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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗
𝖯𝗋𝗈𝗏𝗂𝖽𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾
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Alissa didn't think after that day Bella would go into full depression mode. She didn't speak to anyone, she didn't want to see anyone. She even refused to eat for days. If Alissa didn't sit in the room and watch her eat, she was sure the girl would've starved by now.
Bella missed many days of school and Alissa had to make up multiple excuses as to why her cousin wasn't present.
The end of October and the beginning of November was the time Bella didn't want to talk to Alissa or even her dad. The girl locked herself in her room, not allowing either of them inside. Alissa had tried to speak with her but it was like Bella wasn't listening to her. Her mind was on another place.
Alissa had tried to move on with her life while still worrying about her cousin. She had became close friends with Jacob pretty quickly after she had called him up during Halloween. He had showed her around La Push and she had met some of his school friends.
Alissa had thought that maybe if Jacob came around the house more Bella would open up but she didn't want to even see the boy. Bella just locked herself in her room every time Alissa mentioned hanging out with Jacob.
It was hard seeing Bella like that. Edward left town and the girl was still distraught. Something more must have happened for Bella to become depressed, it wasn't just Edward leaving. Him leaving was what pulled her further in.
Alissa wanted to help Bella but she didn't know how when the girl wouldn't communicate. She suggested to her uncle that they should try to send the girl to see someone but Bella refused. She tried to convince them they were okay but she wasn't. Every night Alissa was woken up by Bella screaming to the point where she rarely slept anymore.
December came but Bella still didn't talk to her. It was like she was just a shell with no soul. She just woke up, went to school and came home, locking herself in her room. She didn't even want talk to her friends.
Alissa tried to force the girl to talk but she just ignored like she always does. When the last week of the year came Alissa decided to just leave the girl as she was. She spend most of her time after school with Jacob who became the friend that Alissa really needed.
So, when he told her one afternoon that he'd take her to a place, shr immediately agreed to go.
That was how she came to be standing on the cliff looking down at the calm water. “Have you ever done it?” Alissa asked Jacob while staring at the water. “No, and I am never going to do it.”
“Why not? Are you scared?”
“Uh, yes. Have you seen the fall down?” Jake asked the girl.
Alissa leaned over to take a look. “Yeah, what about it? I mean, it is a far drop but it looks fun.”
Jacob tilted his head as he stared at the girl. “Are you an adrenaline junkie?” he asked the girl.
Alissa smiled, nodding. “I used to be with my sister, Allison.”
“This is the first time you mentioned having a sister. You never actually talk about her,” Jacob noted. Alissa turned around and told him why, “It's because she died a few months back.”
“Oh, I'm sorry.” Alissa shrugged her shoulders, “It's fine. I'm not going to break down. I decided to just remember the good times with her. I can't be cooped up in my room and depressed. . .”
Jacob nodded understanding. He knew how much Alissa was worried about Bella.
The girl walked back over to the small car. “How is she?”
Alissa sat down on the hood of the car beaide Jake. “She's still the same. She still hasn't really talked to me. And when I ask her how she is she always says she's fine when I can clearly tell she's not.” Jacob looked back down at his shoes.
“That Cullen guy really did a number on her, didn't he?”
“I don't think it's just him. Him leaving must have send her over the edge. I'm afraid that one day when I get home, she might. . .”
Alissa groaned, looking up at the sky. She couldn't imagine that happening.
Jacob looked at the girl, deciding to change the subject. “So, tell me, has your friends in California called you yet?” Jacob asked the girl.
Alissa turned to her friend. “No, they haven't.”
“I'm sure they're busy. They will call you when they have time,” Jacob reassured her.
“I really hope so.”
Jake pushed himself off the car. “We're having a barbecue later. You wanna come over? Rachel will be there.”
“She's finally coming home?” Alissa asked. Rachel was Jake's older sister who went to Washington State University in Pullman. She rarely ever came home from what Jake had told her. He had another sister, Rebecca but she never actually came home. She married a man last year and now she lived in Hawaii with him. She didn't ask much details but she suspected there was more to it.
“Yeah, come on. She's been pretty excited to meet you.”
Alissa smiled, and the two got into the car. Rachel was only a few months older than her, so there was a lot of stuff she wanted to ask the girl. She didn't know anyone who was already in college, so she was curious what university life was like. What was to be expected when she entered university?
What would she even study if she applied to any of the universities in the states?
“What are you thinking about?” Jake asked when they drove on to the road. Alissa glanced over, “Nothing. Just wanna ask her a few questions.”
“I hope it doesn't have anything to do with school.”
The girl looked at Jake with a guilty look before she laughed. “How'd you even know?”
Jake sighed, shaking his head. “It's the holidays, Alissa. No talking about school.”
“I'm graduating in a few months. There's some stuff I wanna know about uni life,” Alissa told him. “That's months away. You'd see her during spring break anyway. No talking about school, okay?”
The girl rolled her eyes but nodded, nonetheless. “Fine.”
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
Alissa parked her car near the garage where she could see smoke in the backyard. “Looks like your dad is already busy.”
The two excited the car. It was pretty cold outside with not a lot of snow luckily for them. Jake and his father probably thought it was the best weather to have a barbecue outside. They should be inside with hot chocolate and cookies.
They made their way into the house to go see if Rachel was in. Jake called out his sister's name but there was no answer. He shrugged and made his way to the back with Alissa. The two made it to the back where Billy was in front of the grill. It was just him, and no one else.
“Hi, Billy,” Alissa greeted with a smile. The man greeted back. The man had grown fond of the girl over the past few months since she started hanging around Jake more. He was always happy when she came around.
“You're just in time. Meats almost ready,” Billy told the two as he reached over to take the chops off the grill. Jake nodded as Alissa moved over to take a seat near the grill. If she wasn't hungry before she sure was hungry now.
“Dad, hey. Where's Rachel?” Jake asked glancing around. “She wanted to meet Alissa but she's not here.”
“Oh, Paul came by and the two went off,” Billy said before he went inside with the bowl of meat. Jake sighed, rolling his eyes. He took a seat beside the brunette. “Yeah, no, we're not gonna see her anytime soon.”
“Wait, why?” Alissa asked, looking at her friend. “Who's Paul?”
“He's one of my friends or he used to be. He has been hanging around Sam Uley lately and well, he's Rachel's something,” Jake said and Alissa frowned. “I don't know what goes on between those two. They act like they're dating, except they're not. . .”
Alissa chuckled. “Is he a friend with benefits or a fling?”
Jake shuddered beside Alissa causing the girl to laugh. “Don't put that in my head. I don't want to imagine my sister having a fling with my friend.”
The girl laughed, nodding. Jake reached for the bag of chips on the table and he handed it to Alissa. “How long will you stay?” Jake asked the girl.
“An hour or two. My uncle doesn't want me to be out so late anymore. There's been a few robberies so he wants me back before six pm.”
Jake nodded, reaching to take out a handful of chips. The two sat in silence just eating the chips while their eyes were trained on snow filled field.
“How was it like back in Beacon Hills?” Jake broke the silence this time.
“Huh? Oh, it's like any other town. Not much happens,” Alissa said, downright lying. A lot of things happens but she didn't want to ho into much detail. “Except for maybe the lacrosse games. Lacrosse is pretty big in Beacon Hills.”
Jake laughed. “Lacrosse? I didn't think people took lacrosse seriously.”
“I was just as surprised when I first joined that school. Everyone is obsessed with it. Football is nothing compared to lacrosse there but then again, they excel in it,” Alissa said. Or they used to. She didn't know how things were going to go this season. Last year, when she had joined they seemed to be pretty good. “They even went to the final of the state championships.”
“They're that good, huh?”
“Yeah, they are.”
Jake looked at the girl who had a small smile on her lips. “You must miss it.”
Alissa glanced down. “I do. Forks High School is great but it was just a completely different experience at Beacon Hills High School.” Maybe when she graduates she'd visit her friends one last time before she goes to France.
Alissa looked at her friend. “Maybe one day when you're ready to leave this place, we can go visit Beacon Hills. It can be your first town we go to,” the girl said. Jake smiled, nodding. “I'll take you up on that offer.”
“You two can come in now.”
The two turned to see Billy looking at them by the door. Had he been listening them talk this whole time? He turned and wheeled back inside.
They followed after the man, both more hungry now.
Billy had already set the table and prepared their plates. Alissa now felt bad that she didn't give him a hand. If she had known he'd set the table she would've offered to help.
A car stopped outside and Alissa looked out as Jake almost ran to the door. The girl couldn't see the guy's face but she did see her lean over to the guy before she exited. She waved as the truck drove off. “Why didn't you ask you boyfriend to come in?”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “He's not my boyfriend, Jake. He's my friend.”
“But I just saw you kissing him,” Jake said, opening the door to let his sister in. “I wasn't kissing him and even if we were kissing, it doesn't mean we're. . .” Rachel trailed off when she saw Alissa standing in the middle of the dining room. She smiled, looking back at Jake before she turned her gaze back on Alissa.
Rachel was much more beautiful than Alissa had thought. She had jet black hair with hazel coloured eyes. She was slender but tall. Just an inch or two taller than Alissa. She looked like a Victoria secret model with her long legs.
“Alissa, right?”
Alissa nodded. Rachel gasped and she went in to hug her. “I finally get to meet you,” she said in an excited voice. “I've been hearing so much about you from Jake which was unusual since the only friends he has are guys. I actually thought you weren't real.”
“Rachel.”
The girl chuckled, shaking her head. “Anyway, I see you made food, dad. Let me just go freshen up, I'll join you guys in a bit.”
Rachel gave Alissa a smile before she ran off to her room. Jake looked at Alissa and the girl smiled. “She's really nice.”
“Wait until you actually get to know her.”
Billy laughed. “Come on, you two. Sit down while we wait for Rachel.”
Alissa quickly went to wash her hands before she joined them at the table. Rachel came walking out a few moments later in more comfortable clothes. She had worn a dress with some boots which was unusual for this weather but she didn't seem to mind. Now she was in her sweatpants with her hair tied on top of her head.
They said grace before they dug into their food. Throughout the dinner, Alissa laughed like never before as she listened to Rachel and Jake argue. They made sure to include her in every conversation, or debate they had, making her feel right at home.
It made Alissa happy but also guilty that she was now finally starting to move on.