I have re-written the Chapter 'Third Wheel' from new moon, and I have written it from Jacobs POV because this that last time he is truly human around Bella.
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Bella and I had been getting so much closer recently, we worked on the bikes, and then when that project was finished we decided to do homework together.
We were now doing homework together about four times a week, the other days Bella worked, and if she hadn't been I know she would have been spending her time around me. Quil and Embry had been worried about me, thinking that the time Bella and I had been spending together was unhealthy. I know they were just looking out for me but I told them to keep their noses out and they did.
It was February fourteenth; I was sitting in the living room with Billy, my Dad, waiting for Bella to arrive. I felt a little awkward considering it was valentines, but I had decided to buy her a little box of candy just incase.
I was getting so impatient and Billy was beginning to get annoyed with my pacing along the floor, I decided to go and wait outside, yet I hoped it didn't look to eager. I saw the faint red of the truck coming up the road and I couldn't help the broad grin that was now spreading across my face, in a few moments I would be the happiest guy on the planet. Bella stepped round the truck and smiled as she walked towards me, I had the candy box hidden behind my back.
"Happy Valentine's Day." I grinned and leant down towards her as I thrust the pink box of conversation hearts towards her. I saw her flush.
"Well, I feel like a schmuck," she said as her cheeks burned brighter "Is today Valentine's Day?"
I shook my head slightly, she was so zoned out at times it amazed me she managed to do anything… and before I knew it my thoughts were turned into speech.
"You can be so out of it sometimes. Yes, it is the fourteenth day of February. So are you going to be my Valentine? Since you didn't get me a fifty-cent box of candy, it's the least you can do." Bella shuffled nervously, although I don't think she was aware of it.
"What exactly does that entail?"
"The usual----slave for life, that kind of thing."
"Oh, well, if that's all…" she said smiling slightly and holding out her hand for the candy.
"So, what are we doing tomorrow? Hiking, or the ER?" I winked at her and she made a mock thinking face.
"Hiking." She decided. "Your not the only one who can be obsessive. I'm starting to think I imagined that place…"
"We'll find it." I said placing a hand on her shoulder. "Bikes Friday?" Some kind of notion flashed through her eyes.
"I'm going to a movie Friday. I've been promising my cafeteria crowd that I would go out forever." I suddenly felt rather down heartened, not that it should matter to me that she wanted to spend time with her other Friends, but it did, it was like a stab through my chest, thinking I would be spending my Friday afternoon in with Billy.
"You'll come too, right?" she added quickly, I hoped she hadn't seen that it had bothered me. "Or will it be too much of a drag with a bunch of boring seniors?"
"You'd like me to come, with your friends there?" I said, my mood brightening.
"Yes." She said nodding "I'll have a lot more fun if you're there, bring Quil, and we'll make it a party." I gave her a wide smile.
"Quil's gonna freak. Senior girls." I laughed, at my own joke and I heard a small laugh escape her lips.
"I'll try to get him a good selection."
Once Bella had gone I went back into the house, I flopped down onto the sofa with a heavy thud and the widest grin possible on my face. Billy gave a small cough and rolled his eyes. "What." I said, my tone rather sharp.
"I can see this all going wrong." Billy sighed. "This really isn't good for you." He warned.
"I know what I am doing." I assured him and got up from the couch. "I am going to the movies with Bella on Friday, so I won't be home from school." I gave Billy two thumbs up and went off to my room.
Friday couldn't come round quick enough, Thursday night was unbearable. I was irritating Billy more than ever. I was on the phone to Quil most of the night, I told him how I had been invited to go to the movie with Bella, but I casually forgot to mention that he had been invited and that there were going to be a lot of her other friends there. When I couldn't stay on the phone any longer I went to my room and tried to get some sleep.
I woke up after about an hour and could not drift back off. I decided it would be a good idea to go out to the little makeshift garage and do some more work on the Rabbit.
Friday morning I woke up in the front seat of my newly finished car. I quickly went back into the house and showered before I took off for school. When it was time to leave school I couldn't remember a thing that had been said during the day, and I hurried back to the garage to collect the Rabbit and then I began to drive straight to Bella's house.
When I got there the driveway was empty, I parked up the Rabbit and climbed out and leaned against the hood. I heard the roar of the truck coming closer and then Bella pulled into the drive. "No way!" she yelled hopping out of the truck and slamming the door shut. "You're done! I can't believe it! You finished the Rabbit!" her face was alight.
"Just last night. This is the maiden voyage."
"Incredible." Bella lifted her hand into the air and I gave her a quick high five, but instead of lowering my hand I entwined it in hers.
"So do I get to drive tonight?" I winked and nudged her with my shoulder.
"Definitely." She sighed.
"What's wrong?" I asked becoming slightly worried.
"I'm giving up-----I can't top this one. So you win. You're oldest." I shrugged my shoulders and gave a confident smile.
"Of course I am."
There was the sound of an engine and we turned to see a suburban turning the corner, Bella quickly wrenched her hand away from mine. I felt hurt, what did it matter if he saw us holding hands? Did she actually like this guy? "I remember this guy." I said becoming slightly smugger as I noticed who it was. "The one who thought you were his girlfriend. Is he still confused?" Bella raised and eyebrow.
"Some people are hard to discourage." I had a funny feeling that was just aimed at Mike, but also at me.
"Then again," I smiled "Sometimes persistence pays off."
"Most of the time it is just annoying, though."
Mike got out of his car and crossed of over to where we were standing. He had his hands in his pockets and a certain air if arrogance about him I thought. "Hey. Bella, " Mike greeted her, he turned to me and I could see the look on his face change. I was about a foot tall than he was, he obviously didn't believe I was a sophomore. Bella was looking anxiously between us.
"Hey, Mike! Do you remember Jacob Black?" Mike and I were still staring each other down, like one of us was about to pounce at any moment.
"Not really." He uttered and slowly held out his hand.
"Old family friend." I said taking his hand and squeezing it tight, we both smiled slightly if only for Bella. When I let got of Mikes hand I could see him trying to stretch out his finger with out either of us seeing.
There was the sound of a phone ringing; this snapped us back to our senses. Bella began to dash towards her front door. "I'd better get that----it might be Charlie." Mike and I went back to our staring contest.
"So you don't go to school with Bella do you?" Mike asked, an obvious question but he was trying to make conversation.
"No, I go to school on the reservation." I said folding my arm across my chest and leaning back against the hood of my car. Bella walked out of the house looking gloomy. She was shaking her head and running her hands through her thick brown locks. She was also looking at the gap between Mike and me and probably wishing we would stop behaving like children. I smiled as she got closer.
"Ang is sick." She said making a face. "She and Ben aren't coming."
"I guess the flu is making another round. Austin and conner were out today, too. Maybe we should do this another time."
I took my chance, "I'm still up for it." I interjected quickly, "But if you'd rather stay behind mike----"
"No I'm coming." He wasn't going to go down with out a fight. "I was just thinking of Angela and Ben. Lets go." He began heading over to his suburban, this brought a grin to my face, Bella had promised I could drive.
"Hey, do you mind if Jacob drives?" she yelled after Mike. "I told him he could----he just finished his car. He built it from scratch, all by himself." She grinned at me and nudged me with her elbow. I got in the drivers seat.
"Fine." Mike snarled as he headed over to the Rabbit.
"All right, then." I grinned as Bella climbed in the passenger door beside me and Mike climbed into the back.
On the drive there Mike was really beginning to get on my nerves, he was leaning forward with his chin resting on Bella's seat, his face was inches away from hers. I saw that she was uncomfortable from the corner of my eye, she suddenly shifted and leant with he back against the window. "Doesn't the radio work in this thing?" Mike sneered, as if I had forgotten to hook up the radio or something.
"Yes." I answered, "But Bella doesn't like music." I saw her face change, she obviously hadn't realized I had noticed she didn't listen to music or watch TV since he had left her.
"Bella?" Mike asked looking puzzled. I gave myself extra points because I had noticed and he hadn't.
"He's right." She mumbled
"How can you not like music?" he demanded half laughing as if it was some kind of joke. She sighed an impatient sigh.
"I don't know. It just irritates me."
"Hmph." With that note Mike leaned back in his seat, he was quiet for the rest of the journey, and smiled to myself. 'Jacob two Mike Zero' I thought to myself as we pulled into the parking lot.
Once inside I handed Bella at ten dollar bill, trying to do it before Mike caught up with us because it seemed just slightly un-cool.
"What's this?" she asked looking confused.
"I'm not old enough to get into this one. "I said in a hushed voice, moving my face closer to hers. She laughed, a full and proper laugh which made me smile.
"So much for relative ages. Is Billy going to kill me if I sneak you in?" I laughed.
"No I told him you were planning to corrupt my youthful innocence." In fact I hadn't told Billy, but he wouldn't care either way. She gave a little snort of laughter and Mike quickened so he could keep up.
Mike was still looking miserable, I wished that he had left when Bella told him Angela and Ben weren't coming, Then I would get to spend all my time with just Bella, and she would be the Bella I know and love not the Bella that is Mike's friend.
The movie was an absolute gore fest, four people blown apart in the opening credits, there was also a beheading. There were some weak stomached people in front of us covering their eyes, I found myself wishing it was too much for Bella and she would turn to hide her face against me. I glanced at Mike, he didn't even look like he was watching, he was staring somewhere near the top of the screen, I ignored him and went back to watching the on screen mutilation.
I suddenly found myself laughing at the movie; it was so fake it was laughable. Bella turned to me. "What?" she whispered.
"Oh, c'mon!" I said trying to stifle a laugh. "The blood squirted twenty feet from that guy. How fake can you get?" I laughed again as a flagpole speared some guy straight into a wall. When I had explained how fake the movie was, Bella also started finding it funny and we laughed at all the truly unreal things happening on screen. I looked over to Mike and he had his arm on the arm rest with his hand facing upwards, obviously hopeful Bella would take his hand. 'Two can play at this game' I thought and copied the way he was sitting. I knew I could normally hold Bella's hand when ever I wanted, but here it might mean something different, I didn't want to scare her away, so I gave her the choice, she could take my hand if she wanted. I wished she would, I really wanted to see the look on Mikes face.
I saw Bella fold her arms, and shortly after Mike removed his hand from the armrest. I smirked as he gave up and kept my hand there to still give her the choice. I heard a groan coming from my right, Mike was leaning forward with his head in his hands. Was he really so weak stomached that the move mad him feel ill?
"Mike are you ok?" Bella whispered to him. He groaned again, drawing attention from the couple in front.
"No." he moaned. "I think I'm sick." I could see that he was sweating, and it wasn't particularly warm in here. There was another groan and Mike dived out of his seat and ran for the door. Bella stood to follow him so I followed suit. She turned to me.
"No, stay, "she whispered. "I'll make sure he's okay." I pushed her forward slightly and walked out with her. "You don't have to come. Get your eight bucks worth of carnage," she said still in a hushed voice as we left the theatre.
"That's ok. You sure can pick them, Bella. This movie really sucks." When we were out in the hallway there was no sign of Mike anywhere. I walked to the guy bathrooms and checked in there. Sure enough as soon as I walked in I was met with the stench of vomit and the sound of Mike retching.
"Hey Mike, we'll wait outside for you. " I called out to him and he replied with another retch. I walked back out to Bella. "Oh, he's in there, all right, " I chuckled. "What a marshmallow. You should hold out for someone with a strong stomach. Someone who laughs at the gore that makes weaker men vomit."
"I'll keep my eyes open for someone like that."
