I stared out of the window, my right hand gripping the car door firmly, my left hand curled into a tight ball. Charlie was going the speed limit. He was safe. I was safe. I could feel the low vibrations of the car through my seat, and the loud white noise that was the rain pelting the roof of the car. A flicker of movement on the left caught my eye. Charlie had waved his hand to catch my attention.

"How was the flight?" He asked, turning his head towards me, and keeping his gaze locked firmly on the road. He'd kept conversation to a bare minimum, sensing my discomfort. We were almost at Forks now.

"It was good. I think I recognized one of the flight attendants from the last time I was here" I enunciated carefully. Charlie smiled. We were nearly at the house.

"I left your room like it was before, though your mom and I splurged for a double bed. Lady at the store picked out the colours of the sheets and stuff."

"Cool. Thank you. I'm sure it'll be great Dad."

He went back to paying more attention to the road, and I rubbed my thigh reflexively. It didn't hurt anymore, but it was a habit I had fallen into; scratching at stitches. Another wave entered my line of sight. I looked at Charlie again.

"I've already signed you into the high school here, and I – uh – I kind of bought you a homecoming gift," he looked sheepish. I was instantly suspicious.

"Did you say homecoming gift?"

"Yeah I did. I figured that you'd probably need to find your way around town, and since you have no issue driving yourself places, I went and found you something big and safe. Seriously though, the thing runs great" Charlie smiled. It at least had a nickname already. The Thing. I was imagining a tank, so I smiled back apprehensively. "I bought it from Billy, you remember the Black's right?"

"You really didn't need to" I started, and as we turned the corner onto the street I saw it. The Thing. It was red, rusty, and incredibly tank-like. I had to admit. I would be fine in the cab of the massive monster.

I got out of the car as soon as possible, racing carefully towards the truck, while Charlie grabbed my lone suitcase from the back of the cruiser. Up close, it was just what I hoped. Tank-like. Indestructible looking. The type of vehicle that would flatten and roll over others without scratching the paint job. I looked round quickly for Charlie, who was already at the front door.

Thanks. My eyes filled with embarrassing tears. Welcome. He looked away quickly, making himself busy with the suitcase and the door. Maybe these next few days wouldn't be as tough as I hoped. I went upstairs and unpacked slowly. Putting my younger self's decorations away, and reorganizing as I went. If this was going to be home now, I wanted it as homely as possible. I guess I was making a lot of noise with the furniture moving, because Charlie tapped me on the shoulder, making me jump. I hadn't noticed his entrance.

"I got that. You take the easier stuff." He motioned towards the bed I was pushing towards the wall furthest from the door. It would be directly under the window, but I would definitely see the door opening that way. Charlie started moving, the strain making blood vessels protrude from his neck slightly. I cleared off the desk quickly, and started yanking it, to where the bed had been. I would also angle this so that when I sat in the chair, I could see the door. My walls looked remarkably bare when I had finally taken down the remnants of childhood drawings. They were all safely in a box, which for now was serving as the stand for my printer. I made a mental note to buy something to spruce the place up a little. Maybe a string of white Christmas lights or something.

I slept restlessly. Tinnitus in my ears rang so loudly it was almost painful. I could also hear the thrum of rain on the window, and feel the shaking of the pane against the wind. I'd get used to it.

My phone's vibration on my pillow woke me in the morning. It was Renee. She was asking how things were going, and had undoubtedly forgotten the time difference. I turned off the alarm I had set for an hour from now and proceeded to text her, reassure her, and fill her in on my semi-eventful day. I had, after all, acquired a tank-like truck. Charlie's cruiser was gone, I could see that from my room. I wandered downstairs in my pyjamas, concocted breakfast and composed a shopping list. We were badly in need of some essentials. Coffee. Milk. Eggs. Most dinner foods. I'd be taking over the kitchen duties from now on for sure. Charlie had left me a note, reminding me that the school was just off the highway. An unnecessary reminder, really, as everything in this town was just off the highway.

I sat debating how I would approach the school populous. Should I explain? Could I just roll with it? Of course I could, but people would probably find me rude. I had specifically asked Charlie not to mention anything to anyone down here. Aside from Billy Black, who knew everything about my family, nobody would know how little I could hear them. Fifteen percent. Maybe. That was my magic number when concentrating. I could hear fifteen percent of things going on around me now. If there was loud and persistent noise, like the buzz of a crowd or the roar of a car, then that number probably hovered closer to ten. In a quiet room where I could focus, and with the speaker facing me directly, we increased my odds to around twenty. I had never before taken little things, like the sound of my own voice, for granted. It sounded warped and strange now. I suppose I would figure out my bearings as I went.

My watch buzzed once to remind me of the hour, and I hurried upstairs to get dressed. When I came back downstairs I was flying so fast I nearly missed a step. I continued out of the door, and headed towards my truck. It started with a soft rumble – or what was probably more likely a thundering roar, based on how hard the wheel was vibrating under my fingers. I guess it was perfect for the mostly deaf girl. The thing handled pretty well, and felt like it wouldn't go anywhere near the max speed limit of the car, which I was very content with. At first I was concerned that my rusty old truck might stand out, but I soon realised that I had been thinking of Phoenix parking lots. The nicest thing I discovered in the school lot was a new-ish silver Volvo, and that stood out. As I parked I noticed some heads turn. Ah. The truck was really loud.

I stepped outside into the misting drizzle with a sigh, and headed quickly towards the building marked with a sign that read 'Reception'. As I approached the counter, a warm and friendly looking lady greeted me with a massive smile.

"Isabella Swan I presume?" She asked. I nodded with a smile. She ruffled through some papers on her desk and pulled out a small paper.

"This one is for your teachers to sign and let me –" She turned around mid-sentence and I lost the rest of it. Her voice was low and smooth, and I had been relying on her lips. " – to help you get around." She presented me with a small map.

"Thank you," I said, turning quickly, and walking hurriedly away; I did not want to be late for my first class.