Shifting Moon

 I loaded down a plate with pizza and grabbed the two beers before heading into the front room to see Billy's wheelchair parked next to Charlie's lazy boy. I handed off the beers and went to sit down on the couch.

 Billy's hand brushed mine when I passed him the beer. "You're going to warm my beer up holding it with your hand so hot. You running a temperature?"

 Thomas smiled sheepishly, "Nope, I feel fine. Must have been the hand I was holding the pizzas with. Though Bella thinks I stole some heat from Phoenix to keep me warm here in Forks." 

 Billy went back to the game but occasionally looked over to see Thomas running through his plate, which held almost half a pizza in what he thought was record time. 

 Minutes later, I got up to get more pizza and politely asked if they needed anything while I was in the kitchen. It seemed that both Jacob and Bella had no interest in joining them in the front room for the game just yet. 

 Both men answered in the negative, so I went to refill my plate. I nodded at Jacob and Bella who were in the middle of an awkward silence that I wanted no part of. 

 Jacob's eyes went a little wide, "Your done with that plate already? It was half a pizza."

 Bella responded, "He is only beginning, he will get two more plates the same size by the time he is done."

 "Wicked, you should join an eating contest. You would get to eat all you want and win money at the same time."

 I just laughed, "Got to keep my energy up for exercising." I then filled my plate. Leaving Bella's cheese pizza alone even though I know it will come to me to finish it. If she eats 3 pieces, it will mean she was starving.

 The sudden cheers from the front room told me something good happened in the game, so I went back and took my seat in time for the replay.

 During a commercial break, Charlie got up to go to the bathroom and grab another beer. Billy turned to me and asked, "So, tell me about yourself, Thomas. Where is your family from?"

 "Well, my mother Nancy was from here in Forks. She was Renee's older sister, and the only thing I know about my dad was that he died in a hiking accident before I was born. Mom said he was from somewhere near the China/Nepal border. They met in Law school. Though come to think of it, Mom once told me a story about Dad's grandma being a Quileute Princess. But I don't know how true that is.

 "That does sound a bit off, we don't have Princesses in the tribe. Your dad must have been a giant of a man if your size says anything."

 Charlie walked back into the room, "You ain't joking there, but I think young Thomas here will have him beat. Still growing even at his age. Not to mention all the working out he does. Not that I'm complaining, the whole department is getting in shape due to the energy he has brought to the station. Him and... Well, never mind." 

 "You stopped talking quick, what is it?" Billy asked.

 Charlie looked like he didn't want to answer but since it was a direct question, "No one you want to hear about Billy. Let's just leave it at that and let's get back to the game."

 That caught my interest, but Billy just tightened his lips for a moment and acted like nothing had been said.

 I just shrugged and went back to eating and paying just enough attention to keep up with the game in case I was asked something. 

 The next time I got up, Billy asked for another beer while I refilled my plate. When I walked into the kitchen, I heard Bella saying. "Well, I think I am going to go finish some homework, enjoy the Soccer game guys. Nice seeing you again Jacob." Then she went into the living room to make her excuses and goodnight to Billy and Charlie.

 Jacob looked confused, "I thought we came to watch a Hockey game?"

 "That's classic Bella, no interest in sports at all. I will tell her the Penguins lost by one touchdown tomorrow and she will just shrug." Thomas laughed as he pulled Billy's beer from the fridge and refilled his plate with a few pieces of the cheese pizza mixed in, so it got eaten. 

 Jacob just watched me in wonder and then followed me into the living room to watch the game. The rest of the evening was just a bunch of guys watching the game and enjoying the good food and drink. By the end of it, I was drawing out some ideas for my art project and only half paying attention to the game.

 When it was over, Billy and Charlie started talking about random subjects ranging from better fishing come spring, to common spots where the tourists would get lost in the forest.

 At a yawn from Jacob, Billy finally called it a night. "Better get this one home, it's a school night after all. It was good to meet you, Thomas. You should come to the reservation sometime, you and Sam Uley will get along great.

 I thought about asking Billy about the girl I saw screaming out her frustrations a week back but decided it may be something personal for her and left it alone. I simply said my goodbyes there in the living room and watched Charlie walk them out to their truck. I went upstairs and knocked on Bella's door but got no response.

 I could see her light on, so I cracked the door and saw she had her headphones on, so I walked in. When she noticed me, she took her headphones off and looked at me questioningly. "Let me get your keys so I can move your truck once the Blacks leave. That way Charlie doesn't have to do it in the morning."

 Understanding dawned in her eyes and she pointed towards her desk. I found them under her Government class book, "I'll put them on the table so you don't have to look for them in the morning."

 With a simple "Thanks." Bella returned to her math homework. I went back to my room and waited to hear Charlie come back in so I could move Bella's truck. When the time came, I walked out to start Bella's truck but then the thought of having to wait for it to be warm enough to engage the transmission irritated me, so I just put it in neutral and pushed the truck into the street and then walked to the cab and turned the tires and pushed it into its spot from the cab. "Much easier," I spoke out loud.

 Walking back to the door I felt like I was being watched, So I stopped. Looking into the nearby tree line to try and make out any movement, but soon the feeling disappeared. For some reason, I instinctively sniffed at the air as if trying to smell something. Shaking my head I went inside.

 Charlie was cleaning up the beer cans in the front room. "That was quick, you forget the keys or something? I didn't even hear the truck start up."

 "Didn't feel like the wait so I just put it in neutral and pushed it in place," I said it offhandedly like it wasn't nothing to move such a heavy truck.

 Charlie just shook his head, "Did you remember to put it back in gear?"

 I answered before thinking, "Of course I…" Oh yeah, "I'll be right back."

 Charlie just laughed good naturedly at me as I ran outside to make sure Bell still had a truck in the morning. When I came back in, I asked Charlie, "You ever get any wildlife this close to town? I felt like something, or someone was watching me from the tree line a bit ago. It has happened a few times when running in the mornings also."

 "It's not unusual, but nothing that will cause you any harm if you don't look to harm it. Most anything willing to attack a man leaves a large trail before it gets near town, but you be careful regardless. I'll get you some pepper spray to run with in case you need to discourage something."

 "Thanks, that may come in handy. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Think I will go get ready for bed, night Charlie."

 "Night, kid."

 I started to walk upstairs but paused, "Hey, Charlie. Why did you cut off your sentence about me and Jasper working out being the reason Jeff and Ken are suddenly into fitness again?"

 Charlie gave a deep sigh, "Billy and I don't see eye to eye on the Cullen's. His tribe had some myths about pail strangers and once the first Quileute got a look at Dr. Cullen, well no one from the tribe has gone to the hospital since." Charlie shook his head, "It frustrates me when I see that kind of thing. So, I try not to talk about it and Billy tries not to hold it against me. It's complicated I guess."

 "Weird, not sure I understand why they single out the Cullen's thought. Comparatively, all Caucasians are pail to the Quileute's." 

 I went upstairs and decided to take a break from homework and filled in some more of the pictures I had drawn of Edythe earlier. Once it hit 11, I grabbed my phone and texted [Have a good night, see you in class.] to Edythe.

 Had I been looking out the window at that time, there was a good chance I would have seen the glow of a phone screen as Edythe got my message.