Once dinner ended and many people left, Bella persuaded the guys to work on their homework. Although she remained silent, Leah observed Bella's tutelage as she helped Embry prepare his presentation and began the more daunting task of Jacob's algebra assignment.
Poking her head through the doorway, Sue hollered at Seth to wake him. "Seth? Bout time for you to get home to bed, son."
Seth sat up from his reclined position in Billy's ancient La-Z-Boy and whined, "I have to walk?" He rubbed his tired eyes with his fists, seeming far younger than he was.
Sue shook her head and rolled her eyes as she left the room. Bella could only assume Sue was drinking with the remaining adults outside around the bonfire. Still, she knew the Clearwater's house was less than a mile away.
Seth called after her, "You know most kidnappings happen close to home, right?" The screen door banged as it shut behind her.
Quietly, Embry said, "That's car wrecks, Seth." He looked up at Leah from his seat on the floor, grinning as she laughed and shook her head.
Simultaneously, Quil teased, "Don't worry, Seth. They'd bring you back."
Quil and Embry had an uncanny habit of answering in unison, which usually made them laugh. Arguments between them could be very entertaining because of it.
"Come on," Leah volunteered, "I'll run you home."
Embry lightly tapped Leah's shin as she stood and asked, "Are you coming back?"
"Yeah, maybe," she said and shrugged. "I have nothing else to do."
"You should," Embry said and winked.
"You should," Quil mocked. He glared at his best friend, appearing more than a little irritated.
As Embry looked down at Quil, he frowned in confusion. He shook his head at Quil as if to ask, 'What's your problem?'
What was this? Bella glanced between the two of them curiously. Does Embry like Leah? Wait, isn't she like three years older than him? The thought of Embry and Leah seemed weird. Then again, Edward was technically elderly. Perhaps Bella had no room to judge. She was unsure why the idea bothered her in the first place. It wasn't any of her business.
Leah rolled her eyes at Quil and Embry's sudden tension and huffed. "I guess I'll come back. Someone has to keep an eye on you idiots."
Fully awake, Seth asked, "You're gonna leave me home alone?"
Leah laughed. "Seth, you're almost fourteen. You'll be fine." She caught Bella by surprise as she asked, "Hey, Bella? Wanna ride with me to take Seth home real quick?"
Bella glanced toward Jacob nervously and said, "Uh, yeah. Sure. Jake?"
She had promised to help him, but he was doing well. She glanced at Leah and back to his sums, hoping he'd ask her to stay anyway. Having female friendships always blew up in her face, and she was leery of trying again. Besides, she repeated to herself - the guys monopolize my free time. And she liked it that way.
Jacob tapped his algebra book with his pencil and said, "I think I have this figured out Bells. I'll see you in a few?"
"Yeah," Bella said and stood slowly.
"Meet us out in the Taj when you get back," Jacob said, nodding toward his garage as he copied a sum onto paper. Leah gestured for Seth to get moving, and Bella followed them outside to Leah's car.
Upon climbing into the back seat, Seth yawned and asked, "So, Bella? What was all the old bird, little bird stuff today?"
"Old Quil is my great-granduncle by marriage. It's a private joke that started when I was a little kid."
Leah grinned as Seth asked, "What started it?"
"This boy made me cry once. Paul something," Bella admitted. "Aunt Molly told me it was okay to defend myself. Uncle Quil began teasing me afterward, and she said, 'Tell that old bird to stuff it.' So I did it. He answered, 'Don't you sass me, little bird.' It's all just… stuck somehow. It's our thing. It always surprises people."
Seth jabbered in Bella's ear for the rest of the drive. Leah sighed when he finally climbed out of the car and slammed the back door shut, rattling the window in the beat-up cavalier.
"Finally. I love my brother, but he never shuts up. I was kind of happy when he fell asleep."
Bella chuckled, watching the younger boy jog to their front door. "He's a good kid."
"He is," Leah said with an affectionate smile. "He's got a good heart, but he's like a little puppy. Wants to be everyone's friend."
Bella scoffed. "Don't most teens go through that phase?"
"Not me," Leah said with a laugh. "I'm too abrasive for most people."
"You seem friendly enough to me," Bella said as Leah put the car into gear and backed out of her driveway.
"You just don't know me well enough, Swan," Leah teased. "I'm a far cry different from the kid you knew playing Barbies."
Bella nodded. "Yeah? Me too."
Leah asked, "So what do you think those fuckwits have planned for when we return to the house?"
Bella laughed outright. "They probably stole a bottle of liquor and some beers from Billy's party stash."
Leah's voice rose with interest as she asked, "Yeah? Sounds like a fun time."
Bella asked, "Drink often, do you?"
"Nah. Not very often. You?"
Bella shook her head and frowned as she realized they were already pulling back into Jacob's driveway. "Only twice back in Phoenix. Jake keeps saying we'll do it soon."
As she parked the car and turned off the engine, Leah teased, "Oh, you'll do it, huh? I didn't know that's where your relationship was headed."
Bella's cheeks blazed as she looked over at Leah anxiously. She thought they were together? Bella frowned as she wondered who else had made that assumption. "Uh, it's not… not like that."
"Oh," Leah said, slumping back against her seat. "Sorry. I just assumed. He seems pretty into you. You're kind of all over each other."
Bella sputtered, "He's my best friend."
As Leah's eyes narrowed incredulously, Bella said, "I don't really see him like that."
It wasn't a complete lie or as if Jacob's crush on her was a secret, but the friends had always been physically comfortable with each other. Bella was barely coming out of the devastated stage of her breakup with Edward. Despite those things, she sometimes found Jacob far more attractive than she should. It was all very confusing.
"I'm not really ready to date anybody right now. Jake knows that."
Leah frowned and looked out the windshield toward the garage. "Still hung up on the ex?"
Bella bristled as she flinched and grumbled, "Yeah. Something like that, I guess."
"Yeah? Me too," Leah grumbled before looking toward Bella sympathetically. "I don't mean to be an asshole, but I heard you kind of checked out for a while. I hope you're doing better."
"Ern… thanks."
It surprised Bella that Leah broaching the topic of her mental breakdown didn't bother her like it did when others mentioned it. Maybe it was because she wasn't using it to tease her. Then again, she knew Leah understood. After all, her boyfriend had disappeared for months before they broke up. At least Edward had given Bella an explanation for leaving.
Was this why Leah invited me to ride along? Bella cringed, hoping Leah wasn't hoping for an emotional conversation. You could at least listen. You're not that goddamn selfish.
Wanting not to seem insensitive, she asked, "Are you okay? Do you need to talk about…"
"I don't want to talk about Sam," Leah interrupted, with Sam's name leaving her mouth in a hiss. "I should have expected you'd hear things about me, too."
"Just that you broke up," Bella answered quickly. "We're both small-town news, I guess."
"Yeah, I guess," Leah agreed with a bitter laugh. She sighed and softened her tone before adding, "If you ever want to hang out or chat or something."
Reaching for the door handle to climb out of the car, Bella asked, "Yeah?"
"Yeah," Leah nodded. "Maybe we'll actually have something in common."
As they exited the car, Bella said, "I'm not really a heart-to-heart type of girl."
Shutting the driver's door, Leah laughed. "Yeah. Me too, Swan. That's the point."
Charlie had just finished lecturing the boys as Bella and Leah entered the Taj Mahal. Overhearing the tail-end of his warnings and spotting the case of beer at Jacob's feet, Bella gaped at Charlie in shocked silence.
Charlie patted her shoulder. "Take it easy with the beer, Bella." With that, he stepped outside.
Bella looked toward her friends in disbelief. "Did that just happen?" She excused herself as the boys roared with laughter and followed her father toward the house. "Dad!"
Already down the slight incline between the house and garage, Charlie turned and smirked as he waited for her to catch up. "What, kiddo?"
"You're letting me drink with a bunch of boys? Are you serious ?"
Her father was lax in many ways, but she never expected him to break the law himself. He could lose his job for contributing to a minor if anyone found out he'd provided a garage full of teenagers with alcohol. Even Bella's wild excuse for a mother would never have taken the risk.
Charlie snickered at Bella's flabbergasted expression and said, "You need…"
He hesitated to consider his words despite his own inebriated state. After days of fighting, Bella held her breath, anticipating an argument. "I don't know, Bells. Something. Some real teenage experiences, I guess."
She let out her breath slowly, stunned by his words. The teenage experience was something she and Edward argued over as he obsessively pressed for her to experience the milestones he deemed necessary while conveniently ignoring those she wanted. Bella grew very sore with the concept of teenage experience after a while. Besides her blatantly disregarded physical needs, most things teenagers hyper-focused on experiencing didn't interest Bella Swan. Then again, she wasn't sure what she wanted from life anymore besides wanting her boys to be in it.
Charlie continued, "Those boys would throw hands for you. I know you're safe with them, just like Sue was always safe with me, Harry, Quil, and Billy. You're not the first chick with a swarm of guys for friends, you know? Besides, Leah's in there, too. Big on the ladies' rights, that one."
Bella harrumphed as he walked away, returning to his friends. How he and Renee hadn't worked out, Bella didn't know. They were both too laid back for their, or Bella's, own good. Both still behaved as if they were in their early twenties. It was no wonder that Bella had done more parenting than her parents ever had. Charlie was so laid-back that Bella assumed he probably gave out the lowest number of tickets in Forks Police History. He even took drunk teenagers home rather than jail so long as they weren't behind the wheel. Some even trusted him enough to call for a ride.
I guess him letting me drink with the guys isn't really that surprising…
"Swan."
Bella turned around to find Leah in the doorway to the garage, smirking. "Come on, Swan. I'm gonna teach you how to do a shot and forget all about teenage boys who pull disappearing stunts."
"With what? Beer?" Bella scowled, unsure she was even interested in the beer. She had it before and was unimpressed with the taste.
Leah pulled a bottle of rum out from behind her back and grinned. "Charlie's not the only one with surprises, Swan. But we need to swipe some of Jake's sodas for chasers."
"I thought you said you didn't drink."
"Often, Swan. I said I don't drink often."
Bella laughed despite herself. Maybe Charlie was right, and she needed to gain some dumb teenager experience. Deciding there was only one way to find out, she said, "Lead the way."
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