"Dad?" I asked when he was almost done.
"Yeah, Bella?"
"Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday... if that's okay?" I didn't want to ask permission but I felt rude, so I tacked it on at the end.
"Why?" He sounded surprised, as if he were unable to imagine that there was something that Forks couldn't offer.
"Well, I wanted to get a few books—the library here is pretty limited; are people here illiterate?—and maybe look at some clothes." I had more money that I was used to having, since, no thanks to Chuck, I hadn't had to pay for a car or repairs for a car. Not that the truck didn't cost me quite a bit in the gas department, but it was a small department when one considered that it was only three blocks to school and I refused to go anywhere else in town, because I hated it so much.
"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage," he said, echoing a fraction of my thoughts.
"I know, I'll stop in Montesano and Olympia—and Tacoma if I have to," I said, implying that gas stations were now in every city, town and hamlet in America.
"Are you going all by yourself? Why don't you take Mikey Newton with you?" he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was suspicious I had a secret boyfriend, one who was shaped like a horse, or just worried about car trouble.
"Yes; no. I just want to get away from it all, Dad."
"Seattle is a big city,you could get lost," he fretted.
"Dad, Phoenix is five times the size of Seattle. And I can read a map. Don't worry about me getting lost in a small city that I've never been to. It just isn't possible."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
Arrrrgh! I tried to be crafty as I hid my horror.
112. "The Sunshine State." Notable exports: sunshine, dreams.