Voices |E. Cullen|

NINE

Leaves crunched underneath my feet as I stood at the end of the road and watched each car that passed by. I was looking for a white sedan, but all I saw were trucks and vans. The street sign was covered in water droplets, but I leant on it for support anyway. Copper street. The place where all of my fondest memories were made. My eyes kept scanning the road, even as far down as the block to either side. I had been standing there for just five minutes, but it truly felt like a lifetime.

Then, just barely able to make out the shape, a spec of white appeared at the furthest point my vision could see. It travelled closer and my excitement level rose. Once I could make out the person behind the wheel, I jumped up and moved my feet in an excited manner. It was Jason, he finally came home. He stopped at the street sign, his face lit up like a Christmas tree and he got out of the vehicle.

I ran into his arms and he picked me up in a large embrace. My grip around him was as tight as it could be, he laughed because of it. I always tried to squeeze the life out of him to see if he'd crack, he would play along but was obviously never hurt- his football stature lent him to be semi-invincible. "You're finally here!"

"Of course, Spirit, I wouldn't miss it for the world," it being my birthday, and Spirit being a nickname he had graced me with when I was very young.

"Are you tired?" I questioned, it was a long drive, even from the airport.

"Not too tired to get a bite," his stomach growled as he said that. "Ready now?"

I nodded, "Let's go to the cafe downtown if you're up for it."

"Let's go," he got back in his car and I followed suit. 

He was always a cautious driver when I was in the car, it made me wonder if he was so cautious when he was with his friends. It had never occurred to me that I might one day be followed around by loved ones. That thought was weird, would my mother eventually understand why I drowned myself in substances? Would she immediately move on? Would she find me? 

Often when I became lost in thought, I stared a hole through whatever happened to be in my gaze. This time the victim was the side window. "Spirit?" Jason questioned, waving a hand in front of my face. 

I shook my head and came to, we were parked in front of the restaurant and the car had been shut off. "Sorry," I laughed lightly, "daydreaming again."

"Always with your head in the clouds," Jason joked as he messed up my hair. "Come on, I need some food so that I can pass out with a full stomach."

Nodding, I got out of the car and lightly shut the door behind me. We ventured into the building and I noticed Mike, Eric, Jessica and Angela sitting at the bar all sipping at various hot beverages. I passed by them, they all seemed happy in their own little world. Jason and I grabbed a booth right by the Chief and his daughter, Isabella. I hadn't gotten to know her yet, all I knew was that she had moved to Forks from Arizona and, of course, she was the Chief's daughter. 

"Hello," a server came up to us with a light smile, pad and pen, "my name is Sarah, can I get you guys started with something to drink?"

Jason nodded and pulled out his driver's license, "Can I get a Blue Moon?"

She took the ID and looked it over, found his birthday, and nodded. "16 or 20 ounces?"

"16, please," he smiled at her. 

"And for you?" She looked my way. 

I thought for a moment before landing on my typical choice, "Cherry coke please."

The server nodded once more before turning around and walking toward the bar. Jason flipped his phone over and placed it to the side of the table. I checked mine before I repeated his action. A text from Edward popped up on my screen, I decided it could wait until after my meal. Our drinks were placed in front of us and my brother's frat boy nature began to make an appearance as he grabbed his glass and took a large sip, as in a quarter of the glass in his first go. 

"Alright Jason, that doesn't need to last all evening," I chuckled. 

"I know you could destroy a pint faster than me," he winked, my mother must have told him about my alcohol problem. 

I laughed lightly and attempted to keep my smile where it was. That made me lose my appetite. I was mad that it did, it was such a simple comment. He didn't mean anything by it, he had his fair share of alcoholic adventures when he was my age. I decided to order a soup so that it didn't look like I didn't want to eat. 

"How's school going for you?" I asked, wanting to change the subject. 

He shrugged, "It's okay. I'm starting my internship soon, so that should be interesting."

"What for, again?"

"It's a law firm in downtown Seattle, it should be interesting, they deal in a wide variety of law."

"That sounds cool."

"What about you? How is junior year of high school treating you?"

I took a bite of my soup and pondered for a moment as to how to answer that question. "It sucks, I'm not gonna lie."

"I hated high school. Not good at it at all, graduated with a super low GPA. Now I'm a straight-A student. It's all about doing what you enjoy," he smiled at me, "You'll find your passion."

A smile spread across my face and I nodded, we spent the rest of our time silent as we enjoyed our food. It was good to have him home, but I knew he was going to be leaving just as quickly as he came.