Charlotte || Jacob Black & Paul Lahote

Sixteen: Bella-Core

The drive back was quiet, until dad piped up,

"So you and Jake. You're um, well, you're young. So, I don't want to be a grandad anytime soon, so just keep it safe. Protect yourselves."

"Dad!"

"Well, I know what teenagers are like!"

"Dad!"

"Be safe!"

"We're not even there yet!"

"Okay, good. No hanky panky please." I just groaned. Hanky panky. How old is he?

We soon pulled up at home and dread filled my stomach. All's I could think about was the note that Bella had left, detailing her trip to Italy. I wonder where she is now, I'm guessing she's in Italy by now. Is she with Edward? Or is she still with Alice? Have they eaten her?

The door unlocking sounded like a death sentence. The kitchen door opening was like the thwip of the rope on a guillotine, with my dad's shaky gasp being the thud as it met the chopping block.

"She's gone to find Edward?" He questioned, his hand shaking as he read it over again. I played confused, gasping as if I didn't know. He doesn't know she's in italy, just that she's gone to save the leech.

"She's with Alice, where's she gone. Charlotte Rose Swan, do you know where your sister is?" Dad turned on me, fear seeping into his voice. I shook my head adamantly, Bella owed me big time. He collapsed into a chair at the table, his hands running over his face.

"Go to bed. No Jake, no Paul either tomorrow. You're not grounded, but you stay home until Bella's back, okay?"

"Yes Sir." 

I retreated up to my bedroom, walking past Bella's empty room and dropping my bag at the bottom of my bed. I didn't bother closing my curtains or turning the lights on, just stripped my clothes off, leaving my cami and panties on. A cheeky sounding quiet howl alerted me. I bolted over to my window and there in the woods, a silvery wolf sat staring into my window. Paul. Cheeky fucker.

I flipped him off and got into bed, arms tightly wrapped around wolfie.

-----

"Lots! Phone!" Dad's holler woke me from my sleep. I stumbled out of bed, pulling some random shorts and a hoodie on. I basically fell down the stairs, grabbing the phone out of Dad's hands.

"Hello pup," I hate Jacob. 

"Jacob."

"You coming round today? Whole pack's gonna be at Em's tonight, we've got some new members. Seth, Leah, I think you'll love Seth. Leah's a bitch, but yeah. And Paul's whining because we spent time together yesterday, he wants to see you, and make sure you're okay after the whole drowning thing," he just rambled on and on and on.

"Yeah! I'll get changed, pick me up in thir-"

"Excuse me?" Right. House arrest. 

"Actually, I'm on house arrest until Bella comes back. You and Paul can come see me, but I can't leave," I was so disappointed. I love pack days at Emily's. 

"Oh," he sounded like a wounded dog, "I'll come see you then, and I'll tell Paul as well. Cya soon."

The phone clicked, signalling that Jake had ended the call. This house arrest was stupid and I stropped upstairs. I hopped in the shower, got myself dressed - navy jeans and a black/white plaid shirt. I laced up my converse and sat on the bottom of the stairs, waiting. One of them would come round, they came round almost every morning. 

"Still not come round yet?" Dad asked as he walked past, heading into the kitchen to fill his coffee cup.

"Not yet, can I have a coffee please?" I mumbled, following him into the kitchen. I'd been waiting 30 mins and no sign yet. It's okay, I'll go draw or something. 

"As much milk and sugar as possible?" Dad asked and I nodded. A few moments later, he handed me the steaming cup and I retreated into my bedroom. 

And that is where I remained until 11PM, when I decided to go to bed. I checked out my window, no wolf. Where were they? Why hadn't they come to see me? Do they not like me anymore?

Similar thoughts swirled my brain, and I tossed and turned all night thinking of my wolves.

I tossed until the sun came up the next day, when I repeated my actions. Get up, get a shower, get dressed, brush my teeth and have breakfast, stand by the phone for 20 minutes whilst I decide whether to call the Black or Lahote residence. 

Eventually, I dialled the Black residence. The phone rung and rung and rung, no answer. The same applied for the Lahotes. I felt like Bella, moping round the house, waiting for my boyfriends. I couldn't even go see them as I was on house arrest and had no car. Bella's truck was still at Jacob's.

I tried both numbers again, before giving up. My stomach ached, and nausea swirled. Anxiety filling my body - a mixture of fear that they'd abandoned me, and worry that they were hurt ran through me. 

"Billy rang last night, asked for you. He told me to tell you that Sam had had another Bella situation, I'm guessing that meant her disappearance last year with Edward, and that the boys were helping," Dad explained as he watched me stare at the phone in defeat. Bella situation? Victoria. They got a trail. 

"Did they say they're alright?"

"Didn't say they were back yet, I'm sure they're fine. That Sam Uley's a good man, Billy loves him."

"Yeah, his fiance is real nice. Makes the best muffins, I'll bring you one next time I go round."

Our chatter ended soon. Dad was beyond stressed about Bella and I was beyond stressed about my boys. 

At 7pm, peace came for Charlie when Bella arrived on our front door, a sleek car sat outside the house watching her go in. Edward.

"Where've you been!" Charlie demanded, wrapping Bella into a hug as soon as she stepped in.

"Italy."

"What? Bella, what were you doing in Italy? And Edwa-"

"Dad, can you dish out my punishment tomorrow? I'm tired, I just wanna sleep," She moaned. The audacity of her to moan right now is unreal. But Dad let her go, grumbling about boys and the cullens.

I followed Bella up, and she all but tackled me in the hallway, dragging me into her room and clicking the door shut behind me.

"Theyre gonna make me a vampire!" Her face shone with glee, she was ecstatic. To be turned into a bloodless, cruel, human-killing cold one.

"Bella, what? That'll break pack treaty. The wolves, they'll go to war with the cullens," I explained.

"No, but, it's my choice. I chose it. Graduation, just after, they'll make me a vampire."

"Graduation? Bella that's barely 4 months?"

"It's too long really."

"Bella, you can't be turned. This'll break the treaty, it'll tear it apart. The wolves have to attack if they bite a human," she really isn't understanding how important this is.

"The treaty doesn't matter, it's my choice."

"Bella, you're being selfish. You're creating a war just so you can be one of them leeches."

"Leeches? You've been spending too much time with the pack."

"They are leeches. They drink blood Bella. They hurt people."

"The cullens don't, they're vegetarian."

"Sorry, they kill animals instead. So much better."

"You're being selfish Charlotte. You have two boyfriends, stop being worried about mine."

"I'm worried about you starting a fucking war you moron."

"I thought you'd be happy, Edward came back, you get Jake to yourself again. I don't need him anymore. Edward bites me and I fuck off, leaving you to your pack of mutts."

I stopped myself from attacking her, turning towards my room. Paul and Jacob better come see me, and fast.