Chapter Two-Home

i

IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD JACOB BLACK that the best friend of his childhood would walk back into his life almost out of nowhere, he would have laughed at them. He hadn't heard from her in years, Charlie was the only one who had any contact with her. Not that Charlie had had much to say, as it seemed he didn't get many words from Bella either. He had overheard his conversations with Billy, and it seemed that it never got better. Charlie was always disappointed, deep down, but the stern and awkward man never said a word about it.

When Bella had first left, Jacob was almost sure that she would be back in only a few weeks. He had waited eagerly for any hint that she was back. Weeks had passed, and his father hadn't mentioned Bella once. Jacob had grown worried, and as the weeks passed into months, his worry only got worse. Billy had then taken him to Charlie, who had gently explained that Bella wasn't coming back. It had only gotten worse when his sisters left. His mom was gone, his sisters were gone for no good reason, and his dad was losing himself to all the shit they were dealing with. How was it fair? Jacob wouldn't admit it, but he had cried and cried. Why didn't she tell him? Why did she not give him an address so he could write letters to her? They were best friends, and she had promised him it would be that way forever. Part of him resented her for the fact that she had just walked away without a word. The rest of him had still worried.

Charlie had once mentioned that he didn't think Bella had chosen to stay away. Renee, her mother that Jacob couldn't really remember, wasn't great at making sure Bella could see Charlie, and it had only gotten worse as Bella had gotten older. Jacob tried not to be upset with her anymore. She couldn't help it if her mother wasn't giving her the option.

So when Billy had casually let him know that Bella was coming back for good, Jacob had dropped his plate out of shock. His hot dog had comically rolled to the feet of his father, who was wheelchair-bound. Billy had raised a dark brow, barely stifling a laugh.

"What?" Jacob was stricken and didn't even notice his run-away food. He ran a hand through his long hair, a nervous habit he had had for so long, staring at his dad. "What do you mean she's coming back?"

"Charlie said she'll be here today. He went to go pick her up from the airport. She'll be here for good, or at least through her senior year of high school," Billy said, shrugging. "He was excited, especially with her birthday coming up in a few weeks."

Jacob frowned, thinking back. "Wait," he started, "Is that why you had me fix up that old truck?" He had spent the last week trying to get the old thing to run, but he hadn't put a ton of effort into it. His dad hadn't said why he needed to, so while it was working, it wasn't great. Jacob loved working on cars, bikes, basically anything he could get his hands on. He had always had a difficult time sitting in a seat and learning facts just to spit them back out for a test. He loved working with his hands, and he did it well. His grandfather, and then his father, had taught him how to carve wood, and he'd gotten better over the years. He'd torn apart junk cars and done his best to put them back together. His dad told him, without explaining why, that if he fixed up the truck, he'd be allowed to start working on his pet project. Not that Jacob was going to tell him he had been working on it anyways, but he was excited.

"Yeah. Charlie gave me the money for the parts it needed. Figured he'd give it to her as an early birthday present." Billy had turned his wheelchair around so he could bend down and grab the hot dog. He rolled to the trashcan and dropped it in, looking back over at his son. Billy was older and having a difficult time with his health. He had always had health problems, but when Jacob's mom, Sarah, had died, his health had tanked. He had taken to more junk food than he should have, and the issues the doctors had always warned him of, finally started creeping up on him. Jacob was disappointed that it had gone this way, but he kept his optimism that he could work with his dad and help him get better.

"Ah shit. If I had known that, I would have put more effort into it." Jacob twisted his mouth up a bit, feeling a little bad now. He got the thing to run, but it didn't have a radio, made weird squeaking sounds, and couldn't get over sixty. He didn't have much to work with, and as much as he did like working on cars and such, the truck had been a hassle.

Billy laughed outright. "Gives you more of a reason to go and visit her, huh?" Billy shot Jacob a conspiratorial wink, still laughing at his son. He went into the living room, likely to pick up where he had left off in his book. Jacob was sure that if he could, Billy would never stop reading. One of the other things he had to keep an eye on. When Billy was having a bad day, although they had become less frequent, he'd often get lost in his own world, losing the hours to a single page of a book, or to the window. Jacob had carried his father to bed many times, and he wished it would just get better.

Jacob narrowed his eyes at where his father had been, wondering if he hadn't mentioned it on purpose. Instead of saying anything, however, he simply turned back to the stovetop and started making a new hotdog. He was hungry, and he was not gonna let his silly, old dad prevent him from eating. Jacob had just pulled the hotdogs from the stovetop, a new paper plate in his hand when he realized what his dad had said.

"Wait!" He shouted, setting his plate on the counter and poking his head into the living room where his dad was reading a book, as he had expected. "She's back today?!"

Billy laughed again, enjoying the look on Jacob's face. "I was wondering when you'd get it, son!" He got closer to Jacob, patting him on the lower back. "You should eat, and then we'll head to Charlie's place. They shouldn't be home for another hour."

ii

Jacob was giddy. He was nearly bouncing in the front seat, hands gripping the wheel tightly. Would she be excited to see him? Would she even recognize him? Would he recognize her?

His heart stopped briefly. She would be eighteen in only a few weeks. She was a young woman now, and it was likely she was going to look like it too. When she was little, she had had a soft face with dark, wavy hair and big eyes. She had really been a girl to him then, despite his crush on her. She was mostly his best friend, one he wanted to be with forever. Would it still be like that, or would it be different? The dreams and ideals of a thirteen-year-old don't tend to last long, and Jacob bitterly knew that. Still, he would try to keep his hopes up, if only slightly. There had to be at least some semblance of their friendship left. Perhaps they could pick up right where they left off.

His heart picked its pace back up. He was excited to tell her about everything that she had missed. Well, almost everything. He knew he would have to keep a few secrets, but he was so used to that issue, that it wouldn't be a big deal. Still, he was excited to see her, if only to quell the disbelief that she was actually back.

They rounded the corner that led to her road, and he could see the cruiser. They were back. His heart thumped hard as he pulled into the driveway, purposely left empty. The truck rumbled to a stop, he could feel and hear the engine struggling. His grin went lopsided as guilt over the truck popped up again. He'd try to fix it all at once if she was willing to let him at it.

Jacob hopped out of the truck, grabbing his father's wheelchair. He popped it onto the ground, making sure it was stable and helped Billy out of the truck. After his dad was comfortably sitting in his wheelchair, Jacob shut the door. He shook himself lightly, looking at the door. Why was he so nervous? It was just Bella.

He could hear Charlie inside, muffled noises, and another set calling back. His ears pricked just slightly, his whole body recognizing the voice immediately. It was Bella. He could tell, not just the context giving him the answer, but her voice had only changed a bit. A bit deeper, but still that mellow bell that caused her nickname. She did sound like soft bells, ringing in the wind on a warm day. (Jacob couldn't help but think of his mother, Sarah, who Bella had loved so much. Her voice was like music too). His senses all went on alert, and he could feel his dad's eyes on him as it happened.

Charlie pushed the door open, the screen door squealing loudly. Heavy footsteps as he pressed out onto the porch, and then another figure followed behind, shutting the front door before turning around.

Her hair was still dark, and it was long. She was taller now, but only just. Her figure was on the slim side, but he could see the subtle curvature hidden by her baggy clothing. And then she was turning around, her eyes catching his eyes immediately.

Jacob's heart stopped. She was still beautiful, not that he had ever expected otherwise. The shy smile that he remembered so well slid over her lips. He couldn't handle how she was so different and yet the same as he remembered. He stared briefly, wondering how he should greet her. He worried briefly over his size. He had gotten tall, lanky almost, barely filling out as the days progressed. He still had a bit of a baby face, despite being seventeen, but he was bigger than he used to be. This newfound height had given him trouble recently. He fumbled, and was clumsy, almost as if he had to learn how to walk again. The number of times he had bonked his shin or his head on things in his shambled house was embarrassing.

Bella ended up making the decision for him. Confidently, almost because he could see her biting down on her bottom lip, she stepped down the stairs and headed straight towards him.