A/N: It's not mine.
I have no beta.
BPOV
It didn't take me too long to get back home from the Cullen mansion. I've always had a great sense of direction. Now that I have been to their house, I would have no issues driving there again.
Once I got in the house, I tossed my bookbag on the bottom stairs and made my way into the kitchen. I had planned a healthy meal for Charlie to eat, and it wouldn't take that long to bring together.
My dad was a meat and potatoes kind of guy. He would never eat what he would call a 'frou frou' dish. With that in mind, I decided to make his favorite meals but with a healthy spin.
Tonight, he will be having turkey meatloaf, skinny potatoes, and steamed broccoli. I prepared the meatloaf the usual way he liked but substituted ground turkey for the ground beef. For the potatoes, instead of using butter and milk, I just use chicken broth. It makes the mashed potatoes very flavorful and creamy, just the way he likes.
Once I had the meatloaf in the oven and the potatoes boiling, I took out all the components I would be needing to make Charlie's breakfast sandwiches. I chose bagel thins instead of English muffins for the sandwiches.
I cracked a dozen eggs into a bow and beat them until they were a light yellow and then poured them onto a greased jelly roll pan. I put them on the top rack in the oven. Once they were finished, I would cut the eggs into large squares.
The turkey bacon I put into Charlie's NuWave Brio air fryer. There's nothing better than air-fried bacon which is really the only reason why Charlie bought it in the first place. Since I was making turkey bacon, crispiness was essential, and this air fryer could handle the job.
Once everything was cooked and toasted, I made an assembly line. I assembled each sandwich and then wrapped them in foil and placed them in a freezer bag. I quickly jotted down the instructions for reheating on the freezer bag so my dad wouldn't have any problems.
Just as I finished, the meatloaf was done and it was time to pull it out of the oven. I heard the front door open and voices beside my father's. I didn't think Charlie was going to bring home company. At least I made enough food for everyone.
"Something smells good," Charlie called out on his way to the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind, Bells, but I invited Billy and Jake to come over for dinner."
I turned to him and smiled. "You're in luck, old man. I just happened to have made plenty. I was planning for leftovers, but that's okay," I said to him as Jacob and Billy Black followed close behind him. "Go sit down, and I'll bring the food over."
All three guys scurried over to the table and sat down obediently. I chuckled at how they acted like they haven't eaten in forever. I sliced the meatloaf into thick slices and placed them on a platter. The mashed potatoes were scooped up into a large bowl while the broccoli was put into another bowl. I had leftover gravy I had made last night and warmed it up. After pouring it into a gravy boat, I began to bring everything over to the table.
Once everyone served themselves, we all became quiet. Jake scarfed down his plate almost immediately and asked if he could have seconds. I told him to go for it.
"Bells, this meatloaf is better than your Grandma Swans as are the mashed potatoes," Charlie said between bites. "I'm so glad you didn't take after your mom with the cooking."
I smiled, "I'm glad you like it, dad. I'm also glad I don't cook like mom. Food poisoning is not pleasant," I laughed as I remembered what happened to Phil the first time he ate Renee's food. The poor guy spent twenty-four hours in the er.
"This is very good, Bella," Billy complimented me. I smiled my thanks and glanced over at Jacob and noticed he had already finished his second plate of food.
"Do you even bother to breathe?" I asked him.
He smirked at me and rubbed his belly. "I'm a growing boy, Bella. I need a lot of food to fill my gut," he joked.
After we were all full, with the exception of Jacob, I asked the guys to leave me alone in the kitchen and go watch the game. Jake volunteered to help me wash the dishes, and I took him up on the offer.
"So, Bella, what's the real reason for you to move back to Forks? As I recall, you always hated how 'green, wet, and squishy' it was here?"
I finished drying the dishes and putting them away when I sighed. "Honestly, there's two reasons, well, two main reasons for why I moved back," I admitted to him. "The first one was that I missed my dad. Charlie is so much easier and more comfortable to be around than Renee is. He lets me be me, you know?" I asked. "He gives me space but always makes sure I know he is here for me no matter what. Renee is constantly nagging me and following me around like a lost puppy."
I poured myself a drink of fresh brewed iced tea with lemon and offered some to Jacob. We sat down at the table, and I stretched my legs out to relax a bit. I had a full day and was feeling it by now.
"What's the other reason?" he asked me.
"I thought Renee getting remarried would be a good thing. Phil is a nice guy and has the patience of a saint when dealing with her," I said taking a long sip of my beverage. "Now, instead of being up my ass all the time, when Phil is at an away game, she's whining. I can't take it," I admitted.
"Charlie always says that your mom is ditzy," Jake informed me.
I snorted, "That's a polite way of saying she's off her rocker." I finished my drink and brought my glass over to the sink to wash. I dried it off and put it back into the cabinet. I heard the house phone ring but ignored it. Charlie usually got the phone since it could be police related.
"Bella, pick up the phone. It's Newton on the line," Charlie gruffed.
I rolled my eyes. Mike Newton must have a hearing issue and that's why he won't leave me the hell alone. I picked up the phone, "Hello?"
Hey, Bella, it's Mike. I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me Friday night. We can go see a movie afterward.
"Mike, my answer is the same as it has been the past five times you have asked me out. I don't view you that way. We can be friends but nothing more," I told him succinctly.
Come one, Bella How do you know you don't see me that way if you don't go out on at least one date with me?
"I do know. Now, I need to go. I have homework to do," I finished as I hung up.
"Did he ask you out again?" Charlie asked.
"Yup, and I gave him the same answer. There's no way in hell I would ever go out with Mike Newton," I loudly proclaimed.
"Good, I'm telling ya, Bells, that kid has a screw loose. Just watch your back when around him. I don't trust him," Charlie advised and went right back to watching his game.
"What the hell is all that about?" Jake asked.
"This guy at school, Mike, has asked me out six times now even though I have told him no each time," I explained while rolling my eyes in exasperation.
"Six times? You've only been there two days? Sounds like you have a stalker on your hands," he said.
"That's what Charlie thinks too. Last night, he handed me some mace in case Newton pulls anything," I laughed. As the Chief of Police, my dad was very protective.
A few minutes later, I excused myself letting them all know that I was tired and wanted to take a shower and head to bed. After my shower, I hopped onto my laptop and sent a quick email off to Renee. If I don't keep in touch with her, she goes crazy. I really didn't want to deal with it.
I woke up from a deep sleep the next morning feeling refreshed and happy. I had a dream about Edward. He was so beautiful, so sweet. I can clearly see why all the girls in the school had a crush on him. I even caught a few teachers eyeing him up like he was candy.
I dressed in my favorite jeans with a cobalt blue peasant top that had flowy sleeves. I put my butterfly earrings in and braided my hair back. I wore my usual pair of white Vans and lightly applied some makeup. I grabbed my bookbag and ran down the steps.
I had enough time to grab a bite to eat. I had no hope whatsoever that the lunch that was being served today would be appetizing based on the slop they served yesterday. So eating a good breakfast was a must.
I made myself an egg white omelet with mushrooms and chopped bell peppers. I sprinkled some low-fat cheddar cheese on top and plated it up. I walked over to the freezer and pulled out some frozen strawberries. I then grabbed some almond milk and vanilla yogurt from the fridge. I placed it all on the counter by the blender. I reached for the Splenda from the cabinet by the coffee maker. I whipped up and delicious and refreshing strawberry smoothie that I know was going to help me feel full for while.
I finished eating and washed my plate and the blender. I grabbed my bag and my purse and headed out to my car. The ride to school was quiet and there were a few breaks in the clouds that didn't last long. I missed the sun, but I couldn't complain much. Moving to Forks was proving to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw the Cullens already standing around. I parked next to Edward. He once again opened the door for me and gave me his arm to help me out of my car.
"Hi, Cullens," I said in greeting.
"Bella!" Alice yelled while running over to hug me. Alice was so clingy but not overbearing about it.
I returned her hug with one of my own. "Alice, you just saw me yesterday," I laughed.
"I know. It's been too long," she said while still hanging on to me. I looked up and motioned for Jasper to take her. While I enjoyed the coolness of her skin against mine, I didn't feel like lugging her around with me.
"Alice, you are such a drama queen," I laughed and the others joined in.
"You have no idea, Bella," Rosalie said with a fond smile at the little pixie.
"She's almost as bad as Emmett," I teased and once again they all joined in with laughter.
"Hey," Emmett pouted. "Your lives would be boring without me. You'd all be lost," he declared while crossing his arms over his broad chest.
"I'm not sure about boring but they certainly would be quieter," I joked not being able to pass up the chance to pick on him.
"You guys are always ganging up on me," Emmett pouted as he wiped away a fake tear. "Where's the love, man?"
"Aww... We do love you, Emmett. We love to pick on you," Rosalie teased him.
Emmett gasped loudly, clutching his hand over his heart. "Rosalie, you're supposed to love me. How could you?" he said taking a step back. "Well, I don't have to take this. I bid you all farewell," he said as he turned and walked off muttering to himself.
"An the Oscar goes to," I started and we all cracked up. Emmett was the best. He was so freaking funny and a pretty great sport too.
"So, Bella were you able to get all that cooking done for your dad when you got home yesterday," Alice asked changing the subject.
"Yea, I made him his breakfast sandwiches and then dinner. Charlie decided to invite the Blacks over for dinner and failed to inform me of it. Thankfully, I made plenty so no one went hungry," I replied shaking my head. I noticed Edward giving Alice a strange look like they were silently communicating with one another but thought nothing of it. "Oh, you are never going to guess who called me last night to ask me out to dinner and a movie on Friday."
"Newton asked you out again?" Jasper asked with a correct guess.
"Yup, the boy has lost the plot," I said with a laugh.
"Lost the plot? I'm not even sure he knew what the plot was, to begin with," Edward joked, shaking his head in disbelief.
"So that makes it six times he has asked you out and this is only your third-day attending school here," Rosalie added.
"Bella, it's starting to sound more and more like you have your own stalker," Edward cautioned me. "I'm starting to get concerned."
"That's what Charlie said. He even gave me mace to carry around in my purse," I told them. Rosalie sneered and the others looked very concerned.
"We'll keep you safe," Alice told me while giving me a brief hug. "Time to head in. The bell is going to ring in two minutes," she informed us as she grabbed a hold of Jasper's hand and skipped on ahead.
The day started exactly like the past two days of school did. Classes were boring and having them all with Edward was the only thing to help me keep my sanity. Unfortunately, Edward did not share my gym class.
The gym class itself was fine. In fact, we played basketball for a change. I love the game and am pretty good at it. I managed to score 15 points and made one three-point shot. I also nailed all of my foul shots, and my team one.
The downside to the class was Mike. He kept staring at me the entire time which was very creepy. He was on the opposing team and spent most of his time watching my every move. Several times while I had the ball, I was being double-teamed by Mike and one of the other guys on his team. Each time I felt Mike grab my ass. He apologized every time, but after the second time, I knew it was deliberate. I came so close to throat punching him. I was going to be having words with him later.
After gym, I had Music Theory with Edward. The moment I stepped into the classroom, Edward could tell something was wrong. He walked over to me and grabbed my bag and led me to our seats.
"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Newton," I growled in response.
"What did the idiot do now?"
"We played basketball in gym. He spent the entire time staring at me, and he found any excuse he could to touch me inappropriately," I told him with a huff as I leaned back in my seat and crossed my ankles.
"When you say inappropriately, what do you mean?" he asked angrily.
"He grabbed my butt several times and then said he was sorry after each time like that somehow made it okay," I told him. "I really can't stand him. He gives off these creepy vibes. Charlie even says that there's something wrong with him."
"Bella, you need to make sure you tell your dad about this. As the chief of police, he has more sway than anyone else. He can call the school or even his parents. Newton's behavior is not normal," Edward warned me. "This isn't a case of a simple high school crush."
"Yea, I know. I planned on telling Charlie anyway. He's going to be pissed," I whispered.
After school let out, I said my farewells to the Cullens and headed on home. Once there, I cleaned up a bit and made dinner. I decided to cushion the blow of what I had to tell my dad by making him Grandma Swan's famous beef stroganoff. I lightened the dish up by using fat-free sour cream and replacing the regular egg noodles with whole wheat noodles.
My dad walked in the door just as dinner was finished cooking. I quickly set the table and put the stroganoff in a serving bowl. I then placed it on the table and turned to grab myself a glass of iced tea.
"Hey, Bells, dinner smells great. Is that my favorite stroganoff?" he asked eagerly eyeing up our dinner.
"Yea, dad, grab a seat and help yourself," I gestured to the table as I reached into the fridge to grab Charlie a can of Vitamin R.
I watched as Charlie served himself a huge portion with a grin. He really loved this meal. I spooned a much smaller serving onto my plate and started to eat. We ate in silence which seemed to be what my dad preferred.
Once he finished, he took his plate to the sink and then grabbed another can of Vitamin R to drink. "So, Bells, now that you have fattened me up, care to tell me what's the matter?" he asked sitting back down at the table.
"Dad, Mike Newton will not leave me alone. In gym class today, we played basketball. Newton was on the other team. He intentionally grabbed my butt several times. He apologized after each time, but it was obvious he was doing it deliberately," I said in a rush. "The Cullens think he's stalking me."
Charlie was silent for a moment but I saw him tighten his grip on his can. "Let me get this right. He has asked you out six times in two days. On day three he upped his game to assaulting you. Am I correct?" he asked.
"Well, yea, but is it an assault if someone grabs your butt?" I asked.
"Bells, sexual assault is when someone forces themselves on you and touches you in a way that you have not consented to. Mike Newton groped you several times. That falls under the definition of sexual assault," dad explained to me. "I will be having a talk with your principal as well as his parents. I'm hesitant about getting a restraining order on him right away. This could be your typical teenage boy having a crush and is only thinking with his penis. However, this is the only chance he gets. If he touches you again, I will have a restrainer order slapped on him so fast his head will spin."
"Okay, dad, thank you," I said as I got up to give him a quick hug. "Hopefully, you'll scare him straight."
