7,308Indelible
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I love your ponderings! This chapter is jumping into the past, 22 years ago, to 17-year-old Bella. Journal entries are in italics and flashback "snapshots" are in regular font. In future chapters you'll get bits of the present, interspersed with pieces of the past…until the two converge.
Chapter 4: Into the Green
Friday, February 1, 1991
Made it home. And that's just weird. Charlie's house is now home. Well, it used to be my home too, I guess. It's just weird to think of it that way, especially since I haven't been to Forks for the past few years. The drive back from the airport in Port Angeles was weird too. Usually Charlie asks me about Phoenix and I tell him the latest but this ride was sort of uncomfortable and quiet at first, except for the radio. Halfway home he started talking more, but the questions were awkward and I started wondering if he was having second thoughts about letting me come live with him…
*I*
He looks over as he drives. "Did you just cut your hair?"
"What?" I look down at my hair and frown because it hasn't been trimmed in ages. "I think it's actually longer than last time, Dad." He nods, looking back out the windshield and now he seems even more uncomfortable.
"Did you just…trim your mustache?" I ask after a moment, cocking an eyebrow and letting him know his question was kind of goofy.
He side-eyes me and then he chuckles. "Smart-aleck." He shifts and leans to look at his reflection in the rear-view mirror. "I think it's actually longer than last time, Bells."
I laugh and I see the smile lines crinkling at the corner of his eyes and I think maybe things will get more normal as we get used to this.
As we get to the Forks city limits he has a few more questions. "Do you have a favorite color? You're not into pink, are you?"
We're going to discuss favorite colors now? "Pink? No, I'm not into pink. I don't know. I don't really have a favorite. Why?"
He shrugs. "Just wondering. "How do you feel about green? Or purple?"
I squint at him, thinking how far away from normal this conversation seems to be going. Does he mean the Olympic Peninsula? It's green but I don't see any purple anywhere. He catches my expression and exhales in frustration.
"Purple's cool," I finally offer. "And I like green too." He seems to relax a bit, so I add, "They're good colors." He finally smiles and I think he looks like he's got a secret, but I'm afraid to ask because who knows where that conversation will go.
*I*
After lunch at the diner we drove past the high school on the way home. Charlie got me registered earlier in the week. I just have to pick up my schedule in the front office on Monday before classes. He told me Mrs. Cope still works there, so I'll already have a friend at school. I hope he doesn't think I'll be hanging out with Mrs. Cope. She was always nice to me when I was little but it's already bad enough that I'm the daughter of the Chief of Police. My life will go right in the crapper if I'm best friends with the attendance lady.
When we got home I discovered what that green and purple conversation was about. Charlie fixed up my room. It's purple and green and that might sound weird, but it looks nice and I told him so.
*I*
He's standing in the doorway, rubbing at the back of his neck and I can't help but smile because I get it now. He was worried I wouldn't like it. But I do.
"This is great, Dad. I really like the green paint. And the purple bedding." I turn and smile at him. "It hardly looks like the same room." He shrugs like it's no big deal, but he's wrong.
"It was time to fix the place up," he says. "I brought the rocking chair up from the living room so you'd have a place to sit and read. I got the desk and chair so you could do your homework. You can do work downstairs on the kitchen table, too," he quickly adds.
The boxes Mom mailed from Phoenix are stacked next to the desk. They hold books and knickknacks and some clothing I probably won't need until spring or summer. There's a small shopping bag on the desk and I'm wondering what's inside.
"I picked up a few school supplies but we can go shopping this weekend for whatever else you need," he says. I can feel him watching me as I go over to take a peek in the bag.
Inside are two spiral-bound notebooks—one green and one purple—and I smile. Dad must like those colors or maybe he just likes them for me. That's fine. I can do purple and green. There's also a package mechanical pencils and a pack of pens: black, blue, red and green. No purple. I wonder if that bothered him.
"I'll leave you to get settled and start unpacking," he says. "If you need any help, just holler. And don't worry about getting it all done today. You've got the rest of the weekend."
"Okay." I nod. "And thank you, Dad. The room really looks nice."
"Sure thing, Bells." He hesitates at the door. "Door open or closed?" he asks.
"Either's fine."
He starts to close it and then decides to leave it open.
I pull out the chair at my desk and sit down, sliding the green notebook and matching pen over. I've always liked writing, so I decide maybe I'll keep track of this new phase of my life. For all I know, it could be an adventure.
*I*
Saturday, February 2, 1991
I HAVE A CAR! Okay, so it's a truck, not a car, and it's old, but I have transportation and how great is that? Now I won't have to ride to school in the police cruiser…because THAT would be the best way to NOT have any friends. Except for maybe Mrs. Cope.
Charlie said he had an errand to run this morning while I was unpacking boxes. When he came back he called me from downstairs, telling me to come out and say hi to Billy Black and his son, Jake. The three of them were smiling up a storm when I got there, lined up in front of an old red truck on the driveway. (My truck!)
It's been a few years, but I recognized Billy right away. But Jake…he's grown up a lot. I guess I was still expecting a little kid with chubby cheeks, not some teenager with flashing white teeth. He could be in a toothpaste commercial.
*I*
"So, what do you think, Bells?" Dad asks after I come outside and say hi to the Blacks.
I don't understand his question. What am I supposed to say? Jake's teeth are commercial-perfect and Billy's hair is longer than I remembered?
"About…Jake and Billy?" I ask hesitantly. They burst into laughter and I can feel myself blush.
"No!" Dad says with a snort. "About this truck!" He smacks a hand down on the red fender.
"Oh. It's…nice," I say, looking from him to Billy to Jake and his white teeth, wondering why they want my opinion on their truck.
"Well, so far so good, Charlie," Billy says with a laugh as he looks at Dad. "That's what you were hoping to hear."
Jake's cracking up. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shrugs as he puts me out of my misery. "It's yours, Bella," he says kind of shyly.
"What?" I stare at him and he nods, grinning.
"WHAT?" I ask again as I turn to gawk at my dad.
He nods. "I know it's not much to look at, Bells, but it's a good, safe…"
I don't even hear the rest of what he's saying. I'm too busy jumping around and shrieking…
*I*
Sunday, February 3, 1991
There is nothing more embarrassing in life than buying Tampax with your father. Unless maybe it's buying them with your daughter. I don't know which of us was more mortified. Next time I'll go by myself, but this was an emergency. I also got a few more school supplies and we got some decent groceries into the house.
I took inventory in the kitchen this morning. It took two minutes to figure out Dad isn't much of a cook. And his cookware was gross! He said he usually makes something easy or eats at the diner. So after soup and sandwiches for dinner on Friday, and take-out pizza with Jake and Billy yesterday, I decided to do something about dinner. And the disgusting cookware.
At the store he was rolling his eyes at all the stuff I told him we needed, but he really liked the lasagna I made tonight. (In the new Pyrex dish!) And the cookies. (On the new cookie sheets!) He didn't realize I could cook but I told him the alternative was to eat Mom's experiments. That made him laugh until I gave him examples and he realized I was dead serious.
Everything is now organized and put away in my room and I start school tomorrow.
Oops, almost forgot… On our way out of the store Dad saw Mrs. Weber and her daughter and he introduced us. Angela was nice. She's in my grade. Maybe we'll have some classes together. She said she would look for me in the cafeteria tomorrow for lunch. I guess Mrs. Cope is on her own.
*I*
Monday, February 4, 1991
Holy hell…I don't know how I'll face Forks High tomorrow.
At least the day started out okay.
It was nice to see Mrs. Cope this morning. She thinks Dad is really happy to have me here to take care of, but I can't help thinking I'm sort of disrupting his normal routine.
My schedule is Algebra 2, PE, American Lit., Journalism, Lunch, Advanced Biology, and Spanish 3. In that order. My morning classes were okay, but everything went to hell after that.
I met Angela at lunch and we sat with some of her friends. I don't remember all their names, but I won't forget Jessica Stanley anytime soon. She talked non-stop, pointing out every person of interest and disinterest in the entire cafeteria.
If only that were the worst of it. But no…
*I*
"…and over there are the jocks. The cute guy in the letterman's jacket is Mike Newton. He's a junior and he plays varsity football and baseball. Tyler Crowley, next to him, is also in our grade. He's a great wrestler but he's kind of weird. Sitting across from Mike is Austin Marks, a senior. He plays basketball and thinks he's God's gift to women…"
I stop looking at Jessica. If I concentrate on my yogurt maybe she'll get the hint. But she doesn't.
I think Angela is a saint to hang out with her. Maybe it's because her father is a minister and she's just being charitable. She gives me an apologetic look and then a polite little eye roll and that strikes me funny so I return the eye roll and now she's biting back a smile. Angela is kind, but I think she might have a tiny sarcastic streak that's dying to get out…and be a little uncharitable. I like her.
Jessica continues vomiting up information and gossip instead of eating. Maybe her food is just a prop.
"…and the girl in the green dress is Samantha Larkin. Her parents paid for her to get a nose job over winter break and it doesn't even look any different…"
Angela says something about Samantha having sinus problems and a deviated septum but my focus shifts to a group of students just coming through the lunch line. They stand out because everyone else is already seated and eating. One of them, a tall boy, catches my eye—well, his hair does. I can't see his face, but his hair is windswept and untamed and very unusual. The tawny, reddish-brown color combination makes me think of a lion's mane.
He turns and my breath catches in my throat because his face is even more stunning than his hair. He's not just good-looking, he's absolutely gorgeous. I can't help staring at him. "Who is…?" I stop and rephrase my question. "Who are they?"
Luckily, Jessica has finally stuffed a carrot stick into her mouth, so the boy from my journalism class volunteers the answer so Jessica doesn't have to spit carrot chunks everywhere.
"They're our student government crowd…you know...the Associated Student Body officers. The Leadership class must have gotten out late.
Jessica jumps right in. She must have swallowed her carrot stick whole. "And they're…together," she says pointedly.
As they approach and pass our table in pairs, she begins whispering names, grades, and elected positions. "Emmett McCarty, senior, and Rosalie Hale, junior…Athletic Commissioner and Secretary…Alice Brandon, junior, and Jasper Whitlock, senior…Activities Commissioner and Vice President…and Edward Cullen, senior, and Ben Cheney, senior…President and Treasurer."
"Wait…" I whisper. "Those two guys… They're together, too?"
Jessica bursts into obnoxious laughter, loudly exclaiming, "Holy crap, Bella! No! They're not gay!"
She's just gotten the attention of everyone in the vicinity, including those two boys, who see Jessica looking from me to them and back as she giggles her empty head off. It's painfully obvious they were the topic of conversation. They glare at me like I'm a moron but move off to join their friends…who are watching…because they also heard Jessica.
I duck my head into my hands and stare down at the lunchroom table. I can never look anyone at Forks High School in the eye again. Except for maybe Angela, God bless her, because she's giving Jessica hell at the moment.
*I*
I'm not just the new girl whose father is the Chief of Police anymore. Since lunchtime, I'm the new weird girl whose father is the Chief of Police and who thought ASB President, Edward Cullen, and Treasurer, Ben Cheney, were gay lovers. And THEY think I thought that! But they're not gay. I've been assured of that, along with everyone else. Loudly. By Jessica. I'm so mad at her I could just scream. She's the one who implied the ASB cabinet was all "together" in the first place! I was so embarrassed and sick to my stomach that I couldn't eat the rest of my lunch. I just sat there with my beet red face in my hands and felt everyone's eyes on me.
Thank God, kind, sweet Angela has fifth period Advanced Bio with me, so we walked to class together after lunch. She said she didn't know Edward Cullen or Ben Cheney very well, but she would explain the misunderstanding to Alice Brandon in sixth period and Alice could hopefully pass the word onto them tomorrow during their Leadership class. Then Angela told me everyone in Bio already had a lab partner, so maybe Mr. Banner would let me work with her and her partner, Lee Stevens.
Unfortunately, that didn't work out, since another student added Advanced Biology right after I did and I wound up with my own lab partner. Even more unfortunately, my new lab partner is ridiculously attractive senior and student body President, Un-gay Edward the Lionheaded…
A/N: And so they meet. So near…and yet so mortifying. I hope you'll share your thoughts.