CHAPTER 37: Seattle
Looking down at the evergreen trees as the sun begins to rise, the lush natural life and the calming of the Puget Sound gives me a sort of comfort, and I suddenly feel relaxed and excited. I still can't believe Edward convinced Lucy to let me take the weekend off to visit my home in Forks, Washington so he and I could spend some quality time away from all the craziness we've gone through lately.
Lucy was more than happy to give me a few days off because she says she understands how I haven't gotten a moment's rest from the media frenzy that's followed us from Volterra. I would make up the time when I returned, still completing my full two weeks before my final resignation.
It'll also give Pat and Annie more hours because they both need the extra cash to help pay for school—something I'm all too familiar with.
Jacob was more than thrilled when I called to tell him to clear his calendar for the weekend because I planned to spend as much time as I could with him as well. Edward didn't mind so much since I explained Jacob knew where all the cool spots were for hiking and such in La Push and on First Beach.
Charlie, on the other hand, was also happy I was finally coming home for a visit…although his excitement wasn't pouring out like Jacob's, especially when I mentioned I wouldn't be alone. This will be the first time he and Edward will be meeting each other face-to-face.
My dad, the Chief of Police in Forks, wasn't a very emotional man and mentioning boys has always been an awkward subject. Edward is the only real boyfriend he knows about—mostly from the newspapers and television.
"Wow, Bella! It's so pretty here," Alice comments with excitement in her eyes. Her nose is practically pressed against the window. I agreed to swap her middle seat with my window seat since sitting by the window always makes me feel claustrophobic. It also allowed me to sit next to Edward who's held my hand virtually the entire flight.
When I told the Hobbit Edward and I were sabbatical for a couple of days, she starting whining and pouting because she's never been to the Northwest and kept hinting how she's always wanted see where I grew up.
The weekend was meant for Edward and I but I figured since it wasn't a secluded getaway on some kind of remote tropical island, Alice could tag along and hang out with us and my friends.
Edward frowned on the idea at first, but he understands how his sister needed the vacation just as much as we did. She's also the cushion between Edward and Charlie I'm going to use when I introduce the two most important men in my life, aside from Aro. I saw it as a win-win situation.
Before we left, Edward also made it clear to Emmett and Rosalie that no one is to know where we are. I left the same instructions with Aro and Jane who were more than compliant with the request. The three of us took a red-eye flight out on Thursday to thwart the paparazzi from following us and it's been so far so good.
At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Edward rented an SUV for our long drive to Forks the next day. Because none of us got much sleep on the plane, we'll be staying at a hotel for a few hours to feel more refreshed before the trip on the ferry and drive to Clallam County.
Alice booked the room under her name since no one really knew who Alice Cullen was because she rarely uses her real surname except on legal documents and for identification purposes. To the world she is known as the fashion designer Alice Brandon. To me, she's simply Alice.
"What happened to all the trees?" Alice is still looking out the window, except this time from the back seat of the car.
She looks disappointed.
I turn to her from the front passenger seat, chuckling. "We're still in the city, Alice. This area is an industrial part of Seattle, where Boeing Field is located. And in case you didn't know, Seattle is where the first Starbucks was built—in Pike Place Market."
"Of all the places I've been to, I can't believe I've never been to Seattle!" She shakes her head as if it's some kind of tragedy. I glance at Edward who has a hidden smirk on his face. He's been to Seattle a couple of times for smaller cameo roles from before but doesn't know his way around very well.
"It's a shame we're only driving through Seattle," the Hobbit sighs. "Oh, well. There's always next time."
"Well…" I look to her and glance back at Edward who cocks his head my way. "We can always catch a later ferry over and spend some time in downtown? I can tell Charlie we'll be in later this evening instead of the late afternoon."
"Oh, can we? Please!" Alice is jumping in her seat.
We both look at Edward since he'll be driving for most of the trip.
"It really shouldn't take that long to wander around," I smile at him. Even I was getting excited to roam the city with Alice and show her what Seattle is like.
"I'm not even tired anymore!" she adds.
Edward sighs at his hyperactive sister. "Fine. We'll rest for a couple of hours then we can hit up Seattle. But—I don't want to stay in the city for long. We still have a long drive to Forks."
"Yay!" she beams.
"Thank you," I squeeze his leg. He takes my hand and kisses the back of it, still focused on the road.
I I I
Edward and I are sleeping soundly in one of the double beds, wrapped in each other's arms when a sudden jolt wakes us up. I swear I just closed my eyes a second ago.
"Wake up sleepyheads!" Alice is on the edge of our bed, bouncing on her knees to get us moving. She's showered, changed and ready to go.
I roll over, burying my head under my pillow while Edward throws his at her, which she dodges gracefully. Even with her tongue sticking out at her brother, she's still in a cheerful mood. Alice never sleeps for long, especially when she's excited about something.
"I'm now regretting letting you come along," Edward groans.
"Hey!" I hear Alice pout. By the time I peek out from under my pillow, Alice has picked up Edward's pillow from the floor, throwing it back at him. He catches it perfectly, laughing at her.
"Good arm, Hobs," he chuckles.
"Whatever," she rolls her eyes. "Get up already or we won't get to see as many places."
"What time is it?" I yawn.
Edward glances at the bedside clock and groans again. "It's barely ten in the morning."
Alice shrugs. "I let you two sleep in for as long as I could."
Finally sitting up in bed, I stretch and let another yawn escape me. "Did you sleep at all?"
"Only about an hour or so," Alice replies. "I'm too full of energy! I'll sleep on the way over. I went downstairs to the concierge and got some brochures. While you were asleep I made notes on the places I'd like to visit. I know we probably won't get to see them all with the time we have, but I'd like to cross off as many as I can."
"I've never know you to be such a tourist, Alice," Edward shakes his head with a smile.
"There's a first for everything, dear brother."
I I I
Our first stop is Pike Place Market. It's located near the waterfront overlooking Elliott Bay. Pike Place is an area of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. It's full of vendors selling flowers, foods, trinkets, and jewelry. This is also where the famous "flying fish" can be found.
One of the main attractions at Pike Place is when the fishmonger employees throw salmon to each other over the counter instead of walking out to the table to retrieve a fish each time a customer places an order. Many tourists and even the locals Seattleites gathered to watch them in action.
The young male employees saw Alice right away and tried to persuade her to catch one, which she politely declined. Eating fish and smelling like one were two different things, and she didn't come here to smell like the sea. However, Edward took up the offer and missed the first catch, but caught the second, which got him a round of applause from the people watching nearby. I took pictures to capture the moments on our trip for the scrapbook I'm planning on putting together once we get back to Los Angeles.
"People don't really buy the fish that's been dropped on the floor do they?" Alice asks in a whisper, looking a little disgusted.
I chuckle. "No. The ones they throw around are prop fish. They never sell those."
"Oh, good," she looks relieved. "I don't think I'd be able to look at sushi the same way again."
"Ladies," I hear Edward's voice.
He disappeared for a moment while one of the employees tried flirting with Alice. I stayed with her to keep her company. He reveals two beautiful bouquets from his back that he's bought for us from the massive row of flowers on the other side of the market.
"They're beautiful!" Alice takes hers, hugging it close to her. "Thanks, Eddie!" she gives him a kiss on the cheek.
One of my favorite things at the market are the flowers. The flower vendors always provide beautiful, fresh flowers in singles or bouquets that are on display like the colors of the rainbow. They also come at a great price, ranging anywhere from five to twenty dollars.
"Thank you," I smile at Edward, giving him a sweet, innocent kiss on the lips. "They really are beautiful."
"Beautiful flowers for beautiful girls," he says with his boyish charm.
After Pike Place, I take the siblings down to the waterfront and ride the newly built ferris wheel then have lunch at Ivar's Fish Bar by Pier 54. It's colder in Seattle this time of year but it makes for a great view of the Bay. We sit inside Ivar's outdoor area that's surrounded with glass walls and ceiling heaters—perfect for keeping you warm outside while eating. I don't eat fish so I grabbed a grilled cheese sandwich along the way.
After Alice got her fill of the area, we went to the main part of downtown Seattle where the two shopping malls, Nordstrom, H&M, Forever21, Urban Outfitters, Old Navy, Macy's, and other name brand stores can be found. This was the area circled in red on the tourist map she got at the front desk before we checked out of the hotel. The Hobbit couldn't stay still because she was in her element and could shop till her heart's content…within the small time frame Edward gave her.
Edward didn't say much and let his sister drag us wherever she wanted to go once she agreed. I didn't mind because I enjoyed walking around Seattle and once we get to Forks, I know the small town won't compare with some of the sites and shops here.
I I I
Six shopping bags later, Alice was ready to go on our next adventure. She and Edward also wanted to check out the famous Space Needle and The Experience Music Project located north of downtown in Seattle Center, but there wasn't enough time. The EMP is basically a funky shaped museum dedicated to the history and exploration of popular music, science fiction and pop culture. I told them we could go there and the Needle next time, and even ride on the monorail that leads back to downtown toward the Westlake Shopping Center.
"There's one quick stop I want to take you to," I tell them. Checking my watch, we had time to squeeze in one more place before we had to be at the ferry terminal up north.
"Oh! Where?" Alice asks excitedly.
I have Edward drive us past Seattle Center toward Queen Anne Hill and tell him to turn on a residential street. Alice is wondering what we're doing by a bunch of houses and apartment buildings until she she's the park to her left.
"That's Kerry Park," I explain.
"Oh, wow!" she exclaims with delight.
Edward pulls over to gander at the sight himself. "That's an awesome view of Seattle."
Alice is the first out of the car as we follow in pursuit. By the time we reach her, she's already taking pictures alongside other tourists and photographers trying to capture a panoramic view of the Emerald City.
Kerry Park is a small park area that has one of the best views of Seattle. Many of the pictures taken here are used as postcards or picture paintings. It's a great sight during the day but even more beautiful at night. Locals and tourists alike come here to enjoy the view on a daily basis. Weddings have also been known to take place here. Some even come here on dates to make out in their cars when the sun goes down.
While Alice is busy chatting with other people and taking turns snapping pictures with them in the background, Edward sneaks his arms around my waist, pulling me toward him. I smile at the contact. He kisses my hair as I relax into him.
"Thank you for taking Alice around. She's having a really good time," he says.
Facing him, I place my arms around his shoulders. "Technically, you're the one who's taking her around. I've only been along for the ride. And this is also for you."
Edward smiles sweetly, kissing my cheek. "I'm having fun, too."
I I I
The drive on Interstate 5 heading north wasn't that bad since we're able to use the carpool lane. Alice has passed out in the back seat, her jet-lag finally kicking in. She'll need her rest since Edward is making her drive next to Port Angeles. The Edmonds-Kingston Ferry is packed with cars and people so luckily we made it on time.
Alice didn't want to go upstairs to the waiting area so we left her in the car to catch up on her beauty sleep. The ferry ride towards Port Angeles is only 30 minutes anyway.
"It seems very peaceful here," Edward comments while we're enjoying the scenery on the outside deck. It's windy out on the water so he has his arms around me to shield me from the cold.
"It can be. The Puget Sound area is nothing like Los Angeles, especially Forks. People live more simply there within their means and everyone knows everyone. They'll be able to spot you a mile away."
"Well, hopefully they only think I'm some guy you're introducing to your father and that's it," I hear him smile.
"We'll see," I smirk, looking back at him.
Deep down I'm hoping the news about our relationship hasn't spread too far, but Forks having such a small population, I wouldn't be surprised if we arrived to a marching band with banners draped across the stores. The townspeople like to make the smallest of things like it's the Fourth of July every chance they got because a reason to celebration—and seeing celebrities—are a rare occurrence.
"Alice, wake up," Edward gently shakes his sister.
"Are we there yet?" she yawns.
"Almost, Sleeping Beauty. It's your turn to drive."
The Hobbit frowns, forgetting the deal they made after he let her go on her shopping spree rampage earlier. She rolls her eyes and lazily gets out of the backseat to the front, the other drivers also heading to their cars and starting their engines because we're about to disembark. I stay in the front passenger seat to navigate.
Edward leans forward from his seat in the back to squeeze my shoulders. "I'm going to sleep for a bit."
"Okay," I squeeze his hands in return.
"The cars are moving, which way do I go?" asks Alice.
I point ahead. "Just follow the cars in front of you. Stay on this road then follow the signs to I-101 North to Port Angeles. It will take us all the way around the Olympic National Park, through Port Angeles then Forks."
"How long is the drive to Forks from here?"
The question was about to come up sooner or later. "Well...our total travel time is around two and half hours."
"Are you serious?" she says wearily.
Alice isn't a fan of long drives. "We can stop in Port Angeles to stretch and grab a bite eat before we head to Forks."
"Oh, no," the Hobbit shakes her head in disapproval, stepping on the gas.
"Alice!" I can see the road rage coming out of her.
"We're not stopping anywhere if it's going to take that long to get there. You said Forks was a ways from Seattle but I had no idea it was practically on the other side of the planet—no offense."
"None taken. But, I kept telling you Forks is a small town. Of course it's not going to just be a hop, skip and a jump from Seattle."
I understand how she feels about the drive because that's how I felt when Charlie first picked me up at Sea-Tac when I decided to live with him when my mom remarried. For a young kid, too, the drive was almost unbearable. Charlie had to stop every few miles or so to let me out and stretch because I was getting cabin fever in the car.
"A hop, skip and a jump..." Alice scoffs. "More like a hop, skip and a jump with a leap frog across the pond."
"Just drive, Alice," Edward sounds annoyed in the back seat. He has his arms folded across his chest and his eyes closed, leaning comfortably against his headrest.
She sticks her tongue out at him through the rearview mirror, which of course he doesn't see or is ignoring.
I just laugh quietly to myself.
"I know you want to get there as soon as possible," I say to her, "but you have to watch your speed here. There are a lot of state and county patrols out in these areas."
It's easy enough for the police cruisers to hide with all the surrounding trees around the winding roadways.
"That's such a drag," she complains.
"I'll tell you what? Once we get to Port Angeles, I'll drive the rest of the way? That way you can take a nap or go on your phone or do whatever you want to before we get there."
Alice ponders on my compromise. "Hmm…okay! Deal!" she smiles. This should make the rest of the trip a little smoother for everyone.
I smile back then focus my gaze out my window. I should take a nap myself before it's my turn to drive but I'm wide awake. The trees, landscape and rushing rivers are getting me more excited about seeing Charlie, Jacob and my friends again. I never had a lot of friends growing up and I didn't really need that many because quality mattered more to me than quantity.
After only being gone for less than a year, I wonder what's changed and what's stayed the same. I feel like the same person but I know I've changed over the course of just three months in Italy. I feel more experienced in matters and a little more knowledgeable about the world in some aspects.
I hope Edward and Alice enjoy their time in Forks. We don't have much to brag about but the change in lifestyle that they're used to should be enough experience for both. I just hope I don't embarrass anyone.
Author's Note: Hope you liked their mini side adventure. Forks is finally up next!
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