A/N: This is a sequel of sorts to Better to Have Loved. This involves Paul and an imprint of my own creation instead of Rachel. Read and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my own characters.
Chapter One
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise and put your right hand over your heart for the national anthem performed by Miss Kimberly Connweller." I put my hand over my heart and faced the American flag that was proudly displayed at the edge of the Forks football field. The familiar tune of the anthem filled the stadium, and the crowed clapped as the last flawless notes rang out. I watched shamelessly as two exotically beautiful women ran onto the field toward the trumpeter, closely followed by a herd of large, russet-skinned boys obviously from the reservation. Each one hugged, fist-bumped, high-fived, or ruffled her hair before one of the biggest boys slung an arm around her shoulders and walked her off of the field.
"I wish I had one of them to keep me warm on a chilly autumn night like this," A familiar voice sighed. I sent a wicked grin in its direction.
"I'm telling Greg you said that, Hannah Banana." I watched as my best friend narrowed her mascara-ed eyes in my direction.
"You wouldn't." She stated dangerously, and we both turned toward the crowd on the heels of our pristine white cheer-shoes to face Hannah's long-time boyfriend Greg. When He noticed us he gave me a friendly wave and blew Hannah a kiss that she pretended to catch and store in the waistband of her cheerleading uniform. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention to the team of football players running onto the field. Punching Hannah in the arm to get her attention, I turned and gathered the squad into formation.
"Juliet Ellis, that was completely unnecessary," Hannah scolded, rubbing her arm gingerly and falling into her place beside mine. I smoothed down my sleek blonde ponytail, double knotted my shoelaces, and punched Hannah in the arm once more for good measure before turning my attention to the game.
"Go Spartans!" Forks High Spartans had run off the football field some time later, victorious and excited. I made my way to the concession stand, pulling the hood of my blue and gold regulation rain jacket over my carefully straightened hair.
"Great job tonight, Jules!" There were groans from behind us as Allyson Decker cut a long train of people to stand by me at the front of the line, a kind smile lighting up her face.
"You too, Ally," I told her, looping my arm through hers. It was only after I had stuffed my face with one of my three tinfoil-wrapped hotdogs and she had her bottle of water that we headed for the shelter of my car. That is, until I hit a solid wall and stumbled back until a big warm hand wrapped itself around my arm and steadied me on my feet. Only when I looked up did I realize that in my hotdog-induced haze of happiness I had rammed into a big, beautiful, wall of a man. It was the man from the field, I recognized, the one that had wrapped his arm around the trumpet girl. I flitted my blue eyes up to his brown ones, and when our gazes locked I was stuck there, entranced. A flood of emotions passed through his eyes and seemed to stop somewhere between shock and adoration. Which couldn't be possible because a.) I had never met this person, and b.) I was pretty sure he had a girlfriend.
"Paul!" Paul. I couldn't help but think that Paul was a nice name. He ripped his gaze away from my own at the sound of the girl's voice. I identified her as Kimberly Connweller, a.k.a Trumpet Girl. My eyes narrowed of their own accord when she tugged on the sleeve of his t-shirt and he bent so that she could whisper in his ear. His eyebrows rose and he nodded, confirming something, before whispering something in return. I watched as Kimberly's eyes widened and her brown eyes -a few shades lighter that Paul's- flitted to me and then back to Paul. Slowly, a bright smile spread across her face and she pulled Paul down and into a hug. I was strangely jealous at the familiarity of the exchange as he rolled his eyes and ruffled her long pretty hair before casting one more look at me and running off toward the woods. Weird.
I let out an 'oof' as an elbow collided with my ribs and I turned to find both Hannah and Allyson staring at me, confused, through eyes made up with matching blue and gold eye shadow. I just shrugged at them, perhaps the most perplexed of us all. Unwrapping a hotdog, I shoved half of it in my mouth, happy for the excuse not to talk.
"Excuse me?" A voice came from next to us, and the three of us looked up to see a wide, pretty face smiling in our direction, all long dark eyelashes, cheekbones and full lips. "I'm Kim Connweller." She held out her hand and I shook it curiously.
"We're having a bonfire over at First Beach, and you're welcome to come. All of you," she said with a smile. "And whomever else you'd like to bring."
"What's going on here?" A beautiful woman, high cheekbones and hair styled into an attractive bob wandered over, wrapping an arm around Kim and Kim smiled.
"Leah! I was just inviting…" Kim trailed off and looked toward us. "I'm sorry, what are your names?"
"Jules," I stated before Hannah and Allyson introduced themselves. Kim went on.
"I was just inviting Jules, Hannah and Allyson to our bonfire. The one we're having on First Beach tonight." She said something quietly to the woman -Leah- who glanced at the woods into which Paul had disappeared and sniggered. Kim swatted her goodheartedly on the shoulder and they both looked at us expectantly.
"So?" Kim pressed. "Will you come?"
"Um…okay." I agreed before I even registered what was coming out of my mouth. Hannah and Allyson looked at me with eyebrows raised as if to question my judgment. I knew they were right. Why had I accepted a stranger's invitation to party with more strangers? Like I knew. "See you later." I shoved the second half of the hotdog in my mouth before turning toward my car where, hopefully, I could figure out what the hell just happened.
A/N: I'm really sorry, but the first time I uploaded this, it only uploaded like half of the chapter, so hopefully with the rest of the chapter things don't seem quite so confusing!