Passive/Aggresive
Title: Passive/Aggresive
Author:
hola_meg_a_cola
Character/s: Charlie
Rating: PG
Summary:
the_gazebo prompt. From the time Bella goes catatonic to when she wakes up, all following Charlie.
Setting: During New Moon.
Author’s Notes: I never thought I'd write a Twilight fan fiction. Well, here it is! I hope I did Charlie some justice. Also, I don't own any characters; they all belong to SMeyer, unfortunately.
*
Charlie sat on the living room couch, his entire body sunk into the cushions. The television’s bright lights flickered across his face, the only source of light in the dark room. Sipping from his can of Coke, he watched the replay of the Seattle Mariners game from yesterday afternoon. They had lost the game that mattered- again.
Sighing, he looked to the small house’s windows. Faint streams of light began streaming through the curtains. Charlie glanced at his watch: it was 5:34 am. Normally, he’d be awake at this time, heading off to work. But not today; he had already taken a personal day. The boys understood.
He picked up the remote and began changing channels, looking for some other distraction. Finally, he settled on some 80’s action flick, explosions immediately emitting from the speakers. Charlie was sure he had seen this movie at least a dozen times, but it didn’t matter. His mind was filled with other, more important thoughts.
“No good bastard,” he muttered, adjusting his position on the couch. He was glad that Bella’s relationship with Edward Cullen was over, to put it mildly; the boy was trouble, even if he was being reared by two good people. It hadn’t happened like he had hoped; it didn’t take much to figure out that Edward didn’t even tell Bella that Carlisle had taken another job in Los Angeles. All at once, everything had come out. Charlie couldn’t blame his daughter for being as distraught as she was.
Checking the time again, Charlie saw that it was already 6:01 am. Placing his hands against the cushion, he pushed himself up, walking into the kitchen. He took the phone off the hook and stepped to the refrigerator; under an apple shaped magnet was a small, white paper labeled Forks High #. Under its title, it read the school’s phone number, written in Bella’s curly script.
Pressing the numbers in with his index finger, Charlie held the phone to his ear. It rang once, twice-
“Good morning, Forks High School. This is Mrs. Cope speaking.”
Charlie cleared his throat. “Hi, Ann, it’s Chief Swan. I just wanted to-”
“Oh, Charlie! I heard all about it! How is Bella doing? Has she been hurt? Where did they find her?” Mrs. Cope asked, her high alto voice too loud for him that early.
“We, er, we found her only a few hours ago, out back in the woods. She’s been sleeping since we got her home, but Dr. Gerandy took a look at her and said she’s fine. But, um, even if she is physically fine, I think it would be too much excitement for her to go right back to class. So, uh, she won’t be in today.”
“Well, of course not! Poor thing!” She replied. Charlie could hear her bracelets jingle over the phone. “You make sure she doesn’t come back until she’s ready. Losing your boyfriend because of distance- it breaks my heart!”
Charlie nodded. “Mine, too,” he said facetiously, his hand now on his belt. Quite frankly, he was more concerned with her being lost, but what did he know? “You have a good day, Ann.”
“Oh, you, too! Tell Bella that everyone-”
Charlie ended the call before Mrs. Cope could finish. He hated his family being the target of gossip; they had been so since Renee left years before. Whether she thought of the gossip hounds, it didn’t really matter at that point. But Bella was now fresh on everyone’s minds. It would satisfy them for about a week.
Hanging up the phone, Charlie walked out of the kitchen and up the staircase, keeping as quiet as possible. At the top, he moved towards Bella’s door. He placed his ear against it: silence. For any other kid, that meant they were sleeping; that didn’t apply to Bella. She could’ve been up already, for all he knew.
Still, he rapped his knuckles lightly against the wood. “Bells? It’s Dad.” Twisting the knob, Charlie pushed the door open, peering inside. He could see the outline of his daughter under the covers, completely immersed. However, she stirred slightly; she was awake.
His hang gripped the door’s edge. “Don’t worry about getting ready for school; I already called and told them you won’t be coming in,” he stated, his voice low.
She made no response.
He sighed, looking away. “Just get some rest. We can talk later… if you want.” His efforts were met with more silence.
Giving up, Charlie closed the door and walked to his own bedroom.
*
“I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t there was a problem, but…” Charlie trailed off, closing the front door behind him. He rubbed his moustache with his hand, looking away.
Renee stood in the living room, her flowery bag over her shoulder. Squeezing the strap of her bag, she gave a forced smile. “Charlie, you don’t have to make excuses.” Peeking up the staircase, she began climbing it, reaching the top quickly.
Charlie followed behind awkwardly. After all those years, he still loved her; perhaps not as much as he once had, but it still stung his chest, seeing her back in the house they once shared.
Arriving at Bella’s doorway, Charlie stepped inside.
“… Jacksonville is a lot like Phoenix; I’m not just saying that! The only difference is that there’s no desert! There are tons of beaches, so once hurricane season is over with- by the way, we’re in the middle of it, just so you know- we’ll try some new activities!” Renee prattled on, digging through the closet in the room.
Charlie sighed; half the women in town tried inane chatter on Bella and it hadn’t worked before. He looked at his daughter; she was sitting on her unmade bed, her brown hair in a careless ponytail. She was wearing a new set of sweat clothes. While waiting for Renee, Sue Clearwater had come over to bathe and change her, for which he was absolutely grateful for.
“Aha!” In her hands was a large, black luggage bag, its small wheels rotating slowly as Renee nicked it on the closet door. She placed it on the floor, zipping it open. With a sigh, she moved to the dresser, opening the first draw. “Charlie, if I pass you clothes, could you pack?”
Placing his hands on his waist, Charlie stared at the luggage and Renee, going back and forth between the two. Finally, he kneeled near it, he hand outstretched. “Start passing them over.”
Renee dug through the draw, her hands filled with clean underwear. “I’ll put this away,” she mumbled, placing it in one corner. That was fine by Charlie; it was his personal policy to never go through other people’s underwear, anyway. She handed him over several sets of socks, which he sat right next to the underwear.
Closing the top drawer, she moved onto the next. Renee pulled out several shirts, inspecting them briefly. “I’m glad she kept her Arizona clothes; Forks weather does not enable humid fashion.” Charlie took them from her hand, folding them hastily.
“Jeans- well, that’s all you wore in Phoenix, I suppose you can get away with it in-”
“NO!”
Charlie almost fell over backwards. Bella stood near him, her face flushed red; it was the first color he had seen in her face in over a week. Her brown eyes flickered back and forth between him and Renee before focusing on something. Stepping past him, she grabbed the pair of jeans from Renee’s hand and threw it on her floor.
“I won’t go!” She shouted, glaring at her mother. Bella slammed the open dresser draw shut, her hand pounding against the wood two more times. She turned around, breathing heavily. Looking down, she concentrated on the suitcase, already half filled. With a sharp cry, she grabbed the handle of the luggage, tilting it over and allowing her clothes to fall out. She tossed it aside, the bag hitting the wall near her bed with a thud.
Bella bent over, grabbing whichever piece of clothing was in front of her. “I swear I won’t; you can’t make me!” She hiccupped, pausing as she grabbed a dark blue tank top; her hand was shaking, balled completely into a fist. Bella dropped to her knees, allowing the bits of underwear and shirts to cover her lap.
Breathing out, Charlie approached her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. “Bella?”
She turned to him, her eyes glossed over and her lower lip quivering. “Please don’t make me go, Dad. I wanna stay- I can’t leave Forks!” She whispered, her voice breaking. “I promise I’ll behave; just let me stay!”
Bella lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her father. Burying her face into his shoulder, she began bawling, her tears dampening his flannel shirt. Her small hands gripped the thick material, twisting as she let out a fresh sob.
Charlie felt his jaw drop, his body too shocked to react. He raised his hand, but hesitated. Slowly, he began patting the back of her head, his fingers running briefly through her hair. Her petite body trembled from her bawls, her voice growing raspy.
Looking over, Charlie met eyes with Renee. She was crying silently, her mascara running around her eyes. Bella was never temperamental; in fact, Charlie’s friends had often told him that she was the most even tempered child they ever came across. But it was different this time, very different.
“You know she’ll be waiting for him to come back,” Renee croaked. She rubbed away her tears, leaving short, black streaks.
Charlie nodded his head, glancing at his daughter. “I know. I don’t like it, but if that keeps her going until she’s ready to move on, I’ll deal with it.” He sighed, exhausted. “I swear, if she doesn’t get any better, I’ll call you right away.”
Closing her eyes, Renee bit her lip. “I know.”
Bella’s screech redirected their attention. Charlie stared at her as she continued her sobs into his chest, even as she had nothing left to cry out.
October
Knock, knock, knock!
“Trick or treat!”
Charlie half smiled as he opened the door; four trick-or-treaters stood outside, holding open pillow cases. They were no older than ten and behind them, Charlie could see Mrs. O’Neil standing near the mailbox, watching over them.
Grabbing the bowl of candy, he first observed all of the children. “Well, what do we have here? Batman, a little witch, a fairy princess, and a vampire; ain’t that something!” Charlie looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Bells, come see the little visitors!”
Sitting in the living room, Bella sat on the couch, staring at the television. Her eyes concentrated on the program. He knew immediately that she wasn’t really watching. Charlie had left ESPN on; she hated sports.
Placing her hand on the arm, she stood up, walking over toward him. As Bella reached the door, the trick-or-treaters howled their greeting once again. Her eyes widened as she studied them, her hand grasping the doorway.
“That’s um… they’re really… Yeah,” she stuttered, stepping backward. Bella left Charlie and the trick-or-treaters there, running up the stairs.
Turning back to the kids at the door, Charlie chuckled. “Well, you all scared the living daylights out of her! I guess you deserve some candy for that!” Digging into the bowl of assorted candy, he put two in each bag, earning a ‘thank you’ from each kid. They ran from the door, darting for the next house.
Charlie shut the door, placing the bowl back in its original place. He didn’t know what would set her off anymore. But he knew well enough to let her be; she had come that far out of daze and he couldn’t risk her sinking back any further.
He glanced up the stairs before returning to the living room, letting her be.
November
“It’s been two months; I’d thought she’d be better by now,” Charlie lamented, sipping from his water canteen. He sat on the damp dock, his fishing line floating in the calm lake water.
Sitting next to him was Billy Black, his red flannel blanket placed over his lap. He stared at the lake where his own line was sunk in. “People handle grief differently. Even if it takes a little longer than expected, its better that she has her first break up now, while she can get over it.”
Charlie remained silent, half ignoring his friend. He appreciated Sam and the rest of the Quileutes’ help during ‘the incident,’ but he was quickly losing patience. Bella was numb to everything now. Charlie had tried breaking through before, with no success. He had relayed his woes to Billy, but after everything, Billy was so… nonchalant about it; he expressed sympathy, but Charlie couldn’t help but feel that Billy was concealing something from him.
“Still, she could at least try to move on. All she does is do her homework, eat, and sleep. It just ain’t right.” Charlie readjusted himself, straightening his back. Lifting his head, he turned toward Harry Clearwater, who sat on the other side of Billy. “Say Harry, when Leah went through her break up, how did she cope?”
Harry groaned, rubbing his forehead. “It was a while ago, but uh… she wasn’t like this- not even a little. She cried a lot the first couple of weeks. Then, she was just… angry; Sue was going to the school twice a week because she was lashing out at teachers. But her friends were always taking her out, and now, she’s more like her old self. Not completely, but better than it was,” he explained.
Charlie nodded. He remembered their break up very clearly; Sue was furious and made sure everyone at La Push knew it. Sam Uley had left Leah for her second cousin and best friend, Emily. The poor girl now was shunned by the Clearwaters, and Harry only associated with Sam when he had to. The smoke never cleared from that affair.
“Sue was really her backbone. She set her right when things were at their worse. It’s hard for a father to do anything. You’re a guy; right now, you’re the enemy,” Harry continued, reeling in his line slowly.
Grabbing his canteen again, Charlie shook his head. “That was the first thing I tried; Bella wouldn’t have it. Begged me not to send her away. Renee couldn’t stay here; she’s got a life in Jacksonville. She’s ignoring her friends; some have stopped calling. I’m running out of ideas.” He sipped the cool water before placing the cap back on again.
Billy took off his black hat, tossing his hair back before placing it back on. “Leah and Bella are two completely different girls; while Bella withdraws, Leah lashes out. If I remember correctly, it still took Leah several months to move on.” He turned to Charlie, giving a tight smile. “You’re overreacting. She’ll pull through.”
Reeling his own line in, Charlie thought to himself. It had taken Leah awhile to move on from the break up, but her trouble with school had gone away. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the girl still had problems. He almost wanted Bella to act out like that, to show some sort of life. It was hard enough raising a daughter. Lately, he looked at it like raising a robot.
Charlie pushed himself up, standing on the deck. Arching back, he casted his line in again, the orange floater bobbing up and down.
December
The phone was ringing as soon as Charlie entered the house. Dropping his keys on the table, he rushed for the phone. He picked it up by the fourth ring.
“H-hello?” He stuttered, unzipping his jacket.
“Hi, Chief Swan, it’s Jessica. Is Bella there?” Charlie mustered a smile; she and her other friends from school had been calling every day since ‘the incident’. He had seen Bella’s Chevy outside; she had to be home.
“Er, just one moment, Jessica,” he apologized, placing the phone down. Charlie stomped up the stairs, walking directly to Bella’s room.
He knocked. “Bell, you there?” He opened the door before he could get an answer; Bella never gave him a response anymore. Just as he thought, she was sitting at her desk, her chemistry book and notes spread out in front of her. She paid him no mind, punching numbers into her calculator and scribbling down the results.
Charlie stepped into the room. “Bella, Jessica’s on the phone,” he announced, hoping to gain her attention.
Flipping several pages of her textbook, she continued to jot down notes. “I’m busy,” she mumbled, never looking up.
“Doing homework, which I can’t damn you for,” he began, looking out her window before turning back to her. “But it won’t kill you to spend some time with your friends.”
Bella turned the page of her notebook, adjusting it before concentrating on the text. “Tell her I’m busy, Dad.”
Turning around, he closed the door behind him and made his way down the stairs. Charlie didn’t see why he even bothered; it was the same answer every time. Returning to the kitchen, he picked up the phone.
“Er, Jessica, she’s caught up in something right now. She’ll give a call back later, okay?”
There was a tense pause from over the line. “Of course she will,” she replied quietly, her voice strained. “Thanks, Chief Swan.” Within a moment, Charlie heard dead air.
Hanging up the phone, he considered going back up to Bella’s room. If she wasn’t even taking her friends’ phone calls, he doubted that she was spending time with them at all. Charlie didn’t like it one bit; it wasn’t right for a girl her age to be so… isolated from everyone.
He stopped himself as he reached the threshold of the kitchen. The image of her breaking down just a month ago was still fresh in his mind. Her sobs still rang in his ear and he couldn’t even look at the shirt she cried into anymore, let alone wear. If he pushed her, she could break.
“Just a little more time,” Charlie said to himself. She was his daughter after all; she would come through.
Grabbing his keys from the table, he left the kitchen and headed for his room.
January
Charlie shivered as he walked outside, the chill air tightening his muscles. In his hand was a large garbage bag, hanging inches above the wet ground. Tomorrow morning was garbage day; he’d be damned if he missed that one more time.
Approaching the large, yellow can, he undid the seals. He had finally grown tired of the bears getting into the garbage and dragging trash through the backyard and coughed up the sixty dollars for the bear-proof can. It was the best chunk of change he ever spent.
He opened it, taking the lid off and placing it on the side. As he lifted the bag, Charlie raised his eyebrows; at the bottom of the can were CDs- several of them, broken into jagged pieces that glinted in the dull light. Placing the bag down, he reached inside, grabbing one of the plastic cases. He recognized it immediately; it was the CD Renee gave Bella for Christmas, one of the many presents she sent. It was “her favorite,” he remembered her stating over the phone. And here it was, shattered in the garbage.
It was also Edward’s favorite band; no one had to tell Charlie that. It reminded her of him, so she had to get rid of it. She wasn’t dealing at all; she was avoiding, even if it meant throwing away gifts from her own mother.
Throwing it back inside, Charlie picked up the trash bag and placed it in. He put the lid on it and closed it shut. Pushing the can aside, he marched back into the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
February
Charlie sipped his hot coffee from his mug, attempting to concentrate on the newspaper in front of him; he had been trying for the past fifteen minutes. Nothing in the headlines caught his attention; even if something did, he wouldn’t have noticed.
Looking up, he watched Bella eat her cereal quietly, the milk swishing slightly. She did everything quietly, bothering no one. There was the problem. She didn’t do anything anymore. No one called the house anymore, no one for her, at least. There was no conflict, no talking, no anything. She wasn’t living, as far as he was concerned; she was existing.
And it was all his fault. Charlie groaned as he thought of the instigator of everything. Edward Cullen was trouble the moment he entered their lives. He liked the others well enough; they never caused him any problems. That was, except Edward. Charlie hated himself for falling for the boy’s charms; he was all smiles and manners in public, but he had no idea what went on with he and Bella behind closed doors. But it was enough that she was now a zombie, being pulled along only by the currents.
Charlie felt his hand curl into a fist. He realized he was shaking, sweat building up between his fingers; he was agitated, and justly so. Pulling his hand away from the mug, he felt his hand come down against the table with a loud slam.
Enough was enough.
*
Fin.
Author:
hola_meg_a_cola
Character/s: Charlie
Rating: PG
Summary:
the_gazebo prompt. From the time Bella goes catatonic to when she wakes up, all following Charlie.
Setting: During New Moon.
Author’s Notes: I never thought I'd write a Twilight fan fiction. Well, here it is! I hope I did Charlie some justice. Also, I don't own any characters; they all belong to SMeyer, unfortunately.
*
Charlie sat on the living room couch, his entire body sunk into the cushions. The television’s bright lights flickered across his face, the only source of light in the dark room. Sipping from his can of Coke, he watched the replay of the Seattle Mariners game from yesterday afternoon. They had lost the game that mattered- again.
Sighing, he looked to the small house’s windows. Faint streams of light began streaming through the curtains. Charlie glanced at his watch: it was 5:34 am. Normally, he’d be awake at this time, heading off to work. But not today; he had already taken a personal day. The boys understood.
He picked up the remote and began changing channels, looking for some other distraction. Finally, he settled on some 80’s action flick, explosions immediately emitting from the speakers. Charlie was sure he had seen this movie at least a dozen times, but it didn’t matter. His mind was filled with other, more important thoughts.
“No good bastard,” he muttered, adjusting his position on the couch. He was glad that Bella’s relationship with Edward Cullen was over, to put it mildly; the boy was trouble, even if he was being reared by two good people. It hadn’t happened like he had hoped; it didn’t take much to figure out that Edward didn’t even tell Bella that Carlisle had taken another job in Los Angeles. All at once, everything had come out. Charlie couldn’t blame his daughter for being as distraught as she was.
Checking the time again, Charlie saw that it was already 6:01 am. Placing his hands against the cushion, he pushed himself up, walking into the kitchen. He took the phone off the hook and stepped to the refrigerator; under an apple shaped magnet was a small, white paper labeled Forks High #. Under its title, it read the school’s phone number, written in Bella’s curly script.
Pressing the numbers in with his index finger, Charlie held the phone to his ear. It rang once, twice-
“Good morning, Forks High School. This is Mrs. Cope speaking.”
Charlie cleared his throat. “Hi, Ann, it’s Chief Swan. I just wanted to-”
“Oh, Charlie! I heard all about it! How is Bella doing? Has she been hurt? Where did they find her?” Mrs. Cope asked, her high alto voice too loud for him that early.
“We, er, we found her only a few hours ago, out back in the woods. She’s been sleeping since we got her home, but Dr. Gerandy took a look at her and said she’s fine. But, um, even if she is physically fine, I think it would be too much excitement for her to go right back to class. So, uh, she won’t be in today.”
“Well, of course not! Poor thing!” She replied. Charlie could hear her bracelets jingle over the phone. “You make sure she doesn’t come back until she’s ready. Losing your boyfriend because of distance- it breaks my heart!”
Charlie nodded. “Mine, too,” he said facetiously, his hand now on his belt. Quite frankly, he was more concerned with her being lost, but what did he know? “You have a good day, Ann.”
“Oh, you, too! Tell Bella that everyone-”
Charlie ended the call before Mrs. Cope could finish. He hated his family being the target of gossip; they had been so since Renee left years before. Whether she thought of the gossip hounds, it didn’t really matter at that point. But Bella was now fresh on everyone’s minds. It would satisfy them for about a week.
Hanging up the phone, Charlie walked out of the kitchen and up the staircase, keeping as quiet as possible. At the top, he moved towards Bella’s door. He placed his ear against it: silence. For any other kid, that meant they were sleeping; that didn’t apply to Bella. She could’ve been up already, for all he knew.
Still, he rapped his knuckles lightly against the wood. “Bells? It’s Dad.” Twisting the knob, Charlie pushed the door open, peering inside. He could see the outline of his daughter under the covers, completely immersed. However, she stirred slightly; she was awake.
His hang gripped the door’s edge. “Don’t worry about getting ready for school; I already called and told them you won’t be coming in,” he stated, his voice low.
She made no response.
He sighed, looking away. “Just get some rest. We can talk later… if you want.” His efforts were met with more silence.
Giving up, Charlie closed the door and walked to his own bedroom.
*
“I wouldn’t have called you if I didn’t there was a problem, but…” Charlie trailed off, closing the front door behind him. He rubbed his moustache with his hand, looking away.
Renee stood in the living room, her flowery bag over her shoulder. Squeezing the strap of her bag, she gave a forced smile. “Charlie, you don’t have to make excuses.” Peeking up the staircase, she began climbing it, reaching the top quickly.
Charlie followed behind awkwardly. After all those years, he still loved her; perhaps not as much as he once had, but it still stung his chest, seeing her back in the house they once shared.
Arriving at Bella’s doorway, Charlie stepped inside.
“… Jacksonville is a lot like Phoenix; I’m not just saying that! The only difference is that there’s no desert! There are tons of beaches, so once hurricane season is over with- by the way, we’re in the middle of it, just so you know- we’ll try some new activities!” Renee prattled on, digging through the closet in the room.
Charlie sighed; half the women in town tried inane chatter on Bella and it hadn’t worked before. He looked at his daughter; she was sitting on her unmade bed, her brown hair in a careless ponytail. She was wearing a new set of sweat clothes. While waiting for Renee, Sue Clearwater had come over to bathe and change her, for which he was absolutely grateful for.
“Aha!” In her hands was a large, black luggage bag, its small wheels rotating slowly as Renee nicked it on the closet door. She placed it on the floor, zipping it open. With a sigh, she moved to the dresser, opening the first draw. “Charlie, if I pass you clothes, could you pack?”
Placing his hands on his waist, Charlie stared at the luggage and Renee, going back and forth between the two. Finally, he kneeled near it, he hand outstretched. “Start passing them over.”
Renee dug through the draw, her hands filled with clean underwear. “I’ll put this away,” she mumbled, placing it in one corner. That was fine by Charlie; it was his personal policy to never go through other people’s underwear, anyway. She handed him over several sets of socks, which he sat right next to the underwear.
Closing the top drawer, she moved onto the next. Renee pulled out several shirts, inspecting them briefly. “I’m glad she kept her Arizona clothes; Forks weather does not enable humid fashion.” Charlie took them from her hand, folding them hastily.
“Jeans- well, that’s all you wore in Phoenix, I suppose you can get away with it in-”
“NO!”
Charlie almost fell over backwards. Bella stood near him, her face flushed red; it was the first color he had seen in her face in over a week. Her brown eyes flickered back and forth between him and Renee before focusing on something. Stepping past him, she grabbed the pair of jeans from Renee’s hand and threw it on her floor.
“I won’t go!” She shouted, glaring at her mother. Bella slammed the open dresser draw shut, her hand pounding against the wood two more times. She turned around, breathing heavily. Looking down, she concentrated on the suitcase, already half filled. With a sharp cry, she grabbed the handle of the luggage, tilting it over and allowing her clothes to fall out. She tossed it aside, the bag hitting the wall near her bed with a thud.
Bella bent over, grabbing whichever piece of clothing was in front of her. “I swear I won’t; you can’t make me!” She hiccupped, pausing as she grabbed a dark blue tank top; her hand was shaking, balled completely into a fist. Bella dropped to her knees, allowing the bits of underwear and shirts to cover her lap.
Breathing out, Charlie approached her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. “Bella?”
She turned to him, her eyes glossed over and her lower lip quivering. “Please don’t make me go, Dad. I wanna stay- I can’t leave Forks!” She whispered, her voice breaking. “I promise I’ll behave; just let me stay!”
Bella lunged forward, wrapping her arms around her father. Burying her face into his shoulder, she began bawling, her tears dampening his flannel shirt. Her small hands gripped the thick material, twisting as she let out a fresh sob.
Charlie felt his jaw drop, his body too shocked to react. He raised his hand, but hesitated. Slowly, he began patting the back of her head, his fingers running briefly through her hair. Her petite body trembled from her bawls, her voice growing raspy.
Looking over, Charlie met eyes with Renee. She was crying silently, her mascara running around her eyes. Bella was never temperamental; in fact, Charlie’s friends had often told him that she was the most even tempered child they ever came across. But it was different this time, very different.
“You know she’ll be waiting for him to come back,” Renee croaked. She rubbed away her tears, leaving short, black streaks.
Charlie nodded his head, glancing at his daughter. “I know. I don’t like it, but if that keeps her going until she’s ready to move on, I’ll deal with it.” He sighed, exhausted. “I swear, if she doesn’t get any better, I’ll call you right away.”
Closing her eyes, Renee bit her lip. “I know.”
Bella’s screech redirected their attention. Charlie stared at her as she continued her sobs into his chest, even as she had nothing left to cry out.
October
Knock, knock, knock!
“Trick or treat!”
Charlie half smiled as he opened the door; four trick-or-treaters stood outside, holding open pillow cases. They were no older than ten and behind them, Charlie could see Mrs. O’Neil standing near the mailbox, watching over them.
Grabbing the bowl of candy, he first observed all of the children. “Well, what do we have here? Batman, a little witch, a fairy princess, and a vampire; ain’t that something!” Charlie looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Bells, come see the little visitors!”
Sitting in the living room, Bella sat on the couch, staring at the television. Her eyes concentrated on the program. He knew immediately that she wasn’t really watching. Charlie had left ESPN on; she hated sports.
Placing her hand on the arm, she stood up, walking over toward him. As Bella reached the door, the trick-or-treaters howled their greeting once again. Her eyes widened as she studied them, her hand grasping the doorway.
“That’s um… they’re really… Yeah,” she stuttered, stepping backward. Bella left Charlie and the trick-or-treaters there, running up the stairs.
Turning back to the kids at the door, Charlie chuckled. “Well, you all scared the living daylights out of her! I guess you deserve some candy for that!” Digging into the bowl of assorted candy, he put two in each bag, earning a ‘thank you’ from each kid. They ran from the door, darting for the next house.
Charlie shut the door, placing the bowl back in its original place. He didn’t know what would set her off anymore. But he knew well enough to let her be; she had come that far out of daze and he couldn’t risk her sinking back any further.
He glanced up the stairs before returning to the living room, letting her be.
November
“It’s been two months; I’d thought she’d be better by now,” Charlie lamented, sipping from his water canteen. He sat on the damp dock, his fishing line floating in the calm lake water.
Sitting next to him was Billy Black, his red flannel blanket placed over his lap. He stared at the lake where his own line was sunk in. “People handle grief differently. Even if it takes a little longer than expected, its better that she has her first break up now, while she can get over it.”
Charlie remained silent, half ignoring his friend. He appreciated Sam and the rest of the Quileutes’ help during ‘the incident,’ but he was quickly losing patience. Bella was numb to everything now. Charlie had tried breaking through before, with no success. He had relayed his woes to Billy, but after everything, Billy was so… nonchalant about it; he expressed sympathy, but Charlie couldn’t help but feel that Billy was concealing something from him.
“Still, she could at least try to move on. All she does is do her homework, eat, and sleep. It just ain’t right.” Charlie readjusted himself, straightening his back. Lifting his head, he turned toward Harry Clearwater, who sat on the other side of Billy. “Say Harry, when Leah went through her break up, how did she cope?”
Harry groaned, rubbing his forehead. “It was a while ago, but uh… she wasn’t like this- not even a little. She cried a lot the first couple of weeks. Then, she was just… angry; Sue was going to the school twice a week because she was lashing out at teachers. But her friends were always taking her out, and now, she’s more like her old self. Not completely, but better than it was,” he explained.
Charlie nodded. He remembered their break up very clearly; Sue was furious and made sure everyone at La Push knew it. Sam Uley had left Leah for her second cousin and best friend, Emily. The poor girl now was shunned by the Clearwaters, and Harry only associated with Sam when he had to. The smoke never cleared from that affair.
“Sue was really her backbone. She set her right when things were at their worse. It’s hard for a father to do anything. You’re a guy; right now, you’re the enemy,” Harry continued, reeling in his line slowly.
Grabbing his canteen again, Charlie shook his head. “That was the first thing I tried; Bella wouldn’t have it. Begged me not to send her away. Renee couldn’t stay here; she’s got a life in Jacksonville. She’s ignoring her friends; some have stopped calling. I’m running out of ideas.” He sipped the cool water before placing the cap back on again.
Billy took off his black hat, tossing his hair back before placing it back on. “Leah and Bella are two completely different girls; while Bella withdraws, Leah lashes out. If I remember correctly, it still took Leah several months to move on.” He turned to Charlie, giving a tight smile. “You’re overreacting. She’ll pull through.”
Reeling his own line in, Charlie thought to himself. It had taken Leah awhile to move on from the break up, but her trouble with school had gone away. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the girl still had problems. He almost wanted Bella to act out like that, to show some sort of life. It was hard enough raising a daughter. Lately, he looked at it like raising a robot.
Charlie pushed himself up, standing on the deck. Arching back, he casted his line in again, the orange floater bobbing up and down.
December
The phone was ringing as soon as Charlie entered the house. Dropping his keys on the table, he rushed for the phone. He picked it up by the fourth ring.
“H-hello?” He stuttered, unzipping his jacket.
“Hi, Chief Swan, it’s Jessica. Is Bella there?” Charlie mustered a smile; she and her other friends from school had been calling every day since ‘the incident’. He had seen Bella’s Chevy outside; she had to be home.
“Er, just one moment, Jessica,” he apologized, placing the phone down. Charlie stomped up the stairs, walking directly to Bella’s room.
He knocked. “Bell, you there?” He opened the door before he could get an answer; Bella never gave him a response anymore. Just as he thought, she was sitting at her desk, her chemistry book and notes spread out in front of her. She paid him no mind, punching numbers into her calculator and scribbling down the results.
Charlie stepped into the room. “Bella, Jessica’s on the phone,” he announced, hoping to gain her attention.
Flipping several pages of her textbook, she continued to jot down notes. “I’m busy,” she mumbled, never looking up.
“Doing homework, which I can’t damn you for,” he began, looking out her window before turning back to her. “But it won’t kill you to spend some time with your friends.”
Bella turned the page of her notebook, adjusting it before concentrating on the text. “Tell her I’m busy, Dad.”
Turning around, he closed the door behind him and made his way down the stairs. Charlie didn’t see why he even bothered; it was the same answer every time. Returning to the kitchen, he picked up the phone.
“Er, Jessica, she’s caught up in something right now. She’ll give a call back later, okay?”
There was a tense pause from over the line. “Of course she will,” she replied quietly, her voice strained. “Thanks, Chief Swan.” Within a moment, Charlie heard dead air.
Hanging up the phone, he considered going back up to Bella’s room. If she wasn’t even taking her friends’ phone calls, he doubted that she was spending time with them at all. Charlie didn’t like it one bit; it wasn’t right for a girl her age to be so… isolated from everyone.
He stopped himself as he reached the threshold of the kitchen. The image of her breaking down just a month ago was still fresh in his mind. Her sobs still rang in his ear and he couldn’t even look at the shirt she cried into anymore, let alone wear. If he pushed her, she could break.
“Just a little more time,” Charlie said to himself. She was his daughter after all; she would come through.
Grabbing his keys from the table, he left the kitchen and headed for his room.
January
Charlie shivered as he walked outside, the chill air tightening his muscles. In his hand was a large garbage bag, hanging inches above the wet ground. Tomorrow morning was garbage day; he’d be damned if he missed that one more time.
Approaching the large, yellow can, he undid the seals. He had finally grown tired of the bears getting into the garbage and dragging trash through the backyard and coughed up the sixty dollars for the bear-proof can. It was the best chunk of change he ever spent.
He opened it, taking the lid off and placing it on the side. As he lifted the bag, Charlie raised his eyebrows; at the bottom of the can were CDs- several of them, broken into jagged pieces that glinted in the dull light. Placing the bag down, he reached inside, grabbing one of the plastic cases. He recognized it immediately; it was the CD Renee gave Bella for Christmas, one of the many presents she sent. It was “her favorite,” he remembered her stating over the phone. And here it was, shattered in the garbage.
It was also Edward’s favorite band; no one had to tell Charlie that. It reminded her of him, so she had to get rid of it. She wasn’t dealing at all; she was avoiding, even if it meant throwing away gifts from her own mother.
Throwing it back inside, Charlie picked up the trash bag and placed it in. He put the lid on it and closed it shut. Pushing the can aside, he marched back into the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
February
Charlie sipped his hot coffee from his mug, attempting to concentrate on the newspaper in front of him; he had been trying for the past fifteen minutes. Nothing in the headlines caught his attention; even if something did, he wouldn’t have noticed.
Looking up, he watched Bella eat her cereal quietly, the milk swishing slightly. She did everything quietly, bothering no one. There was the problem. She didn’t do anything anymore. No one called the house anymore, no one for her, at least. There was no conflict, no talking, no anything. She wasn’t living, as far as he was concerned; she was existing.
And it was all his fault. Charlie groaned as he thought of the instigator of everything. Edward Cullen was trouble the moment he entered their lives. He liked the others well enough; they never caused him any problems. That was, except Edward. Charlie hated himself for falling for the boy’s charms; he was all smiles and manners in public, but he had no idea what went on with he and Bella behind closed doors. But it was enough that she was now a zombie, being pulled along only by the currents.
Charlie felt his hand curl into a fist. He realized he was shaking, sweat building up between his fingers; he was agitated, and justly so. Pulling his hand away from the mug, he felt his hand come down against the table with a loud slam.
Enough was enough.
*
Fin.