Dusk - A Twilight Reimagining

2 - Sunny-Side Up

Her thoughts forgotten, Bella grinned. She unlatched her window and threw it open, sticking her head out and holding onto the rim for support.

"JACOB! HI!"

"BELLA?" he called back, tilting his head like a dog as he located the origin of her voice. Bella chuckled at the immediate spike of worry that came through his eyes, followed by a soft, unknown look to his features.

"IT'S RAINING!" she exclaimed, unable to hold back the bubbling joy that statement brought. It shone in her eyes like light shimmering in an emerald cave.

Jacob laughed, looking up teasingly. He nodded as heavy rain droplets surged from the sky, soaking him to the bone. His amber eyes caught her apple-green gaze again. "DAMN! THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW, BELLADONNA! I ALMOST GOT SOAKED!"

Bella snorted, shaking her head. "YOU'RE A DUMBASS!"

"THIS DUMBASS IS GETTING BREAKFAST FIRST, LOSER!"

Realization struck right as Jacob dashed for her porch. "CHEATER!" Bella yelled frantically, hopping back into her room. She violently stopped halfway to her door, realizing she didn't close the window. After fumbling with the world's simplest task for an embarrassingly long time, Bella finally jumped back into the race for food.

Her footfalls thundered down the stairs, her hand sliding down the railing to stabilize herself. The last thing she needed was a concussion on her first day of Washington school. She was certain—her feet falling with the confidence of a hardened, trained warrior—that nothing could squander her victory now.

Except, there was one fatal flaw to Bella Swan. Her Achilles' heel. One such thing that could melt the wax from her meticulously constructed plans and breakfast trophies.

She was incredibly, miraculously, supernaturally, uncontrollably, ridiculously clumsy.

Bella tripped on nothing but her own failures and fell forward in a nosedive on the last set of steps. She yelled some... not dad-friendly words that she'd regret later, her hands flailing to protect her head rather than hold onto the railing. The wind from her descent pushed her long hair back and revealed the clear sight of her demise. Somewhere in the background of panic, she heard a dog barking out its warning.

She closed her eyes.

Instead of her skull breaking open on hardwood floors, blood and bone splashing on her dad's walls, Bella rammed her forehead into Jacob's forearm as he ran to catch her. Arguably, the floor would've been a more merciful end. The two teens yelped out in agony but held onto each other as Bella's fall ended, Jacob only letting go once he was stable enough to help her to her feet.

"I didn't miss this," he groaned, rubbing his arm.

Bella hissed as she prodded the bruise forming on her forehead. "I think I would've rather taken the floor," she spoke bluntly, gritting her teeth as she laid her warm palm across her bruise. "Jesus- Is your arm made of steel or something?"

"It's mostly comprised of delicate flesh, bone, and now a forehead-shaped bruise," Jacob huffed in response, though a smile peaked through his annoyed expression.

Bella rolled her eyes, moving into the warm kitchen, where she again found herself propelled into the air. She fell on her hands, tripped by an excited, fluffy mass. Chimney—a German shepherd of a kind appearance with black fur and brown spots that always made him look muddy—scampered out from underneath Bella's legs, running from the crime scene before the police could arrive.

Charles helped his daughter up to her feet while she gave Jacob her signature death stare. "Jackass," she sneered, feigning a deep, firey anger. Her act didn't go unpunished as her dad shot her a look that could rival her own. Bella laughed nervously and carefully wrapped her arms around him. She pulled a hand-woven innocence from deep in her soul and patted her dad's shoulder.