Love Story- Chapter One
A/N: Even though this story was not characterized this way, this is an AU story. Not in the sense that Bella is the vampire, or everyone is human, but that it does not follow the chain of events originally laid out by Twilight or the stories that followed it. The premise is the same, in that Bella is an ordinary human and the Cullens are anything but. I felt like that was something that should probably be clarified. As always, all characters (unless original creations) are property of Stephanie Meyer.
Love Story
Chapter One
It had been a long night. Back in Arizona, I had always been able to count on the sound of passing vehicles to lull me to sleep. But here, the silence had been deafening. I had managed to stay in bed until I figured it would be an acceptable hour to be awake. I kicked the covers off my body and reached for my robe once more before pulling it around my body. Back in Arizona, I wouldn't have bothered. But I didn't think it would be a good idea to parade around the house in my holey sweatpants and tank top.
I headed down the stairs, surprised to see Charlie already seated at the kitchen table, a bowl of cereal in front of him, dressed in his uniform for the day. "Bowls are in the cabinet to the left of the sink."
"I know. I remember."
And like that, the conversation was over before it could begin. I made my away around the kitchen silently as I fixed myself a bowl of cereal before I joined him at the small table.
"What are your plans for today?"
"Well, the first thing on my agenda is to find some new curtains," I reminded him.
"That's right," he said with a nod. "You did mention that last night, didn't you?" He lifted his bowl to his mouth, draining the remaining milk before he turned his attention back to me. "There's actually another matter we're going to have to see to first."
I cocked an eyebrow suspiciously. "And what is that?"
"You're going to need a vehicle. It wouldn't be an issue, but I can't let you drive the police cruiser. And with us living so far away from everything…"
"Ugh, dad," I protested.
"Just hear me out, Bella, okay?" With a resigned sigh, I nodded. "When you first brought up the subject of coming back here, I started looking around. Just for something cheap, something to get you from point A to point B. A good friend of mine is selling an old truck he originally bought as a project. It still runs pretty good. It just needed some cosmetic work, but he really doesn't have the time to devote to it anymore. So he agreed to sell it to me."
"I don't know, dad. I still haven't secured a job and I just–"
"Well, I know that. But you're going to need a vehicle to get to work."
He had a point there. But still, there was no way I was going to be able to afford a vehicle, especially right now. I had a couple hundred dollars I'd managed to save up before I had left Arizona, but even if the vehicle was dirt cheap, that would leave me with no money.
"I don't know," I repeated.
He stood up and grabbed his bowl before crossing the kitchen to the sink. For a minute, I was afraid I had somehow offended him. I opened my mouth to apologize when he cut me off. "I already bought the truck."
"What?"
"I already bought it."
"Dad," I groaned. "There's no way I'll be able to pay you back right now."
"We'll worry about that later," he said. "Why don't you go on upstairs and get ready? I'll drop you off at Harry's on my way to the station. You'll need a way to get around after all. Especially if you intend on getting any shopping done."
xoxoxoxox
To say that the truck had needed a little cosmetic work had been an understatement, but at the same time, I couldn't help but falling in love with the vehicle as soon as I laid eyes on it. It was an older model Chevy, and I could tell that it had once been painted a vibrant red. Now, it was more rusted than anything else, but it would definitely serve the purpose. After Charlie had squared everything away with Harry and I had received the set of keys, I found myself alone with my father once more.
"You sure you'll be able to navigate around town alright?"
"I'm sure I'll be fine," I assured him.
"Anything you need, you should be able to find at one of the shops in town. I would rather you not venture outside of town right now. At least not until we've had a chance to get the truck serviced to make sure it could handle the highway." It was a chore to keep from rolling my eyes. For the last four years, I'd had the freedom to come and go as I pleased. And while I couldn't exactly see Charlie putting up much of a fight if I'd argued, I didn't exactly feel like getting into it with him right now.
"I'll stay in town," I promised. He offered me a crooked smile, before he took one last look at the truck.
"I should be home around four," he told me. "If you need anything before then, the station is right in the center of town."
"I'll be fine, dad."
"I know you will," he told me. He paused for a moment, and I could see him debating saying something else, but apparently, he'd decided against it. I watched as he climbed into his police cruiser and backed out of Harry's driveway. Glancing back up at the house, I spotted Harry and his wife Sue looking out from the front window. With a wave of thanks in their direction, I pulled the heavy door of the truck open before I climbed in to the driver's seat.
I took a few moments to observe the cab of the truck, trying to get a feel of everything before I made a fool of myself trying to drive it. Once I was sure I knew where all the pedals and gears were and I had my mirrors adjusted according to my height, I slid the key into the ignition and turned it, grinning when the truck roared to life beneath me.
I could definitely get used to this.
xoxoxoxox
Perhaps Charlie had been the one who'd suffered brain damage. He had assured me this morning that I should be able to find anything I needed in town. Who the hell was he kidding? I had promised him that I wouldn't venture outside of town, but drastic times called for drastic measures. That had always been one of Renee's favorite sayings. It was bound to rub off at some point.
Unfortunately, she hadn't bestowed any mechanical advice on me. I cursed angrily as my truck began to spit and sputter just as I had reached the outskirts of town. It was almost as if Charlie had programmed the vehicle to cease working if I even came close to leaving this ridiculous little town. I managed to pull the truck over on the shoulder of the road before it completely died on me. "This is incredibly inconvenient!" I growled to no one in particular.
I turned the key several times, becoming increasingly frustrated when the engine refused to turn over. I wasn't exactly sure how far away from the station I was, but I couldn't exactly sit here and do nothing. I grabbed my jacket from the passenger seat and climbed out of the cab, pocketing the keys as I did so. I slammed the door, having resisted the urge to kick it instead. Knowing my luck, I'd end up doing more damage to my foot than I would to the actual exterior of the vehicle.
I was hesitant about leaving my truck here, parked on the side of the road, but really, what other option did I have? Besides, in a town this small, it was hard to believe that if it went missing, Charlie wouldn't notice it parked in someone's driveway. "Better get a move on Bells," I said quietly to myself. With a resigned sigh, I checked once to ensure I had locked the truck up before I started on my journey back into the town my mother had so desperately wanted to escape.
xoxoxoxox
I wasn't sure how long I had been walking. A light mist had started and I could feel myself shiver involuntarily. I pulled my jacket tighter around my body, wishing desperately that I had heeded Charlie's warning. Though I was sure I'd made some progress, I had yet to see any form of life, animal or otherwise. It was disturbing, to say the least.
I could feel myself starting to give in to my panic when I noticed the silver Volvo parked haphazardly in a small parking lot that sat back off the road. I hadn't noticed the slight brick building on my way out of town, but I hadn't exactly been paying attention to the scenery either. Feeling my panic diminish greatly, I broke out into a jog towards the building, hopeful that someone there would help me. Or at the very least hopeful that they would have a phone so I could get in touch with Charlie.
"Son of a–!" I cursed as I fell forward. I cringed and cried out as my hands and knees hit the hard gravel below me. I pushed myself to my feet, frowning as I inspected my scraped hands before noticing I'd torn the knee in my jeans as well. I bent over to brush away the gravel that had clung to my jeans before I resumed my short trek to the building.
Once I was up close enough, I spotted the sign hanging above the door which looked to be hand painted in an elegant scrawl:
La Galerié
I pressed my face up close to the door, peering inside, and immediately felt a smile form on my lips. Who knew Forks had it's very own art gallery? I pushed the door open and was immediately greeted by the smell of incense burning from somewhere in the back.
The artwork hanging on the walls was unlike anything I had ever seen. So vibrant; so beautiful. I crossed the front of the store , glancing around as I did so. Surely this hadn't always been here.
"Hello?" I called out tentatively, hoping this was a public gallery. The last thing I needed was for word to get back to Charlie that I'd been trespassing in a private place. Especially when he had no intention of me making it this far from the center of town. "Hello?" I called out again, frowning when I got no response. Deciding that perhaps no one was here after all, I started to make my way back to the door. I'd just have to continue walking back to town and hope I could flag someone down on the way. I had just reached the front door when I heard the floor creak behind me before a voice spoke.
"Ah. There you are. We've been waiting for you."