Monday morning came without fail. Jake stood by my locker, undoubtedly waiting for me. It was the first time that he'd been back at school since he'd gone tracking that leech. Surprise, Bella knew the leech. I had decided that my sister needed to find new people. All the ones I'd met so far tried to kill me in some way or another. Jake smiled at me as I made my way to the hall. "I suppose you want the truck back now," I said, holding out the keys. Jake just smiled and laughed.
"No, but I do want you to come over after school so that we can talk," he said, curling my fingers around the key. "Besides, I can hear that thing all the way from Forks. It lets me know that you're safe."
"Aren't you just the comedian?" I said quietly, opening my locker and taking out my things, and following Jake to English. Now that my life was finally back on track, I was back to reading in classes, avoiding doing my work, and cramming to get everything done. Jake sat beside me, fingering the pages on his textbook. He hummed quietly to himself, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire class. When the bell finally rang, I stood, waiting for Jake.
It was the first time that we were both walking into Murphy's classroom. I mean, I had gone by myself for a week and Jake had gone the week before me. But as we approached the heavy door, Jake stopped, growling under his breath. "Come on, we've both done this," I said, placing a hand on his forearm. He was shaking, his hands closed over my arms. "He's not in their Jake, okay?" He nodded, breathing sharply through his nose. His hands slid down my arms, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. He intertwined his fingers with those of my good hand, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Let's go."
Today marked the first day that Jake and I were actually friends at school in weeks. And yet, as I saw Quil standing by his locker, I couldn't bring myself to stay with Jake. "Where are you going?" he asked, fingers around my elbow.
"Jake, I can't just leave Quil; everyone else has," I said, pulling against him.
"You can't hang out with him, Annie."
"Yes I can; he's not going to do anything, Jake. He just needs to know that he has one person left," I said, tugging against him. "You could always come sit with us," I suggested.
Quil's eyes were searching the crowds, looking for me. "He's close, Ryanne," Jake whispered, pulling me flush against him. "He's showing all the signs of turning. I can't let him near you, Annie."
"Okay, your overprotectiveness is getting out of control," I said quietly, pushing him away. "Quil needs a friend, Jake. I can't just let him all alone and since you and the pack can't hang out with him, that leaves me."
He was quiet, as if he was carefully weighing my words. "Fine," he muttered. I almost didn't hear him. "You sit with him, you each lunch with him, you hang out with him. But I'm going to be watching and if he shows even the slightest little twitch, I will have you away from him before you can say wait." I nodded, stretched up on my tip toes, and pressed my lips to his cheek.
I called a farewell behind me, practically skipping to Quil. "I thought you and Jake were buddy-buddy again," he grumbled. So he had seen us.
"Just because he's talking to me again doesn't mean that I'll leave my friends," I said. "You ready to grab some breakfast?"
The rest of my classes buzzed by without much fanfare. In fact, I was surprised when the bell rang and I was free for the day. Jake was leaning against the driver's door, arms folded across his chest. I lobbed the keys, hoping to hit him in head. Just before they could actually smack him, he reached up and caught them. "Show off," I murmured. I slid in before him, relishing in the familiarity of the routine. It was like my life had come full turn. "Where we going?" I asked as he started the car.
"My dad wants to apologize," he said, "I told you, remember?" I nodded. I couldn't just go and see his father. Even knowing that they never actually hated me, I was still ashamed of the things that I had said. Something hot enveloped my hand, stroking soothing circles over my veins. "No one is mad at you, Ryanne. Dad wants to talk to you. He was actually mad that I didn't bring you here the other day that you were in town."
I sighed heavily and rested my head against the back of the seat. He didn't try to say anything else. He probably knew that it wouldn't change anything. I rested my cast in my lap, trying to ignore the throbbing in my thumb and index finger. "Still hurt?" he asked in a gentle voice. I just shrugged. Somedays were worse than others, but Jake was worrying unnecessarily about everything lately. "I hate when you do that," he informed me.
"Do what?"
"When you won't tell me what you're feeling; I just want to make sure you're okay," he said as he pulled the car into park. Quickly, he exchanged my good hand for my cast, cradling it in his hand. "Does it still hurt?"
"Yes, it does," I said. "But it's nothing I can't handle and I'm getting it off this week." He rubbed his thumb over the rough material. "Just in time for Spring Fling," I said quietly.
"When is that?" he asked, pulling open the door and exiting the car.
"Friday, the day before Spring Break starts," I said. Jake cursed under his breath. "You have patrol, I know," I said. Jake and I had gone to every school dance together since middle school, when the first formal happened. It was easier than trying to find a date. Besides, Jake was too shy to ask girls out.
"So you're not going?" he asked as I stretched beside the car.
"No I'm going. I already talked to Jared," I said, flinging my satchel over my shoulder.
"You're not going with Jared."
"Yes I am." He glared at me. I sighed and looked up at him. "Spring Fling is my favorite," I said to him. "You can't take me, which sucks, Jake. But I'm still going. Besides, as soon as my master plan is set into action, I'll leave," I promised.
"What's swirling around in that maniacal head of yours?" he asked, tapping the top of my head lightly.
"Nothing; I'll be home before you're off patrol, promise," I said as we walked up the stairs.
I loved Spring Fling. Forks and La Push were generally covered in rain, no sign of spring ever really came; everything was green and wet. But Spring Fling, the school went all out. They decorated the gym with that artificial terf, flowers, picnic blankets; everything that we students thought spring should look like. I'm pretty sure it was against some rule for anyone to wear black. Usually, we girls wore short, summery dresses in a million different colors. The guys would wear button-down shirt and ties that matched our dresses with some nice jeans.
Now, I had spent enough time with the pack to know that Jared had a major crush on Kim Conwell. Kim and I were lab partners in chemistry and I had to admit, she was a complete nerd who had been pining after Jared since kindergarten. But she was stunning, if you could just get her to take off her glasses and stop hiding behind her hair. And she was arguably the sweetest person I had ever met. Jared couldn't risk liking her because of the guys. I could only imagine the things that Paul would say about her. But I had convinced Kim to go to the dance and Jared was taking me. Stage one was in progress. I smiled to myself.
"I don't like that smile," Billy said. "That's the one that used to get you two in trouble." I hadn't noticed him on the front porch. I jumped, crashing right into Jake. Billy looked over my head, his eyes hard and unreadable.
"I'm going to go see if Sam's up to anything," he said, leaving me alone with his father. And he took the truck keys; asshole. I had no escape.
"Why don't you sit down, Ryanne," Billy offered. I took my usual seat on the porch swing, curling my legs underneath me and stretching my skinny jeans. "You feeling okay?" he asked with a pointed glance at my cast. Jake was so much like his father it made me laugh. Well, not right now. I just nodded. Billy sighed hard. "We have a lot to talk about, Ryanne, but there are a few things I need to say first." I nodded again, looking him straight in the eye. When I was little, Billy had drilled that into my head. You look people in the eyes. When you look into their eyes, you can see anything they want you to. And Billy was looking at me with nothing but remorse. "I am so sorry about the things that Rebecca said to you, Ryanne. She shouldn't have said any of that. And you were right in telling her that Sarah would've been disappointed in her. My wife would've been appalled at what happened in this house that night."
I sniffed and cleared my throat, pushing the tears away. "I do not, nor will I ever, hate you for the things that you said. Rebecca needed to hear that. And while I think that I should've been the one to say them, I am proud of you for standing up for yourself." A tear escaped my trap, trickling down my cheek slowly. Billy smiled at me and patted his knee. "Come here," he said.
"I'm not a little girl any more, Billy," I said with a laugh. Billy wheeled himself up next to me, tugging lightly on my good arm. I sighed and sat in his lap, like I had so much when I was a little kid.
"I couldn't feel you then and I can't feel you now," he said seriously. My knees hung over the arm of his chair, his hands closed around me, resting on my waist. "But none of that is your fault, Ryanne." My breath caught in my throat. We were seriously going to have this discussion. "I know that you blame yourself for what happened, but there was nothing that you could've done any differently. You were just doing what your dad asked you to. And if we hadn't wanted to come and get you, I could've told your dad no. But you, Ryanne, you were our other daughter. You even had the 'R' name and everything." He chuckled. I choked out a laugh that probably sounded more like a sob. "Sarah and I do not blame you for what happened. I lost my wife and my legs, but my kids were all safe. And at the end of the day, that's all that Sarah and I ever wanted."
My head dropped to his shoulder and he smiled. "You always did try to take everything on yourself." He kissed my forehead in a fatherly manner and looked down at me. "I am sorry that I have caused you so much pain, Ryanne. I just wanted to keep you safe. It probably wasn't the smartest way to keep you away, but curiosity killed the cat. And I couldn't let it kill my daughter." I smiled at him. "Sarah would be proud of you, Rye. You are so strong, I don't think you even understand. Rachel and Rebecca ran; they ran from the memories, from the responsibilities. But you, you have taken care of me and Jake just as well as Sarah ever head. And when we gave the ancient legends that are real, you took that in stride too. She would be overjoyed."
I smiled at him, feeling his cheek come to rest against my head. He smelled like sage and ash and while he wasn't as warm as Jake, he was still warm. "I love you, Ryanne Swan. And you are never allowed to question that. Anything that happens is for your safety." I nodded against him. "Now, as much as I love Emily's cooking, I don't suppose you feel up to making some food for a grumpy old man?"
I laughed and clambered off his lap and walked in the house. I was home.