*DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight... Sadly... Stephenie Meyer does.*
A/N: Alright peoples. This is my first imprint story, so i hope it's not too bad. Yes, I'm still tweaking the next chapter on Rocky Roads. If you haven't read it yet, you should hit it up. It's a Bella/Jasper fanfic.
Chapter 1... Cliffside
Bella POV
There was never anything to do in this town, was there? I mean, other than hanging out with my best friend Paul, nothing.
I loved Paul. He and I were so close, I could tell him anything. And when I say anything, I mean anything. I don't think that there's a single thing that him and I haven't already talked about. Good and the bad, we've been through it all.
As we sat on the high rocks that scattered along the Cliffside that overlooked the storm grey water below, I looked out over the small town we lived in: La Push. Sure, it was beautiful, but it always seemed… incomplete. Like something was missing. Or rather, something was waiting to be discovered.
"Paul," I sighed as I tore my gaze away from the town to Paul.
He really was beautiful. There was really no other way to describe him, because, I know, it sounds odd to call a man beautiful, but he really was. His cheekbones were crafted perfectly for his tan skin to melt over them in just the right way. His dark midnight black hair swooshed into his brilliant mismatched eyes. Eyes that I got so fascinated over. I loved the idea of mismatched eyes.
"Hmm?" Paul hummed, not taking his eyes off his sketchbook; he was drawing La Push as he saw it, through his eyes.
"Do you think its fate that I got adopted by Sue and Harry? So that we could be best friends?" I asked.
A slow smile crept onto his face.
"Oh, you know it Bella." He snorted at my thoughtfulness.
I mock-punched his arm and then pulled my fist away just as fast; my hand hurt.
Damn, those muscles had not been there on him a couple of months ago. But then again, Paul hadn't been as tall a couple of months ago. He was nearing 5'11, while I was only 5'2. So he really towered over me. He seemed to be going through some really fast growth spurt along with a ton of the other boys in La Push. It was weird.
"Ouch" I muttered under my breath.
Paul just snickered and continued sketching what he saw before him.
It was times like these, times when it was just me and him that made me wish I could draw half as good as Paul did. That way, we could be artist buddies or something stupid like that. I mean, we were already "Silly Buddies" for Christ's sake!
I looked out over the horizon on the water. The sun was just about to set. It was truly beautiful. It reminded me of being home. Home in Phoenix. Back where the sun shined hot and nice. Back where there were nice days all the time. Not rain 24/7 like here.
Thinking of home only brought the memories. The memories of my mom and dad being killed while I stood back, a witness to the event. Without even the courage to whip out a cell phone and call 911 while my parents were being stabbed to death.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, but I quickly whipped them away; I didn't want Paul to see me crying…
But the effort was in vain.
Paul had seen the tears, and while I was trying to whip them away, his hot hands clamped over my own and he pulled me into a tight hug; setting his sketchbook down in the process.
"Bells. What's wrong? Thinking of it again?" he whispered into my ear. I could only nod a yes to him, as my voice was choked back with the tears that kept threatening to over flow onto me. "Shh, shh, shh. Bella, babe, listen to me. Hear me out, okay? Wanna talk about it? If you don't, I get it; it's too soon for you to talk about it. But if you can, cool. I'm all ears. I'm here for you, Bella. Don't you ever feel like you need to hide your tears from me, cause you know, I'll always be here to wipe them away, and kick the person who caused them's ass."
I smiled at Paul's little threat. He might be all tough and rough and "ass kicking" on the outside, but on the inside, he was marshmallow. He was a softy. And he knew it. And that's why he kept up the "tough" façade. But sometimes, it wasn't a façade at all. It was just Paul. One of the many sides to his bipolar-ness.
"Paul, I don't know what I would do without you." I blubbered into his new black shirt.
"Bella, babe, without me, you'd be lying dead in a ditch of course due to lack of me." Paul joked. God, he was so full of himself sometimes…
I rolled my eyes at him.
"Oh, yeah, cause I really will die if you ever leave me. " I said seriously. More seriously than he'd probably ever know. Because I meant what I said. Meant it with all my heart. Paul was what kept me together. Paul was my best friend ever. My only friend in a long, long time. He was the staples that held me together.
"I know. So, you gonna talk it out?" Paul whispered.
I shook my head; I wasn't ready for that, yet.
"'Kay. That's coolio. Just, sometime, whenever you're ready, I want to be the first person you talk it out with. No therapist is going to hear this before me, 'Kay?" Paul joked. Again with the therapist jokes? I don't need one, nor do I have one! He just liked to joke about it because a lot of people in La Push seem to like to come up to me and recommend their cousin therapist or whatever. And it annoys the hell out of me... and Paul damn well knows it.
I hit Paul playfully again, hurting my hand once more in the process.
"Ouch… Paul? When the hell did you get all the muscles?" I teased back. "They weren't here last time I checked."
"Really Bella? You haven't noticed? I'm growing up. I'm not the same 14 years old you first met. I'm a 17 year old man, god damn it. And I am proud!" Paul pretty much yelled.
I burst into laughter.
I remembered when we first met, me and Paul. We were both 14 years old. Both awkward. Both weird.
(Flashback)
"Ouch!" I muttered as I ran into something, or rather someone. "Sorry!"
A boy, no older than 15 it seemed, turned to look at me. He had mismatched eyes that went good with his dark hair and tan skin. He was only a few inches taller than me, and I was short for starters, only about 4"11. He had jet black hair that cascaded into his eyes and face.
He was adorable to say the least.
But completely the outcast type. I could tell this by his black skinny jeans and Bring Me The Horizon band tee.
"It's okay. Hey, have I seen you around here before? You seem new to me. I mean, everyone here is, well, Indian, and you're, well, I don't know if you've noticed or not, but you're white." The strange boy told me matter-o-factly.
I giggled at him.
"Yeah, I'm new. And thanks for distinguishing the difference between our skin colors! I never knew I was white! Why didn't someone tell me earlier?!" I asked in mock horror. "I'm Isabella Swan. But I prefer Bella. So call me that, or else I'll rip your ear off." I looked him straight in the eyes, never backing down.
He threw me a lopsided grin.
"Sure, Bella. I prefer to keep my ears, thank you very much. I'm Paul. Paul Lander. You can call me whatever, and I'll respond. I have no preference. And I don't go around threatening to rip stranger's ears off either." He retorted.
I was starting to like this boy…
"Well, Paul it is then. What classes do you have?" I asked him quietly; losing my nerve a bit.
We exchanged schedules, and it turned out, we had all of our classes together. He gave me a tour of the school, and invited me to sit by him and his friends Jacob, Jared, Embry, Quil, and Seth at lunch. I accepted even though I was the only girl. It was fun though…
Paul was a really great guy…
(End of flashback)
"Bella?" Paul asked, waving his hand in front of my face obnoxiously.
"Huh?" I shook my head out of my memories.
"Bella, I don't feel so good…." He whispered, holding his head in his hands.
I touched his wrists to pull them down, but scooted back instantly; they were burning hot.
"Paul, you're fucking hot!" I screamed in surprise.
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know. I am the real looker, aren't I?" he snorted.
"Seriously. Temperature wise." I slapped him again.
"I know… I just… I feel all weird…" he whispered and his whole frame started to shake.
"Paul…?" I whispered in panic.
Suddenly Paul exploded. And I don't mean exploded as in his guts went flying everywhere. I mean exploded as in Paul morphed into a fucking grey wolf.
I just stood there in shock; no words came to my mouth.
What the hell just happened? One minute I'm having a talk with my best friend and then the next, he's a giant wolf? What the hell?
"Paul?" I asked after a moment of inner debate.
The wolf just stared at me; eyes filled with horror before it turned on its heels and ran into the forest.
A/N: so that was the first chapter to Imprint.... I'm going to try to update atleast once every week. If i don't, never fret! I will the next week!
Those who review shall get the biggest hug they've ever seen... and a cookie :D
Playlist: Avenged Sevenfold, The Devil Wears Prada, You Me At Six, Divided By Friday, and Black Veil Brides
