Turn Scars to Stars [2]

Take Off

THAT PICTURE OF JASPER ON A MOTORCYCLE MAKES ME SWOON😍

This is my fave chapter so far, and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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A horrible imitation of a rooster crowing woke Melaina up the next morning. She whipped her arm out of her warm cocoon of blankets to whack Emmett who was hovering over her, but of course, he dodged her swing and laughed at her weak attempt. "Have to be faster than that, baby sis."

Mel groaned and mumbled some sleepy gibberish.

"'The sun is shining! The tank is clean--gasp! The tank is clean!'"

Melaina regretted having Emmett watch Disney's Finding Nemo with her. He had been quoting the movie ever since.

"Come on, shark bait. Time to get up." He yanked her blankets off and goosebumps instantly spread across her skin. "We're leaving in ten."

Glaring with tired green-grey eyes, Mel pushed herself into a sitting position. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

Emmett bounced on his feet. Melaina wasn't sure if he was actually excited or just full of his usual positive energy. She glanced at the clock. It was way too early for her to be functioning or for Emmett to be harassing her. Like, six hours too early.

"Mom has breakfast ready for you. Better come down before she comes up." Despite herself, Mel smiled at how easily her adoptive brother called Esme "mom." She was their mother for all intents-and-purposes.

"I'll be down in a minute," she promised. Times twenty.

~*~

The backseat of Rosalie's bright Convertible held most of Mel's pillows and blankets. She hadn't changed out of her pajamas with the intent on sleeping the day away while Rosalie drove them to their new home.

A large insulated bag sat at Mel's feet as she got comfy in the car. Esme had packed her snacks and drinks for the car ride, so they would only have to stop for Mel to use the bathroom.

Carlisle left first in his Mercedes with his wife. Rosalie, Alice, and Melaina went together. Emmett took his Jeep and Jasper drove on his motorcycle. Money was exchanged in a bet for who would arrive first in Ithaca. Mel placed five dollars on Jasper with his sleek, silver bike that had previously belonged to Edward.

Edward stayed behind to tell Bella that him and his family would never be returning. Mel didn't think that was the right thing to do, but the mind-reader's mind was set. He would make it like the Cullens had never existed. Then Edward would get into his Volvo and leave the love of his life behind in Forks.

~*~

The car was shaking from the speed at which Mel was bouncing her leg up and down. "Do we need to put you with Jasper?" Rosalie asked. Her pretty golden eyes met Melaina's in the rearview mirror.

Mel frowned. "No."

"Then calm down. We have a long day ahead of us. We're not even out of Washington yet."

Driving from Forks, Washington, to Ithaca, New York, should take a normal driver almost two full days of travel. At the vampire's typical driving speed, they were expecting to arrive that night, and Mel believed it was possible. Rosalie had stomped on the gas pedal in her heels before the garage door was fully opened and hadn't slowed or stopped for a moment since.

Alice chatted about everything and nothing at all. Hoping she could sleep a little longer, Melaina put in her M&M's earbuds and tried to listen to music to push away her ever-present anxiety.

~*~

Mel was too awake and anxious to sleep any longer. She got bored trying real fast, which prompted her to sing.

"Ninety-nine bottles of rootbeer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of root beer! Take one down, pass it around... ninety-eight bottles of root beer on the wall..." Mel sang to a gangster beat going in her head.

"You're not going to sing that all of the way, are you?" Rosalie asked, horrified. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Mel shrugged, and Alice laughed. "I used to sing that to keep Edward out of my head," the seer admitted. "The original version though."

"Ninetyyy-eight bottles of root beer on the wall--" Mel carried on.

Rosalie rolled down her window and yelled to Jasper, who was driving at the same racecar pace, "She's going looney, make her stop!"

Jasper heard her voice over the roar of both vehicles, which Mel found to be impressive. But her song continued.

"Ninety-eight bottles of root beer on the wall. Take one down! Pass it around! Ninety-seven bottles of root beer on the wall."

She inhaled before the next verse. The car jerked to a stop, and Mel lurched forward until her seatbelt yanked her back.

Jasper's motorcycle pulled over as well and went quiet. He hopped off his bike. "Really, Rose?" He sounded exasperated yet amused.

"Knock her out or take her with you," Rosalie demanded.

Mel frowned, offended. "You don't like my singing? Or are you jealous that I can drink root beer and you can't anymore?"

She didn't hear her response, because she was already succumbing to Jasper's sleep-inducing powers.

Damn cheating vampires.

~*~

The Cullens arrived in New York by nightfall, as expected.

Because of Jasper's delay with the girls, Emmett arrived first. Jazz handed over the cash to his curly-haired brother with a shrug.

Alice carried a sleeping Mel inside their new home at the edge of Ithaca. Rosalie emptied the bags upon bags from her car onto the gravel driveway.

Emmett and Jasper carried everything into the house for the girls to sort out.

Esme and Carlisle were the last to pull into the driveway, an hour after everyone else. They had stopped to get new "official" identification papers for the family.

Edward only stopped by early the next morning to announce that it had been done. A clean break. His black eyes of self-hatred equaled his need to indulge on blood. He didn't stay at the house very long.

Home couldn't quite be home without the family together.