JANUARY 18^th 2005 - TUESDAY

FORKS, WASHINGTON - CENTRAL LA PUSH

Xavier sat inside the kitchen at Sam’s house, raking down the sweet bread stuffed with two different kinds of cheese as Emily set it on the table.

Xavier’s hair was damp from the bath he had just taken. It was rare for him to spend the night away from home – away from the only place he considered safe.

Sam’s house was one such place that offered The Eternal reassurances. And that was mostly thanks to Emily’s caring attitude towards everyone who entered her home.

“You do tend to eat more than the boys when you’re ready,” Emily was helpless against the stomach of the monsters who often ate at her table. “For once, I want to have a meal with someone who eats normal portions.”

“Most people would be happy to live extraordinary lives,” Xavier replied, speaking partially from experience.

“I live an ordinary life most of the time,” Emily replied. “I just feed the extraordinary people like you.”

“Then you underestimate yourself…” Xavier stared at Emily, solemnity crawling its way into his voice. “A husband at war always carries his wife with him – there are more unexplained things in this world than stars in the skies. Pick an unexplained thing and make it your power.”

“Is a wordsmith what you are?” Emily joked.

“I am something similar to Sam, but not exactly…” Xavier replied vaguely. “If Sam didn’t tell you, I guess he doesn’t want you to know yet. There is supposed to be a gathering in a couple of months.”

“A gathering?” Emily was confused.

“You know…” Xavier rolled his eyes. “So, the Quileute Tribe can decide what to do about someone like me. You’d probably be invited at that time, being as important as you are and all. Remember to vote in my favor.”

“I guess I have to see if you’re a threat to the tribe first,” Emily sighed, gently rubbing the scar on her face – a deadly reminder. “We already have enough dangers in the tribe when it comes to the boys.”

Xavier rolled his eyes, gulping the last sweet bun on the table.

“And she says she is not extraordinary when she rejects an essential god – and I say that with a small g,” Xavier bragged shamelessly.

Ultimately, the Eternal slipped out of the house before Emily could reply because he heard the bathroom door shutting upstairs – that meant Sam had finished his shower, and would soon walk down the stairs to find a table deprived of food.

“LATERS SAM and EMILY!” Xavier yelled from the comfort of his car.

Once again, he didn’t wait for a reply before hitting the gas. Xavier knew he couldn’t manage to be a part of the rage that would follow Sam’s discovery of an empty kitchen table.

VROOOOM

۞۞۞

When Xavier arrived at Jacob’s house, the boy in question was carefully guiding Billy into a seat in the pickup truck. For a while, from a distance, Xavier just sat back and watched the scene.

He would do this sometimes.

It was essentially grounding himself at the moment – a constant reminder that this was now the life he lived. It was no movie, no book, no play where he knew the end – it was his life.

Angela had taught him the technique, so as he grounded himself at the moment, watching his best friend aid his father, Xavier’s mind couldn’t help but drift to the moments he spent with Angela.

“I destroyed that relationship on purpose…”

Xavier admitted to himself something he knew wouldn’t have been said aloud in the presence of anyone else. And that was the truth of the matter, he went out of his way to destroy the relationship with Angela.

It was a simple matter of calculation.

He was an Eternal with an abnormal libido – Angela’s body couldn’t take the strain of constant sex, and add to the fact that Xavier had to desperately try to restrain his strength at every given moment.

“It must be torture for superman, but I understand…” Xavier mumbled. “When you care about someone, its never a strain to be with them.”

Xavier shook his head of the complicated thoughts and reaffirmed his will. The plan had been set in motion, and now, it was about how Angela would respond to him bearing his soul.

---------------

VROOOOOM

Jacob strapped into the pickup truck but abruptly raised his head when the booming of a familiar engine was heard outside. Painfully slowly, he managed to lower the window, greeting Xavier with superiority.

How could he not feel superior when Xavier was in the smaller car?

“Delivering the goods?” Xavier inquired, similarly rolling down his windows to examine the car. “You got those winter tires in, and I can hear the engine purring.”

“Pull an all-nighter after our all-nighter,” Jacob bragged.

“The things children do for crushes,” Billy lamented playfully. “I keep telling the boy that I won his mother’s heart with two cows, and three goats – she loved those goats.”

Xavier mimicked Billy’s sight. “The simpler days,” He added semi-seriously.

Jacob rolled his eyes at Xavier’s and his father’s familiar antics. For some reason, Xavier seemed to be a good fit for Charlie’s and his father’s older souls.

“You coming?” Jacob inquired, double clutching the driving stick.

“Yeah…” Xavier replied and quickly complained. “I am supposed to show Bella around the school for Charlie. He told me that no boy would dare lay eyes on her if I was next to her. I honestly don’t know what he takes me for…”

“Yikes!” Jacob stiffened in his seat. “I feel sorrier for Bella. If you’re her first friend, she will find it hard to make more. I mean, look at me…”

“You have only gotten more handsome since I met you,” Xavier defended his unique influence. “If you hadn’t met me, you’d still be wearing black baggie sweatshirts and pining after Sue.”

“And how did Sue turn out?”

“Pretty damn amazing considering you got your dic—”

COUGH

COUGH

“Got his what?” Billy interrupted the conversation.

Xavier and Jacob smoothly rolled up their windows and pressed the gas in their respective cars. There was only the silence of wind brushing through the windows as the boys made their way to Charlie’s residence.

۞۞۞

As Jacob pulled into the garage parking space in front of Charlie’s house, and Xavier parked on the opposite side of the street, Xavier could vividly trace the next events in his head.

It was almost as if he was preparing to watch the movie from a first-person perspective.

Alas, this time, it would be from his eyes, and not the eyes of Stephanie Meyers or however many directors produced the first film.

“I guess it's time for the twists and turns to begin,” Xavier sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “I hope I remember everything correctly – the events I remember, but the dates were never included in the movie.”

Xavier struts across the street, joining Jacob to help take Billy out of the pickup truck. Of course, the father and son would be taking his car back to the barn.

Such was Jacob’s and Xavier’s friendship that the latter trusted the boy enough to drive his Bugatti.

Charlie exited his home to greet the trio, and he couldn’t hide the impressed expression from dawning on his face when he saw the quality of what Jacob and Xavier had produced.

The teal truck shone in the dim light of Forks.

The tires, the leather seats, and the purring engine – admittedly, a little loud engine.

Still, everything was perfect.

“Now I feel bad that you guys didn’t charge me as much…” Charlie commented.

“That can always be arra—”

“It’s fine,” Jacob interrupted, not giving Xavier the chance. “It’s Bella’s homecoming gift, after all.”

Xavier bumped Jacob’s shoulder and gestured to the upper left window where a silhouette stood, watching the events unfolding below.

Xavier could peer through the window and curtain with no problem – as a matter of fact, if he concentrated hard enough, he could hear Bella’s rhythmic breathing.

‘She’s a bit excited…’ He determined.

Sadly, Jacob could only see a vague silhouette – his latent bloodline as a Quileute had yet to become active. Though, Xavier had no doubt that when it did, Jacob’s eyesight would rival his own.

“Start thinking about what you’ll say to impress the lady,” Xavier warned after hearing Bella descending the stairs. “She’s coming.”

A minute later, Bella exited the house.

Each of her strides was careful as if she had fallen so much that a good impression for her was merely walking properly. Xavier chuckled a bit under his breath – a breath that was briefly taken away.

The movie did Bella little justice – She was a Kristen Stewart 2.0 no matter how he looked at it.

“Bella…” Charlie leaned against the car, wearing his most obvious cool-father expression. “You remember Billy Black?”

“Yeah,” Bella replied a bit too quickly, making it obvious she didn’t, but she still shook Billy’s hand. “Wow, you’re looking good.”

“Well, I’m still dancing,” Billy smiled. “I’m glad you’re finally here. Charlie here hasn’t shut up about it since you told him you were coming.”

“Alright, keep exaggerating and I’ll roll you into the mud,” Charlie playfully threatened.

 Billy smirked, having the urge to put Charlie in his place in front of his daughter, but he decided to allow his old friend some bravado at the moment.

“And at least one of these two guys need no introduction,” Charlie placed a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “You should remember him at least.”

“Jacob?” Bella uncertainly announced.

“Yeah…” Jacob was thrilled, unable to keep the silly smile from his face as he and Bella shook hands. “We used to make mud pies when we were little.”

“Yeah, I remember…” Bella was honest this time. “I literally still have the picture of our greatest creation in my room upstairs. We were messy kids.”

“I still am,” Jacob spun to show the grease stains that layered his clothing. “Only this time, I am working with cars instead… with my partner, of course…”

“I am more like the boss,” Xavier interrupted, extending a hand to shake Bella’s. “Name’s Xavier… I feel like I know you already since Charlie divulged every dark, little secret.”

“Really?” Bella turned to her father, a bit startled.

“Stop joking,” Charlie’s eyes pleaded with Xavier. “He is definitely kidding, Bella.”

Xavier chuckled and quirked a brow at Bella. “Glad to know there are indeed dark, little secrets worth knowing…” He stated.

“Hopefully, none that you would ever find out,” Bella blushed.

“So…” Charlie tapped the car, intent on ruining whatever development was occurring between Bella and Xavier. “What do you think about this beauty?”

“Of what?”

“Your homecoming present…” Charlie replied smugly.

“This?” Bella was startled – her eyes couldn’t help but scan the refurbished pickup truck. “Woah… isn’t this like super expensive?”

Charlie held his head higher. “Just bought it off Billy here yesterday. Jacob and Xavier checked it out, made sure it was up to code and all.”

“We totally rebuilt the engine, painted, and added the leather seat coverings for you…” Jacob bragged.

Xavier was a bit surprised that Jacob could brag on his own. After all, The Eternal was already prepared to be the proper wingman and brag Jacob up to a relationship with Bella.

“Really? OH MY GOSH!”

Needless to say, Bella was amazed.

“This is so perfect, are you kidding me?”

Unable to wait for another second, Bella grabbed the car’s handle and pulled open the door, almost knocking Jacob off his feet since the boy was hovering.

Billy and Charlie fell back a bit, deciding to give Bella some time to appreciate her new gains – and of course, who better to explain to her the features of her new car than Jacob and Xavier?

Bella hopped inside the car, Jacob entered through the opposite door, and Xavier lingered by the driver’s side window. Of course, this positioning had been determined beforehand.

Jacob had expressed that Bella was kind of a klutz so he wanted Xavier to stay by the window just in case Bella started the car and tried to reverse into Billy and Charlie.

“There is nothing particularly to pay attention to aside from the wheels,” Jacob explained. “Those things have the highest grip ratio around. Just slow down a bit on turns until you get used to it.”

“Okay… okay…” Bella was nervous – she didn’t want to ruin the car with her first drive. “Is that all?”

“That’s about it…” Jacob glanced at Xavier to confirm, and the latter subtly nodded his head, careful not to steal Jacob’s thunder.

VROOOM

Bella started the truck, and a giddy feeling blossomed from the center of her chest.

“So, do you guys want a ride to school?” She inquired.

“I go to school on the reservation,” Jacob sounded a bit too sad with that admittance. “But – that guy will be your Charlie-approved tour guide for today.”

Bella looked at Xavier for the very first time – previously, she was too shy to meet the eyes of the handsome teenager, but now, there was no choice in the matter.

If she wanted to be given a proper tour, she would have to possess the polite curiosity of a proper tourist – a tourist in an unfamiliar habitat called high school in Forks.

“Nice… nice,” Bella seemed somewhat relieved. “At the very least, I will know one person in the entire school.”

Jacob slipped out of the car and Xavier slipped into the seat Jacob had occupied, pulling the door shut as he curled his legs as much as possible.

At six feet two inches, the car was a bit small for him.

“If we don’t leave now, we’ll be late,” Xavier advised.

“Then, away we go…” Bella replied rather awkwardly – she was never good with new people.

The car backed out of the parking area under the scrutiny and waves of Billy and Charlie. With a roar of the engine, Bella and Xavier departed for school.