Chapter Text
Arianna would miss Phoenix. She would miss the heat on her skin and the perpetual tan. She would miss the scorching sun and her little circle of friends. She would miss her erratic, spontaneous, hare-brained mother, Renée. She would even miss Phil, her mothers new husband. But they wanted to go on the road, and Ari had spent weeks convincing her sister, Bella, that going up to Fork and spending some time with dad would be a good thing. She really hoped it would be.
—
In the state of Washington, under near constant cover of clouds and rain, there's a town named Forks. Population: three thousand one-hundred and twenty people. This is where we’re moving. Our- Bella and I’s, dad is Charlie. He’s the chief of police. I sit in the back of his police cruiser, cramped against suitcases full of the belongings of two teenage girls. There’s even more in the trunk, plus the boxes being shipped up from Phoenix. As we approach the small town of Forks Charlie attempts small talk up with Bella.
“Your hair’s longer,” he observes while the car is stopped at a red light.
“I cut it since the last time I saw you,” Bella responds awkwardly after a short hesitation.
A chuckle escapes my throat, prompting Charlie to throw a look at me in the back seat.
“Oh,” Charlie sighs at the lull in conversation, “Guess it grew out again”.
The awkwardness between the two of them had existed my whole life. Bella had taken after Charlie in that way, the lack of social graces that often resulted in uncomfortable conversation. I had taken after our mother, Renee. She was all confidence and humor, easy to talk to and even easier to befriend.
As we pulled up to the house that we would live in for the rest of our high school years (if I could convince Bella to stay the whole year and a half) my mind drifted around thoughts of our parents. How had Bella managed to end up with such a strange relationship with our father? We used to spend two weeks here every summer, but years ago Bella decided she couldn't stand Forks, or maybe Charlie. I don’t know, we never talked about it. It was kind of a sore subject. We had a huge fight when she told me she wouldn’t be making the trip up to Forks that year. I had already been packed and ready to head to the airport when she broke the news that she had decided not to come with me. That year I spent nearly the whole summer in Forks.
The slam of the car doors startled me out of my reverie. Charlie hauled most of our luggage inside, setting mine down by the door as he hauled Bella’s upstairs. Bella had much more to bring up from Phoenix than I did, considering she hadn’t stepped foot in her room in years.
“Let me know if you need help with any of your stuff, okay?” Charlie said as he made his way up the stairs with the last of Bella’s things in his arms.
I nodded and offered him a small smile, making my way to the familiar room. A smile broke out on my face as I cracked open the door. It hadn’t changed in the few months since I had abandoned it at the end of summer. The walls were a muted green, the curtains and bedding the same tone to match. The small desk in the corner was covered in trinkets of all shapes and sizes: a few pretty rocks, various citrusy candles, even some jewelry. The walls were covered in photos of friends and family, band posters, and a few floating shelves. Warm toned fairy lights lined the room, and I switched them on to avoid using the main light.
My few suitcases were quickly discarded as I flopped onto the bed, burying my face in the familiar scent of the cheap laundry detergent Charlie bought at the only grocery store in town. I loved Arizona and the sun, but Forks had always been special to me. Maybe it was how constant everything in Forks seemed to be, the people, the rain, even Charlie. Charlie was safe and predictable, something to balance out my own spontaneous nature. I loved Renee, but she was unpredictable and loved to worry. We would constantly bounce off each other, and not in a good way.
The sound of a car horn jolted me out of bed, and I peeked out my first floor window to see an absolutely hideous rust bucket in the driveway. What really caught my eye was the people standing next to it. Billy and Jacob Black lingered next to Charlie, chatting to each other. Jacob’s eye caught mine from his spot in the driveway, and matching grins appeared on our faces. I rushed out to the driveway, Bella leisurely coming down the stairs behind me.
“Jake!” I exclaimed as I flung open the door, running towards my best friend. I jumped into his arms, and he spun me around in a hug, the both of us laughing.
“You’re acting like you haven't seen me in years Ari,” Jacob said as we released each other from the hug.
“It always feels like it,” I said, jabbing my elbow into his side as I leaned against the ugly truck that had appeared in the driveway. I looked over my shoulder to see that Bella had made her way down to the four of us.
“Bella, you remember Billy Black,” Charlie assured.
“Yeah. Wow you’re looking good,” Bella said nodding, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with both of the older men.
“Yeah, I’m still dancing,” Billy joked, “I’m glad you two are finally here. Charlie here hasn't shut up about it since you told him you were coming”.
That made Charlie roll his eyes at the man, “Alright keep exaggerating. I’ll roll you into the mud”.
“Yeah after I ram you in the ankles!” The two of them argued like a married couple.
“Bella this is Jake- Jacob,” I said leaning my head onto his shoulder as if there was anyone else around I could have been referring to.
Jacob chuckled at that, “We used to make mudpies when we were little”.
“Right. No, I remember” Bella said, her gaze shifting over to the oversized teenage boys rough housing a few feet away, “Are they always like this?”
I nodded and Jake joked, “It’s getting worse with old age”.
“Great, good,” Bella sighed sarcastically.
“It’s kind of entertaining when you get used to it,” I shrugged my shoulders as I assured her it wasn't that bad. Jake elbowed my side, it was totally that bad, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.
“So what do you think?” Charlie asked Bella as he and Billy approached once again. My brows furrowed.
“Of what?” She asked, voicing both of our confusion.
“You’re homecoming present”.
“This?” Bella asked. Oh god I felt so sad for her. I mean sure having a car, or well truck, was great. But the thing was monstrous. The color was so faded it looked like it was made out of rust, not to mention how it seemed a firm kick would make the thing fall to pieces.
“Just bought it off Billy here,” Charlie looked almost smug as he said it.
“Totally rebuilt the engine for you,” Jacob smiled.
Wait what? I knew Jake was a total nerd for cars, in fact I knew far too well. Whenever we had a chance to call, he would tell me all about the cars he was working on, usually to my dismay or boredom. Half of my visits to Forks were spent helping Jake work on some shitbox, well as much as I could help. Hell, I even knew the names of all the cars he’d worked on (Sally, Timothy, Fuck Face, and Darlene).
“Come on, Oh my gosh-”
“Bella be ni-”
“This is perfect! Are you joking me?”
Well that was unexpected. In Phoenix neither of us had a car. Mom had driven us anywhere we needed to go, or we got rides from friends. I didn’t even have my license, or permit (driving is scary, sue me). I hadn’t expected Bella to be the truck type, much less the death-on-wheels truck type. I guess it made sense.
Bella and Jacob hopped in the truck, and I rested my arms on the edge of the rolled down driver's side window.
“Uhm, okay. Listen, you gotta double pump the clutch when you shift but besides that, you should be good”.
I pointed at the lever, “That one,” I said smiling up at Bella as she rolled her eyes at me.
I may not be able to drive a truck, but after spending enough time in the Black’s garage you get a sense of what is what, especially if you have one of the Black’s begging you to help him the whole time.
“Do you want a ride to school or something?” Bella asked Jake as she turned on the truck, which I decided I was going to call Rusty from now on.
“Jake goes to school on the reservation, Bella” I told her as I stood up from my slouched position against Rusty.
“Right, Right. That’s too bad. It would have been nice to know one person,” I squawked at that. Jake and Bella both let out laughs of amusement at the sound that had just come from me.
“You wound me,” I declared dramatically, putting a hand on my chest in feigned pain.
—
After Bella had thanked them one too many times, the Black’s headed back home. But not before Jake and I made plans to hang out after school tomorrow. Neither Jake or I could drive, and Bella had already made plans with Charlie for dinner at the diner. We had almost admitted defeat when Billy, our savior and my current favorite man on Earth (Sorry Jake, and Charlie, and Phil), offered to cash in a favor with one of the older boys on the reservation. Jacob seemed almost apprehensive at his dad’s offer, but I had accepted before he could get in a rebuttal. Nothing was going to stop me from catching up with my best friends.