A/N: So I got excited and finished chapter 2. Let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: twilight and all the characters (except Jen!) are smeyer's.
Chapter 2 Road Trip!
I was standing in the middle of the quad, stark naked. I wanted to run and hide, but my feet were glued to the spot. I couldn't even muster a scream. Everyone was looking at me, laughing. 17,000 pairs of eyes, staring. I tried to scream, but when I opened my mouth, a loud buzzing noise came out.
I shot up out of bed, realizing it was just a dream. I had to laugh a little; I was letting my nerves get the best of me. I shook Jen awake. "Get up sleepy, we've got 3 long days ahead of us!" She rolled over.
"Mmm, five more minutes."
"You're not getting up for school and I'm not your mother. We're going on a road trip!" I shouted in her ear.
"Oh my God!" She jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. "Do I have enough time to shower?" I laughed out loud as she frantically ran around my house.
"Take your time, Jen" I giggled. "We've got plenty of time to get ready. What do you want for breakfast?"
"Eggs and toast!" She shouted down to me as I heard the shower running. I lazily opened the fridge and grabbed the eggs and milk. Right as I finished fixing up breakfast, Jen skipped into the kitchen looking eager to eat. I slid the plate in front of her and she immediately began devouring it. As soon as I finished eating, it was my turn to get ready. I was eager to get on the road, so I tried to run up the stairs, only to fall and get carpet burn on my elbow. I heard Jen laughing her head off in the kitchen when she heard me fall. I changed into some cutoff sweats and a tank top; I wanted to be comfortable since we were going to be driving for hours. I grabbed my toiletries bag and went into the bathroom. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I threw my hair into a messy bun and made my way back downstairs.
Rene was already awake and sitting on the couch, which was shocking because it wasn't even 6 AM yet. She jumped up when I came down the stairs and picked me up into a bone-crushing hug.
"Baby, I'm going to miss you so much! I can't believe you're leaving today!" I could already feel the tears welling up in my eyes. As I opened my mouth to speak, they spilled over.
"I know, Mom, I'm going to miss you too. But I'll be back in a few months. And I promise I'll call you every day." I managed to sob out. Phil had come downstairs to see me off, too.
"Have fun, kid. Don't forget to call us every day, or else your mom might go insane. I'm gonna miss you a lot," he said.
"I'll miss you too, Phil. Take care of my mom for me." We all walked out to the car. The sun was just peeking over the horizon; we were perfectly on schedule. I gave Phil a quick hug before turning to my mom. "I miss you already, mom. As soon as we stop in LA, I'll give you a call. I love you."
"I love you too, Bella. I don't know what I'm going to do without you. When you get to Forks, give my best to Charlie. He'll be so happy to see you." She hugged me and kissed me, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Jen, take care of my Bella for the next couple days; and let me know the second you get back into town."
"I will," Jen replied, "and I'll see you two in a couple days!" She hugged Rene and Phil and hopped into the passenger's seat. I took one last look around at my home before climbing into the driver's seat, tears blurring my vision. I blinked a couple times and wiped my eyes before starting the engine. As I pulled out of the driveway, Rene and Phil waved goodbye. I was finally on my way.
"How are you doing, Bella?" Jen finally said after about 10 minutes of silence.
"I'm okay, it's just weird that I'm actually leaving Arizona, you know?" I told her.
Jen popped in a CD; it was PANIC! At The Disco. It definitely cheered me up, and Jen and I screamed along to the words as I drove us through the Arizona desert. We listened to music, chatted, and Jen took thousands of pictures, before we hit the California border. We stopped at the State line for a bathroom break, and of course to straddle the line and be in two places at once!
When we got back in the car, loaded down with snacks, Jen got behind the wheel; it was her turn to drive. I looked around, I was in California for the first time in my life. Honestly, California desert looked just like Arizona desert, but I snapped a few pictures anyway, and then turned the camera on Jen and took some shots of her driving. Finally, we made it out of the desert, and I suddenly knew why everyone loved Southern California. It was beautiful; the streets were lined with palm trees, and I rolled my window down to find a cool breeze blowing through. And then I saw it. It was the LA skyline, and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I went shutter-crazy and took as many pictures as I could. We pulled off the freeway, and drove straight into downtown. I picked up my phone and called Rene.
"Hey Mom, we just got to LA. It's gorgeous!" I squealed into the phone.
"Oh good honey, I'm glad you made it there. Have you eaten yet?" Rene, for the first time, seemed concerned that I couldn't take care of myself. She sounded really mom-like for the first time since I was about 7. It was very strange.
"Um, we had a bunch of crap in the car, but that's about it. We're going to get some lunch right now though."
"Okay, Bella. I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I won't keep you, but call me the next time you stop, all right?"
"Of course, Mom. I love you."
"Love you too. Bye."
As soon as I hung up the phone, Jen was tugging at my arm, "Bella, hurry up! I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"
"How is that possible, Jen, you just had a whole bag of Doritos in the car!" I laughed as she stuck her tongue out at me and pulled me into a little restaurant.
Before I knew it, Los Angeles was in my rear-view mirror. We could have stayed the night there, but I was eager to get up to Forks to see Charlie. We ended up stopping for the night in San Luis Obispo.
The rest of the trip passed in a blur, and I couldn't believe 2 days had gone by already. We had driven all the way through California and Oregon, and now we were almost to Forks. I checked the time; we had about an hour until we got to Charlie's house, and it was 4:00. By 5:00 he should be home, so I wasn't going to bother calling; I would just surprise him on his doorstep. Charlie was the Chief of Police in Forks, so even if he wasn't home, I would know where to find him.