Chapter II: Meeting Bob
"Hey, Bells, it's good to see you," greets Charlie as he awkwardly hugs me.
"Hi, Dad, it's good to see you, too." I hug him back.
He takes the luggage from my hand to place it in the trunk of the cruiser.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence he asks about Mom. That saddens me because I know Charlie still harbors feelings for her even though their marriage ended horribly. They married straight out of high school and were deeply in love, but as time passed Renee couldn't stand the thought of living in Forks for the rest of her life. She wanted to explore what life had to offer, so, she divorced Charlie and brought me with her. It must have been devastating for him to lose his wife and child in a single day.
Even though our relationship is awkward, Charlie and I are more alike than Renee and I will ever be. Neither of us is verbose, we both prefer serenity and consistency in our lives, and we are both stubborn.
"Mom's fine, Dad. She's going to travel with Phil for a while." I don't elaborate because I don't want to rub Mom's happiness in his face.
"I have a surprise for you," he suddenly says.
"Dad, you know how impatient I am!I. What is it? Tell me! Please?" I ask. He just smiles, showing me one of his dimples—which I was fortunate enough to inherit, and shakes his head.
I pout sarcastically and roll my eyes in irritation, trying to give him a hard time, but all it does is make him chuckle in amusement.
When we reach home, Charlie helps me carry my luggage to my old bedroom. He doesn't hover and leaves me to myself. That's one of the things I like about Charlie; he gives me the space I need.
My room is basically the same as I remember; the only thing about it that has changed since my birth is that my crib has been replaced by a twin-sized bed. The bedding consists of a purple duvet and a matching cover with purple and yellow throw pillows arranged neatly on top. It looks extremely comfortable. So comfortable, in fact, that I just want to sit down, read a good book or listen to music.
With the exception of the bedcoverings, the room needs a few more personal touches.
Maybe adding fairy lights would make the room cozier?
It's sweet of Charlie to pick one of my favorite colors for the bedding.
I smile, lie down on my bed, and take a deep breath. I feel exhausted and sleeping sounds like a wonderful idea, but I know that if I sleep now I will wake up during the night.
I don't wan't to start my first day at school tomorrow being a pissy bitch, so instead of sleeping, I take my Ipod out of my handbag and put some music on.
Ten minutes later, I hear Charlie calling me from downstairs. "Um . . . Bells, come down here for a sec."
"Are you going to show me the surprise now?" I ask him excitedly when I come down with a grin on my face. He merely smiles and directs me outside.
A middle-aged native American man in a wheelchair, and someone who appears to be his young son, stand in front of a blue Jeep, smiling at me.
I must not have heard them pull up.
"Dad, you could have at least tied them up with a nice, blue ribbon. I've always wanted two guys, but it's not my birthday . . . " I say jokingly.
Charlie gets a mortified look on his face, whereas the other two laugh loudly.
Well, at least they have a sense of humor.
"Hi Bella, It's good to finally have you here. Charlie has been excited, I can tell you that," says the man after he stops laughing, and then smirks at Charlie before shaking my hand.
Charlie's ears turn red as he turns to mock glare at the man.
"Hi, I'm happy to be back to God's favorite pissland," I tell him with a straight face.
The old man and his son laugh hard and I see Charlie trying to keep a straight face. They understand the double entendre because they know how much Forks pisses me off due to the fact that it pisses 24/7.
"Oh, Bella, you haven't changed a bit. Jacob here has been excited to see you as well. You remember Jake, right?" he winks at me and Jacob blushes.
I suddenly remember just who is Billy Black when he utters his son's name. I remember him being an excellent story-teller. He would spend hours entertaining Jacob and me with hilarious stories from his youth.
Suddenly, I recall another memory.
"Yes, I remember you both. I also remember chucking a handful of mud at Jacob's face one time when he tried to kiss me. How have you been?" I smirk at him.
Jacob blushes with embarrassment, and this time Charlie and Billy laugh loudly at his obvious discomfort. He's a year younger than I am, and I remember teasing him a lot for it when I was a child.
"I'm good, Bella. It's good to have you back," he replies timidly, the blush on his cheeks still apparent.
"Thanks."
"Bells, look over here," Charlie points at the garage door and clicks a remote to open it. As the garage door slowly rises up, a bulbous Chevy pick-up truck slowly comes into view. Its paint is faded, and its metallic frame looks dangerous (for other, less well-built vehicles). It would most likely protect me in a crash, but would cause serious damage to any other car. I love it!
Oh, look, girl. It has a blue ribbon glued to the hood.
I gently touch the it and look at Charlie with a cheeky grin on my face. He smirks and sarcastically says, "Here's your blue ribbon, Bells. Now you won't be as disappointed as you would have been."
"Ha ha. I love it, though. Thanks, Dad," I tell Charlie and hug him tight, which surprises both of us because I haven't been so affectionate with him before. But I like it, and it doesn't feel as awkward as I thought it would.
Charlie awkwardly pats my back, blushes a bit, and says, "Don't mention it, Bells."
"Did you choose this car because of its sturdiness for the intended driver's record of hurting herself a lot?" I ask him shrewdly. He knows what I'm implying and his ears turn red with embarrassment. Aw.
"Jake here installed the engine," Billy proudly interjects and pats his son's back. Jacob's ego inflates a notch with his father's praise. I climb into the truck and start it. It is loud and perfectly reflects its physical appearance. I will make a grand entrance with Bob tomorrow. Yes, Bob, it looks like a Bob.
"Nice job, Jake." I smile at him and he gives me a wide grin. Oh great, it's my first day here and someone is already crushing on me.
"It's nothing, Bells. I'm glad you like it. Just don't try going over 55 miles per hour because it starts to make funny noises."
I mock scowl, "And here I was hoping to be a badass in a fast Chevy."
Jacob and Billy chuckle, while dad shakes his head in disbelief. "Bells, what kind of example would you be if the police chief's daughter is seen speeding?"
"An impressive example, Dad," I smirk at him.
"Okay Charlie, we are leaving now, but you and Bella should come visit us soon. I'm sure Jacob wouldn't mind," Billy winks at me and Jacob flushes. With that, Jacob helps his dad get inside their Jeep and they drive off.
~E&I~
"Bells, would you like to order some pizza?" asks Charlie as he picks up the phone.
"Dad, I can cook us a meal," I offer.
"You just got here, Bells, you must be tired. Plus, I don't have much in the way of groceries here right now," he tells me sheepishly.
"Okay then, I'll have pepperoni with extra cheese and mushrooms on top."
He winks at me, reminds me that he knows that's my favorite pizza and makes the call.
After dinner I clean the dishes and go to my bedroom to prepare for school tomorrow.
I take a long, warm shower which feels heavenly after the five hour flight. Then I put on my favorite sweatpants and t-shirt and get into bed.
Ugh, this is going to suck balls, but hey, thanks to Bob, I'll be driving to school in style.
And with that pleasant thought I drift into a peaceful sleep.
~E&I~
"AAAAAAAAAAH" I scream over the sound of my alarm clock as I fall out of bed, again.
When's your stupid ass going to change the alarm clock?
"Bells, what's wrong?" Charlie yells as he barges into my room a few seconds later with half-closed eyes and a shotgun in his hand while the alarm blares in the background.
"Nothing, nothing, I just fell off the bed, Dad," I tell him, half laughing and half flinching at the pain in my butt while I put my hands in the air.
"Are you okay?" he asks with a worried look.
"Dad, I'm fine, really," I smile at him reassuringly and stop myself from flinching at the pain in my backside. "And what are you doing with a shotgun?" I ask, laughing. I see his ears turn red with embarrassment as he hides the gun behind his back. I snicker at his sweet, yet unnecessary reaction.
"Oh, um . . . well then . . . if you're fine, then I'll just leave you to . . yeah . . . " he mumbles awkwardly and closes the door behind him.
I will change the freaking alarm tone tonight.
Ya think?
After that embarrassing spectacle I get my ass up off the floor, turn off the damn alarm, fix my bed, and get ready for school.
Ten minutes later, I walk down the stairs to see Charlie sitting at the breakfast table reading the morning newspaper. He has already served breakfast and I am delighted to find out that he has opted for my favorite cereal.
He merely bids me a quiet good morning when he sees me.
Charlie is really making an effort to take care of me. I smile at the thought. It's actually nice to be taken care of for a change.
I thank him and eat my breakfast.
He usually goes to work much earlier, but I don't want to make him uncomfortable and ask him why he stayed back. He just sits with me in silence and continues to read, keeping me company while I finish my breakfast.
After breakfast I brush my teeth, grab my bag, and leave the house.
Before we go our separate ways, Charlie asks if he should come with me. I assure him that I can manage, give him a hug-which astonishes him, and wish him a good day.
As I drive to school I look at my green surroundings. I appreciate the fact the Forks has an abundance of flora and fauna. With the majority of trees being cut down around the globe, it's nice to actually be surrounded by nature instead of buildings and parking lots.
I snicker to myself as a funny thought comes to me. With everything being so green I bet even the shit is green here. El-oh-el.
:facepalm:
After a few minutes of driving, I see the sign reading - Forks High School Home of the Spartans - and turn into the parking lot. Thank effing goodness that there aren't any cars in the student parking lot yet. I'm in no mood to exchange bullshit pleasantries.
I park Bob, pat him on the hood, and then make my way to the main office. And how did I know where the main office is? There's a huge freaking sign labeled "Main Office" at the west side of the building.
I enter the building to find an old, sweet looking lady sitting behind a counter.
"Good morning, how may I help you, dear?" she asks with a bright smile.
I check her name-tag and see her name is Mrs. Cope.
"Good morning. I'm a new student, Isabella Swan. I came here to get my schedule," I tell her. The second she hears my name, recognition flashes in her eyes. I smirk to myself; Charlie must have been really pleased to have me come here.
I bet he took out an ad in the paper, too. LOL
After I get my schedule and a map of the school, I saunter my way out into the parking lot. I see that it's started to fill with cars.
Bob is bound to get the attention he deserves as he towers over the other cars. I feel so proud just looking at him.
And sure enough, students are looking at him. As soon as I get over to him I smirk at them and climb inside. I pat Bob's dashboard in satisfaction, turn on my iPod, and lie down on the wide bench seat for some alone time.
After fifteen minutes of blissful solitude I hear the bell ring. I sigh and slowly climb out of Bob and walk to the building.
As soon as I enter, a guy with black hair, glasses and a bad case of acne walks up to me and asks, "You're Isabella, right? Welcome to Forks high, my name is Eric."
"Hi, Eric, you must be the guy who knows everyone and everything about them. It's Bella, and thanks for the friendly welcome," I say and smile at him politely.
He chuckles. "Yes, I work for the school's newspaper. I'm writing a profile piece about you and I need to take a picture of you for it," he grins back.
"Eric, I'm flattered, really I am, but I don't want to be on the front page of Forks Weekly," I tell him bluntly.
"Oh."
He sounds disappointed.
I explain my reasoning to him. "Eric, with a school this small, you really don't need to write a profile piece about me. I'm sure the entire population of Forks, not just the high school, already knows what I look like and where I come from."
He cracks a grin at my reply. "Yes, you do have a point. But can I at least get a quote of your first impression of Forks?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Thanks, Bella," he says with a big grin.
"Oh, by the way, is that a piercing on your nose?" he asks out of the blue with an undertone of curiosity and awe. He must not have come across many 17 year-olds with a nose piercing.
"Yes, I got it for my 16th birthday," I tell him with a smile.
"It looks really good on you," he responds with a grin and a hint of a blush on his cheeks.
"Thanks," I give him a small smile.
He then asks me about my first class and offers to show me where it is. He is either kind, or eager. . . I'm betting on eager.
We reach the room where my class is being taught and I go inside, while he goes back in the direction we just came from.
Yes, definitely eager…
There are not that many students here yet so I find a spot in the back and sit there. As students begin to file in, they each stare at me as if I am an extra-terrestrial creature with three boobs.
The staring gets on my fucking nerves and annoys the hell out of me.
"Haven't your parents told you that it's rude to stare?" I snap at them and they quickly turn their heads to the front of the class.
Thankfully, the first two morning classes go by fast and I head off to third period, which is right before lunch break.
Eric is happy to walk me to every one of my classes since he saw my schedule. The guy is helpful and I'm grateful for it, but he asks too many questions during our walks to classes. I only answer a few as I quickly make my way from one class to the next.
"I'm sorry, sometimes I get a bit carried away." He looks at me sheepishly.
I smirk at him. "A bit?"
He chuckles, seeming a bit embarrassed and goes back to class.
~E&I~
I cannot express how relieved I am that it's lunchtime now.
As soon as I enter the loud cafeteria, it falls silent. I roll my eyes and grab my lunch.
When I turn around I see that they are still staring so I snap. "Why don't you take a picture, it will last longer!" Magically, they all find something to say to each other as they pretend to be immersed in deep conversation.
I sigh in annoyance and start toward an empty table at the back of the room when I hear someone say, "Hey, Bella, come sit over here with us."
I turn around and see Eric waving his arms frantically like a maniac. I barely contain my snicker and walk over to his table.
"Guys, this is Bella. Bella, these are my friends." After he introduces me to each and every one of them, I sit down. The boys are just that; boys … staring at me as if I'm a shiny new toy for them to play with. It seems my earlier outburst didn't make it through to them.
As for the girls, one of them, Angela, appears to be the shy type but she smiles at me when I introduce myself. She seems nice and I get a good vibe from her. She's very pretty with long, dark brown hair, brown eyes covered with glasses, and a willowy figure.
The second girl, Lauren, is pretty, as well. She is blonde with blue eyes and I can tell from the snooty way she looks me up and down that she and I aren't going to be braiding each other's hair and telling each other our deepest, darkest secrets any time soon. So I give her my best bitch brow in response. She glares at me before turning away. She doesn't seem to take a liking to me; probably due to the fact that all the male attention is on me.
Oh no, Lauren doesn't like me. How will I ever sleep at night?
The last girl at the table is Jessica. She has dark brown, curly hair and brown eyes. I know she is talkative (ask me how I know, go on, ask me) because as soon as I introduce myself, her mouth runs at 100 miles per second. Even her hair bounces as she talks away without taking a single breath. I just sit and stare at her like a dumbass, wondering how one can speak so fast.
Finally, getting fed up, I say, "Jessica, you talk way too fucking much." She stops mid-sentence. She and Lauren gasp, and they get an angry look in their eyes.
The guys snicker at my comment, but Jessica controls herself. She puts a fake smile on her face and zealously says, "Oh, sorry I'm such a blabber mouth. I'm just so excited to meet you."
"You guys sure are friendly," I tell them tactfully, and give them a small smile.
Most of the time I'm nice to people. However, fake people like Jessica piss me off. At least Lauren is being honest about her dislike for me and I can respect that. Let's be honest here, I'm an acquired taste. But right away I can tell that Jessica's only reason for being friendly to me is because she would be in the spotlight if she is seen socializing with me. I hope the fascination wears off soon, but in a school this small, it's highly unlikely.
I look at Angela and give her a friendly smile. She doesn't badger me with questions; she simply says that she hopes that I like it here and that we can be friends. I give her a bigger smile and we make small talk about classes and such, while the others chat amongst themselves.
After a few minutes of chatting with Angela, I look around the cafeteria. That's when I see them.
Damn! Who let them out of the crypt?