Status: a work in progress!
I Want Crazy
One.
Washington is freezing in comparison to the warm LA weather I've grown used to. I wrap my coat tightly around myself and pull my luggage towards the doors. There’s a rain/snow mix falling from the sky. My dad’s black Tahoe is parked a few cars to the left, and he’s leaning against the passenger door. He straightens up when he sees me, a smile on his lips.
I rush to greet him, wrapping my arms tightly around the comforting figure I haven’t seen in nearly six months. “It’s great to have you home, sweetheart.”
“It’s great to be home,” I reply. Dad loads my bag into the back of the truck. I climb in and warm my hands with the heaters.
Dad climbs in, too, and pulls away from the curb. “Brandon comes home in a few days. Tyler’s waiting at home. They’re so excited to see you. How was your first semester? Was it everything you’d hoped?”
“It was good. School’s hard, but it’s good.”
“And look at you! You’re so tan, and your hair is lighter! Did you lose weight?”
I let out a laugh. “I guess LA did get a hold of me. Have you heard of cross-fit? It’s a huge deal out there, and I started doing it, too. I go with some of the girls in my sorority—“
“You’re in a sorority? Jesus.” Dad and I share a laugh.
“I was accepted just before break. It’s not really a party sorority—Chi Omega.” I watch Dad’s lips pull into a small smile.
“Your mother was a Chi-O.”
He knows I don’t like talking about her still, so I change the subject. “Have you seen Jake around lately?”
“Yeah, Sam said he’s finally got enough control over himself that he doesn’t have to worry every time Paul pisses him off.”
My lips pull into a little smile. I haven’t seen Jake since he phased, and I have no idea what he looks like anymore.
“I think some of the boys were going to come over and surprise you. When you got home. Quil’s phased, too. I don’t know if you’ve heard.”
“Yeah, Jake told me. Crazy that everyone is phasing so quickly. I wonder what’s going on.”
Dad gets silent, and I turn to him for an explanation. “Chief Swan’s daughter moved back just after you left, and she started seeing that Cullen boy.”
“I don’t get—“ We pull into our driveway, and Jake’s Rabbit is parked behind my Silverado.
“I’ll leave it to Jake to explain.”
He’s leaning against his car in nothing but a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His hair is scruffy and short, the tribe’s tattoo is printed on his arm, and his lips pull into a smile at the Tahoe pulling in.
I scramble out of the car to greet my best friend but stop dead in front of him at the look on his face. It’s the look Tyler had in his eyes when he met Kayla, the look Paul gives Rachel, the look Jared gives Kim.
“It’s great to see you, Beth,” Jake finally speaks, wrapping his large, warm arms around me.
“Yeah,” I mumble out as he lets go. Jake turns his head to watch in amusement as my dad lugs my heavy suitcase up the front porch steps. He looks back down at me. “Please stop looking at me like that.” Jake furrows his eyebrows.
“Like what?” I don’t answer him. I just pull my jacket a little tighter around my body and head towards the front door. “Beth, wait.” Jake’s warm hand wraps around my wrist and turns me around to face him. “You had to know it’d be you.”
My eyes rapidly scan his face, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. I’ve never been nervous in front of him in my life. I open my mouth to say something, but the words don’t come out.
“You could be a little gentler about it,” he sighs. He walks past me and into the house. I let out a heavy sigh. I don’t know how to break it to him.
“Jake, come on,” I groan.
He turns around in the doorway and crosses his arms over his chest. “What do you want me to do, Beth? It’s not like I can change it. You know that.”
“I-I know,” I reply. “It’s just…I don’t know how to tell you.” I look down at my boots and then back up at him. Realization overtakes him. I look behind him at the small gathering of people in my living room. “Can we talk about this later, please?”
He forces a fake smile onto his face and nods. I know his pissed, but how was I supposed to know?
I walk Jake out to his Rabbit, and he stops at the back of it. I shove my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt and wait for Jake to say something. “Does he at least treat you well?”
I nod. “Yeah, he’s a great guy.” Jake nods. “I…I really like him, and I know that this sucks, Jake. I just…I need for you to be my best friend. Maybe this will all workout differently in the end, but I’m happy right now with Mason.”
“No, I get it, Beth. I know how this whole thing works. I’m no stranger to being second best.” He gets into the Rabbit and fires it up. I move out of the way while he pulls out of the driveway and watch as his car pulls out.
I stand outside and listen to the snow falling softly. “Beth, come back inside. It’s freezing,” Tyler calls. I turn around and look at him, and he frowns at the expression on my face. He closes the door and walks out to me. “What’s the matter?”
“Jake imprinted on me.”
“Yeah, I know,” he replies, completely unfazed.
“I have a boyfriend, Ty. I have for about five months now.”
“Oh…I guess that’s a bit of an issue.” We stand there in silence for a few more minutes. “I don’t want to be that guy, Beth, but he’s your soul mate. That’s the inevitable. When it’s all said and done, Jake’s it for you.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“But?”
“I don’t think I want it to be him.”
I rush to greet him, wrapping my arms tightly around the comforting figure I haven’t seen in nearly six months. “It’s great to have you home, sweetheart.”
“It’s great to be home,” I reply. Dad loads my bag into the back of the truck. I climb in and warm my hands with the heaters.
Dad climbs in, too, and pulls away from the curb. “Brandon comes home in a few days. Tyler’s waiting at home. They’re so excited to see you. How was your first semester? Was it everything you’d hoped?”
“It was good. School’s hard, but it’s good.”
“And look at you! You’re so tan, and your hair is lighter! Did you lose weight?”
I let out a laugh. “I guess LA did get a hold of me. Have you heard of cross-fit? It’s a huge deal out there, and I started doing it, too. I go with some of the girls in my sorority—“
“You’re in a sorority? Jesus.” Dad and I share a laugh.
“I was accepted just before break. It’s not really a party sorority—Chi Omega.” I watch Dad’s lips pull into a small smile.
“Your mother was a Chi-O.”
He knows I don’t like talking about her still, so I change the subject. “Have you seen Jake around lately?”
“Yeah, Sam said he’s finally got enough control over himself that he doesn’t have to worry every time Paul pisses him off.”
My lips pull into a little smile. I haven’t seen Jake since he phased, and I have no idea what he looks like anymore.
“I think some of the boys were going to come over and surprise you. When you got home. Quil’s phased, too. I don’t know if you’ve heard.”
“Yeah, Jake told me. Crazy that everyone is phasing so quickly. I wonder what’s going on.”
Dad gets silent, and I turn to him for an explanation. “Chief Swan’s daughter moved back just after you left, and she started seeing that Cullen boy.”
“I don’t get—“ We pull into our driveway, and Jake’s Rabbit is parked behind my Silverado.
“I’ll leave it to Jake to explain.”
He’s leaning against his car in nothing but a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His hair is scruffy and short, the tribe’s tattoo is printed on his arm, and his lips pull into a smile at the Tahoe pulling in.
I scramble out of the car to greet my best friend but stop dead in front of him at the look on his face. It’s the look Tyler had in his eyes when he met Kayla, the look Paul gives Rachel, the look Jared gives Kim.
“It’s great to see you, Beth,” Jake finally speaks, wrapping his large, warm arms around me.
“Yeah,” I mumble out as he lets go. Jake turns his head to watch in amusement as my dad lugs my heavy suitcase up the front porch steps. He looks back down at me. “Please stop looking at me like that.” Jake furrows his eyebrows.
“Like what?” I don’t answer him. I just pull my jacket a little tighter around my body and head towards the front door. “Beth, wait.” Jake’s warm hand wraps around my wrist and turns me around to face him. “You had to know it’d be you.”
My eyes rapidly scan his face, and I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. I don’t know why I’m feeling this way. I’ve never been nervous in front of him in my life. I open my mouth to say something, but the words don’t come out.
“You could be a little gentler about it,” he sighs. He walks past me and into the house. I let out a heavy sigh. I don’t know how to break it to him.
“Jake, come on,” I groan.
He turns around in the doorway and crosses his arms over his chest. “What do you want me to do, Beth? It’s not like I can change it. You know that.”
“I-I know,” I reply. “It’s just…I don’t know how to tell you.” I look down at my boots and then back up at him. Realization overtakes him. I look behind him at the small gathering of people in my living room. “Can we talk about this later, please?”
He forces a fake smile onto his face and nods. I know his pissed, but how was I supposed to know?
I walk Jake out to his Rabbit, and he stops at the back of it. I shove my hands into the pockets of my sweatshirt and wait for Jake to say something. “Does he at least treat you well?”
I nod. “Yeah, he’s a great guy.” Jake nods. “I…I really like him, and I know that this sucks, Jake. I just…I need for you to be my best friend. Maybe this will all workout differently in the end, but I’m happy right now with Mason.”
“No, I get it, Beth. I know how this whole thing works. I’m no stranger to being second best.” He gets into the Rabbit and fires it up. I move out of the way while he pulls out of the driveway and watch as his car pulls out.
I stand outside and listen to the snow falling softly. “Beth, come back inside. It’s freezing,” Tyler calls. I turn around and look at him, and he frowns at the expression on my face. He closes the door and walks out to me. “What’s the matter?”
“Jake imprinted on me.”
“Yeah, I know,” he replies, completely unfazed.
“I have a boyfriend, Ty. I have for about five months now.”
“Oh…I guess that’s a bit of an issue.” We stand there in silence for a few more minutes. “I don’t want to be that guy, Beth, but he’s your soul mate. That’s the inevitable. When it’s all said and done, Jake’s it for you.”
“I know,” I whisper.
“But?”
“I don’t think I want it to be him.”