I Meet The Boyfriend

"¡Adiós Abuela!" I said, wrapping my sweet, old grandmother in a hug.

"Ten Cuidado mi Caroline." she admonished, holding me at arm's length. I was currently leaving Mexico to go live with my father Charlie and sister Bella in Forks, Washington. I had lived with my Abuela for three years because I had been. . .er. . . 'removed' from my old school. Renee had been furious, but it hadn't really been my fault. I'd only punched the kid in the nose, it wasn't like I dropped him off a building. My family wasn't Spanish at all, but my grandmother had moved here and picked up the language.

"Yo siempre soy Abuela," I smirked. She just stared into my eyes with her eyebrows raised.

"No puede escapar de problemas como su Abuelo y las galletas!" she barked out a laugh. I shook my head but grabbed my suitcase and handed it to the Taxi driver who was going to bring me to the airport to fly straight to Forks.

I could speak Spanish and English fluently, English being my first language. But, Abuela's English was slightly broken and Spanish was easier for her to speak. So we always spoke in Spanish.

I waved from the window as the Taxi pulled away. My wrinkly Abuela waved from the doorway as my Abuelo joined her. I was leaving Texas for the insurmountable future and starting over in a town I'd never been to, a father I hadn't seen in five years, and an obnoxious older sister who was more accident-prone than a hopeless five-year-old with the world's worst coordination. Great.

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As soon as I got outside of the airport I waited for my ride while sitting on my purple suitcase. I was only fifteen, so I couldn't drive home and the fact that I didn't have a car didn't help either.

I was reading Eragon (which was one of my favorite books) and was about halfway through to my pleasure. The Airport was giving me more than slight anxiety but I had left my anxiety pills in my suitcase somewhere and wouldn't be able to find them so I'd have to wait. My knee started bouncing and I gave up on trying to finish my chapter. My eyes darted around, looking for my sister who was supposed to have picked me up by now.

There was a slight chill in the air since it was early August and school had just started. I would be in the twelfth grade even though I'm only fifteen. I'm supposed to be 'super smart' for someone my age, I just don't see it.

My knee still bouncing up and down while I sat on my suitcase with my eyes darting around, caught the eye of a familiar figure. She was taller than the last time I had seen her. It was Isabella! She was with a guy who was very nice looking, to say the least.

I stood up and rolled my suitcase behind me as I walked toward the pair. Isabella hadn't still noticed me a wee bit to my annoyance. She was so bloody oblivious it was infuriating.

Once I was maybe ten feet in front of her she finally noticed and pointed me out to the guy next to her.

"Hey Isabella," I smirked, raising an eyebrow in amusement to her obliviousness. Bella seemed to visibly deflate once she heard the actual name that she didn't prefer which was why I called her that. It was amusing to me.

"Hey Caroline," said Bella with a strained smile. "You got your luggage?" she asked me. I gave her a blank stare and overdramatically motioned to my purple suitcase. Bella blushed and seemed to realize that she still hadn't introduced me to her companion.

"Oh, this is Edward," she said, gesturing toward him. I nodded toward him with one of my lopsided, maniacal grins. He seemed to be concentrating on something else distantly but I pretended not to notice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Bella's told me about you," he said politely. I took in his unnatural pale complexion and blondish hair. I could see why Bella liked him even though she hadn't said anything, he was an okay-looking guy in my opinion.

"Oooh! You got yourself a boyfriend!" I said in a sing-songy voice that made Bella look down at the ground and blush. My childish nature instantly fell off my face and I turned more serious. "So where's this truck I've heard so much about?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh right. Well we wouldn't all fit so we drove Edward's car," said Bella.

"Coolio," I said. I hadn't realized it until now, but I had picked up a bit of a Spanish accent slightly to my amusement. I pulled my rolling suitcase behind me and followed Bella and Edward. I'd only taken a couple of steps when Edward stopped.

"I'll take that for you," he offered, pointing at my suitcase.

"I am perfectly capable of walking and holding my suitcase unlike Bella here," I said with my eyebrows raised at his chivalrous personality. Mh-hm. I was able to do things without some 'big strong man!' to come and 'save' me. I nearly rolled my eyes at Edward's behavior and I think he noticed.

"Caroline! Be polite!" said Bella in a horrified voice, completely skipping over the fact that I'd insulted her walking abilities.

"That was me being polite," I retorted with a straight face. Edward seemed to be amused that I'd told him off which honestly I kinda liked. He wouldn't have a heart attack over it like 99% of the population of people I'd met.

"Caroline, please!" nearly begged Bella, making me feel victorious. I'd seen her for only two minutes and she was already annoying Bella and they weren't even out of the airport.

Ironically, Edward stopped in front of a silver Volvo, making my jaw drop.

"This is yours?!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide, looking between the car and Bella's boyfriend. He chuckled and looked at me like it wasn't new news; which it was.

"Yeah. You weren't kidding Bella when you said your sister would flip!" laughed Edward. I frowned at that comment.

"Glad I amuse you," I said dryly. He raised his eyes but didn't comment. He popped the trunk and moved to go put my suitcase in but I smacked his hand away playfully.

"I said I had it," I reminded with a strict stare. I tried not to react to the fact that his hand was freezing, literally. Like, I doubted that snow would melt on him it was so cold. It was also like smacking a granite countertop which wasn't pleasurable. But, I covered my bruising hand and picked up my suitcase, slightly staggering under the weight, and successfully put it in the boot.

"Caroline! Pease!" moaned Bella, covering her face with her hands.

"Dude, take a chill pill," I said with a smirk. Edward closed the trunk and looked at me confused as if he didn't understand what I'd said meant which was silly. It was a common phrase, why wouldn't he understand it?

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The trip wasn't very long. Bella and Edward talked together most of the way until they weren't and Edward decided to 'interrogate me.

"So, where did you live before moving here?" he asked me, glancing in the rearview mirror at me who was sitting in the middle seat in the back, watching the scenery fly past me.

"Mexico," I answered bluntly.

"Did you live with an aunt?" he asked, trying to start a conversation.

"With the grandparents on mom's side," I told him.

"Oh, that reminds me! How is your friend? Er. . ." said Bella, trying to remember his name. I grew very guarded suddenly and my face became stone and bitter.

"Trishton. And he's dead." I said sharply. Bella turned in her seat and looked at me with an apologetic, but disturbed face.

"Oh, Caroline. I'm sorry-" she started.

"Sorry isn't going to fix it, is it? And I suspect you want to know how? I mean, it's not every day someone in fine health drops dead. Is it?" I asked with barbs in my voice. Bella blinked once while Edward was silent.

"How?" asked Isabella timidly. I sighed and ran my hand over my face.

"Are we almost at Charlie's house?" I asked, obviously changing the subject. Thankfully, Bella caught on I didn't want to talk about it and left well alone. Edward however looked mildly curious but remained silent.

"It's just down this street. But, I'm going over to Edward's house while you unpack. Charlie paid Jacob to renovate his study for you so it's livable now," said Bella. I nodded as if I was listening but really I was thinking about how I'd been the one to find Trishton's body.

How he was already dead. . .there was blood splattered around him on the dried sand. The puncture marks in his neck. No! I couldn't think of it. I had to distract myself. But poor Trishton didn't deserve that end.