Chapter 2: The Journey Ahead
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"As long as we're together,
Does it matter where we go?
Home."
Gabrielle Aplin - Home
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It had been a few months since the wedding.
Luckily, Bella's parents had both agreed to the idea of her moving to Forks for a few months to be with her best friend. Lexi was oozing excitement, knowing that she would have Bella with her for her first experience at Forks High School; if she was being honest with herself, she was almost using Bella as her safety blanket. Being from the small town, and being the chief's daughter, Bella would gain most of the attention when they arrived. Was it mean for Alexis to use her best friend as a way to keep the attention off of her? Probably. But would she be there to help Bella every step of the way? Definitely.
She knew that the moment Bella became uncomfortable, she would step in to take some of the pressure off of her. After all, she could never stand seeing Bella miserable, her heart always aching for the socially awkward girl who shied away from everyone who came into contact with her.
For the past two weeks, Lexi had been staying with Bella to help her pack; her family going off to Forks ahead of her to sort out the final touches on the house and get everything in order for her arrival. It had been agreed that Lexi and Bella would travel together so that Bella wouldn't have to travel alone. When Lex's father had heard that the brunette would be flying over solo, he had quickly called Renee to arrange for his daughter to stay with her and help move across.
The morning of the move, the two girls were laid on Bella's bed, procrastinating as they distracted themselves from having to pack their flight bags.
"You know, your main argument for me coming with you was that we don't do anything in Phoenix." Bella said, picking up her favourite book from her side table.
"And?" Lexi asked, heaving herself off of the bed to finally start packing up the very last of her things. "What's your point?"
"Well, how are you sure that the same thing won't happen in Forks? You realise that we could just end up sitting in our rooms over there too, right?"
Eyebrows furrowed in thought, Lexi tried to figure out a way to guarantee that their lives would change for the better. "Hmm…" She pondered, checking that she had packed her passport and ticket as possible solutions floated through her mind. "How about we write a list?"
"A list? What kind of list? A bucket list?"
"Yeah, kind of." Lex replied, taking a notebook and pen from her suitcase and shoving them into her bag for the flight instead. "It'll be a list of things to do before we leave school. I think it'll motivate me more if I know exactly what I want to accomplish."
"If you're sure. I think it's a good idea." Bella agreed, walking around her bedroom to check for anything that she might have missed over the past few days.
Turning to her best friend, Lexi questioned. "What about you? Do you have anything you definitely want to do over the next year?"
Bella gave an exaggerated sigh as she dropped down onto her bed once more. "I think we both know that you'll convince me to do things I normally wouldn't, there's no point in me really adding to the list, Lex." She explained, pointedly waving her plane ticket in the air.
Snickering, Lexi double checked that she had everything she needed for the plane after chucking her neck pillow at the brunette on the bed. "I don't even know what I want to do. How am I meant to write a list out of nothing?"
"I don't know, think about it when we're on the plane." Bella replied, chucking Lex her iPod before turning to glance at Lex's open suitcase and picking something out of it. "Do you really need all this fancy stuff?" She asked, holding up some black lace underwear. "You've shown zero interest in guys, Lex." Bella finished, dropping them like her hand was suddenly burnt from the mere touch.
"They're not for guys, I just feel better in them. Not everything a woman wears has to be about a man, we can do things for ourselves." Lexi shrugged, zipping up the suitcase and putting it outside the bedroom door.
"Don't lie to me, they are literally the least comfortable things on the earth."
"But they're so pretty." The red-head pouted, wrapping her arms around the brunette and chuckling as Bella's face morphed into disgust. "Okay, whatever. Anyway, I'll have a think about the list. But you better do at least some of it with me or I swear to God." She said, pointing her finger at her. "I'm not having you be boring as I turn into this amazingly fun adventurous person."
Bella slightly smirked. "I don't think we'll have that problem."
"Well that's rude."
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Lexi sat patiently in the back of the car, talking to Phil about baseball as they waited for Bella and Renee to say goodbye to each other. Though Lex wondered why they were choosing to say goodbye now rather than at the airport since they were all driving together, she assumed it was because Renee knew that Bella would feel even more uncomfortable being emotional in a public place in front of a large crowd.
Charlie would be picking them up once they had landed to take them the rest of the way to Forks. Thankfully, Lexi's parents had managed to find a house for sale not too far from Charlie's, meaning that they would be neighbours for the foreseeable future. Apparently, according to Lexi's mother, they would be able to see each other from just peering out their bedroom windows.
The redhead often found herself thankful for the parent's she had, the couple known to many for thinking of others before themselves. She was sure that Forks wouldn't have been her father's first pick for a new home, but he was trying to help her ease into her new life. Even if she would only have Bella for a few months before she left to go back to her mother, she was grateful that she wouldn't have to be alone from the very beginning.
With a quick shout from Phil, Bella and Renee finally got into the car so they could start their journey. As the car started, Lex noticed her best friend's tense shoulders, quickly taking hold of her hand to ease her worry. With a small smile, Bella visibly relaxed as she let out a small breath, leaning her head onto her friend's shoulder for the journey ahead.
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"What if we hate all the other students at school?" Bella asked, looking out the small window as the plane prepared to take off.
"Bells, when have we ever hated anyone?" Lexi laughed softly, adjusting her neck pillow so she could potentially have a nap if she felt so inclined. "We weren't exactly friends with anyone back in Phoenix, so how would it be any different? I know you're a professional at panicking but think about the endless possibilities we have now." She encouraged, shifting in her seat, filled with enthusiasm at what lay ahead of them. "What if this place is where we actually make friends that aren't each other?"
Looking through the random booklets that she'd found in her seat pocket, Bella scoffed. "I highly doubt that's possible at this point, Lex. You know I don't like the attention, best case scenario they'll just let us fade into the background."
"You don't need to like attention to have friends. I'm trying to be optimistic here, Bells. Please join me?" She pleaded, snatching the booklets from her friend's hands.
"I just can't see it being any different in Forks. I wish that I could, but I just think we're going to stay the same."
Raising her eyebrow in disbelief, Lexi shook her head. "Not even you believe that. If you really thought that nothing would change then I don't think you'd have come with me at all. Even if I have to pay people to be nice to you, I am going to prove you wrong." Lex stated, pulling the notebook out of her bag. "Starting with a list of things to do while we're there."
"How are you being so calm about this?" Bella asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You hate new situations."
"Like I said, I'm trying to be optimistic." The red-head sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears to focus. "I'm tired of being scared to even answer an unknown number for crying out loud."
Her friend bit her lip softly, looking out of the plane window as they soared above the clouds. "You really think it can be different?"
"I'm hoping so. Anyway, time to write the 'we won't be as boring as before' list."
Bella let out a laugh, watching as Lexi wrote down the title. "Poetic."
"It's not like I'm writing a novel, Bells." She scoffed, lightly shoving her best friend in the arm.
As Bella opened up her worn down copy of 'Wuthering Heights' and started to read, Lexi tapped the pen onto the page as she tried to come up with anything that could possibly be considered exciting.
As the few hours passed, Lex had managed to write a couple of ideas down, largely taking influence from every coming of age book that she had ever read. Amongst the list were little doodles she had found herself drawing whilst her mind wandered off into nothing; mainly different plants, wild animals and a pair of eyes that were permanently etched into her memory.
We Won't Be as Boring as Before List:
Learn how to surf.
Be more sociable.
Focus more on artwork.
Go on a road trip.
Learn how to cook.
Go to a high school party.
Skip school.
Learn a form of fighting.
Ride a motorbike.
Go to a bonfire.
Do something that terrifies me.
Now she just had a year and a half before graduation to attempt all of them.
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Not long into their journey to their new home, Alexis realised that the two Swans in the front of the car were going to have a hard time trying to make any kind of small talk as they passed the 'Welcome to Forks' sign.
Looking out of the window from her seat in the back of the police cruiser, Lexi watched as the scenery passed them by; a flurry of blurred images that you couldn't quite focus on as the car moved faster than the ability to concentrate.
But she recognised the tall dark pine trees, reaching higher than any others that she had seen in her life so far; at least that she could remember. They almost seemed to blend with the murky sky above, the rain pouring down and creating a sound that was purely nature. Lexi watched as the droplets formed and descended down the window, making her feel more at home than she had in a very long time.
Her mind formed the image of her 5-year-old self, sitting in the doorway of her old home as she sat with her mother watching the rain from the safety of their small house. They would often sit together during thunderstorms, relishing in the soft mist of water that would spray them from the outdoors, watching as lightning forked the sky above; illuminating the scenery in its own unique way that could never be recreated.
Lexi often worried that the few memories that she still had of Ireland would slowly leave her and she would forget everything about the place she still longed to see again. The deep colour of the ocean off the coast, the cool breeze that brought a shiver to her spine as she stood on the rocky shore.
Brought out of her memories by the sound of Charlie awkwardly complementing Bella's hair, she decided to try and smooth things over for the two of them.
"So, Charlie, did you watch the Patriots game last night?" She asked, leaning slightly forward in her seat. "They were playing the Redskins, right?"
"Yeah." He perked up, his tone conveying his appreciation for the change in topic. "Hell of a game, had me on the edge of my seat; had Billy round to watch it. Do you remember him?" He asked, glancing in the rear-view mirror at his daughter's best friend. "Billy Black? I'm sure you met him when you came to visit with Bella."
Face contorting in thought, her eyebrows raised in remembrance. "The dude from the reservation, right? He had that kid, not much younger than us… Jason?"
"Jacob."
"Right. How are they doing?" She asked, though all she could remember of the pair was how Jacob would follow Bella around constantly, hanging onto her every word as though he were some kind of puppy.
"They're doing alright, I guess." Charlie replied, "Though Billy is in a wheelchair now, they'll be coming round for a little while later if you want to say hello?"
"No, it's alright. I'll let Bella get settled and reconnect, I don't plan on leaving any time soon so I have a good while to catch up."
As the conversation drew to a close, Charlie pulled up to a house with a very familiar car in the driveway. The walls of the house almost looked wooden, painted a light forest green that was complemented by the dark brown of the roof; Lex had no doubt that her mother had a say in that. She could already see the curtains from her old room back in Phoenix peaking through the window at the top.
"This is it, Lex." Charlie announced, hopping out of the car to grab her bags.
"Wow." Lexi heard Bella say from the front, looking in the opposite direction of the house. "It is really close; Charlie's house is just there." She informed her, pointing to a white house a few doors down on the opposite side of the road. "You're going to come over later, right?" She pleaded, turning to lock eyes with her best friend.
Lexi laughed, noting her friend's panicked gaze. "Don't worry, Bells. I won't leave you to make small talk for long." She smirked, getting out of the car and walking over to the front door of the house; her father already mid-conversation with the police chief.
"Lexi-Lou." Her dad smiled, pulling her into a bear hug. His embrace was an immediate comfort, the warmth of his arms around her calming her instantly as she relaxed at the reunion with her father. "How was the trip over with Bella?"
Giving a small smile at the nickname that she had been called her entire life, she gave a small nod. "It was alright, we were just wondering what Forks was going to be like. Did you get everything sorted like you wanted?"
Laughing, he stepped out of the way. "Why don't you go take a look?"
"I'll see you later, Charlie." She said, giving him a soft smile before rushing into her new home.
The interior was exactly what she had expected from her mother, a range of natural colours ranging from browns to greens, a hint of blue in certain places. Wandering around the lower level, she finally found her mother in the kitchen.
"Hello, love." Her mother greeted her with a gentle smile. Lexi had always been slightly jealous of her mum, wishing that she had also kept that Irish accent that she had so loved.
"The kitchen looks amazing." Lexi smiled, sitting down on one of the chairs at the table.
When they had first shown her pictures of the house after they had come for a viewing, it had looked quite empty and dark, even slightly crooked from certain angles. Looking around the kitchen as it was now, you would have a difficult time believing they were one and the same. It was bright and open, the old wooden door having been changed for two sliding glass doors. The countertops had been changed to a light wood, complementing the pastel mint green that covered the cupboards. Glancing out of the doors, Lexi could decipher a small greenhouse that had been put up for the flowers that her mother loved to grow. A small shed sat off to the other side, revealing art supplies, a painting of the trees that lined the backyard already in progress.
"Are you tired?" Her mother asked, handing her a mug. "You're usually tired after a flight."
Lexi inhaled the contents of the mug in her hands, the strong smell of peppermint flowing through her, making her feel both refreshed and relaxed. "I guess I might be, maybe I should have a nap before I head over to Bella's tonight. You don't mind if I have dinner there, right?"
"Of course not. Your bedroom is upstairs, first door on the left."
"Alright." She nodded, before shooting a questioning glance at her mother. "Is it bigger than Adam's?"
"I made sure of it, love." Her mother smirked, taking a sip of her own tea.
Prancing up the stairs, she saw that her door was slightly ajar, giving her a first glance at her new bedroom. Walking in, she looked around at the room she would call her own for the next year and a half. The main wall had her window right in the middle and was painted with a special chalkboard paint, a small holder for coloured chalks off to one side. Back in Phoenix she had the same wall, one where she could change the artwork on it as she saw fit. The opposite wall was lined with shelves that were covered with books, books that she often needed to read to help her fall asleep.
The other two walls were painted a pale grey, as to not clash with whatever colour graced her chalkboard at any time.
Her bed sat against the wall to her left, a shift in her multitude of pillows signalling the presence of her faithful pup, Pepper, sleeping amongst them. The dog had followed her home one day in Phoenix; once they'd discovered she had no owner they had readily welcomed her into the family. She was a small dog that you couldn't quite figure out which bread she belonged to, her fur slightly scruffy and light grey with a random peppering of black flecks.
To the right of her, she noticed a door into a small en-suite bathroom. Her parents believed that a teenage girl needed her personal space, and thus sacrificed the bedroom with the private bathroom to her.
She was grateful to know that her brother wouldn't awkwardly walk in on her after just getting out of the shower. It had happened once before and they both desperately tried to forget that it ever happened.
She was sure the only reason she got the bigger bedroom was because Adam planned to go to college by the end of the year. He had only joined them on the move because he was taking a gap year after finishing high school the year prior.
Walking through to her new bathroom, she started to fill the bathtub, planning to relax for a good while before having to go see Bella.
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After they had finished dinner, Lexi and Bella lounged on the bed in Bella's room, discussing their plan for their first day at Forks High School. As they'd eaten with Charlie, the conversation had turned to the new truck that he'd gotten Bella as a welcome home present. It made Lexi glad seeing her best friend's face light up as she spoke about the rusty old vehicle out front. She had always loved those kinds of vehicles, never being one for fancy cars; Charlie had made a smart move.
"Well, Charlie got me that truck. Seeing as you refuse to get your own car, I could give you a lift in the morning if you want."
"I'd appreciate it. You're so good to me." Lexi replied, gently squishing her best friend's cheeks. "I think it's best if we do that every day, I don't think it would be great for my reputation if I arrived with my parent's every morning."
Bella nodded, glancing out her window as she sat up. "Jacob said he rebuilt the engine himself, he assured me that it'll run just fine."
"Even though it looks like a death trap?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Bella scoffed a laugh as she laid back down. "One more dig at my new truck and you're walking every day. Are your parents settling in okay? Have they said anything about the new town?"
"I think so. My mother is over the moon, she's already painted like 7 different sceneries from what she's shown me." Lexi explained, absentmindedly flipping through 'Wuthering Heights'. "My dad said that his colleagues are all nice, apparently one of them is the best doctor he has come across in a long time."
"Which doctor?"
As Lexi thought back, she found that she couldn't remember. "I don't know. I don't think he said his name." She shrugged, trying to decipher the notes that Bella had written in the book's margins.
"What about Adam?" Bella asked, rolling onto her side to face her friend. "How's he taking the move?"
"He misses his buddies. To be honest I think he's more pissed at having the smaller room for once, but he has a basketball hoop so I'm sure he'll lighten up soon."
The pair drifted into silence, concentrating on different things for a moment before Bella asked the question that she just couldn't get off her mind. "Do you really think that we'll make more friends here?"
The question took Lexi off guard, she knew that the promise of change had been a key reason as to why Bella agreed to come with her. Suddenly, the worry took over her that she may have unknowingly lied to her best friend when she promised that things would be different for them. She sighed, thinking of the best way to answer. "I mean… It's a small town, B. You kind of have to get to know everyone, right?"
"I guess." Bella shrugged, fiddling with her fingers like she usually would when nervous. "That doesn't mean that they have to befriend the newcomers, though."
"Are you kidding?" Lexi scoffed, "Having new people is an exciting thing in such a small place, everyone will want to get dibs on the new meat." A small smirk appeared on her lips at the tired look her best friend was sending her way. "Even if they show up in a ragged old truck that no one normal would go anywhere near."
Thud.
Bella shoved her off the bed.
Thud.
Lexi threw the book at her.
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