Thank you Lil Miss Golden Eyes - my fantabulous Beta
Go check out "Crooked Halo's and Ink Junkies" by ecandme...this woman is amazing and her story is so wonderful. I love her to no end!
The willow it weeps today
A breeze from the distance is calling your name
Unfurl your black wings and wait
Across the horizon it's coming to sweep you away
It's coming to sweep you away
Let the wind carry you home
Blackbird fly away
May you never be broken again
As the screeching of the alarm clock dragged me unhappily from sleep, I felt a chill snake down my spine. The air in the room was extremely frigid, more so than normal. I rolled over and noticed the window was open an inch, allowing the cool February air to permeate my room.
"What the fuck…." I mumbled as I sat up, wrapped the cover around my body and walked to the window, slamming it shut.
I went through the routine of finding something to wear – settling on a pair of dark jeans, a white, long sleeve, band tee and white Adidas sneakers – grabbed a travel mug of coffee and headed to school.
Thankfully the day passed swiftly and uneventfully. It was much the same as the day before, only instead of Edward glaring hatefully in Biology, he had switched to showing indifference. I could handle that. Like yesterday, Alice walked with me to the parking lot after last period, giving me a hug goodbye and dancing off towards the Volvo.
I made my way out of the parking lot and toward the only grocery store in Forks, loading up on fresh vegetables, various types of meat and other essentials. After I finished unloading the groceries, I made a list of meals for the week. It was still early evening and Charlie wouldn't be home for a little while yet, so I spent the next two hours cleaning and doing laundry until it was late enough to start dinner. I grabbed my iPod and the docking station from my room and headed back down to the kitchen.
After a brief internal debate on which playlist to choose, I decided on Sevendust. As the opening chords of "Denial" blasted from the tiny dock speakers, I danced around the kitchen, gathering ingredients. I had just started cutting potatoes when a flash of movement outside the window caught my attention. I leaned forward and squinted, searching the backyard and surrounding forest for the source of the movement, only to find them empty. I grabbed the large kitchen knife and cautiously made my way out the backdoor and onto the porch.
"Hello?" I called into the approaching darkness. The only answer was the slight rustling of leaves in the forest. I wrapped my free arm across my upper body, suddenly feeling very exposed. An uncomfortable feeling of being watched swept over me as I slowly walked backwards into the kitchen, slamming and locking the door.
"Bells?" a voice called from behind me. I spun around quickly, positioning the knife between me and the intruder.
"Jesus Christ, Bella!" Charlie exclaimed, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"Fuck, I am so sorry, Dad." Now shaking, I dropped the knife on the counter and placed both hands over my erratically beating heart. "I thought I saw something outside…and I went to check it out…but nothing was there…and I got all fucking creeped out…then next thing I know someone is behind me…and…sorry," I rushed out nervously.
Charlie lowered his hands and exhaled sharply. "Way to give your old man a heart attack kid. It was probably an animal. This isn't the city you know." He paused and scrunched up his face. "And what the hell are you listening to? It's not even music! It's just screaming…" he trailed off as I crossed the kitchen laughing and turned off the iPod.
"Yeah, yeah 'old man'," I quipped as I picked up the knife and resumed cutting. Charlie chuckled and sat down at the worn kitchen table, chatting idly as I finished cooking.
The rest of the week passed quickly, one day flowing seamlessly into the next. Saturday morning, I woke up earlier than I had planned, and after a few unsuccessful attempts to fall back asleep, I reluctantly got out of bed and headed for the shower. As I walked down the hallway, I peeked into Charlie's room and found it empty. Fishing with Billy. There's a surprise, I thought as I made my way to the bathroom.
I quickly showered and dressed in an old pair of ripped jeans, a black long sleeved, cotton, V neck shirt and my black Ugg boots. In an attempt to tame my tousled waves, I tied my hair in a loose ponytail as I skipped down the stairs towards the kitchen. Tapping my foot, I stood impatiently waiting for the coffee to brew. Finally fixing a cup and grabbing my pack of cigarettes I went to sit on the front porch to wait for Jake.
It was a surprisingly nice day for the middle of winter. The sun had decided to make a rare appearance, bouncing its rays off every available surface it could touch. Unfortunately, everything was still too green. Four cigarettes and three coffee refills later, Jake pulled into the driveway on a beat up black motorcycle.
I stood up, resting my hands on my hips. "Jacob Black. You do remember that Charlie is the Chief of Police right?"
"Your point, Bells?" he asked, dismounting the bike.
"My point is…are you even old enough to be riding that ancient thing?" I pointed to the beast he had parked in my driveway.
"Jeez, have you been gone that long, Bells? I'm 16 and I have my permit. Besides, I promise to be gone before Charlie gets home." He laughed as he crossed his fingers over his heart.
As he reached the bottom of the porch, I lunged off the top step of the stairs and into Jake's arms. He laughed as he caught me and crushed me to his chest.
"Can't…breathe…Jake!" Still laughing, he released me and placed me gently back on the ground.
"Christ,Jake, I think you broke a rib!" I yelled as I stood dramatically clutching my side. My eyes grew wide as I assessed my best friend. Last time I had seen Jake he was small and lanky, but the boy before me was completely different. Jake stood at least 6'7" with wide shoulders, toned muscles and his once shoulder length black hair now cropped short.
"What the hell are they feeding you down at the Rez? Jesus, you're like the fucking Jolly Green Giant. Well…in your case, the Jolly Brown Giant… but still!"
Jake's face grew solemn. "A lot of things have changed since the last time we saw each other, Bells. I've changed."
"No shit," I said under my breath. "Coffee?" He nodded and I climbed the stairs, grabbing my cup and pack of cigarettes. Jake followed me into the kitchen and took a seat at the table as I filled our cups and sat down across from him.
"So what's new on the Rez? Still having problems with those assholes Sam and Paul?" I asked as I took a sip of my coffee.
"Actually they're pretty cool, Bells. I don't have a problem with them anymore. We've actually sort of become…friends."
"Friends huh? Well there's a strange turn of events. Care to elaborate?"
"Not really. What about you? How's Forks treating you? Make any friends at school?" he asked, sipping his own cup.
"Nice change of topic, Jake. Don't think I didn't notice." I stuck my tongue out as he laughed. "Actually, Fork's isn't so bad. It's peaceful really. Who knew I'd actually like the rain? It sort of soothes me. After all the stress I was under in Phoenix, it's a nice change you know." I smiled sadly at him.
"Yeah, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. If you ever need to talk, I'm always here." He reached across the table, took my hand and squeezed it reassuringly.
"I know. Thanks. I'm just not ready to talk about it yet."
"Ok. So tell me about school? Are they treating you nice at least?"
"Ha! For the most part. There is this one guy though. I don't know what his issue is. You would think I just finger banged his cat for how shitty he's treating me. But I did make friends with his sister and her boyfriend. I really like her. She's a bit hyper for my tastes, but…she compliments me well. Her name is Alice Cullen and she -" Jake cut me off before I could finish.
"CULLEN?" he yelled. "As in the Cullens who live just outside of town?"
"Well I don't know where they live, Jake, but I'm pretty sure it's the same family. What's the problem?" Jake rose from his chair and kneeled in front of me, gripping my shoulders tightly. I stared at him stunned.
"Listen to me, Bella. You need to stay away from the Cullens! They're….dangerous. It's not safe for you to be near them." His eyes plead with me for understanding. Instead, it only made me angry. I pushed him back and brought my face millimeters from his.
"I don't see you for years, and you think you can just waltz in here and tell me who I can and cannot be friends with? Who the hell do you think you are? That shit doesn't fly with me, Jacob Black!" I hissed.
"Please, Bella. Just trust me on this," he pleaded.
I crossed my arms, sat back in the chair and glared at him. "Absolutely not. End of discussion."
"Bella…"
"No, Jake. I mean it. End. Of. Discussion. If you don't like it, feel free to leave." I motioned to the door with my arm. Jake sat back on his heels looking defeated.
"Fine. Just promise me you'll be careful ok?"
"Sure. Sure," I answered, using one of Jake's most overused responses. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Jake and I spent the rest of the afternoon lazily sprawled on the couch and watching Grade B horror movies, laughing at the fact that the acting was more terrifying than the movie itself. It was something we did a lot as kids, and the familiarity of it made me smile. After a few hours, I grew antsy. I kept glancing out the big bay window, trying to figure out a way to take advantage of the rare Forks sunshine. A small smile crossed my face as an idea hit me.
"Hey Jake?" I asked, turning my head to face him. "Feel like taking me for a ride on your bike?"
Jake raised his eyebrows in response. "Are you sure, Bells? What about Charlie?"
"He shouldn't be home for awhile. I think it's safe." I winked.
"Alright then…let's go," he said as he uncurled himself from the couch and stood up. He reached out for my hand to help me up, and as I placed my hand in his, I couldn't help but notice how his massive hand dwarfed mine. Next to him, I felt like a small, fragile china doll, and that thoroughly pissed me off. I hated feeling helpless…breakable. I pushed back the negative vibes as I stood and headed for the kitchen.
I quickly shuffled around, throwing potatoes, carrots, and a pot roast in the Crockpot and set the timer. Grabbing my leather jacket from the closet, I followed Jake outside to the driveway and climbed on the back of his bike, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. As Jake took off towards town, a wide smile broke free as I marveled in the freedom I felt perched on the back of his bike. The wind whipped around us, creating a halo of hair around my face and staining my cheeks a bright pink. We maneuvered through town and up and around the back roads until an hour later we turned back down Charlie's street. As we neared closer to the house, I saw the unmistakable outline of Charlie's police cruiser.
"Oh….fuck," I mumbled, dropping my forehead against Jake's back. Jake pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. Charlie was climbing the steps of the porch. At the sound of the bike pulling into the driveway, Charlie turned around. I knew the moment he caught sight of me because his face became an unflattering shade of red.
I smiled sheepishly as I climbed off the back of the bike. "Uhh…hi, Dad." I winced as I gave him a small wave.
"Isabella Marie Swan, get your ass up here right now!"
I turned back around to face Jake.
"I'll see you later, Jake. Thanks for the ride." He smiled at me apologetically, backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the road. I exhaled sharply and turned back towards Charlie.
"What were you thinking, Bella? Do you have any idea how many young kids I have scraped off the highway?" he asked as I climbed the steps. He turned and I followed him silently into the living room. I stood a few feet away from him and squared my shoulders.
"Jake is responsible, Dad. It's not the same as some reckless teenagers. He didn't even speed!" I tried to reason.
"I don't want to hear it, Isabella. You are not to get on that bike again. In fact, I have a good mind to call Billy and bitch at him too."
"Don't do that, Dad. This is about me, not Jake. Besides, I'm sure Billy knows about it," I replied softly. Just because I was fucked didn't mean Jake had to be too.
"Fine, but you young lady are grounded," he stated, narrowing his eyes.
That was all it took for me to get my defenses up. I briefly thought back to the freedom I felt racing through the wind on that motorcycle. I had felt free…alive. I decided right then I wanted one of my own. I smirked and looked Charlie square in the eyes.
"You can't ground me. I'm eighteen. I didn't break any laws. In fact, I've decided to buy a motorcycle of my own," I stated matter-of-factly and crossed my arms.
Charlie blanched. I turned on my heel and headed for the front door, leaving a stunned and speechless Charlie standing in the living room. I grabbed my keys and ran down the driveway towards my Jeep. I quickly backed out and tore down the road. Lighting a cigarette, I contemplated what I was about to do. I had no idea where to buy one, let alone what kind of bike to get. But I did know someone who did. I made a quick left and headed down the one ten towards La Push.
~****~
Chapter lyrics by Alter Bridge, song titled "Blackbird"