Five hours into the flight and I was ready to open the emergency door of the airplane with the intention of throwing myself out. Getting from my flat in London to the airport was a nightmare in itself and that was before I even checked in. Obviously I had woke up late that morning after sleeping through all ten alarms, which was due to staying up the night before packing up all of the stuff I deemed valuable in two suitcases. I just finished college and turned 17 a few months ago, however I still don't know how to drive so I had to rely on public transport that morning which was clearly a mistake. The intention was to arrive at the airport three hours early but the long delays getting there meant I had to rush through check in and security which I really wasn't pleased about. It would have been nice to grab a coffee and sit down but life had other plans as I ended up practically sprinting to my flight with a half eaten bagel and a bottle of water in my hands. I wanted nothing more than to go home, except my actual home resided in Forks which was across the Atlantic Ocean.
The screams of crying toddlers along with the low growl of my hungry stomach pulled me from the land of daydreaming as I scanned over the other people on the plane. I was pretty lucky being able to have a window seat and a kind old man had accompanied the aisle seat next to me. However the kid kicking the back of my seat constantly wasn't so fun. My patience was beginning to wear thin and the plane hadn't even reached the US. I ended up nibbling on the other half of my bagel whilst the cabin crew started to hand out meals. Another thing I wasn't a fan of was airplane food, it tasted like wet cardboard and half the time it looked rather questionable. This time was no different as I stared down at the sad excuse of what they called a Sunday roast and it was tempting to offer it to the man next to me but another growl from my stomach stopped me. The meal was eaten within a few minutes and I ended up chugging the rest of my water to get rid of the foul taste the food left on my tongue.
I plugged my headphones into my phone and hit shuffle on a random playlist as I turned to look out of the window. I turned the music up enough to block out the noise of the plane as my eyes fluttered shut, my mind wandering back into the land of sleep.
I had been planning on returning back to Forks for months, so much that it had distracted me from my studies slightly but I still did fine when it came to the exams. It was strange to return back to the US after spending the past three years in London but three years was enough for me. Over the years I had grown rather lonely during the time away and I ended up missing both Bella and Charlie more than I thought. Renee and Charlie had signed me up for a school in London but they didn't counter for the fact that younger me had no knowledge of the area and being dumped in such a busy atmosphere was rather traumatic.
The pilot's voice woke me from my slumber as he announced the plane was landing soon, and I smiled slightly as I put the seatbelt on.
What I wasn't prepared for was the heat that hit me like a ton of bricks as soon as I exited the airport, I had grown to the bipolar weather of London so much that I wasn't used to the heat of the US. It felt as though someone whacked me in the face with a hot frying pan but the weather in Forks was just like London so I didn't really worry too much. Another fun fact is that both Charlie and Bella had no idea I was coming home which was slightly worrying but I already had a taxi booked to take me home and if I had to wait on the steps outside the house for one of them to come home then I would happily oblige. The ride from the airport was quite long but I was grateful that the driver kept quiet, I probably would've cried if he wanted to play 21 questions. Although I noticed how the driver raised his eyebrows as soon as I spoke to him at the start of the ride. This was probably due to the fact that I had gained a slight British accent from the time I spent in the country which didn't seem too bad until the plane landed and I was suddenly surrounded by Americans.
The quiet hum of the taxi was relaxing as I stared out of the window, watching as buildings and houses passed by. Seeing the 'Welcome to Forks' sign which meant I was nearly home, nearly back with my family. The thought of having a nap at home sounded amazing but I knew I would be bombarded with questions by both Charlie and Bella.
I immediately thanked the driver as they approached the Swan household and I noticed both Charlie's cop car and a beaten red truck on the driveway. My brows raised at the thought of Bella being able to drive before me but I shrugged it off as I grabbed both of my suitcases and walked up the steps to the front door. I raised a hand and knocked a few times, smiling upon seeing the door open to reveal Charlie. His eyes widened and his eyebrows rose as he stared at me in shock before calling for Bella.
"Is it really you Charlotte?" Charlie spoke softly as his eyes seemed to soften slightly as he opened his arms for a hug. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I nod and stepped closer to hug him, it felt nice and warm to finally hug him again after the years we had been apart. A smile grew on my face as I laid my head on his shoulder briefly, the sound of footsteps coming downstairs made me look up in curiosity. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Bella and pulled away from Charlie but the entrance of a boy I didn't recognise caused me to stop in my tracks.
His beauty was beyond this world. The boy stiffened as soon as he noticed me, his brows furrowed as he studied my face from where he stood. I looked between him and Bella and it clicked that they must be dating but I kept those thoughts to myself as I stepped into the embrace of Bella. She smiled at me as she hugged me tight.
"It's nice to see you too Bella, but uh could you let me go? Kinda need to breathe here.." I spoke into her ear and her arms loosened around my frame. She stepped away with a sheepish grin as she returned to stand besides the boy. I looked at her and she noticed my dumbfounded expression.
"This is Edward, he's uh my boyfriend? It's kind of complicated.." She trailed off as Edward took a step towards me, he held his hand out and I immediately shook it. I jumped slightly as I noticed how cold his hands were and his eyes darted up to my face. I looked up and accidentally made eye contact with him and my heartbeat sped up slightly as I noticed the odd colour of his eyes. I blinked and took a step away from him, feeling a sense of curiosity rush over me. Something was up and the urge to uncover it all was strong, especially with the way Bella and Edward looked at each other. I took one last glance at them before I grabbed a suitcase and followed Charlie up to my room. It was kept clean from the looks of it and it made me rather happy inside. He left me alone to unpack some of my stuff and I let out a long sigh as I realised I didn't bring enough clothes. I couldn't borrow Bella's clothes as they were too small so the only option would be to go clothes shopping as soon as possible.
I grew tired of unpacking and headed downstairs to notice Edward leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. The way he held his breath around me made me question if there was anything wrong with me but I never got the chance to ask as Bella approached him.
"Hey Bella, could you uh drive me to the nearest mall? I didn't bring enough clothes and I would like to buy some more.." I trailed off as the two exchanged another look. Something weird was going on.
"I'm sorry Charlotte, I already have plans with Edward but I can drive you there tomorrow.." Yet another look but this time Edward's eyes widened as he stated over to me.
"It doesn't matter, I'll get the bus instead. I don't want to intrude." I looked down at my shoes and felt a pang of jealousy. It was kinda sad that Bella managed to get into a relationship before me and all I ever got during college were one night stands. I had tried dating but it never seemed to work, I understand that I'm probably a hard person to love but seeing my own sister in a relationship hurt.
I noticed how Edward shook his head and Bella nodded but I ignored both of them and shoved past the two to grab my backpack. I had already transferred some of my money into dollars because I knew British money would have no value here unless I were to exchange it.
"There's nothing to worry about anyways, if I can last the past few years on my own in London then I can surely handle myself in Seattle." I commented and Edward looked as though he wanted to to say something but Bella had a hand on his arm as if to say no.
"I don't really know if it's safe for you to travel alone Charlotte.." Bella commented which caused me to whip my head up and over to her. Excuse me? No way am I going to stand around and oblige if she won't tell me what's going on.
"Bella you're not my mother, I'm free to do what I want considering I was surviving on my alone these past few years." My smile gradually faded into a scowl as I crossed my arms over my chest. She had never been this overprotective of me before and it baffled me. I had an inkling as to why she was acting like this and it made me slightly angry that just because she was a month older than me she thinks she can try and stop me from doing certain things.
"Charlotte, going to Seattle is going to put you in immense danger. Let's just say there's certain people in the area and they're not very friendly." Edward commented and my eyebrows raised in response. "Excuse me?" I spoke quietly in confusion.
"I thought you weren't allowed to tell her, Edward she'll die!" Bella raised her voice to him and I stumbled away from the duo. They had to be joking right?
"Bella you need to understand that her scent is all over you, they'll change course and go after her as well." Edward spoke rather harshly as if I wasn't standing a few feet away from them.
"If someone could give me an explanation as to what is going on, I would be very grateful." My voice faltered slightly as I began to panic. What danger were they talking about?
"I'm still going to Seattle, you can't control me and I don't even know you." I glared daggers at Edward as I shoved past him to grab my bag. It had started to rain outside and I didn't have a proper coat but I still proceeded to leave the house. Bella shouted after me as I walked down the road to the bus stop.
I got a few weird looks on the bus and I realised that people here dress differently to the people back in London. At this moment in time, I was having regrets about coming back home especially with the way Bella and her boyfriend are going on. Who was I to judge? I didn't even have a relationship and this might just be an inside joke for them but I didn't want to push my luck with someone I didn't know.
The bus was quiet and I shivered as drops of rain ran down my hair and soaked my denim jacket. I tried to ignore the weather and tried to focus on the main issue at hand which is that I had no clue where I was going. It had been a while since I visited Seattle and I didn't know where things were like I did with London. Being alone in a city like this with no knowledge of where to go didn't sound too appealing, but it was the same for when I moved to London so I pushed my fears aside and stepped off the bus.
I wish I had left this trip until the next day as places were starting to shut for the day and my hopes of finding new clothes was diminishing. A group of teenagers stumbled out of a bar and I grimaced as a young girl vomited into a nearby trash can. It was only 5pm but it seemed that places didn't stay open as late as they do in London which I frowned at, going back means getting back on a bus and heading home to the situation that is the Swan household. I wanted nothing more than to sit down with Charlie and talk about my time at college but the way Bella and Edward were acting threw me off.
Another detour was made as I stopped by a cafe to grab a cup of coffee as the jet lag began to creep up on me. I sighed and leaned against the railing off the cafe, the hot cup felt like heaven in my hands compared to the rather cold and brutal weather. It was currently autumn and the temperature seemed to drop ever so slightly everyday which is the one thing I hated about growing up in Forks. The winters were the worst and it would sometimes rain for weeks on end along with some pretty awful snow storms. I was about to take another sip of the coffee but groaned inwardly as I noticed a group of men gather in front of a pub across the road. This would certainly be interesting if I do say so.
One last swig of my caffeine and I chucked the cup in a nearby bin, the streets grew eerily quiet as I began to walk in the opposite direction of the men. I pulled my bag closer to myself as footsteps sounded behind me, one pair of footsteps turned into three pairs which caused the panic in my chest to rise. The bus stop was in the other direction of where I was currently heading but I thought it was a smart idea to lead them away from where I was actually heading but I was clearly wrong.
I was alone, terrified and had no knowledge of the area. It sounded like the ideal murder scenario and I had a suspicion it would come true with the way these men were rapidly ganging up on me. I pulled my phone out of my pocket in hopes of calling Bella or the police but to my demise all I got was a black screen, the red low battery sign flashing.
"You've got to be kidding me right now.." I muttered as I looked around at my surroundings in hopes of finding someone who could help but the streets were empty.
The way the three men were walking behind me was like a predator hunting down their prey, I took a deep breath as I rounded into an alley and pretended to bend down to tie my shoelaces. Their footsteps were loud as they came to halt behind my crouched form, the man in the middle snickered and elbowed the man to his left who shook his head.
"Now what's a pretty thing like you doing all alone?" The bile rose in my throat as I turned my head to look at the man in the middle, he was pretty lean and looked to be in his late twenties, his blonde buzz cut seemed to glow under the streetlights.
"Just passing through.." I trailed off as I stood up, legs wobbly as I took note of the other two men besides him. Both of them were shorter and seemed younger by a few years as if they were my age, one had ginger hair pulled back into a ponytail whilst the other had jet black hair that rested rather messily on the top of his head.
"You look lost little lamb, we can show you the way home." The ginger haired man spoke as he came up behind me, standing a bit too close for comfort. My heartbeat was hammering against my chest as the blonde man stood in front of me, he raised his hand and ran a finger down my cheek, my eyes screwed shut as I trembled. There was no escape as the men cornered me against the brick wall, sick and twisted grins on their faces as they all exchanged a look.
I hadn't even been back home for a day and I already found myself in trouble but it didn't surprise me as I always used to find myself in strange situations even back in London. Once my art class got moved to a different building and I still didn't know my way around the area which led me to waltzing into a building thinking it was the right place except it was literally a cult gathering and they didn't seem too happy about my sudden entrance. I may have intruded but hey I got a leaflet to join them which at the time was strange but it's hilarious looking back at it considering I dressed in all black back then. At least I gave my teacher a good excuse for being late which had made her laugh slightly upon seeing that I was fine.
Another thing that made me calm down slightly is that I know how to fight and get out of situations like this. The entire class was taught self defence and I am grateful I actually paid attention back then as it came in handy from time to time. Despite the fact that I was the youngest of my class, I still managed to take down half of the boys who had claimed they were the strongest and it was pretty funny seeing a twenty year old boy get beat up by a fifteen year old girl. Other students would mutter about me in their own groups and would sometimes cower away when I passed by, this was due to numerous reasons with one being that I was new at the time and wasn't from the area. The other reason was that some of them viewed me as a 'freak' due to the fact that I got caught one time moving objects in detention with my mind, yeah that was also another reason I came back home.
I was always deemed a strange child growing up, other kids wouldn't play with me at the playground and they would go out of their way to trip me up. It was tiring for Charlie as I used to go home crying to him everyday which is why he suggested homeschooling for a while which helped me a lot but a strange sensation was starting to manifest as I got older and didn't make itself known until one summer. It was a pretty warm day in Forks and the switch for my fan was on the other side of my room, of course I was rather lazy and didn't want to get up so I simply imagined switching the fan on for fun but I was shocked to find out the fan had actually turned on. This 'gift' I had was rather unsettling and I swore to never tell my family as I knew they would most likely cast me out and throw me onto the streets. I didn't want to lose my family over something like this, I don't know what I would do without them.
Being cornered like this was the perfect opportunity for me to actually let go of the fears I have been holding in and the streets being deserted was a bonus as it meant there was no one to witness it. A smirk grew on my face as I concentrated on a nearby trash can and imagined it whacking the black haired man in the back of the head. Seconds passed and the trash can was lifted into the air like magic and was thrown towards the man who cried out from the rather harsh impact, his body crumbled as he looked around frantically with wide eyes. The other two men looked away from me which gave me the perfect opportunity to wiggle out of their formation with ease, it was rather funny watching the once tough looking men cower in fear. A swift kick to the backs of their knees caused the two to fall to the ground and I laughed when they looked up at me, a look of horror on their faces as I proceeded to beat the two to a pulp. It pleased me to see how they backed away from me but my gaze shifted over to the black haired man who seemed a bit dazed as he stared at the ground, perfect.
I squatted down in front of his trembling form and gently cupped his cheek, his eyes darting to focus on my face as I gave him the most innocent look I could muster.
"It seems like your buddies got into a bit of fight with each other over something." I shrugged my shoulders as a faint glow emitted from my fingers and the man immediately passed out. All I had to do was imagine him passing out and since he was already in such a terrified state it worked rather quickly. I personally felt a bit tired as that was the first time I had used that much power in a while and I forgot how taxing it was.
With a small huff, I dragged the unconscious bodies of the men near a darker part of the wall in an attempt to conceal what happened. The last time I exerted myself like this was a few months ago when a man had cornered a school girl around fifteen and had tried to take advantage of her and it made my blood boil. He was dealt with in a few minutes and the girl was a mess when I told her that the man wouldn't harm her anymore.
I leaned a hand against the brick wall and tried to catch my breath, the thumping in my head was growing more annoying and I couldn't wait to get home. A shift in the shadows above me caused my blood to still and I swiftly turned my head to look up at the rooftops, I squinted and noticed a figure stood on the edge of the roof staring right down at me. I couldn't make out any features of the person so I couldn't tell their gender but there was one startling feature that I couldn't tear my eyes from.
Bright crimson eyes were staring down at me.