"So how was your first day at school?" Mrs. Martin questions from her seat across from me.
She has insisted that I complete my homework in the living room of their home. I couldn't find it in myself to argue with her. She's been so very kind to me. But she wouldn't be the first foster parent to be kind at the beginning of my stay and then become increasingly cruel. So I'll see if it lasts. But I won't be needlessly antagonizing towards them to get their ire.
Mom always made sure I knew to be polite, to any and everybody, despite if they were mean or nasty towards me. She always loved to quite Wendell Willkie."The test of good manners is to be able to put up pleasantly with bad ones."
And then she left me.
I stop working out the math problem, to look up to her. "It was fine, ma'am." I respond as politely as possible.
She smiles gently at me. "I've told you before, you don't have to call me ma'am."
Mrs. Martin must've put the kettle on, as I can hear it begin to whistle. She stands up and heads towards the kitchen.
I look back to my paper and begin trying to solve the next problem. But my stomach is busy flipping inside me and it's hard to concentrate on anything. I really do not want to go over to the Cullen's house. I wish I had just said no to going there. Or better yet, if the project wasn't even a thing. That would have been nice too.
I just don't want to connect with them, or be friends with them. Eventually, I will get shipped someplace else and then what? Facebook friends? Skype? It's just too much hassle for people I will never see again.
But would that be so bad? To have friends that care about me? We could worry about each other, like they do in all the books. Maybe we could go to the same college or something. I laugh at the thought, how utterly ridiculous.
But then again, maybe the Martin's will keep me. Maybe this is the final stop on my list of towns. I can hope, right?
I'm just so sick and tired of moving place to place. Tired of meeting new people in new towns. Tired of seeing other kids get their forever home, while I get shipped off to another home with new rules to follow. More fake smiles and hard hits. Honestly, I'm just tired of not being wanted.
I just want someone to want me.
Mrs. Martin returns to the living room, carrying a cup of tea for herself and one for me. She sets it down in front of me, and retakes her seat across the table.
I look up towards her. "Umm, ma'am, I have a project for English class that I need to do with a partner, and I was wondering if it would be okay for me to skip dinner tonight and go work on it at his house?" I ask her, as respectfully as I can.
"Of course you can, dear. Can you finish it tonight, or will their be more project sessions in the future?" Mrs. Martin asks kindly.
"I hope to finish it tonight, but I doubt we will be able to." I respond.
"Are you going to eat with us tonight?"
"I'm not sure. When will dinner be ready?" I ask hesitantly.
"Whenever David finishes up at the shop. I swear, I think he loves fixing those cars more than he loves anything else."
I smile at her joke. Ever since I arrived here a week ago, Mr. Martin has spent the majority of his time at his garage. It must be good business, since he's the only mechanic in town.
She chuckles and takes a sip of her tea. "So when do you think you will be back tonight then?"
I look back to my school work, and bite my lip. Is this when it begins? "Is there a certain time that you'd like me to be back?" I ask quietly.
"Oh, not really, dear. Just wondering if you would like me to keep your dinner out or if you won't eat it tonight." She says in a rushed tone.
Hearing her answer makes me look up and see her slightly widened eyes staring at me. Was she... worried that she upset me?
"I shouldn't be back too late, maybe ten at the latest." I say to try and ease the slight tension in the room.
It apparently worked as she smiles serenely at me. "Lovely, so is there anything special that you want for dinner tomorrow night?"
Driving in between a seemingly endless forest to a house full of people I literally met just today, is a tad bit unnerving, if I'm honest. What sort of doctor buys a house this deep in the damn woods?
'One that kills his patients.'
I chuckle at the dark thought. In a town this small, I'm sure he would have been caught by now, if it were true.
Finally, after what feels like forever, I come to a kind of clearing of the trees. There are only six towering trees that surround the area. Their long branches stretch over the entire lawn, keeping it hidden in its shade.
Looking around the dark space, I spot a house. A pretty damn big house. It looks like it has to be three stories. Seeing it almost makes me want to study medicine.
It's painted an off-white color, like the paint has faded a bit. But it is still bright enough to make me glad for the shade. Otherwise, the house itself would be blinding.
I park beside an enormous Jeep, it dwarfs my own Pontiac, probably belongs to the bear, Emmett. It looks to be the only thing large enough to fit him.
After I shut off the engine, I stay seated and debate on just leaving. I could say something came up, and we'd have to reschedule. I could probably talk Jasper into completing the work somewhere else, like the library.
I scoff at my inner debate. Am I really that terrified of a family liking me, that I would flat out lie to them, just to avoid meeting them and giving them the chance? I pinch the bridge of my nose, I'm causing myself too much stress. I can't freak out about this. Bad things happen when I stress too much.
Before I even really decide what to do, the decision is made for me, as the door to the house opens. The blonde girl from lunch sticks her head out and sees me. She steps fully out the door, flashing me a bright smile. She waves and begins her trek towards me.
I sigh lightly, but I unbuckle myself, and step out of the car. Even with the breeze blowing, the air of this place is strange. Heavy, almost. Like there is something the woods are hiding.
As she approaches me, I feel like an animal being stalked. The way she moves is extremely graceful, andeven though her beautiful face hides it well, but it's always the prettiest girl that can hurt you the most. And she is definitely the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.
I close my door, as she reaches me. "Did you have any trouble finding us?" She asks.
'How could I possibly have trouble finding an unmarked road, in a town I have been in for less than a week?' I think to myself.
Instead of that snide remark, I simply shake my head. "None at all."
She nods, almost happily. "Good. Can't have you getting lost, can we?" She smiles another bright smile, and turns to look at my car. "Wow, she's a real beauty up close."
"Thanks." I say awkwardly.
"Is it a 1970?" She asks.
"Yes, it is." I respond simply. Mom would be disappointed in my discourteous responses to the nice girl, so I decide to keep up the conversation. "I helped my granddad build her when I was younger."
"Oh, that must have been fun."
I nod slightly. "It was. You like cars?" I ask curiously.
She shyly looks away. "They're a hobby of mine." But then immediately grabs my hand and begins to pull me towards the house. "Jasper and everyone else is inside."
Her grip is both cold and firm. So far, every single one of them that I've touched, have been ice cold. That shouldn't be normal, right? Am I the weird one? Her and Jasper are twins, so they could share the same condition. But that doesn't explain the little one being cold too though.
The inside of the house is even more breathtaking than the outside. The room we enter definitely has to be the size of several rooms put together. It's insanely spacious. The real surprising thing though is the color scheme.
Everything is white. The walls; white. The wooden floors; white. The thick carpet and rugs; white. Even the high beamed ceiling was white. Everything was a varying shade of white. It almost nauseating to stare at.
There's a room to the immediate left of the entryway, with a raised floor. Looking inside of it, I see a spectacular grand piano. So clean, it looks like it has never been touched before.
The girl leads me through the door in that room, behind the piano. When we pass through the door, I find that this is the kitchen, if the brand new appliances tell me anything. That and everyone else in the house, I suspect, are gathered in here, speaking to one another.
I can see Jasper, he's sitting next to the little one, and she chattering away. I see the big bear, he's staring at his phone. There is an older couple cooking, what I suppose is dinner. The reserved boy with the copper hair is nowhere to be seen.
I should have figured out that they were going to be cooking. It is dinner time, and I am interrupting that for them. What a fucking idiot, I am.
As soon as the door closes behind me and blondie, the rest of the occupants look at us. When their eyes meet mine, my stomach just flips. The strangest thing though, their eyes are all the same color. Is this a cult?
The older man, Dr. Cullen, I presume, takes a deep breath and smiles a perfect smile at me. I hate it when older guys smile at me, reminds me of the worst times in the past.
He walks away from the stove and over to me. "You must be Declan. Jasper was just telling us that you were coming over."
He extends his hand for me. I don't know what I expect when I grab it, but it's cold as well. Maybe he just got home from the hospital and he hasn't warmed up yet. That's a weak excuse and I know it.
"That's me. I hope I'm not intruding, Dr. Cullen, if I am, I can leave." His grip doesn't loosen up.
"Nonsense, you are welcome here anytime, Declan." They don't even know me. "Any friend of our kids, are friends to the entire family." He finally releases my hand.
Now, Mrs. Cullen stands in front of me, and the Doc goes back to the stove. "It's so very nice to meet you, Declan."
Mrs. Cullen embraces me, and I freeze up. It makes me feel awkward. Not the fact that her entire body is cold, but just because she is actually hugging me. Mom never hugged me. She said that it would make me appear weak to a world that feeds off of people's weaknesses.
What's the appropriate thing to do here? Hug her back? Stay still until she lets go of me?
That's what I decide to do, in the end. "Likewise, Mrs. Cullen. You have a very lovely home." I say as she takes a step back.
She waves my comment off. "Thank you, and please, call me Esme." She says. She turns and walks over to the stove. "Have you eaten dinner tonight? Would you like to join us for it?" She asks as she stirs something in a pot.
"I don't want to intrude ma'am. I am just going to eat once I get back to the house." I say and look at Jasper, hoping he gets the silent message to give me a reason to leave and start the reports.
He smirks at me and looks away. What a dick.
"We would love for you to join us." Mrs. Cullen says, staring at me.
I blink in response to her words. Love for me to eat with them? They want me? I shake my head to clear the weird thoughts.
"If it's all the same to you, ma'am, I just came to start on the book reports." I say, in what I hope in a pleasant tone. I hope it doesn't make them upset.
"Well maybe next time then." Mrs. Cullen smiles at me and focuses back on the food. "Well you boys can go upstairs and get started if you'd like." She says offhandedly.
By the time I end up back at the Martin household, it's almost half past nine. Pulling into the drive way, I can see Mr. Martin's truck. I wonder when he finished up at his garage. Parking beside it, I head inside my temporary home.
When I walk through the door, I immediately see Mr. Martin sitting in the living room, on his laptop. He looks up at me and smiles slightly, and nods in greeting.
I figured out on the first day being here, that it was Mrs. Martin that was really pushing for having children. While Mr. Martin has been fine with the idea of having kids, he's mainly just agreed so his wife stayed happy. He's been kind to me so far, which leads me to expect that he would've been an okay father. Probably less 'hands on' than others though.
I try to make it to the room they've given me, but his voice stops me. "Have you eaten tonight?"
Turning to him, "Not tonight, sir."
"Mary will skin me alive if I let you go without eating. She made some spaghetti, it's in a container on the stove." He goes back to looking on his laptop.
I make my way to the kitchen in search of cold spaghetti. I grab a plate and plop a couple spoonfuls of noodles onto it and put it in the microwave to warm up. After putting what's left over into the fridge, I only have a few seconds before the timer will ding and my dinner will be ready.
After retrieving it and settling down at the dining table, I take my first bite. Let it be known that Mrs. Martin can cook. The sauce doesn't even taste like it came from a bottle of Ragu. It tastes fresh, like she mashed the tomatoes herself.
After just beginning to enjoy my meal, it isn't long before I'm joined Mr. Martin. He still has his laptop, but it's closed in front of him. He has what I can only assume is tea, I think it's too late for coffee.
It takes even less time of awkward silence before he breaks it. "Mary said that you had a book report, how did that go?" He asks while sipping his tea and starting at me.
Twirling some of the noodles on my fork, I answer back, "He read a few chapters and interpreted them. A good start, I guess." I resist the urge to shrug my shoulders, as that's impolite. "I have to go back again soon so we can continue though." Unfortunately.
He hums his acknowledgement. "Well it's good to have a plan." He says awkwardly.
Looking up at him, I see just how uncomfortable this conversation is making him. In a strange way, him not really wanting to talk, is actually comforting. It eases some of my anxiety.
Him sitting and doing this just shows that he's actually trying to not be terrible, to try and make me feel welcomed. I guess I could try to make this work some too.
I clear my throat. "What are you working on, sir?" I ask.
He meets my eye and smiles slightly, I think he knows what I'm doing. "Just ordered some parts for this Jeep. Kid was driving and a deer ran out in front of him. Completely wrecked the motor, but the kid is fine. So they brought it in and asked me to fix it, and now that is what I'm doing for the next couple of weeks or so." He says, as he boots his laptop back up.
Looking at my plate, I respond, "I could help you, if you need a hand."
I feel his gaze on me, as I eat the noodles. "Do you know how to build an engine?" He says after a moment of silence.
"I used to help my grandad when I was younger, but it was mainly to hand him tools and stuff. But I picked some things up from him and from some books." I say, as I walk my plate over to the sink.
"It would be great to have an extra pair of hands around the shop." He says, as he rubs his chin. "When would you be able to help? I don't want to take away from your schoolwork, and you have that book report. You think you have the time?" He turns to face me at the sink.
"Yes sir. I can make the I'm for it, and it won't effect my grades." If moving from town to town doesn't hurt them, nothing will.
He smiles at me for a second before turning to his laptop. "Okay, come by the garage after you finish your homework here. Do you know the way?" He asks.
"I can find it, sir." He laughs lightly.
"Okay, but can you stop with the sir thing? It makes me feel old." He says.
"I can try, sir." I didn't mean to add it, it just came out naturally.
He laughs again. "Whatever you say. You off to bed?"
"Yes, sir. Big day tomorrow, I have a new job." Did I just make a joke?
He snorts a reply. "Goodnight, Declan."
"Goodnight, sir." And with that, I turn towards the bedroom.
When I make it to the room, I close the door, and begin to undress. My mind begins to race as I sit on the edge of the bed.
I don't make jokes, but with Mr. Martin, it just kind of slipped out. And Mrs. Martin is kind to me, and an amazing cook. I feel like they like me. And while the weather isn't great here, the atmosphere is different surrounding the town. The Cullen's seem nice.
I can only wait for the other shoe to drop, while I'm here. But Forks may not be so bad after all.