She hugged me tightly for a minute, twice. Once in the car and once outside the terminal, after we'd exited the car and entered the airport. And then I got on the plane, and then she was gone.
It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle,11 another hour in a small plane up to Fort Angles, and then an hour's drive back down to Forks. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with my pops Charlie, I was a little worried about.
Charlie had really been fairly nice about the whole thing. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car...!
But it was sure to be awkward with Charlie.12 Neither of us was what anyone would call verbose, talkative, or chatty, and I didn't know what there was to say regardless. I knew he was more than a little confused by my decision—like my mother before me, I hadn't made a secret of my distaste for Forks.
When I landed in Fort Angles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen—just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun when I kissed one of Phoenix International's descending windows a fair adios.
Charlie was waiting for me with the cruiser. This I was expecting, too. Charlie is Police Chief Duck to the good people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refused to be driven around town in a car with red and blue lights on top. Nothing slows down traffic like a cop. I like to move fast and I do not stop. I like the wind in my hair when I roll down the top.
Charlie gave me an awkward, one-armed hug when I stumbled my way off the plane.13
"It's good to see you, Ducky," he said, smiling as he
11. Founded in 1840 by Kurt Cobain, a city known for the large volume of rain it receives. According to local legend, every drop of rain is a fraction of its founder's tears.
12. Charlie only had one arm.
13. Bella's tragic flaw is that while she is beautiful, she is extraordinarily clumsy. She has problems exiting planes, climbing stairs, etc.