Under the Stars
Jacob had been a great teacher. He was surprised by how quickly I was picking up the Quileute language, and so were the other members of the pack. They even started speaking Quileute with me at random moments. In just a little over a month, I have come close to being fluent. I still had some grammar to work on, but Mrs. Sunbird and I had become great friends and she was more than happy to help correct my grammar.
I was even teaching daddy the language. Jacob wasn't crazy about that idea, but he didn't say anything. Eventually, daddy was just as fluent in Quileute as I was. Jacob and I were in the living room at the house playing clue. Jacob and I were only a few turns away from being able to announce who the murderer was. We both knew who did it. It was just a matter of who got to the crime scene first.
"Why is it always Mrs. Peacock who did it?" I laughed.
"In our games, it seems that way. I think it's just the way we spin it whenever we play." Jacob laughed with me and we continued the game. I eventually won the game. Jacob teasingly said I had cheated and I just smacked his arm. We played another game of clue before daddy told me to go back to the cottage and get to bed.
Jacob and I walked back to the cottage together. Jacob didn't have patrol tonight, so I asked him to stay. He said he would. As we were walking back to the cottage, Jacob squeezed my hand and I looked at him.
"Yeah?" Jacob chuckled.
"Are you excited about this Saturday?" I thought for a moment before remembering what he was talking about. It was turning two this Saturday. I shrugged.
"I guess. Are you excited to be turning twenty in December?" Jacob chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Nothing special about turning twenty."
"Well, nothing special about turning two." We laughed a little while walking. When we got to the cottage, Jacob went to my room with me and sat on the side of my bed while I went to my closet to grab a pair of pajamas. I took out a pair of flannel sweat pants and my Slipknot t-shirt. I was glad that the shirt still fit me. It was short on me now, but other than that, it was fine. Jacob waited for me while I went to the bathroom and went about my night time routine. I decided to take a shower while I was at it. I had taken a shower this morning, but I felt unusually dirty. I had been feeling that way for a while and I wasn't sure why.
I asked Carlisle about it and he just told me that it was probably because of a hormonal growth. I didn't worry about it too much. After I was done taking a shower, I dried my hair really quickly and went back to my room. When I got in, Jacob was lying down on my bed, fast asleep.
I laughed lightly for a moment before walking over to my bed. Half of Jacob's body was falling off of the bed and both his feet were off of my bed. He was wearing just his grey sweats. I was surprised how much Jacob's snoring had decreased. Daddy had told me that Carlisle had given Jacob a little prescription that cleared his nasal passages. He still snored, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. I was sure to thank Carlisle for that and he'd just smiled with humor.
I pulled myself onto my bed and sat next to Jacob. His face was peaceful and handsome. His mouth was open slightly and he was breathing in and out steadily. After a few minutes of just looking at him, I rested my head on his chest so I would be able to hear his heartbeat even more clearly than I already could. I had to rest my arms on his chest too so I could rest my head comfortably. I took in his musky smell. It was intoxicating. I always felt happy when I took in his scent. His scent always made me happier and feel safer than anything in the world. Neck and neck with momma and daddy's scents.
Suddenly, I felt something on my back. Then I realized it was Jacob's arm. It was warm. Better than any blanket in the world and his chest was better than any pillow. My head was rested in my nook and I could hear his heartbeat clearly. I thought Jacob was awake at first, but his breathing was still regular. I figured he was only holding me in his sleep as a reflex. It didn't take long for Jacob's warmth, scent, and heartbeat to make me tired. My eyes began to get heavy. And when I went to sleep, I had pleasant dreams.
I woke up that morning still in Jacob's arms. I opened my eyes to look at him. He was still asleep. I smiled at him. He was smiling in his sleep. I wondered why. I didn't smell or hear daddy in the other room, so I knew I wouldn't get an answer to that. But that was okay. I pulled myself out of his arm and out of bed so I could go about my morning routine and take another well needed shower. I felt really dirty and grimy again.
I picked out an outfit for the day that I knew Alice would love. It wasn't raining too hard, but it was still pretty cold outside. I wondered why I felt so cold. It was a strange thing for me to feel cold. I picked my white sweater and a pair of jeans with some fuzzy shoes.
When I had my outfit picked, I went into the bathroom and did my usual morning activities and took a shower. I managed to dry my hair enough that it wouldn't damage my sweater. Jacob was still asleep when I got back into the room. He had turned over and was now sleeping on his stomach. I giggled at him, but didn't stop what I was doing. I pulled my locket out from under my sweater and made sure it was visible, as well as the bracelet Jacob had given me.
I looked through my vanity to see what I was in the mood to do to my hair. I saw the Plumeria comb and the rose comb and started debating. I finally decided to just tie my hair into a half ponytail crown and put the Plumeria comb where the hair was secured.
When my hair was done, I walked over to my bed and hopped on so I could get close to Jacob. When my face was right in front of his, I smiled.
"Wake up, Jacob." I didn't get a response. He was in a really deep sleep. I kissed the top of Jacob's head. "Come on Jacob, you need to wake up." This time Jacob groaned in protest. I giggled. This time, I touched Jacob's arm and showed him the images of breakfast foods. Jacob chuckled lightly and sleepily.
"All right, all right, I'm getting up." I giggled and he groaned again. After a moment, he started pushing himself up and was rubbing his face. Then his eyes flew open.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm late for work." With that, Jacob hopped off of my bed and ran to the front door. I followed after him.
"Jacob, just call in sick." Jacob looked at me.
"I can't. Craig's been in a really bad mood lately. I've managed to say on his good side for the past few days, I don't want to ruin that." I sighed and nodded my head. Jacob walked over to me and bent down slightly so that he was facing me. "I'm really sorry, Nessie. I guess I should have assumed I would oversleep if I spent the night here."
"It's okay. I can see you later today, right?" Jacob smiled and nodded his head.
"Yeah. I'll let you know when I'm on my way." I smiled back at him. He kissed the top of my head and I kissed his head. "I'll walk you back to the house. My Rabbit's still in the garage anyway." I looked Jacob over once and laughed lightly.
"You're not wearing your sweats to work are you?" Jacob looked at his sweats and then looked back at me with a teasingly self conscious look on his face.
"What's wrong with that?" I gently smacked his arm.
"You can't wear sweats and no shirt to work. That's not very professional." He started laughing again.
"What professional? I work in a car repair shop."
"Just because you work in a repair shop doesn't mean you shouldn't be decently dressed." Jacob gave me a weird look. I sighed. "And Amanda doesn't need to see anymore than she already does when you wear a tank." Jacob started laughing. I kept my arms crossed and just looked at him while I waited for him to stop laughing.
"Is it safe to assume that if it were only men that worked there, you wouldn't care if I went to work shirtless?" I shook my head.
"Not true at all. Let's face it, Jacob. Any gay man would give their left arm to get a chance to see you even just half naked." Jacob gave me a blank look for a moment. I cocked my head to one side.
"That was a bit below the belt, Nessie." I cocked my head to the other side.
"How? I was only stating a simple fact." Jacob gave me a serious sigh.
"I prefer to pretend that a man has never checked me out." I giggled and undid my arms from their crossed position.
"And I prefer to be realistic. Now let's get going, Jacob. I wouldn't want you to be late for work." Jacob started laughing and forced himself upright. I was laughing lightly with him. He took my hand and we walked back to the house together. When we were in the backyard of the house, Jacob kissed the top of my head.
"I'm off. I'll snatch some lunch at one of the bagel shops near work. I'll see you later." I nodded.
"See you later." With that, Jacob walked around to house to where the garage was and I walked into the house through the back door. Half the house was out hunting today. That left Jasper and Alice as the only ones home with me. Jacob had taken me hunting a few days ago, so I was fine for thirst. But I was suddenly having a horrible craving for Sauerkraut.
I went into the kitchen to explore the fridge and see if there was any sauerkraut for me to nibble on. Thankfully, there was a big jar right on the door. Normally, I would have only taken a spoonful or so and put it in a little bowl, nursing on it for a few minutes. But this time I had such a bad craving. I took out the whole jar and didn't even bother with a bowl. I was the only one in the house, aside from Jacob on occasion, that ever ate this stuff anyway. So me eating straight from the jar shouldn't bother anyone.
I got a fork out of one of the little drawers and just started eating the sauerkraut. I wasn't sure how much I would end up wanting. Alice and Jasper were in the family room watching a Sex and the City marathon. I'm sure this wasn't exactly Jasper's idea of a good time, but he would tolerate any activity as long as he was with Alice. It was another Carrie/Mr. Big episode, so I wasn't immediately sure what was going on. But then I saw the tall brunette chick and realized it was one of the Natasha episodes.
"Renesmee Carlie Cullen." I looked away from the screen and at Alice and Jasper. Both of their faces were cringed from the smell, and appalled by something.
"Yes, Alice?" Alice rolled her eyes.
"Why on earth are you eating that whole jar of sauerkraut?" I shrugged.
"I don't know. I just am. I was craving it." Alice crossed her arms.
"Well don't eat too much of that. I can smell it from here. And I expect you to brush your teeth thoroughly when you're done." I nodded my head and Jasper just smirked. I took a few more bites before Alice's staring made me uncomfortable and I didn't want any more sauerkraut.
I went back into the kitchen to put away the sauerkraut and cleaned the fork I used. When the fork was cleaned, I put it back in the drawer, and left the kitchen to make my way upstairs. There were tooth brushes and tooth paste upstairs that I could use. I figured I would take another shower when I got up there. I felt dirty again. Lately, it seemed no matter how many showers I took, I could never get clean.
I took the shower first. I couldn't make out their words, but I could hear Jasper and Alice talking downstairs. I ignored them and just enjoyed the shower. I had the shower all the way hot every time. It was the only temperature that didn't feel cold to me. The hottest setting, to me, at least felt warm. When I had finished my shower, I brushed my teeth and dried my hair.
After I was done with everything, I looked at the clock in Alice and Jasper's room. I had taken longer than I'd thought. I had been in the shower for a whole hour. Most of that time had been spent with me scrubbing my skin so hard, I was surprised I still had skin. I heard more voices now from downstairs. Daddy and the others were back from their hunting trip I guess.
I put back on my clothes after drying my hair as thoroughly as a towel could do and redid my hair. I walked downstairs and heard daddy and Alice talking. I think she was trying to convince daddy not to buy such large jars of sauerkraut anymore. I reached the top of the stairs and started walking down the stairs. Daddy called to me when I was halfway down.
"Come to the kitchen, will you, Nessie?" I continued to walk down the stairs and saw no one in the living room when I got to the bottom. I continued on until I got to the kitchen, where I saw everyone. I was about to ask what they were all doing in the kitchen until I saw that the table was filled with presents. Everyone smiled widely at me. I smiled back.
"Happy Birthday, Renesmee." Everyone said in unison. I walked over to momma and daddy and hugged them.
"Is this what you've been up to?" Daddy chuckled.
"Yep." I opened my eyes and looked at daddy. He read what I was thinking. "Jacob wanted to do something special for you on your birthday. So we agreed to have your party the day before. Everyone's sorry they couldn't make it, but they've all sent you something." I smiled at daddy and the others. That was alright. The fact that they thought of me was gift enough.
Alice grabbed a box off of the table and ran over to me. It almost made me laugh when I noticed. I was taller than her now. More so, I mean. Carlisle had measured me yesterday. I was now at a tolerable five one.
"Open mine and Jasper's gift first. I think you'll love it." I looked at daddy.
Is it anything pink? Daddy chuckled lightly and shook his head. I smiled at them both. I opened the present quickly. It was something that was in a large Charlotte Ruche box. I looked at Alice before looking back at the box. I opened the box to see what was inside. I smiled when I saw what was inside. It was Alice being Alice yet again.
In the box was a pair of dark skinny jeans, what looked like a very tight fitting red shirt, and under all that, a gorgeous pair of red high heeled shoes. The shoes were what I fell in love with. They were peep toe shoes with an open heel that were secured by a strap. I looked up at Alice and smiled.
"It's beautiful Alice, thank you." Alice smiled.
"I was hoping you would wear that on your birthday tomorrow. It'll be a special occasion." Daddy smiled humorously and rolled his eyes at Alice. I decided not to ask for details. I would know soon enough.
Rosalie handed me the gift from her and Emmett. It was a much smaller box, but still relatively large. I unwrapped the paper and saw a box that had the Macy's logo on it. I opened the box to reveal a necklace. This necklace was covered in rubies held in place with white gold. It spun around like flowers growing on wood. I smiled at them and thanked them for the gift. But somehow I got the feeling that Alice had a lot to do with that gift.
Carlisle and Esme had gotten me a porcelain egg that was decorated in purples and blues. A while ago, I had seen one of the porcelain eggs that Esme had from when her mother passed away and I had really liked them. They were always a treat to look at. I thanked them for it and was already debating where I should put it in my room. I was thinking maybe my vanity. Everyone was sure to see it with it rested there.
Momma's and daddy's gift came next. Their gift came in a small box. It looked about the size of a ring box. I unwrapped the present and opened the box. Inside were gorgeous diamond studs. Momma and Daddy smiled at me. Momma commented on the earrings.
"They were my first earrings that Renee and Charlie had given me when I was younger. I didn't wear them, so my ears healed. But I think you'll appreciate them much more." Alice then took out a little box that I read as saying, 'Ear Piercing Kit'. I smiled widely.
"Do you think they'll be able to get through?" Alice nodded her head.
"It will be a little harder to get it through your skin than it would for a human, but with enough force, we'll be able to get it through." I didn't like the way she said that, but I knew that piercing one's ears wasn't so bad. When I'd asked Kim and Emily about it, they just told me that it was a pinch, and then it was over.
"Are you doing it now?" Alice nodded.
"Why not?" I shrugged and Alice started bouncing with excitement. Alice picked the chair that I would sit in and patted the seat. I sat where she asked me to and waited for her to start. Alice rubbed some alcohol on my ears and just did it. Thankfully, the earring went through. No human would have been able to get it through my skin, but it wasn't anything a vampire couldn't handle with a little bit of effort.
And just as Kim and Emily said it would, it pinched. I made a slight 'owe' sound when she did it, but that was about it. I wouldn't make that noise again now that I knew what to expect. My ear was sore at first, but was already starting to heal and feel better. Then Alice rubbed my other ear with the alcohol and pinched the earring through. This time, when she did it, I only squinted my eye.
"There. All done. It's perfect." Alice handed me Rosalie's mirror so I could see her handy work. The studs were perfectly placed and they looked lovely on my ears. They weren't too small to be noticed, but not so big that they looked gaudy.
"They're beautiful momma. You did a great job Alice." Alice gave me her smug smile.
"Don't I always?" We all had a quick laugh before momma and daddy took me back to the cottage so I could put everything away. I found a place on my vanity for my new porcelain egg near the middle where it would reflect in my mirror. I set the box of clothes and necklace on my bed. I would have to put those in my closet and remember to wear them tomorrow. My ears were already healing, but it would still be several weeks before I'd be able to change the earrings without my ears healing instantly.
When I had everything put away, I watched momma and daddy play a game of chess in the living room of the cottage. Daddy looked as frustrated as ever and momma looked amused by it. I was too. I watched daddy make a move and be shocked by momma's choice of player to move and to where. Daddy really wasn't used to being at this disadvantage, even after all these years of being with momma. I suppose for a vampire, five years wasn't a lot of time to learn to be without his little mind reading advantage.
Daddy would playfully glare at momma whenever she made a move and daddy would have to think that much longer about what move to use next. Somehow, momma and daddy had managed to drag out their little game of chess well into the afternoon. Mostly because daddy would argue about a move momma had made. They would both have big smiles on their faces as they argued over such a silly thing. The game finally ended with daddy winning just by the skin of his teeth. I looked at the clock in the living room.
"Jacob will be over shortly. Your mother and I are going to play another game. Go on back to the house without us." This took me by surprise.
"You're letting me go by myself?" Daddy laughed lightly at my tone.
"I suppose I am. It's not far and you're perfectly capable of running." I laughed lightly with daddy. When we finished, I waved goodbye to them and said that I would see them when I got back to the cottage. I ran back to the house as fast as I could. I heard a car coming up towards the house just as I arrived.
I ran around the house and to the garage where Jacob had been privileged with a parking spot. At least, that's how he always put it. Rosalie wasn't too keen on the idea, but we were used to her disagreeing with giving Jacob anything. Jacob got out of his car and I hugged him as soon as he was upright. I came up to his chest now. I was still much smaller than him, but at least I was above his hip.
"Hey, Nessie. How was your birthday party?" I looked up at him.
"It was nice. Not that you had to, but why didn't you leave a gift?" Jacob smiled at me wider than he already was.
"Because I wanted to wait until tomorrow to give you your present. I have something nice planned for tomorrow." I giggled lightly.
"Do you? And what might you have planned?" Jacob shrugged.
"It's a secret. You'll find out tomorrow." I playfully rolled my eyes.
"You dare make me wait?" Jacob and I started laughing together.
"Yes, Princess Renesmee. I do dare." We started laughing harder. That was a new one. I probably wouldn't hear that one again. His teasing nicknames were more along the lines of man eater or little monster, to which I called him a mutt. It was our little inside joke.
"Are we going anywhere for this little gift of yours?" Jacob gave me a sly smile.
"Yes. But I'm not going to tell you. I think you'll like it, though. It's something you said you wanted to try." I playfully rolled my eyes again.
"That's pretty vague. There's a lot of things I want to try." Jacob's smile became humored.
"That's why it's a good clue. It's so vague, and low on details, there's a million things that it could be." I crossed my arms and started pouting. The face I knew he couldn't say no to.
"Please tell me Jacob." I gave him my best pleading eyes and, for a moment, he looked like he had been convinced.
"Sorry, Nessie. You'll just have to wait and see." I felt myself crunch down. It was quite a letdown.
"Fine." Jacob laughed at my put out attitude, knowing full well that I wasn't really mad. At least he thought. I actually felt sincerely mad for whatever reason. But I disregarded the feeling. He lifted me into his arms so that my head was resting in my nook and my legs were dangling in the air with his arm around my waist.
"You're one of a kind, you know that, Nessie?" I giggled, suddenly not angry at all anymore, and nodded my head into my nook. Then he set me down and we walked into the house where everyone except momma and daddy were. Jacob noticed momma's and daddy's absence. "Where's Edward and Bella?" I rolled my eyes humorously.
"They're at the cottage. Heated battle of chess." Jacob started laughing. No one looked at him. They just went about their business as Jacob continued to laugh. When he could finally breath, he commented gently.
"Only those two could ever make chess fun." I shook my head.
"They're the best, but watching Alice and daddy play is funny too. The whole game is played in their heads until one of them gives up." Jacob laughed lightly.
"Who usually snaps?" I shrugged.
"The results vary. It depends on who's in the better mood that day." Jacob laughed again, but not as loudly this time. Emmett and Rosalie were watching the O'Reily Factor together. I snatched the remote from Emmett and changed the channels, looking for something good. I hated the O'Reily Factor. I thought he was often closed minded and biased and interrupted his guests a lot.
Emmett gave me a mean look, but I ignored him. I looked through the channels until I found something good. I ended up settling on a Shawshank Redemption showing on HBO. Rosalie and Emmett watched the movie with Jacob and me for a half hour before retreating to other activities. Emmett and Jasper went outside to play fight and Rosalie went into the garage to mess around with Emmett's jeep. She had taken on a little 'make all the cars faster' project. Alice, Carlisle and Esme were playing a game of Gin. Jacob leaned his head a little closer to me when Rosalie was out of the house.
"She does anything to my car, she gets me a new one." I heard Rosalie hiss from outside and I giggled. I looked back at Jacob from the movie.
"Now she's sure to do something to your car." Jacob grinned.
"My threat still stands. And Carlisle will back me up," he looked towards Carlisle . "Right Carlisle?" Carlisle just rolled his eyes.
"You're both adults. You're perfectly capable of coming to a mature agreement with no help from me." I started giggling.
"It would still be nice to have someone stand behind me. I mean, you're the leader. What you say goes." Carlisle sighed.
"It doesn't work like that with vampires. We're naturally very solitary creatures, which mean we're capable of making our own choices despite outside orders. I may have a great deal of influence on them but, in the end, my word means nothing." Jacob sighed.
"Why bother being in groups then?" Carlisle chuckled lightly.
"We usually aren't. Think about Alistair. The average vampire isn't too far from that mind set. We prefer to be alone or just with our mate. We can join or leave a coven like buying a new shirt and just throwing it away. We're naturally solitary, independent and overall unsociable creatures. We don't normally have a need for any real social skills, so we don't bother."
"But wouldn't it get boring being by yourself for so long?" Carlisle laughed lightly.
"That's why we find mates. Ask any vampire out there. Not all of them, of course. But a large number will tell you they got their mate because one day they decided they were bored. It doesn't mean we don't love our mate. It just means we were more open to a companion because of the boredom, hence, in the market for a mate." I added myself to the conversation.
"Why doesn't Alistair have a mate? And Marcus and Aro and Caius?" Carlisle smiled at me.
"As far as Alistair's concerned, he doesn't want a mate, even if any vampire would have him. He's an overall unpleasant companion. He's good for an occasional visit to catch up and for when we might need his tracking skills. But other than that, I don't think I personally could ever tolerate to be around him any longer than a few weeks. And as far as Marcus, Aro and Caius are concerned, they do have mates." I don't know why this surprised me so much, but it did.
"They do?" Carlisle nodded.
"Well, Aro and Caius have mates. Marcus' mate died a long time ago. I think it will have been three hundred years next month that she died."
"How did she die?" Carlisle shrugged.
"It's a pretty tragic story. Aro and Marcus refuse to speak of it and Caius was vague about the matter, but Edward explained it to me shortly after coming back from Italy a few years ago." I gave Carlisle a confused look.
"How would daddy know?" Carlisle's face became a little sad.
"It was before you were born. When Edward thought something happened to Bella." I realized why he looked sad. That was a time no one ever talked about. Jacob, daddy and momma especially. I changed the subject back.
"What did daddy tell you?" Carlisle's face became significantly more cheerful, though it still held some sadness from what he was about to share.
"Marcus and his mate, Didyme had been together for centuries before her death. Before Marcus had met Aro and Caius, when the Romanians still ruled in fact, he was in Greece. Didyme and her sister were both newborns at the time."
"Didyme had a sister?" Carlisle nodded his head.
"Yes. Euphemia. They were changed together after their mother was killed and had been thick as thieves before Marcus came around. But anyway, Marcus was in Greece and that's how he met Didyme. They had met one night when they were both out hunting. They both just happened to attack a transport unit at the same time, and instead of starting a fight with each other like most vampires would do, they started talking to each other. They fell in love after that."
"Is Euphemia with the Volturi?" Carlisle shook his head in what almost looked like fear.
"Heavens, no. Euphemia has a violent hatred of Marcus. Which makes Aro upset because she had a powerful gift."
"Does she?" Carlisle nodded his head.
"Her and Didyme had very powerful and useful gifts. Didyme could see the past. If you were to send her to a location or put an object or person in front of her, she could concentrate her thoughts and see everything that has ever happened to that person, thing, or location. Euphemia, on the other hand, could copy the gifts of others if they were around her, mental or physical gifts." My eyes widened slightly.
"Wow." Carlisle chuckled and nodded.
"You see the reason why Aro would want her as a member of his guard." I nodded.
"But why does she hate Marcus so much? What did he do?" Jacob said. I was surprised Jacob was interested. Jacob evidently heard my thoughts since my hand was on his arm and he looked at me. "I'm just getting really into the story is all." I smiled and giggled, then looked back at Carlisle to hear his answer.
"It's a long story. From what Edward could pick up, those two didn't meet under the best of circumstances to begin with. They attacked the same human and that started a fight. One of them would have died if Didyme hadn't gotten between them. Their relationship just got progressively worse from there. They were a coven for a while and tolerated each other for Didyme's sake."
"I'm assuming Didyme's death didn't help that relationship any." Jacob made this comment.
"No it didn't." I interjected.
"So how did she die?" Carlisle sighed.
"Ironically enough, she was killed by vampire hunters while she was visiting her sister in modern day Serbia." Jacob laughed without humor.
"You mean like for real vampire hunters?" Carlisle nodded.
"Yes. A cult group that later became a political group. You would know them as The Black Hand." Jacob's face became surprised.
"You mean the Black Hand that assassinated the Hungarian Arch Duke and started World War 1?" Carlisle smirked and nodded.
"One in the same. But before they were the Black Hand, they were called Miles Militis en Muneris ut Deus or Knights in Service to God. They prided themselves on purging the world of what they considered unholy creatures, such as vampires, werewolves, witches and so on."
"But they're human. How were they able to kill her seeing as most of the vampire wives tales of the world are wrong?" Carlisle shrugged.
"Their numbers and technology, plain and simple. She had managed to kill half of them, but there was still too many. It was one hundred against one. And though the garlic, holy water and crosses they threw at her didn't do anything, the fire did. Somehow, they had managed to set her on fire and keep her ablaze."
"Why didn't Euphemia help her?"
"She wasn't there. Didyme was on her own traveling back to Italy. Aro was supposed to meet her in Rome. He went looking for her when she didn't show up to their meeting place on time. He had to find out what happened to her from a child that had seen the whole thing." This surprised me.
"A child?" Carlisle nodded.
"No one knows why that child was out there. What Marcus did know was that the boy was so terrified by what he'd seen, that he passed out and didn't wake up until he was shaken violently by a vampire demanding answers from him."
"Did the little boy know they did it, or did Marcus have to figure it out himself?" Carlisle laughed lightly without humor.
"Unfortunately for the boy, he didn't remember much about them. He only remembered that they were men dressed in white cloaks and rosaries around their hips. Marcus had to follow their scents from there." I felt a chill go down my spine.
"What happened to the boy?" Carlisle looked down.
"Marcus killed him. Just out of spite I think. Marcus did end of finding the men that killed Didyme. Their deaths weren't quick either. He was sure to torture them thoroughly before killing them." Carlisle looked at Jacob. His face was curious, but also afraid to ask his question. Somehow, Carlisle knew what Jacob wanted to ask.
"What did he do to them?" I was the one to ask out loud.
"I'm not sure Edward would appreciate me telling you. It's quite gruesome what he did to them."
"But this is history." Carlisle started laughing lightly at that comment. Carlisle sighed when he was done laughing and looked at me for a moment before going on.
"Well, Nessie, has Jacob or Emmett let you watch Hannibal?" I nodded my head. "Remember the Italian detective that Hannibal killed, and how he killed him?" My eyes widened and I nodded my head. "Well, think of that. Only his display wasn't public. And it was dragged out. He was in Serbia for two months just torturing these men. He would grab a few each night and kill them as slowly as he could." Jacob interjected.
"So he hung each of them by their organs over a tree or something?" Carlisle shook his head.
"Much worse. He opened them up and took out their organs one by one. And he made sure they stayed alive throughout the whole process. I can't even fathom how he managed to do that." I shivered.
"He thinks about that?" Carlisle laughed morbidly.
"It's all he ever thinks about according to Edward. Didyme was the only one to ever mean anything to him. When he lost her, any meaning that his life had was gone. That's why he always looks so indifferent. He simply doesn't care anymore." In a strange way, I actually felt bad for Marcus. I could never imagine what momma or daddy would do if they lost each other. They wouldn't be around for very long, I knew that much.
"That's so sad." Carlisle nodded.
"It is. Vampires don't take kindly to having their mate taken from them. Vengeance is a part of our nature. And we often want the ones responsible to suffer more than our mate did. To us, it only seems fair." I felt Jacob shiver.
"Morbid." Carlisle started to laugh.
"Extremely."
"Would you ever do that if something happened to Esme?" Carlisle simply looked down and sighed.
"I hate violence and don't relish the idea of killing another living thing. But, in blatant truth, if anyone, human or vampire, ever dared harm a hair on Esme's head, I would make them pay dearly for it, and I wouldn't feel even the slightest bit of pity for them."
"Are you serious?" Carlisle laughed morbidly again.
"The sad thing is that I really am." I decided to change the subject.
"I have a hard time picturing Caius having a mate, though. He's so vile." Carlisle laughed at my choice of words and nodded his head.
"I know what you mean. But, in truth, Athenodora isn't much better than Caius. She's a very sadistic vampire and they're both pretty full of themselves. Those two are like two peas in a pod you could say. And believe it or not, watching those two together is better than any comedy movie or show I've ever seen." I gave Carlisle a confused look.
"How could they possibly be funny?" Carlisle laughed at my surprise. Jacob looked just as surprised as me.
"Those two do nothing but argue and it's always over the dumbest things imaginable. I recall, one time while I was with them, they got into a fight over how a mouse got into the castle." I gave Carlisle a weird look.
"They were arguing over how a mouse got into the castle?" Carlisle laughed.
"Yes. And it lasted a good two hours. I honestly believe that those two sincerely enjoy making each other miserable. At least Aro and Sulpicia aren't like that. Those two are the same as any couple you'd see in either the human or vampire world. It was refreshing to see a couple amongst the Volturi that was actually happy to an outsider. Caius and Athenodora love each other, they just love each other in a way that most would find unhealthy and bizarre." Jacob laughed lightly.
"I bet. I always wondered why Marcus always looks so indifferent. It's almost as if he tolerates Aro and Caius." Carlisle shrugged.
"In a way, he does. According to Edward, Marcus only joined the Volturi because Sulpicia and Didyme had become sisterly friends. Didyme and Athenodora hated each other, but, then again, no one in the coven really likes her. I can't say I'm fond of the woman either. I honestly felt about as much kindness in her as I would from Hitler." Jacob shrugged.
"So if he only stayed because of Didyme, then why is he still there?"
"Because that's where most of his memories of her are that don't involve her sister Euphemia." Jacob rolled his eyes.
"So I'm assuming Euphemia wasn't there in the clearing two years ago?" Carlisle nodded.
"Yes. She would never help the Volturi. Not just because of Marcus either. She simply doesn't take orders. She's a free spirit and doesn't tolerate being treated as any less." We ended the subject with that. Jacob got back to watching the movie and I joined him. When the movie ended, Jacob told me he was hungry. He got up to go to the kitchen to make himself something, but I went to the kitchen before him.
"I'll make your dinner. I don't want the house to smell like burnt meat." Jacob rolled his eyes and laughed. He followed me into the kitchen and watched me cook him some food. I made some lamb that I found in the fridge. I made him some spinach too. I knew it wasn't his favorite, but it was one of the few greens in the fridge. Jacob smiled when I gave him his food.
"When did you pierce your ears?" I looked at him surprised at first, then smiled back.
"Earlier today. Momma and daddy gave them to me. Do you like it?" Jacob grinned.
"They're cute. They suit you." I blushed a little. Jacob saw the spinach, then looked back at me. "Spinach?" I rolled my eyes.
"You're eating the spinach and you will like it." Jacob held back his laughter and looked away from me.
"Yes mommy." I smacked his arm and he let out his laughter. I heard everyone else laughing too. Jacob ate the spinach with no more complaints. When he was done, he went to the sink and washed his dishes. I looked at Jacob's hair for a moment.
"When was the last time you cut your hair?" Jacob turned around to face me. He thought about for a moment, then shrugged.
"I don't know. A good month I'd say. Why? I thought you liked my hair long." I smiled.
"I do. But it's getting a bit too long." Alice danced into the room.
"I could cut your hair for you." Jacob looked at Alice and kept on a straight face.
"I think I'd rather join a boy band." Alice giggled.
"Oh Jacob, you know boy bands aren't cool anymore." I laughed at Alice's obvious attempted at trying to annoy Jacob with fake ditz. Jacob rolled his eyes.
"The Jonas Brothers are popular. They're a boy band." Alice rolled her eyes right back.
"Yes. And like every boy band, they were popular for about five years give or take and suddenly everyone hates them and anyone who admits to liking them or ever having liked them is teased and ridiculed for life."
"Whatever. I'm still not letting you cut my hair."Alice pouted.
"Why? I'm good at it."
"So was Sweeny Todd." I laughed. It was cruel, but cute. Alice put her hands on her hips in a frown.
"How dare you compare me to a demon barber?" Jacob chuckled lightly.
"Sorry, Alice. A little humor at your expense." Alice glared at Jacob, then looked at me.
"Tell him to let me cut his hair." Jacob rolled his eyes.
"Just because she tells me doesn't mean I'll do it."
"Yes you will. She has you whipped like the dog that you are, and you know it." Jacob was about to say something, but I stopped him.
"It'll save you some money, and if you let Alice do it, your cut will actually be even this time. Just let her do it." Jacob looked at me and sighed.
"No, Nessie." I crossed my arms and turned my body so that I was looking directly at him.
"Damn it Jacob just do it! The sooner you just say yes, the happier we'll all be. Now sit down, shut up and let Alice cut your hair." I suddenly noticed my tone. It was harsh and serious. How strange. I actually felt annoyed at the moment. I was happy a moment ago, now I was pissed. Jacob noticed my tone too and so did Alice. Emmett, of course, who had just come in from play fighting with Jasper, was the one to comment.
"Jeez Nessie, what did Jacob do to piss you off so bad?" I looked at everyone and then back to the floor.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude." Carlisle was the only one who didn't look shocked by my annoyed little outburst. Instead, he was looking at me the same way he did when he would examine me or measure me. It was his doctor look. "What's wrong Carlisle?"
"Nothing, Nessie. Nothing at all." After that, Jacob did as I said, or ordered more like, and sat in a chair. Alice was dancing to his chair with a smile on her face. Jacob gave her a weary look.
"Just cut it. Don't try to do anything gay." Alice smacked the back of Jacob's head.
"You give me that attitude and I'll really give you something to complain about." Jasper laughed and commented.
"Take my word for it, Jacob. Just sit there and take it. It always works for me." Alice and Jasper laughed lightly.
"Shut up." Alice washed Jacob's hair and started cutting. While she was cutting, she had a thought and smiled. "Hey, Jacob. What would you say to some Auburn highlights? I think they would add a nice touch to your hair."
"Hey Alice, how would you like me to rip out your hair? I think it would be a good look for you. It would emphasis that you're insane and hey, good news is, it would never grow back." Alice did a hard tug on Jacob's hair and hissed. I just rolled my eyes. I was getting angry again.
"Just for that Jacob." Alice didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she punched Jacob in the face really hard. I stood up in horror and Jacob was out with blood gushing, but the wood already healing, from his forehead.
"Alice! What the hell did you do that for?!" Alice and everyone looked at me shocked again. I blushed and sat back down. Alice recovered from the shock of my outburst and her tone became very serious.
"Renesmee Carlie, don't you ever use that tone with me. I'll let it go this time, but if you ever take that tone with me again, I'll make sure Edward knows about it. Remember, you're not too old for him to beat you over the head with a wooden spoon." No one else said anything. I just nodded my head and kept looking at the floor. I had never been scolded like that before. It was a scary feeling, and I didn't like it.
Alice took a deep breath that she didn't need and tried to calm herself down. When she was calm, she ran upstairs and to her room. She was back within seconds, holding a pair of automatic hair clippers. I wanted to ask what she was planning to do with that, but she looked mad again, so I decided against it. She walked up behind Jacob and started giving him a buzz cut.
Against my initial instinct, I kept quiet. No one was laughing. Normally, this would be funny, but the air was tense and it was my fault. When Alice was done, Jacob was still out cold. I was concerned that she might have really hurt him, but Carlisle, though I hadn't asked, assured me that he was fine. Alice cleaned up all the hair that was on the kitchen floor and was about to throw it away.
"You know what? I'm going to donate this. Give it to a nice cancer patient or something." Alice went to the other side of the kitchen where the cabinets were and took out a plastic bag where she put all the hair. She tied it up and went to the garage to drop off the hair. Rosalie crinkled her nose.
"I hope they wash that before they use it. His hear smells awful." Once again, I didn't say anything. I sat up from the chair I was on and started walking out the door. I felt like going back home. But I had another craving and was sure to take the large jar of sauerkraut. But somehow, Alice knew I was getting it.
"Put that back, Renesmee. You've already had too much for a day." I sighed and was about to ignore her. Once again, somehow she knew. "So mark my words Nessie, if you don't put that back, there will be hell to pay." I sighed one more time and caved. I put the sauerkraut back in the fridge and continued out the door.
I just walked home by myself. I didn't hear anyone following after me, so I didn't slow. Then I heard footsteps. I panicked for a moment. Then whoever it was jumped right in front of me and I screamed. Then I realized who it was. I breathed in as he fazed back and pulled on his pants. I wasn't looking at him, so I didn't see anything, thank god.
"Damn it, Paul, don't scare me like that!" Paul gave me a shocked expression, then he got defensive.
"Well, excuuuuuse me, Miss Cullen. I didn't mean to startle you. I was looking for Jacob." I was far from being in the mood for sarcasm. Paul was only pushing my buttons.
"Cut the sarcasm, Paul. He's at the house." Paul held his hands up in defense as I walked past him.
"Jesus, Ness, what's your problem?" I didn't answer him. In truth, I wasn't sure why I was so angry all of a sudden, but I would give him the satisfaction of getting the best of me. "Fine don't answer me." With that, Paul started walking back to the house and I went in the opposite direction to the cottage. When I was about a hundred feet from the house, the cottage door opened and daddy was waiting for me. I sighed. I knew he would have something to say about what happened at the house. When I was right in front of him, he nodded for me to follow him. He had me sit of the coach in front of him and momma. Daddy's face stayed stern and momma was giving me the same look.
"You mind explaining what happened, Renesmee?" I looked at daddy and immediately looked away. They had never been this mad at me before.
"I don't know. I just got mad and I yelled at Alice." Daddy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"That's only one thing. First you yelled at Jacob, and swore at him mind you. Then you yelled at Alice for punching Jacob, swearing then too, and the thing that put the nail in your coffin with Alice was when you hissed at her." I gave daddy a confused look.
"No I didn't." I was getting mad again, and I could hear it in my tone. So could daddy. Daddy's face went from forced relax to appalled rage. Momma put her hand on daddy's shoulder to still him, then looked at me with a lecturing look.
"Watch it, Renesmee. You're walking on egg shells as it is, don't make it worse." I looked away and sat back against the sofa and waited for daddy to regain his calm.
"Yes, you did. When Alice was finished cutting Jacob's hair, you hissed at her. I'm not surprised you don't remember. It was really quiet. But the point of the matter is she's mad at you." I didn't say anything. Momma was the next one to talk.
"Is there something wrong, Renesmee? You can tell us about it if there is." I spoke before thinking. Something I never did.
"Momma, if something was bothering me, you'd already know by now. One of the benefits of being married to a psychic." I really should have seen it coming, but it still hurt.
What surprised me was that it was momma who did it. She slapped me clear across the face and was giving me the look of death that would make even the bravest of men quiver in fear. I touched the part of my cheek that she had hit. It was like being hit in the face with a smooth rock and it was painful. I just looked at momma wide eyed and daddy looked just as angry as momma did.
We just stared at each other for a few minutes. None of us really knew what to do next because I had never been in this much trouble before. Momma and daddy were breathing on and out heavily, hoping that the needless breaths would calm them down before they continued. Then momma shut her eyes and concentrated. Daddy looked at her, then looked back at me.
"Stay here, Renesmee. Your mother and I need to talk." With that, momma and daddy left the cottage and went somewhere where I would be out of hearing distance. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and took it out to answer it. But before I could, daddy ran into the cottage, took away my phone straight from my hands, and ran back outside. I assumed the text meant Jacob was up and had discovered his new haircut. But I guess I wouldn't know until later. I could swear I heard daddy hiss, but I tried not to hear it.
I stayed on the couch and waited for them to finish what it is that they are doing out there. I just stared at the fire while I waited for them. I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't have any past experiences to base it off of. I didn't know what was wrong. I knew better than to mouth off at my parents and yet I did it. I had no idea why I was suddenly so angry, but I was. When momma and daddy came back to the house and came into the room, momma looked much calmer and daddy looked like he was in denial.
"Just go to bed for now, Renesmee. We'll let Jacob take you out tomorrow since it was planned a long time ago, but that'll be the last time you see him for a while. Do you understand me?" I nodded my head.
"Yes, sir." With that, I hopped off of the couch and walked to my bathroom and did my daily routine, taking another shower while I was at it. When I came out of the bathroom, momma was standing at the door. I looked at her and waited for her to talk.
"Renesmee, I know how you feel, but you need to lay back on the showers. When I started doing that, my skin was dryer than Phoenix." Knew how I felt? What was there to know? I heard daddy clear his throat and I held back my little mini rant.
"Alright, momma. I'll lay off the showers."
"You still need to shower every day, just keep it to one a day." I nodded my head and went into my room. Momma went back into the living room with daddy. Obviously, they knew something I didn't, but I didn't really care at the moment. I was mad. Daddy kept my phone for the rest of the night and it took me forever to fall asleep. Yet another thing that was really strange. I never had a hard time sleeping. Why couldn't I sleep all of a sudden?
After lying in bed for a mind numbing forty minutes, I was finally able to fall asleep. But when I woke up in the morning, I felt even worse. Not sick, worse. I just felt terrible. I couldn't seem to drag myself out of bed and I was still in the worst mood imaginable. Great way to feel on my birthday.
Even noticing that Jacob was sitting with me in my room didn't cheer me up as much. I was glad that he was here, but I wasn't finding any monumental joy from it like I usually did. I was beginning to think there was something seriously wrong. When I saw Jacob, his hair was buzzed. I guess it wasn't a nightmare. I was surprised to find that Jacob pulled it off pretty well, but I could tell he hated it. He caught me looking at his hair.
"Now do you understand why I didn't want Alice doing my hair?" And on came my sudden anger. Why was I getting so angry?
"I think it looks good." I said this more forceful than I had intended.
"It's not your head, now is it?"
"So, what, I can't have an honest liking to how your hair looks?"
"You're not giving me an opinion right now, Nessie. You're sort of giving me an order."
"Jacob, I'm not in the mood." I buried my face into my knees and closed my eyes. I heard Jacob sigh.
"Neither am I Nessie. I was punched by a vampire who buzzed my head, I couldn't talk for a few minutes after Alice hit me and to top it off, my boss called me at five in the god damn morning telling me that he needed me to work today." I lifted my head out of my knees and looked at him. On came sudden sadness.
"What do you mean you have to work today?" Jacob's face was just as angry as mine was I imagine.
"Just that, Nessie. I need to work today." I could feel myself crying.
"Does this mean you and I can't do anything today?" The tears started flowing down my cheeks and I got angry again. Why was I crying? I never cry. Jacob's face changed from annoyance to remorse really quickly.
"Nessie, I'm sorry. I know I promised you a nice birthday. If you're willing to wait until ten o'clock, I still will. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I'm sorry." Anger level rising. What was he apologizing for? I was the one being difficult and for reasons I didn't even know.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so angry, but I am." I was sobbing. I hated it. I never cried. Why was I suddenly crying over something like this? Jacob ran his fingers gently through my hair in a soothing manor and kissed the top of my head.
"It's okay. I get it. I'll make you feel better later, okay. Promise." I smiled at him and he smiled back. He gave my forehead one last kiss and left. Daddy said from the living room that he would let me know when he was on his way and that he would let me have my phone when I left, but that he was taking it back when I got home. Apparently, daddy wasn't going to let me text Jacob for a while either.
I didn't really do anything that day. I simply didn't feel like doing anything. I mostly fell asleep on and off. It was so strange. Usually, I was full of energy and would have been playing the piano or something. But I just didn't feel like it today. I felt so drained and for no reason. When I wasn't asleep, I was reading something. I actually started reading Withering Heights, a book that did nothing but make me mad because the characters were so unbearable.
When I finished reading Withering Heights, I went to The Portrait of Dorian Grey. Again, a very strange choice for me. I find the book to be morbid and unpleasant. I will admit that I enjoyed the irony of it, but that was about it. I especially hated Lord Henry. His selfishness never ceased to astonish me. The ending of the book pleased me. Sort of a just desserts moment in my opinion. But, once again, nothing that was enough to make me like a story.
When I finished Dorian Grey, I went to my bookshelf and looked for something else. I settled on The Jungle. Daddy told me that it was a good and very accurate book. I got halfway through the book and couldn't stand to read it anymore. It had started out so hopefully, only to keep getting sadder and sadder. When I got to the part where Ona died, the child she carried was still born and little Antanas died in a puddle of filth, I couldn't stand to read it anymore. I went to the living room, simply curious. Daddy sighs, evidently agreeing with parts of my opinion.
"That's why it's a good book. It's accurate and blunt." I sighed.
"How did it end?"
"In short, he becomes a communist. I find that outcome ironic." This confused me.
"Why is that?" Daddy shrugged.
"Because Jurgis left Lithuania because he wanted him and his family to live the American dream and he ends up becoming a communist. The irony of it all is that he could have stayed in Lithuania, let the Russians take over his country and get about the same treatment that he got in America."
I nodded my head and went back to my room. I put the book on the shelf and looked for something else to read. I settled on Tale of Two Cities. The beginning was a little dry, but it got better in the second half. Everybody loves Lucy. By the time I finished that book, I looked at my clock and saw that it was eight. Jacob should be here in two hours give or take. I put my book back and looked for something to read that would last me two hours.
I settled on Night. I started the book and got to chapter two when daddy came into my room. I looked at him and smiled lightly before getting back to the book. I heard daddy start walking a little closer until he was sitting next to me on my bed. I didn't look up from my book, but daddy knew I was listening. He sighed.
"You know why you got in trouble, so I'll spare you the reflection. I would like to let you know, though, that I'm sorry for yelling at you. That didn't help the situation." I shook my head while still reading the book.
No. It's my fault. I don't know why I was so angry and why I'm still angry. I'm just angry. Then I'm really sad, then I'm marginally happy only to go back to being angry. Daddy chuckled lightly.
"I know, honey. I know." I looked at him this time.
"Do you know what's wrong with me?" Daddy smiled lightly.
"Nothing is wrong with you, Nessie. I don't know what's happening for sure and I don't want to put something in your head in case I'm wrong. So just wait a few days and see how you feel then, okay." I nodded my head at daddy.
"Okay, daddy." Daddy grinned a little wider at me. Then his smile left when I thought of my next question. "Are momma and Alice still mad at me?" Daddy shook his head.
"No. They're not made at you. They just want to let you be alone." I nodded my head and looked back at my book and began reading again. Daddy kissed the top of my head and left my room. I finished Night in an hour and I felt even worse after reading it than I had before. That was excruciating. I knew it was a holocaust book, but still. Morbid. I decided I wanted to take a shower. I felt dirty again. "This is your last shower for the day, okay, Nessie."
Daddy heard the yes in my mind and I went back into the bathroom to do my nightly routine and take a shower. When I got out of the shower, I looked in the mirror and I noticed something weird. I saw some hair between my legs. That hadn't been there this morning. I didn't get too worked up about it. Hair was a natural thing, nothing to be overworked about. I heard daddy make another sigh of what sounded like denial, which I didn't understand at all.
When I got back in my room, I finished blow drying my hair so that it would be really full. When my hair was dry, I pulled my hair up into a little ponytail and brushed in my Plumeria comb. I put on the shirt, pants and shoes that Alice had gotten for me the day before and went to the living room to wait with daddy. Daddy just looked at me and sighed.
"What's the matter?" Daddy shook his head.
"Nothing, honey. My head's just spinning is all." I gave him a strange look, but otherwise didn't question him. Then daddy laughed lightly without humor. I wanted to ask again what was the matter, but I chose not to. After a few minutes, daddy breathed out heavily. "Jacob's here."
I smiled and got up from the couch. Daddy walked with me to the door and daddy opened it just as Jacob got to the first step. He smiled tiredly when he saw me. I smiled back at him and hugged him. He hugged me back.
"You look beautiful, Nessie." I blushed and buried my face into his chest where I rested my face. Daddy's voice was stern.
"I want her home by midnight. Not a minute later, you hear me?" Jacob nodded his head.
"Sure, sure. I'll have her home on time." I looked at daddy, whose face never changed, then back at Jacob. I waved goodbye to daddy when we left to go and I promised not to be late. We were only allowed two hours. I planned to make the best of the limited time.
Jacob and I went to his car, which was parked in front of the house and went off to where Jacob would take me for my birthday. He still hadn't told me what he had planned. And he always told me it was a surprise and I needed to wait. Jacob ended up driving to La Push. I didn't think much about this. Then, finally, Jacob parked his car in the parking lot near the crescent cliff that was at first beach. I looked at him with excitement in my eyes.
"You're taking me cliff diving?" Jacob smiled.
"You said you wanted to try it. And as long as I'm with you, everything will be fine." Then a thought came to me.
"I didn't bring a bathing suit. And neither did you." Jacob laughed lightly.
"Yeah, you did." He went to the door to the back of his car and pulled out a bag which he threw to me. When I caught the bag, Jacob started taking off his shirt and pants to reveal that he was, in fact, wearing a swimsuit. The swimsuit he had handed me was the little military print one with minimal pink accents. Jacob handed me a towel and smiled.
"When did you do this?" Jacob chuckled.
"This morning when you were sleeping. I took the chance to get some stuff ready for you." I giggled a little too.
"How did I not notice that?" Jacob shrugged.
"You were out cold. I'm going to wait for you at the cliff. Come over when you're done changing. And after this, we're going to watch the stars." I was about to comment, but he was gone before I could.
I supposed it wouldn't be much different from watching the clouds or something. Probably more interesting. It had been forever since the last time Jacob and I had done something like that. I changed into the swimsuit as fast as I could. When I was dressed, I took out my Plumeria comb, my locket, and my bracelet so they wouldn't get ruined. I ran to the Cliff where Jacob was waiting. He heard me coming and smiled at me when he turned around to face me.
"You ready?" I smiled and nodded. I walked the last few feet to get to him. When I was close enough to him, he lifted me into his arms and I reached my arms around his neck. I looked down over the cliff and started getting nervous. I touched Jacob's cheek, letting him know. "It's alright, Nessie. I've got you." I smiled and blushed while looking over the edge again.
Jacob waited for me to give him the okay to jump. I looked over the edge one more time and took a deep breath. I put my hand back on his cheek and gave him the okay to jump. Jacob smiled and nodded at me. He looked over the edge, then backed up. When he was a few feet away from the edge, he started running back to the edge. When he reached the edge, he leaped and we started going down. Jacob was laughing and I started to scream.
It was a scream of exhilaration. The fall had been too short, even after jumping from the highest point. When we hit the water, the splash was loud and went out far. Jacob released me when we hit the water, but kept a hold on my hand. He reached the surface seconds before me. When we were both above the water, we both had wide smiles on our faces and were laughing.
"Oh my god, that was fantastic!" Jacob was laughing with me.
"I knew you would love that!" Jacob started pulling me with him back to shore, going against the current. When we got back to the shore, Jacob led me with him back to the top of the cliff. We ran and were there within moments. "I'll jump first. I'll be at the bottom waiting for you."
Jacob moved back from the edge and ran forward, throwing himself off. While still in the air, he did a few summersaults. When he reached the water, he came up and waved to me. I giggled and rolled my eyes.
"Show off!" I heard him laugh. I took in a deep breath while looking over the edge. I walked backwards a few feet until I was a reasonable distance away. I thought for a moment about college divers that I had seen on TV. I thought of one of my favorite jumps. It was a jump where the diver would round themselves into a loose ball and do a few summersaults while landing in the water into a perfect dive.
I thought about it for a few minutes and took another deep breathe. I ran the few feet to the edge and leaped high into the air. At the highest and farthest point, I circled myself and held my legs gently and did a few spins. It was an oddly nauseating, but exciting and exhilarating feeling. I counted five spins, then straightened out. Mere seconds after unwinding, I dived into the water just as I saw the college divers do. I felt someone grab me and pull me to the surface.
"And I'm the show off?" Jacob had laughter in his voice and I joined. Then Jacob looked at the night sky for a moment. When he looked back to me, his smile was wide. "We better get going. I don't want you to miss it."
Jacob pulled me with him back to shore and raced us back to the top of the cliff. Jacob found a spot that had a clear, treeless view of the sky that was in the grass and sat me down next to him. I sat close to him and he held me close. I rested my head on my little nook and sighed contentedly. Jacob was staring into the sky and I looked with him.
"What are we looking for?" Jacob shrugged.
"Wait and see." I sighed in annoyance and let it slide. I looked into the sky and waited for something to appear or happen. I was about to ask again what we were looking for when something caught my eye.
It was a bright light that traveled along the sky with pride. It twinkled in the sky as if it was winking at you, only to start moving a moment later. That traveling light was then followed by a number of others that copied the previous light. I was mesmerized by their beauty and simplicity of their little dance. I looked at Jacob when I saw the last of the falling lights and he had a wide grin on his face.
"Shooting stars." Jacob chuckled lightly and looked at me with the same smile on his face.
"Did you like them?" I nodded my head and suddenly noticed my eyes were tearing up. I didn't even care at the moment. It was such a beautiful sight to see shooting stars. Jacob wiped away a little tear that fell from my eyes with his thumb. "I have one more thing for you."
This took me by surprise. What more could there be? The Northern Lights? Jacob stood up and walked over to where his car was. He opened the driver's side door and reached in for something. He took out a small box that was wrapped in silver wrapping paper. He walked back to where I was sitting and sat back down next to me, handing me the little box.
I looked at Jacob and he simply smiled. I smiled back and freed the box from its wrapping paper confines. When the wrapping paper was out of the way, I opened the box. Inside was a locket. It was different from the one I had from momma and daddy though. This was different. It was a medium sized white gold heart. 14k to be precise. Alice had taught me how to distinguish such things. It was on a white gold chain as well. But the face of the locket was decorated.
It was a russet colored wolf and a crescent moon. I opened the locket to see a picture of me and Jacob together. It was the picture momma had taken of us together that one day that we'd gone to first beach together. I had been wearing a little green sundress and Jacob was in his usual t-shirt and jeans and barefoot. In the photo, I was hugging him close to me and he had a single arm wrapped around me. We were both smiling brightly, Jacob's ivory teeth easy to see with comparison to his tan skin.
But something else about the locket caught my attention. It was an engraving. It was in Quileute, the languages many accents there and proud. I cried when I read the inscription. It was something that I always hoped. The translation read 'With all that I am' with Jacob's name written below it. I was crying now. Jacob scotched a little closer to me.
"Do you like it?" I couldn't talk. I feared I would squeak if I tried to talk. So I settled for my gift. I touched his cheek and looked at him.
I love it. Jacob smiled and leaned in closer to hug me. I hugged him back, never taking my eyes off of the locket or the inscription inside it. I held onto Jacob as tightly as I possibly could. Jacob released me from his arms when he noticed that I was starting to get groggy. He held my face in his hands.
"I better take you home, Nessie. I don't want to put you into any more trouble." I wanted to protest, but instead nodded my head. I didn't want this moment to end, and yet it had to. There was something so special about what just happened. I felt warm, feverish even. I knew it wasn't any sickness. They were too blissful to be an ailment.
As Jacob walked with me back to the car, I continued to think about it. Jacob and I talked the whole way back to the house, but I continued to think of the previous activity. I wondered what had just happened. When I had read that inscription, seen those stars, something happened. A feeling that was wonderful and greatly desired. I couldn't think of what it was.
Daddy was waiting at the house for us when we got back. I got out of Jacob's car, got my clothes and things from the back, and walked up the steps to daddy. Jacob walked with me. When I reached daddy, Jacob and I shared one last hug before saying goodnight to each other. I watched him drive away until I couldn't see him anymore. I blushed again. I heard daddy sigh heavily. I looked at him.
"I see he's ignoring my request to not add fuel to the fire." He wasn't really talking to me, but to himself.
"What are you talking about?" Daddy shook his head.
"Nothing, Nessie. Let's just get you back to the cottage so you can go to bed." Daddy called for momma and we all walked back to the cottage together. Momma didn't look mad at me anymore as daddy had promised. But she was still feeling weird about what happened. I think we were both avoiding the subject.
I went about my morning routine, and a shower, and got myself ready for bed. When I was lying in bed, once again taking much longer to fall asleep than normal, I thought about the night. The shooting stars, the cliff diving, and most importantly, Jacob's gift. It held a strange significance to me that I couldn't explain. What I did know was that somehow, I felt finalized. I wasn't sure how. Even knowing that I wouldn't see him for a while after tonight, I couldn't help but fall asleep with a large smile on my face.