Chapter 1:

"This is stupid! Have you read these rules Ness? They define everything from hair color to nail length and the amount of jewelry you can wear!" Renesmee smiled in her mirror at him as she applied her mascara. Jacob Black sat on her bed in his white button down collared shirt, khaki pants, plaid tie and brown dress shoes looking hot as ever. Of course, she couldn't tell him that but sometimes… lately… she'd wished she could. "You might as well take those bracelets off your wrist, Ness. 'Only one bracelet per wrist.' Oh, and your earrings can only be studs, no 'dangling earrings.'"

Renesmee turned around in shock. "Seriously?" She stormed over and sat next to him on the bed, her skirt flaring up a little. Jacob caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and closed them immediately. How was he going to get through this private school thing? Not only did Nessie have to wear a skirt that was entirely too short and practically showed her panties every time she sat down, but she had to wear a tight, white shirt whose buttons strained against her newly developed breasts. Boys would be staring at her. How could they not? Every boy in this stupid school would be trying to get into his imprint's panties.

"Daddy!" Renesmee shrieked and they heard Edward chuckle downstairs. "These rules are ridiculous! Our skirts have to be 'no more than six inches from the knee.'"

"I agree with that one." Jacob muttered under his breath. Renesmee scoffed, standing up and going back to her vanity in an even worse mood.

"What do you even care?" Renesmee muttered back. She knew better than to complain about the uniforms to her father. She'd asked to attend school with her parents, aunts and uncles and this was the school they were going to. She could deal with it, or she could not go at all. Either was fine with her parents, who wondered if she was even quite ready to deal with humans.

She finished her make-up and traded her earrings out for the Tiffany diamond studs her father had given her for her eighth birthday, taking off all but one bracelet and throwing them back on her vanity. Sighing, she reached for the heels her Aunt Alice had set out for her on the floor next to her closet. When she stood with them hanging from her fingers and turned to Jacob, she saw he was grinding his teeth. "What's the matter?" She asked. He was hardly ever angry with her.

Through clenched teeth, he replied, "Please don't bend over at school. That skirt barely covers your ass."

She rolled her eyes and put her heels back on the floor by the bed, squatting instead of bending, and Jacob's teeth grinded again as the skirt flared out, showing even more of her pale thighs. "Stop worrying about me Jake. The skirt's fine."

He held out his hand for her and she took it, balancing so she could put her heels on. "It's my job to worry about you Ness. You're my imprint, remember?" She smiled as he stood, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her tip toes. Even with heels on, he was a great deal taller than she. "I know Jake. I love you."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, closing his eyes. "You too, Ness, but if any of these private school jocks even think about getting in your panties, your father, uncles and I are going to kick their asses."

Ness smiled and pulled away from him. Their embraces and 'I love you's had started seeming more awkward than she liked. "Come on. Mom will kill me if I don't eat before we leave." Jacob grabbed their blazers off the bed and held hers open for her before putting his on, grabbing their book bags and throwing them over one shoulder as she started down the stairs.

Jacob sighed. "Here goes nothing."

Renesmee nearly burst out laughing when she saw her aunts, uncles and parents. Rosalie's skirt was noticeably shorter than the requirements, and she'd moved her wedding ring over to her right hand, refusing to take it off. Emmett's blazer was about to burst at the seams and Esme was promising him she'd fix it tonight. Alice was sitting in the corner with her arms crossed, pouting angrily because she couldn't tell how their day would go due to Jacob and Renesmee attending. She'd chosen to wear tights with her uniform. Jasper stood next to her, smirking down at her with his blazer thrown over his shoulder. He reached out and rubbed her back. Bella was still cooking her breakfast, wearing flats instead of heels, and Edward was staring down at her skirt angrily. Nessie rolled her eyes.

What was it with him and Jake? Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper weren't freaking out about their wives' skirts!

Her father's eyes cut over to her with an intense stare. She knew he appreciated her skirt about as much as Jake did. With a huff and crossed arms, Renesmee made her way over to the table and sat down, Jacob sitting next to her. "Okay, let's go over the story again." Her mother said, taking a few pieces of French toast off the stove and placing them on a plate next to her.

"You're Isabella 'Bella' Masen and I'm Renesmee 'Nessie' Masen. We're sisters and Esme's nieces. Our house burnt down in a fire, killing both of our parents. We moved in when we were 13 and 15. Dad is Edward Cullen, Uncle Emmett is Emmett Cullen and Aunt Alice is Alice Cullen. They're siblings who were about to be put in separate homes before Grandma (who we have to call Mom) and Grandpa (Dad) found them and adopted them together. It is unknown what happened to their parents as the three siblings were found alone in their home when they were toddlers. Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Jasper are twins. Their parents were meth heads who abused them. Jacob Black is the son of Grandma's best friend who died in a car crash. He calls them Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme. Grandpa is a doctor and Grandma is an online college professor. Did I get everything?"

"Watch your tone." Her father warned and Renesmee looked to Jacob and rolled her eyes as her mother set their plates in front of them.

"Thanks Mom." Ness replied.

"Yeah, hanks Bewa." Jacob said through a mouth full of food. Everyone grimaced.

"What cars are we taking?" Renesmee asked, curiously.

Edward cocked an eyebrow at her. "You, Jacob, your mother and I are going in the Ashton Martin, and Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper are going in the Ferrari."

Jacob was nearly drooling. "I thought we were trying to remain inconspicuous."

Edward chuckled a bit. "We don't have to here. All the kids come from families with money."

She nodded slightly and returned to my breakfast, thoughts of her first day of school ahead of her. As much as she wanted to go to school, she both hated and loved the fact that Jacob was going with them. She wanted Jacob with her every moment of the day, but she knew other girls would drool over him too, and just thinking about it made envy flood through her veins. Edward cleared his throat at her and she raised her head to look his way. His eyebrow rose with a smirk and she blushed. "Shut up Dad." She grumbled and he chuckled.

"I wish you two would learn to communicate normally." Jacob replied.

Nessie scoffed, standing with her plate. "Trust me, you don't." She replied. "You done?" Jacob nodded warily and she took his plate as well, rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher.

"Everyone ready?" Her father asked and everyone in the room filtered into the garage impatiently.

"You alright Ness?" Jacob asked, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Ness." He stopped her, standing in front of her with his hands on her shoulders, making her look him in the eye. "What is it? You can tell me anything, remember?"

She stared at him for a few moments. How in the world could she ever possibly tell him about her the feelings brewing in her? She wanted him, as more than a friend. She wanted to kiss him and lie on his chest and hold his hand and keep him entirely to herself. How could she tell the man who'd been with her since she was a baby, that even though he was 25 and she was 8, that she desired him? She couldn't. Sighing, she replied, "Nothing you can fix, Jake. I promise." She smiled smally and hoped he'd be satisfied as she walked past him and into the garage with her family. Jacob joined her a few moments later in the back seat.

"Seatbelt, Ness." He muttered, clicking his own into place. She sighed in irritation, but did the same and her father turned the key in the ignition. Both Jacob and Nessie stared out of their windows, staying silent throughout the whole ride.

Finally tired of listening to his daughter's Jacob-filled mind, Edward cleared his throat again, "Let's go over the grades of our siblings and your schedule Renesmee."

She stared at the back of her father's head irritably, rolling her eyes. "You, Jacob, Uncle Emmett, and Aunt Rosalie are Twelfth Years. Uncle Jasper and Mom are Eleventh Years. Aunt Alice and I are Tenth Years. I have Calculus first period with you, American History second period with Uncle Jasper, Tenth Year English third with Mom, Chemistry fourth with Aunt Rosalie, Lunch, Piano fifth with you, French II sixth with Aunt Alice and P.E. seventh with Uncle Emmett and Jacob. You couldn't have me better suffocated."

Edward smirked, parking in the school's student parking lot and walking around to open both his wife's and his daughter's doors. "Don't take your teenage hormones out on me, Renesmee."

"Does everyone know what's wrong with her but me?" Jacob asked exasperatedly, throwing his hands in the air, after grabbing Renesmee's bag off the floorboard by her seat.

Bella smirked – a trait she'd picked up after living with Edward and Emmett for so long. "I have an inkling, Jasper most likely knows based off of her feelings, Edward definitely knows but hasn't told me. Other than that, everyone else is just as in the dark as you are. Renesmee's been like this for a few months now. Carlisle says it's normal teenage hormones, but I think it's something a little more… special than that." She replied, staring at her daughter.

"I hate you all." Nessie replied, trying and failing to take her bag from Jacob, crossing her arms instead. The Ferrari pulled up in the parking spot next to them and her aunts and uncles got out. Nessie watched as her father put his arm around her mother's shoulders, Uncle Jasper grabbed Aunt Alice's hand, and Uncle Emmett wrapped his arm around Aunt Rosalie's waist while her aunt plunged her hand in her uncle's back pocket with a horrible loneliness in her heart. The rest of her family started making their way into the building and she watched as the other students stared.

"Ready, Ness?" Jacob asked, his hands buried in his pockets.

Nessie stood still. "I guess."

Jacob took a deep breath as well, taking his hands out and holding open his arms. "C'mere." She fell into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, clinging to the back of his blazer. One of his hands played with her hair as the other rested on the small of her back. He kissed her hair. "I don't know what's going on with you lately Ness, and it scares the shit out of me. I wish you'd tell me what it was so I could fix it. It's driving me insane." She pulled back and stared into his eyes, desperately wishing she could tell him. His eyes shone with hurt and in an attempt to make it disappear, she decided she would have to show him. Placing her hand on his face, she watched him close his eyes and relayed all of her emotions. She showed him in the best way she could every single feeling she'd felt towards him lately. She showed him her mental images of kissing him in front of everyone and holding his hand as they walked down the corridors, laying on his chest. She showed him how absolutely terrified she felt about telling him her feelings, fearing rejection or an impending difficulty in their friendship. Finally, she stopped and his eyes focused on hers again, hurt replaced with something else… pity.

"Oh… Ness…" She let her hand fall at the sadness in his voice. She forced a smile through the tears already lining her eyes.

"You wondered. Now you know. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got class in five minutes and I've got to find Dad." Grabbing her bag off his shoulder, she put it over her head and walked as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself.

"Ness!" He shouted, but she kept walking, facing the pavement as tears started down her face. Mentally, she called out to her father, hoping he'd meet her at the school entrance so she wouldn't have to go look for him and run into the rest of her family.

By the time she reached the entrance, her father was there waiting with a terribly sympathetic face. "Don't." Renesmee whispered as he opened his mouth to ask the problem. Instead, he read her mind as the events of the last ten minutes flitted around.

"Renesmee, stop." Edward finally said, pulling her to the side and into his arms. "I'm sorry, sweet heart. Maybe he's just not ready. Maybe he's scared." He knew the boy's mind inside and out but it wouldn't be fair to either of them if he spilled Jacob's secrets to his daughter.

"Maybe he doesn't like me." She whispered as the bell rang. "Come on, Daddy. It's time to get to Calc."

When the bell rang a third time, signaling the end of first period, Nessie walked out of the classroom next to her father, almost running into Jacob as he waited for her. One of Edward's eyebrows rose as he looked down at his daughter and she nodded, sending him on his way. She forced a smile onto her face. "Hey Jake. How was your first period?" She asked in the most nothing-changed voice she could muster.

"Um, fine I guess. Listen Ness."

She stopped and whirled around until she was standing in front of him. "No, Jake. I don't want to talk about it. It's fine. Lapse of judgment on my part, okay?" She smiled again and turned around, walking towards her next class and leaving Jacob behind.

She dreaded going home this afternoon – or even the car ride home. Maybe it'd be simpler if Jacob didn't live with them, but unfortunately he did and she suddenly wished she hadn't opened her big fat mouth… or hand.

She found Jasper waiting for her outside the doors of her American History class and immediately he caught on to her feelings. "Bad day Ness?" He asked, as they walked through the door and found a desk in the back.

"Something like that." She mumbled back as the teacher began reading the syllabus.

"Wanna talk about it?"

She sighed. Her Uncle Jasper was always one of the ones she was closer with in the family. It was easier talking with him because he already knew the feelings; you just had to explain their causes. Stealthily slipping her hand onto his wrist, she listened as his breath caught, watching her situation with Jacob unfold. "I see." He finally said, and then stayed quiet for the rest of the class except for the occasional snort at inaccurate history facts.

That was another thing she liked about him. He asked, you told him, that's it. He didn't try to say the right thing, or probe you to talk. If you wanted to volunteer more information, you did and he'd listen, but if not, he wasn't going to make you. Before she knew it, that class had ended as well. She shoved her syllabus in her bag as Jasper went to find Alice.

Jacob stood waiting for her again and she inwardly rolled her eyes. They walked together silently until they reached her mother at the doorway to English. Jacob awkwardly wrapped his arms around her in a hug and then let go of her, nodding to Bella and then going his separate way. "That was awkward." Her mother commented, walking through the door. "How is school so far?" She shot her mother an angry glare before they settled into their seats and listened to another syllabus.

Walking to class with Jacob in silence got old quickly. She almost sighed in relief when she reached the Chem classroom. Rosalie smirked at her as she sat down, but said nothing.

Lunch was probably the most awkward of the day thus far. The rest of her family had already taken their seats, all paired off, while Renesmee was forced to stand in line with Jacob. After standing in silence for five minutes, he finally sighed and ran his hand over his head. "Do you want to talk about it Ness?"

"No, Jacob. I really, really don't." She replied, crossing her arms across her chest.

He ran his hand over his head again, a nervous tick he'd had for as long as she could remember. "Ness… It's not you. It's nothing you did."

She turned to him. "It's not you, it's me? Come up with something original why don't you?"

"Nessie, stop." He placed his hands on her upper arms. "Lord knows I want you too, Nessie. You make it so difficult not to. You're beautiful, inside and out. But, I worry that if we took this step, we would lose the special friendship that we have."

"That's bullshit and you know it Jacob. Look at Paul and Rebecca, Jared and Kim, Sam and Emily. They're closer than ever, and nothing's ever going to change that. But you know what? I'm not going to beg you to be with me, Jacob. I guess I shouldn't have told you a thing when you asked. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to act like nothing happened. You can either do the same, or let this create a rift between us."

She turned around and faced the front, eventually making it to the buffet. Grabbing a tray, she piled more food than she knew she would be able to eat on it – intent on giving most to Jacob. She made her way to the register and paid, and then waited on Jacob to do the same so they could walk to the table together. After dividing the contents on her plate in half and giving some to Jacob, she turned to her father. "What's everyone think of us Daddy?" She asked in a hushed whisper, turning to her plate again.

Bella smirked. "Well inappropriate thoughts are going around about all of us from both genders. A lot of people are wondering about you and Jacob. They've seen the rest of us acting romantically and they wonder about you two." She stared at her father with a pointed glare. "You asked." He replied simply.

"What do they think about each of us individually?" Alice questioned.

"Well, they think each of us is attractive. A few people tried to walk up to Rosalie today, but after seeing Emmett, they decided they liked their genitals more than her." Bella smacked Edward's arm, gesturing to Renesmee with her head and he smirked. "A few boys have thought about asking Renesmee out." He replied and Jacob stiffened slightly. "They haven't made up their minds yet. One girl named Tiffany thought about fighting Alice to try to take Jasper away from her, but only entertained that thought for a moment." Alice's eyes twinkled up at Jasper, and Nessie rolled her eyes slightly. "Thoughts about Bella are probably the least censored, and I'm not going to repeat them." His fist tightened just as the bell rang. Jacob took Nessie's tray and walked to the trash cans.

They walked together with Edward to Piano, and Nessie half expected her father to say something rude to Jacob but he'd been walking with a secret smile thus far. She made a mental note to ask him why when they got to class. Edward walked into the classroom alone, leaving his daughter and Jacob to talk. "Listen, Ness. As much as I want to talk with you about what happened this morning, I don't want to lose your friendship or let this come in between us. If you're pretending it never happened, I guess I am too." He replied with a hopeful smile.

Nessie smiled back. If she couldn't have Jacob as her boyfriend, she'd love to have her best friend back. "Thank you." She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. He picked her up and swung her around, his smile growing as she laughed. "Go to class, Slacker." He replied, setting her back down on the ground. I'll see you afterwards."

Her smile grew as she walked into class. This, she knew, would be her favorite class. She loved playing piano with her father. The professor passed out a pre-test and explained that afterwards, she would make everyone play the piece they knew best. Nessie and Edward smirked at one another. They knew they both aced the pre-test and waited impatiently for their turns at the lone piano sitting in the class. Edward rolled his eyes at her as a few of the kids misplayed chopsticks. "Edward Cullen." The teacher finally called and her father stood, walking towards the piano and taking a seat. The moment his fingers touched the keys, Renesmee felt a chill go through her. It was the song he'd composed for her mother. Bella's Lullaby. She closed her eyes as she listened to it. She hadn't heard it in quite a while; a year at least. She opened them as the song finally came to an end and Edward folded his hands in his lap. "That was…. That was wonderful Mr. Cullen. May I ask the name of the piece?" their professor gushed, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"It was a piece I composed for my girlfriend a few years ago, Professor Keys. It's called Bella's Lullaby."

Her face dropped infinitesimally and Nessie stifled a snort. "Yes, well, it's very pretty Mr. Cullen. You may take your seat now." More students went until, nearing the end of class, the teacher called upon her. "Renesmee Masen?" The professor stuttered out her first name. Standing, she walked over to the piano, smoothing her skirt as she sat.

"You can call me Nessie, if you'd rather." She told the professor and she smiled slightly.

"What will you be playing, Miss Masen?"

"I've decided to play Yiruma's 'River Flows In You'. It's a more modern piece, but it's my favorite." Nessie replied, turning slightly to gauge her father's reaction. He gave a slight, proud nod and she settled her fingers on the keys, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before beginning. The whole day's stress melted away as she played, her fingers dancing to each key and back as a smile made its way to her face. When she finished, she turned back to her father, smiling hugely.

"Well done, Miss Masen." The professor said and Nessie noticed the look of awe on her face proudly. The bell rang and she walked back to her seat to take her bag from her father. "Mr. Cullen, Miss Masen, do you mind meeting me at my desk for a moment?" The two looked to one another and her father shrugged, walking forward.

"I'm curious of a few things." The professor said simply and Nessie's heart froze a bit, slightly, irrationally scared that the woman had picked up on their secret. "When did you two learn to play? You're adopted siblings, correct?" She asked, looking to some paperwork on her desk.

Edward spoke first. "Yes ma'am, we are. We both started learning when we were very young, but I don't remember the exact age, do you Ness?"

Nessie shook her head, biting her lip in mock concentration. "No, I can't remember. Everyone in our family plays an instrument though. Some learned after Mom and Dad adopted them, and some knew beforehand. Edward and I know piano. Bella and Alice can both play violin. Emmett plays the drums, Jasper plays guitar and Rosalie plays the harp – believe it or not." She smiled slightly, wondering if she'd given away too much information.

Professor Keys smiled. "That's amazing. Tell your parents it sounds like they are raising amazing children bound to succeed after college."

Nessie made herself blush. "Thank you, Professor Keys. We'll make sure to do so."

"As two students showing experience far above that of their peers, I'd like to offer the advanced pace to the two of you. You'd be doing different things than the other people in the class and instead of learning to play a certain piece by the end of the year, you'd have to turn in a piece you've composed. Mr. Cullen, it'd have to be a new piece." Her eyes twinkled a bit in his direction. Edward looked to Renesmee and fake shrugged.

"Sure. Thank you, Professor Keys." Edward replied.

"Very well. I'll start the paperwork and send it to our Headmaster. Off to class. I'll email your next period professors and let them know you could be late."

Jacob was pacing outside the doorway when they finally made it out of the classroom. "Sorry. Professor Keys kept us behind to talk about putting us on the advanced pace." Jacob sighed in relief, taking Nessie's bag as they waved goodbye to Edward. "Get on, Genius." He said again, crouching slightly. Nessie laughed and jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms lightly around his neck as he held onto her thighs. She hoped, in the back of her mind, that her skirt was hiding her panties in the back, but barely cared. The students gawked as they made their way to French and she placed her hand on his cheek for the second time that day.

This. This is what I missed. Best friends forever?

He chuckled. "Forever, Ness."

French went by in a haze. They took another pretest and Alice stared at her the whole time with a curious gaze on her face. Jacob met her outside the classroom and gave her another piggy back ride to the gym.

They barely made it before the bell rang; Jacob dumped Nessie onto one of the bleachers, laughing with her as he sat down. The coach blew his whistle and started his class, oblivious to the two. "Everyone line up and I will hand you your P.E. uniforms. These are to be washed every night and ready to be worn every day for class. You are to bring your own sneakers and shower equipment to keep in your locker. For those who didn't bring their own sneakers for today, you must walk laps around the boarder of the gym until the bell rings. After today, forgetting necessities will result in a 50 point deduction in your grade per day. Clear?"

"Yes sir." The class chorused. The coach started calling out names alphabetically, handing each student the new blue and tan P.E. duffel. Each duffel contained two navy blue tee shirts, two pairs of shorts, a hoodie, a pair of sweatpants and a new combination lock with the code still attached to the back. Both the duffels, the shirts and the hoodie had the school's name and mascot printed on the front, and the duffel had the student's name embroidered on one handle, while the shirts and hoodies had it on the left side, with their last names repeated across the backs. Jeez, this school is obsessed with knowing who's who around here. She thought absently. "After today, you may keep the duffels, your shoes, and your shower necessities in the locker of your choice. Pick one today and place the lock on it, change into one of your short sleeve shirts and shorts, put on your tennis shoes and meet on the bleachers in ten."

Jacob, Nessie and Emmett rolled their eyes at one another and went their separate ways. Not long after she picked her locker, the gossip started. "Have you seen the new kids? Dear Lord, Jacob Black's the best out of all of them. That Edward kid's not too bad either. Too bad all of them are paired up except Jake. I'm thinking about asking him if he wants to come back to my house after school." One of the girls started and Nessie rolled her eyes. She was a total, fake Barbie. Her hair was blonde and curly and as she put it into the required ponytail, she doused it with half a can of hairspray. She rolled the waistband on the tan shorts down twice, shortening them. When she propped a foot on the bench to tie her shoe, Nessie shuddered as she saw the bottom of the girl's butt cheeks peeping out of each leg hole. She wondered why the girl had no self-respect. "Hey, Masen." She called and Nessie turned around slowly. "What's up with Jacob Black? Are you two together?"

Nessie rolled her eyes as she tied her shoes. "No. Jake's just a friend." She sighed as she put her hair into a pony tail and turned to walk away.

"Oooh, Tiff…" One of the girl's said in the background, adding drama to the moment for the sake of nothing better to do.

"I wasn't done talking to you!" Tiffany's voice rose and the girls who stood around her giggled.

Nessie turned to face them. "Well I was done talking to you." She shrugged, walking out again. She found Jacob leaning against the wall, waiting for her. Tiffany death glared her as she walked by and Nessie rolled her eyes again. "She wants in your pants, by the way. Fair warning." Jacob looked up at her slightly and the girl waved flirtatiously.

"Well that's one place she won't be getting." Jacob commented back. The coach came out not long after and had everyone stand in a row. He went along the line, numbering people 1 through 4 until there were three groups of four standing in separate areas of the gym. Nessie crossed her arms when she realized Jacob was on Tiffany's team.

"Hey, beautiful. Why you pouting?" A blonde boy walked in front of her and directed her eyesight elsewhere. She stared at him. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a tan. A Ken doll to the Barbie she'd just left behind. "I'm Chris."

Nessie smiled politely, putting her hand in his. "Renesmee, but you can call me Nessie if it's easier."

"No, Renesmee's pretty. You're new here, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. My family and I just moved here this summer."

"Are you liking Trinity?"

She shrugged. "It's alright."

The coach blew his whistle once more and explained the game they were about to play to them. She and Chris talked all through the class, in a valiant effort to keep Nessie from looking towards Jacob and Barbie. At the end of the class, while putting away the balls they'd used, he touched her arm. "I was wondering if I could get your number. I'd love to call you sometime, maybe take you out if it's okay with you."

She noticed Jacob's glare over the boy's shoulder. If Jacob wasn't going to be with her, she at least deserved to be with someone else, right? Chris was nice enough, and even if she did feel absolutely no attraction to him, she knew it'd be better for her to go out with different boys than to just wait around for Jacob to make up his mind. She smiled, touching his upper arm. "Got your cell on you?" He smiled and went into the pocket of his shorts, pulling out an iPhone. Pulling him close to her, she took a picture of them with the front camera and inserted her contact, attaching the picture. Slipping his phone back into his pocket, she smiled at him again in her best flirtatious grin. "Call me." She whispered, turning away. She caught her Uncle Emmett's face and saw him laughing. He knew what she was up to. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Jacob as well and noted his furious hands clenched into fists. She noted he wasn't yet shaking and shot him a smile to try to calm him down.

You know when you walk into a room full of talkative people, and then they see you and a silence falls over them? You know how at that moment, you know their topic of conversation was you? Well that was what happened, and for the first time in Nessie's life, she felt tinier than the rest of her peers. She grabbed her towel and other shower necessities from her new locker and made her way to the showers. Right after she turned on the water, she heard them start talking again. Standing as close to the curtain as she could, she listened to them gossip.

"Wonder what she thinks she's playing at. One man's bed isn't enough? She's gotta be in Chris's too?" Tiffany sneered. Obviously Jacob had turned her down.

"She's just another whore, Tiff. You know how to deal with them. Chris is your ex. You lay down the law. They cower away. Don't let her get to you."

"It'd be different if she was actually pretty," said Tiffany. "But damn I've seen homeless people more attractive than her."

The girls giggled and Nessie leaned against the wall of the shower sadly. She'd seen movies about mean girls in high school, but had never even imagined they were like that in real life. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she could help herself, and she waited until after the bell rang to get out, changing back into her uniform sans blazer, and putting her dirty gym clothes in a bag in her backpack for Esme to wash. She hated school, absolutely hated every part of it. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, she made her way to the car, passing Jacob entirely. He called after her, but she kept going, passing Tiffany and her minions, her parents and her aunts and uncles.

She walked until she reached the edge of the woods that stood between the school and their house. As soon as she knew the trees covered her from the inquisitive glares of the other students, she sped to a run. She ran until she was deep in the woods and sat on the nearest log. She didn't know how far away from everyone she was. She couldn't smell or hear anyone within a five mile radius. She hoped she'd gone to Canada. She sat on her log, dirtying her skirt and legs for at least an hour before she started sensing him approaching.

"Ness." Jacob whispered, coming out from behind a tree. He'd already phased back and pulled on a pair of shorts. Slowly, he walked towards her, sitting down next to her and pulling her head onto his shoulder. He played with her hair and then kissed it. "What's the matter, Ness?" Almost reluctantly, she placed her hand on his cheek and showed him the scene in the locker room, hiding the fact that she was standing in the shower when she'd heard. That might be a little too embarrassing, especially considering their most recent awkwardness. "Oh, Nessie. You can't think that's true." He whispered, pulling her into his lap like he had when she was younger. "You're beautiful, Ness. How many times a day do I have to tell you that?"

She wanted to reply that he must not honestly think that if he were so ready to kick her to the curb, but she didn't want to lose his friendship again, so she decided against it. After a while, she stood, her face free of tears, and she and Jacob started back towards their house.

Someone will love me, she promised herself. Be it Chris or Jacob, someone would pay attention to her, hold her hand, kiss her and love her.


Just a small town boy and girl
Living in the crazy world,
Trying to figure out what is and isn't true .
And I don't try to hide my tears,
My secrets, or my deepest fears.
Through it all nobody gets me like you do...
I'm only up when you're not down.
Don't wanna fly if you're still on the ground.
It's like no matter what I do,
Well, you drive me crazy half the time.
The other half I'm only trying to let you know
That what I feel is true.
And I'm only me when I'm with you.

- "I'm Only Me When I'm With You", Taylor Swift