Chapter 3
BPOV
After a slightly bumpy landing in Forks, my second plane arrived at the local airport. The pilot helped me take the luggage out of the small plane we arrived in. I struggled with all my bags, making my way to the pick-up zone. Why did I have to bring my entire book collection and every single article of clothing I owned? One of my smaller bags fell off the pile I had collected so I huffed and spun around to grab it quickly. Before I continued on my way I was suddenly engulfed in a big bear-hug from behind.
"Oh Izzy-Bear! I'm so glad you're here!" Emmett cried in my ear. He set me down and spun me around to face him. Surprisingly, when I looked at him, a smile started to form at the corners of my mouth and I flung myself at him again, trying to wrap my arms around him. He was much too full of muscles to accomplish this effectively. Pulling back, I looked up into his hazel eyes, mom's eyes; I had Charlie's eyes, but we both had Charlie's hair: dark brown and somewhat curly.
"Hey Big-Bear! I'm glad I'm here too, but Em, call me Bella… please." I replied as we started walking towards his red jeep, most of my bags easily fitting in his vast arms. He looked down and winked at me.
"Oh Bella. Why did you get so serious? You were much more fun when I got to call you Izzy!" he chuckled. Despite his jab at the changes in my personality, I still felt at ease around him. "Dad's still at the station, he's meeting us at the diner for dinner," he said while driving into town. Ah, yes, the hard working police Chief Charlie Swan. Emmett's face got a little sheepish when he paused before asking me a question. "Hey Bella, is it ok if Rose comes to dinner too?" Blonde goddess Rosalie Hale, my brother was smitten with her. The first time I met Rosalie was over my Thanksgiving vacation 2008 when I flew to Forks to visit with Emmett and Charlie. She and Emmett had been dating since summer, but I had only met her at our big dinner. I was grateful that she helped me in the kitchen as my dad and Emmett watched football all day. The last time I'd seen her was the beginning of this summer, before my accident. Truth be told, although I was slightly jealous of this bombshell my older brother was dating, I liked her. She could be conceited, but she was fiercely protective of those she loved, and I could tell she loved Emmett.
"Yea, sure Em. That's cool." I could be cold and distant to everyone except Emmett. There was something about him that made me peaceful. Maybe it's because I feel so safe around my big grizzly-bear of a brother.
"Sweet! Good, I'm glad you're not moving up here to sit in your room and read all day like a bump on a log," he chuckled. To be honest, I sort of had similar plans to what he just described intermingled with solitary sight-seeing and trips to the bookstore in Portland or Seattle. "I was worried! Not as worried as dad or mom though. You sure you're doing ok?" There was only a small change to his usually sunny disposition. It was sweet of him to be concerned about me, but definitely unnecessary.
"Yea, Emmett. I'm fine. Really! I just had to get out of Phoenix. I know Forks has never been my favorite place but mom, the therapist, and everyone else looking at me sideways all the time like I might just collapse any second was really wearing on me. Plus, I've missed you and dad! It hasn't been the same at home since you moved out here with dad."
" Aw, Izz! Don't be like that. You know I can't stand Phil! He always acted like one of my football buddies. But, I'm glad you're coming to live with us. It'll be fun, just like those old vacations we used to take." He playfully punched my arm. I could already tell that moving to Forks was going to be better than being in Phoenix the last month and a half if only for the reason that I had Emmett now.
Dinner was usual as the diner in Forks has been the same for the past twenty-five years: same people, same food, and same management. Rosalie actually seemed genuinely happy that I was staying in Forks now, probably for Emmett's sake, but it made me feel good none-the-less. I didn't talk much at dinner but it was hardly noticeable with the charismatic Emmett carrying-on about God knows what making everybody laugh. I loved seeing Charlie laugh with his dark eyes getting all crinkly. That was my favorite. He seemed less lonely after Emmett moved-in with him shortly after our mom's re-marriage two years ago. I felt bad bailing on Renee so I stayed behind; I really didn't mind Phil. He made my mom happy which, in turn, made me happy.
"So Bella, you're coming to the bonfire tonight right?" Rosalie asked. I must have been spacing out again because I felt like I had just missed a whole conversation.
"Uhm, what?" I asked lamely.
"My best friend Alice is having a bonfire at her place tonight. Well, Emmett and I thought since you really didn't know anyone that it would be a great time to meet people before school starts next week. She lives in this incredible mansion just inside the town's limits. The backyard is perfect for bonfires! So, are you game?" She asked. Wow, it really seemed like she wanted me to go. I looked to Emmett for some sort of guidance and then at Charlie.
"C'mon Izzy-Bear! We can drop your stuff off at home and meet Rose over there," Emmett said.
Charlie added on, "Yea Isa—Bella. You go on ahead and have fun."
"Sure. Yea, ok." I couldn't think of anything to add to make it sound like I was thrilled when I wasn't. I was nervous. Emmett hadn't yet told me what he told the other kids about me. All I wanted to do was take a bath and get my room unpacked and now that wasn't an option.
When Emmett said that we were going to drop my stuff off, he meant it. He left the jeep running as he single-handedly ran my stuff into the house and ran out. I didn't even get to see the inside of the house and get a sense of familiarity before I was thrown into a group of strangers and made to play nice. If it was anyone but Emmett dragging me along, I would have thrown a shit fit. When I don't want to do something, I don't. Yes, that was a new development of mine, but it held fast. I was still wearing my black zip-up hoodie, Kings of Leon band tee that hung loosely from my petite frame and plain blue jeans with Chuck's from the flight. Judging by the way Rosalie fabulously dressed, I was not going to fit in.
On the way over to Alice's house I struggled to find my voice and figure out how to ask Emmett if people knew of me. I mean, it was a pretty strange question to ask. Phrasing must be perfect in order to avoid confusion. I gently cleared my throat before speaking. "Em? Uhm, so … what exactly have you told people about me? Like… do they know why I'm here?" I finally asked.
"You mean: do they know about the accident?" He saw right through my pretenses, which was good. I nodded my head. "No, they don't know about the accident. They just think that you got fed up with Phil too so you moved-in with Charlie and me. Only Rosalie and probably Alice know about the accident. Oh! And Jasper, Rose's twin and Alice's boyfriend. He's my best friend."
"Jesus Emmett! Does everyone date their friend's siblings around here! Well, anyways, I guess it's ok if they know but, just not the whole town. I know how the folks of Forks can talk…" he laughed with my last statement which only proved it all the more true. "Well I mean you know I was just trying to get away from rumors and stuff in Phoenix. So yea… Uhm, and Emmett?" He heard the anxiety in my tone.
"Yea Izzy?"
"If and when you introduce me to people, call me Bella."
He guffawed before answering. "Yea, fine Bella. Sorry, old habits are hard to break." I looked over at him to make sure he wasn't upset and saw his smile. Good, I was in the clear. Now all I had to do was concentrate on not getting anxious about all these strangers that will invariably want to meet me because I'm Emmett's baby sister. Hell, I'm only a year younger than him, but I just knew that it is how he would introduce me.
Rosalie's description of Alice's house did not fail to meet my raised expectations. She had a huge white house in the center of a wide, shaded meadow in the middle of nowhere. When we got out of the jeep, we could hear the voices echoing off the trees and saw a faint flickering light reflected on the them. We walked around the house and a group of at least twenty teenagers gathered around a large bonfire came into view. Emmett grabbed my arm about two-hundred feet away from everyone and stopped us suddenly.
"Oh and Bella? I'm not drinking tonight so if you want to: go ahead. I'll be your sober driver!" I thought about my flask in one of my suitcases, cursing Emmett for not warning me ahead of time that his friends liked to party. He winked at me right before a bunch of guys from the football team called out his name and he shouted back a greeting. The guys jogged to us as we continued walking towards the fire.
"Hey guys! This is my sister Bella. Bella, this is Ben, Mike, Tyler, and James." They all enthusiastically replied a greeting and I muttered one in response. I did not like the way James or Mike… or Tyler for that matter were looking at me. Emmett must not have either because he doled out a warning. "And guys… behave yourselves! It's her first night in Forks and she's going home with me tonight." James looked slightly crestfallen but the others just laughed and agreed. Just then Rosalie walked over to us, trailing a petite girl next to her. She looked like what I imagined a human-sized fairy would look like: short black spiky hair, small features, and large amber eyes. I assumed that it was Alice.
"Hey Bella!... Hey Baby," Rosalie called to myself and Emmett as she approached us. "Bella, this is Alice Cullen. Alice, Bella."
"Hi Bella! It's nice to finally meet you! Have you seen your room yet?" Alice hedged. What an odd question to ask…
"It's nice to meet you too Alice. Uhm, no I haven't even had a chance yet to go inside my house much less my bedroom." She giggled a bit; it sounded like tinkling bells.
"Gotcha." Alice dragged some tall blonde guy over from a group near the fire to where we were standing. "Bella, this is my boyfriend, Jasper Hale, Rosalie's twin." Wow, I really was going to meet everyone tonight.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet Emmett's sister. How do you do?" Jasper asked formally. He had a bit of a southern accent which I found odd since Rosalie didn't. Or maybe she did? People usually don't pay attention to how Rosalie says something, just what's said and what she looks like: she's that beautiful.
"Very well, thank you." I remembered my manners. "I'm glad to meet all of the people in my brother's life." I gave them a little smile and decided that I had been polite enough. They all joined in each other's conversation and I edged toward the outside of the group. I felt like sulking away from all this forced friendship. I must have been inside a gathering of the popular crowd of Forks High School because most of the guys were wearing letterman's jackets on this chill, summer evening and the girls were all wearing short denim skirts. I looked like the outcast I knew I would be.
I surveyed the crowed and scanned for where they kept the booze: I was in need of some social lubricant. That's when I saw him, the bronze-haired god. Through the flames of the bonfire I saw a tall, thin but muscular attractive guy of about seventeen in a dark leather jacket with a black t-shirt and tighter than average dark jeans. He had a chiseled jaw and piercing green eyes that I could see even from a distance and at night, they were that beautiful. As I stared at him, I realized that he was holding the exact bottle of whiskey that I had been searching for.
