Meetings

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight, except my own. I also do not own anything from the movie. So please don't sue!

Things heated up when Cristalyn and Charlie got into an argument. All of the Cullens heard the fight, so what will happen now?

Chapter 3

I woke up in the morning with sunlight filling the whole room. I felt like crap; and I probably looked it, too. I didn't really sleep last night, just tossed and turned; my mind replaying the fight between me and dad over and over. Whenever I got angry, I just kept it inside. I had never let my emotions become too much, and I most definitely never got into a verbal fight with dad before. I got to my feet and looked around the bedroom; the heels that I had thrown across the room were on the floor near a nice looking stereo stand.

As I was making my way toward the closet, a knock sounded on my door. "Come in…" I called hoarsely; my voice sounded like crap! The door opened and Bella walked in, shutting the door behind her. She greeted me and frowned at me. "What? Did dad tell you to come say something or are you gonna say something on your own?" she shook her head and I opened the closet door and caught sight of myself in the mirror.

My auburn hair was all tangled with bed head, my eyes were puffy from crying almost all night, and my nose was red. I looked to the bed and saw tissues littering where I'd been lying. "I guess the way I look is kind of like punishment for being so mean…" I said. Instantly Bella was by my side.

"Cristalyn…"

"Just Lyn…" I interrupted her.

Bella smiled and kept going. "Charlie's not angry at you. If anything, he's angry with himself." At my confused expression, she kept telling me more. "After you ran out of the living room, he stayed in the living room. He didn't even finish his dinner. I went to check on him and he told me everything."

I swallowed and winced, my throat was dry and swallowing hurt like hell. "He didn't know that you felt that way. He told me that he told you to wear the clothes he provided because he didn't want people looking at you funny." I laughed at that. "Lyn, believe it or not… Charlie's only looking out for your well being. People would treat you differently if they knew you had money. It was like that with all the Cullens; they dressed differently and drove expensive cars. It made other people either nervous or jealous. Charlie doesn't want you to go through that."

"I don't constantly wear clothes like this dress I'm wearing! The feel of the denim and my skin… it irritates me. When I wear clothes like those, they have to be specially made or my skin breaks out. I have pants that look like denim jeans, and I have regular t-shirts that I like." I admitted. Bella looked at me with a surprised look on her face. "I know what kinds of clothes to bring with me, and what clothes not to. I've been coming here since I was seven, I know the drill."

Nodding her head, Bella sat down on the bed. I walked over to the bed and grabbed the dirty tissues and threw them in the waste basket that was near the closet door. "Why don't you pick out an outfit and then go take a hot shower? I'm going to go downstairs and help Esme make breakfast." I nodded my head and turned to go to the closet, but then stopped.

"Bella?" I called. She stopped and turned to look at me before she left. "Has Charlie already left for work?"

"No, he called in and told them that he was taking the day off." She looked at me curiously. "Why?"

"Because I need to apologize for the way I acted last night." I replied, walking into the closet. "Then we'll see you downstairs in a little while." Bella called back to me. Once I was in the closet, I spotted my duffel bag and opened it.

I pulled out a pair of black dress slacks and I pulled a nice green halter top from one of the hangars. I walked out of the closet and grabbed the heels, going into the closet and putting them back in their place. I felt around the back wall of the closet, looking for the safe. Once I located it, I punched in the number I'd seen Alice put in and the door swung open. I took the jewelry off and put it all back in place and shut the door. I saw a section of stands that had undergarments and I grabbed the set of black lacy boy shorts and the black lacy bra. Going back to the clothes I had waiting for me, I zipped up my duffel and then gathered the pile of clothes.

Shutting the door to my room behind me, I began to walk down the hall looking for the bathroom. As I was passing another room, I collided with another solid figure and ended up dropping the clothes. I looked up and saw Rosalie looking down on me. "I'm sorry." I apologized. "I didn't see you coming out, and I was looking for the bathroom. I really am sorry!" she didn't say anything to me and walked past me as if I weren't there at all.

"Rose is just throwing a temper tantrum. She'll be fine later." Emmett said as he exited the same room. He began to walk after her, "Oh! And the bathroom is two doors down on your left…" he said, descending the stairs. I sighed and leaned down, gathering the clothes in my arms again. When I was ready, I began to walk down the hall again and found the bathroom this time.

I shut the door behind me and locked it. Setting the clothes down on the massive counter, I looked around. This bathroom was huge! It must be three times as big as the one at Charlie's! I spotted a cupboard and I went to it, opening it and finding the towels. I grabbed a green one and set it on the bar near the bathtub. I turned the water on in the tub and let it fill. I might as well take a nice, long, hot bath instead of a quick shower like every other night. I needed the time to go over what I would say to Charlie. I stripped my clothes off and stepped into the water, letting out a contented sigh.

I leaned back in the tub and just enjoyed the soothing hot water, when I noticed a button on the side of it. Curious, I pressed the button and I felt jets kick on. You've got to be kidding me! I thought to myself. They have a bathtub that actually has jets in it!? This is freakin' sweet! I enjoyed myself while I took my bath and took the time to wash. I washed and conditioned my hair with some apple blossom shampoo and conditioner, and just relaxed. I felt like I could fall asleep! Eventually the water got cold and I got up, grabbing the towel and drying myself off.

"Lyn, you might want to hurry. Breakfast is done!" I heard Bella call from outside the door. I called that I would be down shortly and began to dress myself. When I was done getting dressed, had put my dirty clothes in the clothes hamper, and styled my hair I went downstairs. I saw Charlie walking out of the living room, and by the time I got downstairs he was right near me.

"Dad? Can I talk to you for a minute?" there was no reason to put this off. He stopped, looking at me, and then followed me back to the living room. When we were in the room, I looked at him. "I'm really, really sorry about last night! I didn't mean to explode on you… it's just… I got upset, and I went schizo on you! And I really am sorry about it!" when he didn't say anything, I kept going. "You can ground me, put me on house arrest, anything! I just don't want you to…"

"…Lyn!" I stopped, looking up into his face. "It's all right. I forgive you. I know I kind of deserved it. I never knew I was making you feel less like yourself. It's just… I don't want people treating you any differently!"

I smiled. "Bella told me already." He smirked.

"She did, did she?"

I laughed at him. "She beat ya to the punch. Sorry, pops!" I turned and walked into the dining room, sitting down next to Alice.

Charlie followed me into the dining room and sat down next to Bella. "What do you mean 'pops'?" that ridiculous question caused Alice, Bella, Edward, Emmett and myself to burst out laughing. Esme walked into the dining room with two plates filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, and hash browns. She set one plate in front of Charlie and walked around to set the other plate in front of me. I thanked her and began eating.

It took me about half way into my food to realize that only dad and I were eating. "Aren't you guys gonna eat?" I asked Alice. She and Jasper laughed and shook their heads.

"No, we ate already. We ate earlier this morning. Esme went and made more when she knew you and Charlie were up." She said. Even though I was beginning to like all of the Cullens, something seemed off when Alice said that. I shrugged it off and finished my breakfast.

I hung out with Bella and the others for most of the day. "Where's Jacob at? He hasn't been around for two days." I asked as we were sitting in the living room while the guys watched another football game. I saw a look of uneasiness flash in Bella's eyes, but as soon as it appeared, it disappeared.

"He went back home to visit his dad. Billy was getting worried about him." she lied to me. I nodded my head and then told her I wanted to get some reading done. None of them seemed to care and I made my way upstairs and to the room. I shut the door behind me and locked it, going to my computer bag. I opened it and took the book out, going to the bed. I laid across the bed and opened it up to where I'd stopped. I read the first couple of pages and then, just like every other time I began reading, I got sucked into it and time seemed to stop.

I saw a picture of a skull on the bottom of one of the pages and read the caption underneath, 'The Cold One'. Well, I'd give the Quileutes credit; they knew how to make a book interesting. As I kept reading through the book, it explained about what the Cold Ones were and how they survived. Soon I was getting up and turning the light to the room on, since it had already gotten dark. I went back to the bed and read more.

I heard a knock on the door and I bookmarked the page; I was almost near the end. I looked at the clock on the wall, it read 8:25. I stuffed the book under one of the pillows and went to unlock and open the door. When I opened it, Charlie was standing there. "I just wanted to come and let you know that pizza's here." I nodded my head and followed him downstairs, noting how quiet it was.

"Where are the Cullens?" I asked.

Charlie had two plates and two glasses of water set on the table. He began putting slices of the pizza on the plates. "Edward and Bella went to their cottage with Esme and Carlisle. Alice and Jasper decided to double date with Rose and Emmett, so they went to Port Angeles for dinner and a movie." I nodded my head and sat down.

Dinner was uneventful and quiet. After dinner was over, I told Charlie to go enjoy watching a Mariner's game that was coming on. He did and I took the plates and glasses into the kitchen; I washed them and set them down in the dish strainer and threw away the pizza box. I went back upstairs and continued reading the book.

At around eleven-forty, I closed the book; I was finished with it. I put it back in my bag and then went downstairs; all the Cullens were back. Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Charlie were gathered in the living room, watching the CNN. Edward and Bella were sitting on the seat in front of his piano and he was playing her lullaby. Alice and Rosalie were in the room that had all the computer screens, and Esme was sitting at the dining room table with blueprints cluttering it. I went into the living room, sitting on the floor near Charlie.

I didn't pay the news any attention as I sat there, pondering over what I had read in that book. I don't think I was really using my brain when I nodded off. I could hear people talking around me, but I didn't wake up. I was aware that I being picked up, and then as soon as that happened I was being set down on something soft. I didn't focus on anything else, except sleeping.

Apologies and book-reading… Lyn is trying to decipher what the book means. Will she eventually understand it all? And what do the others know that she doesn't? Reviews are welcome!