Chapter 5

"Bella!" Charlie yelled as he rushed towards her in full police uniform.

"That your dad?" Keri muttered. Bella nodded. Keri snorted and said "Nice uniform."
Bella couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped her as her dad kept coming in his blue and white uniform that made him look more like a clown than the Chief of Police.

"Bella," Charlie said once again, out of breath and red faced. He kept glancing between the two girls. " You were supposed to be here hours ago!"

"Dad I can explain!" Bella said, noticing as his face changed from confusion to fury. She saw him waiting for her to explain and realized she had nothing. "Ok, so I can't explain. But please don't get mad! I tried to get here on time, I really did."

Charlie gradually calmed as he stared at his daughter, who he had not seen in a long time. "Fine, Bells, I'll let it slide." He once again glanced curiously at Keri, who stood there twirling her hair in between her fingers.

"Dad this is Keri, Keri this is my dad." Charlie stuck out his hand and Keri slowly dropped her hand and shook his. She smiled up at him and said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Swan." Well you girls go on inside and get cleaned up because I ordered pizza. But Bella may I talk to you for a second?"

Charlie and Bella watched Keri walk into the house before Charlie turned to Bella. "Who is she?" he immediately demanded.

"That's Keri, she's my friend." Seeing his face she continued. "I know you didn't know but her boyfriend is a crazy lunatic and she had to get away. I had to help her, dad!"

Charlie sighed and rolled his eyes up to the sky. "How am I going to deal with you all summer, let alone adding another teenage girl into the equation?" he said. Bella could tell he was joking so she laughed.

"That means she can stay with us, right?" Charlie shrugged.

"As long as you take care of her." Bella laughed and told him she would before she ran into the house. She found Keri sitting at the table, already digging into the pizza. Bella and Charlie joined her. When they were finished Keri and Bella washed the dishes while Charlie watched baseball in the other room.

"Oh crap I left my stuff in the car! Will you help me carry it in?" Bella said. Keri nodded and followed her out into the rainy pitch black night. They made their way to the car and Bella started to pull out her suitcases full of the clothes her mom had gotten her. She handed some of the cases to Keri who started walking back to the house. Bella finished pulling the stuff out of the car when she heard a scream and a thump, followed by a loud crap. Moments later a porch light clicked on and Charlie rushed out to see what happened. Bella heard him gasp and she hut her eyes tightly, knowing there was blood, because she could smell it.

"Bella, rush inside and call an ambulance, quick!" Bella nodded and stupidly tried to get into the house with her eyes clamped shut. But she tripped over something and fell to the ground. The last thing she heard was Charlie yelling into his police radio, which he probably forgot he had, for someone to send and ambulance.

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-Elise