All Grown Up: The Story of Jacob and Renesmee Part III

26

 Swan 

"I should probably learn to drive," I said as Mom pulled into the theater parking lot.

 "Yeah, that's something to consider," she agreed.

 Mom didn't mind driving, she just didn't do it often. She and I would both rather ride with Dad, but he wouldn't leave Anthony by himself, and those two were my usual rides. I'd been shit outta luck lately. It was a relief to get out of the house lately. Things felt weird there, and just plain wrong these past few weeks. Mom was miserable and spent most of her time either worrying or cooking. Dad didn't really seem able to relax. There was a steady stream of wolves, coming and going. Anthony still didn't come out of his room much. When he did, he wasn't usually human. He'd run in big circles around the house, and now the grass was worn down into a track. Asa had gotten tired of fixing it. He said he'd deal with it once this whole thing was over, and that couldn't come soon enough.

 It made me sad to see Anthony slipping away like that, he just wasn't himself. He didn't act like it and sure didn't look like it either. He wasn't going to school so he didn't really seem to care about the time of day, except for noon and midnight when it was changing of the guards at Amy's. The wolve's metabolism is so crazy fast, that Anthony not eating much had a visible effect pretty quickly. His face had started to look a little gaunt, and it freaked me out, to be honest. It was scary. Mom assured me it wasn't possible for him to starve himself, and that even if it was she'd never let it happen. I wondered if he would ever really be himself again. Maybe not. 

Imprinting definitely changes a person, his priorities had changed. Dad knew that, and that's how he got him to start eating somewhat normally again. He reminded Anthony that he was supposed to be Amy's protector, how was he going to do that if he let himself waste away to nothing? I might have added that one wants to look their best when being reunited with the love of their life, but I decided to just stay out of it. Mom and Xandra hosed him down when he was in wolf form last week. That sure was an interesting sight to see when I walked by the window in the upstairs hallway. So, at least the poor guy was smelling a little fresher these days. He still usually didn't eat with us, but the covered plates that Mom left in the fridge after dinner were always gone the next day. I'd gotten in the habit of checking before I went to school. 

This whole thing had pulled me out of the post-Nate pity party I'd been having for myself awful quick. What poor Amy was dealing with made my former jerk of a boyfriend look like a saint. As I got out of the car, I told Mom I'd call her if I couldn't find a ride home after rehearsal.

 "Have fun, keep your phone on vibrate," she reminded me.

"I will." I walked up the steps, and poked my head around the corner to the side porch. Like always, the smokers were there squeezing in one last cigarette before we started. "Hey!" I called out. 

They all shouted back their hellos. One of my favorite new people, Heather, was over there so I decided to join them. There really were not any cliques here. I was enjoying becoming a part of this strange little family. Heather was a southern belle, who'd moved here all the way from Louisiana to be with her new husband. They met online, in a chat room! I'd never known anyone who had found a significant other like that. I don't think I'd date a human again, at least not for a very long time, but if there was a dating site for otherworldly folks such as myself, I'd totally join. 

"How was school?" she asked me in that serious southern accent. 

 Another cast member had said her accent was so thick it was like it's own person, and needed a name. They'd all ask her to say things, mostly the word shrimp, because it sounded awesome.