Cerulean Star

Chapter 36: Goodbye, For Now

Visiting hours were almost over, only another hour to go, and I was pretending to be asleep as a few of Charlie's friends paraded in and out. The hospital staff brought me some pillows and a blanket for the cot, and while I used these as my props, they were definitely not needed.

The last of his friends were gone, and I "awoke" just in time for one last visit.

"Knock, knock." A light rapping tapped the wooden door and I saw the front of Billy's wheelchair.

"Ahhh, come in old fool." Charlie's voice beamed with the smile that spread across his face. He waved in Billy and Jacob, who was pushing his father in.

"Old fool? You're the one sitting up in the hospital. I'm a walking free man." Billy roared with laughter at his friend, and Charlie chimed in along with him.

"I would ask you, 'to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit,' but I guess it is pretty obvious. Look," Charlie pointed to me. "Bella came home. She heard about my little episode I guess." Charlie gruffed at me, and I couldn't resist sticking my tongue out at him.

"Hey Bella. I feel as if it's been a long time, and at the same time only a few hours ago that I last seen you. How's school?"

"School is good. I passed all of my classes. But I'm thinking of moving back to the states. One school has already agreed to accept me, but it's back east. I would love to be a little bit closer to dad, but -," I started.

"But nothing. Nothing or no one should stop you from being closer to your dad. You just found him for Christ's sake." Billy threw his hands in the air in surrender. I forced myself to act surprised by his outburst when I really wanted to laugh.

"Well like I was saying, none of the colleges close to Forks are accepting late admissions. So it's either I go to community college or I drop out until the fall semester. But I'd really like to go to school in Upstate New York. But I want Charlie to come with me. I think the change would be good for him."

"Absolutely not." Charlie harrumphed his response, and one quick glance to my left saw that Jacob and Billy were having a hard time keeping from laughing as well. "Bella, that's insane. I will not leave Billy behind."

"Charlie, Charlie, don't stay because of me. I think it would be wise for you to go with Bella. For one, you've said it before, that Bella is just as stubborn as you. And I happen to believe that she is even more than you happen to be. If it meant proving a point to make sure you were safe, she'd drop out of school. I personally don't see what's wrong with a change in scenery to get well." Billy's voice took on an authorial tone that even I wouldn't want to defy.

I listened to Charlie's thudding heart as he debated on what to say next. I held my breath as he opened his mouth to speak against his dear friend, but Billy interrupted him.

"Ahh, you were thinking of retiring anyway, especially since that money came in from that contest you won. So if your only reason for staying is me, then heck. I'll move too. I've been dying to roll on out of the reservation for quite some time myself. And Jake should see more than the reservation. I mean look at Bella, she's already seen half the world by living in Italy. It's about time Jake caught up. Well sort of." I smiled as Billy's own grin grew bigger at the thought of moving cross country.

"No. Absolutely not. Jacob has school." Charlie countered.

"This Podunk town is not the only one with a high school, Charlie. If we move now, he won't even miss the beginning of the second half of school. Bella, you'll make all of the arrangements possible for us to begin our move. Me and Jacob will go home and pack." Billy figuratively put his foot down. He motioned his hand for Jacob to begin wheeling him out.