pairing: Seth Clearwater x OC
warnings: brief mentions of death (not any main character)
Noa found herself awake earlier than everyone else in the house, her body heavy as she forced herself out of her room and downstairs, the cross continent flight finally catching up to her. On her face, she wore a prominent frown, clad in a charcoal gray hoodie and black sweatpants she had found yesterday while she guessed how cold it was in the house, shivering at the possible temperature outside in comparison. After searching the cabinets for a few minutes, she managed to find tea, brewing a cup for herself while she sat in one of the dining room chairs, brown eyes glazed over as she took in the scenery outside of her new home. The peace and quiet was in stark contrast to last night, the girl still overwhelmed at the amount of people that had suddenly found their way into the Swan household all to comfort her uncle over his sister, her mother. She found only comfort in her bed after hours of crying, wishing she'd wake up and be back in her bed in Australia and find that this was all some long winded dream she would tell her mother about.
It wasn't too far off, considering she often had unusual dreams, her mind wandering to her dream journal and the entries she had written; dreams of wolves and spirits running through the forest, communing with the animals and the wind and the trees like some sort of fairy tale. She wished to have those dreams again, finding herself unable to enter a deep sleep and she knew she had bags underneath her eyes. This would be the second night sleep hadn't come easy to her, the second night without her mother. She wiped a stray tear and slowly sipped her cup of chamomile tea, jumping in fright when she found that she wasn't alone.
Charlie apologized, pausing for a moment to decide whether or not to question her further about her under eye bags and her tears. He decided against the latter, walking up to the countertop and starting the old coffee maker that sat up against the wall near the toaster. "Hey, about last night, I'm sorry. Look, if I would've known they were planning on all coming over and-"
Noa shook her head, offering him a smile to ease his nerves. "It's fine it's just, I'm not used to being around that many people, it was always just me and mom. I guess it just takes some getting used to is all; I'm gonna be around more people than that once I go to school anyways, right? No point in trying to avoid it," she said, though it seemed as though she was trying to convince herself rather than her uncle who watched her carefully while he poured himself a cup of coffee, drinking it straight black.
"Right, well..." he trailed off, pausing to take another long sip of the warm, bitter drink. "Still, I'm sorry." Noa only nodded, the man returning the gesture before they fell into silence again, staring off in different directions. A thought came into her mind suddenly and she shifted uncomfortably at it, "have you heard anything about mom? Like a funeral or, or anything?"
Charlie winced at the sound of desperation in his niece's voice, the girl biting her bottom lip anxiously as she waited for his answer to ignite some sort of hope within her. He sighed, shaking his head and watching as she slumped back into her seat in defeat, mumbling a small 'okay' before she dropped the subject. He took the seat beside her, setting his cup down on the worn wood table next to her own mug of tea that was almost finished. "We could have something here, if you'd like. Just a little ceremony, doesn't have to be too big it could just be us, a picture, and a candle."
She seemed to think about it, the idea of something so real as a mock funeral making chills go up her spine. She tried not to think about it normally but she couldn't help it. A funeral meant that it was real, seeing her mother's lifeless body being lowered into a grave meant that she wasn't dreaming and that terrified her. Having a mock service, one where she didn't have to see her mother pale and smothered in makeup intended to hide the fact that she was in fact deceased brought her some sort of comfort. She could have the comfort of acknowledging her mother but without the body as confirmation, she didn't have to accept the fact that she was gone just yet. It was perfect. She nodded, thanking the man who promised to be home earlier to make it happen. "You eat?" Charlie asked suddenly, Noa shaking her head in response. He pointed out where everything was located in the kitchen, Noa politely paying attention even though she hadn't felt hunger since she came home to her mother gone.
"I'd take you down to the diner but, I gotta go in early, another hiker gone missing," he sighed, Noa watching his mannerisms closely. He rubbed his face tiredly and she could tell he would rather be back in his bed, or rather, the pullout couch he stored in the den he currently slept in. "Fourth one in under two months. If this gets out of control the state will have to step in and..." he trailed off, exhaling loudly.
Noa was silent for a beat, wondering what was the polite response to her uncle's obvious stress. "Um, that sounds really stressful, I'm sorry," she attempted to comfort him, hoping that her words sounded sincere enough as she really did mean it. She always felt bad, seeing others in any sort of pain, immediately attempting to find a way to fix it and putting the responsibility that no one assigned on her small shoulders.
He sent back a tight lipped smile, reassuring her -and himself- that it would be handled soon enough and he could rest easier. Their attention turned towards the hallway as the old house echoed Bella's footsteps on the old wooden floor and down the steps. Her emotionless demeanor shifting ever so slightly at the sight of the two of them already awake, the girl not expecting to see them. Noa was able to get a better look at her face then, not surprised at their resemblance considering their parents shared DNA.
Her older cousin's hair was shorter than hers since her mother never let her cut or style it any differently than her natural, bone straight hair that went down to her tailbone; a stark contrast to the Swan family's trademark loose, brown curls . Bella's skin was pale and she could barely see the red in her cheeks, though she assumed it was due to the cold temperature in the house and her lack of sleep, the two girls sharing looks of exhaustion. While Bella seemed to walk with a slight hunch, Noa could tell she was still shorter than her which wasn't surprising as she was usually shorter than those she came across. She offered her cousin a weak smile that she barely returned, pouring herself a cup of a water from the tap.
"I gotta leave early for work," Charlie explained to his daughter, who didn't seem to be listening. He gave her the same explanation he had just given his niece, though Bella only responded with uninterested hums occasionally, which Noa frowned at. Her mother would've scolded her for that but she said nothing, finishing what was left in her cup. "It's your off day, why don't you show Noa around? You got on good with Tama didn't you, Noa? She's a good kid, why don't you both hang out with her, you've been ignorin' your friends for too long Bells."
Noa shrunk in her seat as tension began to form and Bella gripped her cup a bit tighter, unable to muster the strength to argue with her father as her sleep deprivation and hunger didn't let her. Charlie continued, obviously used to his daughter's demeanor, "why don't you take her down to the diner? Get you both some breakfast, you're all skin and bones, Bells...you're scaring me." He offered a few bills from his wallet to his niece after Bella made no moves to accept them, sighing as he wished them a good day before leaving his cup in the sink and disappearing out the front door.
The two cousins sat in an almost awkward silence, Noa standing up to clean out both her and Charlie's empty cups. Bella frowned, it seemed she was just as bad with conversation as she was, it brought her some comfort. The older girl attempted a smile, "so, breakfast?"
After both girls showered and dressed rather quickly, they found themselves at the local diner 20 minutes up the road, where everyone knew each other and greeted both Bella and Noa upon entry. She found that familiar feeling, anxiety, creeping up on her again, being around people that were so comfortable around each other as well as her. Bella didn't seem to notice her hesitance as she followed the waitress, Cora, to their table. There were eyes on them and both girls sat with their heads down, ordering drinks before the woman left them to their own devices. Bella began playing with the menu, not really looking it over while Noa cast her gaze outside, watching the occasional semi truck or car pass along the main highway the diner sat upon. The rain pelted the window they sat next to and she was grateful to only witnessing the weather rather than being immersed in it. She was certain she'd get sick from the abrupt weather change so she made a mental note to ask Bella to take her to the local store for some herbs to counteract it.
Noa heard a soft sigh and turned, her eyes landing on her older cousin who looked just as uncomfortable as she did. She only blinked, not knowing what she was expected to do or say. Bella's eyes flashed down to her menu before back up to her, "you know what you're gonna get?" Noa shook her head before she picked up the menu, looking it over a few times. She honestly wasn't hungry and figured she could go a few more hours without eating but she didn't want to be on the receiving end of Bella's attitude that would come considering Charlie had forced her into taking her. So, she put the menu down after a few seconds and said, "I'll just get the breakfast platter. You?"
Bella shrugged, seemingly uninterested in food. "I guess I'll just get the avocado toast...not really hungry," she admitted, Noa revealing the same before they went back to silence. Despite it being a bit awkward, Noa liked it; she found similarities between herself and Bella and that made her feel at ease, her previous assumptions about her cousin being the typical 'All American Teenage Girl' she held her entire trip over slowly being proven wrong. The thought made her smile to herself.
The girls smiled and politely thanked Cora for their drinks, an iced tea for Bella and a cup of warm green tea for Noa, before ordering their meals, the woman leaving them alone once again after giving them a wait time of twenty minutes. Bella cleared her throat, the elder Swan becoming more relaxed as well, though Noa could still sense that she wasn't all the way there. "So uh, you guys traveled a lot huh, you and aunt Charlotte?
Noa nodded, a little taken aback at the sudden mention of her mother. A bit of a smile appeared as she recalled all of their trips. "We've travelled all over the world, every continent – though, we did stay away from America, once we left we never came back...well, she never came back," Noa said, the brightness in her eyes slowly dimming as she corrected herself, Bella giving her condolences once again though she didn't have many memories pertaining to her aunt as she had only seen her three or four times during her entire life.
Bella tried to ease her mind, finding herself actually interested and distracted momentarily from the hole in her heart that had been eating away at her for months now. "What was your favorite place? Or top five, at least?" She asked, seeing Noa become distracted from her pain as well as she began to rack her mind, her answer coming up quickly as she smiled.
"Australia was the most recent and, we stayed there for so long it became one of my favorites but, I really liked Germany; Munich is beautiful in the fall. Sweden as well, I'd say they have the nicest people I've ever met. Greece gets a spot because they have a lot of cats, and some of the best food I've ever tasted in my life; Italy as well, I couldn't look at pasta for a month after we left," she answered with a laugh, imagining the look on her younger face inhaling Italian food every night and petting every cat she saw in Greece. Bella smiled, though she made a face, "not the biggest fan of cats."
"India then, they have the biggest population of stray dogs if that's more your fancy," Noa said with a shrug, remembering the hustle and bustle of the place during the short time that they stayed. "Good food there too but I say that about mostly every place we've been to. I just love food." Bella refrained from mentioning that she wasn't much of an animal person in general as she noticed the change in her cousin's demeanor, not wanting to add any negativity to the conversation that seemed to be doing so much for the young, wide eyed girl. "What about you? Have you done much traveling?"
Bella inhaled, not expecting to be asked about herself as she usually just listened to people while they talked. She soon learned that Noa was the same. She nodded, "yeah a bit, my mom never liked to stay in one place so long. We moved around California a lot before we moved to Phoenix when I was six, kinda pales in comparison to traveling the world though."
Noa's face lit up a bit then, "how was California? I've always wanted to go but mom said we couldn't come back to the states." Bella smiled, letting her know that unfortunately, her opinion was biased and untrustworthy as she was only a child when they stayed there, causing Noa to slump in her seat a bit. They were interrupted by Cora, who set their plates down in front of them before assuring she'd be back to refill their slowly dwindling cups. They talked occasionally over the course of their meal, exchanging few words that brought them ease with one another.
It felt oddly peaceful, only a few people scattered across the diner while soft music played from somewhere across the room, all while rain and thunder provided a show for Noa to watch as she finished off her food. She frowned as the rain began to slowly stop, though she was partially grateful as they'd be leaving soon and she didn't want to be caught in the rain despite being better dressed for such weather. Suddenly, the door of the diner swung open and Noa and Bella instinctively turned to see who had entered, a smile making its way onto the girl's face while Bella visibly shrunk.
Tama smiled back, pleasantly surprised by the girls in front of her. She wasn't alone, nor was she wet despite just having come in from the rain; Noa didn't question this. Beside her was a boy that looked rather old to be considered a teenager like Tama but she said nothing about it; he was almost a foot taller than Tama, the same skin color with pitch black hair that fell right below his ears and had been pushed back with minimal product. Their similar features made them seem related but Noa shoved the thought out of her mind when the two made eye contact that was so intimate, so full of emotions Noa couldn't quite comprehend, that she had to look down at her plate. She glanced up once she saw Tama's lower half hovering near their table, offering her and the boy next to her a meek smile and a "hello" that was quickly returned by Tama.
She nudged the boy, who she introduced as her boyfriend, Paul, and he sent her a simple nod. "Sorry your mom died, that sucks," he told her plainly, wincing when Tama's elbow quickly struck him in the ribs.
He apologized, though Noa shrugged him off, watching as the couple turned their attention towards Bella. Tama looked apprehensive, her boyfriend looking as though he wanted to be anywhere but there in that moment as he wouldn't even spare Bella a glance. Noa watched the trio carefully, taking in their body language and every small minute detail that could tell her about their dynamic.
"Hey Izzy," Tama greeted carefully, her demeanor never faltering despite Bella's awkward social skills. She seemed to be used to it.
"Hey, Tama...Paul," she greeted the couple with a quick and fleeting smile, looking down at her half eaten meal. She felt sick at the sight, pushing it away and glancing at her empty cup with a disappointed frown.
Paul didn't respond, nor did he look in her direction. Instead, he kept his gaze on his girlfriend, seemingly watching for any indication that she was anything other than okay, routinely checking their surroundings for any danger. It felt very animalistic to her, Noa thought. Tama responded to something Cora had said, a light coming back into her eyes before she glanced down at the cousins, "well, we were just stopping by to get some breakfast since we were in the area but..."
Bella pulled out a few bills, Noa noticing the amount exceeded the prices of their food and drinks, quickly standing up and urging for her younger cousin to do the same. "Yeah, we were actually just leaving. Charlie wanted me to show Noa around town, so she gets familiar with everything before school starts, you know." Noa frowned, recalling that her uncle did indeed want them to all hang out, holding her tongue so as not to upset the balance of things.
Tama tried not to let her disappointment show, though Paul seemed delighted that the two weren't joining them, Noa getting a closer look and seeing that the boy had darkened bags under his eyes and watched as plates were slowly being brought out to awaiting customers. "Oh, you're going to be attending Forks then, let me know if you need any help or like a ride or something. I only go a few days out of the week though."
Noa smiled up at her, the girl's calm and positive demeanor something she wasn't used to but found pleasant nonetheless. It made her feel safe. "I'd love that actually, thank you, Tama." The girl seemed surprised by her demeanor as well, a second passing before she was sending the young Swan a warm smile. She turned to her boyfriend them, giving him a small nudge before she bid the girl's farewell, her hand in Paul's as they followed Cora to their seats on the other side of the diner.
"You don't like Tama?" Noa asked once they were situated in Bella's old truck, Noa noticing the same old bronco that had been parked outside the Swan house the previous night was now here next to them and she assumed it to be Tama's car. She pulled her seat belt on as Bella cranked the engine, sending her cousin a questioning glance. "She seems nice; her boyfriend...maybe he's just socially awkward, like us."
Bella didn't answer for a moment, which caused Noa to believe she hadn't heard her the first time. The girl went to repeat herself before Bella shook her head, assuring her that Tama was just fine. "I just, it's not her. It's-its me. I'm not too good with friends and keeping up with people and all that teenage friendship entails, and by all standards, I haven't been the best friend lately to anyone."
"Is this before or after your boyfriend left?" Noa asked genuinely, watching her cousin with a sympathetic frown that made Bella avoid her gaze. There was a soft gasp that escaped the older girl's lips and she clutched her chest, right above her heart as though it was piercing through her shirt and Noa wondered if she had given the poor girl a heart attack. She leaned over, gently steering the wheel so that the car now sat near the highway where cars passed by every few minutes. They sat in silence, Noa occasionally glancing over at Bella to see if she was alright, the only noise being the hum of the occasional car that passed and the concerning sound of the truck's own engine. The younger girl held her tongue, fearing Bella's reaction, though she felt more at ease when she saw her cousin's body release the tension it was holding. "I'm sorry. I've never had to deal with a breakup or a relationship in general so, I'm not too familiar with the whole thing."
After a while, Bella shrugged her off, pretending as if the whole ordeal hadn't happened as she guided the car back onto the main highway once it was safe to do so, continuing back in the direction of the house. Noa frowned as they passed by scenery that was becoming familiar to her, remembering that Bella had just mentioned she would be taking her on a tour of the town. She cursed her own mouth for ruining her chances of exploring the small town she now inhabited, awaiting the sight of the familiar white house where her unfinished book was waiting for her. Noa had to resist the urge to apologize again once the car finally came to a stop in the driveway, so instead she sat in the passenger seat, fiddling with her thumbs in a way she would've been chastised for.
Bella didn't wait for her to exit before she did, closing the car door and venturing up the small steps that led to the front door. Noa soon followed, not wanting to stay in the cold car for long. The house wasn't warm but, she was no longer shivering once she entered, glancing at the clock on the wall; it wasn't even noon. She was used to being at home alone near constantly but her mother at least let her venture outside to see the world on occasion. The rain was still at bay and she hesitated on calling after Bella, but decided against it once she heard her bedroom door closing.
Noa's book could only provide her entertainment for so long before she shut the book closed and sighed, surveying her room. She glanced outside, seeing that it was only sprinkling and debated internally whether she wanted to expose herself to the very elements she despised but after a moment, she gave up. Bella was ignoring her and she didn't know when Charlie was coming home; she was bored. So, against her own wishes, she pulled her outdated, forest green sweater –that had been embroidered to show allegiance to the local college – back over her head before putting on a windbreaker that was a size too big for her on top before heading out of her room.
She stopped near Bella's door as she put away her book into a small crossbody bag, her hand coming up to knock twice. She wasn't surprised when she got no response and she knew she shouldn't have felt sadness rise up within her but she couldn't help it, mumbling a small, "I'm sorry," before she headed down the stairs and out the back door.
Her original book had been replaced by a more educational choice; a book on the local flora and fauna that Washington State had to offer. The brunette flipped through the pages as her eyes darted back and forth between the entries and the matches she found on her walk, her feet taking her deeper and deeper until the white house she had emerged from was no longer in view. She hummed to herself as she continued on, feeling quite accomplished whenever she managed to successfully spot a plant or an animal that she had seen in the book. The wildlife was abundant, loud even, to the point where Noa could only assume they were celebrating, the girl silently wishing she could understand the reason for their jubilation as she watched them from a safe distance.
The once joyful girl only began to feel off when she noticed she couldn't see as well as she could only a few mere minutes ago, the question as to how long she had been out here, and how far away from Charlie's house she was, suddenly began to infiltrate her mind. The brown rabbit that had let her get close enough to almost touch them, suddenly screeched, causing her to jump from shock, watching as the little creature ran in an attempt to save itself from whatever was approaching. Noa turned to study her surroundings, wondering what could have made the small animal so nervous before the snapping of twigs had her focusing her eyes in one single direction, her heart almost beating out of its chest. Out of instinct, she rose to her feet and off her knees, though she was unsure of how to protect herself as she wasn't familiar with the beasts that inhabited North America.
But, a beast did not emerge rather, a boy, a familiar boy. Noa's heart still clamored in her chest and her hands still twitched awkwardly at her sides but her shoulders still slumped as she attempted to calm herself. Paul's demeanor didn't allow her to fully quiet her nervous system, unable to speak as he approached her. His face was reminiscent of an older brother, a disappointed and angry one at that. Noa shrunk under his gaze once he stood in front of her, towering over her much smaller frame. "You shouldn't be out here, especially not this late."
Noa frowned, struggling to find her voice before she finally managed to squeak out, "I was just taking a walk behind the house...why are you out here then, if it's not safe?" His hands balled into fists at his sides and she took a protective step back. He noticed, closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths before he let his hands rest and he replied, "I'm serious, kid, go home."
The girl looked all around, biting her bottom lip as she felt her stomach drop. Her cheeks grew red once she realized just how truly lost she was, admitting, "I don't know the way back."
The boy in front of her rolled his eyes, taking another moment to gain his composure before he turned and started off in a different direction, pausing to look back and gesture for the younger teen to follow. She complied, having to move at a quicker pace to keep up with his longer strides, her eyes looking everywhere but at Paul to keep the boy from getting angry again, fearful of his possible wrath. "I'm sorry."
He didn't respond, continuing the trek back towards the Swan house with her in tow. Noa noticed the differences between him and Tama; her calm, comforting demeanor contrasted greatly with the boy next to her that seemed to ooze "keep your distance or I'll bite" with every breath that he took. She figured opposites attract. With the girl in mind, she couldn't help the question that slipped, "where's Tama?"
Paul's face immediately softened and his steps slowed slightly, enough that she was able to catch up and walk by his side. He spared her a glance, "she had to work." Noa wasn't one to usually converse but she found that talking about Tama could keep him calm enough that it wasn't anxiety inducing to be around him.
She continued, "where does she work?" she asked, almost tripping over a rather thick branch that her eyes missed, letting out a startled yell that abruptly ended when she felt Paul's hand wrap around her bicep to pull her back onto her feet, shooting her an annoyed glance. "Why do you care?"
Noa shrugged after she found her balance again, her feet glued to the floor in hopes that she wouldn't fall again. "You seem to be much calmer around Tama so I figured talking about her wouldn't make you so angry. It works...for a few minutes."
Paul seemed to think about her words before he smiled, chuckling at her admission. He spared her another glance that didn't seem to allude to him being annoyed by her presence, "you got me there; she works at the local art gallery, she's an amazing artist."
She watched as his smiled widened, the boy describing all the paintings she had made, the ones he had hanging up in his room and throughout his home, his change in demeanor had her smiling as well. "You really love her, huh?" He paused, nodding before another smile overtook him. The action made him look like a boy rather than a man, less threatening. She could breathe easier. "What does that feel like? Being with someone, being in love?"
Paul looked down at her, an unreadable expression on her face and after she admitted she had never experienced it nor had she gained any insight from her mother, he frowned and Noa wondered if she was about to be subject to ridicule, something she was used to from people around her age group whenever she mentioned her lack of experience when it came to relatively anything.
Noa avoided his gaze as she told him of the restrictions that had been placed upon her by her mother, the boy's frown deepening. "Sounds like you had a shitty mom," he told her, relating to the girl with a story of his own absent mother. He found himself relating to the girl in an odd way and he couldn't help the guilt that ate away at him as he spoke to her.
Noa had been caught off guard by his words, never having heard anyone describe her mother in that way. Except...her mind traveled back to her old neighbor and the book he had gifted her –the same book she had shoved to the back of her closet to hopefully rot and rid itself from her mind. Her heartbeat had began to quicken once more as she felt herself become anxious, her thoughts overwhelming her.
Paul heard the change and glanced over, his words quickly cut off as he noticed the effect they were having on the younger girl. "Oh shit, I'm sorry? I'm...sure she wasn't that bad?" he tried to calm her but he knew that he was the last person in any position to calm someone down. He attempted to double down, reason with the girl beside him as their walking came to a halt. "Maybe she just didn't want her only child to get hurt, so she kept you from the world?...rest in peace?"
She nodded as she repeated his words over and over in her mind to soothe herself, her eyes tightly shut. The idea of her mother being anything that she had painted herself to be made her heart ache, especially when she wasn't here to defend herself. Her eyes finally opened, her deep brown irises glazed over as she nodded again, wiping a few tears before apologizing.
Paul frowned, "why are you apologizing?" She shrugged, wiping away the last few tears as they continued their trek back towards the house. She hadn't realized she had strayed this far away and she had to admit, she was glad she had run into Paul. "Damn, now it's kinda depressing, huh? What did you like about your mom?"
Noa immediately opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to form any words. She had never been asked that question. She didn't know that there was something to like about parents, "um...she was, there?" Her answer had obviously made both of them uncomfortable and she suddenly gained interest in the sight of her dirty sneakers as they crushed freshly-fallen winter leaves beneath them.
The older boy waved her off, her new home well within her sight though Paul had seen it sooner than she had. "Forget I ever said anything, I'm in no position to ask about mothers, alright? You asked about love, right, and relationships?" he said, quickly wanting to change the subject that he steered directly into the gutter. When she nodded, he continued, "with me and Tama, we were friends first, best friends. It was easy to fall in love then, with her. I'd never dated anyone before her, or loved anyone before her so, I can't compare it to anything other than the fact that I've never felt anything like it and I don't think I will –and I'm okay with that...more than okay, actually."
Her heart picked up in her chest again and she found herself alive at the description. She had never heard anyone speak of love, even if it was only a teenage boy but, it moved her still. "How do you do that?" Noa asked him once they had reached the back door of Charlie's house. The rain was beginning to pick up and she scowled as she glanced up at the darkened sky. When it was clear Paul had no idea what she was talking about, she expanded on her question, "how do you talk so easily in front of someone you don't know without your voice cracking or your hands getting clammy or, or your chest feeling as though it's caving in."
Paul gave her a knowing look, jutting his chin out towards her. Noa noticed he wasn't properly dressed for the weather but she was far more concerned with his answer to her question, the answer to her social anxiety and how to overcome it. Her eyes shot downwards for only a second as she took in her open palms, which felt hot, along with her face, from all the talking she had been doing with a mere stranger. "I used to be like that too. You should've seen me before I hit puberty, oh the names I used to get called back in Tacoma."
Noa didn't know what or where Tacoma was but she did know he didn't answer her question so she pressed him further. "How'd you get better?" She asked, praying she didn't sound as desperate as she was. She figured he was older and therefore had more time to learn, and he seemed to be more socialized, considering he had a girlfriend and lived in a small town where everyone seemed to know everyone. She guessed he didn't really have a choice.
He smiled then, a smile Noa had become familiar with on the rather long walk back to the house they stood beside currently. She knew the answer before it even left his lips. "Tama." God. He said her name like it was his favorite word – like he was reciting poetry; she loved poetry.
She felt immensely childish and giddy in that moment, as well as envious. Noa wanted to feel that way for someone, and she wanted someone to feel that way for her as well. Before he could say anymore, Noa sent him a placid smile she hoped would hide her dismay.
"Thank you for walking me home, and talking to me. People my age normally avoid me so, I think this is the longest conversation I've ever had with someone under the age of 40. Tell Tama I said 'hi' and maybe stay out of the woods if you're gonna be wearing cut offs and a tank, yeah, you'll get sick in a bad way."
She didn't give him the time to respond before she opened the unlocked door, letting herself be embraced by the subtle heat that flowed through the old house. Just as she entered, she heard the front door open and made her way towards the front of the house where Charlie was attempting to bend over at the waist. Noa watched as the older man struggled to take off his shoes, tilting her head to the side as her ability to hide her amusement dwindled by the second.
"You need some help?" she asked, the man finally noticing her presence. After getting over the initial shock, her uncle muttering about how light she was on her feet, he gestured for her to come over and she complied, helping the man untie the laces on his work boots. "Where'd you come from?"
Noa stood, watching him kick off his shoes and shrug off his coat. She did the same before they passed the kitchen and found themselves in the family room. "In the woods, I took a walk," she answered honestly, her attention called elsewhere when she noticed Bella in the kitchen, cooking.
The girl seemed almost robotic, as if she was on autopilot. The sight was rather strange and Noa turned away, seeing that her uncle didn't seem to pleased with her answer as he made a face. "The woods? You shouldn't be messing around in the woods, bears ain't the only thing you should be afraid of, girl. Now, I didn't want to tell you this and scare you straight off the plane but there's been some disappearances going on in the woods and I think it's best if you kept out til we find what's been causing them. Okay?"
The girl nodded, apologizing immediately. "Paul walked me back home, he made sure I got back here safe," she reassured her uncle, her mind traveling to the older boy. She felt rude now that she sat and thought about it. It was polite to invite guests inside, especially when it was raining, she assumed. She hoped he got home safely.
"Paul Lahote?" Noa shrugged, admitting she didn't know the boy's last name but providing enough detail to ensure they were on the same page about the same boy. Charlie seemed to be pleased then and she relaxed a bit more into the couch. "Good, he's a good kid. Don't listen to anyone that tries to tell you different, he's just a little rough around the edges."
Noa agreed, their attention being called elsewhere as Bella alerted them to kitchen for dinner. They ate in relative silence, which Noa didn't mind as she was used to it, happily eating her lasagna while Charlie occasionally spoke on what was going on in town. Charlie pointed his fork towards her before he took another bite, "so, how'd you like it?" When she didn't answer, he added, "Forks? Bella took you around, showed you most of everything, right?"
The younger girl glanced at her cousin, waiting for her to send some sort of glare or look that screamed 'lie' but found her expression to be blank and blissfully unaware. Noa brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, cautiously answering, "well, we just went to the diner and came back...that's why I went for the walk, I wanted to explore a bit." Charlie seemed displeased by that, shooting his daughter an unimpressed glance and Noa felt guilty, hoping the girl wasn't punished. She quickly added, "but, we ran into Tama and she offered to show me around. I was thinking of maybe hanging out with her."
Charlie smiled again and suddenly the air around her wasn't as constricting and her nails weren't digging into her tightly closed fist. "That's good. Tama's a nice girl, known her since she was a baby in her momma's tummy. You'd get along great. I got her number in the phone book over there if you ever want to call her."
Noa glanced at the little black book that sat on the counter next to the drying rack, pressing her lips into a straight line. "I don't have a phone, and I don't know how to use one. Mom said they listen in on what you're saying."
Her uncle seemed quite alarmed by her answer, coughing a bit as he struggled to keep his soda down as it threatened to spill back up. He gestured towards Bella before he waved the girl off, his daughter none the wiser as she stared down at her barely eaten plate.
"Yeah, your mom said a lotta shit. Uh, I'll teach you in the morning, before I go off to work. How's that sound?" The brunette sent her uncle a thankful smile, offering to clean up the meal and the mess that had been made.
She worked in silence while Bella retreated to her room and Charlie found himself back on the couch while a sports game blared through the tv speakers. He bid the girl a goodnight as she finished up and made her way up the stairs, where upon passing by her cousin's room, she noticed the lights were off and figured her cousin was asleep.
Maybe she was just tired, Noa reasoned with herself as she showered and got ready for bed. Maybe that's why she ignored me the whole day, she thought as she slid into bed after turning her own light off and pulling the covers up to her neck. Still, she felt bad and pondered apologizing again. She didn't know how long she had been ruminating for, the only indication that time had passed being the crickets singing outside along with the owls, and the frost that had gathered at her window. She wondered if it would snow through the night.
Before her eyelids grew heavy, a shrill scream rang throughout the old house, and Noa swore she felt it shake a bit. The sound startled her up into a seated position and she jumped when the sound started again, rushing out of her room and into Bella's to make sure she was alright. Charlie was already up the stairs somehow and burst into his daughter's room, flipping on a night light and wrapping his arms around the girl like she was a child, shushing and humming to her as she slowly calmed. Noa felt as though she was intruding and turned away from the intimate moment as she held herself. The teenager had many 'night terrors' as Bella had confirmed from Charlie's question, but never had her mother burst through the door as her uncle just did and pull her into her arms. She never felt her mother's arms around her and she never knew that she wanted to until now.
Charlie finally acknowledged the younger girl, waving to her weakly before his daughter reassured him for the third time that she was alright. He ushered his niece into the hallway, closing Bella's door behind them so that she couldn't hear. "I'm sorry, I should've warned you before about the uh-"
"The night terrors," Noa finished, the man nodding solemnly as he glanced back at Bella's room. "How long have they been going on for?" She glanced at Bella's door, keeping her voice low so her cousin couldn't hear them discussing what Charlie described as a 'fragile' mental state.
Charlie ran a hand through his small crop of hair, tussled from his few minutes of sleep that snuck up on him while he rested on the couch. "Bout four months, ever since that Cullen boy left her."
She winced at the number. Four months. Four months, night after night, having terrors so gut wrenching she woke up screaming bloody murder; the poor girl must've been absolutely exhausted, Noa thought to herself with a frown. The teenager rubbed her tired eyes, sending her uncle back downstairs with a wave and a promise to watch over Bella so that he could get a decent night's rest.
She disappeared into her room before reappearing in the hall, slowly entering her cousin's room with a bowl of water tucked between her hip and her elbow, praying she wouldn't somehow spill the contents onto her pajamas or the floor. She offered Bella her best attempt at an empathetic smile, holding up the bowl for emphasis and as her excuse for entry.
"For the bad dreams. I keep it under my bed and I haven't had a bad dream since I was eleven," she explained as she slid the bowl underneath the bed where Bella sat with her legs pulled up to her chest, her purple duvet spread around her messily.
The older girl nodded, shutting her eyes before they suddenly shot back open, as if she was getting flashbacks from whatever prevented her from sleeping, making eye contact with Noa only for a split second, her eye bags visible even under the soft light from across the room. "Thanks...I'm sorry for waking you up," she apologized meekly, keeping her eyes on her feet.
Noa sat at the edge of Bella's bed, copying the older girl's position as her knees came up to her chest, shrugging as she reassured her, "it's okay, I wasn't asleep anyways. I'm sorry about earlier, you know, for bringing him up. If I would've known it would've brought on all of this I would've just kept my mouth shut."
Bella was quick to shake her head and assure her cousin that she wasn't the cause of her terrors. "I've been like this since before you came, it's not your fault," she said, sure to avoid the subject of her ex boyfriend all together. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as they fell into a silence, Noa staring out at the moon, mumbling a faint, "it's almost a new moon." Bella gave a quick glance to the glowing celestial body, the girl never able to hold an interest in the planets and the stars.
Noa turned to her then, studying her for a moment before she asked, "what have your night terrors been about?"
When all she received was a blank stare and a few stutters, Noa attempted to explain herself, calmly. "In all the books I've read on dreams, they usually signify something else needing our attention. Maybe if you solve the problem, the terror will go away," she said with a shrug, as if it were the most simple thing in the world.
Bella's shoulders dropped as she stared elsewhere, finding her cousin's gaze to be quite intimidating in her vulnerable state. "Yeah...yeah, I guess you're right," she replied, though she still seemed unsure.
It took about five minutes of silence before Noa realized that Bella wasn't going to tell her about whatever had been plaguing her in her sleep. Part of her felt hurt but, she understood. Though they were cousins, they had only been back in each others lives for two days; Noa knew enough about interpersonal relationships that it was too small of a time frame to be trusted with such sensitive information. So, she stood, disappearing off to her room before she returned moments later, book in hand. She passed it over to her cousin, who took it hesitantly.
"I know you probably can't go back to sleep so I figured you could read. It's one of my favorites, I like to reread it whenever I'm bored or sad; it's quite worn so you can imagine I feel those emotions often," she cracked a smile to ease the pain she felt admitting this to Bella but encouraged her to open the book still, the girl able to see all her annotations over the years as well as placement stickers.
She looked up to see Noa admiring the object fondly, as if it were a real person capable of admiring her back, assuring the brunette she wouldn't cause any damage to it. "Thanks, Noa."
Before she could exit, Bella pulled out a book of her own from her bedside table, offering it to her cousin. Noa read the title aloud, 'Wuthering Heights,' before she smiled at the worn condition of the book, happy to see that they had something in common.
"It's my favorite, I think it's only right since you lent me yours," Bella told her with a tired smile, still holding her cousin's copy of 'Frankenstein', quite determined to finish and enjoy it while also slightly off put by the coincidental plot of the famous book.
"Thanks Bella," Noa held the book to her chest before bidding her a good night, though she was stopped by Bella's tired voice, "do you mind...staying, actually?" it was obvious in her body language she seemed taken aback by the suggestion but nodded nevertheless, taking a more comfortable spot at the foot of the bed before Bella offered her the quilt that was sprawled across the other side of the bed.
"It's like a sleepover, but with reading and no sleeping. I've never had one of those," the younger teen admitted sheepishly, though she couldn't hide her excitement no matter how much she tried.
Bella laughed for the first time, in months, the action feeling foreign to her. They fell into a comfortable silence then, getting lost in their respective literary worlds until the sun lit up the room and sleep took them quite hungrily, Charlie quite dazzled by the sight of the two girls sprawled hilariously across the bed with books casted to the side of them.
spring speaks: tysm for reading, hope you enjoyed <3
taglist: @bookwormjust (lmk if you'd like to added to my taglist)
