A/N: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. Copyright infringement is not intended in publishing this story.
"Bella! Would you hurry up?", Alice's voice whined up the stairs.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I shouted as I slid my black leather boots over my skinny jeans and threw on a white tee shirt. I took one last glance in the mirror. Well, it wouldn't suit Alice's standards but I thought I looked nice. My long brown hair hung loosely around my shoulders, a smear of pink gloss covered my lips, and my eyelids were swept with a smoky eye shadow. She should be happy I'm wearing makeup at all. I carefully walked down the worn, wooden steps, and was greeted with Alice's impatient glare.
"Finally. Angela is on her way. Honestly Bella, would it kill you to throw on a blouse, or even a necklace?"
"Yes it would. I like what I have on. These are my favorite boots!" I argued.
"Well they do sort of have a vintage charm to them, but they're no Louboutin's." Alice replied. What the heck is a Louboutin? I thought. Actually, I don't think I want to know, because in the blink of an eye Alice will be shoving my feet into varying degrees of patent leather pain.
Beep, beep. Saved by the horn. I could hear Angela's car rumbling in the street.
"So what's the plan for tonight anyways" I asked as I seated myself in the backseat. With Alice I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up in Los Angeles. Her agenda was chock full of options to suit her mood on any given day.
"Well Mike Newton is having a house party, but Lauren and Jessica will probably be there. We could drag Ben and Jazz to see Love At First Sight"... I cringed at the thought, I've had enough of tagging along on their double dates. "Or, there's a new pub in La Push that lets in eighteen year olds, and we can work our magic on the bartender" Alice rambled on.
"Great, Charlie will love that", I interrupted. My father, Charlie, is the police chief of Forks. He's been known to pop in my bedroom in the middle of the night to make sure I haven't snuck away for the night.
"Relax Bella, when have I ever led you wrong?". Alice replied innocently.
"She's right Bella, you can always trust her", Angela supported. Alice smiled in return. Angela and Alice have been best friends for years. When I moved to Forks last year, they welcomed me with open arms into their group. Sometimes I feel like something, or rather someone, is missing. Angela had Ben, Alice had Jasper, but I had no one. Suddenly I had the urge to drink.
"Ok, let's try out the new pub" I suggested.
"I like what you are thinking!" Angela shouted as Alice cranked up the radio. I watched as Alice and Angela sang each lyric correct in perfect harmony, as I awkwardly bobbed my head trying to find the beat. I looked out the rain-spattered window and watched blobs of green pass by. I hardly noticed our arrival, but the snap of seatbelts unlocking gathered my attention.
"Let's go", Alice squealed. Even I felt a twinge of excitement as we walked towards the door. A glowing yellow neon sign arched above the doors stating the pubs name: Howl at the Moon. A wolf carved from wood was perched next to the door. Well here goes nothing, I thought.
We walked in and were greeted with loud music. Alice flitted away to the bar. I watched the bartender gaze at her perfect body, lingering on her legs that poked out beneath a short denim skirt. She leaned across the bar, gave him a wide grin, and ran her fingers through her cropped hair.
"No man is safe from the powers of Alice Brandon" Angela laughed. A few minutes later Alice returned, three drinks teetering in her hand. I grabbed one and quickly began chugging it down. The vodka burned my throat and sent a warm sensation through my body.
"Woooo. Bella is ready to drink!" Alice shrieked excitedly. A group of dark-skinned boys eyed us with wide grins. I glanced at one boy with a bright smile. He was easily a foot taller than me, but was sort of beautiful. His tight tee shirt showed off his muscular arms and his hair was wound in a tight ponytail. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shyly looked away. I giggled to myself and took another sip of my drink.
"Ugh here comes Rosalie", Angela groaned. Rosalie Hale, a fellow Forks High student, strolled in with a sense of entitlement, her blond hair waving behind her. Her perfect body was showcased in a tight purple dress, with no flaws in sight.
"Who's the boy of the week?", Alice wondered aloud. I watched in anticipation to see which boy would grace Rosalie's arm for the night. A very large man, entered behind Rosalie. I didn't recognize him, but if it weren't for his innocent dimples and boisterous laugh, I would have been terrified of him. They chose a seat at the bar and Rosalie seductively caressed his face. "Ugh, get a room", Angela said in a disgusted tone.
I continued to look around the pub. It was actually a pretty cool place. A small stage was set up in the corner. Round high top tables were scattered throughout the pub, leaving a large empty space for dancing. The walls were brimming with La Push memorabilia. The long bar was lined with cushy black stools, and showcased three shelves of liquor. A large chalkboard listed the drink specials for the night, and announced that The Immortal would be playing tonight at ten.
"Ohh there's a band tonight! Let's go do a shot before they start". Alice squealed. We strolled over to the bar with confidence, thanks to our now empty cups, and requested the bartender concoct us a delicious shot. "Sam", Alice purred glancing at the bartender's nametag, "Surprise us with something tasty". Sam busied himself behind the bar, adding large amounts of colorful alcohol into a shaker.
"Hey Uley, hook us up too!". It was the dark-skinned boys from earlier. Sam sent them an annoyed glance, as if they were approaching on his territory.
"Excuse me boys, ladies first", Alice reminded them flirtatiously. I wish I had her confidence and charm. I noticed the muscular boy eyeing my chest, and he quickly glanced away. Well maybe tonight won't be so terrible. Sam was now pouring the colorful liquid into three shot glasses.
"Alright ladies. Sam's Specialty. Don't tell my boys", he whispered with a wink.
"Bottoms up!" Angela shouted. We quickly downed our shot, the taste of pineapple and coconut exploding deliciously in my mouth. The warm feeling spread through my body again, giving me a boost of energy and confidence.
"Mmm, Sam I might have to visit you for another specialty tonight" I said with a grin. Angela and Alice stared at me with wide mouths and burst out laughing. "Let's dance Ang,". Alice, fully knowing I don't dance, pulled Angela onto the dance floor. I watched them wistfully, wishing I wasn't so clumsy. Suddenly I felt a warm hand at my side.
"Don't you dance?" the muscular boy asked.
"Only in my dreams", I said with a nervous laugh.
"I'm Jacob by the way", he said holding his hand out. "Bella", I responded. Jacob's large hand surrounded mine with warmth. "So where do you go to school, Bella?" Jacob asked with genuine curiosity.
"I live in Forks, and just go to Forks High. What about you? Do you go to the res school?" I asked. La Push is home to the Quileute Tribe and reservation.
"Yep. Two years left". Jacob said with a sigh.
"You say that like it's a bad thing" I responded.
"I'm just ready to see the world you know. Move on to bigger and better things" he explained.
"Yea I understand" I agreed. "So two years left, that makes you what a sophomore? What are you doing in a pub little boy? Isn't it past your bedtime?" I joked.
"Little boy!" Jacob replied with mock hurt, "You're what, four feet tall, don't they have a height limit to get in this place" he joked back. I laughed, "Well I guess we are both breaking the rules here".
Suddenly the pub owner was announcing the start of the band. I didn't even notice the band setting up. Jacob was so easy to talk to, and I was enjoying his company.
"Have you heard them play before?" I asked. Jacob made a face and muttered something under his breath.
"What?" I asked.
"Yea I've heard them play. I'm just not a fan", he replied ominously and stared intensely towards the stage. The band members were digging through their cases and chatting amongst themselves.
"What type of music do they play?" I asked Jacob but he wasn't listening anymore, but rather nodding his head at his friends.
"Listen Bella, I have to go. It was great talking to you" he said as he scrawled something on a napkin. "Here's my number. Call me sometime". "Ok", was all I could manage as I watched him walk out the door. I looked back at the dance floor to find Alice and Angela, and tucked the napkin into my pocket with a smile.
"Bella did you see the-" Alice began excitedly.
"We are Immortal. Enjoy the show" a velvet voice declared. My breath hitched as I turned to look at the beautiful person clutching the microphone. He had a mess of bronze hair atop of his head, which he raked his fingers through. His strong jaw clenched to reveal high cheekbones. His eyes appeared to be a strange hue of gold, and his pale skin glistened beneath the stage light. He wore a gray shirt unbuttoned to reveal a white tee underneath, the sleeves shoved up to his elbows.
I watched in awe, as his long fingers plucked the guitar creating a flawless melody. A slew of adjectives ran through my mind to describe this man, yet none seemed good enough. Perfect. Ideal. Flawless. Beautiful. Angelic. Surreal. Stunning. Statuesque. Godlike. Unattainable, well that seems a perfect fit. I focused on his full lips, parting with each word he sang. He rocked back and forth on the stool, and my body yearned to touch him. He seductively gazed into the audience. We locked eyes and I felt a current of electricity race through my body, my pulse quickening. I unconsciously stepped forward, being drawn closer to the stage. The napkin crumpled in my pocket was long forgotten.
