Dusk

#20

Bella

I woke up earlier than I ever would, still well rested. I had at least an hour before Rosalie was coming so I was in no rush to get ready for today. After seeing that Charlie was gone was already gone, I got dressed in a grey flannel and a pair of skinny jeans. When I looked out the window, a thin, cottony layer of clouds veiled the sky. They didn't look very lasting.

Just when I was finished eating and brushing my teeth, a quiet knock sent my heart thudding against my rib cage.

There she was. Leaning up against the door, her hair up in a loose ponytail, with a small smile on her face. Standing up on my toes, I kissed her before muttering a soft, "hey."

"Hey yourself," she said, her bright eyes moving down my body before chuckling softly.

"What?"

"We're matching." Our outfits were basically the same, only Rosalie's was red and unbuttoned like mine. Laughing with her, I locked the door behind me and walked to the truck with her.

Opening the door for Rosalie, she gave me a smile in return, I quickly made my way to my side.

"Where to?" I asked, putting on my seatbelt.

"Take the one-oh-one north," she said, grumbling softly.

"What's wrong?"

Rosalie sighed. "Your truck is just slow," she explained. "I'm not used to being in a car that travels at a snail's pace."

"Have some respect, this truck is old enough to be your car's grandfather," I retorted

"I have no doubt."

Despite her insults, we made it out of the town limits. Other than a few more directions given to me, Rosalie was quieter than usual. From the corner of my eye,  I could see her playing with her fingers. She was nervous about something. Instead of talking, I reached out to grab on of her hands; she seemed more at ease when I did that.

I parked on the narrow shoulder and stepped out. It was warm now, warmer than it had been in Forks since the say I'd arrive, almost muggy under the clouds. I slipped off the flannel and place it in the truck.

I heard her door slam, and looked to see that she removed her top, too, leaving her in a black spaghetti strap. She turned to me, all her nerves from earlier gone.

"The hike is really long," she explained. "And you're not to good on your feet, so how about we travel my way."

"Your way?"

"Yeah. If you want to through," she quickly added on.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly nodded my head. "Okay."

Rosalie smiled. "Get on my back."

I took cautious steps towards her. "Are you sure? I might be a little to heavy for you."

She scoffed. "Please. You're small, beautiful, I'll be fine."

Giving her a glare, I jumped on her back and Rosalie caught me easily.  She started off slow, getting me used to the speed. Then the area around me started to blur, my hair whipped behind me the faster she went. There was no sound, no evidence  that her feet touched the ground. Her breathing never changed, never indicating any effort. By now the trees flew by us at deadly speeds, missing us by inches.              

Rosalie started to slow down, now going a bit faster than a human would, until she finally came to a stop. "We're here. It's just up ahead."

Kissing her cheek, I slipped off her back, stumbling but she caught me. "That was...pretty cool," I told her. "Is that as fast as you can go?"

"No but that's a demonstration for another time," she told me, nudging me in the direction where the light was coming from.

I reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the loveliest place I had ever seen. The meadow was small, almost round, and filled with wildflowers-- violet, yellow, and soft white. Nearby, I could see a stream, running through the meadow before going back into the forest. The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine. I walked slowly, awestruck, through the soft grass, swaying flowers, and warm, gilded air. I halfway turned, wanting to share this with her but she wasn't behind me.

Rosalie was still hidden in the trees, her head angled down. I could tell she was talking herself into walking into the sun. Letting her gather her strength, I watched as she took a deep breath and walked towards me into the bright glow of the midday sun.

_____________________

Here's a conversation that my friend and I had not too long ago...

My friend: I'm a catch

Me: Yet I'm a home run, so who's really winning here

Friend: I'm a cold drink in 107 degree heat, so who's really winning here?

Me: Not the person who has the drink

Bye!