You're a Scribbled out Name That My Love Keeps Writing Again and Again

Bella lightly placed her hand on the doorframe, steadying her feet on the creaky wooden floor as she cautiously peered round into her sister’s room.
She smiled softly at the sight of Sophia sprawled out on the white bed sheets. She lay on her stomach, her long hair splayed out on her pillow, her hands outstretched as if reaching for something at either side of her head. Her curtains were not fully drawn, the sun filtering through and letting light decorate her sleeping form.
Bella watched Sophia's shoulders rise and fall with each deep, steady breath. Most of her body was visible due to the crumpled mess of the duvet that gathered at her feet. Bella frowned at the obvious indication of a restless night and hoped the nightmares that Sophia used to suffer with as a child had not returned.
Bella moved gingerly over towards her sister's bed, hesitant to wake her after the outburst last night.

"Sophia." Bella whispered.

"Sophia." Bella tried again, leaning over her sister.

Sophia did not even twitch, her brain still swamped in sleep.

"Sophia." Bella hissed her voice no longer a whisper. "C'mon, get up."

Sophia's nose crinkled and her eyelids twitch, a small groan resounding from her lips.

"Rise and shine Sophia." Bella said playfully, placing her hands in between Sophia's shoulder blades and lightly shaking.

"Go away." Came the muffled response.

Bella rolled her eyes. "C'mon Sophia. You have to get up."

Sophia rolled over onto her back, taking the pillow with her and holding it over her face.

Bella sighed reaching over and trying to tug the pillow away.

"Knock it off." Sophia whined, her brain still trying to pick it’s with through the sleepy fog that had prevented her from realising how childish she was acting.

"Charlie told me to wake you up and not to leave until you were out of bed and ready to face the day."

"What is wrong with that man?" Sophia mumbled.

"Come on Sophia. You spent all day in bed yesterday. Just get up. Please." She begged.

"Fine, fine." Sophia said in defeat, removing the pillow from her face and squinting from the sudden sunlight. She looked at Bella, already dressed and alert, reading for school.

She rolled over to face her alarm clock, her eyes widening when she read the time.

"Seven! Are you freaking kidding me?" Sophia exclaimed.

"Sophia." Bella warned.

"Sorry, sorry." She muttered, swinging her legs out of bed and running a hand through her already dishevelled hair.

Bella watched her sister stand up and stretch, the hazy fog fading as her body grew alert. Bella hesitated, trying to form coherent words in her mind before mustering the courage to ask.

"About last night Sophia-"

"Don't worry about it." Sophia said, hastily tugging the duvet over her bed and then presenting it as made. "But just remember what I said, I will want answers."

Bella nodded nervously and Sophia just chuckled, shooing her sister out of the room so she could change.

"Morning Dad." Sophia said, her arms winding round her father's body in a tight embrace.

Charlie seemed slightly taken aback, his awkward relationship with Bella making him forget how affection Sophia was when it came to family. Apart from her mother of course.

"Morning sweetie." He replied, one arm loosely on her shoulders in his attempt of returning the hug.

Sophia rolled her eyes, opening the fridge to pour herself some orange juice. She turned around and jumped slightly when she saw the pale figure sitting at the dinner table, his copper hair tousled and lips twisted into a breathtaking smile.

"Morning Sophia."

Sophia nodded, one hand on her chest, feeling her heat pulse rapidly beneath her palm. "Morning Edward." She smiled back politely.

Bella came in from the living room, a newspaper hanging limply in her hand and her eyes darting around the room anxiously.
She placed the paper in front on Edward and he scanned the headlines quickly. His lips soon contorted into a frown, his eyes locking with Bella.

Sophia raised her eyebrows, taking a seat opposite Bella and Edward. Her eyes grazed over the headlines of the paper before Bella saw her and whisked it away from her view.

It was too late. Sophia had already read the words “Seattle” “Horrific” and “Killings.”

And those words were enough to get her suspicions stirring and questions bubbling.

"How did you sleep last night Sophia? You looked like you'd been tossing and turning." Bella asked her voice edgy as she noticed Sophia’s guarded expression.

Sophia sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Not too great." She looked up, biting her lip as she caught Bella’s eyes. "I had a nightmare. But… I think it was one of those nightmares. Like before.” Sophia vaguely explained.

Edward raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

"Sophia used to suffer from severe nightmares as a child. Kept her awake half the night, terrified to go back to sleep. The funny thing was, she could never remember them when she woke up. All she remembered was that she was terrified. Occasionally a word or a face would stick in her mind but that was about it."

Edward seemed interested, his eyes scanning over Sophia's face.

"Do you remember anything from this dream?" Edward asked, noting they way she adverted their eyes from meeting and how her shoulders visibly tensed.

“I-”

Three thunderous knocks stopped her forming a sentence and caused everyone but Edward to jump in surprise.

“Jesus Christ.” Charlie muttered.

“I’ll get it.” Sophia exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

“Can you tell Jacob to try and not punch a hole through my door please?” Charlie called out after Sophia.

She laughed, stopping in front of the door to smooth her t-shirt down and tuck her hair behind her ears.

Her smile faltered and a deep blush stained her cheeks once she saw that Jacob stood there, shirtless and flaunting far more muscles then any teenage boy should. He looked perfectly at ease even though the air outside was sharp and bitter.

“Erm, hi?” She questioned, unsure of his chosen attire and wondering if it was some sort of practical joke.

He chuckled at her flustered expression and she quickly bought her attention back to his face, staring at him as he casually leant agaisnt the door frame.

“Can I come in or are you going to leave me on your doorstep?”

She rolled her eyes at the cliché line. “Yeah, of course.” She gestured into the hallway. “Come on in.”

Jacob stepped inside and Sophia raised her eyebrows as she noticed the tattoo on his shoulder, a circle inked with intricate tribal designs.

“Oh and next time you call round, try not to give my dad a heart attack.”

Jacob chuckled. “I wanted to make my arrival known.”

“I think the whole street now knows of your arrival Jake.”

He didn’t comment back, simpling waltzing past into the kitchen.

“Hey Charlie.”

“Hello Jacob. It’s good to see you round here and visiting Bella again. I'm glad you too have gotten over your little tiff.”

“I came round to borrow Sophia actually.” Sophia turned her back to hide the smile, nonchalantly clearing up the kitchen though her full attention was on the conversation.

“I wanted to take her down to La Push beach. I figured she hadn’t seen it yet and i thought, who better to show her then someone whp knows La Push like the back of his hand?” He paused and Sophia heard the slight intake of breath. “I was going to call round yesterday but something came up.”

Fortunately, Sophia's back was still turned and she didn't catch the way Jacob's sharp eyes sent Bella and Edward a knowing and somewhat concerned look. Edward nodded gravely and Bella bit her lip, her eyes glazed with worry.

Jacob cleared his throat, focusing all his attention back on to Sophia.

"So what do you say Sophia? You in?"

Sophia squinted out the window, sighing at dense black clouds that rolled across the thunderous sky.

"It's not exactly beach weather." She turned to Jacob who was staring at her questionably, an eyebrow raised. "I know, I know. Forks is never going to provide sufficient beach weather."

She tiled her head, calculating her options. There wasn't much else to keep her occupied and she knew if she declined his offer, her day would become nothing more than a monotonous waste. She didn't even understand why she had to think it over. She should be jumping at the chance to spend a day with Jacob, the first boy to ever bring a red flush to her cheeks or release butterflies in her stomach with merely a smile. Perhaps she was questioning herself because of the underlying unease Forks, and the people within it, seemed to bring. There always seemed to be a cautious and careful ambience, secrets laced within every conversation Sophia heard. The dark thoughts whirled around the confines of Sophia’s mind, finding their way into every crevice until her thoughts were distorted and mocking her confused state.

"Sophia?" Jacob asked.

She snapped back to attention, smiling sheepishly at Jacob. “Sorry.” She mumbled.

He chuckled. "Your sister is so out of it Bella."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

"It's funny though." His dark eyes found their way back to Sophia. "It's one of the things I like about her."

Sophia fought back the red flush threatening to stain her skin and Charlie muttered something under his breath, excusing himself from the room. Edward had adorned an amused smirk while Bella frowned, distaste evident on her face.

"I-I, err, will go. With you...To the beach." Sophia forced the words to leave her lips, stuttering slightly.

Jacob flashed her a winning smile. "Great."

"You don't have to be polite Sophia. If you don't want to go then just say so." Bella piped up. She was trying her best to accept Jacob and his growing relationship with Sophia but it was all going too fast for her liking. She wanted to prolong it for as long as possible. She wanted to keep Sophia's life normal for as long as possible.

"Bella." Edward warned, though he couldn't disguise the obvious amusement within his voice.

Sophia blinked and Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I mean, like you said. It’s not exactly beach weather. Why don’t you do something productive today, get you into the swing of things for when you start school. How about finishing that painting? It was coming along really nicely.” Bella said.

Sophia tensed as the memory of that day ruptured an enclosed part of her mind. She shut her eyes in an attempt to block it out but the image of the eyes was still etched into her mind, dancing behind her lids.

Edward, who had swiftly probed Sophia's mind at the sight of her discomfort, frowned in both confusion and worry at the image he saw. The eyes were only there for a second, dim and rapidly fading as he tried in vain to make them clearer. He struggled to hold on to the image, his mind gripping on to it in desperation. The image quickly disintegrated, slipping between his helpless fingers like granules of sand. It disappeared into the dark, guarded, chasm of the wise mind that belonged to the youngest and somewhat puzzling Swan sister.

"No." she said, her voice coming out sharper then intended. "I mean, I didn't like the way it looked so I threw it away. You know me, always the perfectionist."

Bella nodded, smiling warmly at her sister while making a mental note to question Edward about it later.

"Besides, it will do me good to get out and familiarise myself with the place."

"If you’re sure." Bella said, sighing in defeat.

Jacob grinned again, already making his way to the front door.

"We're leaving now?" Sophia asked.

"You're ready aren’t you?"

"Yeah, let me just get my coat."

She ran upstairs to retrieve her coat, bidding a quick farewell to Charlie before bouncing back down the stairs and nearly colliding with Bella and Edward.

“I'll see you after school Sophia.” Bella said, stepping out the door.

"See you. Have a good day." Sophia called.

"You too Sophia." Edward said, chuckling as he helped Bella sort out the inverted hood of her coat.

Bella huffed slightly, taking one last worried look between Jacob and Sophia before Edward dragged her away.

Jacob turned to Sophia, wiggling his eyebrows. "Let’s go then!"

Sophia raised her head to face the sea, watching the tips of the murky waves rise with poise, before crashing back down with a boisterous force against the grey horizon. The wind whistled past her, assaulting her body and sending a spiral of shivers down her vertebrae. It lifted her hair, whipping it around her face and warping her vision. She shoved her hands deeper into her coat pockets, digging her heel into the sand.

“You cold?” Jacob asked, eyeing her wearily.

“No, I’m fine.” Sophia lied.

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his lip lifting up. He swiftly reached his arm round, hooking his hand around her shoulder and pulling her body towards his. Sophia froze at the sudden contact, another shiver rippling down her back for all the wrong reasons. She was glad he had stopped off at his house to put on a shirt.

He didn’t say anything, continuing to walk down the beach. Sophia’s movements were very stiff and mechanical, only daring to move one foot in front of the other. But as the warmth of his body radiating around her and seeped into her skin, she felt herself relaxing, even allowing her frame to lean into his. He tightened his grip on her shoulders, supporting her weight.

It wasn’t exactly a moonlight walk down the beach on a humid summer night but Sophia felt herself enjoying it. There was something about the beach that intrigued Sophia. She found it had a stark beauty to it, with the fierceness of the sea and grey wash sky. The whole of La Push seemed very ethereal to Sophia.

“You’re not ill are you Jacob?” Sophia suddenly blurted out.

Jacob blinked before letting out a slightly nervous laugh. “I sure hope not. Why, do I look ill?”

Sophia giggled. “No, no, you just feel like you’re running a temperature. It’s so cold out but here you are, wandering around in a t-shirt and yet still managing to emit heat like a radiator. It’s just a bit…odd.”

“It’s a genetic thing I think.” Sophia looked up to see his bottom lip caught in his teeth. “The cold doesn’t really affect me. I guess living here all my life has built up some sort of immunity.”

Sophia laughed. “You could be some sort of hybrid human. Your survival instincts have triggered an adaption towards the surroundings.” She said playfully.

Jacob didn’t smile, his expression unreadable.

“Jake?" She asked, becoming worried when he didn't asnwer. "I was only playing around.”

He blinked. “I know.” He grinned down at her. “Spaced out for a minute. Your freakiness is starting to rub off on me.”

Sophia rolled her eyes.

“Have you known the guys for long?” She suddenly asked. “Embry, Seth and that lot? I was just wondering from the other day. You all looked pretty close.”

Jacob smiled. “I’ve known Embry and Quil ever since I was a tot but it wasn’t until our teenage years that we all came together. I feel like I’ve known them all my life though. We’re like…brothers.”

“That must be nice.”

“Yeah, it is…What about you? Any close friends back home?”

Sophia grimaced. “Not really. I usually keep to myself. I prefer my own company because no one else seems to.” She said, a slight bitter tone creeping in.

“Hey, I enjoy your company. Very much.”

“I think I find myself enjoying your company too Mr Black.”

Sophia stopped suddenly and stooped down, bringing Jacob to an abrupt halt.

“What are you doing?”

She straightened up, her palm outstretched towards Jacob. A concave shell lay in her hand, the surface smooth from the relentless surge of the sea. The shell itself was a pale pink though through its life cycle, had been stained with various pastel colors. The streaks of purple and orange twisted and spiralled around the shell, creating disjointed patterns. Sophia was grinning at it.

“The world isn’t such a bad place. It's not as terrible as people think it is. It’s things like this that really show its beauty, although small and seemingly insignificant.” She sighed. “It’s a shame that most people walk around with narrow minds and blind eyes.”

Jacob watched her as she bent down on her knees to pocket some more shells, her fingers grazing over the sand and forming deep patterns withing the soft earth. She rocked back on her feet, slowly lowering herself until she was lying on the sand. Jacob raised his eyebrows as she spread her arms wide and began to move them back and forth in a windowscreen wiper motion.

“What are you doing?”

“Well, seeing as I’ve lived in Arizona for pretty much all my life, I’ve never been out in the snow. I’ve always wanted to make a snow angel however so I thought I would settle for the next best thing. A sand angel.” She dug her fingers into the sand, laughing. She tilted her head to see Jacob staring at her with an unfathomable expression.

“What?

“I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

A slow grin grew on his face. “About how amazing you are.”

Jacob made his way over to her, laying his frame next to hers. Their eyes locked and Sophia watched his black pupils swim within his dark irises, their faces holding the same curious expressions.

Sophia broke his gaze, her eyes trailing over his collar and down to his shoulder. This stopped on his shoulder, his sleeve bunch up and exposing the inked skin.

“Nice tattoo.” She commented. “What does it mean?”

“It’s a native thing. Most of the boys here have one. It’s sort of a tribute to our ancestosr.”

Sophia nodded, turning to looked up at the clouds, an army forming and swallowing the sky. She wasn’t sure how long she stayed like that, on the sand with Jacob at her side. Time seemed to merge and lose meaning. It could have been minutes or hours until they were disturbed by the gentle fall of rain, quickly picking up pace and pelting their skin.

“Come on. I better get you home.”

Sophia sat on the sofa, legs folded beneath her and a mug of hot chocolate cupped between her palms. It had been a few hours since Jacob dropped her off and she thanked him for a wonderful day and promised to see him again soon.

Charlie had retired for bed, claiming an early night was in order but warning Edward that he could hear everything from upstairs. Sophia had stayed down with Bella and Edward to ease Charlie’s anxious mind.

The lights were off as they sat together in the living room, the only light being provided from the fluorescence of the TV. Edward and Bella’s bodies folded around each other as they cuddled on the sofa cross from Sophia. She stirred her drink absentmindedly, not paying attention to either the couple across from her or the figures on screen.

“You never did answer my question.” A voice said, breaking Sophia’s hazy thoughts.

“Hmm?” She asked, looking up to see Edward staring at her expectantly. Bella shifted by his side, turning her body to face Sophia also.

“From this morning. When I asked you if you remembered anything from the dream. You were about to say something but Jacob interrupted."

"Oh right. Well I didn't really remember anything."

"Didn't really?" Edward questioned, catching the diffident tone.

“There was… one thing. It’s nothing important though.”

"You never know."

Sophia titled her head in confusion at Edward’s sudden interest. "It was just a word. I've never heard it before in my life yet when I woke up, it was the first thing in my head. I think I remembered someone saying it in my dream." Sophia frowned. "For some reason, the more I think about it, the more I associate it with a place."

"So what was the word?" Edward pressed, his golden eyes eager.

Sophia frowned, staring at Edward.

"Volterra."