Enchanted | Jacob Black

two

"Do you have to leave so soon? You just got back?"

"I know, sweetheart, but one of the new guys quit, and I'm the only other driver available."

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little upset that he had to go back to work so soon.

For the last two years, he worked as a truck driver, often leaving for a day or two at a time, multiple times a month. I wasn't a fan, but I knew it was good money. And a steady income was important to him. He had been raising me on his own since my mom died when I was three.

"I promise I'll be back the day after tomorrow. It shouldn't be a long trip." He smiled, standing up from the kitchen table where we had been sitting together.

Usually, he'd be notified about a drive at least a day in advance, but this was last-minute. "I'll call you after school, okay? I love you, Harper." He kissed the top of my head before walking to the front door and picking up his duffel bag. "Now, get ready for school, or you'll be late."

"I love you, too!" I tried not to frown.

I watched him through the window as he got into his truck. He noticed me, gave me a big grin, and waved before driving off.

He wouldn't leave me completely unsupervised. He'd have Billy or Sue Clearwater check in once or twice a day to make sure I was doing okay. 

Over the last two years, I knew how to care for myself when he was gone. I stuck to meals that didn't require too much effort or use of the stove, he didn't want me to burn the house down accidentally.  I made sure all the doors and windows were locked at all times. Pepper spray hung on the key rack by the front door, and he made me keep a pocket knife in my nightstand and a baseball under my bed, just in case. But nothing ever happened in La Push. 

I returned to my bedroom, dressed in jeans and a pullover sweater, slipped on my sneakers, and brushed my hair.

Occasionally, an elder would comment that I looked like my mom. I never really believed it, but I started seeing the resemblance as I got older.

I had inherited my dad's tan coloring and almond-shaped brown eyes. However, I was lucky enough to get my mom's dark, thick, wavy hair along with her oval face and high cheekbones. 

I turned around, grabbed my backpack, and headed off to school.

Since my conversation with Jake in the hallway two days ago, we have been avoiding each other. Maybe avoiding wasn't the correct word, considering he just hadn't shown up to school. Neither Quil nor Embry had, and a part of me worried, but I knew they had other obligations.

In a strange turn of events, I found myself talking to Nate more often than usual. Sure, he had his moments, he tried to flirt, and I would just brush them off, but overall, Nate was an okay guy to be around when he wasn't acting like a cocky asshole. And it was better than feeling completely alone throughout the school day.

Kira, on the other hand, wasn't a fan of our newfound friendship. Ever since the dodgeball incident, she had been throwing eye daggers whenever she saw me.

Once I arrived, I noticed Nate standing by his car, next to what looked like the only parking spot left. I parked beside him, and Nate quickly opened the car door for me. "Good morning!" he smiled.

"Nate, please don't do that," I asked.

"I'm just being nice," he replied as we walked towards the front doors, but not before I spotted Jake, Embry, and Quil laughing together beside a black motorcycle.

"Guess they decided to show up today," I murmured under my breath.

"What?" Nate asked.

I shook my head, "nothing."