A/N: Obviously, this is chapter 2. And this is another reedited chapter. I'm so embarrassed that I never realized how horrible my writing was before. I literally shudder to think what you all thought when you first read this.
Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Lucky girl.
CHAPTER 2:
BPOV
As I exited the plane, I gave it my best effort not to snap at any of the stewardesses. It wasn't there fault that they were trained to act like baby-sitters. I'd grown used to the territory that came with being handicapped. I was almost constantly badgered by people who felt like it was their civil duty to baby me until I threatened to bat them away with my cane. I wasn't a particularly violent person so I could only hope that someone would just get the hint when I told them to go and shove it.
I couldn't feel the sunlight through the dense fog that I remembered normally took refuge in the Olympic peninsula but I could see it, just barely. Faint colors blurred in front of me as people passed me by.
"Bells!!" I instantly turned towards the direction of the voice I was so familiar with. Charlie Swan, my father and Chief of Police of Forks, Washington, was very much like me, or rather, I was very much like him. We were both quiet people by nature and preferred comfortable silences. Most of my traits came from Charlie; the thick brown hair; the brown eyes; I was pretty much a female Charlie replica. I placed my cane in front of me as I slowly made my way forward towards my father's voice. I could hear the voices of people as they murmured on. Oh my goodness, that's so terrible and oh the poor dear, I wonder how she copes with being...disabled.
Walking through the crowds was actually quite an annoying experience. I had a Moses flashback, me being the one parting a sea of people with my cane.
"Hey Ch-Dad!" I was truly happy to see him. I had told him when I was planning my trip that I didn't want sympathy and pity from him. He had been with me in the hospital after the incident and knew I didn't appreciate all the fuss. That's why I liked Charlie so much. He didn't hover.
"Bells, it's been awhile." He pulled me into one of his awkward one-armed hugs and released me. One thing about Charlie was that he had trouble showing true affection, which was something that didn't bother me. I had never been one to flaunt my feelings out in the open for everyone to see. While growing up in Renee's care, I had always learned to be tough and stick it out. Renee being free-spirited and scatter-brained made her more of the child in her relationship. I have always been taking care of her, making sure there was always something edible in the house, and making sure all the bills were paid on time. I was even the parent when it came to the accident. While Renee would cry over my problems, I would comfort her and tell her things would be okay. I never even cried when I found out. I had to be the strong one. If I wasn't, no one else would be. Phil was always working and even though I knew he cared for me as much as a stepfather can care for a stepdaughter, he couldn't lay off his job to comfort my mother. Income was important when there was so little of it coming in. There was really no need to add to the ever-growing pile of predicament.
"Bells, I already got your bags, 'kay? Ready to go?" I nodded and followed the sound of Charlie's heavy footsteps through the terminal. I felt my cane bump into something hard. My hand stretched out only to feel the top of a car, my guess was Charlie's cruiser. I was glad to know that my brother Emmett's work at a garage in Port Angeles had been enough to help him pay for a car for himself, meaning I wouldn't have to ride in the cruiser to school. Handicap girls got enough attention as it was; I didn't need anymore.
I opened the car door and carefully ducked down to avoid hitting the edge of the car's frame. After seating and buckling myself up, I felt the vibrations of the engine as it turned on, the old purr of the engine reminding me vaguely of a dog's snoring. The car started going forward, the feeling of the vibrations disappearing as we drove down the road. I enjoyed the silence on the way home. It was always nice with Charlie. There was no need for drabble.
About forty-five minutes later the car came to a rolling stop in from of a quaint little two-story white house, complete with attic. I didn't need to see it to know that it would look the same as it had years ago when I had last visited. Charlie was, despite his obvious social awkwardness, one for memories. Renee and he had built this home together for Emmett and myself before everything broke apart and they split up. The sad truth that Charlie probably wouldn't recover from their break had never sat well with me, but I had grown accustomed just as I assumed Emmett and Charlie had.
"Hey Dad, where's Emmett right now? Wait, you didn't tell him I was coming, did you?" Emmett was always one for surprises. I knew that if I just spontaneously showed, he would be beyond thrilled.
"I didn't tell Emmett, kiddo. How about we put your bags in your room and then I'll drive you down to the high school. He's at football practice right now, prepping for the new school year. He has to get all those new freshmen ready for the season." Ah, football, the miracle sport that brought my father and brother together. While silence and clumsiness was my father's and my connection, he and my brother were sports buddies.
After feeling my way into the house, I instantly felt the familiar feel of being here. Even without my sight, the aura was always the same every time I visited. Carefully feeling my way around once more, I found the stair and carefully climbed each step while holding the railing. Emmett had told me that he made the attic into his room; therefore, he could customize his room to make it "up to his manliness standards," as he put it. I felt the doorknob with my fingertips; it still had the dent from when I tripped on my last visit five years ago and hit my head on it. Ah, those many trips to the hospital…good times, good times.
I walked in, my cane guiding me and helping me avoid the bed and walls. Suddenly, my stick bumped into something that wasn't there before...a desk? "Dad, what's this desk doing here?" I heard his heavy footsteps as they came closer to me.
"Well, your brother and I have been saving up some money. We figured that we were going to send you something that would help you with school and stuff. So, we bought you an Easy Talk computer system." Renee and I had looked into the Easy Talk computer systems many times before. I had always had to use an old typewriter in order to do all my assignment that required being typed out. Renee had wanted to get me one of these computers, but the prices were outrageous.
"Dad, those computers are worth thousands of dollars, not to mention all the set up and the Braille printer. You shouldn't have done that, seriously." In all honesty, I was beyond happy on the inside, but I really didn't like money being spent on me. I was fine with using the typewriter I brought.
"Bells, it's fine. I know it will make things easier, okay? Besides, it has everything you need. Just ask Emmett. He and his friend Jasper set it up for you. Though, you probably want to thank Emmett for it more. He got a raise at the garage and he put ½ of paycheck for the past eight months into it." I was really going to have to hug that big bear of a brother now. He did so much for me and I didn't do anything in return except bring hi the burden of watching over his visually impaired little sister.
"Thanks so much Dad, this means the world to me." He grunted in response. I could tell right now that he was probably blushing one of those Swan blushes. After setting all my bags on the bed, I walked downstairs, again, surprising myself by not tripping on the last step. Perhaps being blind has helped my balance. Or perhaps I spoke too soon. As soon as I entered the kitchen, I stumbled. Having caught myself before I fell completely to the floor, I balanced myself out once more and felt my way towards the fridge.
Knowing my father and Emmett, they had probably been living off of pizza and take-out for all these years. Luckily, my "disability" hadn't disabled me from cooking. I had taught myself over the past year to continue cooking by losing myself in the scents and sounds made by the food. I had to if I wanted to survive living with Renee and her crazy concoctions.
Upon opening up the refrigerator door, I found that not only was I afraid to stick my hand inside and feel my way around, but the smell was beginning to reek. I made a mental note to ask Emmett to take me grocery shopping. I was not about to live off of pizza and take-out for the remainder of my high school years.
"Hey Bells! I called your mom to tell her you arrived safely. She said that she set up an appointment with your new psychiatrist." I sighed. Renee was…frustratingly stern when it came to the appointments with the psychiatrists that she had set me up with. It was her way of making me cope with what had happened despite my protests that I was fine and she was the one who was taking this way out of hand. In her eyes, she felt that I needed to be more open about it and that I had no reason to be ashamed.
What she didn't know was that during these sessions of sayings like: How does that make you feel and I think we've made a breakthrough, the process would become very tedious. I didn't actually get over anything because of therapy. Actually, I believe while I hid my feelings on the subject of my impairment, I actually raised my shrink's ego by telling her what a great job she has been doing. It's nice to know that my blindness boosted someone's confidence.
--
Charlie and I headed over to Forks High, the tiny high school that was probably the largest establishment in Forks. When Charlie asked if I wanted him to show me where to go, I assured him all he needed to do was point me in the right direction and all would be well.
"Just walk forward. We are right in front of the field. The bleachers are right there, you'll feel them." After thanking him, I heard his car pull away and I began my journey to the bleachers. After about fifty steps, I heard some yells.
"Hey! Watch out!" Out of habit, I stepped a couple feet to the right only to hear something fly past my left ear. Apparently, practice was still going.
"Hey are you alright?" I could recognize that voice anywhere. Immediately, I felt like my lips weren't under my own control anymore as they stretched without my consent. I decided to tease him for a moment.
"No, actually, I was just about hit with a football and my own brother doesn't recognize that his sister is right in front of him! What kind of welcome is that?"
"Bells? Oh my gosh, that is you!!" I felt myself being lifted off the ground and pulled into a familiar hug, crushing and warm. Emmett's curly hair tickled my chin and I could feel the smile on his face. "Oh my gosh Bells, how did you get here?"
"Emmett...can't...breath..," I joked. He chuckled and released me from his death grip. "Oops, sorry," he said, knowing that I was perfectly fine. It was one of those strange brother-sister bond things that people always talked about. I could almost see his cute little, sheepish grin that would reveal his dimples. "It's okay, Em. Charlie dropped me off by the way. Oh and here." I pulled him into a huge hug and squeezed as hard as I could without accidentally breaking my arms on my own brother.
"What was that for?" Silly Emmett, always so forgetful.
"For the Easy Talk computer. You really shouldn't have put so much money into it. I know for a fact that those things cost more than a couple thousand dollars. You put so much into it and what did I do? Nothing." I was pulled into another hug.
"Bells, you know that you're my only and favorite little sis'. I just wanted to make things easier on you. Anyway, I expect you to be on top of all your classes and you can do all your homework and assignments on the computer." I smiled and nodded. He was such a good person and the best big brother I could ever ask for. Sure, he was a little overprotective sometimes, but he always did what he thought was best for me.
"Hey! Em, who's that?" I could hear the crunch of the grass as it faltered underneath the feet of a couple of other bodies. My guess was that it was a couple of the players that Charlie had been talking about.
"Hey Jasper, this is my little sister, Bella. She just moved here from Phoenix. She's going to be coming to Forks High. Junior year." I smiled politely in the direction in which Jasper was coming from. I held out my hand politely and felt someone grasp it and lightly shake it. I could automatically feel their stares on my eyes, brown, yet covered with the milky white veil that shielded my vision.
"Ah, so you're Jasper. I believe Charlie said you helped Emmett with the Easy Talk, thanks. God knows what would have happened if Emmett did it by himself." I laughed lightly, earning a poke in my stomach from Emmett and a quiet laugh from Jasper and the other boy, whom I had almost forgotten was there. "Yeah, I helped him out, but it was no problem. I actually asked if I could help him; I'm kind of a computer freak." I found myself smiling again. It felt easy, almost like I didn't have to make an effort to smile. It was different. I kind of liked it.
Pulling me out of my thoughts, Jasper began snickering and then continued, "Bella, we are going to be leaving practice in about five minutes. I made a bet with Em saying that he could eat a gallon container of pickles, so we got to go." I started laughing and clutching my sides along with Jasper and the other boy. I felt everyone go silent and heard someone step closer to me.
It was then that I heard a voice, a smooth baritone.
"Hello, I'm Edward Cullen."
A/N: Yes, thank god I fixed it. All those blasted tense changes…how could I have screwed up so horribly?! It's like...I don't even know!
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