(Mike)
Friday, October 28, 2005
About four days had passed since the Cullens and the Denalis left.
On the surface, everything looked normal. Forks High was still Forks High. The rain hadn't stopped. The clouds still hung low and heavy like they always did. Students still dragged themselves across the parking lot with coffee cups and backpacks and the same tired complaints about homework.
But underneath?
Everything felt tight.
I'd noticed them.
Two unfamiliar scents over the past few days. And they were definitely not passing travelers or lost nomads. They were clearly searching for something.
They'd circled the clearing where the fight had taken place, then moved carefully around the Cullen house. Slow and methodical. Trying to piece together what had happened without any witnesses.
I'd kept my distance and used my spirit walking, watching to make sure they didn't hurt anyone.
Fortunately, they'd only stayed a day.
Whatever they were looking for, they hadn't found it. No obvious evidence. No lingering trail strong enough to follow.
Still, that didn't mean we were safe.
Aro and Caius had to be furious by now. Losing their strongest weapons wasn't something they'd shrug off. They'd want answers. And if they couldn't get them from the wreckage… they'd start looking elsewhere.
I pulled into my usual parking spot and shut off the engine. The low hum of the car died, replaced by the steady patter of rain against the windshield.
Just another day of school.
I grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat and stepped out into the damp air. The cold didn't bother me the way it used to. I barely registered it anymore.
"Hey, Mike!"
Tyler's voice carried across the parking lot. He was climbing out of his freshly repaired van, the blue paint still didn't match quite right where the door had been replaced.
"'Sup, man? How you doing?"
I walked over and bumped fists with him.
"Surviving," I said with a half-smile. "Van running okay?"
He snorted. "For now. Don't jinx it."
The smell of gasoline clung faintly to him, probably from checking something under the hood again.
Around us, car doors slammed. Someone laughed too loudly. Angela was walking toward the entrance with Jessica, their heads bent together in conversation. A group of freshmen hurried past, already soaked from the drizzle.
Normal.
I scanned the treeline automatically but saw nothing out of place.
No shimmer. No wrong scent. No still figures pretending to be human.
Good.
Tyler fell into step beside me as we headed toward the building. "You going to Newton's today?" he asked. "Your dad wants me to cover the afternoon shift. You in?"
"Yeah," I said. "I'll be there."
Routine. Predictable and safe.
At least that's what it needed to look like.
Because if the Volturi were digging… if more trackers showed up…
Forks wouldn't stay quiet for long.
…
Later that night, after a sumptuous dinner that left me far more relaxed than I probably deserved to be, I lay stretched out on my bed with Leah tucked against my side.
The room was dim, lit only by the small lamp on my desk. Rain tapped softly against the window, steady and familiar. The air smelled faintly of soap and cedar from the old dresser near the wall.
Leah rested her head on my arm, her dark hair spilling across my shoulder and chest. Her fingers moved lazily over my bare skin, tracing absent circles just below my collarbone.
I twitched.
"Stop that," I muttered. "It tickles."
"I don't wanna," she said, not even looking up. Her lips curved into a mischievous little pout, and she deliberately dragged her fingers slower this time.
I tried to hold still but failed.
I grabbed her wrist, but she slipped free and scribbled her fingers lower, making me jerk.
"That's it," I warned.
"Oh, I'm terrified," she replied dryly.
In one swift movement, I rolled, flipping us until I hovered over her. Her eyes widened in mock alarm just before I attacked.
My hands found her sides and started tickling mercilessly.
Leah shrieked and thrashed beneath me, laughter bursting out of her in loud, unrestrained peals. She tried to shove me away, but that only made it worse. The bed frame groaned under the sudden movement.
"Mike! stop!" she gasped between laughs.
Then there was a loud crack, accompanied by a sharp snap beneath us, followed by a heavy thud as the mattress dipped violently and one side of the bed collapsed.
We both froze.
For a split second, we just stared at each other, eyes wide open.
Then Leah snorted.
And I lost it.
We burst into laughter, the kind that makes your stomach hurt and your chest ache. The broken bed frame tilted awkwardly beneath us, one leg completely splintered.
After a few long moments, when I could finally breathe again, I rolled off her and onto the slanted mattress beside her.
"How many is it with this one?" I asked, staring at the ceiling.
"Three this month," Leah replied with a chuckle. "One less than last month."
I groaned. "I'm starting to think the furniture store has my number on speed dial."
She suddenly nudged me lightly with her shoulder.
"Hey," she said after a moment, her tone softening. "Next Friday's Seth's birthday."
I smiled immediately. "Of course I remember. He's been reminding me about it all week."
I lowered my voice and mimicked him poorly. "'Man, I saw this cool thing online… not that I'm saying you should get it for me or anything.'"
Leah laughed. "Sounds just like Seth."
"He doesn't have a single subtle bone in his body," I said.
She shifted onto her side to face me. "So what are you getting him? Just so we don't end up buying the same thing."
"A PSP," I said. "I was going to buy it tomorrow."
Her eyebrows lifted. "Oh, he's going to lose his mind."
"Yeah," I agreed. "And I figured… maybe you could come with me? We make a date out of it."
Her expression softened, that small smile I liked best curving at the corners of her mouth.
"Sure," she said. "I'm buying him a bike."
"Seriously?"
"He's been using my old one for years," she said, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't even fit him anymore. And it's still pink."
I laughed. "As if that would ever stop Seth."
"He complains," she admitted. "But he still rides it."
"Exactly."
"And that's why I'm getting him a new one," she continued. "It's funny, yeah. But the poor thing's falling apart. I think one more jump off that stupid dirt mound and the frame's going to snap."
"Like this bed?" I asked.
She grinned. "Exactly like this bed, and the previous one, and the one before that..."
I reached over and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"He's going to have the best birthday he's had in his life," I said quietly.
Leah nodded, her expression softening again. "He deserves it."
Outside, the rain kept falling. The house was quiet. The broken bed creaked slightly under our combined weight.
I wished these peaceful days would last forever.
…
(Been having a writer's block. I had some things planned that I ended un changing, like leaving Bella human. At first I had planned to have her turn into a vampire, which would have broken the imprint, further confirming their lack of soul. But now that I chose to let her stay human, I'm wondering if I should also change the part about them not having a soul, since that path was going to a slightly tragic ending. What do you guys/gals think? Don't forget to support with power stones or comments 🐢 🎶)