Here's where you can probably tell a changing in the writing. I wrote the first chapter and most of the second months before the rest, and only recently have I gotten back into writing this leisurely. I can't tell if the writing has gotten better or worse, and that worries me. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Bella is introduced/shows up here.
I cried until I tired myself out and fell asleep. I wasn't sure how long I was out, which came as a sort of relief, but I eventually woke up feeling lighter than before. Of course, I was still on the brink of a mental breakdown, but at least I wasn't crying anymore, which was a start.
Standing from my bed, I noticed two things. First, I'd fallen asleep in the bloodied and tattered clothes from earlier, and I grimaced at both the smell and the sight of the stains it left on my comforter. Second, if I'd been gone for as long as I thought I was, Charlie was due back from his meeting in Seattle, and Bella would be with him. Scrambling towards my phone, I cursed when I noticed it was dead. Quickly throwing it on the charger, I rushed down the stairs to look at the clock on the microwave. It was past noon. I probably didn't have a lot of time left.
Rushing back up the stairs, I quickly grabbed some of the first relaxing clothes I could find and ducked into the bathroom. Turning the water on full blast and to the highest heat setting it would go, I proceeded to scrub my skin raw, until I was pink all over. I'd almost thrown up at the sight of the red water going down the drain but somehow managed to hold it down and get through the process of washing my hair.
Once I was out of the shower and fully dressed, I grabbed the bloody clothes-with a glove, of course-and tossed them into the trash can that was starting to develop an odor. Tying the bag, I immediately took it outside and threw it in the bigger trash can, knowing that no one would go shopping through it. Going back inside, I had just enough time to brush my teeth before I heard the cruiser pulling into the driveway.
I hurried to my bed and grabbed the first book on my bookshelf and pretended to start reading. A few seconds later, the door was being pushed open and Charlie's worried voice called out to me. "Addison?! Addison?!" Dropping the book, I rushed down the stairs to see what had him so worked up.
"Yeah? What's wrong?" He let out a deep sigh of relief and took his hand away from the gun on his belt.
"Why haven't you been answering the phone? I called a few times every day, and you never answered. Bella said she texted you and didn't get a response either. I thought something had happened to you," he explained, still taking a quick look around. One could never be too sure.
I was mentally kicking myself. The thought of Charlie and Bella trying to contact me had completely slipped my mind. I hastily tried to think of an excuse on the fly. "Sorry, I wasn't here." He quirked an eyebrow, obviously confused. "It was weird being in the house all alone, so I went to Port Angeles and stayed in a motel for a few days. I just got back a couple of hours ago, actually, and I left my charger here, so my phone was dead."
A frown settled on his face, and, for a moment, I thought he'd see right through my story. "You got a motel? They let a minor rent a motel room?" Crap. He was suspicious.
I nodded, shrugging. "Yeah, um... the lady there was pretty chill and let me stay as long as I checked in with her every night. I was fine, don't worry." It was hard to tell if I was giving too many details or too little. Thankfully, I didn't have to worry for much longer since Bella's head peeked around the-still open-front door.
She shuffled on her feet awkwardly as Charlie turned to face her. "You were taking a while, and… I just wanted to make sure everything was fine." While the sentiment was very sweet, it was also very dangerous and stupid. It was like she didn't have any danger sensors whatsoever, which was disastrous when mixed with her lack of coordination. She was a 'walking accident', as Renee liked to call her.
Dad sighed again and nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine. Let's go get your stuff from the car." I watched as he disappeared back outside, and stopped Bella as she moved to follow.
"I could help, if you need me to," I offered, wanting to be useful in some way. I'd only seen her for a little under a minute, but she looked miserable. Helping with her bags may have been small, but I wanted to do whatever I could to make her adjustment as smooth as possible.
In the end, it was useless, however, as she shook her head, giving you a small, but genuine, grin. "No, it's fine. I only brought a few bags; Char-I mean, Dad and I can handle them. Thanks though." That was all she said before turning and making her way back to the cruiser, leaving me standing near the base of the stairs.
Rather than follow them outside and hover awkwardly, I went back up the stairs and silently closed the door behind me. They didn't need my help with unloading the car, and Bella would, undoubtedly, deny my help with unpacking, so it was best for me to stay out of the way for the time being. They would come to me when they needed me for something.
I could hear them talking in the room beside me with perfect clarity. I wanted to believe that it was just because the walls were thin, but I just knew it had something to do with what had happened to me in the forest. Just thinking about it made me shudder uncomfortably as I laid on my bed. Remembering the uncontrollable bloodlust from before made my throat begin to burn again but on a much smaller level, reminding me of what I truly was. Maybe I was a human again on the surface, but underneath, I'm still a vampire with a thirst for blood. That thought was enough to send me into another crying fit.
I wasn't sure how long I sat there, reveling in self-pity, but knocking on my door snapped me out of it. Quickly wiping away any remnant of tears, I called for whoever it was to open the door. Bella's head popped around the door, and my smile didn't feel as forced as I thought it would. "Hey, Bells," I greeted, gesturing for her to come further in.
She did so and took a look around the room quickly before her eyes settled back on mine. "Are you okay? You don't look… the best," she asked, coming closer until she was sitting on the bed beside me. Of course, leave it to Bella to figure out something was wrong. She was always so observant.
The urge to just tell her everything that happened was strong. I wanted to get everything off my chest and cry to her and hear her say everything was going to be alright. Even though I was the older sibling, Bella had always been the more mature one, the one who I'd go to with my problems. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but something stopped me from saying it.
Telling her would put her in danger.
I hadn't even thought of that possibility. Vampires were hidden from the populous for a reason. If there were no dangers or consequences of knowing, then they'd be roaming around confidently and everyone would know about them. There had to be something big, something powerful, keeping them all silent. The thought of something happening to Bella because of my mistake made my skin crawl.
So, I shrugged and sent her a withering smile. "I'm as okay as I can be, given the circumstances."
I was grateful when she just nodded and nudged my shoulder with her own. "It'll get better. Forks can't be that bad."
I laughed through my nose. "Who're you trying to convince, me or you?" I teased.
That made her chuckle, albeit sadly. "Both of us, I guess." The air around us became tense with sadness and dread, and it nearly suffocated me. I'd done more than enough crying today. I at least have to wait until tonight. "Anyway," she shook her head, "I came in here because I saw dad talking to some guys and wanted to see if you'd come out with me, so I don't feel as awkward."
My smile returned as I nudged her back and stood up. "As if that'll happen," I teased while walking out of the room with her right behind me. Out of the two of us, I definitely was the bigger social butterfly. Bella was… a caterpillar at best, but it hadn't been for lack of trying on my part. Anytime she got near anyone, it was like she went into her cocoon and when they left, she came back out the same as she went in. She was a caterpillar that refused to go through metamorphosis.
Stepping outside the door, we were greeted by the sight of Dad along with two other men. Well, one of them looked to have a face that was too rounded to be that of a man's, though he seemed to be built like one. The actual man who seemed to be Charlie's age was in a wheelchair, and I had a feeling I knew who he was.
Noticing our entrance, Charlie stopped talking and gestured towards the two others. "Addie, Bella, you remember Billy Black from the reservation?" We both put on smiles and shook his hand.
"Yeah. You're looking good," Bella greeted. I nodded along.
"Well, I'm still dancing. I'm glad you two are here. Charlie here hasn't shut up about it since he told me you were comin'." I could see the mischievous grin on Billy's face as he glanced at Dad from the corner of his eye, making him blush as he rolled his eyes. It made my smile widen as I looked between the two. They were good friends.
"Alright, keep exaggerating before I roll ya into the mud," Dad grumbled, moving towards the back of the truck… which hadn't been there when I'd gotten here. Though it looked old and was in desperate need of a paint job, it was big and sturdy. Considering Charlie and I already had a car, it could only mean that it was intended for Bella. With how clumsy she is, it was a good choice.
"After I ram you in the ankles," Billy retorted, following after him. They moved into the street and began throwing false punches at each other. Shaking my head at them, I focused on the other person who'd arrived.
His smile was bright against his russet skin, and just being around him made my mood lighten. "Hi. I'm Jacob. We used to make mud pies when we were little," he introduced. Though the memories were faint, I could vaguely remember Charlie dropping us off at Billy's house to play with him and his older sisters. If I was remembering correctly, he and Bella had always hit it off together.
Bella nodded, and I could tell that she didn't actually remember those times. After lying to the poor boy, she gestured to the two men still boxing in the street. "Are they always like this?"
"It's getting worse with old age," he joked. I chuckled and he looked away from Bella for only a split second to smile wider at me before returning his gaze to her. It wasn't hard to see that the boy carried a flame for her… at all. He might as well have been holding a bright neon sign with his feelings spelled out in bold font.
Dad came back with Billy following close behind and slapped the truck. Turns out, I was right, and the truck was a gift for Bella. For some odd reason, she loved it and immediately hopped in, accidentally hitting Jacob with the door. I leaned on her door as Jacob explained how to shift and smiled at seeing her happiness.
"Now I get my car all to myself in the mornings and can blast my music as loud as I want." She rolled her eyes at me while Jacob gawked at my car.
"That's yours?!" he asked, staring with wide eyes and an open mouth.
I nodded. "Yup. I saved up every penny I got for years just to buy her. I wish I could have gotten her new, but buying it second hand wasn't all bad. It only took a few minor fixes to get her running."
He turned back to me, mouth still open. "Did you do the fixes yourself?"
Pride seeped from my every pore as I nodded again. "I'm just getting into the hang of things when it comes to mechanics, but I know enough to keep her running." He looked like he wanted to keep talking car, but Bella spoke up.
"Don't get her started. She'll keep going on forever, and I'll never be able to get out of the truck," she said while shooting a pointed look at the door I was blocking. I stuck my tongue out at her but moved out of the way so she could exit.
Billy and Jacob stayed over to talk for a while and catch up before a honking outside signaled it was time for them to leave. We went out to talk with Harry Clearwater for a little until he pulled off to drive them all back home. After that, we all went back inside and we're left to our own devices. Charlie ordered pizza for dinner, but I wasn't really in the mood to eat and decided to stay in my room for the remainder of my night.
By the time the sun fell beneath the trees and the horizon, it was pouring rain, and the heavy drops harshly pelted the roof and windows. The sound, although loud, was soothing to me, and I quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.