CHAPTER FIVE

Tali pulled up in front of the Swan house as the burnt orange Chevy was parking in the driveway; she stopped behind it and climbed out at the same time as Charlie. He turned, his brow furrowing when he saw her and Cat standing on either side of Tali's car.

"What are you girls doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?" He asked as Tali opened her back door.

"Classes haven't started yet. We're headed there next." Cat told him. "We left early this morning so we could stop here after dropping Kota off at daycare."

"My dad heard about the security guard, knew you'd be headed that way." Tali said as she walked over to him with a brown paper bag and a disposable coffee cup. "My mom packed you a lunch. She says you don't take proper care of yourself sometimes."

"Your mother overexaggerates." He said as he looked down at her.

"Hey, if you don't want any of her chicken casserole, I'll gladly take it for my lunch." She tucked the bag behind her back. "You know it always tastes better the next day."

"Maybe she knows what she's talking about sometimes." He conceded, and she chuckled as she held the bag out to him. "And her famous peppermint mocha coffee?"

"Mama brings Christmas cheer year round." She smiled, and he nodded before taking a sip.

"Thank you."

"Hey." Bella's voice gained their attention, and they looked over as she was walking down the porch steps.

She planted her foot right on top of a patch of ice a few feet from the bottom of the steps and slipped. The brunette went down, landing on her butt with an oof. Tali bit back her laughter as she walked over, and they heard Cat busting up from beside the car.

"What's the matter, Arizona?" Tali teased as she held her hands out toward her. "You're not used to a little ice on the ground?"

"Are you alright?" Charlie asked as the girls put their shoes toe-to-toe, and Tali pulled the younger girl back up.

"Yeah, I'm good." Bella said once she was standing again. "Ice doesn't really help the uncoordinated."

"But it does make for good entertainment." Cat mused, and she shot her a dirty look.

"That's why I had some new tires put on the truck." Charlie said, ignoring Cat's commentary, as they walked back over to the Chevy. "Old ones were gettin' pretty bald. How are yours?" He looked at Tali's car.

"They're good. Dad and Jared changed them Friday night." She told him, and he nodded.

"Well, I'll probably be late for dinner." He told the girls, which Tali had already figured. "I gotta head down to Mason County. Security guard at the Grisham Mill got killed by some kind of animal." He said, starting for his cruiser.

"An animal?" Bella echoed, confused.

"You're not in Phoenix anymore, Bells." He said. "Anyway, figured I'd lend a hand."

"Be careful."

"Always am."

"And thanks for the tires."

"Yeah." He nodded, then ducked into his cruiser.

"He's always so adorably awkward with affection." Cat chuckled. "Come on, I can't be late to first period." She said, climbing back into the passenger seat.

"Try not to take any more icy spills today." Tali teased as she started back toward her car.

"I can make no promises." Bella shook her head.

"Oh, I know." She laughed.

Lunchtime rolled around, and Tali looked up just in time to see Cat shoving her way in between guys who were looking at her best friend and whispering. She shook her head as the Ateara girl sat down across from her.

"You shouldn't let them get to you." Tali told her. "I don't."

"That's because you're a saint." Cat muttered. "It pisses me off that Sam's pitied and you're a pariah, when the reality is that he's a deadbeat and you're an angel."

"I don't know about angel." She chuckled. "Or pariah — teenagers just like to gossip. Let them think whatever they want. I know the truth, Sam knows the truth. I don't care about the rest of them."

"She loves me though." Quil smiled as he sat down, wrapping his arm around Tali's shoulders. "I don't know who we're talking about, but the only one who matters has arrived." He grinned when his cousin flipped him off, her dark eyes narrowed.

"Get off me." Tali nudged him, and he removed his arm from around her.

"Alright, important question..." Embry got their attention as he and Jake sat on either side of Cat, across from Tali and Quil. "What are we doing this weekend?"

"Dude, it's Monday." Quil shook his head.

"So?"

"Well, whatever it is, it's kid friendly." Tali said. "No more places that creeps might show up."

"Hear, hear." Cat agreed.

"At least until my hand heals." Quil looked down at his knuckle, and Tali leaned over to see how badly it had swelled.

"Why?" Jacob questioned. "I can throw a punch as easily as you can."

"Hear, hear." Embry agreed, and Cat elbowed him. "Ow." He glared at her, rubbing his ribs.

"No one's hitting anyone else." Tali shook her head. "I feel bad enough as it is."

"For what?" Quil questioned. "You didn't ask to be treated like that. He was looking for a fight, and he found one."

"Yeah, and he was lucky it was Quil and not your brother." Embry said. "Or Paul — he looked about ready to kill Colin."

"Yeah. What was that about?" Cat asked. "Since when are you and Paul buddy-buddy?"

"We're not." Tali said. "He was at the cooler when I got sodas for me and Bella, so we talked for like...three minutes. Then he got between me and Colin. But, I mean, he's Jared's best friend. He was probably just stepping in because I'm Jared's sister."

"That whole thing felt weird." She shook her head. "I vote we avoid bonfires and alcohol for a while."

"Agreed."

"But..." Quil glanced between the girls. "That only applies to you two, right? 'Cause I don't think anyone's gonna harass us over...he who shall not be named."

"Since when?" Tali questioned. "Sam isn't Voldemort, you freak."

"You don't need any alcohol anyway." Cat told her cousin. "You're glued to Kota for the foreseeable future now."

"You can't ground me. You're not my mom."

"I'll call her."

"No, stop." He glared at her, and the others laughed. "Fine, but Embry's not allowed to make stepdad jokes while I'm with Baby Kota, or the next one getting punched is him." Quil declared, to which he received a round of "hear, hear."

"You're all so hilarious." Embry glared at the water bottle he was opening, and they laughed.

—

Tali was walking toward her brother in the school parking lot after school, and she threw her half empty water bottle at him. It flipped in the air before bouncing off the back of his head, and he blinked as he looked at Paul, confused, and then turned around.

"I'm making dinner tonight, and my mom said that I have to ask if you're gonna be there, because if you are, I have to double the recipe because you eat like you've been starved for a month." The brunette said, and he looked down at her as Paul smirked.

"Your mom?" Jared questioned.

"Yeah."

"She's my mom too."

"No."

"Yes, she is."

"So... Is that a no on dinner?" Tali asked. "I'd hate to pull you away from your boyfriends."

"You can be a real bitch, you know that?"

She shrugged as he leaned down to pick up her water bottle from the ground. "I've been called worse." She said, but neither boy was amused. "Hm. Tough crowd."

"Tali!" Cat was yelling, and both Camerons turned as she and Quil barreled toward them. "Tali!"

"Don't hit me!" She jumped behind her brother, and Paul chuckled as he watched her.

"Call your mom! Ask her to get Kota!"

"What?" Tali and Jared both questioned as she peeked out from behind him.

"Dude, dude, dude!" Embry skidded, running into Quil.

"Ow! Watch it!"

"What the hell is going on?" Tali demanded as Jake shoved the other two boys away from each other.

"One of my friends at Forks High just called me. Bella was in an accident." Cat told her. "A van slid on some ice — it almost crushed her."

"What?"

"I think she's okay, but they're taking her to the hospital." She said.

"I'll get Kota." Jared said, and the girls looked up at him. "You guys go to the hospital."

"Okay." Tali nodded. "Thanks." She reached out and squeezed his arm before she and her four friends jogged over to her car and piled in.

They got to the hospital, and Tali and Cat were trying to get information out of the receptionist in the emergency department, but she wasn't budging. She just kept telling the girls that half the waiting room was there for the chief's daughter, and they could all wait for an update from either Chief Swan or Bella herself.

"She—"

"Thanks anyway." Cat smiled sarcastically as she grabbed her best friend's hand.

"What are you..." She let it go when she saw Quil acting unnaturally natural by a door that he'd wedged his foot into before it could shut behind a member of the hospital staff.

"Oh. Hello, ladies." Quil smiled. "We've been expecting you."

"You're an idiot." Cat hit him before shoving him through the door, then the girls followed after him.

"What took you so long?" Jake questioned when they walked over to him and Embry at the end of a hallway.

"They like to argue. It took a minute to get their attention." Quil told him.

"Shut up and walk." His cousin shoved him again, and the five teenagers wandered around until they found Bella and her dad standing outside a different E.R. exit than the one the receptionist refused to let them go through.

"Bella!" Cat yelled once she'd spotted her, and they all rushed over. "Oh my God, I about had a heart attack when I heard what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She told them, surprised as her gaze flickered around the five who showed up out of nowhere.

"How did you kids get back here?" Charlie asked, and they all looked at him.

"Hm?" Cat raised her dark brow.

"What?" Quil glanced at his friends.

"Jake?" Embry turned to him.

"Me?" He questioned.

"Hi, Uncle Charlie." Tali smiled up at him, and Bella couldn't help laughing as they avoided the question.

"You know what?" The chief shook his head. "Best I don't know. I gotta go sign some paperwork." He turned around and walked away from them.

"We're gonna give him a heart attack one day, I swear." Cat chuckled before looking at Bella. "So, what happened?"

"Yeah. They said you were almost crushed. How are you fine?" Tali asked, inspecting her for any sign of injury and seeing none.

"Uh, I don't know." Bella shook her head. "I just got lucky, I guess."

"Uh, now that we know Bella's okay... Can we eat?" Quil asked, and Cat hit him.

"Why are you always thinking about your stomach?" His cousin questioned, and he glared at her.

"What?" He asked. "She's fine. Look at her. Not even a scratch!"

"Yes, eat." Bella nodded, and Tali shooed the boys away from them.

"Bring us coffee." She told them, and the three boys left to find the cafeteria.

"What are the Cullens doing here?" Cat asked when she saw Edward and Rosalie having what looked like a rather heated discussion with their adoptive father.

"Um, Edward's kinda the one who saved me." Bella said, and both girls turned back to her.

"What?"

"Yeah, he knocked me out of the way." She told them. "Will you give us a minute, please? I wanna talk to him."

"Yeah." Tali nodded, reaching for Cat's hand as the boy in question started in their direction. "We will give you guys some privacy. Edward, so glad you're okay too."

"Thank you." He nodded as he passed the girls.

"Has he always been cute? Or is there a hero effect happening?" Cat whispered, and she laughed as she pulled her friend away from them. "What? I'm serious. I don't know if I've ever seen him up close before... That whole family is gorgeous."

"Hi, Rosalie." Tali smiled as they passed her and her father, trying not to laugh at Cat. "Hi, Dr. Cullen."

"Hi." The blonde offered them a tight-lipped smile.

"Hello, girls." Dr. Cullen greeted.

"Alright, new mission," Cat said, picking up her speed. "Find the boys, get coffee, meet Uncle Charlie in the parking lot, get dinner."

"I have a child to get home to." Tali reminded her.

"Call Jared, have him meet us." She said. "Your mom probably wants an update on Bella anyway. And then we go to the diner!" She bolted when she saw the boys, jumping onto Embry's back and causing Tali to laugh as she pulled her phone out of her sweater pocket.

story discussion...

most of you probably saw the author's note i posted, so you know why this update has taken a while. unfortunately, the poll in that part was one vote from a perfect fifty/fifty split, and i was hoping for something a little more...absolute in what readers want...

so, i guess this is still pretty much trial and error.

nobody voted to get rid of the polls, which is a positive sign. but there were twelve votes to only do polls on important decisions, and eleven votes to do polls for everything. so, i guess people will simply vote when they want to and won't when they don't care...??? i don't really know how readers are choosing, but i'll try to stay motivated to keep writing even when the polls don't do so well.

for the next chapter, i was thinking it might be interesting if tali and cat had the same field trip as bella to the greenhouse. i don't see why the reservation's biology ii class can't do it too. i remember going on field trips and there were kids from other schools.

so, that's the next poll ↴