Chapter Text
The problem wasn’t that she woke up two days ago as a character in the Twilight books. The problem was that she woke up as Isabella Marie Swan.
She was in a novel about vampires where she herself was a human whose blood enticed the vampires like chocolate did to her in her previous life.
Everything would have been fine, maybe, had she become aware of her new reality when she was younger. Preferably from her birth. At least then she would have had time to change her miserable life. Been more prepared to be put in the supernatural world.
Instead she became aware two days before Isabella was going to move to Forks. She still hadn’t come to terms with it. She was in denial when she left Renée and Phil, the entirety of the plane ride. Even when she got off and was getting her carry on she could imagine that she was just flying back to her parents from before.
Delude herself into thinking this was a bad nightmare. Even though the memories of Isabella were much stronger and vivid than the memories from before.
“Bells? Are you alright?” Charlie asked stopping to stand in front of her.
It was the concern in his voice that had Isabella moving forward to wrap her arms around her dad. Arms immediately went around her, holding her close. This is what she needed the last two days. An adult, a parent who cared about her.
“I’m alright dad, just nervous I guess” Isabella said pulling back. She smiled as she added, “It’s been so long since we saw each other. I missed you”
She hated how the Isabella in her memories treated her dad. Both in the way she lived in her life and how it was shown in the books and movies she watched. The cold shoulder, short answers, not putting and effort in to see him. It was something he never deserved. She promised herself that along with trying to avoid the vampires that she will treat her dad better than the original had ever done.
Charlie swallowed running a hand through his hair. “I missed you too Bells. I’m glad you’re here”
“Me too” She smiled. “I should have come in the beginning of the school year. Then it wouldn’t have been so awkward starting halfway”
Isabella didn’t really car if she started halfway. She’d done much more embarrassing things in her life before than starting school in the middle of the school year, but it was a good excuse to brush of her anxiety on.
“I’m sure you’ll be fine…but you can always tell me if your struggling. I’ll try to help if I can” Charlie told her while reaching for her carry on. “Is this all you have?”
Isabella nodded smiling awkwardly. “Most of my clothes wouldn’t be good for this temperature. I thought I’d buy stuff from here when I needed more”
The lie left a bad taste in her mouth. It was already bad enough the way she’s treated him her entire life but adding lies on top of that just didn’t feel right. the truth would hurt him more than her lie would.
How could she tell him that she couldn’t afford a whole new wardrobe of clothes for the cooler Forks weather?
The lie was much better. She’ll just find a job and slowly buy what she needed.
“I found a good car for you, a truck actually. A Chevy”
“You didn’t have to get me a car dad. It must have cost a lot” Isabella shook her head; a car wasn’t a necessary purchase. She never even had her own with her mom since they could never afford one, “I would have been able to walk to school”
“In this cold weather you wouldn’t be able to walk especially in the snow” Charlie retorted laughing. “Don’t worry about the cost. I bought it from my friend Billy Black. He’s in a wheelchair now, didn’t need the car and sold it to me at a cheap price”
“We used to go fishing with him, right?” Isabella didn’t remember, not really. Before she woke up a couple of days ago she hated fishing and despised her dad taking her always. Now she knew that it was his way of sharing his interests, and on a whim assumed his friend would go fishing with him.
“You remember? I didn’t think you would. You’ve never liked fishing”
Isabella shrugged. “I don’t think I’m patient enough for fishing. But you like it, maybe I can try again with you one day?”
“I’d like that Bells”
Isabella talked the entire car ride to avoid any awkward silences. It was a nervous habit she had in her previous life that seemed to come back in this one when she regained her memories. Partially she was glad for her ramblings since it helped ease the tension between her and her dad.
The familiar small, two-bedroom home came into view. She wondered why he never sold the home after mom divorced him. They bought it together after their marriage, three months later they were divorced. Isabella couldn’t imagine living in a house with those negative memories for so many years.
Her focus drifted from the house to the truck. It needed a new paint job, maybe once she saved money, for now the faded red color was alright. Maybe when she was able to buy paint she’ll paint it red again.
“I love it dad! Thanks!” Isabella exclaimed hurrying to get out.
“I’m glad you like it” Charlie responded gruffly, embarrassed again.
“I’m going to have to thank Billy when I see him” Isabella told her dad as she examined the truck. The truck itself looked old but she could tell that the tires, and the inside were new. Either Billy or her dad spent money to make the truck nice for her and she had a strong feeling it was Billy who just didn’t tell her dad.
“We can go visit him if he doesn’t end up coming here first. Doubt he’ll want to be thanked though” Charlie mumbled while getting her luggage out.
“I can make him something then. That truck is in such a good condition that I have to thank him somehow. Does he like brownies? Maybe I can make cupcakes” Isabella asked grabbing her bag and following her dad up the stairs.
“I cleared out a shelf for you in the washroom”
“Thanks dad. I don’t need lots of space” Isabella smiled looking at her room. “You haven’t changed anything”
Her old painting still hung up on the wall. Other than the bed being changed to a bigger one the room was frozen in time.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to take anything down. You can decorate your room however you like. I bought you a new blanket, Sue helped me out. Do you like purple?”
Isabella nodded eagerly. “I love it, and it looks like it would be really warm”
“Sue made some lasagna for us. I just have to warm it in the oven. If you’re hungry I can put it in now”
Isabella was hungry, she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast this morning. She was too nervous to actually eat.
“Can I shower before we eat? I always feel icky after a plane ride” There was something about traveling on a plane that always had her wanting a shower afterwards.
It started off because in her life before she used to fly to India. That was a 17-hour flight from Canada to India with another 8-hour car ride to get to her family’s village. Shower afterwards were necessary each time she made it to her home, either in India or Canada. But even shorter flight had her wanting to get clean afterwards.
“I can put the lasagna in the oven in twenty minutes, that way you’ll have 40 minutes to shower and when you come out the food will be hot”
“I only need 20 minutes”
The lasagna smelled like heaven. Isabella was practically drooling as she made her way downstairs.
“If that tastes as good as it smells I might just have to bribe Sue for the recipe” Isabella stated while using her towel to dry her hair.
“Sue will give you the recipe without any bribery” Charlie paused a thoughtful expression on his face, “If you really want to give her something you can trade a recipe for a recipe”
“I know a great cinnamon bun recipe, I’ll write it down in case we see her when we go to Billy’s”
Isabella was planning on meeting many people when they visited Billy. Mainly the shifted wolves, which hopefully there were some. She didn’t remember when everyone started to shift. But she needed to talk to them, she planned on using their scent to hide her own. it might not help much with the Cullen’s since she was going to school tomorrow and will be seeing them but any others wouldn’t pick up her scent under their stinky one.
Or that was the hope.
Her hastily made plans would be all for nothing if no one has shifted yet.