Discover Twilight

chapter viii

Entering the house, the walls are suddenly very bare. The pictures of Sam and his girlfriend of 2 years, Leah, were no longer lining the walls. Which was odd but who was I to question it. The ADHD in me wouldn't allow me to just sit there and wait to be lectured or comforted or whatever his plan was so my stomach led me to the pantry that I know has the Mac-N-Cheese. The water was beginning to boil when Paul comes into the house and sits on the kitchen counter. Outside the faint voice of my brother sounds, "Charlie, she's here with me. I'll bring her home tomorrow but she needs time."

When he walks into the house I raise my eyebrows at him, more in awe of his audacity than mad that Sam told my uncle I was playing hookie to grieve, "Since when do you speak for me, Sam? And who says I want to stay here?"

Paul watches on, clearly awaiting the answer, as if our banter is that of a soap opera. Normally I would have made a comment about it, teasing him for how easily entertained he was like a puppy, but I was more concerned to hear what Sam had to say. My brother's face contorted from a mixture of confusion and annoyance as I impatiently tap my foot waiting for his answer, "I speak for you when you aren't rational Dakota and you're going to stay here until I take you home, understood?"

That pissed me off more than the first time I met them. Presenting me as irrational and as though he has some say in my life more than my own. I had to give it to him, he had some balls to make such a claim. I pull my curls out from in front of my eyes, violently tucking them behind my ears, "Oh, fuck you Sam. I'm more than capable of making my own damn decisions. I've been doing that for 17 years, longer than you've ever been in the picture. You are my brother, not my guardian nor my father. If I don't want to be here, I won't and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, understood?"

I turn to Paul, who is either really impressed by my telling Sam off or very shocked I did that, looking away from my sibling who was taking deep breaths to calm himself down, "Could you drive me somewhere? And if you look at Sam for permission, I swear I'll pour this boiling water onto your head and give the term hothead a whole new meaning."

He smirks at me nodding. I turn off the burner and follow Paul out of the door. "Thanks for this dude," I mumble after climbing into the passenger seat and pulling my bookbag and soccer duffel into my lap. Oh shit, SOCCER TRYOUTS! I look quickly at my wristwatch: 11:30A. It's too late, tryouts were during 3rd period block. Can this day get any worse? I slam my fist on the dashboard, scaring my driver, "You okay, Kota? It's been a long, hard day for you."

"Understatement of the Year Award goes to... Paul Lahote," I snidely remark, making the both of us laugh. "I'm fine. I just missed soccer tryouts. And my mother is... dead. That's how my day's going, how are you?" My dark turn took him for a loop. He starts driving in the direction of Jake's house, reading my mind. "Thank you again. I'm sorry you had to be apart of this whole day. I know we don't particularly like each other but I appreciate the kindness you've shown me today."

Parking his silver Jeep behind Billy's tan '96, he looks at me like he's heard the song before, "Kota, we may not be best friends or anything like that but what kind of person would I be if I wasn't there for you in this? And as far as being apart of this day, I learned you had a soul and you don't mind being a bitch to someone other than me."

I roll my eyes and push his shoulder before getting my stuff out of the vehicle, "Whatever Lahote. Thanks again." He quickly reverses and cause the gravel to fly.

"Dakota? Are you okay? Why aren't you at school?" A voice behind me calls.

Turning to see Billy caused me to cry again, he and my mom were best friends. Not only did I lose my mother, he lost his best friend. "Mom died. Can I stay with you tonight?" I ask between sobs falling into his arms. He caresses my hair and brings me into the house, telling me to take a nap in Jake's room.

When I wake up the covers were pulled over my body and my head was propped on Jake's shoulder, "Hey Blondie, you slept through the whole day, it's the 14th. My dad told me about Tala, I'm so sorry."

The tears escape again and Jake pulls me tighter to his chest petting my hair, "I didn't even get to say goodbye Jake. The last time she saw me, she knew that I resented her."

"Shush. I know how hard this is, losing a mom, but she knew you loved her and she just wanted the best for you," Jake whispered into my hair.

The two of us stayed there for a while until we both got hungry and decided to go eat something. Jake grabbed the stuff to make sandwiches out of the fridge and let me sit on the kitchen counter watching him. My body felt numb to everything, the only thing I felt was the anger that lingered for my brother because at this point being angry at anything or anyone else was useless.

After eating lunch we went into the garage and worked on his Rabbit until Billy came in looking somber, "Charlie called. Bella is missing."

I grab my stuff and run to their truck, jumping into the driver's seat driving the three of us to my uncle's house. I pull the large truck up to the large mass of people crowded in front of my home and squeeze and push our way to the Chief's cruiser, "Move it! Excuse me, out of my way. Wheelchair coming through, I actually live here!"

The whole town swarmed in our yard, ranging from Mike Newton to Harry Clearwater, ready to help find Bella. After hours of looking over the maps of our surrounding areas, people dispersing and dividing into small search parties, I walk straight to the area of woods that is adjacent to Bella's bedroom. A bobbing yellow figure starts advancing towards me, my brother was carrying Bella back. Charlie hauls ass to meet Sam and take Bella out of his arms. Sam avoided my eyes, continuing to walk past me as though I don't exist.

"Sam! Hey I'm sorry for how I acted yesterday. I was an asshole." He kept walking, ignoring me as if I hadn't said a word. "You know I was being an ass and I'm admitting it but I had every right to be. I lost the person that's been there for me my whole life. You're being and was being an ass too you know."

He turns around, "I get it that you lost your mom. I'm sorry about that, I really am. But you don't understand what's going on and you just need time to grieve, figure out who you are. You need time away from me."