1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

78.

Bambi takes a breath, sat in her car outside of her home, when she had called Charlie he had been rightly upset about her disappearing like she did. She hasn't even called Sam yet and she knows it is going to be so much worse from him. Caleb and Jacob are hard calls, she knows that Sam is likely to have spoken to them, and they might hate her too now. Bella opens the passenger door and climbs in to sit with her sister. Bambi taps her fingers on the wheel.

"How did it go?" Bella asks, Bambi scoffs and looks at her.

"Well, I ran away" Bambi answers. "Straight to Edward where I hid all night" Bella nods a little. "And now I have to go inside and face Dad"

"He was really upset" Bella offers. "Still is...after everything you've been through, the accident...."

"I screwed up, I know" Bambi assures her. "Everything has just been so crazy..." she sighs and presses her hands into her eyes. She drops her hands. "Do you ever wish we'd never left Phoenix?" she asks, Bella gives a sad smile and nods.

"On occasion" Bella admits.

"Back when I was simply crazy and not...supernatural" Bambi agrees. Bella nods. "Before boy drama and vampire drama and wolf drama" Bambi looks out her car window to see Charlie standing on the porch waiting for her. "Better go face the music" Bambi mumbles and then climbs out of her car. Bella follows her but keeps a few steps behind her as Bambi approaches Charlie, each breath she takes is stealing her for what is about to happen. "Dad" she starts. Charlie pulls her into a hug, clutches to her really. "I'm really sorry" she tells him, he nods and kisses her head.

"I know, Bambino" he whispers. "Just don't run off again" he begs. "With everything you put me through when you and your sister went off and she got hurt...."

"I know, Dad, I'm sorry, I really am" Bambi tells him. He nods and rubs her back before pulling back from her.

"You're grounded, for...a month" he scolds her, she nods, takes it. It is the least she deserves for what she has done. For what she has put him through.

..............

Bambi sits on her bed, her fingers pulling at the blanket beneath her. She closes her eyes and lets the breeze from her window wash over her, she inhales the smells from the forest. It does little to make her feel better. Jacob lets himself in through the window and she glances at him.

"Hey" Jacob greets, she gives him a small smile. She can see that Sam's told him everything. She closes her eyes and looks down.

"So Sam talked" she mumbles. He nods and sits on the bed next to her. "What are you doing here?" she asks. "Isn't there a new rule about talking to the girl that can't even be a stupid wolf right?"

"Sam did tell us what happened" Jacob agrees. "I spoke to Harry too" She looks at him. "He's worried about you"

"Harry is?" she asks, he nods.

"I think you remind him of his sister" Jacob admits. "Are you okay?" he asks her, she shrugs a little.

"Normality is my dream" she tells him. "It just keeps getting further and further away from me...." He touches her shoulder and then wraps his arm around her to pull her closer to him. "Do they all hate me?" she asks him, he shakes his head.

"No" He answers. "I mean...Paul's a little angry, but he's always angry...and Sam's more mad that you took off and ignored his calls....Caleb is just worried about you" she takes a deep breath and nods. "You gonna come back?" he asks her, she shrugs.

"I don't know" she answers. "I don't know what I am going to do now" he presses his head to hers. He understands that she is struggling with everything, she has always struggled with life, always different and seeking to be normal, and nothing ever seems to go her way.

................

Bella climbs into Bambi's bed once the sun has set, Bambi already curled up under her blankets. She's been quiet. Bella touches Bambi's shoulder and Bambi turns to her.

"Edward called me" Bella tells her. "He said you didn't answer your phone"

"I didn't" Bambi agrees. "I'm tired, and I just...." she shakes her head. "Needed quiet"

"Do you want me to go?" Bella asks her, Bambi gives her a soft smile.

"Never" Bambi assures her. "I feel like everything is spiralling" She whispers. "One thing after another and I'm trying really hard to find the positive, but when I've literally killed someone it's hard to do"

"The accident wasn't your fault" Bella tells her. "Everyone knows that" Bambi takes a deep breath.

"I know that too, deep, deep, deep down inside but when I close my eyes all I can see is his face, staring at me....I haven't really been sleeping" She shrugs. "And I'm scared that it's going to bring on an episode" she admits sadly.

"Bambi" Bella whispers. "You're better, you're better than you've ever been....you've not had an episode since we moved here, and only one freak out..."

"That's the new problem" Bambi offers. "The whole....psychosis that's not psychosis by actually telepathy and guess what? Wolves don't get telepathy, that's not their thing..." Bambi sighs and presses the balls of her hands into her eyes. "And the pills....I flushed them" Bella's eyes widen. Bambi removes her hands. "And I have this headache, all the time, like a pressure at the back of my mind...."

"Bambi" Bella whispers. Bambi sniffles as she gets upset.

"All I ever wanted was to be normal" Bambi reminds her, Bella nods, she knows this better than anyone. Bella reaches for Bambi and hugs her tightly.