Written for The Air The Sun's August drabble challenge… I own nothing except my laptop and one tiny kitten.
Could imprinting be worse than this? Jacob's stomach hurt.
He kicked the cement wall of the tribal school and then his foot hurt, too - but not for long. Broken bones and bruises healed so quickly now. Why couldn't his brain fix itself just as fast? It's not like he liked being miserable.
A sharp tap from Mrs. Johnsen on the classroom window sent Jacob shuffling off towards the road home.
"Summer school can suck it," muttered Jacob as he drop kicked his tattered copy of Romeo and Juliet into the bushes that lined the shoulder of the road.
Maybe he and Bella were like Romeo and Juliet.
Maybe not.
Heavy feelings weighed him down and Jacob could no longer stand up.
Sitting on the side of the road in the June sun, Jacob watched.
"I'm going to imprint on the next girl who drives by," he whispered, hoping it was a red truck and half hoping it was somebody else. Somebody sweet and nice and funny. Somebody hot. Somebody blond. Shakira. Shakira in the "Hips Don't Lie" video… Jacob pulled off his t-shirt and casually laid it across his lap.
There was no red truck. Bella was getting married – married to a cold, undead, blood-sucking cock-sucker. She didn't love that leech. How could she love Deadward when he, and his warm body, had made her tremble with passion, made her breath short, made her heart race.
But Bella didn't love him, not enough anyways.
So, what was he supposed to do with all these feelings? If he couldn't put them anywhere, what good are they? But he loved Bella. "I love Bella," he said aloud.
And if he did imprint what if it was like Emily, Sam, and Leah. Sam loved Leah. They all knew that. What if he imprinted and he couldn't stop loving Bella? What would his imprint say? What if he imprinted and he stopped loving Bella? Who would he be then?
Jacob shook away the thoughts and stood up. He slung his t-shirt over his shoulder and kept walking.
While his wolf-senses weren't quite as good when he wasn't a wolf, Jacob still had abnormally good hearing. Still, one has to be paying attention to take advantage of good hearing and Jacob was not. Quil and Embry got within 10 feet of Jacob before he became aware that he was being followed.
Not letting on, he let Quil pounce on him and the two rolled to the ground. Jacob pinned Quil's arms to the ground as Embry hooted.
"Jeez, Jake, you win, okay?" Quil pouted.
"Who's your alpha?"
"I'm not answering that."
Jacob let Quil up anyways and brushed himself off.
"We're going to watch HBO over at my place. Mom's new boyfriend used to work for the cable company. He hooked us up."
Quil nodded in agreement.
Jacob thought about it. His heart still ached but his stomach growled.
"Did your mom buy pizza bagels?"