Disclaimer

Twilight and all affiliated characters are the property of Stephanie Meyer. I do not own any of the aforementioned characters except Beth and the plot of this story (that is, should it stray from the original Twilight). This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official storyline. I am not in any way, shape, or form benefiting financially from the publishing of this story on this site and am very grateful for Mrs. Meyer's creation. Besides, if I did own Twilight, I'd have been able to stop myself from spiralling into a 8 month long depressive episode..

"Hey Dad," Beth hesitantly approached him, no doubt her behavior these past few weeks had been less than stellar. She'd have to lay it on pretty thick if she was even gonna attempt to get him to consider sending her off to Seattle with a bunch of kids from school whom he hadn't met formally. What a nightmare it would be if Eric or Mike had already been caught drunk driving by the chief prior to then, Charlie wouldn't dare. And in all honesty, Beth was just hoping that he'd say yes because she was mature for her age. But she knew if word got out that Tyler (the one who'd nearly run her over) was the person throwing the party, the answer would be a dead no.

The man in question glanced back to his daughter momentarily, eyes wary in the way the dark circles under his eyes seemed to deepen, "hey, kiddo."

Beth grimaced internally, seeing the full effect of what her pain had done to him, with all else he'd probably been carrying around with work and his dad's recent death. Nobody had quite recovered from that one fully yet, either. Clearing her throat, she crossed the distance in the tiny living room, momentarily finding faux interest in the shade of blue that the walls had been painted. Charlie knew she was stalling for time, but chose to sit patiently, muting his flatscreen as ads started conveniently playing. Taking a sip of his beer, he watched as she finally turned to look at him, expression almost sheepish.

"What did you do?"

Beth's eyebrows narrowed and she scoffed, "Why do you think I did something?"

"Your mom used to make that same face whenever she bought something useless." Charlie shrugged, taking another sip. "If you didn't do something, what's up?" Kissing his teeth, he relaxed, one arm moving to the back of the sofa, just barely grazing Beth's shoulders in what he hoped came across as reassuring and approachable.

Beth sighed, she might as well rip the proverbial band-aid right off. "A few of my friends invited me to...do an activity..."

Charlie blinked, "I didn't know you had friends,"

"Dad!"

He chuckled, "Okay, I'll bite. What exactly is this activity?"

Beth fumbled, "It's with Eric Yorkie, Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton.."

Charlie nodded, leaning forward, "And?"

Beth sucked in a quick breath of air, why was this so difficult? Her dad wasn't a stranger. She'd known him for seventeen years, for crying out loud! But why was it so nerve wracking to ask him if she could go to Seattle next Saturday? She knew why, of course... It was because there would be booze, boys and she knew neither of which Charlie was too keen on her interacting with considering that she wasn't even legally allowed to drink alcohol.

"It's a party in Seattle," she deflated, "and I just wanted to get out of Forks for a while. It's getting...stuffy." She finished lamely. Charlie was quiet then, and made a big show of taking a long sip of his beer. Placing the empty can on the coffee table, he pressed the unmute button on the TV as he let her stew.

"..Dad?"

"Why don't you go visit your mom over spring break then? Give you and Bella some time with her and what's his face."

"Phil, his name is Phil, dad." She corrected him, fiddling with the hem of her large hoodie. He glanced at her hands, then her face and then back to the TV and said nothing for a while. BUt when the ads came back on and Beth was starting to lose hope, he shrugged and reached for another beer from the 6 (now 4) pack of beers. "And I want to give them a little time to get settled in Jacksonville."

"It's been four months," he muttered, and made an odd comment about how much more settled they could be before going quiet again.

But eventually, he said "Sure,"cracking the tab. The sound of the beer bubbling and fizzing brought Beth out of her shock. She fumbled, mouth opening and closing frantically as she tried gathering her thoughts to say something- anything else.

"Thank yo-"

"But," he interrupted her, "You need to give me the full name of the person driving, and all those other yahoos coming with you. I don't want you going with anyone who's got a record of driving recklessly or one of those punks I catch drunk driving."

"Done," Beth agreed instantly.

"And, NO DRINKING." Charlie added, he trusted her, though. "When and where exactly is this party happening?"

Nodding sagely, Beth launched into the details she knew and anything Charlie asked and she didn't have the answer to, was quickly abated and assured that she would get that information to him ASAP. Charlie wasn't easily satisfied of course, not without giving her an extra can of pepper spray he kept in his cruiser for emergencies and with his insistence that if she used it or got called to go to the hospital in Seattle, her chances of leaving home again to go that far on her own would be slim to none, minus college as the only exception.

"Is Bella going?" He asked immediately afterwards, heart sinking as he waited for the answer. One, he could allow, but two and one of whom was so accident prone she couldn't walk in a straight line without tripping and breaking an arm? No.

Thankfully, Beth shook her head negatively. "I guess she's not up for all the socializing."

Charlie hummed thoughtfully, "I really thought she was coming out of her shell.."

"She is, " she thought, "Do you see the amount of times she's been going down to La Push lately?"

Her father instantly narrowed his eyes, "Who is she seeing down there?"

But Beth clammed up, shaking her head and rising from the comfortable chair, "not my place, chief."

Backing away, she held both arms up in surrender and quickly ran upstairs, leaving Charlie to sit in contemplation before he too rose up and grabbed at the yellow telephone that hung on the wall right next to the kitchen, punching Billy's number in rapid succession.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Motorcycle parts sprawled out on blankets as Jacob, a wiry teenager with a mop of unruly hair, moved among them excitedly, piecing them together. Bella, with her mousy brown hair cascading over her shoulders, observed, her gaze shifting between Jacob and the scattered components.

The parts varied in shape and size, from sleek chrome exhaust pipes to worn leather seats, each holding a story of its own. Some bore scratches and dents, signs of previous use, while others gleamed with a fresh coat of paint.

"If we're going to be working on this every day, we should probably include some homework. Don't want the Dads to think I'm a bad influence on you," Bella suggested, a hint of amusement in her voice. She couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement at the prospect of spending more time with Jacob, despite the dangers that seemed to loom around them.

Jacob chuckled. "You influence me? Please."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "I am older than you."

"Age ain't nothin' but a number," Jacob retorted playfully, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. Bella couldn't help but notice the mischievous glint, igniting a warmth within her.

"And I convinced you to secretly build us two-wheeled death machines," Bella added with a grin. She relished in the shared sense of adventure and rebellion that bound them together.

Jacob feigned horror. "God, you're right, you're like Satan-"

"Yo, Jake, you in there?" Quil's voice interrupted from off-screen, pulling Bella back to the present moment.

Bella quickly sat up, beginning to pull a tarp over the bikes as Jacob reassured her. "It's cool, it's just my boys."

Quil Ateara was a sturdy teenager with a mischievous glint in his eye. Beside him, stood Embry Call, tall and laid-back with a mop of chin-length black hair. Their attention was drawn to Bella almost immediately and. Jacob introduced them with a smile. "Hey. This is Bella. Bella, that's Quil and Embry."

"So the bike building story is true," Quil remarked, eyeing Bella with curiosity. Bella felt a surge of pride at Jacob's admiration, even if it came with a hint of teasing.

Bella nodded, a smirk playing on her lips. "Taught him everything he knows."

Quil raised an eyebrow. "What about the part where you're his girlfriend?" Bella's heart skipped a beat at the word 'girlfriend,' her mind racing with conflicting emotions.

Bella chuckled. "Oh, we were just friends." She hoped her nonchalant tone masked the fluttering of her heart.

Embry teased, "Ooh. Burn." Bella couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment at Embry's comment, even though she tried to brush it off.

Jacob scrambled to clarify. "I said she's a girl and a friend." Bella appreciated Jacob's attempt to ease the tension, though she couldn't shake the lingering uncertainty in her mind.

Quil grinned. "Embry, you remember him making that distinction?" Bella couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance at the playful banter, wishing they wouldn't dwell on the topic.

Embry shook his head. "Nope." Bella let out a silent sigh of relief, grateful for Embry's change of subject.

Bella interjected, trying to change the subject. "So I guess you guys have girlfriends?" She hoped to steer the conversation away from her and Jacob, eager to learn more about Quil and Embry.

Jacob laughed, "Right. Quil took his cousin to prom." Bella joined in the laughter, feeling a sense of camaraderie with the group.

Embry joined in the laughter. Bella couldn't help but admire Embry's easygoing nature, finding comfort in his presence.

"Yeah, that's still a riot. You want to be funny, Black? I'll give you funny," Quil challenged, making a playful run at Jacob. Bella couldn't help but smile at the playful antics, feeling a sense of belonging among them.

A lively scuffle ensued, with Embry strolling over to Bella.

"I got five bucks on Quil," Embry wagered with a grin. Bella accepted the bet with a smirk, feeling a surge of adrenaline at the friendly competition.

The scuffle continued, the friendship evident among them. Off to the side, Bella couldn't help but enjoy the playful banter and bonds forming between them, feeling grateful for the sense of belonging and the distraction they brought..

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Off in the distance, next to Sam stood two others, Jared, and Paul. All three sported cropped hair, sleeveless shirts, and cut-offs. Their intense gaze fixed on the small group playing in the red shed, exuding an unsettling ferocity and danger. Sam turned, and the others followed his lead as they slinked soundlessly into the darkness of the woods.