Her Probation / Paul Lahote

TWENTY TWO

                 

mature content and violence warning

Fern felt strange speed walking through the forest in her bra and underwear beneath a heavy jacket and blanket whilst wearing oddly oversized shoes. They reached the car quickly and she slid herself into the backseat so she could change. Paul plonked himself into the drivers seat and started the car, holding his phone against his ear with his shoulder.

"Put a seatbelt on, Fern" Paul warned, looking at her through the rear view mirror. Fern pulled the belt over her and lifted her arms to tie her wet hair into a messy bun on top of her head.

"We are going to get sand in the car" Fern told him, rubbing the annoying sand off her legs. Paul lifted his gaze at her from the mirror, but didn't respond. She huffed.

"Sam, have you heard anything from the boys?" Paul's voice was hushed and she attempted to listen in, trying to wander what the urgency was all about. But Paul pushed the knob to turn the radio on and instead the space in the car filled with a bad pop song. She narrowed her eyes at him and continued scrubbing her legs with the blanket to dry them off, and also to get most of the sand off. She succeeded in pulling her leggings on and her own socks and shoes. Paul must of ended the phone call by the way he chucked the phone on the passenger seat and turned the radio off.

"Ah, shït," Fern muttered, feeling a wet patch on her light sweater. It must have gotten wet when Paul was holding it against his drenched shorts. Paul glanced over his shoulder, eyes alarmed, before it landed on her sweater. "It got wet." She glanced over at the jacket she had to take off to dry off her abdomen and pulled it on, pulling the zip up to her neck.

"You can't walk in with only that" He said for the first time.

"What do you suppose I do then? Make a shirt from the blanket?" She grumbled, growing irritated. Even though he assured her that this mood of his wasn't to with her exactly, but just a measure of safety. However, Fern was not enjoying this urgent and somewhat secrecy Paul and since she couldn't understand what all the urgency was about then she was becoming restless with him.

"Just—" He let out a sigh and leant over to open the glove compartment before slapping it closed again. "Put this on." He reached over to the passenger seat (where he had chucked his clothes) and passed her his shirt. She took it from him.

"Isn't Sue going to be suspicious you dropped her car off to her without a shirt?" Fern wondered, taking the shirt from her and wiping the back of her neck where droplets had fallen from her wet hair.

"It's okay, I'll handle her." He knew Sue wouldn't stress about a measly shirt going missing of his when there was a potential vampire in La Push. Almost, as though a force heard his thoughts a howl echoed in the distance. Fern stopped, just as she pulled the shirt over her chest.

"Paul?"

"We are here" He announced making a fast turn into the car park. Fern grasped the door handle to balance herself as the seatbelt prevented her body from being thrown against the door. Paul parked the car roughly and turned it off, jumping out of the car quickly.

"Paul!" Fern called out as she got out. "You can't walk into the office with no shirt! You'll send the office ladies into cardiac arrest. Put Nate's jacket on." She suggested. He didn't have time to argue with her and took it, pulling his arm through the sleeve as they sped to the office. He zipped it up as he opened the heavy office door for her and walked in.

A couple of boys sat in the waiting chairs to see the principal and the office ladies instantly brightened up at the presence of Paul in the room.