Lost Sun ~ A Twilight Fan-Fic

Chapter 3: Leaving

Author's Note: I think this chapter may need a tissue or two. Then again, it might be just me being overemotional... Hmmmm... So anyways keep some around, just in case. And I have one more thing to announce. Bold letters are over! Last chapter with them! This is the last chapter that has SM's words from New Moon or Eclipse. From chapter 4 and on it's 100% written by Nessie! Well, almost. As I said, bold letters are gonna stay out of the picture for a while! *smiles* One last thing. Please guys, don't hate Charlie for his decision, he's just trying to do the best he can for Bella. Hope you like the chapter!

Lots of love,

Nessie

October...

November...

Time passes. Even when it seems impossible. Even when each tick of the second hand aches like the pulse of blood behind a bruise. It passes unevenly, in strange lurches and dragging lulls, but pass it does. Even for me. For the last two months, I’ve been like a zombie. Sleep, wake up, go to school, eat, do homework, sleep and all over again in repetitious abandonment. But still, time passes.

Charlie’s fist came down on the table. “That’s it, Bella! I'm sending you home."

I looked up from my cereal, which I was pondering rather than eating, and stared at Charlie in shock. I hadn't been following the conversation – actually, I hadn't been aware that we were having a conversation – and I wasn't sure what he meant.

"I am home," I mumbled, confused.

"I'm sending you to Renee, to Jacksonville," he clarified.

Charlie watched with exasperation as I slowly grasped the meaning of his words.

"What did I do?" I felt my face crumple. It was so unfair. My behavior had been above reproach for the past two months. After that first week, which neither of us ever mentioned, I hadn't missed a day of school or work. My grades were perfect. I never broke curfew – I never went anywhere from which to break curfew in the first place. I only very rarely served leftovers.

Charlie was scowling.

"You didn't do anything. That's the problem. You never do anything."

"You want me to get into trouble?" I wondered, my eyebrows pulling together in mystification. I made an effort to pay attention. It wasn't easy. I was so used to tuning everything out, my ears felt stopped up.

"Trouble would be better than this… this moping around all the time!"

That stung a bit. I'd been careful to avoid all forms of moroseness, moping included.

"I am not moping around."

"Wrong word," he grudgingly conceded. "Moping would be better – that would be doingsomething. You're just… lifeless, Bella. I think that's the word I want."

This accusation struck home. I sighed and tried to put some animation into my response.

"I'm sorry, Dad." My apology sounded a little flat, even to me. I'd thought I'd been fooling him. Keeping Charlie from suffering was the whole point of all this effort. How depressing to think that the effort had been wasted.