A/N: (4/17/09, 2pm EST) A little bit of dialog has been added to the end of school Monday. This chapter inspired lindyrb with her own little Jeep scene, and it made me laugh, so, with her permission, I have added it. I am humbled that I inspired, you lady! Thanks for letting me share!
End of Chapter 12
"See you tomorrow, partner," I said getting into the car.
"See you bright and early!" She called back looking into the back seat to wink at Emmett.
As we pulled away, my dad patted my knee and gave me a proud smile. Out of all my achievements in sports, school, and music, that my dad had praised me on over the years, I think this smile of him being proud of me, the person, would mean the most.
Chapter 13: Let Me Ride (BPOV)
I was startled out of my sleep by the sound of my alarm blaring. It felt too early for it to be going off. I looked up at the time. It WAS too early for it to be going off! Why was my alarm going off an hour early?! Then as my sleepy haze began to lift, it all came back to me. Football. Bets. Jeep!! My eyes flew open then, and I turned off my alarm as I launched myself out of my bed.
I got showered, dressed, and ready for school in record time. I was downstairs singing to myself as I made Charlie and I omelets and bacon for breakfast. I was just pulling them off of the stove and onto plates when I heard Charlie stomp down the steps.
"Morning, dad," I called out as I grabbed two glasses and poured juice in them. "I made omelets...and bacon!"
"Oh good," he muttered. "If I got down here to find out that the smell of pork fat was just in my dreams, I was going to be upset."
I set our food down, and we both dug in. Charlie sighed reverently as I heard the bacon breaking off into his mouth. Charlie shared my weird taste in how we liked our bacon cooked. If it didn't shatter when it hit the floor, then it wasn't done.
"I guess I don't need to ask why you are so eager to get rolling this morning," Charlie said with a smirk.
"I can't wait to drive the Jeep!" I squealed. "Edward sent me a text last night and said I could leave my truck in their garage this week while I had possession of the Jeep."
"I know you are excited, Bella, but remember that this is another person's vehicle and to be responsible with it," Charlie chided.
"I'm the Police Chief's daughter, dad," I said exasperated. "I become physically ill at the thought of violating traffic laws."
"OK. OK," he said laughing. "I just don't want to have to deal with a mostly grown man crying if anything happens to that car."
"Scout's honor," I say holding up my three fingers like I was in Brownies again. "No harm will come to the vehicle."
Charlie laughed again as I cleared my plate, and brought over his morning medication and a glass of water. I checked to make sure there was food for Charlie's lunch, reminded him to take his afternoon medicine, kissed him on the cheek, and I was out the door. I tossed my bag into the passenger seat of my truck. It was all I could do to keep from bouncing in my seat the whole way to the Cullen's house. Once I pulled into their driveway, it was like pulling into victory lane. As I got closer to the house, I could see the Jeep parked out front next to Edward's Volvo. Emmett stood in front of his Jeep pacing, and Edward was leaned up against the Volvo trying to stifle a laugh.
I pulled my truck into the garage where the Jeep typically sat, and I could hear Emmett cursing from inside the cab of my truck. I took the truck key off of my key ring, and left it in the ignition, as I slid out. I slowly walked up to Emmett with a huge, cheshire grin on my face.
"Good morning, Emmett," I said as I ran my fingers over the front fender of the Jeep.
"Before we do this," Emmett started, "we need to go over the rules."
"Let's hear it," I said, but was shocked when I was handed a bound report entitled 'Rules for Emmett's Jeep' by Emmett McCarty Cullen. It was all I could do not to laugh. Edward came around now and put an arm over my shoulders and whispered 'Good Morning' before he leaned over to read with me. I opened the booklet. Christ, it even had a table of contents! I had to laugh now.
"This is serious, Bella!" Emmett snapped. Edward hid his face behind my head to try to hide the fact that he was laughing.
"OK!" I said holding up my hands in surrender. There were sections on proper places to park the Jeep. There were detailed instructions on how to clean the Jeep should it become dirty. There was a list of straight out things I couldn't do. I huffed when I saw mud running on the list.
"Aww...come on, Emmett!" I said with a huff. "What is the fun of having a Jeep at my disposal if I can run it through some fields."
"No way, Bella," he said. "No frickin' way!"
"Fine," I relented. "My prize, sir!"
I held out my hands for the keys. He reluctantly dropped them into my hand. Alice bounded out of the house at that moment. Edward gave me a squeeze and walked over to get into his car.
"Shotgun!" Alice sang out.
"I'm riding with Edward," Emmett mumbled. "I can't watch this."
Alice and I climbed into the Jeep. I set my iPod into the dock that Emmett had, and started the engine. I couldn't hold back the smile on my face as I heard the engine come to life. We looked over to see Emmett leaning over Edward motioning for us to roll down the window. I complied letting down the passenger window and looking down at them in Edward's car.
"And no chick music!" Emmett yelled.
"What?" I asked innocently. "Like this?"
I scrolled through my artist list until I saw the perfect thing. Alice just started laughing, as Tori Amos started blaring through the speakers. I saw Emmett throwing his hands in the air and Edward buckled over in laughter as I rolled up the window, and took off out of the driveway. By the time we got to school, Alice and I were laughing so hard, we could hardly stand up.
"What's so funny, ladies?" Jasper asked as he walked up to Alice, and wrapped her up in an affectionate embrace.
"He's having kittens, isn't he," Rose stated giving me a hug. I wrapped my arm around her waist as we waited for the Volvo to pull into the lot.
"You have no idea," I said trying to calm my laughter.
"Did he give you the manual?" She asked with a smirk.
"How did you know about that?" I asked. Rose just gave me a smirk.
"When a man turns down this," she said motioning to herself, "to put the finishing touches on a rule book for his car..."
Just then the Volvo pulled into the lot and Edward parked next to the Jeep. Emmett was out of the car almost before Edward had come to a complete stop. He walked along taking a close inventory of every inch of the exterior.
"Jesus, Emmett," Rose yelled out. "It's not even 10 miles from your house!"
I turned to Edward now. We didn't really get a chance to talk earlier at his house.
"Are you ready for today?" He asked.
"Ready?" I asked.
"Time to come down from the Jeep induced haze, fair princess," he said with a laugh. "Our biology presentation? Ring a bell?"
"Oh crap!" I said apologetically. "Edward, I am so sorry...of course...I'm ready."
The bell rang then, and he once again wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we walked towards the school.
"I think you should come out at the end of the lunch period and do some laps in the Jeep so you can be this relaxed for biology," he said. I shoved him away playfully.
"No donuts in the Jeep!" Emmett yelled out from behind us. "It's on the list!"
The day's only painful note came at study hall when I found out about Mrs. Conner's mother. I would miss her. She had gotten me through so many tough weeks. She was my sole comfort when I was all alone. It was her that put the mirror in front of my face after Edward and I's fight. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have my friend beside me now. I would still be alone. How do you thank someone for that?
At lunch, Edward and I went over our notes one last time. I spun Emmett's Jeep key around my finger as we reviewed. Our presentation went great. I was a little nervous at first, but all it took was one reassuring smile from Edward, and I was good. The more people asked about the digs the more animated and excited I got. I sat back in awe as Edward described all the technicalities on the cellular level of evolution as we understand it. Everyone was so interested in our project that we ended up taking the whole class period instead of just our allotted 15 minutes. Mr. Banner smiled at us and said it was well worth the wait.
After class, I helped Edward take our presentation materials back out to his car. I was on such a high from how well it all went, that I couldn't help but jump into his arms with a squeal. He laughed and held me close.
"Piece of cake, right?" He asked.
"I couldn't have done it without you," I said into his shoulder.
"That's what friends are for," he said putting me down.
"Please," I said. "No cheesy 80s musical references."
He stood there for a minute fake pondering.
"How about this one, then," he said as he put his arm around my waist and we walked back towards the building. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
"Casablanca," I smiled looking up at him. "You sure know how to sweet talk me, Mr. Cullen."
"My pleasure, Miss Swan," he said tapping my nose with his finger. "See you after school!"
"Later," I called as I headed for gym class.
Alice and Japser were waiting by the Jeep when school let out.
"How was gym class?" Alice asked with a snort.
"It just always makes me hungry. I'm glad it is the last class of the day," I said. "Wanna stop and get a burger on the way home?"
"No burgers in the Jeep!!" Emmett yelled from a few yards away. He was walking towards us with his arm draped over Rosalie. Edward was a few steps behind and was trying to muffle his laughter.
"Hmm...ok. We'll just grab Cokes." I said to Alice.
"No drinks either...you might spill!" Emmett boomed as he approached us.
Rosalie tossed his arm off of her and began walking to her BMW with an embarrassed glare in Emmett's direction. I just gave a weak pout at Emmett. Weak, because it was hard to keep a straight face with Edward's laughing face in my periphery.
"Ok, Emmett...no burgers or drinks." I conceded, but if he wanted to play this way...game on. I could feel the wicked smirk start to crawl upon my face. Edward stood bolt upright anticipating what new development this would bring. I slowly turned to Alice.
"Hey Alice...wanna just grab a couple of ice cream cones??" I asked excitedly.
"NO NO NO!" Emmett yelled while stomping his foot like a five year old.
Edward fell back onto the hood of his car in absolute hysterics. Rosalie stood there staring at Emmett like he had grown a third head. Alice and Jasper clung to each other trying to muffle their laughter. She into his chest, and he into her shoulder. I sat back on the bumper of the Jeep pointing and laughing at Emmett. I saw our classmates walking by looking at the scene that was unfolding in front of them. In the past, I would have been embarrassed to be the center of so much attention, but I was so happy in the glow of my friends, I could have cared less.
***
Wednesday brought about a milestone in Charlie's cancer treatment. It was his last chemo treatment until after his surgery. We had almost two whole chemo free months ahead of us! We had gone into Carlisle's office to discuss everything we needed to know about Charlie's upcoming surgery before he went back for his treatment. As always, I pulled out my notebook, and Carlisle laughed and gave me an affectionate smile. After we were done talking, and before Carlisle took Charlie back, he asked if he could return the favor by having us over this Sunday for the game. I looked to Charlie and was happy when he accepted for the both of us.
I sat and waited for Charlie, as I usually did, but this time I wasn't alone. Text messages from both Alice and Edward kept me company. Even one from Emmett:
Don't want to be the insensitive jerk, but could you please try to keep Charlie from yakking in the Jeep? -Em
I could picture Rosalie smacking him in the head from here if she caught wind of that text. I would have been upset before over something like this, but I was lighter now. My weight was no longer on my shoulders alone. I had friends who were holding me up. Things were finally looking up for the Swan family.
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A/N: Sorry that this is shorter than normal. My uterus hates me, and is not giving me any reprieve. I just can't think straight. I tried to get the hubby to just cut it out, but he doesn't love me enough. ;-)
Just as a reminder, the clinical trail that Charlie is participating in will flow like this:
6-8 weeks off chemo
surgery (end of December)
3 months of recovery
3 months of chemo (March-June)
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