Bella:
I was beginning to think that even when Old Farmer Clark had been alive, he hadn't taken care of the place all that well. Some of the damage in the house could not have been caused by abandonment. The wiring, well what wiring there was, was shot. This was something I had figured out the hard way.
After leaving Sue's we had stopped off at a small gas station and picked up something for breakfast the next morning. I had been carrying the bag of food in one arm into the kitchen and went to turn on the light. Only instead of flicking on with, or at least simply staying off, it lit up, flickered and spluttered and then with a sound very much like a gun, blew up.
The light in the bathroom had been no better, I am not sure fire is suppose to shoot from a light socket. It was a good thing I always knew to be prepared. Even as a kid a strong enough storm could blow the generator, and Pop hadn't had enough money to fix the backup after it had finally blew. We ended up getting ready for bed by candlelight.
Even if the wiring had been in pretty good condition, I still would have needed to do some upgrading. The light in my bedroom was an old converted gaslight.
I was currently trying to get the kitchen in order, what with small pieces of an old light bulb scattered around the room. Danny and I were having to utilize the daylight as much as we could, the electrician I had called had said he wouldn't be able to come by until next week. I was envisioning most meals at Sue's diner. The old fridge still had the remains of whatever Old Farmer Clark had bought before he died.
"The fireplace is cleaned, but where do you think we could get some wood? I don't think it stops raining long enough here for anything to dry." Danny stood in the doorway, he was covered head to toe in old ashes. I was going to have to do laundry before long.
"I figured we'd ask around. Someone around here has to sell firewood. It will cost, but it will have to do until we can figure out a way to dry out some timber." I dusted off my hands, grabbed the towel from the counter and tossed it at him.
"Go clean up, we'll get something down at the diner to eat."
Pulling into the lot just outside of Sue's Diner, my eyes settled on a truck that had to be in even worse shape than my old thing. It had to have been red at one time, now it was more a faded pink with patches of white. It most likely had been a beauty back in its day, now though I was seriously doubting that it actually ran.
I parked my old beat up truck two cars down, jumped from the cab and still didn't make it to the diner door before Danny.
It was earlier than the last time we had eaten here, so of course there were also more people. Just as last time all heads turned towards us. Most curious, some even pitying. I had no doubt that they all knew who I was and that I was divorced. In a place this small gossip moved faster than light.
Danny and I sat down at a booth this time, both of us picking up the menus. I tried to ignore the stares, it wasn't as though I was not use to them. Every time we moved it was the same. My eyes shifted off the plastic covered menu to take a glance around the room.
There were a few older people, none of them the same as the first time. A family or two and a group of teenagers. None of them seemed rude, all gave me a friendly smile as my eyes passed over them. Though when I found myself glancing over at the only man at the counter, I found them resting on him a little longer than the rest.
He had to have been a little above average height, not too skinny and yet not overweight either. His hair is what struck me the most. Though he had to have been at least in his fifties, his hair still slick oil black. I could only make out one or two strands of grey. What surprised me the most though was the length of it. I was sure he hadn't cut it since he had been a teen, it almost reached his hips.
Sue had walked up while I continued to look at the man. Men seriously shouldn't be allowed to have hair that pretty.
"Well, it is nice to see you two again. How is the cleaning coming?" Sue's sweet voice brought the man's attention to our table. Like the rest he gave me a kind smile, unlike the rest he lifted his hand to grasp the brim of his old cowboy hat. With that same friendly smile in place he tipped his hat before turning back around to finish his meal.
I brought my attention back to Sue, only to find that she was giving me a knowing smirk.
"He sure cuts a pretty picture I know. Even some of the young girls have noticed that, not that he does." I just nodded, not really sure what to say. The man looked friendly enough. I just cleared my throat and smiled at Sue.
"Well, as I was saying, how is the cleaning coming?" Sue slipped her pencil behind her ear, leaning her hip on the edge of the table. It seems that Sue might just be the queen of this particular beehive. I doubted she would take our orders before I answered her. At least she was friendly. I had met many gossip-mongers who would rather beat it out of you instead of coax it.
"It going good, would be better if the wiring wasn't shot. We are working mostly by candlelight right now." Sue's eyes softened slightly and she pulled her pencil from her ear, seemingly satisfied with what I had said.
"Alright, then what shall I get ya?"
Billy:
I had closed the pharmacy a bit early today, all my regulars had already been in and I was rather hungry. Sue always had a steak or fish dinner set back for me, even if I didn't come in. Tonight was fish, fresh caught by Harry.
I heard the bell on the door chime, but ignored it. Sue's diner, while not the only place in La Push, it was the favorite. I once teased Sue that she should just take the door off, it would keep that damn bell quiet. It wasn't until the entire diner went silent that I realized that something was different. I turned slowly around, and sure enough Mrs. Swan-Hunter and her son had just walked in and sat down.
The boy had to be around ten or eleven years old, maybe a year or two older. Hair a dark blonde, just a bit curly. All in all a rather general appearance. His mother on the other hand. I might not have called her gorgeous, she wasn't one of those girls with the huge hair that you saw on the cover of magazines. No, she had long hair of a deep brown that she had woven back in a braid. She wore simple jeans and a red buffalo plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her little elbows. Though I couldn't see her face, I could easily tell you she was cute. More like the girl next door. I turned back around before she caught me looking and started back on my meal.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sue weave her way around the tables and towards where Mrs. Swan-Hunter and her son were sitting. I loved Sue like a sister, but she was one of the nosiest women you would ever meet. I felt bad for those two, Sue would keep pestering them until she had all the information she wanted. I had once talked to Harry about this habit of her's, but it seems my old friend is just as bad as his wife.
Sue's voice as she questioned Mrs. Swan-Hunter brought my attention back to them and I turned once more. Only this time I wasn't the only one looking. I had been right, she was cute. I lifted my hand, gave her a smile and tilted my hat towards her. Her eyes were wide, but she still gave me a sweet little smile before I turned to take the last few bites of my dinner.
I had hoped that I would be able to set my money on the counter and leave before Sue got back, sadly I hadn't been quick enough. She had just handed the ticket to Jared in the back as I sat down what I owed her. She smiled widely at me and took the money.
"So, what do you think of Mrs. Swan-Hunter?" She had that smirk on her face, the same one she had every time she caught me looking longer than a second at a woman. She had tried many times to set me up, the first time being five years after Sarah's death.
"Cute, definitely cute. But Sue, don't. She just moved here, and I've told you before I am not looking for anybody." She shrugged her shoulders and went to help Sam after he sat down. I took this chance to get up and leave before Sue got back. As I grabbed my coat from beside the door I noticed Mrs. Swan-Hunter looking my way again. I slipped my coat on and tipped my hat one last time.
She really was cute.
Bella:
I shut the door to the house with a bit more care than I normally would, but I was tired and full from dinner. I just stood there and looked over the place once more. It was going to take a lot of hard work and money to fix this place up. As I thought about Sue, the others in the diner that had come to say hello and introduce themselves, I knew that it was going to be worth it.
This place may have been rundown, but so far the people I have met were nice. The diner had good food, and in the end this place was our's. This was our place to do with what we wanted. We were not living with others, working for our food and lodging, no, this belonged to us.
I pulled off my button down shirt to expose the slightly stained t-shirt underneath. There was cleaning and fixing still needing to be done, and a few hours before bed. I might as well do what I could, tomorrow I needed to head into La Push or Forks and see if I could find a store. Even though I wouldn't use the refrigerator, we could get some boxed items and fruits and vegetables.
Gathering a bucket filled with water and a few torn up rags I started on cleaning the front room, my mind wandering. The image of that man in the diner, the one Sue had briefly spoke about, popped up in my head. He had a very memorable face, lined with age, but not unattractive. No, not unattractive at all.
He had a sweet smile and a kind feeling about him. I was sure he was a gentleman, not many guys tipped their hats to ladies anymore. Of course I hadn't had much experience with gentlemen to actually recognize one when I saw one. But I was sure he was.
Plunging the old rag and my hand into the bucket of cold water and soap, I put him out of my mind and set rag to wall and scrubbed like my life depended on it. It was hard work, but it was good work.
Author's Note: Thanks to Mist for betaing this.
Ok shorter than the last chapter, but I had a bad week and my mind and muse hadn't wanted to work for me on this.
The bit at the beginning with the lights, yeah some of that has happened to me. The fire shooting from the light socket, yeah not fun.
For those that asked, Bella is 33, Billy is 60, the same as in the movie. This takes place about 1985. This also will be updated every Saturday, though the exact time will vary.
Now I am going by the movie, but changing just a few things, like using Sue's Diner. Also in the movie he has a well kept vintage car, I decided that Billy would have an old worndown truck that he refuses to get rid of.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it!
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