(2) Katnis Swan: Moved On?

Chapter 9: Worried

The next night, Charlie didn't seem the smallest bit surprised to find Jacob and me sprawled The next night, Charlie didn't seem the smallest bit surprised to find Jacob and Katnis sprawled across the living room floor with our books scattered around them, so she guessed that he and Billy were talking behind their backs.

"Hey, kids," he said, his eyes straying to the kitchen. The smell of the lasagna Bella had spent the afternoon making—while Jacob watched and occasionally sampled—wafted down the hall; she was being good, trying to atone for all the pizza.

Jacob stayed for dinner, and took a plate home for Billy. He grudgingly added another year to Bella's negotiable age for being a good cook.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

               Friday was the garage, and Saturday, after my shift at Newton's, was homework again. Charlie felt secure enough to spend the day fishing with Harry. When he got back, they were all done—feeling very sensible and mature about it, too—and watching Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel.

"I probably ought to go." Jacob sighed.

"It's later than I thought."

"Okay, fine," Katnis and Bella grumbled. "I'll take you home."

He laughed at their unwilling expression—it seemed to please him.

"Tomorrow, back to work," Katnis said as soon as they all were safe in the truck. "What time do you want us to come up?"

There was an unexplained excitement in his answering smile. "I'll call you first, okay?"

"Sure."

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

          Katnis and Bella cleaned the house the next morning—waiting for Jacob to call and Katnis was trying to shake off the Litest nightmare. The scenery had changed. Last night she'd wandered in a wide sea of ferns interspersed with huge hemlock trees.

There was nothing else there, and she was lost, wandering aimless and alone, searching for nothing. She shoved the dream out of her conscious mind, hoping it would stay locked up somewhere and not escape again.

Charlie was outside washing the cruiser, so when the phone rang, Katnis dropped the toilet brush and ran downstairs to answer it.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"Katnis," Jacob said, a strange, formal tone to his voice.

"Hey, Jake."

"I believe that… we have a date" he said, his tone thick with implications.

It took me a second before she got it. "They're done? I can't believe it!"

What perfect timing. She  needed something to distract her from nightmares and nothingness.
"Yeah, they run and everything."

"Jacob, you are absolutely, without a doubt, the most talented and wonderful person I know. You get ten years for this one."

"Cool! I'm middle-aged now."

Katnis laughed. "I'm on my way up!"

She and Bella threw the cleaning supplies under the bathroom counter and grabbed their jackets. "Headed to see Jake," Charlie said when Katnis ran past him. It wasn't really a question.

"Yep," she replied as she jumped in Bella's truck.

"I'll be at the station later," Charlie called after them.

"Okay," Bella yelled back, turning the key.

Charlie said something else, but they couldn't hear him clearly over the roar of the engine. It sounded sort of like, "Where's the fire?"