Chapter Text
I lay down along the backseat of mums Toyota Mirai as she talks to the admin woman who signed me out and got my skates from my locker. The ice-pack I have under my head has made my whole face numb with cold, but hopefully it helps keep the bump small.
I lose track of time, and barely notice mum get back into the car, or feel much of the journey, glad the local council maintains all the roads so well. After the slight elevation into our car garage, I sit up slowly, allowing room for mum to join me on the back seat.
“Oh Rosie… I thought you grew out of your fainting spells years ago.”
I pout at mum, which proves effective as she pulls me into a shoulder hug, running her hand in circles on my back.
We sit like that in silence for a few minutes, but I sit up in a panic.
“Mum! You were working… I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you ditch work.”
She smiles at me sweetly as she moves to leave the car.
“Just as I’m sure you didn’t intend to ditch school?”
She holds my hand as I slide out of the car and I smile at her bashfully.
“Well, no… I didn’t intentionally pass out in front of the majority of my school, mum.”
She stretches her arm up to ruffle my hair.
“Don’t worry about my work, I was only there for a half day. I have a meeting very soon I need to get to. You’ll be okay?”
She unlocks the door and I follow her in, making a b-line for the kitchen, fetching a glass of water.
“Yeah, I am. I’ll even have dinner sorted, as I hope to still take my shift this afternoon.”
“Okay, Rosie. Don’t push yourself, okay? Don’t feel ashamed to call in sick for work. You might have a concussion, so try not to sleep, alright?”
“Mum, I’m fine, I swear. If I feel it getting sore, I’ll call my paediatrician and organise a ride there or something, okay?”
She kisses me on the forehead, having to stand on tip toes to reach.
Rolling my eyes at her, knowing full well she was just as, if not still is, significantly more accident prone than I am, I gently shove her away from me.
“Love you, Rosie.”
Mum walks away to the front door, getting ready to leave again, but I come up behind her and surprise her by pulling her into a hug, her feet dangling in the air.
“Love you too, mum.”
Once I let her back on the ground, she turns to me and lightly slaps my shoulder.
“I can’t believe how big you’ve grown… your father was tall, but I never anticipated you’d outgrow me. Hell, you’d give Jacob a run for his money.”
I open the door for her, basically shoving her out, already feeling bad that I may have caused her to be late for her meeting as it is. I wave at her as she backs out of the driveway, smiling wide.
Mum has always done her best with me, and I’m so thankful for it. Between her stories, Gramps, and the few occasions I met her myself, I know Nana Renee wasn’t the best role model, and that mum practically raised her instead of being a child. She clearly learned what not to do, and did the opposite with me.
I think the only thing their parenting style had in common, was that my first few years were spent moving about constantly.
My stomach rumbles, and I go back to the kitchen and put together some lunch, realising I didn’t get to eat mine at school before I passed out.
Why did I pass out?
I hadn’t had a fainting spell in years. Maybe I should visit my doctor and see if he has any ideas.
I pull my phone out and book an appointment for after school tomorrow, before remembering there’s a few things I need to get for dinner, and quickly place my order at the local grocer.
Five minutes later, I toss up between my skates and simply walking, and opt for the lesser, not ready to risk skating until I have to for work later.
I walk at a casual pace, taking in the world around me. There's a slight mustiness to the air that I love, the grey clouds above swelling with oncoming rain, the few sun rays fighting to reach the ground, exhausting their reach, making the most beautiful shadows all around me. There's something about moody weather that comforts me, a certain beauty in the idea of destruction.
Lost in thought, I nearly miss the man on his e-bike that stops right ahead of me.
Suddenly I feel alarm bells go off in my head, but I force myself to stay calm, feeling it quite an irrational response. I stop short of the man, his hand raised in greeting. His pale blonde hair immaculate as it falls across his forehead, despite the helmet he wears, his strong jawline suggesting he’s at least mid-twenties. But his eyes unnerve me the most. Despite the dimness of the afternoon, they shine a brilliant gold, offset even more by the pale pallor of his skin.
I shake myself out of the instant judgement, realising that it’s just a strange fashion sense in contacts.
“Hi there, you don’t happen to know if Bella Cu-Swan lives around here, do you?”
The alarm bells ring louder in my head, everything about this man telling me to run or prepare to fight. I try to maintain a calm facade, as this potential threat assess me right back, his gaze seemingly kind.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel comfortable answering that.”
“Of course, I do apologise for my forwardness. My name is Doctor Carlisle Platt, and while my family and I are new to town, Bella Swan is an old family friend. I must admit, in my excitement to see her, I made haste, forgetting to actually contact her about a visit.”
So he’s the father of the new kids at school.
And he’s really claiming to know my mum, and the only indication I have to make this even plausible, is the reaction mum had when I mentioned the new students last week.
“Well I’m sorry, doctor, but I can’t help you with that.”
He nods his head at me, his face remaining serene the entire time.
“Not to worry, dear, I fully understand. Have a good day.”
I watch as he bikes away down my road, passing right by my house without a pause. I quickly send mum a text about the weird encounter, hoping we aren’t about to experience a real threat, before I’m on my way again.
Later that evening, I have a less weird encounter with a member of the Platt family.
Half an hour from closing, the smallest of the Platt family enters and approaches me at the counter. I quickly put my juice down and save the document I was working on before I turn to her, a customer service smile gracing my face.
“Welcome to the Boneless Switch, home of all things skate and juice. My name’s Bonsie Rosie, what can I do for you today?”
“Good evening, I’m new to town and am looking for something to get me to school. My family and I were unaware we were moving to a district that strongly discourages cars, so we were all thrown for a loop. While the rest of my family are content with shopping online for theirs, I was told coming here was my best bet.”
I come out from behind the counter and lead the small girl over to the start of our display wall.
“We certainly hope you feel that way after your experience. With the exception of the electric models we sell, whether you go for a bike, scooter, skateboard or roller skates, everything is fully customisation friendly, to suit your needs, and comes with a three year warranty, as well as an awesome buyback scheme in case you need an upgrade. Which also means we have brilliant budget options between our house-brand, and pre-used items. Everything we sell gets assembled in house by staff, all of which are certified and trained, so you know you’re in good hands.”
The girl looks up at me, her eyes adorned by the same weird gold contacts her father wore when I saw him. Her eyes startle me, but I brush it aside as I asses the small girl before me. With her height no doubt less than five foot, and her hair chopped messily like she tried to give herself a pixie cut, this Platt looks barely old enough to be a highschooler.
She is drawn straight away to one of the highest skill level skate set ups, and she takes the demo trucks in her hands and gets the wheels spinning. They have this slight melodic sound to them as they all spin, and I’m momentarily distracted. I only just upgraded my own speed skates, and they aren’t as good as this one.
“What you’re holding there, is a bearing and wheel set up that we only recommend for our most skilled customers. These inlines are very similar in design to the roller derby set ups we recommend, and can get users from point a to b fairly quickly, but with it you really need to know how to handle yourself.”
I reach to my left and select a design much more suited to her based on my observations.
“These however, not only are the wheels material optimised to suit the surface of the footpaths and roads we have in town, but the bearings are perfect for users with little to no experience, as well as those who are younger. Paired with the right trucks and boots, they work best for those who are smaller in size.”
She looks a bit put out before she shakes her head softly and smiles up at me.
“I do have some rollerskating experience, but you’re right, I should find something more my speed.”
Over the next twenty minutes, she and I go over everything, and soon I’m ringing up her order, telling her that it will be ready to collect in about a week, and that she’ll get a text to confirm. I grab a leaflet about our loyalty program, and a voucher for a free juice, sliding them into the bag with her protective gear.
“If you join our loyalty program, every purchase, whether juice or skate related, you’ll earn Switch points, which can be redeemed in house for all kinds of rewards, from discounts and free juice, to experiences with industry stars, and so much more. As for today, your purchase has earned you a free juice that you can redeem at the juice bar whenever you like. Right now, I just need your name and contact number to make sure you can collect this purchase, and whether you would like a payment plan or not.”
The girl looks up at me, barely tall enough to see over the register.
“Oh, silly me. My name is Alice Platt. I’m a freshman at Brunswick Social college. You go there too, right? I feel like I saw you in the cafeteria?”
She types her phone number into the screen on her side, while I try and fight a blush. Great… she remembers seeing me faint.
“Uh, yeah. I’m a Junior. Rosalie Swan, but Rosie is fine.”
She waves her phone over the card reader, and it beeps as it accepts her payment in full. I try to mask my shock, noting that between her dad being a doctor, and her mum a fancy interior designer, she probably has a bit of money to throw around.
“So not Bonsie?” She winks, a light giggle escaping her, while I hide my cringe at the shop nickname.
“Yeah, not outside of this shop.”
I smile at her as nicely as I can while I hand her the bag, my blush still trying to escape, while I just want to escape this awkward encounter.
“That's fine for me anyway, calling you Rosie. My older sister is also named Rosalie, but she detests anything other than it in full.”
I try not to baulk at the confirmation that the princess look alike is indeed named Rosalie, and that I wasn’t imagining that. My head feels faint again, but I quickly gulp down some of my juice I abandoned earlier.
“I’m sure that's bound to cause confusion in any classes she and I might end up sharing.”
Alice giggles again, and it reminds me of a birds melody.
“I’m sure it will. Anyway, thank you for the help, Rosie. I’ll be sure to try and convince my siblings to come in here, assure them that they’ll get what they need. Have a good evening.”
I wave at her as I walk behind her, ready to close the shop for the night.
“You too, and walk safe! We may have a ridiculously low crime rate here, but there are groups who like to ride at night and can sometimes be a bit reckless.”
She waves goodbye, a ‘thanks for the warning’ whispered as she turns and leaves.
When I lock the door behind me, I suddenly become aware of a feeling of unease, as it dissipates. If it’s anything like the feelings I had when I met her father earlier, its great to know that customer service mode overrides fight or flight instincts.
I head into the workshop, nodding at Derek, my manager, as I head to the workstation I’m logged into. I pull up Alice’s order, and send it to my phone, before I grab a basket and head into the storage room. I come out fairly quickly, well practised with retrieving items. I double check everything is the right size and compatible, before I log them into the system for her purchase, tucking the full basket away into a spare pigeon hole, and writing the order number on the whiteboard.
“All done for the night, Rosie?”
I pick my bag up and head to the workshop door, ready to get home.
“Yup, all done Derek. I just figured I should get a head-start on the order for my last customer. She’s new to town so I thought it would be nice if I rush hers, on the house.”
Derek shuts off the workstation he’s at, and double checks that mines off too.
“That's one of the reasons I’m recommending to Thompson that we promote you to manager. You know just the right way to deal with our customers.”
My jaw drops as I let what Derek said sink in…
“Man-manager? But don’t you have to be at least seventeen for that? Policy says so, plus the training takes several months, and we only have the one manager, plus Thompson, so unless you plan on leaving-”
“Shh, Rosie. Don’t sweat it.”
He leads the way to the front of the store, grabbing a juice he made earlier out of the fridge along the way.
“You’re right about there only being room for one manager right now, but I’ve been trying to tell him we need someone else. I told him he’d be able to take more time off, but he worries about the cost of paying someone. It’s been hard enough to get him to compensate you fairly when you’ve helped me with admin and stock. Which brings me to the age and training… You’re seventeen in a few months anyway, and you already have the basic skills. Obvioulsy I’d have to test you a little, but I don’t think there’s much for you to learn, and we have the time to do it. Plus I assured Thompson that it will be cheaper to promote in-house, rather than hire externally. You know the layout of the shop as good as me, if not better.”
I take a seat on the bench outside, swapping my sneakers to my skates. Being the manager would be awesome, but I fear I’d get overwhelmed.
“I don’t know, Derek… it seems like a lot.”
He locks the door and tosses his keys into the air before pocketing them, his skateboard under his arm.
“Take your time to think about it, I’m not in a rush. Have a goodnight!”
“I’ll try...You too!”
He salutes at me as he drops his board down and leaves.
I stand up from the bench and begin heading in the opposite direction. I think about his offer the whole fifteen minutes home.
On one hand, being manager gives me a bit more leeway in shifts, plus money, not to mention I really like working at the shop, even if Thompson is a pain in the ass sometimes. He at least knows his shit as a former skate pro.
But on the other hand, I barely keep up with my homework as it is, not to mention I don’t know what mum thinks of me spending even less time at home.
I roll to our driveway and use the rail to pull me up to the porch. I’m so lost in thought that for the second time today, I nearly miss the e-bike parked out front. But this time, there's no one on it, and a second one parked with it.
Odd.
But I suppose its quite possible mum really does know the Platts. She did seem to recognise the name.
I get my skates off and let myself in, calling out to mum to let her know I made it. The unease returns to my gut and my spine goes stiff. Something about all of this feels off.
Following the sound of laughing, I find mum in the dining room with two guests, including the doctor, and empty glasses of wine.
“Hi Rosie, honey. Come here and meet the Platts.”
I remain vigilant, alarm bells ringing in my head as I smile at the guests and take a seat next to mum. Mum shoots me a warm smile, the unease loosening slightly. I turn to the guests and try not to startle as I realise Carlisle’s eyes are a normal colour, a blueish grey that fits his pale complexion. The woman next to him has warm brown eyes that matches her auburn hair. I can’t comment on her complexion given she has impeccably done make up on.
“Carlisle, Esme, I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Rosalie.”
Both the adults gasp as they take me in, and I try to mask my fear and distrust of them, especially as I have no logical reason to fear them.
Esme turns her gaze to mum, something akin to love and sadness shining in her eyes.
“You named her after my Aunt too? She would have loved having two namesakes born so close together.”
“Of course I did… When I held my baby in my arms for the first time, I couldn’t think of a better way to honour my lost friend.”
Mum and Esme give each other heartbreaking smiles, before Carlisle turns to me, extending his hand.
“Rosalie, it’s a pleasure to formally meet you. I must apologise if I caused you any distress when I approached you earlier today. Both Esme and I were excited to see your mum, and in my haste I forgot to contact her myself.”
I shake his hand, and practically shudder at the cold and firmness of it.
“No hard feelings, Doctor. But I hope you understand why I wasn’t willing to disclose any information about mum and her whereabouts.”
He smiles at me kindly in a way that no doubts puts his patients at ease, but it just worsens my instincts.
Seriously, I have no reason to fear these people.
Esme turns her gaze on me next, and when she smiles at me I actually do feel more comfortable. There's a certain warmth emanating from her kind, round face.
“It’s lovely to meet you Rosalie.”
I smile in return, trying not to blush at the softness of how she says my name, as if we are already well acquainted.
“Please, call me Rosie. Alice said that your daughter doesn’t like the nickname, so it will hopefully help you not to confuse our names too much.”
Esme and Carlisle both seem surprised that I spoke with Alice, and mum looks at me, a goofy smile on her face. Carlisle speaks up first.
“You spoke with our daughter?”
I nod, standing up, ready to excuse myself so I can serve my dinner.
“Yeah, she came into my workplace, The Boneless Switch, right before closing. Over the next few days, I’ll be setting up her roller-skates for her. She seems lovely. You two made a beautiful and kind daughter. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to serve my dinner.”
Everyone nods, a quite thanks from a bashful Esme.
I take my time in the kitchen, trying to calm myself down and easy the tension in my body. Plate of food in hand, I carefully make my way to the dining room once more, pausing by the threshold as the adults laugh, and something about mum as a teenager is said.
I smile at everyone as I retake my seat, trying to figure out how they know mum. They aren’t people I recognise from when I was little, and the fact that their kids, specifically their daughter Rosalie, looks identical to mums high-school friend, has me questioning the little I do know. Esme said something about Rosalie being her aunt, but she was mums age, and Esme can’t be that much younger than mum, especially if she has a daughter my age.
“If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly do you guys all know each other?”
Everyone takes a breath, and both mum and Carlisle look at Esme, who in turn looks at me, her expression slightly sobered.
“Well, Rosie, that's a fun story.
<3
With some help from mum and Carlisle, Esme tells me her history with my mum, and about her family.
Esme was what’s known as a ‘whoopsie’ baby, born ten years after both her youngest sibling, Alisha, and her youngest uncle, Norman. Esme’s mother, Sandra, was basically the opposite, being the eldest of her siblings, with nearly twenty years between her and her siblings Rosalie and Joseph, Norman two years younger than the twins. Esme’s older brother Henry was the same age as Rosalie and Joseph. The weird age gaps were blamed on all being from a small town.
Esme met Carlisle in middle-school, and were inseparable through out high-school, before they got together and had the twins fresh out of school. Mum remembers Esme as a sweet child, and had always felt her and Carlisle would make a good couple some day.
As for Esme and Carlisle's children, only the twins and Alice were theirs. Edward was the son of Norman, who took his own life several years ago, and Henry had Emmett, before he died of natural causes. Carlisle and Esme were happy to take in both boys, just as her grandparents had taken her in when Sandra passed.
Mum’s friend Rosalie died shortly after mum lost contact with their family. It’s not said, but I can only assume the contact was lost after mum broke up with her boyfriend, which I can narrow down to being either Norman or Joseph.
“Oh wow… so you knew my mum when she was still in high-school? That’s crazy.”
They all laugh softly, clearly lost in memories. Esme look at me, her eyes burning fiercely at me.
“Yeah, we did. Honestly I looked up to Bella. She was one of my favourite people. It sucked when she went away to college, along with my siblings and aunt and uncles. I was most distraught when I learned that she was no longer dating my uncle… she was the coolest Aunt a teen girl could want.”
She looks to my mum with so much affection, its like the family bond never went away. I turn to mum and see she has the same level of affection, just like when she looks at Gramps, Uncle Billy or Jacob… and probably me too.
The Platts stay for a little while longer, later than should be appropriate since they no doubt all have jobs to go to tomorrow. I find myself laughing along with them as they all share stories from their shared pasts, even events that Esme and Carlisle were too young to be around for.
Like when Norman, mums ex I eventually figured out, stopped mum from dying.
“Wait wait wait… Norman just… pushed Mum out of the way of a van? What about himself, how did he manage to make it?”
Mum shoots Esme a glare before she looks at me, and in the most pretentious voice she can muster, she recites;
“It was an adrenaline rush, you can look it up.”
Her face cracks as she can’t not laugh at the ridiculous line. I just cringe, and I must do a bad job of hiding it.
“And yet you still went out with him after that, Bella.”
It’s a miracle Gramps didn't pass away from worry when mum was growing up. It seems every second story Esme or Carlisle mention, features mum getting injured in some way or another.
By the time they leave, I’ve been up for way to many hours and feel like a zombie going through my nighttime routine. But after being assured I don’t have a concussion by Doctor Carlisle, mum lets me head to bed, whispering in my ear that its okay for me to play hooky tomorrow.
I mumble goodbye to our guests, and somehow make it back to my bed.