CHAPTER TWO
ʀᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀʀ ᴏɪʟ
☾
The rain hadn't stopped for days. It dripped down the windows, clattering against the metal roof, threatening to spill across the garage floor from where it fell from the gutters like waterfalls. A small trench had formed around the lower levels of the tree line that bordered the shop, surrounding it like a moat. Violet had to sprint as she ducked into the building from her dad's car, letting him shuffle behind as he hurried to lock the truck.
Violet went straight for the jeep which hid in the back, unfurling the canvas cover and breathing in the fresh scent of rubber. It was like meditation, that feeling of disconnecting from the world and the annoyances that still aggravated her from her day. It wasn't until her name was shouted, that Violet was pulled back to reality again.
"Violet?"
Celia's lilting voice came from the front of the shop.
"In the back," she shouted, wiping her forehead with the back of a sleeve. It'd been an hour since she'd started work on the jeep- a long one at that, thanks to the difficulty with the engine.
"I brought coffee," Celia chimed, holding up a holder with three cups as she entered the back room.
Celia's dark complexion shone brightly under the harsh work lights that hung from the ceiling. She looked so put together, her cream cardigan buttoned to her neck and jeans hugging thick legs, not a spot of dirt on them despite the late hours and horrendous weather conditions. Violet's own clothes had been worn too often to look so pristine.
"Thank God," she exclaimed, taking the warm cup and nursing it between two hands. "I've been craving a decent cup since this morning."
"Don't thank God, thank me. I drove all the way to town to pick these up," Celia said as she placed her bag into the passenger's seat, leaning in to take a glance across the Jeep's interior.
"Thank you, Cee. How can I repay you?"
She raised a curious brow, playing with the ends of her hair. By the look on her best friend's face, Violet knew she wanted something from her.
"I want to go on a hike."
"In the rain?" Violet couldn't contain the disbelief that dripped from her voice.
Celia shrugged. "You love the rain."
"Yeah, and you hate it," she said, placing the cup down on the workbench. "You know I'll go on a walk anytime. Besides, I need a break."
"Not getting anywhere with it today?"
"No," Violet said with a sigh. The wrench clattered to the ground beside her foot.
"I've just about given up today. There's something wrong with the fuel distribution pipes. I can't figure out what it is."
Celia nodded, not bothering to act as if she knew what it meant. She stuck her head under the bonnet lid, gave one curt nod, and turned on her heels again, cringing at the scuff of her boots. Her eyes instead moved to the stack of unfinished school work on the bench.
"Don't we have an essay due for Miss Copper?" she asked.
"I'll do it later."
Celia bit back a laugh. "When do you sleep?"
"I thrive during the night, Cee," she shouted playfully, managing swinging an arm around her shoulder despite the high difference. "Like a vampire."
Celia shrieked, pushing her friend away at the sight of the car oil that dripped down from her gloved hands.
"You're filthy, Vi!"
"Oh, the rain will wash it off." Violet chuckled, shaking her head. "Let me just get my boots."
Celia followed her back to the front of the shop, where her dad was still working on a customer's car. His own face was somehow streaked with filth. It was as if it was part of the uniform. Robbie Green grinned as he saw the girls approaching, and rolled himself from the floor.
"Dad. Cee got you coffee," Violet said as she reached her boots from the top of his workbench, moving to pull them on over her thick bed socks.
"No milk and two sugars," Celia said, handing the warm cup over.
Robbie chuckled and thanked her. "You know me so well. You girls heading out in the rain?"
Violet nodded.
"Be careful. It gets slippy up there."
"Don't worry dad. We'll be fine."
"Not too late. It's a school night."
"Don't worry," she repeated, pulling him in for a side hug on her way past.
Her dad had never been much of a worrier- he was far too laid back for that, and he was too concerned with his garage business to allow himself to be. But lately, that had changed. Perhaps it was the fact that her teenage years were going by like the flick of a switch. It was more likely the fact that Violet's evenings were spent cooped up in the backspace, covered in oil, or tucked in the back seat. In most cases, it took Celia's relentless convincing for her to get out and do anything. But to Violet, the garage and her jeep were like anchors, grounding her both physically and mentally until she could let herself drift off. But senior year wasn't over yet.
"I know. I've never had to worry about you," he hummed, taking a sip of his coffee. "You girls have fun."
As they stepped out, the rain seemed to quicked, excitedly spinning at their arrival into the woods. Violet had practically swing Celia over the surrounding stream to reach the tree line, but in spite of their difficulties, they laughed, stopping before they could get too far so aimlessly.
"The fall?" Violet hummed, watching as a grin spread on her best friend's face.
"The fall."
Rosalie stepped out into the rain with nothing but the thought of the human filling her mind. Edward's smirks had taken her over the edge. The constant shielding, the hiding of her thoughts, was draining thanks to him, and his interest in Bella didn't make it any easier, despite his preoccupied actions and attentions.
She wasn't even hungry; the thirst for blood was nowhere near intense enough to cause danger to whatever good they had. But Rosalie wouldn't let that stop her from hunting. Their life in Forks was worth holding onto. She just wished Edward thought that too, but his dalliance with the chief's daughter-
No.
Rosalie cut herself off from even thinking about Edward and his fancy. It riled her up too much. She didn't know whether the touch of rainwater to her skin would freeze it, or vaporize it from the heat of her anger. She placed her passionated hatred into the thrill of the hunt, sprinting through the woods as she caught the trail of a deer. Nothing could slip from Rosalie's clutches. Not her mother's sympathies for Edward, not Alice's certainty that he and Bella were meant to be, and certainly not the animals of Forks' forests.
In amongst the rain and the grass and the trail of the rich scent of freshly spilled blood, Rosalie could smell car oil. The scent was familiar. Often, it stuck to the cracks of her own hands. It smelled like home- of each home the Cullen's hand ever had. For a moment she followed it, slipping easily through the thickening mud near the trickling waterfalls, edging close enough to be able to hear the rushing of the pool, overflowing thanks to the relentless rain.
Voices filled her ears, soft chattering and laughs as the rain hardened. Rosalie scowled. The homely scent was stronger now, despite the smell of damp pine filling the air. But her peace was broken.
"How was the hike?"
Violet stripped off her raincoat as she piled back into the garage, having said goodbye to Celia minutes ago by the car. They were soaked through to the very bone.
"It was beautiful. The rain was a bit lighter up by the fall."
"We should take a trip up there soon," her dad said, letting his eyes lift from his wrench.
Violet stopped, taking the rest of her wet cover clothes off slowly. "Yeah," she said, slightly breathless. "With Ally?"
"Just us two, if that's what you want," he said, pausing to see her reaction. But Violet just nodded. "But I would like it if you could maybe do something with her. Just to get to know her a little bit."
He sighed. "Look, tomorrow I said I'd go fishing with the boys."
"Charlie and Harry?" They'd once been best friends.
"Yeah."
"You haven't seen them in ages."
"Exactly," he said, throwing his towel down, looking at his daughter straight. "And I was hoping you'd take a shift for me after school. I don't have many clients expected so it would just be keeping watch and handing keys over when cars are being collected."
"That's fine. I'll do it," she said, smiling softly. There was nothing she wanted more than for her dad to get out into the world for once, and not stay cooped up in the garage. She hadn't quite grasped the hypocrisy.
"Thank you, Vi," Robbie said as he placed a gentle kiss on her head. "You know I really will miss you when you go off."
"Dad," she groaned.
"I know. I know," he said, brushing her complaints away. "It's just there's some great local universities. I don't see the need to go so far off."
"Dad, we've talked about this."
"I know." He let out a breath, glancing around at the garage, at all he'd shared with her. "I'll miss you, that's all."
Violet would have been lying if she'd have said she wouldn't miss it too.
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