Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn - M.S.Rishikesh (short story to read .txt) 📗

/> The HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY? posters were not Jacob's father's idea. It had been my
father, Charlie, who'd printed up the flyers and spread them all over town. And not just
Forks, but Port Angeles and Sequim and Hoquiam and Aberdeen and every other town
in the Olympic Peninsula. He'd made sure that all the police stations in the state of
Washington had the same flyer hanging on the wall, too. His own station had a whole
corkboard dedicated to finding Jacob. A corkboard that was mostly empty, much to his
disappointment and frustration.

My dad was disappointed with more than the lack of response. He was most
disappointed with Billy, Jacob's father--and Charlie's closest friend.

For Billy's not being more involved with the search for his


the plate-glass window of his little souvenir shop. At least he didn't have his nose
pressed up against the glass. Yet.

The light turned green and, in my hurry to escape, I stomped on the gas pedal without
thinking--the normal way I would have punched it to get my ancient Chevy truck
moving.

Engine snarling like a hunting panther, the car jolted forward so fast that my body
slammed into the black leather seat and my stomach flattened against my spine.

"Arg!" I gasped as I fumbled for the brake. Keeping my head, I merely tapped the
pedal. The car lurched to an absolute standstill anyway.
I couldn't bear to look around at the reaction. If there had been any doubt as to who was
driving this car before, it was gone now. With the toe of my shoe, I gently nudged the
gas pedal down one half millimeter, and the car shot forward again.

I managed to reach my goal, the gas station. If I hadn't been running on vapors, I
wouldn't have come into town at all. I was going without a lot of things these days, like
Pop-Tarts and shoelaces, to avoid spending time in public.

Moving as if I were in a race, I got the hatch open, the cap off, the card scanned, and the
nozzle in the tank within seconds. Of course, there was nothing I could do to make thenumbers on the gauge pick up the pace. They ticked by sluggishly, almost as if they
were doing it just to annoy me.

It wasn't bright out--a typical drizzly day in Forks, Washington--but I still felt like a
spotlight was trained on me, drawing attention to the delicate ring on my left hand. At
times like this, sensing the eyes on my back, it felt as if the ring were pulsing like a
neon sign: Look at me, look at me.

It was stupid to be so self-conscious, and I knew that. Besides my dad and mom, did it
really matter what people were saying about my engagement? About my new car?
About my mysterious acceptance into an Ivy League college? About the shiny black
credit card that felt red-hot in my back pocket right now?

"Yeah, who cares what they think," I muttered under my breath.

"Um, miss?" a man's voice called.

I turned, and then wished I hadn't.

Two men stood beside a fancy SUV with brand-new kayaks tied to the top. Neither of
them was looking at me; they both were staring at the car.

Personally, I didn't get it. But then, I was just proud I could distinguish between the
symbols for Toyota, Ford, and Chevy. This car was glossy black, sleek, and pretty, but it
was still just a car to me.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but could you tell me what kind of car you're driving?" the
tall one asked.

"Um, a Mercedes, right?"

"Yes," the man said politely while his shorter friend rolled his eyes at my answer. "I
know. But I was wondering, is that... are you driving a Mercedes Guardian?" The man
Chapter 2

sixteen-year-old "runaway."
For Billy's refusing to put up the flyers in La Push, the reservation on the coast that was
Jacob's home. For his seeming resigned to Jacob's disappearance, as if there was
nothing he could do. For his saying, "Jacob's grown up now. He'll come home if he
wants to."

And he was frustrated with me, for taking Billy's side.

I wouldn't put up posters, either. Because both Billy and I knew where Jacob was,
roughly speaking, and we also knew that no one had seen this boy.

The flyers put the usual big, fat lump in my throat, the usual stinging tears in my eyes,
and I was glad Edward was out hunting this Saturday. If Edward saw my reaction, it
would only make him feel terrible, too.

Of course, there were drawbacks to it being Saturday. As I turned slowly and carefully
onto my street, I could see my dad's police cruiser in the driveway of our home. He'd
skipped fishing again today. Still sulking about the wedding.

So I wouldn't be able to use the phone inside. But I had to call. . . .

I parked on the curb behind the Chevy sculpture and pulled the cell phone Edward had
given me for emergencies out of the glove compartment. I dialed, keeping my finger on
the "end" button as the phone rang. Just in case.

"Hello?" Seth Clearwater answered, and I sighed in relief. I was way too chicken to
speak to his older sister, Leah. The phrase "bite my head off" was not entirely a figure
of speech when it came to Leah.

"Hey, Seth, it's Bella."

"Oh, hiya, Bella! How are you?"
Choked up. Desperate for reassurance. "Fine."
"Calling for an update?"

"You're psychic."

"Not hardly. I'm no Alice--you're just predictable," he joked. Among the Quileute pack
down at La Push, only Seth was comfortable even mentioning the Cullens by name, let
alone joking about things like my nearly omniscient sister-in-law-to-be.

"I know I am." I hesitated for a minute. "How is he?"

Seth sighed. "Same as ever. He won't talk, though we know he hears us. He's trying not
to think human, you know. Just going with his instincts."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"Somewhere in northern Canada. I can't tell you which province. He doesn't pay much
attention to state lines."

"Any hint that he might . . ."

"He's not coming home, Bella. Sorry."

I swallowed. "S'okay, Seth. I knew before I asked. I just can't help wishing."

"Yeah. We all feel the same way."

"Thanks for putting up with me, Seth. I know the others must give you a hard time."

"They're not your hugest fans," he agreed cheerfully. "Kind of lame, I think. Jacob
made his choices, you made yours. Jake doesn't like their attitude about it. 'Course, he
isn't super thrilled that you're checking up on him, either."

I gasped. "I thought he wasn't talking to you?"

"He can't hide everything from us, hard as he's trying." So Jacob knew I was worried. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Well, at least he knew
I hadn't skipped off into the sunset and forgotten him completely. He might have
imagined me capable of that.

"I guess I'll see you at the... wedding," I said, forcing the word out through my teeth.

"Yeah, me and my mom will be there. It was cool of you to ask us."

I smiled at the enthusiasm in his voice. Though inviting the Clearwaters had been
Edward's idea, I was glad he'd thought of it. Having Seth there would be nice--a link,
however tenuous, to my missing best man. "It wouldn't be the same without you."
"Tell Edward I said hi, 'kay?"

"Sure thing."

I shook my head. The friendship that had sprung up between Edward
and Seth was
something that still boggled my