Chapter Two
"Lucia Helen Swan! If you don't get down here in the next 5 minutes, I'm going to go without you, and I'll ask the sales lady to help pick out Bella's things instead!" Charlie yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
That was the first thing I heard that morning. Groaning, I looked at my alarm clock, it was only 7am. Dad was such a pain sometimes, he could've at least given me another half-an-hour to sleep, it was Saturday after all. Extracting myself from my cosy and warm bed, I quickly put on the first thing I saw. It was yesterday's clothes from school, the trusty hoodie that I stole from Jacob years ago and some baggy jeans. I've always been one for comfort over style, my guess is that that comes from being raised primarily by a man. After I brushed my hair, I rushed down the stairs almost colliding with the walls. Dad was waiting at the bottom looking at his watch.
"Wow, thirty seconds to spare, that's a new record. Wish you were that quick getting ready for school, Squirt," Dad laughed.
"Well, some people need their beauty sleep. It's because you're always up so early that you have so many wrinkles, old man," I spat back cheekily, a grin on my face as I pointed at his forehead.
"Oh I'll remember that. Maybe this old man won't give you a ride to school on Monday, huh? How'd you like the sound of that you cheeky imp?" Dad teased as he ruffled my hair.
I glared at him as we walked out the front door, righting my hair back into neatness. We entered the patrol car that my Dad used as Chief of Police of Forks; I cranked the radio up so that we could hardly hear each other, my way of getting back at him. We were headed for Port Angeles, shopping for a few things to put in Bella's room. I'd convinced Dad that we needed to update her room, she hadn't been to Forks since she was fourteen, Dad and I travelling to Phoenix together instead for the last three years. I figured that since Bella was now nearly an adult that she'd like a change of pace from the butterfly bed spread and lilac walls. Port Angeles was about an hour's drive from Forks and while it didn't boast that much of a range it was certainly was better than the miniscule number of shops that Forks offered.
We drove in casual silence, the music on the radio the only noise between us until Dad reached over and lowered the sound.
"So, what's left to get for Bella's room?" asked Dad.
"Well, I should be done painting the walls when we get back this afternoon. Then all that's left is to get a chair, a desk and a new bed spread," I listed as I crossed each one off on my fingers. "Oh and maybe a bookshelf if we can find one cheap, you know how she loves her books, Dad."
I loved interior decorating; it was a hobby of mine to rearrange or update various things in our home. It was the only interest I really had that was more feminine and I think that it made up for the lack of knowledge I had with fashion or makeup. I have to say though, I'm glad I loved changing the house up so much, because I truly believe if it wasn't for me then Dad would've left the house the exact same as when Mom was still living there.
"I'm sure we'll find something cheap enough," Dad agreed.
The conversation ended with that and for the rest of the way there we listened to music, occasionally singing along when a song we knew came on. Dad parked the cruiser along the main street, and we stopped in at a café to get a cup of coffee each and made our way into the mall. We found our way into a bedding store; I instructed Dad to pick up some new pillows as I made my way to look at the bedspreads. I was looking for something that was mature but still feminine. I was studying a white bedspread with sage green trimming when Dad rocked back up with a frankly hideous mauve bedspread and two pillows.
"What is that?" I grimaced, hoping Dad wouldn't insist on buying the eyesore.
"This?" Dad hefted up the bedding, "I asked the sales lady what she thought a seventeen-year-old would like and she suggested this. What do you think?"
"I think the colour would work but I think something simpler would be better," I said trying to let Dad down softly. Thank God I didn't leave him to do this all by himself.
I turned back around, having spotted a lavender version of the bedding that I was looking at before. Grabbing that and a plain white fitted sheet, I led Dad to the register.
"So how'd everything go?" said the Sales Lady. It looked like her choice of bedding wasn't much different from her fashion choices, she seemed like she belonged back in the eighties. She looked down at our choices, then looked back at us with a wide fake smile on her bright pink painted lips, "didn't like what I chose for your father dear?"
"Oh it was lovely; I just think my sister would like something a bit more muted is all. She's a bit of an old soul," I said with my own fake smile.
She ringed us up, wishing us a lovely day as we left the store. Reaching the cruiser we placed our purchases in the back seat and walked to a second-hand furniture shop. Our time in there was quick, finding everything within ten minutes and we were even able to find a fairly reasonably priced bookshelf. Dad organised getting the bookshelf delivered for tomorrow as it wouldn't be able to fit in the car, but the desk and the chair were able to be disassembled and placed in the trunk. After that was done, we headed to a Burger and Grill take out to get some lunch before we started back home. I got a simple cheeseburger and small fries, whilst Dad got a double bacon beef burger and large fries.
"You know you'll get a heart attack eating all that Dad," I gave him a pointed stare.
"Only if I don't work it off Lu," Dad chortled.
"Sure, sure." We ate in silence for awhile until I asked him if he had work tomorrow.
"Yeah, I do, so you'll have to be home to sign for the delivery. Might want to ask Jacob to help with getting the bookcase into your sister's room, I rather you not be home alone with strangers in the house," Dad looked concerned, he was always protective over me.
"Okay no problem, I'll call him on our way back. Maybe I could convince him to come over today as well to help me finish painting," I schemed.
"I'm sure he could be convinced. Talking about the Blacks, I was thinking about buying Billy's old truck for Bella, do you think she'd like that?" asked Dad.
"I'm sure she'd be happy not having to pay for it," I laughed, "better make sure it'll run fine though."
"I'll get Jacob to fix it up, so that's no problem. You'll be able to ride to school with Bella too."
"What a blessing that will be!" I sighed dramatically, "I won't have to exit a police car every school day and have everyone stare at me!"
Dad flicked a fry at me irritated, "Don't think I won't go through with my threat from this morning, young lady."
"Sorry, sorry," I snickered, picking up the fry he threw at me and plopping it in my mouth.
I sat back, wiped my mouth clean and waited for him to finish his meal. We paid for our meal, left a tip, and walked back to the cruiser. The drive back was much the same as the drive to Port Angeles. I reached into my pocket and got out the cell phone I got as a present for my fourteenth birthday this year and dialled the number for the Black residence. Billy picked up.
"Hello, this is Billy."
"Hey Billy, it's Lucia."
"Lucy how are you? You with your old man?" Billy asked.
"Yeah, he's here," Dad mouthed hello at me, "He says hello. We're just on our way back from Port Angeles, picking out some stuff for Bella's room."
"Ah, she's coming back soon, isn't she? Your Dad won't stop talking about it," Billy chuckled.
"Yeah, she'll be here at the end of this month, September twenty-ninth, just a couple of weeks away," I replied.
"You excited?" Billy asked.
"Yep, it'll be nice to have someone else in the house," I stated, "and on that note, is Jacob home? Want to ask him to help with finishing Bella's room."
"No problem, I'll go get him now." There was silence as Billy went to get Jacob. I heard some muffled talking and then a gruff "Hello?"
"Hey Jake, it's Lucy."
"Hey Lu, how've you been?" Jacob asked.
"I'm good, went shopping for furniture for Bella. You free this afternoon? Think you could help us move it into her room?" I asked, smile on my face.
Dad glanced over to me watching the expressions on my face change.
"Yeah, I'm free, mind if Dad comes? I think he wants to chat to the Chief." I could hear the mirth in his voice when he said that.
"Well we can't keep them apart, can we?" I said laughing, "If you help me finish painting, I'll even cook you and Billy dinner tonight."
"Hmm, I don't know, what are you going to cook?" Jacob contemplated my bargain.
"How does Carbonara and garlic bread sound?" I closed my eyes, hoping he said yes.
"Ha ha, okay, Dad would kill me if I said no. You know how much he loves your cooking," he said, his voice not hiding his grin.
"Yes! We'll see you this afternoon then, bye bye!"
"See you."
I hung up and smiled down at my phone when Dad cleared his throat awkwardly.
"So, have a nice conversation?" Dad asked glancing at me from the driver's seat.
"Yesss…" I dragged out, suspicious of the way he said that.
"Jacob's a nice boy," he stated uncomfortably, "if you have something to tell me about him, I'm all ears"
"OH Dad gross! I'm not talking about boys to you!" I exclaimed, "Besides we're just friends," I muttered to myself, looking down.
"Okay, Okay. Well I'm here if you need any advice," He said not looking my way.
I grunted in affirmation and stared out the window hoping that the drive home would be over soon and that I could get away from the awkward atmosphere that lingered.