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Chapter 3:

This pattern continued for the next few days. I slept for long hours, showered, ran, and lounged the day away. I cleaned all day the Thursday prior to Christmas because Renee and Phil would be coming into town on Saturday, with Christmas Eve on Sunday.

Friday night there was a steady snow that had been falling since early afternoon. When I woke Saturday, the ground was completely covered in another layer of light, fluffy snow. Charlie was at work as usual, but for some reason I had woken up around 8:00 instead of my usual 10 or 11. I decided to run first, and shower when I came back. The days had been growing increasingly colder and a hot shower always rid me of the winter chills. Pulling on my shoes and mittens I opened and then locked the front door. The sidewalks were completely covered in snow, so I jumped carefully in Charlie's footsteps from earlier in the morning, and down to the street.

My route had gotten longer as I had gotten faster. I now ran for a solid hour or more, but I had steadily been able to go farther in that same period of time. The road had been plowed enough, and salt dumped on the ground that there was little ice for me to trip and die on.

I stretched my legs for a few minutes before starting out. Charlie had noticed my sneakers by the door a few days ago, and inquired about my running. I told him it was a good way to relax and that I liked it a lot, and he had gotten me one of those devices that count distance you travel when you run; another gesture of his love, one that I wasn't able to show him how much I loved him too. I pulled it out of the pocket of my running pants and turned it on. After a few deep breaths and final stretches, I started along my usual route.

From the front of the house I made a right away from the forest the encroached on Charlie's property and towards "downtown" Forks. The houses were each submerged in a foot and a half of snow. Cars were still in driveways, sidewalks un-shoveled, and newspapers slightly sinking into the growing mounds of snow in the front lawns of people's homes. The lights on the houses were covered in snow along with any lawn displays of Jesus or Santa. The Christmas joy was apparent even though snow had attempted to cover it up.

I heard the heavy scraping sound of the snowplow behind me so I respectfully ran on the opposite side of the road and waited for it to clear the road. Once it had passed I returned to my side, not wanting to get caught to get hit by any car who had dared to venture from their warm home. Sure, Charlie had gotten up who knows how early to clear a path for the cruiser, but that was because his job was to report for duty no matter the weather, even though not much ever happened in Forks.

Half an hour later I had jogged to the grocery store near the center of town. I stopped in and grabbed a bottle of lukewarm water. Aaron, a sophomore from school, had become accustomed to me stopping by. He had a bottle ready on the counter for me and took my crumbled dollar bills. I chugged nearly the entire bottle before I set it down and stretched again. It was quite aggravating to have sore muscles all day when all you had to do was stretch to prevent the adrenaline from getting all clogged up in your veins – I had researched one day when I felt compelled to turn on the ancient hunk of plastic in my room.

Aaron was a shorter kid with natural black hair and light green eyes. He reminded me a bit of Eric, only with much better skin. Aaron and I would chat for a few minutes about what we did the day before, plan for Christmas, etc, and other small talk until I finished my water, and waved good-bye.

The warm air of my breath mixed with that of the cold outside, creating white puffs as I ran. My breathing matched the rhythm of my feet, giving me a sense of calm and a steady pace. I tuned out the numerous problems that plagued my thoughts, and only focused on running. I didn't think about how badly Renee would freak when she saw just how bent up out of shape I was. I didn't think about the strange and disbelieving looks I would receive from her or Phil for that matter. I didn't think about the hurt I felt that I was broken at no fault of my own. I just ran, relinquishing all the stress that bogged me down since he left.

When I was several blocks from my house I saw a strangely familiar car. Things seemed to pass in slow motion as we passed each other. It was a black Mercedes coming from the direction away from town. I tried to sneak a peek at the driver, squinting my eyes ever so slightly, but to no avail. The windows were tinted to dark to actually see who was driving. It was a nice car...and the only people who had nice cars in Forks were...

My breathing hitched and I was losing concentration on my feet. Reality resumed in real time once again. I caught myself just before tripping over a pothole covered in ice and into a snowdrift. I sped up my pace since the car went past me, not seeming to notice me.

It couldn't be. There was absolutely none, not a single, freaking way that they were back. My heart was racing in my chest, adrenaline pushing faster through my veins. Glancing at my pedometer, it read just over seven miles. Their house couldn't be that far away...and I wasn't that tired, not with all the adrenaline now coursing through me. I ran past my house and continued on the quiet roads towards the white house I used to consider a second home.

I passed another snowplow on my way awhile before I reached the hidden turn onto the driveway. A wave of nerves, fear, frustration, and regret washed over me. All the emotions gave me further drive to show myself that it wasn't true. They weren't back, and I was just seeing things. The roads were well plowed, but none of the driveways should have been. Their driveway was the same case. Only, unlike the many snowed in homes in Forks theirs had wheel tracks covering it. At least three different tracks could be picked out amongst the packed white snow.

No. No. NO! Maybe someone had finally bought the house. A new family, not them! I turned and almost bashed myself into the mailbox. I opened it quickly and saw several letters and bills. I pulled out a letter and read the top line of the address. Carlisle Cullen. They were back. I turned and sprinted back to my house, an intense fear pushing me faster and faster, and my thoughts ordering me to get away as soon as possible. I couldn't face him. I didn't want to see them. I was broken, and I didn't want them to see me this way. Especially not him; he wouldn't care. Sure they used to be family, but no one would want me how I was. I was a pity case. People tried to be nice to me, tried not to stare, tried not to whispers worries about my father and I.

It couldn't be true. I ran inside, closed and locked the door, and sunk to me knees. I let the hot salty tears fall freely from my eyes. I was so glad Charlie wasn't here, that no one was here to see me completely unwind as the last truth I thought my reality held fell apart.

They had returned.

dun Dun DUN!!!!!!! drama! whoah deer. lol

peach tea does loopy things to me:D

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