A/N: 'You like me! You really like me!' Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, added me to their favorites, or put my story on alert! If I could give each of you a big hug, I would! No bata, mistakes are mine but Twilight is not…boo on that!
BPOV
Welcome To Port Angeles!
Two days later the excitement that has been building since I left Arizona triples as we pass the sign announcing our arrival. But as quickly as it comes, it vanishes just as fast with a single thought of my mom.
For the past two days I've thought of nothing but her. I know in my heart she has to be dead. Call it intuition or a sixth sense. I know she wouldn't tell me to run if there was a chance we could still be together. I feel like a coward for running like I did. I know she told me too, but it doesn't ease my guilt. I take solace knowing that if she is gone, she and my father are together again. Two halves of one soul reunited.
I wipe the tears from my eyes as the bus driver announces the end of the line. "Well folks our time together is over. The local time is 2:35pm with the temperature sitting at a beautiful 68 degrees. If you are catching a connecting bus please see inside for arrival times and terminal numbers. Welcome to Washington, I hope you brought your umbrellas!" He laughs at his own joke as he opens the door.
I wait as calmly as possible until all the other riders have departed before I gather my bag and head towards the front of the bus. As I step off the wind picks up and I clutch my coat to me.
"This is 68 degrees?" I mutter to myself as I make my way towards the terminal. All the moisture in the air must make it feel colder than it actually is.
My mother always made sure when we traveled it was to places that were warm, particularly with a dry climate. I can see why now. I don't think we would have survived well as we did living on the streets here.
I silently thank god again for Shirley. With the money she gave me I should be able to rent a room for at least a week. Hopefully during that time I'll be able to find work. Winter will be here sooner rather than later and I don't want to be on the streets when it hits. If it feels like this in late September I hate to think what December, January, and February feel like.
I step into the bus station to decide my next move. Shirley said it was still a bit of a journey to Forks from here. I glance out the window and see taxies waiting lined up near the bus station. Should I spend some money on a ride or walk? While debating the pros and cons of each method I get my answer in the form of rain. Taxi. Definitely taxi.
I pull my hood up and leave the station, slowly jogging over to the line of cars. "Hi. Can you take me to Forks please?" I ask the man leaning against the taxi closest to the door. "Sure thing sweetheart." He winks at me as he pulls the back door open. Ugh gross. Why did I have to ask the creepy one? I roll my eyes at my inner monolog and climb into the backseat.
The first fifteen minutes were spent in an awkward silence. Maybe I had imagined the wink. I didn't sleep very well on the bus ride; maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.
"So why is such a hottie like you goin' to Forks? You should stay here. Forks is boring. I could show you a good time here!" He wiggles his eyebrows at me through the rearview mirror. Fuck. My. Life. He is a creep!
"I…No thank you. I'm actually on my way to see my boyfriend."I rattle off the first thing that pops into my head.
"Boyfriend huh? Why didn't he give you a ride then?" he asks while staring at me. I want to demand he pull over and let me out but I don't know where I am or if I'll be able to find another taxi, so I bite my tongue and try to keep my voice steady as I answer him.
"I'm surprising him. He didn't think I could make it." Please stop talking to me, please stop talking to me.
"Oh well if you were my lady I'd give you a ride whenever you wanted!" With another wink he looks back at the road. Note to self have him drop you off in a public place, a very public place.
For the rest of the trip I can feel his eyes on me every now and then but I don't dare make eye contact with him again. Instead I focus on the beautiful view. My parents would've loved it here.
As soon as I see the 'Welcome to Forks' sign I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding in. As we drive down what seems like the main road in town I have him pull off at a diner I see.
"Well sweetheart that will be $157.50" He turns around to face me as he speaks.
"Wow I didn't think it would cost that much." I say as I pull out the envelope.
"Well I could think of another way to make us even." He looks me up and down and proceeds to lick his lips. I throw $160 at him and jump out of the taxi.
I steadily walk towards the diner as if I've been here a million times. As I push the door open I hear the taxi pull away. I take a quick glance back at the retreating car and breathe a sigh of relief. I turn back towards the diner and instantly notice that I've become the center of attention.
A pretty girl with long dark hair and glasses approaches me. "Hi I'm Angela. Welcome to Forks diner would you like a booth or would you like to sit at the counter?"
"Um a booth?" it comes out as a question.
"Sure thing. Follow me." She giggles as she leads me to a booth in the corner. "Here's a menu, can I get you a drink while you decided?"
"I'll just have a glass of water, thank you." While looking over the menu I hear the door open and loud laughter filters in. I look up just as a large group walks in.
The first one through the door is a short girl with black hair in a pixie cut. She is incredibly beautiful. I don't know a lot about fashion but I can tell that her clothes didn't come from the same place mine did. She has on a bright pink shirt with a black vest over it, black skinny jeans, and pink stiletto boots.
I've never worn heels before but with my ability to trip on dust I can say without a doubt that I would end up in the hospital with a broken ankle.
Attached to the girl's hand is a tall blonde girl. She looks like she could be on the cover of a magazine. Her hair falls just below her shoulders and she is wearing a yellow long sleeve shirt with a short jean skirt, and yellow heels. Her legs look like they go on for miles!
I look down at my own clothing, a long sleeve dark blue shirt, dark fitted jeans, and a pair of black sneakers. I mentally shrug, I like my outfit. It's not as fancy or expensive as theirs but they're mine. The thought makes me smile.
The source of the loud laughter follows the blonde in. The guy is HUGE. He looks to be about 6'4, has short brown slightly curly hair and is extremely muscular. He is very good looking. The blonde girl turns and grabs his hand and he smiles at her. He has dimples! Wow he just went from intimidating to a teddy bear in two seconds flat.
Right behind him is a slightly shorter blonde guy. He is handsome and lean but you can tell he is still muscular. I wonder if he's related to the blonde girl, they look very similar. He turns and yells something to someone in the parking lot as Angela sets my water down.
"You ready to order or would you like a few more minutes?" she asks.
"I'll have a turkey sandwich with fries please" I say as I hand her back the menu.
"Coming right up. Oh hey guys! Alice, Rosalie you look great! When did you go shopping? You want your regular table?" She asks the group.
"Thanks Angela! Rose and I went last weekend. We were going to ask if you wanted to go but you were off being super tutor for those bratty twins. I don't know how you have the patience. I babysat them once and once was enough!" the short girl answers her with a giant smile. Angela laughs as she leads them to the booth next to the one I'm sitting in.
"I'm just getting a jump start on my career. You're not always going to like the ones you teach. Its good practice" She says with a smile. "Usual drinks all around? Is Edward coming today?"
"Yeah. He had to run across the street to the book store for something. He'll be in soon. Thanks Angela." The blonde, Rosalie, answers.
I turn and look out the window trying my best not to eavesdrop on the group. I can't get over how green and alive everything is here. My mind begins to wonder as the rain picks up again. If we had made it here twelve years ago, would I have been a part of that group?
Compared to them I'm a bit of a plain Jane, but I'm no ugly duckling. I know I'm too thin, casualty of not knowing when or if your next meal is coming, but my mom told me everyday how beautiful I am. Even when I didn't feel pretty, covered in week's worth of grime, my mom would make a point to list all of my qualities.
I'm interrupted from my thoughts as Angela sets my dinner down. "Here you go. Sorry about the wait. The hospital staff called in their order right before you got here and we're a bit short staffed at the moment."
"Oh that's not a problem. Are you looking for help? I'm new to town and could really use a job." I say as my stomach begins to growls at the smell of my dinner. I haven't eaten since yesterday at breakfast. I was too afraid to get off the bus the first day. Afraid it would leave without me or that the man would be waiting for me.
The further we got from Phoenix the more I was able to relax. When we stopped yesterday morning to refuel the driver said we had about an hour before the bus would leave. I was so hungry at that point I jumped out of my seat and headed straight to the McDonalds'. Once I had my breakfast sandwich, hash browns, and OJ I ran back to the bus and devoured my meal.
"I can ask my manager for you. What's your name?" Angela asked, stirring me from my thoughts.
"Isabella Swan, but I go by Bella." I said. The moment my name left my lips I wondered if I made a mistake. My mom didn't get a job because she couldn't use her name. Could he find me if I use mine?
"Well Bella, welcome to town! Eat up and I'll talk to my manager." As she walked away a boy with overly gelled blonde hair and a baby face slid in across from me.
"Hey good looking. What's your name?" he asks. I sit there slightly dumbfounded. "Hello? Anyone home?" he asks waving his hands in my face.
"Um yeah. Sorry. What did you need?" I ask him.
"Well I was just coming over to say hi to the new chick. You know being neighborly?" he leans back. "I'm Mike. Mike Newton. My parents own Newton's Sporting Goods." He's says as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Everyone shops there. We basically run this town." He grins.
"Nice to know" I say as I pick up a fry.
"So when do you start school?" he asks as he stares at me.
"I don't. I'm homeschooled" It's not a complete lie. My mom taught me how to read, write, and do basic math. She taught me everything.
"Oh…well that's cool. I'll just have to take you out to see you then." He winks and I look at him like he's lost his mind.
"Thanks, but no thanks Mike." Who does this arrogant asshole think he is?
"Oh girl, don't shut a brother down like that" he puts on a puppy dog face. And I laugh. Loudly.
"Did you really just say that?" I laugh again and his face turns bright red. I look around and see that almost everyone is looking at us.
"What? You think you're too good for me? Come on babe, I can take you places you've never been before" he smirks.
"If you're done, um, 'spitting your game' at me I would like to finish my dinner." Where did this Bella come from? I don't normally speak up. I've learned you can get hurt for doing that.
"Holy Shit! That was priceless!" The big guy with the dimples says as he and the rest of the group burst into laughter.
"Look here bitch." Mike abruptly stops when a hand comes down on his shoulder.
"I believe the lady said she would like to eat now Mike. Why don't you head on back to your table and leave her alone." I look up only to be met with the most incredibly gorgeous guy I have ever seen.
The first thing I notice about him are his eyes. They are a rich emerald green. I could stare into those eyes for hours. My eyes sweep over the rest of his face as he pulls Mike up and out of the booth. He has wild bronze hair that looks like he just rolled out of bed, plump kissable lips and a strong defined jaw line.
Kissable lips? God Bella, get a grip! He hasn't even said a word to you and you're already making out with him in your mind. Times like this I'm glad people can't read minds.
"Sorry about him. I'm Edward Cullen." He extends his hand towards me. As soon as I take it I feel a spark that shoots through my whole body. I pull my hand back and look at it. I wonder if he felt that too.
"Bella Swan. Thank you for the help Edward." I say as he gives me the most breathtaking smile.
"You were handling him on your own, I just sped things along. Enjoy your dinner Bella." I watch as he heads towards the booth next to mine and sits down with his friends. His shirt clings to him, wet from the rain outside. His body is well defined. Not overly so but just the right amount. In my eyes he is perfection.
I finish my dinner, trying my hardest not to look at Edward again. I don't need to be known as the creepy new girl who stares and drools at the hot guy. I roll my eyes at my train of thought and decide it's time to find a place to stay. The rain has stopped and I hope it holds off until I can find the motel.
I grab my bag and head towards the register to pay. Angela looks up from her school book and hops off the counter to ring me up. "How was everything Bella?"
"It was great. Thanks." I hand her the money. "Did you get a chance to ask your manager?" I ask as she hands me my change.
"Oh I almost forgot to tell you. I did and we aren't at the moment. I'm sorry. He said with school back in session we won't need anyone until closer to the holidays." She frowns as she apologizes again.
"That's okay. Thanks for asking for me Angela. Is there a motel in town?" I ask as disappointment hits me.
"Yeah. It's about a mile or so down the road." I thank her again as I hand her a tip.
I can feel Mike's eyes on me as I start towards the exit. There are two girls sitting beside him who openly glare at me as I pass their table. 'You can have him' I think as I step out into the chilly night.
The motel was, like Angela said, a mile down the road. It didn't take long to get there, which I was grateful for. My exhaustion was catching up and I was looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed.
"Hello. Checking in?" the older woman sitting behind the desk asks as I step into the small lobby.
"Yes please. How much is it a night?" I ask her.
"It's $86 a night for a regular room. Did you want to check in? We have plenty rooms available" I nod and she pulls out some paperwork.
"Just fill this out and I'll take you to your room." She hands me the registration forms. She doesn't ask for an ID or a credit card and I thank my lucky stars she didn't. I hand her back the forms and the $86 when I'm done.
"Okay everything seems to be in order. If you choose to stay another night come see us to pay. If you don't checkout before 11am you will be charged for another night. Follow me dear." She grabs a key from behind her and leads me to my room.
"Alright, if you need anything please let me know. I'm Mrs. Cope by the way. Have a goodnight." With that she closes my door.
I drop my bag and launch myself onto the bed. My bed. I lay back and stare up at the ceiling smiling. When I feel myself begin to doze off, I sit up so I can figure out how long I can stay here.
I pull my money out and do a quick count. I have $825 left. I shouldn't have spent so much on one dinner. 'You know better than that' I scold myself. After doing the math I figure out I can stay here for eight more days and still have $51 left to buy food.
I yawn and stretch out on the bed. Tomorrow I will begin my search for work. I should be able to find something….Right? I don't want to think about what I'll do if I don't. As I begin to drift off, green invades my mind. The trees as they sway in the breeze, the moss that covers the trunks, those eyes.
That was the first night I dreamed of Edward Cullen.