Forks High School's Christmas Party was in full swing when the dark blue Volvo pulled into a stall in the crowded parking lot. The driver killed the engine and opened his door.
Jacob Black slid out of the seat and closed the door behind him. He slipped a finger between the crisp collar of his cobalt blue dress shirt and neck, giving it a quick tug, effectively loosening it. He should have never agreed to let Alice Cullen pick out his attire for the evening.
Who would have thought he would come back to high school for any reason. He hadn't attended Forks High School, but the Quileute school on the reservation. He had been a good student, but with all his pack duties, among other things, he had struggled to keep his grades up enough to graduate.
Jacob sighed. How he felt about being back at high school didn't matter. What was important was Renesmee had been looking forward to this dance for months. It was the first high school dance her parents were allowing her to attend, and he was determined to make sure she had a good time.
He heard the telltale click of the passenger door beginning to open and was around the car before Renesmee could open it entirely. He held it open with one hand and offered his other hand to her.
Without hesitation, Renesmee placed her right hand in his and allowed him to help her out of the vehicle. He sucked in his breath as a spark of electricity shot through him. His dark eyes skimmed over her slender figure once more, admiring her party attire once more.
Renesmee's bronze hair was artfully arranged on top of her head, and held in place with a multitude of bejeweled bobby pins. She wore a silk and organza dress with spaghetti straps, sweetheart neckline, fitted waist, and flared skirt. Nylons covered her shapely legs and spiked heels with black ribbons twined up her calves. Her dress was the same shade of cobalt that his dress shirt was.
She looked amazing. Like her mother, much to her aunt Alice's dismay, Renesmee preferred the comfort of jeans and t-shirts for every day attire. Renesmee was beautiful no matter what she wore, but seeing her dressed as she was, reminded Jacob every day that she was no longer a child, and soon she would be ready for their relationship to develop into something more. He had been waiting for that day for a very long time.
"Jacob? Is something wrong?"
Renesmee's question brought him out of his reverie.
Jacob blinked and looked down into her whiskey eyes and read the uncertainty in them. "No. Nothing is wrong. You look absolutely amazing."
Renesmee beamed up at him and he felt his own lips curve in a return smile. He gave her hand a slight tug to move her away from the car, so he could close the door, and then offered her his arm. She slipped her hand into the curve of his elbow as they made their way across the parking lot to the gymnasium where the dance was being held.
As they entered, he handed over their tickets to the person at the door, and then joined Renesmee in admiring the festive decorations. Strands of garland in red, white, green, and gold hung from the cast ceiling. Small bouquets of balloons were attached sporadically throughout the gym. Large handcrafted snowflakes, along with various Santas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Reindeer, and other Christmas-y decorations were everywhere they could see.
At the far end from where they stood, a DJ stand had been erected, and Renesmee pointed out to Jacob that one of her fellow classmates, Mark Granger, was the one acting as the DJ for the night's festivities. To their left, set up along one wall, were long tables upon which a mix of cakes, cookies, cold cut, vegetables, and fruit platters were arranged, along with a number of beverages including a variety of soft drinks, water, coffee, and punch.
Small round tables and chairs were placed in groupings in front of the tables loaded with food and beverages. More chairs were lined along the remaining walls. The center of the gym floor had been reserved for dancing, and several of Renesmee's classmates were already dancing.
"Do you want to dance or get something to eat?" Jacob asked Renesmee.
"Dance."
Jacob led her onto the dance floor as the B-52's 'Love Shack' , and twirled her into a series of fast stepping, swing moves. Without her knowing, he had secretly enlisted Alice and Rosalie's help in learning a variety of dance moves, so that he wouldn't embarrass Renesmee on the dance floor. He would never be as graceful doing the dance steps as they were at them, but at least he was confident he could do them without messing up too bad.
The night went by in a whirlwind of music, laughter, and memories for Jacob and Renesmee. As time drew closer for the dance to end, the DJ played a selection of slow songs, with the last one being Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years".
Jacob held Renesmee close, listening to the words of the song, and thinking how lucky he was to be holding the girl of his dreams in his arms. He didn't know what the future held for them, and it didn't matter as long as they faced it together.