Staring At The Sun

CHAPTER 1

BELLA P.O.V

"Are you sure you want to jump?" Jake asked coming up behind me. "We don't have to do this."

"It'll be fun." I smiled.

"I know but it's cold and there's a storm coming." He tried to reason with me. "This is too dangerous. I can't let you do this. Let's just go back to my place." I sighed. I couldn't believe that I was going to give up the chance to hear the voice but Jake was right. "And there's a crazy vampire running around."

"Fine." A howl rang out from somewhere behind us.

"Something's going on." He rushed grabbing my arm and trying to get me to hurry back through the woods.

"Jake, slow down. I can't move as fast as you." I huffed trying to follow behind him. He groaned at me before giving me a piggyback ride back to my car. "What's going on?" I asked as he got in the driver's seat and started driving back to his house.

"Give me five minutes." He commented rushing out of the truck. I waited for a few minutes. I debated if I should follow him, go inside or just wait here. "I'm gonna take you home." He commented getting back into the car.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Harry Clearwater died."

"What? How?" I asked.

"Heart attack. Your dad and my dad are with him now."

"Oh my gosh." I sat down. "Jake I'm so sorry."

"It's alright. His poor kids though. Seth is just barely 15." I had met his kids when we were younger but since moving back to Forks, I hadn't seen them.

"He has a daughter too right?"

"Yeah, Leah." He answered. He pulled into the spot I usually park at. Charlie's cruiser wasn't here.

"Are you going to go home?" I asked.

"I probably should." He looked out through the windshield. "I should be there to help my dad."

"Well he's with my dad. You should come inside and I'll cook you dinner." I commented. He sat back and thought about it for a little while.

"Alright." He got out of the car and I quickly followed him to the front door. I unlocked it before stepping inside and turning on the porch light for when Charlie got here. Jacob used the phone to call around to make sure that Charlie brought Billy here. "They're here, Bells." He commented as I was baking the fish.

"Dad!"

"Hey, Bella. Jacob." He frowned at both of us as he wheeled Billy in.

"I'm so sorry about, Harry." I wrapped my arms around him. "He was a good man." I commented as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Yeah. He was a very good friend." Jacob talked with Billy for a little while. I finished dinner while they talked. I knew that there was going to be some things done and I'm sure they were talking about what the pack was going to do about the visitor that's been trying to get through the land.

I grabbed plates and set the food on each of them. I made sure to give Jake extra.

"Dinner's ready." I poked my head into the living room where Charlie was sitting. I made room at the table for Billy's wheelchair. I moved a chair closer to me so that Jake could sit and we could all eat together.

"What did you two kids do today?" Charlie asked as we ate.

"We just hung out down at the beach. It started to get really cold." Jake commented casually while looking at me.

"Maybe you should have brought a jacket then." I said keeping my eyes on my plate. He snorted beside me making me smile. I could feel Charlie and Billy's eyes on us as I shoved him. He didn't even move.

"Do you have any plans for tonight then?"

"I have plans with my friends." Jake commented. 'Plans.' Hunting vampires. "But I can come over after if you want?" Jacob asked.

"Bella has a curfew." Charlie answered for me.

"Tomorrow then. Want me to call later?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "Let's do breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay. Call me when you wake up and I'll come get you."

"You call me when you wake up." I said to him. "You need sleep. I can tell." I poked the purple spots under his eyes. He clearly wasn't getting enough sleep. I blamed Sam.

"Alright." Once everyone was finished eating I got up to do the dishes. Jacob helped. I could tell he was trying to listen to the conversation that was happening in the living room. "They're talking about." He chuckled.

"What about us?"

"Nothing." He shrugged.

"What are they saying?" I asked putting the dishes on the drying rack and wiping the water off my hands.

"They think our friendship is more than a friendship."

"Huh." I commented leaning against the sink next to him. "You know my feelings."

"I do." He didn't seem like he wasn't going to push it. "But I also know you love me." I rolled my eyes at him. "I know I know. It doesn't change anything." He pushed himself off the counter.

"Are you leaving?" I asked looking at the clock.

"Yeah." He commented. "I promise we will hang out tomorrow." He commented, giving me a quick hug. "Ready old man?" He asked Billy.

"Yeah. Thank you for dinner, Bella."

"You're welcome. Come over whenever you like." I smiled. "You too, Jake." I smiled.

"I'm gonna drive them home." Charlie commented shrugging on his coat. "Stay in the house."

"I will." I knew if Jacob heard me say it, that I wouldn't leave the house. I also knew that my life was in danger and if something happened to me on the same day that Harry died, Charlie wouldn't survive until tomorrow.

"Promise?" Jacob asked. I looked at him. I knew he took promises serious.

"Promise." He held out his pinky to me. I wrapped my much smaller one around his. He leaned forward and kissed his hand. I looked at him confused.

"Kiss it."

"That's weird." I said.

"If you kiss it and you break it, you have to kiss my lips."

"That's not a thing." He kept his finger locked with mine until I kissed my hand.

"Bye!" He called over his shoulder helping Charlie get Billy down the stairs and into the car. I shook my head watching as they pulled away. I quickly locked the front door. I knew that somewhere in the shadows there was at least two wolves watching the house but that didn't make me feel any better knowing that Jake was going out to risk his life.

I waited up for his call. I mostly worked on my homework and did a little reading. As soon as the phone rang I ran to get it.

"Jake?"

"It's me." I could hear his smile. "I'm home safe and sound. Chased the redhead East. I'm sure she'll be back but for now you're safe."

"Thank god." I sighed.

"Embry and Quil are watching your house for tonight."

"Get some sleep."

"I'll see you tomorrow." He rushed. "Good night."

"Night." I hung up and then went upstairs to get into bed. I was worried if the nightmares would come tonight. I didn't get to hear his voice today. Maybe I didn't need to hear his voice anymore. Maybe I only needed Jacob.

I decided to stay in bed until Jacob called. Charlie had left early to go over to the Clearwater's to help Harry Clearwater's wife, Sue, handle a few things. The phone rang and I quickly rushed down the stairs to answer it before it stopped.

"Hello?"

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Jake said.

"Perfect." It gave me just enough time to get dressed and brush my teeth. I hung up before quickly rushing upstairs to get dressed and brush my teeth. I combed through my hair with my finger's trying to get the tangles to settle. He got here earlier than he said. He came to the door while I was still fussing with my hair. "It's unlocked, Jake!" I shouted. I heard the door close but then he was right behind me looking at me in the mirror. "Oh my god! My dad would kill you if he knew you were in my room."

"Then don't tell him." He smirked.

"Where did you wanna go for breakfast?" I asked. We didn't have any many places around here to go. We would probably have to go to Port Angeles.

"There's this place over near the movie theater that we usually go. Good pancakes."

"Sounds good." I grabbed my bag and my coat before stepping out the door and locking it behind me. "When are Harry's services?" I questioned.

"Monday. Are you going to go?" He asked.

"I'm sure Charlie would want me to go."

"It's up to you." He answered holding my hand. "Don't do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

"It's not that. I just want Charlie to feel supported."

"I would like if you went but you don't have to." I sighed to myself but knew he would hear it.

"Well then we need to go shopping after breakfast."

"Ugh!" I didn't like it any more than he did but I had nothing to wear to a funeral. I didn't come to Forks prepared to go to one.

"Well I'm sorry. I just need a nice shirt."

"Funerals aren't like that on the Rez." I looked over at him. "A flannel would be fine."

"My dad would not approve of that." This meant a lot to Charlie and I didn't want him to think that I was being disrespectful. "I would love to see you in a button down." He rolled his eyes.

"I only have one and it doesn't fit my arms anymore."

"I'm sure it's too short too." I commented. "I'll buy you one."

"Oh jeez." I laughed. It was so easy to joke and be happy with Jacob. He pulled into a spot before running around the car to open my door and help me out. He tucked me under his arm as we walked. I wasn't sure if he was doing it in a friendly way or in a "stay away from my girl" way but either way, I enjoyed it.

When he walked in, they greeted him by name. I looked up at him as he went over to a booth in the corner and sat down.

"Come here a lot?" I asked.

"Yes." He pointed to the picture above us. I looked up and there was a picture with him, Quil, and Embry. "We ate 20 pancakes, shredded hash browns, bacon and sausage in under 20 minutes." I shouldn't be surprised but I was. I knew him and his friends could eat anyone out of house and home. "We now get free meals whenever we come in." He smiled.

"For how long?"

"A year." He looked through the menu.

"Hi, Jacob." The waitress smiled coming over to us. "What can I get you today?"

"I'm gonna start with chocolate milk." He smiled back at her. She was on the taller side with short blonde hair that was slightly curly and fanned out around her face in a very cute bob. Freckles scattered across her face. "Bella?"

"I'll have the same." I smiled.

"Whole milk is okay?" She asked.

"Yes that's perfect." I smiled looking through the menu. "That was nice of her to ask me if whole milk was fine."

"Lots of people don't drink whole milk." He commented, putting the menu down. "What are you gonna get?"

"Probably scrambled eggs with bacon." I commented. The waitress came back over with our drinks.

"Ready to order?"

"Yeah. Go ahead, Bells." I told her my order before Jake said his. I sipped on my drink as he talked.

"Just coming to breakfast or are you hanging around?"

"We're going clothes shopping." Jake answered.

"Oh that's fun!" We both groaned at her words. She looked between us. "Neither of you like shopping?" I shook my head. I still didn't know her name. I looked at her name tag. Livvy. She was cute. I looked up at Jacob who could easily talk with her and wondered why he never asked her out. She was cute and she obviously thought that he was too. She rushed off after someone called her name.

"She's cute." He shrugged at my words. "C'mon, Jake." I tilted my head to look at him. "Eventually you're gonna wanna date." He sighed.

"Bella, don't worry about me."

"It's not that I'm worried. It's that I want to be happy." I sighed.

"I am happy. As long as you're around."

"I'm eventually going to go off to college." The look on his face looked like he never expected that. "I probably won't go far. We'll see where I get accepted." I commented to him.

"There's the University of Washington. That's where Rachel went." He shrugged.

"I'll have to apply soon." I added. It would be nice to go somewhere warm but it would also be nice to stay close to Forks. I could probably come home on weekends to see Charlie and Jake. Hopefully the danger wouldn't follow me there.

"What happens if someone follows you there? Who will protect you." He asked.

"I was just thinking the same thing but I can't stay here, Jake. There aren't any jobs." He sighed.

"What do you even want to do?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. I hadn't thought about it much. "Maybe an editor. You know read through books before they're published." I shrugged.

"What about me?" He asked.

"What about you? I wouldn't just ditch you."

"I don't want to lose you."

"You're not gonna lose me."