The Cullen Project *Editing*

Chapter Two~La Push

Chapter Two
La Push
Elizabeth Carlyle Cullen

The car ride from Port Angeles to Grandpa Charlie's house took just under an hour. We talked the entire time, catching up on each other's lives since we had last talked a week ago. Grandpa kept telling me over and over again how excited he was to have me for another summer.

"I'm happy to be here too, Grands." I promised him. "I look forward to it all year. I may live in Florida, but Forks has always felt like home."

"I'm glad to hear that, Elle." He smiled over at me. After a few moments of silence, he finally confessed "I got you a welcome home gift."

"You didn't!"

"Yeah, I did." He said, obviously very pleased with himself. "I think you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will." I smiled back at him, before turning to look out the window at the dwindling rain.

Just a few minutes later, we pulled into the driveway of my grandfathers small two bedroom house. Immediately, I noticed the large ancient looking truck dominating the yard. Red and rusting and an absolute mammoth of a vehicle, the realization of what I was looking at hit me instantly.

"That's Mom's old truck, isn't it?" I asked Grandpa, remembering it from my dream on the plane.

"Yeah." He said, smiling sadly. "I haven't had the heart to get rid of it in all these years. It's been sitting down at La Push in Jakes garage. I had him fix it up so you'd have something to drive around town, if you'd like."

"You got me a car as a welcome home gift?" I smiled enthusiastically at him.

"No, that's just an added perk." He winked. "Your gift is inside." He ushered me in as he grabbed my luggage.

I walked inside and slid off my shoes by the front door out of habit. Grandpa came in right behind me and hung up his jacket on the coat tree nearby before moving my bags to the base of the stairs. I hung my jacket up as well before following him into the kitchen.

"Pizza sound good?" He asked.

"Always." I agreed, happily.

"Great, I'll get it ordered while you start unpacking." He ushered me away.

I laughed before I grabbed my bags and pulled them up the small flight of stairs.

Unpacking wasn't very difficult. I had plenty of room in the drawers and in the closet to put away my things. When I had finished, I sat on the edge of the bed in order to rest in my all to familiar surroundings.

The room was pretty small, but again, warm and inviting. The walls were light blue, and the curtains were a tattered yellowed lace. There was a comfortable bed with an old quilt folded neatly on the foot of the bed beside me. A desk sat in the corner with a nice looking computer on it, though a very old one sat on the floor next to it, waiting to be dispatched.

This was my mother's room, or, at least her nursery-turned-high school students room. It was a crushing feeling, to know that I was so close to her and yet so far away.

I sat on the floor and curled up in a ball. I didn't let the tears come. I refused to cry over something I had already cried over a million times. I had to remind myself that I knew I'd see some things that would remind me of her when I came her. This happens every summer. No need to cry every time.

That's when I noticed the floor. It was just plain wooden flooring, but that's not what grabbed my attention. What did was the funny way one of the floorboards was sitting. I frowned at it and went to go lift it up.