CHAPTER SEVEN
The following day, Bella was surprised during lunch when Judge Gambini sent in a catered lunch for her entire group of friends, complete with tablecloth, real dishes, silverware, and Shirley Temples served in wine glasses. They got to sit down and enjoy lasagna, garlic bread, and salad sent in from a local Italian restaurant, along with Tiramisu for dessert since they had their lunches destroyed by the two fighting students the previous day.
"Bella, this is so cool! How did you hook this up?" Emma asked.
"I didn't. I just told Judge Gambini about us all missing lunch. He asked for all your names, so I gave them to him. He's a really nice guy."
"Yeah, he is," Emma agreed.
"Wow! I can't believe we're having a meal from Trattoria San Marco's. That place is fancy! I've never been there, but my dad took my mom there on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary this year," Libby informed them. "Mom said it was the best meal she'd ever had."
"How did everything go at the meeting with the judge?" Brian asked.
"Yeah, we all want to know. We don't want you to leave, but we want what's best for you," Raoul added.
"I don't want you to go." Emma pouted. "I wish you could just move in with us. My parents are totally cool with it."
"My parents are, too," Jenny said. "We all love you, Bella."
"Yeah, I wish I could take you with me. My father was given sole legal custody of me, so I'll be moving to Washington."
"When?" Emma asked with tears in her eyes.
Bella took a deep breath in and exhaled. "After school tomorrow."
"So soon? I thought you were staying through Friday."
"I thought so, too, but Dad wants to start the drive home because it's going to be a long trip. He wants to break it up into three days."
"Oh, Bella, I can't stand the thought of us not being together anymore," Emma lamented.
"And what's going to happen to our softball team? You're the best hitter in Phoenix," Libby added.
"You'll manage. Emma is right behind me, and she can pitch, too. I'm going to miss all of you so much, but this is something I have to do. I just can't live with my mother anymore, especially now that she's married Phil."
Bella's friends all understood. Later, she talked to Emma and pitched the idea of her visiting her in Forks. Her friend thought it would be a terrific idea.
XOXO
The following afternoon, Bella was officially unenrolled from Glendale High School. She was given a warm farewell from her teachers and friends and sent off with parting gifts, hugs, and lots of tears. By the time father and daughter had left Arizona, it was already past three pm.
Charlie made sure he had all of Bella's vital documents in place, her school reports, medical files, and a notarized copy of the new custody order. Bianca Dwyer had written a check to Bella for the money she paid plus interest. They also stopped at the bank where his daughter closed her account and had a cashier's check issued so she could open up a new account in Washington.
He let his daughter drive while in Arizona with her learner's permit because once they were out of state, he'd have to take over the rest of the way. He was surprised at how good of a driver she was. She was better than many experienced drivers and handled his Toyota Tundra with ease.
"Bella, you're an excellent driver. I think you take after me," he said.
Bella smiled when she considered how her father had complained several times about her driving during her first stay in Forks. How things change with time? But, of course, her father did not know that she actually had a year and a half of being a licensed driver.
"It's too bad you'll have to reapply for a permit in Washington and go through driver's ed again."
"What?" Bella asked, stunned. "Can't I just transfer my permit and get credit for time served?"
Charlie laughed. "Of course not. Only licensed drivers can transfer their credentials."
Bella rolled her eyes up to the heavens and then pouted. "That is so unfair. Oh, well, at least I'll have more time to earn money for a car."
But she wouldn't be able to work at Newton's without a car. Maybe she could work at Sully's or the coffee shop? Those places were within walking distance of the high school. Or perhaps, the pharmacy? They were always looking for help. She needed to work, that was for sure.
"That's true. But Bells, now that I don't have child support to pay, I'll help you buy a car."
"Dad, if you bought a car for me, I'd probably end up with Billy's rusty, old red truck. That would be a nightmare to drive." And she was being completely honest here. It had been a nightmare to drive, and she refused to be stuck driving that rusty old tank ever again. "Ooh! I have an idea. I'll drive your truck once I get my license. I've always liked driving this!"
"Always liked this truck? Really, Bella? You sound like you've driven this for years.
Oops! That was a goof on Bella's part. She had driven his truck whenever the red truck would break down, which was more often than not. She needed to cover up her error fast. "It was wishful thinking, Dad."
Charlie thought about it. The truck was about seven years old and in great condition. Perfect for his daughter to drive by the time she finally got her license, which wouldn't be for at least summer. Normally, he'd drive it for another ten years, but Bella moving in with him changed the trajectory. He needed to put her into a safe vehicle without mechanical problems. He could easily afford to buy her a used car, but he didn't know the history of it. This idea might actually bear fruit. "Hmm… Let me think about it. I'll let you know after you become a licensed driver."
"Cool! Think really hard about it, Daddy!"
"I will, kiddo. Now, keep your eye on the road. You're doing great with your driving."
XOXO
Four hours later, Bella was still driving without any issues when she realized she was going over the state line into Nevada. "Oh-oh. We're going over the bridge into Nevada. Maybe we should have stopped earlier?"
"It's okay. You can pull over in Nevada once you find a safe place. I'm really proud of you. There are some barren stretches of road as we make our way home, so I might let you drive in those areas."
"But wouldn't that be breaking the law, Dad?"
"Yeah, but some rules are meant to be broken."
"Dad, did you know that we're traveling over the very first composite steel deck arch bridge in the United States? We're going over the Colorado River right now, and you can see the Hoover Dam over there."
"No, kidding?" Charlie was amazed by Bella's knowledge. Maybe she could go to Harvard with that brain of hers. He sat up straighter in his seat, grinning and brimming with pride at the thought.
"Yeah, the only reason I know this is because we went on a field trip at the end of last year, and we were tested on it. Who tests on a field trip anyway? It's unjust, I tell you."
Well, the University of Washington is a respectable university, and his alma mater, Charlie thought. Harvard isn't all that it's cracked up to be anyway. He once met a prosecutor who graduated from Harvard who was as thick as a brick, and had the personality of a stick.
"Oh, yeah. There it is," Charlie noted, looking out the window. He snapped a couple of pictures using his phone.
He allowed Bella to keep driving a bit longer until the traffic became extremely congested. "Kiddo, you need to pull over soon. It's nearing eight pm, and we need to stop for dinner. We should probably stop for the night so we can get an early start tomorrow.
"Sure, where are we staying for the night?"
"I have no idea. I usually just wing it. Get off at the next exit, and we can ask for ideas there."
"Okay."
Bella pulled into a strip mall parking lot, where they spotted a coffee shop and a BBQ spot. The BBQ spot looked crowded, so father and daughter opted for the coffee shop.
At the entrance, there was a display rack filled with brochures and pamphlets. Bella and Charlie each grabbed a few so they could get a sense of where they were.
The waitress, an older woman in her sixties, placed two glasses of ice water and handed them two menus before taking off to handle another table.
"I think I'll have a BLT with fries," Bella said.
"I'll do the turkey sandwich with a cup of soup."
When the waitress returned, they placed their orders. She was off again before they could ask about a hotel.
They decided to peruse the pamphlets while they waited for their food. Bella saw a whole bunch of things she wanted to do, none of them involving a hotel. Meanwhile, Charlie scrunched his face in consternation. Unfortunately, they were in Las Vegas, Nevada, so he imagined the hotel prices were sky high—not that it mattered; they were only staying for a night.
When the waitress returned, Charlie asked, "Ma'am, I'm looking for a hotel around here for my daughter and I to stay in. We're just passing through for the night. Would you know of any?"
"I know plenty around here. Unfortunately, there's a convention in town beginning today, so there's no room at any of the hotels on either side of the bridge. Your best bet is Las Vegas—the rooms are probably cheaper, too."
"Well, heck, if the hotels here are booked solid, there's probably no hope in Vegas," Charlie noted.
"Oh, you'll be fine there. The convention is here. It's the International Model Bridge Builders Convention. They decided to have it by the Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge this year."
"You're kidding me?" Charlie asked, nonplussed. "There's a Model Bridge Builders Convention?"
"That ain't nothing," the woman commented, "you get all kinds of strange conventions around here. Heck, they even had a Duct Tape Designers convention here once.
"For real?" Bella tilted her head and asked. "My Dad loves duct tape. Once, when I was little, he taped the handle of the refrigerator on with duct tape when the screws fell out. I hope you replaced that fridge."
Charlie thought the first thing he was going to do when he returned to Forks was replace the refrigerator and the stove.
"So, Las Vegas is our only choice?"
"I think it's where the rooms will be the most reasonable. There are so many hotels in the city that they all have to be competitive when it comes to room rates. Who knows? You might win a jackpot on a slot machine while you're there."
The waitress walked away, and Charlie took on a forlorn expression. Meanwhile, Bella held up a couple of pamphlets and donned a big smile on her face. One was for a roller coaster, and the other was for white water rafting.
"Please, Dad?" Bella begged.
"No. We're only passing through."
"Dad, when are we ever in Las Vegas? Emma said the roller coaster was a blast when she went there with her parents last summer. Please, Dad."
Charlie was actually enjoying the fact that his daughter was behaving like a normal teen. After her experience with Renee, he had been concerned that Bella was too serious and mature. He was happy she was pleading with him about wanting to do something so quintessentially normal for a teenager.
He let out a long, deep sigh and then put a smile on his face. "Alrighty, Bella. We'll stay overnight in Las Vegas, and we'll ride that roller coaster of yours before we leave. We can go rafting in Washington."
Bella raised her arms up in the air and cheered, "Yay!" She rushed to the other side of the booth to hug her father. "Thanks, Dad!"
"And don't forget to pull one of those slot machines before you leave. You might win big!" The waitress urged him as she placed a bottle of ketchup down on the table.
XOXO
Two hours later, Bella and Charlie had checked into the hotel and were now sitting in their seats on the roller coaster. They were in the very front row. The attendant checked their harnesses, and the ride soon arrived. Bella shrieked in excitement from the very beginning. She was having so much fun, and so was Charlie. The ride zipped away at a tremendous rate of speed, and both father and daughter were having the time of their lives. Soon, the ride slowed to climb an extremely steep slope, and when it reached the peak, it stopped for just a few seconds before descending into a full 180, momentarily suspending them upside down. The roller coaster zig-zagged and went up and down before finally coming to a full stop. When they got off the ride, Bella donned a wide smile and then hugged her father.
"Thanks, Daddy! That was so much fun. It was my first roller coaster ride ever!"
Charlie felt elated that he was able to share this experience with Bella but horrible that she had to wait seventeen years to experience a roller coaster.
"Well, kiddo. We'll go to more amusement parks together. We can go to the Washington State Fair in Puyallup this summer, or heck, maybe we'll even go to Disneyworld."
"Cool! I can't wait!"
"Now, come on, Bells. Let's go hit those skee ball machines we saw on the way here."
Father and daughter had a good evening together. They played skee ball and air hockey, then explored the Las Vegas strip together before finally turning in for the night.
XOXO
Charlie and Bella woke up bright and early, showered, and then headed down for breakfast at the impressive buffet included in their hotel room. "Dad, you should use those tokens they gave us when we checked into the hotel. The lady at the front desk was nice enough to load up my portion onto your card because I'm underage because she thought you were hot."
"Yeah, she was a little desperate, wasn't she?"
"Dad, she wrote her cell phone number under the WiFi password, and she kept touching your arm and batting her eyelashes at you. Are all women so forward? I mean, Phil's mom was a little nutty in Judge Gambini's office. And Mom has always been super flirty when she's near a man she's attracted to."
There was also Officer Kreuger's blatant flirting, but Bella didn't need to know about that. "Yeah, I just ignore women like that," Charlie said, and then, realizing that this was a teaching moment, added, "Men don't find that sort of pushy flirting attractive at all. It's kind of like how women don't like being catcalled. I don't want a woman to date me because she likes my muscles."
"That's good to know. I wouldn't want you to start dating the female version of Phil."
"I don't think you have to worry about that."
Bella knew her father would not date a woman like Phil. In fact, eventually, he would date Joy Ateara—Quil's mother and a world-class baker. She was actually looking forward to taste testing all the chocolate cakes.
Esme Cullen had always prided herself on being a kind mother, but she was nothing compared to Joy. With Joy, Bella felt the genuine care and concern of a mother. It was because of her that Bella began to see Edward for who he was. Joy had been worried that Bella was marrying too young and for the wrong reasons.
Bella had been attracted to Edward's looks—that's why she had dated him initially. The idea of such a good-looking guy paying even the slightest bit of attention to her left her in awe, but in the end, all the good looks in the world didn't make up for his constant gaslighting and emotional manipulation. No man was worth that. She wanted to meet someone who valued her for who she truly was—not someone who wanted to change her into the type of woman he preferred. She shook herself out of her maudlin thoughts. There would be enough time to contemplate the Cullen situation in Forks.
She got back to eating her food and found her father staring at her when she looked up. "Are you okay, kiddo?"
"Yeah, I am. I was just worried about making friends in Forks."
"You will be absolutely fine. Plus, the softball team needs a talented hitter."
"Dad, I'm not talented. I'm just average."
"That's not what I heard. Captain Nez told me you're versatile and can play any position, but more importantly, your batting average was a .435 and possibly more at the end of last season. That's good enough for a scholarship at a D2 or D3 school, but you still have time to build your skills."
Bella realized her father had a great idea. Getting in with the softball team was a good way to make friends. She enjoyed playing. The only reason she didn't join the team the last time was because Edward told her the team was filled with nasty, catty, unladylike girls. But when she thought about it now, she had no idea who was on the softball team. What an idiot she was!
"You're right, Dad. I shouldn't worry. And Dad, you should still try a slot machine. Maybe you'll win enough so we can go on vacation somewhere nice, and I need new cleats."
"Bella, I can buy you new cleats and take us on a vacation. I don't need to gamble. It never was my thing, anyway. I don't even play the lottery," Charlie informed her.
Bella took a bite of her omelet before saying, "I know that! But you're in Las Vegas, and you have tokens loaded up on that card, so you should use it. Remember what the waitress said last night. You might win big."
Charlie huffed. "Fine. I'll give it a try, but you wait right here. Don't move from this table."
"Okay, but let me get more hash browns and juice first. I'll just sit and text my friends."
As soon as Bella returned to the table, Charlie left for the casino. He shook his head at the things he did for his daughter. He opened the double doors to the casino and was initially staggered by the noise—the bells, whistles, frustrated groans, and elated cheers. He located the blackjack and poker tables and heard bets being placed by the players and dealers making calls. He ventured away from the tables. He was no gambler.
He ventured over to the machines where a whole bunch of senior citizens seemed clustered. He wasn't sure how the slot machines worked, so he asked the old lady who looked like she had been parked at the machine since the dawn of electricity how they worked. Her cane was propped up against the table, and she had a drink in her hand. In fact, most people were drinking, and it was barely past seven in the morning.
The lady kindly taught him how to use the card. "Just insert the card into the slot and pull the lever. It'll tell you how much you have left on the display there. If you win, you can either add it to the card to keep going, or if you want to cash in your winnings, press the button here, and the ticket will come out."
"Thank you, ma'am," Charlie told her.
"Oh, honey, thank you. It's rare for a hot, young specimen of a man to talk to an old lady like me. You've made my day. I'm in room 420 if you care for a tumble later."
Charlie's eyes widened. "Uh, I have a daughter."
"So, I've got great-grandchildren, and it don't bother me none."
"Right. Uh, thanks for teaching me how to use the machine. Have a nice day."
Charlie hurriedly rushed away from the old lady and was ready to bolt from the casino when he realized he still had not played a slot machine yet. He decided to just pick a random one. He saw a row of slot machines with a large sign above it that read, 'WIN A TRUCK AND CASH WITH ONE SPIN.' He wondered who the heck fell for that stuff, then he peered around the casino and realized a lot of people did because the row was packed solid.
He was about to move on when a younger man, probably in his twenties, was escorted from his seat and the casino after he angrily punched the slot machine in frustration because he wasn't winning. Seeing that there was an open chair, Charlie took it. He inserted the card the front desk clerk had given him and stared at the machine, then laughed. He had ten dollars on the card—five for him and five for Bella. How generous of the hotel, he thought sarcastically. He looked around and noticed there was no lever to pull on this machine. Apparently, he had to press a button.
"Well, I might as well get this over with," Charlie mumbled and absentmindedly pressed the button with two fingers.
Suddenly, an alarm went off on the machine, and all sorts of lights started flickering.
"What the hell?" Charlie cried, thinking he had broken the machine. No, it had to be the fault of the guy who was there ahead of him who had slugged the machine. There was a siren blaring and a cha-ching, cha-ching sound simultaneously emitting from the machine. On top of that, the machine was flashing colorful lights continuously.
He stood up and began to back away from the machine, but the man sitting to his left grabbed his arm and forced him back to his chair. "What are you doing, champ? You never leave the machine without collecting your winnings. Here comes the attendant now. Congratulations, by the way."
"I won? What did I win?" Charlie asked.
The attendant approached him. "Congratulations, sir. May I please see your ticket and your ID?"
"Ticket?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, your winning ticket. Just press the green button at the bottom of the machine, and it'll print out below."
So, he did what he was told to do and handed it to the attendant along with his license. "Uh, what did I win?"
"You just won a truck and $50,000 in cash."
Charlie's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened in a look of disbelief. He waved his hands up in the air. "Excuse me? Come again?"
"You won the grand prize of a truck and $50,000 in cash." The attendant pointed to the sign above him. There was a crowd gathered and applause all around, followed by cheers, whoops, and congratulatory praises.
"Oh, thank you. Uh, how do I collect the prize?"
"You come with me. We'll process the paperwork, and you can head to the dealership."
"My daughter is waiting at the restaurant. Is it okay if we pick her up first? I don't want to leave her sitting there for too long. She's only seventeen."
"Of course. Let's collect your daughter. As long as an employee is with her, she can enter the casino."
They exited the casino and quickly grabbed Bella, who was texting her friends while sipping orange juice. Charlie left a generous tip on the table and returned to the casino office with a surprised Bella and the attendant.
"Congratulations, Mr Swan, and hello, young lady. I'm the casino manager, Lou Fresher. You'll need to fill out some forms here in order to collect your winnings. Also, you can choose to pay your taxes in advance from your winnings, or you can pay them later when you file your taxes. Which do you prefer?"
"Um, I'll pay in advance, but what kind of truck is it?"
"Well, you actually choose when you get to the dealership. The dealer will give you a choice between several trucks worth $50,000. It's a dealership that represents multiple brands. I think you have a choice between a Chevy, GMC, and either a Nissan or a Honda. I can't be sure. You'll have to ask there. Anyway, you'll bring this certificate to them and a copy of the form stating we've collected tax on the total winnings. And I'm not sure how it works from there, but I believe you just register it in your state."
"I see. Is it a new truck?" Charlie asked suspiciously.
"Of course it is," the casino manager replied. "I'll put a call into the dealership. They don't open until nine, but I'm sure the manager will come in early for you."
Charlie filled out several tax forms and chose to pay the taxes for both the vehicle and the cash in advance of his winnings. He left with a cashier's check for $26,000, but at least he didn't have to worry about paying taxes on the winnings next year. Despite the manager urging them to stay for a while longer—most likely to try and recoup their losses from Charlie winning, father and daughter quickly checked out of the hotel and headed to the car dealership.
"I can't believe you won the grand prize!" Bella cried. "And you won a truck!"
"I know! I'm sure glad you told me to play the slot machine before we left, Bells. I'm still in awe and disbelief."
"Me, too! But, hey, now you have the cash for us to go on vacation somewhere."
"Now, that's a great idea, kiddo. Maybe we'll go on a plane somewhere."
"Cool!"
"I've always wanted to go to Italy," her father said.
Bella grimaced. No, no. She did not want to go anywhere near Italy. That's where the crazy Volturi were. What if they were manipulated into going on a tour and then drained. No way. No how!
She gulped, "Um, do they have amusement parks in Italy?"
"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe not Italy, then. What about Paris? They have a Disneyland there."
She didn't know of any French vampires, so she said, "Sure! Or maybe we can go somewhere sunny with lots of beaches." A sunny beach where vampires would have trouble vacationing would be ideal, Bella thought.
"There are so many options, aren't there? We'll consider everything when we plan our trip."
Charlie clapped his hands! "Or we can go to Texas. I've always wanted to check out The Alamo."
Bella's eyes widened. Why on earth would anyone want to go to Texas where there were vampire wars? Oh, yeah, her father had no idea about the vampire turf wars there. Heck, he didn't even know that vampires existed. Nor did he know his daughter had almost married one.
"Ooh! There's the dealership," Bella pointed to a sign up ahead to the left after the stoplight.
Charlie spotted the sign, then said, "Good job paying attention. Now let's look at this vehicle," and headed for the dealership.
XOXO
The dealer was waiting for them when they arrived. He was an Asian guy dressed in jeans and a western shirt with a bolo tie. He wore cowboy boots and topped it all off with a blazer.
He greeted them with a drawl that was thicker than Jasper's. "Hi, my name is Hank Nakajima, the owner of this dealership. You must be the Swans. Lou called me from over at the casino."
"Uh, yes. I'm Charlie Swan."
"Well, congratulations, Mr Swan. You've just won yourself a brand-new truck. I see you already drive a truck. Do you like it?"
"Oh, yeah," Bella stated. "It's a really comfortable ride. I'm hoping my dad will give it to me once I get my license."
"Bella, I think he was talking to me," Charlie chuckled, ruffling his daughter's hair.
"Well, you might get lucky there," Hank said to Bella.
"Now, how exactly does this work?"
"Oh, well, I donated twelve vehicles—two from each of my dealerships to the casino this year. It's a win-win situation, you see. I get to get rid of my older stock, the casino advertises my dealership for free on billboards all over the state, and the casino wins because I've donated twelve vehicles as prizes."
"I'm sure you get a significant tax write-off, too."
"That I do." After a slight pause, Hank said, "Your daughter mentioned she doesn't have her license. How do you want to have your vehicle delivered? I can have a courier drive it to your home, or you can hire a delivery service."
"I live in Washington."
"Yeah, that's okay. There will be a fee, though. The other option is for you to tow the vehicle home. Do you have a hitch attached to your truck?"
"I sure do," Charlie said. "I haul my boat to the dock that way."
"Well, you could rent a flatbed and tow your truck home, but I'd still suggest either the delivery service or the courier. Now, let's take a look at your options. The sky is the limit because it's October, and I have next year's models coming in. You've got a choice of Chevy, GMC, Dodge, Nissan, and Toyota. And you don't have to take a truck either."
"I already pre-paid the taxes on a $50,000 vehicle. What if the value is less?"
"Don't worry, Mr Swan, I'll make sure you're hooked up with a vehicle that's at least that amount. Let me ask you this, you mentioned fishing; what else do you use your vehicle for? For example, do you go off-roading? Do you do mostly city driving? I can see that your truck is one step above the base model. If you like that particular model, I have a few in stock."
"I think I'll stick with Toyota. They seem to be more reliable than the Chevy or Dodge. I don't know much about Nissan, but my co-worker has one, and he seems to like it."
Mr Nakajima nodded his head. "Let me do you a favor and give you my opinion. Among all of my dealerships, we have the least problems with Toyota. We also have the most return customers. How old is your truck?"
"Seven years old," Charlie replied. "And I think I still have a good ten or more years with it, especially since I mostly drive my cruiser for work."
"Oh, are you a police officer?" Hank asked.
"My dad is the police chief," Bella said proudly.
"Well, now, I think we can up the ante a bit since you're a first-responder. Thank you for your service, sir. Let me see what I can do about upgrading you from your current truck."
"Alrighty then."
In the end, they test-drove twelve different trucks from varying manufacturers. Of course, Charlie ended up sticking with the Toyota Tundra, but Hank upgraded him to the platinum edition, stating he'd make up the difference with the next guy. This, of course, translated to Hank jacking up the price of a lower-end model for the next prize winner while lowering the price for the model Charlie was taking. He didn't get his choice of colors, though. He wanted black or white. He was offered blue or brown. He took the blue.
Charlie didn't care. He was getting a free truck, and he didn't have to shell out any of his cash. He wasn't superstitious like his friend Billy, who was always praying to the spirits, but at that moment, Charlie thought someone in the spirit world was looking out for him and Bella.
They finally left the dealership at noon—way behind schedule, but with a new truck, slated to be delivered at the house in Forks sometime next week. Hank gave them a free cooler that he was giving away as a promotion and suggested they fill it with food and drink because there wasn't much on the route they were taking. They thanked him and took his advice, stopping at a supermarket for ice drinks and snacks. They went through a drive-thru for lunch, then began the long drive home.
Charlie let Bella take the wheel on the more deserted highways in Nevada and Oregon. On the first day, they stopped for the night once they reached McDermitt, which was on the Oregon border.
On the second day, they left at six am and drove the rest of the way to Forks, finally arriving home at seven pm. They ordered pizza for dinner, and they were both ready for bed by eight pm.
"Daddy, we need to get new sheets for me tomorrow. These sheets have Elmo on them."
"I know, Bells. We'll get you new furniture sometime next week. You can get the sheets then."
"Thanks, Dad." Bella hugged her father. "I love you."
"Love you right back."
XOXO
As soon as she shut the door to her room. Bella set up her mirror on the small nightstand. She switched the light on, and Taha Aki appeared instantly. "Welcome home, kid."
"Thanks. I haven't seen you in a few days. How are you doing?"
"Good. You navigated the last few days on your own, and you did well. I imagine we'll be seeing each other a lot more in the coming days, though. I was especially proud when you told your mother how you really felt. It was very brave of you."
"That was draining, but I feel better now. I'm scared about the coming days."
"You've got to face your fears. You can do it."
"I know, but what do I do when I see the Cullens?"
"Nothing. You don't give them your time or attention. Remember, Edward can't read your mind. You know all of their gifts—use them to your advantage."
"Okay. What about friends? Will I even make friends?"
Taha Aki raised an eyebrow at her. "You had a solid group of friends in Arizona. There's no reason why you can't cultivate the same kind of relationships here. And don't limit yourself to Forks High School. There are kids on the reservation that are friendly."
"Quil and Embry are friendly, and so is Jacob, but he has a crush on me, and I simply don't feel the same way about him. And then there's that guy Paul who nearly killed me. I think Sam barely puts up with me. Jared's voice is annoying, and Leah hates me."
"Bella, most of them don't know you yet, and to own the truth, you don't know them. On top of that, Sam is still the only one who has phased. You can get to know everyone now, and this time, let your true personality shine."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Okay, okay. I can work with that.
"Good girl," Taha Aki said.
"Dad said I should make friends with the softball team."
"He's right, and try not to be shy. It'll be easier this time because you know who these people are even if they don't know who you are. Be open and approachable, but don't be a pushover."
"Got it. I'll work on it." Bella yawned and stretched her arms over her head.
"You best get to bed. I'll be watching over you, so don't worry."
"Goodnight, Mr Aki."
"Goodnight, young one."