There and Back

"Daddy, I need to talk to you." Advice, when you have news it's always best to break it to your dad before a football game so that he'll be more stressed on the game than whatever you tell him. I mean, it's not like my news was bad but I wasn't sure how he'd take it.
"Oh god, you're pregnant!" he accused.
"What? Hell no!" Why is it that parents automatically assume that someone's pregnant?
My dad sighed in relief at the answer. "Good. Then what is it? The game's going to start soon." See? The game becomes more important.
"Dad, I'm not going to Forks High next semester." His gaze hardened from his place on the couch. I spoke my next words quickly. "I have enough credits from summer school that I can graduate in December. I'm going to go to UNLV after Christmas. I want to start college and get my own place."
His expression softened. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you. But, Las Vegas? Are you sure you don't want to finish the year?"
"Positive. I can start now and get a degree sooner than if I wait until fall. Please, Dad? This is something I have to do."
He sighed heavily. "Call your mom and ask her advice. If she agrees, I'm all for it." I smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. He slunk deeper into the couch as the game started and I rushed into the kitchen for the phone.
My mom had pretty much the same reaction. She was squealing with excitement when I was finally able to tell her that I would be a college student in the Spring. "Oh, I always knew that my daughter was a genius! See, isn't it good that I sent you with Charlie? Oh, honey, I'm so proud of you! Phil's so happy too. We love you!"
"Yeah, love you too, Mom." I hung up and sighed. Wow, in two months I would be leaving Forks for Nevada and UNLV. Yikes!
The final two months passed and somehow everyone in both Forks and La Push had heard about my going away. It was really annoying how interested these people were. Honestly, it's no big deal. On the last day of school before Christmas break I was getting attacked with hugs and 'good luck's by people I didn't even like. Even Jessica and Lauren were teary-eyed saying that they would miss me so much. Really people, get a life!
"Ugh, I just want to get home and crash," I whined to Bella as she drove extra carefully over the ice. "I'm so tired and I have so much I have to do before I leave."
"I wouldn't start counting sheep just yet," Bella warned.
"Why n-?" The sight of a ton of cars in front of our house cut me off. "Bella, what's going on?"
"Nothing," she said innocently. "Just a little Christmas slash going away party that Alice put together."
"Alice!" I hissed under my breath.
Bella dragged me to the backyard- I tried to dig my heels into the dirt but it was too icy so she was able to pull me along. A thin layer of snow covered the ground. Strings of lights stretched from the house to trees hanging over the yard. Mistletoe hung on the lights every few feet apart. A decorated pine tree was set up by the corner of the house with a mountain of brightly wrapped presents underneath. Ten round tables were scattered around the yard under the light canopy with red and green tablecloths. Alice made our ordinary backyard look like a winter wonderland.
She immediately danced up to me and pulled me into a hug. "Wow, Alice, this is amazing. You'd better hope that it doesn't snow on your pretty party."
She smiled widely. "Don't worry. There won't be any snow for at least two more days."
"Right."
Two seconds later I was being suffocated by Rosalie and Leah assaulting me with hugs. "Liz, I'm gonna miss you," Leah whined.
"Leah, you should have been in college like three years ago. You can always just apply and come with me."
"That's true. But I think I should stick around here a little longer." I saw her glance quickly to Tony who was talking animatedly with Emmett. I smiled at her and both girls went to their boyfriends.
I walked over to where my dad was talking to Billy and gave him a big hug. "This is a nice party, Dad. But you're not going to cry 'cause I'm leaving, are you? I’m just warning you that I will laugh if you do."
"Of course not," he said gruffly. I grinned. Not showing emotion is something that Bella and I get from him. A hundred bucks says he breaks down when we're not looking sometime before I leave.
"Hi, Billy. Glad you could come."
"I wouldn't miss it." He smiled kindly and I was reminded of Jacob. "It seems like just yesterday you were beating up Jake and trying to drown him in the ocean."
I giggled dryly. "Those were definitely the good old days,” I said reminiscently. “So, how is he?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" a deep, melodic voice said from behind me. I stiffened at the sound of his voice. I exhaled deeply and turned slowly.
"Um, hi Jacob. What's up?" Okay, this is a little awkward.
He smiled brightly and my heart melted. "I heard you were having a party. I can't believe you didn't even think to invite me."
My eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, I didn't even know about it. Nobody tells me about parties 'cause they know I'll just run off. I was tricked into coming!"
"Lizzy, you would have had to come anyway. It's your house."
I blushed. "I know. But I would have gone off somewhere else instead."
"Where would you have gone? All of your friends are here."
I stuck my tongue out at him. "Angela's not here so I could have dropped by her place. No, wait, her family already went on their vacation," I said as an afterthought. He laughed. God how I missed his laugh. "I would've just gone to the Cullens with them there or not. Then I could just entertain myself by playing the piano."
"Well you're here now so you might as well make the best of it."
"You're right. Um, do you want to dance?" I mumbled slowly.
He held me close as we swayed to the slow song. "Lizzy," he sighed, "why did you break up with me?"
I nibbled in the inside of my cheek. "I told you. I'm scared. And you deserve someone that you actually like. Not just someone that you’re with because of the whole wolf thing."
"What do you even mean by that?" he demanded.
"I mean, there's a difference between Sam being with Emily because they imprinted and Leah being with Tony just because they’re in love. Leah isn't being forced to like him, she just does. And she likes him in spite of all their differences."
"Liz-"
"No, Jake. I can see that you still have feelings for my sister. Don't even pretend it's not true."
He sighed exasperatedly. "You're right. I still love Bella. But what I feel for her is the same thing I fell for Rachel. Bella is just like a sister or best friend. But with you, there's so much more."
I stopped dancing abruptly. "Jake, you're seventeen and I'm only eighteen. How the hell do either of us know what we want. I'm leaving in a few weeks. This is good-bye."
I blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill out and ran into the house. Why was it that I was always running out of parties because of him?