Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The OC's in this story are my creation and are not based on real people. That being said, I hope you guys enjoys my story. I welcome criticism and reviews. Thank you and enjoy!

"Embrace" – Goldroom

I've been thinking bout you every day / Now I see you walking around my way / So, easing into your embrace / It's like you never went away

JPOV

"Oh crap," my friend, Kim, murmured. She was glancing down the hall towards the main entrance, dozens of locker lengths away from us. A crowd of students just arriving to school blocked the source of her annoyance for a little bit. As they began to part to their own lockers, I quickly realized why she was so bummed.

Paul Lahote and his trouble-seeking buddies had walked in, most likely scanning every face for a victim of their bullying. Luckily, I've been a target to receive some mercy, but I knew very well how torturous the tormenting was thanks to my best friend Kim: one of their favorite preys. Paul was their leader, head of the clan of four – I don't pay any attention to the others – and he was known for getting around in the sheets and for his ruthless picking on others. Just yesterday he had stolen Chad Johnson's clothes out of his gym locker, making him have to wait naked in the shower for a whole fifteen minutes while his mother drove him a new change. It doesn't sound too horrible when compared to his other "pranks", but that was Chad's third victimizing that week. Poor guy.

I hurriedly snatched my calculus textbook out of my locker, slamming it shut and double-checking to make sure that it had locked. Kim followed suit and we quickly spun on our heels, speeding down the opposite end of the hallway in a desperate attempt to avoid Paul and his cronies.

The laughter of him and his friends seemed to grow louder as we fled; they were following us. Damn it. "C'mon Kim," I urged, quickening my pace. My classroom wasn't too far from here, but Kim's was on the other end of the school, so she needed to move faster than me.

Kim was a foot shorter than me, and with shorter legs. Therefore, I needed to help give her the extra push. I could withstand Paul's torment, but she couldn't take it again. The last time when they keyed her car in the school parking lot, she had mentioned that she was considered switching high schools to the one in Forks. I wouldn't let Paul take my best friend away from me. "Go on ahead," I said, giving Kim a light shove on the back, as if that would make her move any faster.

She glanced back at me, then behind me, and scurried on her way.

Sighing, I slowed down my pace and, sure enough, it didn't take long for Paul and his buds to catch up to me. A giant hand engulfed my shoulder and I froze in my tracks, rolling my eyes and pursing my lips in annoyance. "Yes?" I asked, trying extremely hard to keep the attitude out of my voice so that Paul wouldn't have something to poke fun at.

"Juliet," he greeted me and he moved in front of me, facing me head-on. Paul was an intimidating young man. He was a senior and already eighteen, standing almost two feet taller than I, and his muscular build added strength to his tough guy demeanor. No one messed with him, ever. He leaned his back on the lockers, his three friends standing behind him, smiles wide on their faces. "I have a question for you."

"I'm fairly sure that my answer's already 'No,'" I said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to class." I used my free hand to peel Paul's off my shoulder, but as soon as my fingers were there, he grasped my hand and held it hostage in his vicegrip.

"I was going to ask you if you'd like to go out to dinner with me," he asked, putting on a grin that was meant to melt my heart. All it did was give me nausea. Paul's friends continued to fight their laughter, waiting for the funny part of Paul's joke to begin.

"No thank you, now I have to go," I scoffed, trying to yank my arm away, but his grip was too strong for me.

"Aww, you're breakin' my heart, Jules," Paul pouted, the corners of his lips still wearing his idiotic grin. "We'll have a nice date: dinner, a movie, and then I'll introduce you to someone." He cocked his eyebrow at that last statement.

"Okay, I'll bite. Who?" I asked.

Paul yanked on my hand, pulling it downwards towards him. Then with his other hand, he pulled his pants and boxers away from his torso, supplying just enough room to shove my hand down there. "It's Paul Junior!" he shouted, his friends bursting out in hysterics. I gasped as I felt Paul's fleshy member against the backside of my hand, eyes widening as it even began to get harder.

"Oh my god!" I cried out, pulling away. I pushed Paul away from me, but he barely moved two paces back. "You are sick, Lahote!" I stormed off, leaving the laughs of Paul's gang behind me, my face beet red with rage and embarrassment.

"You'll love it once you try it!" Paul shouted at me.

God, I really hate Paul Lahote.

Heading into the classroom, I threw myself in the desk at the very back of the class, where I prefer to sit. I was only a junior, but I took senior calculus so that I could graduate early and leave La Push as soon as possible. It's not that I hate the place, I'd just prefer to live in a big city where it doesn't frickin' rain all the time! Maybe I'll go to New Mexico where it does get cold, but I can enjoy sunshine every now and then.

I pulled my notebook out of my bag and flipped it open to the middle, ready to jot down whatever notes the teacher was going to write on the chalkboard. Sure I may be what some classify a nerd, but I see it more as an opportunity to go to new places…and leave some people behind. People such as Paul. Despite being a senior, he's not too smart and rumors are already flying that he may not graduate this year. And there's no way in Hell that I want to spend another year with him.

"Hey, may I copy your notes?" Embry Call asked. He sat next to me and I always helped him out with his math work. Like me, he was a junior who was looking to taking senior classes in the hopes of graduating early. He hung out with Jacob Black and Quil…uh, something. There was a gang that couldn't get on my nerves, at least too much. I was dragged to a party last week (Kim and I pretty much sat on the couch the whole time) and all Jacob could talk about was some girl who lived over in Forks. Apparently he's had the hots for her ever since they were little kids. Sounds sweet, I know, but it got pretty damn annoying having to hear about how perfect that Bella girl was. Ugh, she sounds like a Mary Sue: too perfect that she's not a real person at all. Whatever.

"Sure," I answered Embry. "I'll give them to you after class."

"Thanks." Embry turned back to his textbook, flipping through it to find the assignment last night. I don't think he did it, again. He paused and looked back at me. "What are you doing this weekend?"

Embry is okay, but that's it. Sure he's a nice guy, but I don't really want to go out with anybody right now. I have been asked out a couple times this year, but I denied each offer mainly because I don't really have time to date with all my classes. Plus, I've been trying to look for a job. I haven't had any luck yet, but I'm still trying. Just the other day I put in an application for the new Target that opened up in Forks. "I'm going out of town," I lied, "visiting my grandma."

"Oh, that's a shame," Embry said, trying not to look too disappointed. He turned his gaze back down to his textbook.

The teacher began the lecture and I spent the rest of the class period copying whatever was written, and ignoring the awkward silent treatment that Embry was giving me. Even at the end of class when I ripped out my page of notes and handed it to him, all he gave me was a simple "Thanks," and he didn't look my way.

Sure I felt a little bad about shooting down Embry's date setup, but at the same time it boosted my ego a bit. No one will admit it, but everyone likes to be asked out even if they don't like to date. I gathered up my stuff and walked out of the classroom and back to my locker, ready to retrieve my English book. Unfortunately, just as I got my locker open, a hand closed it shut. I didn't even need to look at the hand's face in order to know who was there.

"What do you want, Paul?" I huffed. I turned back to face him and sure enough, his stupid grin was plastered on that face.

Students were filing out of the classrooms, but I couldn't see his friends anywhere in sight. "I came to double check to see if you're sure you don't want to have dinner with me tonight," he said.

I quickly pulled my hands behind my back. "I'm sure."

"Positive?" Paul asked, his smirk actually going away. I don't get the point of this prank yet.

I didn't even validate that with an answer. Instead I turned around and walked away, down the hall and towards my next class without my textbook.

PPOV

Juliet walked away from me, again. Oh well, I can't blame her. My reputation at this school makes me out as a bully, a tormentor who does nothing but pick on those lower on the rungs than me. And it's true. I do pick on people. One of my favorite pastimes is to look at the faces of horror of the fucking nerds as I shred up their precious poster boards. Losers. And my favorite people to mess with are definitely Jacob, Kim, and Seth. Especially Seth. Poor boy is just so eager please, he'll do anything I say, even key Kim's car. Fucking hilarious. I told him to carve a giant dick on the hood, and he actually did it. The best part was that he knew not to get caught, so none of us could get in any trouble.

So yes, I admit it: I, Paul Lahote, am a bully. And yes, I do pick on people. I've set trash cans on fire in the bathroom, I've stolen things from the local shops, and I've gotten high at junior prom last year. But there's one thing I will never admit to.

I have never tortured Juliet Larson, ever.

Sure just an hour ago I had her touch my cock, but that wasn't meant to be bad. It may not look like it, but it was an act of – I'll never admit to my buds 'cause they'd never let me live it down – love. Now one could scoff all they want at me declaring that Juliet touching my cock is an act of love, but she'll have it eventually. I know with certainty that we will be together in the future and she'll take me in with loving arms. So I guess I could call that little act earlier a preview. A preview of what our lives will be like later on.

Once we graduate, then we could leave La Push and everyone's preconceived notions of me, and then we can spend the rest of our lives together. I cannot tell my friends or any other classmates about my love for Juliet because I'm supposed to be Paul Lohote: the greatest ladykiller at La Push High School. I'm expected to bang a new bitch every week, so I say I do, but I really don't out of respect for Juliet. She doesn't deserve a guy who would sleep around on her. No. She deserves a man who is completely devoted to her, and that's what I am.

I do not sleep with other people and I do not let my friends pick on her either. Six years ago my friend, Kyle, had tried to throw a rock at her when we walking home from middle school, and let's just say that he had a cast on his arm for eight weeks. When he'd gotten out of the hospital he asked me why I had attacked him, and all I'd said was, "Not Juliet." And since then, my friends and a couple others at school knew that Juliet was off limits. Through never outright spoken nor confirmed, I established myself as Juliet's personal protector.

Ever since we met in elementary school up till now, I've been madly in love with Juliet Larson. It had happened during recess. I was playing red rover, totally kicking ass too. No one could keep their hands linked when I came bolting forth, always breaking through. When all of a sudden a soccer ball hit the back of my head, almost knocking me onto my feet.

"Watch what you're doing!" I had yelled out, using anger to mask the throbbing in the back of my head. I'd turned around to beat the shit out of whoever kicked the ball at me, only to come face to face with the most beautiful girl I'd ever set my eyes on. She had straight black hair that was pulled into a tight ponytail, affixed by a hairband with pink plastic balls on it. Her skin was clear, not yet affected by acne, and it was the rich tone of Hershey's Kisses. My favorite part about her had been the yellow Pikachu hoodie she'd been wearing.

Immediately, Juliet had brought her hands up over her mouth in shock. "I'm so sorry!" she'd rushed. "Are you alright?"

"Y-y-yeah," I'd stammered, "I'm fine." I had been in shock at the beauty and kindness of the creature in front of me. However, my friends were all laughing behind me, at my having got hit by the ball and being nice to a girl. So I added: "You suck at kicking." And that started my love for her, and her hatred for me.

Ever since that day, I've fantasized about being with Juliet. She's been the gravity that's been holding me down to the earth, the only person who I'd ever murder for, and the one I'm ready to lay down my life for. I don't just love her, I legitimately need her.

And that brings me to now: Juliet walking away to her next class, leaving me alone at her locker. She forgot to affix the lock, letting it dangle undone. Sighing, I secured it and double-checked to make sure that no one could fuck with any of Juliet's belongings.

"Hey Paul! Wait up!" I heard a voice from behind. It was Jared, one of Sam Uley's cult followers – the only one I think. I have no idea why he wants to talk to me now though.

"What?" I asked, impatient and slightly embarrassed. I hope that he didn't see me locking Juliet's locker. I can't afford to be made out to look like a sap in front of the whole school.

Jared didn't look phased. He just stood looking bored at me, his giant new bulk not coming off as threatening in any way. It was pretty damn strange too: he was gone for a week and came back with all these muscles and a new tattoo. Fucking weird. I'm willing to bet my left nut that Sam is starting a cult and is passing out steroid-tainted Kool-Aid.

"Sam wants to see you," he stated, "tonight."

"What about?" I asked, getting really annoyed with him. I didn't have time to waste on fucking Sam and his gang shit. Just the idea that that freak had the nerve to bother me with an invitation got me all hot with anger. My temperature rose and I could feel my hands shaking and sweat starting to bead up on my forehead.

I took a couple deep breaths and calmed down, the shaking going away.

Jared gave a knowing smile. "You'll see why very shortly," he smirked. "And get your assignments for the week."

I scoffed and went on my way. However there was a voice in my head that told me that I should go with Jared to talk with Sam. I can't explain it; it's like an inner being inside my brain that wants me to go. Odd.