barefoot. I can barely make out his face, since it's so dark. Alice's glow helps a little though, and I see how afraid he is. His dark eyes glance around, wary of something. I wonder what they're so afraid of when Alice's hand suddenly leaves mine and I see a flash as her body sails through the air and into a tree.
Jake shakes violently before a giant wolf takes his place. It's too dark to make out more about what the wolf looks like, not that I want to be that close to it anyways. It's growling viciously at something to my right, and I follow it's gaze, careful to not turn away from it. My breath hitches when I see Edward. I can make him out easily, since his skin is giving off a glow the way Alice's did. However, where I found her absolutely breathtaking, I find Edward to be positively horrifying. He smiles at me, two pointed teeth where his canine teeth should be.
"Come to me, Isabella. Come to my side, where you belong." He says, beckoning me with is finger.
Just then the wolf snarls and leaps at him, only to be swatted away into the tree next to where Alice landed. Suddenly, I realize Alice isn't huddled in a heap at the base of the tree she hit, and I panic wondering where she is. I look back over to Edward, who takes a few slow steps to me, an evil glint in his eye. Suddenly, Alice is in front of me, crouched and hissing furiously at Edward. He smirks at her, cocking his head to the side.
"Come now Alice, you know she belongs to me. Move aside, I don't want to hurt my dear sister." He says, condescendingly.
Alice just answers with a snarl before Edward sighs dramatically and suddenly lunges for her.
"NOOOO!" I scream, sitting up in bed, glancing around fearfully.
It was only a dream, just a dream. I take deep breaths, trying to calm my heart rate as well as Mindy and Chip who are growling and hissing at the window. I must have scared them when I screamed, and they think there's a threat. I look at my phone and see it's 6:30. So much for sleeping in on the weekends. No way I'm gonna get to sleep now. I get up and head downstairs where I make myself a bagel and let Mindy out, who immediately goes to the tree outside my window and barks up at it. I look up, trying to see the squirrel or whatever has captured her attention.
When I don't see anything, I call her over and turn around to head back inside. The wind blows in our direction and I catch a faint whiff of chocolate and strawberries. I turn back to the backyard, eyeing the treeline, looking for anything out of place while I walk backwards to the door. I don't see anything, but that doesn't ease my anxiety. I quickly lead Mindy back inside, locking the door behind me and running to the front door to do the same. Charlie must not be home, I finally take note when I've calmed down. He must be out fishing again. Not having anything to do, I decide to just plop down on the couch and start up my homework, playing Law and Order: SVU in the background on the TV.
Several hours later, I'm startled by a knock on the door. I peek through the window, still a little paranoid from the dream and the smell earlier. Angela is standing outside, a few movie cases and books in her arms. I forgot we were hanging out today for movies and to work on our project! I quickly open the door and let her inside, where Chip starts rubbing against her legs meowing happily to see a new face. Shoving her things into my arms, she crouches down and pets Chip, squealing slightly. Chuckling at her, I set her books down on the table next to the stairs and look through the movies she's brought.
She's brought Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, both Kill Bill's, Child's Play, and The Princess Bride. I smile at the last one, remembering Alice telling me it's her favorite movie. I look over at Angela and watch her as he picks up Chip, who I can hear purring loudly, and sits down on the couch, making herself at home.
"Well, hello to you too, asshole." I tease.
"Hey Bella. You know I can't resist furry cuddles!" She laughs as Chip headbutts her chin, kneading her chest.
"I see Chips making biscuits on you." I chuckle, giving Chip a quick scratch before falling down to the couch next to her. Mindy comes over, tail wagging so hard it knocks over my (thankfully empty) cup to the floor, and lays her head in Angela's lap.
"So many cuddles!" She cries out, trying to pet them both at the same time.
"So, this is quite the selection you brought over. Why these movies?" I say, indicating the movies.
"I didn't know what you were in the mood for, so I brought some of my favorites from each genre! We have Scott Pilgrim for comedy, Kill Bill for action, Child's Play for horror, and Princess Bride for romance. Take your pick!" She says, putting her attention back to Chip, who is now licking her forehead while she scratches the sensitive spot just above his tail.
"Technically, all of these would be considered comedies." I shrug my shoulders, putting in the Princess Bride. I haven't seen it in a long time and wanna see why this would be Alice's favorite movie.
"Okay, Princess Bride is most definitely a comedy as well as romance. Kill Bill has it's moments as well. But how can you consider Child's Play a comedy?" She says, leveling me with a disbelieving look.
"I think Chucky is hilarious. Have you seen his tiny little legs run? The way everyone is so terrified of the little two foot doll in overalls? I find it highly amusing." I laugh at her eye roll directed at me.
"Alright, I'll give you that. Anyway, how do you wanna do this? Do you wanna work on the project during or after the movie?" She asks, shifting herself so Mindy can get on the couch with us.
"If you have the time, we can do after the movie. I doubt I'll be able to focus on both. Do you want me to make us some popcorn or something?" I ask, getting up and walking to the kitchen.
"Sure, and I'll take a soda if you have one." She calls in to me.
"Here ya go, ho." I say, handing her a Vanilla Coke and placing the bowl of popcorn between us, on top of Mindy since she's in the way.
"Thanks, bitch." She says nonchalantly and I hit play on the remote.
During the movie, I couldn't help but think of Alice. Seeing Westley and Buttercup interact, I picture myself and Alice, respectively. My thoughts then wander to last night and I wonder if I would feel the same way if I found out Alice really is a vampire. She's had plenty of opportunities to hurt me. I mean, she could have let Tyler's van kill me rather than expose herself to me and save my life. She can't be all bad, if she did that.
Edward, however, is an entirely different story altogether. If he is a vampire as well, I feel I'm in the most danger from him. Alice said she'd protect me from him, but how can she? She's so small compared to him. Yeah, she's strong and fast. But, so is he if they are the same. NO! I'm not letting him scare me away from her. I'm not letting anyone scare me out of potentially being happy, not again.
Now that I've decided how to react to the potential of supernatural creatures being real, I feel the weight of it lift from my shoulders. I have always hated making decisions, fearing I'll make the wrong one. Once I do make a decision, though, that's it. I almost never change course, consequences be damned!
The credits roll just as I've bolstered my resolve, and Angela gets up to get her books. I grab my notepad out of my bag on the floor by the couch, flipping the pages til I get to my sketches for our project. Looking them over, I think of changes I can make. So far, I've drawn a cartoon version of Sojourner Truth standing at a podium set upon a stage with a large speech bubble that reads As for intellect, all I can say is, if a woman have a pint, and a man a quart – why can't she have her little pint full? You need not be afraid to give us our rights for fear we will take too much, – for we can't take more than our pint'll hold.
Next are the cartoon figures of Mary Livermore, Lucy Stone, and Julia Ward Howe standing in front of a large wooden door with a plaque over it reading American Woman Suffrage Association. There is a ribbon in front of them that has the name National Woman Suffrage Association on it, with a large bow, with Lucy holding the ribbon to the right and Julia holding it to the left side of the bow while Mary is about to cut it with giant scissors. In the next frame, they are taping the ribbon back together while Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton paint the word National on the ribbon before the word American.
"Wow, those are amazing! You've already done that much so far?" Angela looks over my shoulder at my work.
"Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how to make the Ain't I a Woman one better. It' seems plain, compared to the others. I don't like that. She deserves better." I say, focusing on that panel.
"Hmm, to be more realistic, you should have a group of angry men gathered around the stage. Some of them were ministers, so maybe have some of them holding bibles." She suggests.
"Let's see if I can make that work. While I draw, do you want to write the story to go with each image?" I ask, already getting to work making the changes.
Angela takes the other two images while I work on adding the men around the stage, exaggerating their features in typical political cartoon fashion. After a while, we look over each others work and are pleased to find we both like what the other has done. We find something from each of the next three decades to add; National Association of Colored Women's Clubs formed in 1896, women around the world being able to vote and attend universities throughout the 1900s, the American Medical Association allowing women to join as members in 1915, and finally with the 19th Amendment allowing women to vote throughout the entire US in 1920.
"Shit, it's dark out already! I better go before I'm in trouble for staying out so late. We're gonna kill this project, MC Bells." Angela says, getting up and giving me a high-five.
"Hell yeah we are! I'll see you at school tomorrow. Tell your family hi for me." I say, escorting her to the door and handing her her movies and books.
"Hey there, Chief Swan! You catch anything good?" Angela calls out to my dad, who's just pulled into the driveway. He opens the cooler in his hands and shows her, grinning proudly. "Ooooh, Salmon! You guys are gonna be eating good all week. I hope I get an invite, Bella!"
"I dunno, that would mean sharing Bella's amazing cooking..." He says, winking at her. "You have a good night and drive safe home. And be sure to thank your parents for me for their help posting those flyers around town."
"Will do. See you guys!" Angela waves as she pulls out the driveway.
"Hey dad. I guess it's a good thing I didn't start dinner yet. I'll need to add some more fish recipes to my repertoire, it seems. For now, I'll just have to use the one I know. Why don't you clean and filet one or two of those and I'll get everything else ready. And please, for the love of all that is Holy, do it outside." I say, which he answers with an eye roll, and take the cooler from his hands so he can take his jacket and boots off.
"It's gonna smell like fish in here anyway when you start cooking, so what's the big deal?"
"It's not the fish smell. I don't want to see you cutting it up and smell the blood that'll come from it. I'm sure you remember how I get around blood." I say pointedly.
"Oh, yeah I guess that's true. Alright, gimme that." He takes the cooler from me and heads out onto the back porch, grabbing a newspaper on his way. "So, how was the party last night? I was asleep when you got home and didn't wanna wake you before I left this morning, so didn't get to ask."
I can hear him open the deep freezer on the porch, the rustle of plastic, and thud of him putting the extra fish inside it. "It was actually pretty fun. We went out to Hole-In-The-Wall to check out the tide pools, ate hot dogs around the bonfire, watched Eric knock over Jessica when they were surfing, and a pretty hilarious mishap when Eric brought fireworks and decided to not follow directions."
I've started cooking some rice pilaf, green beans, and am pre-heating the iron skillet with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and some garlic.
"Sounds like an action packed day! And Eric's lucky fireworks are legal on the reservations, otherwise he'd have gotten a visit from me after hearing that." I can hear the sound of his knife cutting through bone, and grimace at it.
"Dad, calm down. We were just having fun." I guess it's a good thing I didn't tell him exactly what the mishap was. "Oh, and I saw Jacob and a few other kids from the reservation too. Jake told me one of their legends. It was pretty cool."
"You and Jake reunited? That's great! What did he used to call you guys... Captain Fang and Ghost Girl?" I can hear him chuckling at Jake's dumb superhero names he had for us.
"Oh God, please don't bring that up ever again." I whine, hoping Jake doesn't remember and start calling me that again.
"Alright, alright. No need to get your panties in a twist." He comes in with a plate of Sockeye Salmon that he's filleted. "Anything else I can do?"
"Just clean up the mess you made out there. I'll take care of the rest." I say, taking the plate and putting it on the counter next to me.
Ten minutes later, we're served up and sitting at the table. I was worried I'd overcooked the fish, but it comes out perfect, if I do say so myself. We eat in silence, having gotten most of our usual conversation out during prep. We did the dishes together and then retired to the living room where Charlie put on some random movie on Netflix. I guess he didn't want to bore me with sports like usual, not that I would care either way. Around eleven we head up to bed and I have a nice, dreamless sleep.
The next morning, I'm woken up to a bright light in my face. At first, I think it's Charlie messing with me and shining his Mag Light in my face. When I open my eyes, which are still blurry from sleep, I realize the light is coming from outside. I jump up, wide awake now, and run to the window. There is nary a cloud in sight, and the sun is bright in the sky. It's the end of March, so it's been between 45° and 55° for the most part. With the sun out, it should get more to the sixties.
I rush to my closet and am about to put on some lighter clothes when I think maybe I shouldn't push my luck and meet more in the middle. So, I put on a thin long sleeve shirt and jeans, throwing a rain jacket over my arm for good measure. After I'm ready, I skip my way downstairs to the kitchen where Charlie is finishing up his breakfast. Looking up, he immediately picks up on my gleeful mood. No doubt helped by the huge goofy grin on my face.
"Nice day out, huh?" He says, giving me his crinkly eyed smile.
"Yep!" I say, popping the p.
"Well, you have a good day at school. No skipping out just cause it's a rare sunny day." He says with a wink, no doubt knowing full well I'm not the type to play hooky.
"You too. And be safe! I'm sure these Washington drivers will find an excuse to cause an accident even in this weather. No doubt something along the lines of 'the glare from the sun on the dashboard blinded me!'" I've only lived here for a few weeks now and there have already been sixty car accidents in that time just in this part of Washington.
"Much as I hate to admit it, you're probably right." He sighs, waving at me as he walks out the door.
Not wanting to be inside any longer, I head out and stand for a minute just enjoying the rays on my face. When I get in the truck, I spend a good five minutes trying to get the windows down. It takes a combination of all the strength I have to turn the window crank plus using my other hand to wiggle the window loose. Finally, I am heading to school with the windows down and finally getting to enjoy the cool breeze, minus the rain, that smells like the pines and spruces all around.
I'm one of the first to school, having woken up and left the house pretty early in my hurry to make the most of the weather. So, rather than wait in my truck like I usually would, I grab the rain jacket, lay it out on the still damp grass, and sit cross-legged on it. Since I finished all my homework and the essay for English already, the only things I have to keep me occupied are the graphic novel project and my music. I put on Here Comes Sunshine by Grateful Dead, figuring it's pretty appropriate and then get to work in my notebook drawing.
"Bella!" I'm startled, causing me to put a deep line through my drawing.
"Damn it." I mutter as I do my best to erase the marking. Good thing I'm still just outlining in pencil.
I look up and see Mike, of course, waving at me cheerily while jogging his way over to me. I realize the grounds are full now, with a lot of students wearing shorts and t-shirts, despite it still being barely in the sixties now. I wave back at Mike, in too good a mood to be half-assed about it. He's fallen in line with the others by wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a red Polo shirt. He takes a seat next to me, apparently not bothered by the wet ground.
"You're hair has some red in it, did you know that?" He says, catching some strays as they flutter in the breeze.
"Yeah, it's most noticeable in bright lights. One of the few traits I get from my mom, who's a red-head." I say, getting uncomfortable when he tucks the hair behind my ear.
"This is your kind of day, isn't it?" He says, holding his arms out and tilting his head back to the sun, which catches the natural highlights in his blonde hair.
"Almost. Now if it can just get up to at least the eighties, I'll be golden."
"I think us natives would melt if it got that hot right now." He chuckles at himself. "So, what did you get up to yesterday?"
"I just did homework, studied for the upcoming Calc test, and Angela stopped by to work on our History project. You?"
"Not much, my dad made me help out at the store since I took Saturday off to go to the beach... Wait, we have a test?" He says, finally registering that part of what I said, apparently.
"Yeah, its on Wednesday. Varner let it slip on Friday, I think it was supposed to be a surprise. You haven't studied, have you?"
"No... It's okay though, I can pull an all-nighter and study tomorrow night. I actually came over to ask if you wanted to go out tonight?" He asks, looking at me hopefully with his dark blue eyes.
Jesus, why can't we ever have just a nice chat? He always has to make it awkward. "Uh, Mike... I don't think that would be a good idea." I say slowly, trying to think how to word this without causing too much drama.
"Why not? I figured we could go to dinner or maybe catch a movie. We wouldn't have to be out too late, if you're worried about your dad." He says, deflating a bit.
"Well... I don't think that would be fair to Jessica. She really likes you, and you already accepted her invite to the dance. How do you think she'd feel knowing you took me out to dinner? And by the way, if you repeat what I just said to anyone, and Jessica finds out, I will go all mobster and break your kneecaps." I warn him, pointing my finger at him.
"Oh!" He says, looking at me like I've grown another head. Apparently he didn't think I'd be going in that direction.
"I've gotta get to class. I'll see ya later!" I say, picking up my bag and jacket and heading instead.
When I get to lunch, I'm not surprised to see that none of the Cullen's or Hale's are here. This can't be a coincidence. They can't miss school to go camping or hiking every single time it's nice out, which is what I remember Jessica telling me last time the sun made an appearance. With nothing to hold my attention, I look back to our table and am pleased to see Mike pull out Jessica's chair for her and scoot closer to her. Of course, this causes her to bounce in happiness. I focus on my food, only half listening to the conversation around me. I vaguely hear Jessica bring up dress shopping to Lauren and Angela, who agree to go. Then her voice get's louder and it's impossible to tune her out.
"I can't believe we've waiting this long! We have to go ASAP, before all the good dresses are gone. Hey Bella, you should come too! I know you aren't going to the dance, but maybe you can give us some unbiased opinions on our choices. We can go to that Italian restaurant too! You'll love it, it's called Bella Italia." She laughs at the irony of the name, which makes me roll my eyes.
I think it over before answering. I wouldn't mind hanging out with them somewhere out of Forks, but not if Lauren is gonna be going too. I don't want to flat out turn them down though, so I'll have to be non-committal.
"That sounds like fun. It would depend on when we go though. I don't know what my dad has planned for us, so I'll have to run it by him first."
"I was thinking of going after school actually. Like I said, we need to go before the good dresses are snatched up!"
"Actually, Jess, I was gonna ask if you wanted to go out with me tonight? There's that new scary movie that just came out, about the family who meet their evil doubles or something like that." Mike cuts in nervously.
"Oh! I-I'd love to. Um, so how about tomorrow night guys?" She says, blushing slightly as she directs her question to the rest of us.
"Fine with me." Lauren says haughtily, eyeing me.
"That works for me. How about you, Bella? You really should go with us. I promise it'll be fun." Angela says, raising her eyebrows at me slightly.
"Yeah, that should work. I'll bring it by Charlie, but I don't think we have anything going on tomorrow." I say, glaring at Angela quickly before turning back to the rest of the table.
Since there was no Alice, I spent all of Drama writing down lighting plans for the play. I finished the outlines for the posters, so just needed my computer to arrive to get them printable. Mom assured me she shipped it on Thursday, after several reminders from me, so it should be here any day now. Gym consisted of the coach having us do the usual warm up stretches and then going over the rules for Badminton, which earned me some wary glances from some of the other students. No doubt, they are worried about how much damage I'll do now that they're arming me with a racket.
When I get home after school, without homework for once, I decide to spend my time outside. I go upstairs, change into a t-shirt and shorts, and look through my books for something to read outside. My eyes stop on a thick red book, and I can't help but take it down and snort. Dracula by Bram Stoker. Book in hand, I head downstairs, grab an old blanket out of the hall closet, and head outside with Mindy and Chip, who darted out before I could stop him.
After spreading the blanket out on the grass, as far from the shadows of the trees as possible, Chip immediately curls up on a corner and I lay down next to him. Putting my arm behind my head, I open the book and start reading Jonathan Harker's Journal. After a few minutes, Mindy's found a stick and decided to lay next to me and chew on it. Before long, I have to catch the book from falling on my face as I start dozing off. I lay it down next to me, and decide a quick nap won't hurt anything.
I'm startled awake by the sound of a car door slamming from the front of the house. It's dark out and I'm starting to shiver. I pick up Chip and the blanket and run inside, seeing Charlie taking off his belt and boots by the front door.
"Sorry dad, dinner isn't ready. I fell asleep outside." I call out to him as I start pulling out stuff to make a quick meal.
"No problem, Bells. I'll just catch the score on the game. Lemme know if you want any help." He says, turning on the TV and falling back into the couch.
It doesn't take long for me to fry up some chicken that was already thawed in the fridge, make a box of Kraft mac 'n' cheese I found in the cupboard, and heat up some leftover green beans from last night. We eat in the living room this time, so Charlie can watch the Mariners game. Halfway through the game I get a text from Jessica letting me know her date with Mike went "amazingly" and that we would all take her car to Port Angeles, so to make sure I plan accordingly. I'm glad she messaged me, since I completely forgot to tell Charlie.
"Hey dad, is it okay if I go to Port Angeles tomorrow after school with Angela, Jessica, and Lauren? They wanna do some dress shopping and asked me to tag along to help them choose."
"I thought you weren't going to the dance?" He asks, glancing at me from the corner of my eye and his eyebrows pull together in confusion.
"I'm not, but I can still help them find dresses. So, can I go?" I ask, rolling my eyes at him.
"Sure, just make sure you get your homework done." He says, turning his attention back to the game.
"I will. You'll be okay for dinner though, right?"
"I did manage just fine before you moved in, you know. As much as I love your cooking, I think I can survive one night without it." He says, nudging me with his elbow.
"Alright, alright. But I better not come home to empty beer cans and pizza boxes lying around." I say sternly as I get up and head toward the stairs. "I'm going to bed. Night dad!"
"Night, Kid!" He calls out to me as I run up the stairs, not wanting to be around him when the Mariners lose. They're playing the San Diego Padres and are already losing 6-0.
The next day is sunny again, which blows my mind. Two days in a row! I dress similarly to yesterday, since it's still pretty chilly out and I won't be in the direct sunlight like I was when laying out on the grass. I'm a little later leaving than usual, since I decided to make some sandwiches for Charlie's dinner tonight, just to be safe. When I get to school, my usual spot is taken and I have to drive around to the back of the lot to the only open spot and am almost late to class. When I get to lunch, I'm informed that Lauren got food poisoning or something, so wouldn't be going with us to Port Angeles, which Angela and I fist bump to under the table.
After school, I rush home to let Mindy out and drop off my bags. Jessica followed Angela home first, so I have a little extra time before they come to get me. I write a note for Charlie to remind him where I am and tell him about the sandwiches in the fridge, clean out the litter box, and brush through my hair quickly. I'm suddenly excited, not only because Lauren won't be there to sully the trip, but I haven't been out of Forks since I got here and I'm looking forward to a change in scenery.