Saying Hello To Forks
Green. Everywhere I looked, it was green. Green trees, green bushes, green grass... even the damned road signs were green. Hadn't they ever heard of the color spectrum? What ever happened to warm browns and soft yellows and brilliant whites? Ugh! I was going to hate it here. Phoenix was already a fond memory quickly fading, buried beneath all this never-ending green.
I sighed deeply and my father turned to look at me. His name is Charlie and he's the Chief of Police here in Forks, Washington, a tiny hole-in-the-wall town located along the Olympic Peninsula. He hates it when I call him Charlie, but I can't help thinking of him that way, though I usually try to remember to call him Dad when I speak to him.
"What's the matter, Bells? Missing home?" he asked, a half-worried frown starting to turn down the corners of his mouth.
I quickly forced my mouth into a semblance of a smile as I turned to meet his worried look. "No, Dad. Just anxious to get to the house. It's been a long ride." He seemed content with that, and turned back to focus on his driving.
If there was a more cautious driver anywhere on the planet, I'd be hard-pressed to believe it. Charlie did, however, have one outstanding quality as a parent. He didn't hover. He liked his space and believed in giving me mine, which suited me well. I hated attention of any kind, and hovering parents were at the top of the list when it came to attention-giving.
I turned to look out the window once more, my thoughts returning to the warm sun of Phoenix and my last goodbye to my mother several hours ago. I'd tried to keep up a happy appearance, but I knew I'd slipped at times. Every once in awhile she'd give me a look that told me she only half-believed that I really wanted this move. I hadn't, of course, but it was best for everyone involved. There were too many memories in Phoenix, and every time she looked at me, I knew she was seeing...
No. I refused to think about that anymore. What was done, was done, and nothing I could do would ever be able to change it. It was only fair that I be the one to pay the consequences, and I was ready to do just that. Even if it meant never seeing the sun again. Forks had an average of somewhere around three hundred and thirty rainy days per year, and I refused to even think about how cold it got. Gah! I was going to hate it here.
Some time later, the slowing of the car as my father turned into the driveway caught my attention, and I got my first glimpse of the house I'd now be living in. It was fairly simple, two stories, and painted a dreary shade of white that had faded through the years. The porch made it look kind of quaint, though, and I felt a spark of interest when I thought of exploring the inside.
I got out and met my father at the trunk to start unloading my bags. I didn't know if it was a good or bad thing that everything I owned fit inside two suitcases and a duffel bag, but it sure made moving a fairly easy process. I followed Charlie into the house, noting where he hid the house key behind a loose shingle next to the door, and took a look around. There wasn't much to see.
A tiny kitchen to the left, an almost-as-tiny living room at the end of the hall, and a stairway leading to the second floor. As we climbed the stairs, I noticed the small bathroom at the top and almost groaned aloud as I realized I'd be sharing that confined space with Charlie. It's a good thing I'm not an average girl, I thought, I'd never fit all those girly things in there. I chuckled softly and followed Charlie into a cozy bedroom on the left, setting the duffel bag I was carrying onto the bed as I walked over to the window.
Not far across the lawn was the edge of the woods, and in one spot, the trees reached nearly to my window. Great. More green. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the room, noticing that Charlie was standing uncomfortably by the door.
"I was going to head back to work, Bells, but if you need me to stay...?" His question trailed off as he looked at me, and I could see the hope in his eyes that I would let him go. I hadn't seen Charlie since I was five, almost twelve years ago now, and he obviously had little clue what to do with a teenage daughter he barely knew.
"No, that's fine, Dad. Go ahead. I'll just be unpacking and getting things organized today, anyway," I assured him.
Relief replaced the hope in his eyes as he made a quick getaway before I could change my mind, and I heard his patrol car pull out only a few moments later. Turning back to the bed, I began the process of settling into my new home as I wondered what tomorrow would bring. New school, new faces, and I'd be the new girl in town... undoubtedly the focus of attention. Bah! I was really going to hate it here.