Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine...never has never will be...
Authors Note: Here's the next chapter that I promised you all I hope you like it and as I said before please review good or bad! :D
Chapter Twenty-Six
Q.P.O.V
Claire turned out to be quite a good driver, I assumed she would be to pass her driving test, but I didn't expect to feel nothing but confidence in her ability, it took me a while to realise that I felt proud of her. When we had driven around most of the back roads of La Push, I quickly suggested driving into Forks. I knew that she had a good enough handle on how the car drove now, and I had filled her in on all the important things, like the fuel door which despite all my attempts sometimes decided it didn't feel like opening simply refusing to budge; but I didn't want her to go just yet. I was trying to make my time with her last as long as possible, savouring it feeling thoroughly greedy, but not caring about that in the slightest.
I was watching Claire glance around the car, her long lashes grazing along the top of her cheeks sometimes when she blinked, the way she let her hair fall down like a curtain between us trying to hide her blush whenever she was embarrassed. "What's the tape of?" Claire asked suddenly, taking me out of my absent minded daydreaming, feeling a little awkward and embarrassed I shuffled my feet. "Umm sorry Claire what did you say?" I asked, not having paid attention to what Claire had been saying. Claire smiled broadly at me "I was just wondering what's the tape of?" she repeated patiently, not seeming to mind that I wasn't paying proper attention. "What tape?" I asked confused again about what she was talking about, since when did I leave tapes lying around the car. Claire smirked at me this time, apparently finding my confusion funny, "The one in the radio" she supplied, an amused tinge to her voice. A wave of dawning comprehension washed over me then, quickly glancing at the radio I saw the tape Claire was talking about, Suzette's.
"It's nothing!" I practically screamed at her, I had completely forgotten about that damned tape, the last time that Suzette had been home she had taken great pleasure in forcing me to listen to it as I drove her around. Suzette knew exactly what buttons to push to annoy me, one of her favourite pastimes she had declared once when she was about seven, and had maintained from that time onwards. I usually didn't mind that much, as long as it kept her happy I was content in letting her have her fun, it wasn't as though she was malicious or anything, it was your typical little sister syndrome. Now with Claire in the car for the first time I was actually annoyed at Suzette, I really didn't want her to hear it, it wasn't as though it was that bad, but I had told her so much about how much I hated pop music, and I really didn't want her to think that I was a hypocrite. Apart from that the fact that I even had the tape in my car was mortifying enough as it was.
Claire was glancing at me sceptically her eyebrow raised, "Nothing...really.." I muttered hoping that she would let it go. "Can I hear it then?" Claire asked sweetly, my immediate reaction was to shout in response, "No!" it might have been a slight over reaction but it didn't seem to bother Claire that much, I was already feeling guilty for shouting at Claire and was about to apologise when I saw what she was doing. Turning to me in the driver seat, Claire looked up at me from under her lashes, taking my breath away for a moment, I forced myself to pay attention to what she was saying to me, my jaw dropping slightly in surprise. "Please..." she asked quietly, now glancing back and forth between me and the straight stretch of road that we were on. "Well...I mean ...if you really want to.." I finally managed to mumble, my voice sounding very breathy even to me, Claire beamed at me then making me forget for a moment what I had been worrying about, becoming too lost in her beauty.
Claire pushed in the tape, smiling broadly at me, I felt my face heat up immediately even before the music started, and watched Claire's eyes widen in surprise, her mouth opening and closing once or twice before she finally regained the ability to speak. "Quill what the hell!.." she shouted at me, bursting out laughing at the same time, slowing down the car. All I could do was shift rather uncomfortably in my seat, bringing my hand to my face, in a gesture that I didn't know whether was to wipe away or to hide my blush. "I thought you hate this stuff?" she asked her voice breaking a little straining not to laugh at me. I didn't know what to say instead I just glanced over, hoping that Claire would somehow understand that it wasn't my tape from my expression, my horrified expression ought to have been enough. Then Claire did something that I did not expect, reaching across her arm and ruffling my hair, I felt a jolt run through me at the unexpected contact my eyes widening in surprise. Claire quickly pulled her hand back, far too quickly for my liking not saying a word, looking slightly embarrassed about her actions.
When I realised that Claire didn't intend on speaking again, I decided to break the silence and explain the tape to her, anything to keep her talking I didn't want her to feel awkward, but I couldn't stop the smile that had spread across my face. I coughed quietly to break the tension that had built up in the car before speaking, "Ummm...to be honest its not my tape..." I began, seeing Claire glance over before quickly blushing. "..It belongs to Suzette...that girl has strange taste in music...I forgot that she had left in the car.." I finished, feeling a pang at the memory, it had been far too long since I had seen her, she couldn't afford to travel home from New York very often and the last time I had seen her was at Christmas.
I sensed Claire stiffen in her seat beside me, I wondered what was wrong but when I glanced in her direction her hair had fallen down covering her face from me. "You sound kind of sad...I take it you don't see her as much as you'd like?" Claire finally spoke, her voice sounding oddly strained. I wondered what I had said that had upset her, maybe she was missing her own sister, I thought, she had heard me talk about my sister before but I hadn't really gone into any detail at the time, Sam having interrupted me. I sighed feeling my face fall, Claire was worried about me being sad, that wasn't what I wanted, she needn't worry about me I needed to change the mood, smiling now as I spoke, "Yeah...never enough for my liking...she's away in New York..." I began. Claire spoke then before I could continue, "So what is she studying there?" she asked politely, her voice sounding a little different than earlier. "Criminal studies...she's considering doing law afterwards but she's not entirely sure yet.." I paused laughing at her reasons as to why not to do law, ""she doesn't think that she would be clever enough for law but that's just her being ridiculous she has brains to spare!" I finished proudly. Suzette deserved everything she got, she worked so hard at everything that she did, and usually got anything that she set her mind to.
My attempt at changing the mood had failed, Claire had yet to speak and was sitting ramrod straight in the seat her face still hidden behind her hair. "Claire ...are you alright? I asked rather uncertainly, reaching out and putting my hand on her shoulder. Almost as soon as I had done it Claire quickly shrugged it off, "Yeah I'm fine..." she snapped, showing the contrary, "I think we had better get back though Sam's waiting and has some work he has to do.." she finished, turning the car in the direction of La Push.
Nothing I said on the way back to my house made a difference, Claire simply refused to talk, shrugging or giving monosyllabic answers, stubbornly ignoring my attempts at conversation. I couldn't understand it, everything had been fine until the tape had been played, I doubted that was the reason behind Claire's sudden mood change and wracked my brain for some way to explain what had just happened. Sam could be seen in the yard as we pulled up into my yard, throwing a football with the twins, Claire had barely turned off the ignition before she was out of the car, slamming the door behind her. I stared after her as she made her way over to Sam, I could hear her tell him that she wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home now if he didn't mind taking her. Sam nodded in response, "Sure sure Claire...why don't you just go wait in the car.." he trailed off glancing over at me suspiciously.
"Bye Claire!" I called as she made her way to the car, one of the twins in a sweet gesture placing an arm around her shoulder guiding her there, I assumed to be Caleb. Claire simply waved her arm after her in goodbye, before getting into the backseat, beside her cousin. Sam was arguing with Reilly, telling him to get back to the car, wanting to talk to me in private. I mentally checked myself again, I hadn't done anything to Claire that I thought warranted this behaviour, and worried that Sam would become reluctant to let me spend time with Claire. Sam walked forward purposefully putting his arm on mine, dragging me further away from his own car, until we were standing beside my own again.
"What happened to Claire...Quill what did you do to her?" Sam asked in rushed tones, glancing over towards the car every few moments. "Nothing!" I exclaimed angrily, "One minute we were fine talking and laughing and next thing I know she got upset about something and refused to speak to me...Sam I really didn't mean to upset her I mean...I don't even know what I did...or if it was even me.." I trailed off, not sure of what more I could say. Sam stared at me for a moment longer probably considering whether or not to believe me, before eventually deciding what I said was the truth. "Alright Quill look I'm just going to take Claire home and see if I can figure this out..." turning to leave he paused for a moment before adding, "I'm sure that whatever it is Claire will get over it soon so...don't...at least try not to worry too much.." Sam added smiling sympathetically at me before walking quickly to his car. Leaving me alone standing in my driveway completely at a loss to what had just happened.