Settling (Quil Ateara story)

Start of something good

The next morning, I woke up on my bed room. I assumed Rosalie was the one who brought me.
The only reason I was upset was because the bump on my forehead was now purple, but it was still revealing if I tried to cover it with my hair and I also had to take a shower in this cold weather since I didn't last night. But luckily, Alice already had the heater turned on in there for me.

So I took the hottest shower I could and dreaded the turning off the warm water, and day.

To top it off, it was bad. I missed Edward, the new girl Bella kept starring and I couldn't wait to get away so that I could go back to the reservation and this actually have time to think. I needed my alone time, since I wasn't even there for five minutes yesterday.

By the time school ended and Emmet drove us home. I was quick to leave my backpack in my room and reach for my iPod. There was only one thing that could possibly help me feel better, but I wasn't counting on it. And I was right.

Once I had parked my car and been sitting further away from the shore then the day before, I knew I was right. The only thing that usually helped me feel better was Chopin:13. Nocturne OP.9 No.2 or any other kind of music, preferably listening to Edward play the piano.

If it wasn't that getting me through the day, it was re-reading my favorite book Because of Winn-Dixie. Something about this book cheered me up, but not today. I wanted Edward back. So I just put on my headphones, not listening to anything but the waves.

"Hey." Came a voice from behind me.

"Hey yourself." I answered when I turned to see Jacob with two other guys taking a seat in front of me. One of them was scrawny with shoulder length hair, while the other one actually had short hair with a cute face.

"He's the one that hit you yesterday." The scrawny kid pointed at the guy with short hair, which only made me scoff as I pulled of my earphones.

"Thank you for that." I turned to the cute one and pulled off my hoodie and movies my hair out of my face to reveal the bruise he gave me. "I had the school talking about me, so thank you very much."

"I'm really am sorry about that...I'm Quil by the way."

"Gertie." I looked up from my sandy hands and smiled at him.

"I'm Embry." The scrawny one answered, but I wasn't really listening. Quil and I were having mine of those moment where we stare for a while and look away, but look again.

Jacob sat there looking at me not understanding why it was so easy for his friend to get my name, but yesterday when he asked me, I ignored him.

"Gertie? I've never heard of that name." Embry spoke up after a long silence.

"Of course you haven't that just a nickname. My actual name is ridiculous."

"Your name is ridiculous?"

"Are you stupid? Who would name their kid that? My name is Gertrude." I answered Embry.

"Gertrude. That's a beautiful name. Very unique." Quil answered.

But it only made things awkward. The fact that I couldn't look away from him made things uncomfortable, and when I looked away or when he looked away from me it was even more embarrassing because Jacob and Embry where there.

"I should go." I laughed more to myself as I threw my hoodie back on and then walked towards my car.

"Wait. Will I see you again?" Quil followed me to my car.

"Maybe."

"So- "

"I'll come back tomorrow." I smiled as I got into my car and started it.

"How do I know you're not lying or just making me feel stupid?"

"One, your cute and second, I'll have to come back for my signed copy of my favorite book." I smiled as I put it in his hands.

"This is a children's book."

"I know, but it's my favorite."

"How old are you?" He finally asked after he had flipped the book open to the page that was signed.

"I'll be fifteen in two months."

"Fourteen? You're fourteen? You seemed like you were a lot older minutes ago."

"Does that mean you don't want to see me tomorrow?" I asked him with a raised eye brow.

"No, Yes. No. My final answer is no." He handed me my book which only made me laugh.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Quil." I smiled one more time before driving off to the small diner I always went to eat diner, since the stove in our kitchen was never used. Today, I went with a small garden salad and peach cobbler. For some reason, I just came back to thinking about that kid. He was a cutie but I knew I shouldn't be thinking of him.

By the time I was finished eating and paying Sue  with a good hug and a goodnight like I did every night before going home, I arrived to an Edward less house again.