Neveah wakes up to the sun in her face.
The sun?
Neveah hurries our of bed and rushes to her window seat. She sits on her knees on the cushioned bench and she looks outside. It's sunny outside and beautiful. She grins before rushing to her closet, sure Charlie is laughing at her quick moving feet from downstairs where he's having his morning coffee.
Neveah dresses in a long brown skirt and a white short sleeve. She glances at her scars before going to the bathroom, barefoot. Nev grabs the concealer and she uses it to cover the scars Larry left on her.
Neveah returns to her room and puts on some gladiator sandals and heads downstairs.
"I got you something," Charlie informs Neveah.
The man leads the teenager outside and there is a black 2000 Mercedes Benz parked beside Bella's truck in the driveway. Neveah hugs Charlie in thanks.
"I'll be back later for the directions," she informs him.
"See you then, kid."
Neveah gets in her car and drives to school.
*[_____________]*
She joins Bella's female friends at school at lunch, she is eating a salad. She sits on a blanket Jess has spread out on the grass. Bella walks over when she arrives to lunch and she looks around... for Edward.
"He's not here," Jessica informs her and Bella looks at her. "Whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear."
"They just... ditch?" Bella inquires.
"No," Jessica replies. "Doctor and Mrs. Cullen yank 'em our for hiking and camping and stuff. I tried that in my parents. Not even close.."
Angela comes running over excited right as Bella is registering the words Jessica said. Neveah understands; she wishes she could go hiking and camping with the Cullens.
"I'm going to prom with Eric!" Angela exclaims excitedly, Neveah smiles at Angela's happiness. "I just asked him, I took control." She gives Bella a hug. "Are you sure you have to go out of town?"
"It's a family thing," Bella insists.
"Oh, my god," Jess suddenly gasps. "We need to hit the stores in Port Angeles before the dresses get cleaned out. Neveah, you in?"
"Yes!" Nev agrees instantly.
"Port Angeles?" Bella asks as she mentally goes over something she's been wondering about since her chat with Jacob in La Push. "Can u go with you guys, too?"
"Thank god!" Angela gasps. "We need your opinion."
*[___________]*
Angela, Neveah, and Jessica are trying on on dresses. Bella is reading a book while sitting in the window, this is not what the brunette had in mind when she told her friends and Nev she wanted to come.
Jessica goes out of the dressing room with Nev, both in stunning prom dresses.
"I think this halter makes my boobs look big," Jess pouts. "What do you think, Bella?"
Outside the window, some of the drunk guys are whistling at both Jess and Neveah. Neveah grows nauseas and is ready to run and hide in a hole. Jessica grows embarrassed and turns to Bella.
"Bella?"
"It looks great," Bella says absently.
"You said that about the five dresses," Jessica scoffs.
"You look amazing," Neveah says when the guys finally leave.
"Thank you!" Jessica smiles.
"You're not really got at this, are you?" Angela asls Bella empathically.
"Maybe I should just go check out the book store and meet you guys at the restaurant later," Bella suggests.
"You sure?" Neveah asks her, feeling anxious b
Jess turns to the mirror as Bella leaves. "This does look great, doesn't it?"
"Totally."
*[________________]*
After the store, Jessica and Angela bring Neveah to the store. Nev decides to tell them both what all Larry did to her, she feels as though she can trust them. She tells them about both the abuse and the rape.
Talking about it took all of dinner. She cried, ate, talked. Cried again. Jessica and Angela listened to every word, sadness in their eyes, but no pity.
Angela and Jessica have been leaving Bella messages because she never showed at the restaurant. That makes Neveah nervous because of those men and she told her new best friends about her thoughts. Angela assured her that Bella is okay. Probably lost.
As they leave the restaurant, Bella is approaching.
"Where were you?!" Angela exclaims. "We left you messages and Neveah was a nervous wreck!"
"We waited, but we were hungry..."
Jessica stops talking as Edward walks up. Neveah steps closer to Jessica and Jess keeps Nev behind her. They understand why she's nervous; she never met Edward personally so she doesn't know him.
"Sorry I kept Bella from dinner," Edward claims, his voice soft and smooth. "We ran into each other and got to talking."
"I - we - understand," Jess stammers. "We were just... leaving, so..."
Bella ends up staying because Edward said he'd get her food.
"Are you okay?" Jessica asks Neveah as soon as they're in her car.
"Yeah," Neveah nods. "I'm fine."
Jessica offers her a caring smile before she pulls away from the restaurant, and heads back toward Forks.
*[_______________]*
Neveah walks inside the house and finds Penelope in boy shorts and Charlie's police academy sweatshirt, with messy hair. The grown women gasps and drops the bottle of beer, the glass shatters all over the floor.
"My god, Neveah!" Penelope grunts. "You scared me!"
Neveah eyes her and she smirks. "Finally!"
Penelope's dark cheeks grow even darker as she blushes when Charlie runs downstairs in pajama pants and a T-shirt.
"Oh, hey Nev," Charlie greets awkwardly.
"You guys go continue," Neveah winks. "I'll clean up."
Charlie goes to the listen for more beers while Neveah gets the broom, mop, and dustpan. Nev sweeps up the broken glass before mopping the beer up. She disposed of the broken glass and she grabs the dress from the couch.
"Good night, you guys," Neveah says before she goes to her room.
Nev hangs her dress on the on her door and grins at it. She is finally happy. With Larry and Paris, she never thought she'd ever smile again.
