Chapter Text
Honestly, there was nothing I despised more than the smug face of Larry Dawson.
The way he stomped around the back of the store, leaving cigarette butts behind in random bowls, drove me insane. The stank alone was enough to ruin my day
Luckily for me, he was just about to head out for the day. I looked over at him as he rounded the counter, the large coat he always wore dragging behind him. His grey hair was greasy, and I wondered how long it had actually been since he last showered.
Although the smell was answer enough.
"You got the keys?" He grumbled, adjusting the belt that was fighting to keep his pants up.
"Right here," I said, leaning on the counter.
He nodded once, looking me up and down. "I'll be back tomorrow."
"Can't wait," I deadpanned.
Larry ignored me as I tapped my pen on the desk, watching him walk through the doors, leaving the store with the bright clang of a bell behind.
The moment he was gone, I let out a large breath, then grabbed the bowl of old cigarette butts and threw them into the garbage can behind the counter.
The bell rang out again, this time followed by two female voices. My head tilted back up, and I put on the pleasant smile that I practised with careful precision.
One of the girls I immediately recognised as my brother's friend, Angela. With her dark ponytail, glasses and pale skin. She had her camera slung over one shoulder and a happy expression on her face.
Next to her stood a slightly shorter girl. A camera hung around her neck, and she paused just inside the doorway, quietly taking in the shelves before stepping further in. Her hair was golden brown and fell around her in waves. She was pale, but next to Angela you could almost consider her tan.
They both looked over at me, and for a brief second the new girl's green eyes met mine. There was something oddly familiar about her, though I couldn't have said why, yet.
"Hey, Angela."
She grinned back, but before I could ask how school had been, the girl behind her finally looked up. For a second, everything else disappeared. Surely not...
She was taller now. Her hair had grown out, framing her face differently than it used to, and she had traded the oversized hoodies and sneakers she always wore back in Queens for clothes that fit Forks much better. She had seemingly grown into herself.
But I'd know those eyes anywhere. Nora.
She was looking at me with shy and nervous blinks, as if assessing me in the same way I was her. I assumed she didn't recognise me immediately either. The last time we had seen each other, I had black eyeliner thick enough to scare parents, shoulder-length hair with god knows how many different dyes in it, and enough chains hanging off my jacket to add an extra pound or two.
But somewhere between New York and home, I decided to stop trying so hard to fit in with a crowd I didn't even particularly like.
Angela's smile widened. "I have someone here who wanted to see you," she teased, elbowing Nora to step forward.
"Hi, um..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "It's Nora. You used to tutor me, but you probably don't—"
I interrupted her with my own excitement after my suspicions got confirmed. "Oh my god." I was already around the counter.
She barely had time to react before I wrapped my arms around her. "I can't believe it's you."
She laughed in surprise. "Yeah."
Was she surprised that I recognised her? After I spent two years trying to convince her that algebra wasn't invented specifically to ruin her life. The memory made me internally chuckle as I pulled back just enough to look at her properly again.
God. The last time I'd seen her, she had still been a kid. Now she looked...Older. Not just taller but quieter.
There was something there that she did not have back in Queens.
"How have you been?" I asked.
"I've been good," she said. "Really good."
I searched her face for another second. She wasn't lying, but also not telling the whole truth.
Angela leaned against the counter. "I told Nora you lived here now, so we figured we'd stop by."
"I'm really glad you did." I meant it. "So what about you? Here visiting your gran?"
Nora's face fell hard, and she frowned. "I actually just moved here."
My stomach dropped. I was well aware of who her parents were, and what they were. They wouldn't just let their only child pack up and move across the country like that. Something must have happened. "Really, how come?"
She shifted on her feet, and my eyes flicked down. It was something she did when she was nervous, either that or picking at things.
"My parents got divorced," she said, followed by a loud sigh.
There it was. Even back then, I knew that her parents were struggling in their marriage, and that they would fight a lot. Poor Nora always sat in the middle of it, even when I was there.
"I'm sorry, Nora." I reached out a hand to rub her upper arm softly.
She shook her head swiftly. "It's okay, I really like it here."
"It does feel like a place you would like, yeah," I chuckled.
The camera around her neck swayed slightly with her movement. At least she stuck with that. I had watched her learn and grow more comfortable with her passion for photography and art. Even discussing cheerleading could never compare to the joy displayed on her face when she would show her newest shots.
"Still enjoy photography, I'm guessing?" I smiled warmly, gesturing for the camera.
Both girls nodded. "Yeah, that's what we bonded over, actually." She pointed between them.
"It's great, we can photograph together, and then I can borrow her laptop afterwards." Angela agreed happily.
"She means, I come as a bonus with the computer," Nora playfully shot back.
"What can I say?"
I chuckled. It was nice and comforting to see her banter with someone, considering the circumstances. Despite our lack of contact after I finished school, I cared very deeply for her. She was something of a little sister to me. "Seems like you've had no issues settling in," I said.
"None," she shook her head.
"She's even crushing on a boy already," Angela teased and nudged Nora's elbow with hers, wiggling her eyebrows.
Nora looked mildly annoyed. "Do not."
If she was friends with Angela, then she most likely hung out in the same circle of friends as her. Which means there were two boys of high likelihood of being the culprit. "Don't tell me it's my brother," I grimaced.
Both girls shook their heads in sync, and I let out a small breath.
"No," they said together, followed by all three of us breaking out in a laugh. "God no."
Hopefully it went both ways, and my brother had not developed one of his quick crushes overnight.
"I like Mike, just not... that way," Nora shrugged.
"Don't worry," I winked at her. "So, who then?"
My curiosity only grew as she hesitated to answer, only managing a small stutter.
"I don't—"
"He's from La Push," Angela was quick to jump in and spill the beans.
"A rez boy? Nice." I wiggled my eyebrows. My little Nora was crushing on some very tall and probably quite handsome guy. Hopefully her own age.
She let out a groan, tilting her head back. Angela just shrugged in pretend innocence.
I noticed that she wanted the conversation over. "So, how's Lia?" I asked and motioned for us to head towards the back of the store where I knew we could sit. "I haven't seen her in a while."
Nora began to tell me about her gran, about everything she had prepared and done for her. I always knew Lia was sweet and caring, but she had really gone above and beyond for her granddaughter this time.
Then, as girls do, we moved on to gossip. Mostly about school and everything that had been going on there. I learnt a few funny things I could tease Mike about later, and got a few small details about the secret, not so secret rez boy.
I think we sat there for a few hours. The only time we stopped was when a customer would come inside, either with a question or just to pay for a book.
When it eventually was time for the two of them to leave, only about thirty minutes before closing, we had talked enough for days on my end. My head hurt, badly.
I grabbed a small note from behind the counter and scribbled down my home number on it, then handed it to Nora, who took it. "If you need anything," I smiled and teased, "Tutoring, perhaps."
She laughed and rolled her eyes.
They walked together down the street. I waved them off, not letting my expression drop until they were out of sight.
I spent a while reorganising some shelves in silence as I watched the clock closely. I desperately needed to go home, take a painkiller and sleep early.
Once it finally ticked over to five, I abandoned the cart of books and headed for the staffroom. I would deal with the rest of them in the morning anyway, and Larry wouldn't arrive until late. He always did.
I pulled the keys out of my pocket and headed outside, but I hesitated for a moment as I spotted someone standing outside in the parking lot.
I peeked through the blinds. It was a young guy, maybe around my age, native. He was very tall and muscular, and he just stood there, watching the bookstore. It wasn't exactly creepy, just a little odd.
I wondered if he was waiting for someone. I gathered up the small amount of courage I had and stepped out the door, my back turned to him as I locked the door.
"Are you closing?" He asked in a low tone, sounding slightly disappointed.
I turned, one hand covering my eyes from the glare of sunset shining through the treetops. "Yeah, did you need something?" I asked him.
I could see him shaking his head as I walked forward a few steps. "I'll come back tomorrow," he decided, hands balled up into fists.
I dropped my hand, pointing back towards the store. "You know, if it's just a small thing I can fix that," I smiled and met his eyes for the first time.
"That's—" he froze.
I swallowed a lump of air as I searched his eyes for... well, anything really. It was as if his soul had left his body and the only thing still there was an empty shell of a man.
"Are you okay?" I took a step closer, which caused him to reactively back away. I held up my hands. "Ok, sorry."
He shook his head, eyes darting around my face. "No," he breathed heavily. "I'm sorry."
I raised an eyebrow at him and scanned his body for potential hidden injuries. Or maybe he had hit his head on the way here. "Are you sure you're okay?"
He kept staring at me, and I felt myself suddenly grow self-conscious. I wiped at my face with my fingers, in case I had something there from lunch. His serious expression softened, and then he was smiling.
"Do you need something?" I asked again, silently begging for him to just tell me so we could go on about our evenings.
"I'm Sam." He held out a hand.
I looked at it for a moment, not quite expecting that to be his answer. But there was something beneath it, a silent plea. So I took his hand.
His grip was almost sickly warm and strong. It made me almost forget to let go.
"I'm Beatrice., I finally said.
"Beatrice..." he echoed. The sound of my own name coming from his lips did something to me, a chill that ran down my spine all the way to my toes.
Overwhelmed, I pulled my hand away and cleared my throat. "So, did you, uhm, need anything?"
────
Sam
Paul sat in the back seat of the truck, chewing on a random piece of grass, while Jared lectured him about how he had to cover more ground today, when really it should have been Paul's job.
"What's this book, anyway?" Paul ignored Jared, turning his head to me instead.
I met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "It's about the legends. Sue needed it."
"And we can only get it in Forks?" He questioned slightly, not letting his tone get too offensive.
"Yes."
I pulled into the empty parking lot outside the bookstore and stepped out. Neither of my brothers followed me. But they kept a wary eye towards the trees.
For the last weeks we had patrolled the woods of the rez, just in case a stray bloodsucker passed through.
Inside, there was the flicker of a lamp as it turned off before I spotted the shadowed shape of a woman through the windows. I could hear the sound of her steps and rattling of keys coming closer to the door, and I realised that she was most likely closing. Shit.
I debated leaving right there and then, but my gaze kept flicking back to the door, and my feet refused to move.
Then suddenly, the bell rang above the door as it swung open. A young woman stepped out, her jacket and keys in hand. She locked the door and turned to me, one hand covering her eyes from the sun.
"Are you closing?" I asked out loud.
"Yeah, do you need something?" She wondered, coming closer.
"I'll come back tomorrow."
She dropped her hand from her eyes. Blue. Her eyes were impossibly blue, and everything else around us vanished.
The truck... Jared and Paul, the bookstore, the road. Even the sound of the wind. It was all gone.
There was only her.
My mind has never blanked like that before. The only thing on my mind was her face. Flashes of a distant but now possible future. Us on the beach, in my kitchen, sitting on a swing. Each time, we're close... happy.
She had the most beautiful hair, blonde and curly. When it caught the sun, it shined like pure gold. And her smile was warm and so soothing. It could hold me down forever, ground me through anything.
I knew in that moment that she was no ordinary person. That there was a reason as to why my mind had decided to go all the way to this bookstore for a book I could have borrowed from any other elder.
The wolf in me had known, had guided me here, to her. She was everything, and yet she was so much more than that.
She took a small step forward, and for some stupid reason I reacted by pulling away. Only one step, but it was enough for her to think of me as startled, raising her hands and mumbling an apology.
I didn't mean to do it. It was the shock, the battle within me acting out. My body was on autopilot, ready for something... anything.
My head shook. "No, I'm sorry," I said, my eyes glued to her face.
I wanted to take in every little detail of her, paint it in my mind so that I would see only her every time I closed my eyes. My hand moved on its own, and so did my voice, because I needed her to know my name. Not a want, a need.
Everything before this already felt like someone else's life completely, as if mine had only just started at this very moment. It seemed silly. But it really had.
"I'm Sam."