WHERE I BELONG [P. LAHOTE]

[06]

"You're getting on the death machine first," Skylar said, backing away from the bike. "Okay," Bella replied as she slid on the bike.

"You look scared," Jake teased.

"I'm not," Bella defended.

Skylar watched as Jake taught Bella the controls, trying to remember them for when she rode. Afterwards, Bella revved the engine. "Ready?" Jake asked. "Now, slowly release the clutch."

Watching the bike jump forward, Skylar followed. "Bella? You okay?"

"I'm gonna go again," Bella said, gunning the engine once more, the bike hurdling forward. Skylar grabbed Jake's hand as Bella sped down the path, looking back occasionally.

"Hit the brake!" Jake shouted just as Bella was thrown of, spinning on the ground until she hit a rock. He jumped up on the other bike, telling Skylar to quickly hop on. Wrapping her arms around his midsection, they raced forward until they met Bella. Hopping of the bike, Skylar ran to her sister. "Are you okay? Bella?"

"I wanna go again," she mumbled. "Are you trying to die?" Skylar exclaimed.

"No. I want to go again," Bella repeated. "No. Forget it," Jake agreed. "No more bikes... Man, your head."

As if Bella just realized she was hurt, she raised her hand up to the wound. "Ow. Oh, my God, I'm sorry."

"You're sorry for bleeding, Bells?" Skylar joked. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Well, it's just blood, Bella," Jake said as he stood up. "No big deal." Taking off his shirt, Skylar raised her eyebrows as he revealed a serious six pack. Squatting back down, he pressed the shirt to her bleeding head. "What are you staring at?"

Bella stared some more before answering, "You're sort of beautiful." Skylar looked between the two before standing up. Walking over to the fallen dirt bike, she picked it up and pretended to observe it, letting the two of them talk.

***

"I really did see something in the woods," Angela said. Eric grabbed her hand, "Totally. Baby, I believe you."

"No, he doesn't. He's just trying to get lucky," Jessica said, making Skylar laugh. Angela continued talking. "No, okay. It was jet black and huge. On all fours, it was still taller than a person." Skylar leaned forward. "A bear?"

Mike pointed, "Or an alien. You're lucky you didn't get probed." Skylar snickered, stopping when she noticed Bella, surprised. Even though Bella was getting better, she still sat by herself at the Cullen's lunch table. Or she did.

"You know, you're not the only one," Bella said, sitting down beside Skylar. "Our dad's been getting reports at the station. Like, five hikers have been killed by some bear... but they can't find the bear." The table sat in silence for a moment before Eric awkwardly laughed. "Last time you clowns doubt my girlfriend."

Skylar continued to joke with Eric and Angela while she let Mike and Bella talk. Thinking back on it, she had been doing that a lot lately. World's biggest third wheel.

"Do you guys want to go see Face Punch?" Bella asked the group. "Face Punch, yeah!" Eric exclaimed. "Mike, hey, we were supposed to watch that. Remember, the trailer's like... "He trailed off, making punching motions, "Punch faces."

"Yeah!" Jessica said. "Movie night with Bella.

Turns out, move night with Bella consisted of Bella, herself, Jake, and Mike. Skylar was standing outside with Jake and Mike, but eventually the silence just became too awkward and she went to go find Bella.

Spotting her, Bella motioned her sister over. "It's just us four," she said, heading back towards the main entrance. Skylar rolled her eyes. Great. She was stuck with two boys that liked her sister. Here we go with the whole third wheel thing again.

The movie wasn't bad. It wasn't by any means good. But at least she could stomach all the blood and gore. Mike couldn't. That's how Jake and Bella ended up beside the men's bathroom while Skylar 'refilled the popcorn.' Honestly, being the single one out really sucked. She could either awkwardly stand by herself or awkwardly stand by the pair while they flirted.

Looking back, she saw Jake storm out. Mike and Bella began to walk towards Skylar slowly. After Mike went his own way, Skylar and Bella got in Bella's truck, both being silent for a minute. "What happened?" Skylar finally asked.

"I-I don't know," Bella stuttered. "He just stormed off." Looking at her twin, Bella continued. "Did I say something?"

Skylar reached across the seat, enveloping her sister in a hug. "Hey, hey. I'm sure it wasn't you." Patting her softly on the back, Skylar said, "He'll come around."

***

The men in Bella's life we really shitty to her sometimes. First Edward left her, now Jacob is ignoring her.

Weeks after the movies, Skylar felt her sister getting bad again. The nightmares had started up again. Mono be damned, Skylar would not let her sister fall back into her depression. So she went to visit Jacob.

Knocking on his door rather loudly, Skylar impatiently waited outside. Billy answered the door, only opening it a crack. "Sky. Jacob's not home right now-"

"Bull. Where is he Billy," Skylar interrupted. Shaking his head, Billy repeated, "He's not home."

"Then where the hell is he?" Skylar asked, tapping her foot.

"He's out, Sky. I'll tell him you stopped by," Billy said, and started to close the door.

Pushing past Billy, she ignored his calls and walked back to Jake's room. Throwing the door open, she scanned the small room, frowning when she didn't see him. Hearing more voices in the main room, she looked around the room again before heading back.

"What the hell happened to him? Where is he?" She asked, interrupting the three men talking, seeing one was Sam but not recognizing the other one. Remembering the conversation Jake had about Sam awhile back, she stared accusingly at him. "Sam?" The said man slowly turned around while the third stood with his back to her.

"Skylar. You need to leave," Sam said slowly. Skylar's jaw clenched. "The hell I am. Where is he?" she repeated. Seeing that Billy was about to talk, she spoke quickly. "Don't tell me to leave, or that he's fine. He's been ignoring us for weeks. Did he get to him?" she asked, pointing at Sam. "Is that what it is? You finally got him to join your little cult?"

The third man began shaking, and slowly turned around. He opened his mouth to say something before his chocolate brown eyes locked with hers.

His whole world stopped.

Jaw slack, he continued to stare at her, not moving or saying a word.

She pursed her lips, and forced herself to break eye contact with the stranger. Trying, and failing, to calm her suddenly beating heart, she searched for words to form as her brain suddenly went blank. "Um... What... What happened to him?" She weakly asked, motioning back towards Jake's room.

Looking towards Sam, she saw him looking between the stranger and herself, eyes wide. Sam shook the stranger by his shoulders and he suddenly became upright and looked at her shocked, then ran out of the door with Sam hot on his heels.

"Sky," Billy said softly, "Go."

Still being unable to form words, Skylar just nodded her head and walked out the door, automatically scanning for the two men. Disappointed when she didn't see anyone, she headed towards her car and started it up, trying to reel in her mind.

What the hell just happened?