Behind Closed Doors

Jacob eventually introduced himself to my dad, who seems very happy to know that his daughter had found a friend in this reservation. Even though the friend is a boy trapped in a t-rex figure, he's a friend nonetheless.

Like the past 4 days, I always wander to his place, watching him fixing motorcycles and such while talking about random facts. His dad would always peek his head in to see how things are going and asking if we want food every 10 minutes. In 4 days I have experienced his fish and chips, spaghetti, tortilla chips, even his ‘infamous chocolate milkshake’ (as Billy had said). Wonder why Jacob is so well built when all that his father does is fill him with sugary and full of fat food everytime he gets the chance?

But today, Jacob said he has 'something to do' so I couldn't come to his house today. Maybe his guy friends are wondering where he disappeared the past few days. Then what happens to me? Well, I decided not to mope around friendless so I decided to walk around the reservation with my Polaroid camera in hand. Who knows?

As usual, if trapped in my own world I don’t see where I’m going. Another bad habit of mine as my old friends in California said. Usually I’ll end up tripping over something or bumping into someone.

Like what happens now

“Oof!”, we both said, our luck up high that both of us didn’t fall down. I steadied myself and looked at the girl in front of me.

She has a long brown hair, which she let down nicely, her skinny body covered up with a light brown coat, her grey sweater peeking from the collar. She stumbled backwards, muttering a strangled “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry”.

“Yeah, chillax” I said with a laugh, dusting my long blue cardigan off, “It’s not like it caused brain damage or somethi-“ I stopped when I see the girl’s expression. Her eyes dull and tears are falling down, covering her semi-pretty face. “Hey, hey!” I exclaimed panic, “It’s okay! It’s totally fine! No damage! No worries! Hakuna Matata! You could blame all of it on me, I think it is my fault anyway… Can you, can you stop crying? Please?”

Now you know I am not the person you should look for when you have bad moods ☺

To my surprise, now it’s her turn to giggle, “No, no, it’s not you,” she explained, “my day just had turned from bad to worse… and it has nothing to do with you, promise!” she quickly added noticing my horrific expression.

“Oh, well”, I shrugged, “You shouldn’t think of it that way, look, it’s a beautiful day! Despite the cold weather, and the muddy paths, and the… I’m just making things worse, aren’t I? Say, what do you think of maybe grabbing ice cream? I just found out about this place and, you’ll be surprised how good it is to eat ice cream on a cold day?” I try suggesting, I don’t have anything to do anyways.

The girl nodded slowly, “Yeah th –that’d be great. I’m Bella”

I grinned, “Well Bella, you’ve just met your tour guide of the day! I’m Alana”

*****************************

“No way!” she exclaimed, almost choking on her strawberry ice cream.

“Yes way! My dad is soooo embarrassing when it comes to my old pictures,”

“Ugh,” she played with her ice cream, “single dads are just way to horrific,”

In a few hours, Bella and I talked and talked about random things in life, mainly me trying to get whatever it is that’s bugging her out of her mind. I’ve found out that her name is Isabella Swan, preferred to be called Bella, and she is 18, a year *cough* and a month *cough* older than me. She is also living with her single dad, due to a divorce, but they live in Forks. Bella isn’t one who would blab around about her life and such, she’s a much shy-er girl.

“So how’s your love life, huh?” I licked my mint cookies and cream ice cream off its cone. Bella had preferred to buy one in a cup; we’re now sitting beside the window on the ice cream shop Jacob had once told me about.

Bella smiled when I brought the subject up, “Um, it’s great! I have this great guy as a boyfriend and I couldn’t be happier,”

“Aww,” I cooed, I always love romantics, “so he goes to the school you’re attending? How old is he?”

“He’s… eighteen” she answered unsurely with a laugh.

I cocked my hear to the side, “What, are you dating someone above the age level that your dad wants you to date? You have this strange thing going on your face,”

“No! Not at all! …I think? But he’s a teen. Yeah, he is. And his family is also great”

“O…kay? But everything’s going great between you two right?”

She nodded, “Everything’s great with me and Edward. It’s just…” she puts on the glum face again and decided to look at the window.

“What is it?” I asked, concerned, “You know, you can tell me?”

Bella took a deep breath, “I’m… I’m just stuck between my best friend and boyfriend. Edward… he left me a few months ago, and I felt so vulnerable and alone and scared,” she paused for a shudder, “But then my best friend came, he’s from here by the way, he helped me stay on my ground, was there no matter what, and… when Edward came back I totally blew him off. I… I… he made me choose either him or my boyfriend, and I pick Edward. He became so mad at me and we haven’t talked to each other since,” she hid her face under her hair.

“So, you’re here to apologize to him?”

“Yeah, I did,” she chuckled sarcastically, “Amazing how that turned out, really,”

I gave her an apologetic smile, “he still doesn’t want to talk, does he?”

She exhaled, nodding. “So I guess my journey all the way here has no point at all then,” she started to stand up, me following her.

“Aw, don’t say that, through it all, you met me!” I grinned, opening the glass door for her to get out first. Bella grinned too, and she gave me a hug.

“I did, yeah. Thanks Alana, you’ve been a really great listener, thank you,” she offered me a smile, walks to her red beat up truck then gets in, “You sure you don’t want a ride? It’s starting to rain.”

I shook my head, “I’ve got my loyal hoodie, besides, I like the rain. See you soon?”

“I know where to go, sweetie. Bye!” She starts the engine and drove off.

I sighed, waving and turned my heels to walk the different way, goodness didn’t this day felt like such a déjà vu of the first time I arrived here. But hey, at least I’ve got friends right?

Speaking of friends…

Jacob’s walking on the fields, his head down but I could see his furious face. He’s wearing his usual attire, that is short jeans with massive sneakers and… yes, he goes topless. (Geesh what is it with this guy and all his un-freezing power???)

“Hey slacker!”, I called out to him from the side of the road. Jacob stopped on his tracks, looking for the source of the voice. He grins when he saw me waving.

“Hey muffin jugglenuts!” He had quickly run up to me, giving me a side-hug. “What’s up with you?”

“What’s up with you?” I asked him back, trying to let go of his grip. It’s weird having a built topless guy side-hugging you in the rain, even if he does have this weird warm feel. “Why are you PMS-ing? It isn’t even your time of the month,” I joked.

He laughed then added in a serious tone, “Honey, you just don’t know about these sick teenage hormones. What have you been up to?”

“Just… eating ice cream at the place you told me about,” I didn’t bring the thing about me getting a new friend, afraid he would get all jealous, then he’ll be squishing me with his abs (it had happened. Stop laughing). “It was fun but now I’m bored”, I pulled my lower lip out in a child-like manner.

“Hmm,” he tapped his chin with two of his massive fingers, thinking. Oh how much of a freak show we’d look like to people passing by. Me, the short girl with damp hair because of the rain, and Jacob, the topless giant who is skipping down the road. “You know what Al, I figured out what we’ll do for the rest of the day!”

“Oh joy,” I mocked his expression, “And that would be?”

He pulled me to his back, lifting my body up for a piggyback ride. “I’m introducing you to the rest of the guys. Come on!”