Sorry it's been so long, I have no excuse for not updating I've just not been in the mood to write.
It was my birthday last week, I've just turned seventeen.
Thanks for everything.
Chapter .12.
Jasper was surprisingly nicer about me going to first beach with Leah. He said that because there was going to be humans there he didn't mind. The next morning I made sure I had on my best bikini, a tank top and some shorts. Leah had been right, it was sunny and it was actually quite hot for Forks.
Charlie questioned me about what I was wearing. Was that a bikini I had on underneath my clothes? I told him yes and that I was hanging out at first beach with Leah and the Quileute guy's. He was ecstatic to hear that I was hanging out with the Quileute's, he also asked me if I was going to see Paul again which I wasn't entirely happy about but Charlie made a point to "give the boy a chance, he's a good lad, people just get the wrong impression from him". I wasn't entirely happy that my dad was trying to meddle in my love life but at least he wanted me with someone nice.
I reassured my dad that if I ever became interested in Paul, I would pursue those feelings and that seemed to sate him.
By half past eleven I was ready and waiting for Leah to come and pick me up. I sat at the table with Charlie as he cleaned his fishing gear, apparently he, Harry and Billy were going fishing not long after Leah was going to pick me up.
At dead on 12 I heard Leah pull into our driveway. The sound of her horn rang towards us and it made me smile.
"Right, I'm going now dad, see ya later." I kissed Charlie on the cheek, grabbed my bag and left the house. I waved at Leah as I walked towards her car and in return she stuck her tongue out at me. I laughed as I got into the car.
"You are weird Leah." I threw my bags into the back and buckled my seatbelt.
"Get used to it, Swan." She started driving and I was happy to note that she didn't excel the speed limit.
"Hey, Leah, can I ask you something?" She glanced at me for a second before returning her eyes to the road and smiling.
"Sure, go ahead."
"How come you asked me to go with you today? You must have friends on the rez, why not ask them?" She kept her eyes purposefully on the road.
"Bella, I don't have friends on the rez." Her voice went cold and a little distant, but the smile never left her face.
"Why not?" I know I was prying, but I just wanted to know, she'd intrigued me.
"When I became depressed all my friends, pretty much everyone on the rez that wasn't my family started treating me like I was a freak. And now none of them talk to me. The reason I was invited today is because me and Seth are friends with Jake." We were in La Push by now and Leah was taking the turning to first beach.
"Well, if they all were dumb enough to let your friendship go, it's their own problem." She smiled and laughed at my comment and then pulled up near the beach.
"Come on, it's time to strip off and sunbathe." She grinned and we jumped out the car. We grabbed our bags and started walking towards everyone. The whole Quileute pack was there as well as some girls I had never met, but they all looked nice enough. One of the girls was clearly Emily, she was holding Sam's hand. They both looked really happy, until they saw me and Leah where Emily's face fell a little for a second. I watched the guilt flash over her features, that was until Sam noticed her change and kissed her lightly on her lips.
I would have kept watching them, but Jake and Seth came over to us and I was scooped up into a bear hug by Jake. I laughed and hugged him back.
"It's good to see you Bells, I'm glad that Leah asked you to come." Jake let me go then hugged Leah.
"Yeah, so was I. It'll be great to hang out with you all." We started walking towards everyone else where they were lay on towels or throwing a ball around. We put our towels next to Jake's and Seth's. I put my bag down on my towel when Leah nudged me. I looked up at her and she was smiling.
"Someone looks happy to see you." She wiggled her eyebrows and grinned. I looked up in the direction she was looking to see Paul jogging over to us. I smiled when he was standing in front of me with a massive grin on his face.
"Hey, B." He wrapped his arms around me in a hug and I felt the light touch of his lips against my hair. I hugged him back and he released me. "How ya doin'?" He asked. I smiled up at him and began removing my shorts and t-shirt.
"I've been good, you?" He didn't answer. At least, not straight away. He was clearly too busy staring about eight inches south of my eyes to notice that I'd asked him a question. Leah laughed and Jake cleared his throat, then Paul snapped out of it.
"Yeah I've been alright. I'm glad you came." I sat down on my towel and he followed.
"Yeah me too, as I was just saying to Jake, it's going to be great hanging out."
"Yeah. You're coming to the barbeque at Sam and Emily's later, right?" I looked at Leah, who had suddenly started to look uncomfortable.
"That depends on what Leah's doing." I turned to her, as did Paul, and she smiled thankfully at me.
"Well if you're going then I will." I smiled back at her.
"I guess that's a yes then." I said to Paul and his grin widened.
"That's great; Emily and Kim can't wait to meet you. They're Sam and Jared's girls. I'll go tell them, but I'll be back over a little later." I watched him for a moment as he walked away, practically bouncing. For a moment, I thought that it was a real shame I had no romantic interest in him.
We spent a good time sunbathing and then we went for a swim when Leah decided she was getting too hot. Paul joined us in the water, as did Embry, Jake, Seth, and Jake's friend Quil. A lot of the time the boys would try to dunk me and Leah, but I soon realised that my swimming had improved greatly as I was suddenly a really strong swimmer, so they never got me.
We spent a long time at the beach. By the time it turned four we were heading back to Emily's house for our barbeque lunch. Me and Leah were alone again and I could finally ask her a question that had been bothering me for the past few hours.
"Leah, if you don't mind me asking, why were you depressed?" She looked at me briefly and a tiny smile passed over her face. She didn't speak for a moment but when she did I knew that she was telling me something very deeply personal.
"I got with Sam when I was sixteen and he was eighteen. We were really happy for three years and then, one night he didn't turn up at my house when we were supposed to hang out. I didn't see him for two weeks and when he came back he was distant and cold and he did everything he could to push me away. But I was stubborn and I loved him so I didn't give up. Then I asked my cousin Emily to come over, I needed some morale support, you know, I thought she might be able to help me with Sam. He came into my house and he took one look at Emily and he ran. At first I had no idea why but then later that night he came back to my house and he broke up with me.
"A few weeks later Emily turns up at my house and tells me that Sam keeps asking her out. I got angry and upset, I mean, how could he dump me and then pursue a part of my family that he knew I saw as a sister. She promised me that she would never break my trust and that she would reject him. It wasn't even a week later when Seth, Jake, Embry and Quil come back to our house and tell me that Sam and Emily are together." There was a tear in her eye but she blinked it away. "Sam ripped out my heart and stamped on it and when I turned to my cousin, a girl that I saw as a best friend and a sister, she stabbed me in the back and got with the man I loved.
"After that, I spent most of my time in my room, not eating, barely sleeping, never talking to anyone. Eventually my mum and dad took me to a Doctor and I was diagnosed with depression and put on anti-depressants. I still find it hard to be in the same room as them, but I work through it, because I want to be the old me; the happy Leah that didn't have a care in the world." I watched as one tear rolled down her cheek. It was the only tear that escaped.
My heart hurt for Leah. I touched her arm softly.
"I'm sorry." They were the only words I could think to say and I was glad when she smiled at me.
"Thanks." We pulled up to Emily's house behind Embry and got out. We followed the boys inside and were welcomed with the smell of cooking. "Naturally she's already started." Leah spoke, with a slight bitterness in her tone.
"What do you mean?" I asked, but before Leah could reply I was met with a very big hug off the girl Paul had said was Jared's girlfriend, Kim.
"Bella, it's so great to finally meet you, sorry we didn't come over at the beach, we were kinda wrapped up in the guys." She had a huge smile on her face and she seemed really hyperactive.
"It's alright, me and Leah have had a great time with Jake and some of the others."
"Oh, well, that's great. This is Emily by the way." Emily stepped up next to Kim and smiled. It was the first time I had seen Emily fully and I was shocked to see three deep red scars running down the right side of her face. I made sure very carefully not to stare and instead looked directly into her eyes and smiled.
"It's nice to meet you Emily."
"Likewise." Emily gave me a smile then turned to Leah. "Leah, I'm so glad you came." Emily was purely grinning at her cousin, but Leah didn't return her enthusiasm.
"Yeah, well, there's free food and Bella wanted to come so…" She trailed off and started looking towards Jake and Seth. "Well, I'm gonna go see what Jake's doing." And she was gone. Emily watched her leave with a sad look on her face.
"Well, now that we have you alone, are you really part vampire?" Kim's question was sudden and unexpected. I wasn't sure what to say or do, how would they know this? "Don't worry the guys have told us everything, we're just curious."
"Erm, well, okay. Actually we don't really know what's going on with me. All we do know is that when a vampire bit me and Edward sucked the venom out he didn't do it thoroughly and my genealogy has started changing." Kim looked intrigued. Emily was barely listening.
"How has it changed you?" Kim asked, a look of awe on her face.
"My senses are all heightened, I'm stronger, I no longer have certain traits that I used to like I'm no longer clumsy, plus I heal really fast." I said it all quite fast but Kim seemed to catch it all. I wasn't comfortable having this conversation but I didn't really see how it could hurt anyone.
"Wow, I bet that's awesome." She was grinning and it made me laugh.
"Well, it's saved my arse a bit recently but other than that it's pretty normal."
"Well, it's still cool."
I ended up helping Emily with the food. She seemed really nice and was easy to keep a conversation with, although I was just glad that she didn't ask about my freakiness. When we ate I was kept company by Paul as Leah seemed to be having a really great time with Jake. We finished eating and I offered to help with the clean-up but Emily told me that her and Sam were going to do it so there was no need for me. At half-past-five Leah came over to me with a giant smile on her face.
"Hey Bella, me and Jake are gonna go back to his house, he's gonna show me the car he's building. You can come if you want or I could take you home now."
"No you go ahead, it's alright I want to go back to the beach for a bit; watch the sunset." She smiled but looked a little apprehensive.
"If you're sure?" I nodded and she grinned.
"Okay, but let's hang out again soon, today's been great."
"Yeah it has." Jake and Leah started to leave but just before they got out the door Leah turned back to me.
"Oh and Bella," I turned to look at her and I saw the most genuine smile I had ever seen on her face. "Thank you."
"Anytime." I watched Leah and Jake leave and smiled to myself, she seemed so happy.
"Hey, if you want some company at the beach then I'd be more than happy to join you." My eyes shot to Paul.
"Yeah sure." He grinned, something he has a habit of doing.
"Great, well sunsets soon so if you want we can go back to the beach now."
"Okay, do you know any good spots to watch the sunset?" We walked through the house as we spoke.
"Yeah actually I know this great place on the cliffs it's not far from here." He picked up my bag which Leah had left by the door.
"Good." We said thanks and goodbye to everyone and then he led me to his car. We were quiet on the way to the cliffs and I took the time to watch the fading light bounce so brilliantly off the leaves and trees and flowers that we passed. Paul turned down a dirt road and we got out the car not very far from the cliffs edge. He grabbed a blanket off the backseat and put it down close to the edge. I stood, staring at the water and watched as the fading light from the sun reflected off it. All the colours I could think of were reflected up at me off the beautiful blue of the sea.
"It's beautiful isn't it." Paul joined me where I was standing and I smiled.
"It's magnificent." My eyes glanced over the ocean and were caught on one specific spot where one colour was extremely bright. I focused my eyes and saw two heads bobbing up and down in the water. The flaming red is what caught my eye and a shiver ran down my spine as the realisation hit.
This was one of those times where I'd have to use my mobile.
"Bella, are you alright?" Paul's voice registered on some smaller, deeper level, but I couldn't process what he was saying in the larger part of my mind because there was one big thought running through my head over and over.
"I have to call Jasper."
Finally done, I hope you all enjoy.
Thanks for reading. Leave your thoughts.
KV =D