Chapter 8: Date with Mike and friends with Jake.

I woke up early again without an alarm. Mike and I wouldn't be running on weekends in order to sleep in, isn't that the meaning of a weekend anyway?

I took a long nice shower, tried to copy what the hairdresser did to them yesterday and went downstairs to start on breakfast. After all I had promised Charlie a nice breakfast on weekends. I smiled at that thought and started to mix the pancakes. A pot of coffee later dad came downstairs following the scent of food and coffee still rubbing his eyes.

For once dad did not open his newspaper with breakfast but was more inclined to talk about how was my day in Port Angeles and about my truck. I was almost taken aback. Dad wanted to talk? That's stranger than me wanting to talk. He said he would take it to Jake tomorrow since he would go to see the game with the guys and Jake was the one who rebuilt it. I asked if I could go with him. I hadn't seen Jake since he crashed my prom last year and Edward didn't like me going to La Push. He never gave me a reason for that, I pondered. Anyway I had missed Jake, we used to be pretty close when I came to visit dad in the past. I told dad about my day yesterday and that I had plans to go out with Mike this afternoon. His eyes lit up and he asked me

"Like a date?" I cringed

"I guess although it's more of a friend outing" Mike might be a really good guy and a better friend but I don't think we could ever be a couple. He just needs to see it!

Dad got ready to go the station, it was his extra shift day, and I got up to get dressed. I didn't know where we would be going so I followed Angie's idea and wore the same skirt from yesterday with leggins and I consciously stopped myself before I could remember Victoria's same attire from last year at the baseball field. I added a dark green top with a black jacket, black shoes and purse. I repeated the makeup from yesterday and went downstairs to enjoy cartoons till Mike got here. He was a few minutes late and in jeans...

I hopped in and we were off. Mike smiling told me it was time to be kids. I raised an eye brow and he replied that there was a theme park in Victoria his parents used to take him as a kid. I jumped at the city name but can you blame me? The park was 2 hours away and while Mike kept the speed limit and didn't drive to the breakneck speed Edward did, we were chatting and the drive didn't seem that long.

We were at the gates at 2 o'clock. Mike parked and we headed straight to mini golf courses. The setting was cute with the holes giving you the feeling of an around the world course. Mike went first and was obviously good at it. Hole in one. I, on the hand, was not eager to get the club and hit. No matter how many times I begged him to not let me do it Mike kept ignoring me and in the end I got pissed and hit with my eyes closed. As I didn't hear anyone crying or moaning or groaning in pain I hesitantly open one eye to find Mike looking at me with a pleased smile stuck on his face. I frowned and opened the second eye. I looked around me trying to see what had pleased him so much. In the end, seeing nothing out of the ordinary I looked at the hole and it had my ball in! I smiled at Mike and without thought gave him a hug and did a small happy dance. With my face burning up I mumbled

"I didn't think I could do it"

Mike was laughing when he said

"I did"

We laughed together and moved on to the next hole. It was fairly easy as well. Of course by the time we reached Europe the holes were harder but in the end we had fun. Over hotdogs and colas we were discussing if we could travel which of the countries we had just hit we'd go.

After a few minutes to catch our breath we moved to the ice-cream parlor and family fun zone. We chose redemption games to relax and have fun. Feeling like children we competed at foosball and o a couple whackers and hummers. We avoided water guns and I sent Mike alone to the sports related ones. I made my way to the screen machines for a few rounds of memory. After that I went to fetch Mike who was competing some 3 year old in a basketball sonic machine. We turned to me with a way too happy and excited smile. I couldn't help but tease him.

"Oh Mike you're my hero»

I exclaimed with a too dreamy voice

"You just beat up a 3 year old in a 5 year old machine"

I deadpanned and then laughed. Mike looked at me sheepishly and then laughed with me. We headed to a shoot air game where Mike was determined to win a teddy bear big enough to sit the backseats alone. I shook my head but went along.

'I'm actually having fun'

After shooting enough ducks to make them an endangered species we left with a big teddy each, a boy and a girl, and headed to the crane games. We played for a long time trying to get the stuffed animals we wanted to give our friends. When we got tired we decided to head to the benches with lemonades to get our mojo back and relax. The sun was slowly setting and we leaned back to watch it

"Bella?"

"Yeah Mike?"

"this is fun"

"It is. I haven't been to something like this since I was a little girl"

"I'm happy you're having fun"

We were silent for a while and then Mike spoke up

"I was thinking"

'Is that a good idea?'

"About what?"

"You know I liked you when you got here and I really thought I wanted you and me to be together, you know, as boyfriend and girlfriend? But today I realized that maybe we were better as friends. I'd never really had that before. A friend who is a girl. And I kind of like it, you know?"

'wow! I've been telling him the same thing since the day we met and he only realizes it after one day at a carnival? Why did I accept last year?'

"I know. I like it too."

"So anyway, once I got over the idea that you and I should go out, I started thinking about going out with other girls. But you know what? None of them really appeal to me. If I went out with any of them I would just be using them to pass the time, you know? And I don't really feel good about that. It just doesn't seem right."

I nodded.

"So I figured that maybe I'm just not supposed to be with anyone right now. I mean, in less than a year I'll be in college and will meet a bunch of new girls and maybe the right girl is somewhere out there, not here in Forks."

I laughed.

"Yeah, you're right. When you get right down to it, we're fishing in a pretty small pond."

"Yeah, but I don't even feel like I'm fishing. I feel more like the fish, desperate not to get caught. And I think you feel the same way."

He had a point. I nodded my agreement.

"I think that's exactly how I feel these days. I feel as if someone has just posted the news about me and Edward"

"Are you going to get mad with me if I propose something?"

I gulped

"Depends on what"

"Why don't we help each other out? You don't want to date anyone and I don't want to date anyone, so why don't we just spend more time together? Everyone will think we're together but we won't. We'll have fun, go out with bean and Angela and if either of us changes our minds and meets someone they like we just cut down our time together."

He had a point. But fooling Charlie and his parents? Again?

"We'll tell our parents right? I don't want to lie to my dad and I actually like your parents and I don't want to lie to them either."

"Of course we will. We'll just let people think what they want to think"

"Can I think about it?"

"Sure, just don't take all year. That would defeat the purpose"

I lightly punched him in the arm.

"You're such a comedian," I said, "and a really good friend." We exchanged a look and a smile and then, as if on cue, we both leaned back, our heads resting on the back of the bench. We stayed that way for a while, not speaking.

"Shouldn't we be getting back" I asked "It will be late by the time we get back"

"You're right; I'll just run to the restroom"

"And I'll throw our drinks away. Meet you at the car?

Mike nodded and headed to the restrooms. I grabbed our oversized bears and the bag with the park-logo with the smaller presents and moved to the car. As I passed the cotton candy machines I gave into my inner child once again and got 2 sticks and 2 bottles of water. I went to wait by the car. Mike came back soon and laughed at the sticks. We opened the back doors and situated the gifts in a way that would allow Mike to see to the rear-view mirror. We got in and with a lower speed than before we were on our way. We chatted about the games we played and laughed at the expression I wore when I managed to get that first ball in during mini golf.

Some time later we pulled out of my house. Mike got out of the car with me and we walked to the front door. I unlocked it and turned back to him to give him a hug

"Good night Mike, I had a really good time"

"Good night Bella, I had a very good time as well."

"See you Monday"

Mike nodded and after one last hug I got in and Mike left

"Bella?" Charlie yelled from his room.

"Hi dad. I am home"

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah dad, Good night"

"Night."

I went upstairs and changed for bed. I wanted to call Angie and tell her about my day and Mike's idea but it was too late so I wrote about it in my new diary and went to join the land of the sleeping ones.

The next day I slept in. I actually slept in. As the sun shone in my eyes I saw a shape on the old rocking chair near the foot of my bed. I let a loud scream that resulted to dad storming in my room dressed in a towel.

"What? What?" He asked me frantically

"Nothing dad, I just saw the huge teddy over there"

he turned and let a light scream of his own

"Jeez, bells did you kill this yourself?"

"You're so funny dad"

I jumped up in bed, what the heck? Why did I just dream about my dad in a towel?

I shook my head and went to the bathroom and then downstairs. Dad was browsing through the small bags with souvenirs and after giving him his (a chain with inspector

Clouseau) and a bright smile I headed off to the kitchen to start on breakfast.

After that we took my truck to let Jake see it and after exchanging a look over the whining sound we were on our way. I let him drive while I was watching out of the window. Soon after a lot of whining we pulled up to Billy's house. the door opened almost immediately and a huge Jake was wheeling Billy to the front yard.

"Hey Bella"

Jake said smiling. He didn't seem surprised to see me today so I guess dad called ahead while I was in the shower.

"You're looking good"

"So do you, you know anabolic steroids are really bad for you" I told him with a smile.

"I'm just filling out Bella, you know it wouldn't seem so drastic if we hanged out more"

"I'm here now" I responded with a smile

Dad and Billy headed in to watch the game with Harry Clearwater and I joined Jake to a shed he had on the side of the house to watch him work the beast and talk

He started the car and when he heard the whiny sound he looked up at me.

"Jeez. Did you torture the car or something?""

"Very funny, Jacob"

Then he popped the hood up leaned and his head disappeared from my view

"aha"

He turned and looked at me with triumph in his eyes.

"Did you figure out what's wrong?"

"Sure, this used to be our car remember?"

"What's wrong with it then?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"No offence, but would you understand it if I explained it to you?"

I didn't bother to answer. Cars and mechanics was not one of my talents.

"Do you think you could fix it?"

"Noop, I can bang it a bit to quieten it but the old thing is on its way to the truck cemetery"

'Oh no!'

"Really? I love it"

He nodded and started banging it here and there to at least stop it from whining.

"So. It's been a while since I've seen you. Anything new?"

What should I tell him? That I woke up one day, got mad and now I was doing everything in my power to move on?

"Nothing really."

"Bullshit. You dad talks and mine listens.

'Great'

"I woke up one day, got mad and now I was doing everything in my power to move on. I got a hair cut, clothes, started jogging and refuse to think. How have you been? Besides growing up?"

"Same as here then."

I felt the cell phone mom had gotten me when I moved here vibrating in my pocket. I looked at the display, it was the Angie.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bells! I tried calling the house, but you didn't pick up. Everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Dad and I drove my truck down to La Push to have Jake take a look at it."

She didn't speak for a couple of seconds. I'd probably sent her into shock.

"Angie?"

"That's great Bella! I just called to ask had happened yesterday"

"It was pretty good actually. " I proceeded to tell her about our day knowing Jake was hanging off my every word. I didn't mention Mike's idea because Jake's presence was unnerving. We hanged up soon after promising to meet up before school.

I put my cell back into my pocket and turned to face Jacob. As I had suspected he was watching me

"You didn't say you started dating again"

"I didn't. Just a day with a friend"

Jake looked at me as if he wanted to say something else but in end started talking about a car he'd been building. I'm pretty sure I had heard about it before but since I wasn't sure I didn't open my mouth.

When he had enough of banging the beast he instructed me to start the engine and when it didn't whine he grabbed me by the elbow and we headed inside the garage. The garage was no more than a couple of big preformed sheds that had been bolted together with their interior walls knocked out. Under this shelter, raised on cinder blocks, was what looked to me like a completed automobile? I recognized the symbol on the grille, at least.

"What kind of a Volkswagen is that?"

"Rabbit 1986 classic. It's old"

"How's it going?"

"Almost finished,"

He said cheerfully. And then his voice dropped into a lower key.

"My dad made good on his promise last spring."

"Ah," I said.

He seemed to understand my reluctance to open the subject. I tried not to remember last May at the prom. Jacob had been bribed by his father with money and car parts to deliver a message there. Billy wanted me to stay a safe distance from the most important person in my life. It turned out that his concern was, in the end, unnecessary. I was all too safe now.

After talking some more, though about school and our friends. He spoke about his 2 best friends Quil and Embry and I talked about Angie, Ben and Mike. A little while later we heard metal sounds and Charlie and Billy called us. They were both out ready to start the grill for a 'family dinner' as Billy put it. And in the end they were right it did feel like a family diner. That's when I realized that Billy and my dad have been friends for many years that made them almost family. After dinner and a few discreet comments from Billy concerning how well I looked as opposed to the mess I was when he last saw me, the day Edward left me, which were met by a steely glare from dad and a quick change of conversation topic by me, Jake and I laid back in lawn chairs to see the stars while dad and Billy went back inside for the next game.

Jake was silent so I could hear some muffled voices from inside. 'How could I hear them?' I sneaked a glance at Jake but he was still resting peacefully. 'He doesn't hear them or doesn't it bother him?' I stayed silent too so I could listen more clearly. Was my dad and Billly arguing? They were!

"Billy I need you to stop these comments. She just started getting better. I refuse to let her go back to the mess she was before"

"Charlie you don't understand. That whole 'family'" he spit the word with distaste "were bad for her. They should never have messed with her"

huh?

"Why does it matter Billy? They left!"

"They could come back and you need to stop Bella from going back to them"

"One they're not coming back, two Bella knows better than that, and three will you just cut it out with your superstitions? I turned the other way round with all those bonfires you put the night they left, Need I remind you, you saw how Bella was? It was Sam that found her and I'm grateful for that but I don't want to hear another word about it. Not now, not ever and definitely not in front of Bella. Are we clear?"

"But Charlie..."

"Are we clear Billy?"

"Yeah, fine"

I heard footsteps and turned back to look at the stars while sneaking another look at Jake who seemed lost in thought. I really hope he didn't hear all this; I can't deal with all that.

"Hey kids, Bells we should be heading home, you have school in the morning."

I got up, bid goodnight to both Billy and Jake and climbed in the truck while letting dad drive. He seemed as opposed to a conversation as I was so we both let it at that. At home the phone was ringing so I moved to answer it while dad headed straight for bed. It was mom and after calming her down, saying I was sorry I didn't mail her back but I was out all day she was ok. We talked for a long time and then hanged up. I slept as soundly as all the previous days"