Chapter One + Cars & Bikes: Girl's Best Friend?

one year later

The bright moon dimly lit the darkness of my room; the wind blew the trees in different directions that created small shadows to dance on my bedroom floor. I was slouched over on the edge of my bed, my head in my hands and watching the shadows silently. I knew it had to have been at least five o'clock in the morning, but I did not feel like sleeping.

It had been exactly three weeks, two days and fifteen hours since the Cullens moved.

Although they hadn't moved that far away – I'm guessing somewhere near the Canadian border – Renesmee's precious vampire family said that they needed somewhere even more secluded to make sure no one else knew about her. The whole thing with Volturi had really jaded their spirits toward a perfect life, except Bella's. She pretty much wanted to live like everything was all fine and dandy. Especially since Alice found Nahuel before the Volturi killed them all.

I heaved out a sigh, interrupting my thoughts for a brief moment. "At least I can still visit my Nessie." But even my visiting had been put on hold, for no reason known to Charlie or me.

This pain was different from the first, when I thought I was losing Bella. I knew that the newfound camaraderie with Edward would compel him to stay close, for my sake. I wasn't losing Renesmee, though. But even with her just north, I'm already going crazy without spending time with her. I bet she's grown to finally look somewhat closer to my age, not that I even feel that way about her…yet, I guess. I mean, I love Nessie and don't know what I would be without her, but in the back of my mind I still see myself as dead end genes. Maybe Leah is right.

I shifted a little in the bed I had become too large to fit in. One hand rested on my stomach and the other in my shaggy hair. I laughed momentarily. Only Bella and Nessie would want me to grow my hair back. But I highly doubt that this somewhat lonely life would be made any better by some growing hair.

The ceiling seemed to reassure my state of boredom; the old clock on my handmade, yet empty, dresser ticked its annoying sound in my ear. Five forty-seven. Pretty soon, Billy would be awake, terrorizing the house in attempt to salvage some food before Paul's stomach made its home here. I barely had enough to eat, not that I ate much anyway these past few weeks. God, this imprinting stuff sure hits someone hard.

"Jake, you awake?" I heard Rachel whisper from my door.

I lifted my hand from my face, glancing in her direction. "Mhm." What was she doing up? Just as I asked myself that question, I heard a grunt and thump against the hallway walls. I rolled my eyes and placed my hand back over my face. Paul had spent the night. The last thing I wanted to think about was my sister having relations with Paul.

"Jake?"

"Dad'll never know." I responded to her unasked question. I doubt Billy would care anyway. Paul was definitely going to be his son-in-law some day, no questions asked. Well, as long as Rachel didn't get pregnant before Paul popped the question.

"Thanks."

I just waved her off. My heavy eyelids lowered, blurring the sight of my forearm. I could feel myself slipping off to sleep; my mind was finally able to rest from the constant questions. "Nessie…"

Just when unconsciousness threatened to overtake my body, I heard the loud screeching of brakes outside my small window. My eyes flickered open to see Rachel at my window, pressing her nose against the glass. So nosey.

"Who would be moving in at six o'clock in the morning? Better yet, who would be moving to an Indian rez?"

I ignored her a little, pulling myself out of bed. If someone was moving in, Billy was definitely going to wake me up to help the new neighbors with their boxes and such. I needed rest and I was not in the mood to help. And Rachel was beginning to annoy me.

"Where are you going?" she questioned from the other side of my room.

I threw on a t-shirt and pair of black sweatpants. "Out." I could tell by the look on her face that she was worried I was going to phase and run away again. But there was no need to. Nothing was wrong with me and I figured I would be able to see Nessie soon enough. All I needed to do was preoccupy myself.

*

After about twenty minutes of sleep, I found it extremely difficult not to think of Nessie. So I found my way over to my Rabbit, fixing something random that probably wasn't even broken. Getting my hands dirty would sure keep my mind preoccupied.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I looked up to the old door of my garage, oily rag and oil cooler in hand. "Rach, I thought you got the memo that I wanted to be alone…" Once I opened the door, it wasn't Rachel standing there. It was the girl from the funeral.

My heart jumped right into my chest, thrown off by her silhouette of a pear-shaped body. She was thicker than most girls around here, but he way her body curved made La Push's simple hills look like sand dunes. "Uh…"

She smiled, tilting her head to the side awkwardly. Her top lip curled beautifully, revealing her small dimples and cute smile. "Um…Billy told me you might be back here. I'm Sage, your new neighbor." She held her hand out.

I brought myself out of the clouds. I didn't clean my hands or reach out to touch hers. She stared back at me for a moment, her smile fading. She brought her hand back down. "Mhm."

She rocked on her heels, turning her head to the side. "I guess you remember me then."

My eyes were hard. "Yeah, the girl who took my head off with her words." I turned my back to her, walking back to my car.

"Sorry," she spoke a little louder, never leaving from the doorway. "I really just wanted to be alone. I figured being rude to you would make you go away. I didn't mean to make you angry."

The sound of her sweet alto voice made me stop what I was doing. What is going on with me? I questioned myself.

"S'okay." And that was her clue to enter. I barely heard her bare feet touch the floor.

"So, um, people tell me you're quite the mechanic." She complimented, looking around my garage. She lightly touched everything, moving closer to my car.

"I guess," I shrugged, placing the oil cooler back in its place. "Everything around here is usually old or broken…and I get bored often."

She stopped, her eyes wide open. "Where did you find this?" Her voice rose a little in excitement. I backed away from her, confused at what she was so happy about. "The Rabbit. I'm talking about the Rabbit. I haven't seen one from the 80's that runs. Especially one that's intact like this."

I still had this confused look on my face. "I found it. Rebuilt the engine so it would run and so my father wouldn't have to spend money on transportation." I laughed at my own explanation. It was true at the time because Billy and I don't have much money, but now, all the transportation I need is my two feet.

"I adore old cars," she told me as she stood on the driver's side of the car, hands on the side where the hood would be closed. "Especially since it was my dad's first one. The one he met my mom in. I have a yellow 1968 Camaro, though. With the racing stripes. It appealed more to me."

I coughed to conceal my shock and amazement. If only I had figured out a way to get my hands on one of those. "Is that what you, uh, came here for? To ask me to fix your Camaro?"

She laughed, with a large smile on her face. "There's nothing wrong with my Camaro. It's my bike that has the problem." She disappeared outside the door, giving me time to open the garage fully. She returned effortlessly pushing a black Harley-Davidson. "Night Rod doesn't run so well anymore."

I stuffed the rag into my pocket and bent down beside the motorcycle. "So…are you like rich or something?" I said through the side of my mouth, not wanting to offend her. I meddled with the pipes a little.

"Nope. All the money we ever had was sent straight to here." She followed behind me as I took her bike into the garage. "And the money that didn't was saved. I don't mind it though. I like vintage."

"You can sit in my car, if you'd like." I opened the door for her, returning to my crouched position beside the bike. "So where are you from?"

I watched her, through the corner of my eye, pull her knees to her chest and place them on the floor of the car. She leaned forward, laying her chin on her crossed arms in the open window. "Hollywood."

"Isn't that where all the celebrities live?"

She shrugged. "Pfft."

I shook my head. "So what's your story?"

"What do you mean?" She lifted her head.

"Like, some things about you, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, I'm three months from eighteen, if that's what you mean. Can't get enough of my own adrenaline rushes. Love learning about my history and tribal stuff. Wish I had been born here on the rez. Maybe that would've made my life a little easier." Around her neck I spotted a feathered and beaded leather necklace, most likely a Quileute handcrafting. "You?"

"Same, I guess. But I think all the tribal and history stuff kind of explained itself to me not too long ago."

For a moment, her chocolate orbs were off in the distance and unblinking like they were when we first met. She was listening though, picking up the conversation right where she left off. She fluttered beside me. "So what's the diagnosis, doc?"

I stood up, towering over her. As soon as my eyes looked into hers, I almost forgot what I was going to say. "Um, uh, looks like it's going to, uh, have to stay a little longer. I still haven't figured out what's wrong."

She giggled a little. Her curls bounced. "Okay. I guess I can come back later. I mean, I hope I can come back later. You have a really cool garage here, Mr. Mechanic."

"Sure, sure." I responded after she had already left. It took me over ten minutes to realize that for over an hour, I hadn't thought once about Nessie. I was only thinking about this Sage girl. And couldn't stop.