???? ????? ???????, p lahote (on hold)

⎯ AN ENCOUNTER

JOAN SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF BELLA'S TRUCK, arms folded as she gazed out the window. The trees blurred past in a haze of green and brown, and the overcast sky cast a dull gray light over everything. She hadn't asked too many questions when Bella called her up earlier that day, only that she needed some company for a trip to the reservation. Joan, always one to go along with things even when she wasn't sure what she was getting into, had agreed.

Now, as they bounced along a rough, dirt road, she was starting to wonder what exactly she'd signed up for.

Bella had been quiet for most of the drive, her fingers gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. Joan could tell something was on her mind, but she wasn't sure if she should ask. They weren't best friends or anything—they'd only recently started hanging out—but Joan liked Bella, and she figured if Bella needed a distraction, she'd be there for her.

A sudden bump in the road jolted Joan forward in her seat. She caught herself with a hand on the dashboard and turned to Bella with a raised brow.

"You sure this truck is gonna make it?" Joan teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Bella let out a small laugh, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "She's sturdy. Just a little temperamental."

Joan smirked, shaking her head before glancing behind them. That's when she noticed the tarp-covered shapes in the truck bed. She hadn't really thought much about them before, assuming Bella was just dropping something off, but now that they were getting close to their destination, curiosity got the better of her.

"So, are you gonna tell me what's under the tarp?" Joan asked, turning back to Bella.

Bella hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Dirt bikes."

Joan blinked. "Dirt bikes?"

Bella nodded, her grip on the wheel tightening. "I found them at the junkyard. They need work, but Jacob can fix them up."

Joan tilted her head, trying to make sense of it. "Wait, so... we're taking broken dirt bikes to some guy you know so he can fix them?"

Bella's lips twitched, but she still seemed distracted. "Pretty much."

Joan frowned slightly, her fingers drumming against her knee. She knew Bella was dealing with... things. The kind of heartbreak that lingered in someone's eyes even when they were trying to act normal. But this? Joan hadn't expected this.

"Do you even know how to ride a dirt bike?" she asked skeptically.

Bella shook her head. "Not yet."

Joan let out a short laugh. "Great. So I'm here for moral support when you inevitably crash. Good to know."

Bella just shrugged, and Joan couldn't tell if she was being reckless or if she just needed something to do—something that made her feel alive again. Joan had seen that look before, in herself and in others. It wasn't really about the bikes. It was about something else.

Before Joan could say anything more, Bella pulled into a small clearing in front of a red house. The smell of damp earth filled the air, and Joan caught sight of a tall, broad-shouldered boy standing near the porch. His dark hair was long, falling over his shoulders and there was something warm and familiar about his easy posture.

Bella barely had the truck in park before the boy grinned and started toward them.

"Bella! he called out, his voice full of amusement. "Where the hell have you been loca?"