Title: Poisonberry

By: bruised cheeks

Pairings: Jacob/OC, Bella/Edward, slight Jacob/Bella and all other canon pairings.

Summary: She had been his best friend since they were in diapers. She had been by his side through the tough and the bad. She was the one who knew him inside and out. And she was the one who had the undeniable love for him. But then all of a sudden, a certain Bella Swan had come up and whisked him away—just like that. It was then that Jeremie Davis thought she lost her best friend forever. But through the jealousy, the betrayal and love, she finds herself by his side once again to help him through one of his biggest challenges to date. And, along the way, learns a few things about herself that she hadn't even thought possible…

A/N: Er, hey? It's your one and only Andreaaaa. Yeah boy. (: So anyhow, before we start off: yes, this is a Jacob story. And yes, this is going to be according to the book and (hopefully) in sync with the timeline of everything. I apologize if I get anything wrong—I'm ADD like that. Feel free to point it out. ;) And no, there's no Bella bashing here, if you're wondering. I love the little klutz. ;P But if there is, it's all part of the story. Am I forgetting anything? Right. So anyway, this is probably going to start off a little before Bella moves to town and meets Jacob and stuff. Yeah. And once again—I apologize ahead of time if any timing is wrong.

Other than that… I hope you enjoy!

(Post Script: Long author's note, much? Don't worry. It's going to be shorter next chapter.)

Disclaimer: Twilight and all relating do not belong to me, but to the ingenious Stephanie Meyer. Go worship her. Now.

» P O I S O N / B E R R Y »
a jacob black story
(by bruised cheeks)

Prologue

For as long as I could remember, it had always been just me and my mother.

I never had a father, I never had a brother, and I never had a sister. Or even a pet to own.

And when I was little, my mom used to read me these bedtime stories about princesses and magical beings. And when I was little, I believed that those stories were true. I used to think there really was a princess high up in a castle, with hair long enough to reach the bottom so her knight in shining armor could climb it and be with her forever. I used to think there really was a girl whom wandered into the forest, befriended seven dwarves, ate a poison apple and was saved by a charming prince.

But when I was little, I was gullible.

And as time went on, and I grew up, I started to learn that those things couldn't actually happen. How foolish they sounded now, in my ears, now that I'm eleven years wiser. Of course, they were still cute stories to tell, but that's it. They're just cute little stories to tell to little kids so they could fall asleep faster. I just can't bring myself to believe in those stories as I had when I was younger. It just didn't make sense. It was irrational. It was absurd.

However, it's strange.

It's strange how my best friend thinks he's a werewolf…

I. Boys will be boys.

(jeremie)

"How am I supposed to know? Can't you see that I'm busy right now?"

"But Jem, I need it now, and I don't know where it is!"

"How can you not know!?"

"…I have short-term memory loss."

"Jacob…"

"Aw, c'mon! Please?"

"I'm not going to fall for those damn puppy eyes again, just so we're clear."

"…"

"…Oh my god! Fine!"

"Thanks! You're the best!"

I rolled my eyes and disappeared into the house. But on the way, I couldn't hold back a smile. For as long as I'd known Jacob, I could never stay mad at him for long. It was just something that I was completely incapable of doing. My weakness, my kryptonite—I guess you could say that I had a soft spot for Jacob Black. He is my best friend, after all. We'd known each other since we were babies; his dad and my dad were best friends… Or so they tell me.

I'd never met my dad—apparently; he left when I was about three years old. My mother doesn't talk about him a lot, and Jacob's dad doesn't either, so I guess he was pretty important to all of them and his disappearance hurt them. I was too young to even remember what the guy looked like, so I'm not too torn up about it. But anyway, since then, Jacob and I were practically inseparable. We're always together, and most people know us as the 'Dynamic Duo', sometimes.

I stepped into Jacob's room and fought the urge to roll my eyes.

It looks like a pack of hungry lions just came in here and tried to eat his room.

I sighed heavily and sidestepped a pile of dirty clothes, a couple of scattered textbooks and his backpack. I shook my head. Seriously, he needed to clean his room one of these days. I sifted through his clothing, nearly gagging as a peculiar smell erupted from a rather gray-looking pair of socks. I kicked it away and continued my search for another good few minutes. You can't find anything in this mess! I tossed aside a couple of sweaters and basketball shorts (only God knows why he's obsessed with those).

I almost gave up hope.

That is, until I saw my sought-after item of clothing hanging lifelessly on his bedpost.

"Ah-ha!" I exclaimed triumphantly, a smile forming on my lips. I grabbed it hastily and ran downstairs… Which was a pretty bad idea, considering I almost fell and bashed my skull open on the floor. I shrieked in surprise as a pair of hands grabbed me by the shirt, pulling me sideways and setting me straight. I blinked twice at the unexpected swift movement, and turned around to find a pair of amused, brown eyes.

"Can't go one day without almost killing yourself, huh?"

"Quil!"

I jumped up, squealing happily, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

Good ole' Quil Ateara, AKA Jacob's right hand man. I met Quil back in elementary school, when him and another boy played a prank on me—a prank which involved a bottle of honey, chocolate syrup and water balloons. Let your imagination run wild. Anyway, while they found it absolutely hilarious, I did not. So what's the first thing I did? Sock 'em in the face, of course! And… I regretted it afterwards. Quil's nose started bleeding and the other boy had a bruise on his chin, not to mention, my psycho of a mother gave me on hell of a rant that night.

She made me apologize to them (after much arguing), and I almost thought they'd beat me up. But guess what? They didn't.

In fact, they admired my actions. Apparently, I'd been the first girl they'd ever seen that could pack such a punch.

Since then, Quil's been by my side. We were close (not as close as Jacob and I, but still) and he kind of acted like the older brother that I never had. He's the kinda guy that'll have your back, no matter what. Though I probably would never, ever say it aloud, I loved him, like a sister to a brother.

"I didn't know you missed me that much," he joked, wrapping an arm around me in a single-armed hug.

"Oh, shut up. You're gone for two months and a half then show up on the last day of summer. How can I not miss you?"

He laughed. "You flatter me too much, Jem."

"Oh no!" I gasped. "If your ego gets any bigger, I think I'm going to have to run out of the room!" I broke out into a fit of laughter when he pouted. I smiled cheekily. "Anyway, c'mon! Everyone's out back, we're barbecuing!" I grabbed him by the wrist and literally dragged him outside. The woody scent of the roast hit my nose the moment I stepped into the backyard and it was then that I realized just how hungry I was. I walked over to my Uncle Harvey, who was busy poking at something on the grill.

"Is it done yet?" I whined, trying to peek over his shoulder.

Uncle Harvey laughed. "No, not yet, kiddo. Just wait a few more minutes."

I pouted. "That's what you said fifteen minutes ago!"

He shook his head, smiling. He noticed Quil standing next to me and paused, his face tightening in seriousness. I looked over at Quil and saw that he was practically sweating bullets. Uncle Harvey gave him a nod in acknowledgement. "Quil." It was quick and hard.

"Mr. Hudson."

I almost rolled my eyes at the formality.

"I see you're back. Where were you again?"

"Se—Seattle, sir," Quil stammered, "Visiting some of my mom's friends."

"Huh. Seattle… nice place. How was the weather?"

"It was sunny, for the most part."

Uncle Harvey nodded and simply uttered, "It's good to have you back," then turned his attention back towards the grill.

"Why does he always pressure me like that?" Quil complained as we walked away, safely out of earshot of my uncle.

"Well, you're not exactly on his good side…"

"So I broke the flower pot outside your house. It was an accident and I apologized!"

I rolled my eyes, fighting off a sigh. He just didn't get it; even if it was an accident, Uncle Harvey wouldn't have it. To him, it shouldn't have even happened in the first place. You see, my uncle was in the army. He had the haircut, the bulgy muscles and the scars to prove it. He's a rather intimidating fellow, and didn't take crap from anyone (especially Quil and any other teenager). But I'm his favorite, so he doesn't bully me around. Just like every summer, he managed to get some time off and came to check up on my mom and I. It's always nice seeing Uncle Harvey alive and well.

"…and I don't even know why he hates me, but—"

"Quil, he doesn't hate you."

"Oh yeah? Then why does—agh!"

A rush of wind had blown past me and a dark blur had slammed straight into Quil, sending the both of them crashing onto the floor. I stopped and blinked twice while trying to comprehend what had just happened. It didn't take me long to realize that it had been the shirtless Jacob that tackled him onto the grass. Despite the fact that the two were busying wrestling, I blushed furiously. Jacob… No shirt… Holy crap. Oh my god, get a hold of yourself, woman! This is your best friend for crying out loud! I slapped myself mentally before I fainted from being so lightheaded.

I licked my lips and finally gathered up enough energy to step in. "Okay, guys. Break it up before someone gets—Jake, let go of my—!"

I shrieked as he suddenly dragged me down by the ankles. I fell onto my bottom and, in spite of the soft grass, it still made me sore. I tried to get up and almost did, but Quil's exceedingly large body crashed into mine. I fell backwards onto my back, all of his weight literally crushing me. I gasped for air, trying desperately to push him off. "Quil!" I shouted. "Get off me! You. Are. Too. Fat!" I pushed him with each word, with no effective results.

"No," he said smugly, turning his head over his shoulder to look down at me. "You're comfy."

"Jacob," I whined. "Help me!"

Someone loomed over me, blocking the sun from my view. It was a smiling, still shirtless, Jacob. He laughed. "Not a chance."

I glared at him. "You jerk!" I slapped Quil's shoulder as hard as I could. "If you don't get off, I'll scream."

"Huh, like that'll do—"

"Uncle Harvey! Quil's crushing me with—!"

He shot up like a bullet, and I took in a breath of the sweet, sweet air. I laid there for a few seconds, regaining my regular breathing patterns. Quil glared at me, while Jacob clutched his sides, laughing. That beautiful, deep laughter that I always loved to hear and—what am I thinking!? I shook my head, fighting down a blush, and heaved myself upwards. I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothing.

"Do you want me to die!?" Quil hissed, obviously still very frightened of my uncle.

"It wouldn't change anything."

He pouted. "You are so cruel."

I gawked. "Me? What about you? Practically suffocating me with your big butt! I was starting to see spots!" I tossed a glance of Jacob, who was still laughing and narrowed my eyes into a glare. "And you! Just standing there and laughing while your best friend needed you the most." I sniffed and placed a hand over my heart, mock-hurt. And I swear I was afraid my heart would explode straight out of my chest as he slung an arm over my shoulders. He was so close, and so… so shirtless!

"Aw, you know I love you, Jem!"

I swallowed.

Love. Love. Love.

I shrugged him off, ignoring the pounding in my chest, and rolled my eyes. "Of course I know," I said. I walked over towards the white shirt that he made me go all the way up into his room to get and picked it up off the floor. "Now put this on. My uncle will start to judge you if you keep wrestling other guys with no shirt on," I joked, nudging him in the side.

Jacob rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. "Thanks."

"No problem."

"Hey, hey! Did I miss anything?"

Ah, Embry Call.

The last addition to our little group of four. Although I made friends Embry a year after I met Quil, I still loved him all the same. Who didn't love the little goofball, anyway? He's the type of guy that liked to joke around… sometimes to the point where it got underneath your skin, but most of the time it's all with good intentions. He always knew how to cheer me up whenever I was down. As strange as it may be, Embry's sense of humor is contagious and anything he does can make you burst out laughing.

"Hi Embry!" I smiled, giving him a big hug.

"What took you so long, man?" Jacob asked, walking up to us.

He pulled away, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. My mom went a little crazy when she saw my room this morning…"

I snorted. "Can't be as bad as Mr. Pigsty over here," I jerked a thumb in Jake's direction.

"My room isn't that dirty!" He protested. "…Is it?"

"Are you kidding me? I had almost thought your closet threw up all over your room! How do you even sleep in there at night!? And how many times do I have to remind you to clean it up?" I scolded. For a split second, I reminded myself of my mother when she had told me the exact same thing yesterday afternoon. But unlike Jacob, I listen… Well, sometimes.

"Quil! How was Seattle?" Embry greeted, giving him a high-five.

"Boring," He replied. "How was La Push while I was gone?"

"Same," I answered with a wrinkle of my nose. "We did nothing exciting this summer."

"Aw… Did you guys miss me that much?" Quil joked.

I shrugged. "Partially."

And it was true. La Push had been absolutely boring, basically because we didn't make any plans. Of course, I was over at the Black's residence a lot, but all I did was sit around and watch Jacob tinker with his little cars. Embry was grounded most of the time, after a little incident that included a baseball and his neighbor's window. And my cousin… Have I told you about my cousin? Yes, well, I have a cousin named Daisy (Uncle Harvey's daughter and practically the sister I never had), who normally visits every summer.

She couldn't come this time, though. Something about a science camp. The girl loved her education—something I just couldn't wrap my mind around.

"Hey kids!" Uncle Harvey's voice reached my ears. "Food's ready!"

"Finally! I'm starving," Quil whined.

"Me too!" I exclaimed, drooling as the smell of food hit my nose.

"When are you not?" Jacob asked with a smile slowly crawling onto his face.

I blinked, twice.

"…"

It was a while, until:

"Oh. My. God. Jacob Black, did you just call me fat!?"

The sun was high in the sky as I pounced, tackling him onto the green grass.

-

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I sat on the grass, legs crossed tightly with my hands placed daintily in my lap.

It was already dark; the bright stars shining in the sky and the moon slowly peeking out through the clouds. I looked up, nearly breathless at the gorgeous sight. I don't know why, but there was something about the night that captivated me. The moon, the stars—all of it was just so… beautiful, mysterious. I was a very curious person, and I enjoyed trying to figure things out; well, until I get absolutely frustrated. But I never give up.

Ever since I was little, I enjoyed watching the moon rise up into the sky and take the sun's place.

Unlike most people, who wake up at ungodly hours just to watch the sunrise, I liked to sneak out during dusk to watch the moonrise. It's something that most people don't get too see too often—they're always either too tired to check it out, or already locked inside their homes trying to cook dinner or finish up some last-minute homework project. But me? No. I always made time to watch the moonrise.

There was just something so enchanting, so mystifying about the whole ordeal.

I remember when I was younger; I'd always try and sneak out just to catch a sight of it. My mom told me that it was weird how whenever I was annoying the hell out of her because of my crying as a baby, I'd instantly stop when she'd stepped outside into the darkness or left the curtains open just a crack to let in the moonlight. I guess I just found nighttime rather mysterious—and everyone loves a good mystery.

The sound of arguing reached my ears.

I turned to the direction of the brick hearth laid out in the middle of the backyard and saw Quil and Embry yelling and shoving each other. And before I could even bat an eyelash, they were on the floor, wrestling like the Neanderthals they were. I rolled my eyes and, despite the content position I was in on the floor, I heaved myself off the ground and stalked over to the two. I swear, why can't guys go two minutes without a wrestling match?

I guess it was a guy thing.

"Okay, guys," I said, giving Embry—whom was on top of a struggling Quil—a hard push. "Break it up. Hey, hey!"

He rolled off, a bit thrown off by my unexpected intervention.

"Hey!" Quil whined, sitting upright. "I was about to whoop his butt!"

"Are you serious? I had you on the floor for, like, five minutes!" Embry retaliated, standing up and brushing dust particles off his clothing.

He snorted. "Yeah, right. You mean like five seconds—"

"You're just mad because I almost beat you!"

The two continued to verbally abuse each other and I rolled my eyes, fighting back a scoff. Boys; always trying to one-up each other. I watched as they began to wrestle once more but, this time, I didn't even bother to stop them. Seriously, I need to hang out with more girls. With a sigh laced with heavy annoyance, I walked over to the hearth, which still lay un-flamed. I held back a shiver. Great, it's getting cold, and the only two guys who know how to work this thing are beating each other up.

Bending down to the pile of wood, I grabbed two sticks; one in each hand.

Huh. Okay, how do they work these things in the movies…? I held them against one another and began to rub them together unsurely. Is this really supposed to start a fire?

I was probably sitting there like an idiot for a whole three minutes until a snort of laughter caught my attention.

I whipped around, and glared at the person.

"Oh, shut up, Jake," I said as he came closer, his shirt actually on this time. Thank god; who knows how my hormones would've made me act. "It's not as easy as it looks. And Dumb and Dumber over there are too busy with their little dominance battle to help." I jerked a thumb in Quil and Embry's direction; both of whom were rolling on the floor, literally strangling one another. Jacob just laughed and stalked over to my side. I bristled, throwing the sticks at his chest.

He let out a hiss of fake pain, rubbing the spot where I hit him, "Oh, Jem, that really hurt. I think I'm gonna bruise."

I sniffed indignantly. "Well I hope you do."

Jacob laughed, and it sent off a million butterflies in my stomach. "What sour puss. And it's not that hard to light up some fire," he stated, bending down.

"Well, Mr. Handy Man, let's see you make a fire with two damn twigs!"

"Don't need 'em."

At my look, he chuckled, taking something out of his pocket. "Watch."

And what he did next made me feel like a huge idiot.

A small click resounded in the night and a small, orange flame instantly appeared in the silver lighter he held in his hand. Jacob glanced at my dumbfounded expression and broke into an arrogant smirk, before lighting up some pieces of wood in the fireside. The flames spread around and engulfed the firewood and before I knew it, I was staring into the orange seas of a bulging flame. I glanced over at Jacob, and he was still smirking in that… irritatingly attractive way.

"Don't look so smug," I said with a pout. "You cheated! Using a lighter and stuff."

Jacob laughed and plopped down on the grass. "But I did it quicker than you, didn't I?"

I refused to respond.

He chuckled, shaking his head, and patted the soft patch of pasture beside him. "Don't be like that, best friend," he said in a way that I just couldn't ignore. He looked up at me with his deep, brown eyes, which seemed to intensify in the radiance of the flames. His eyes were dancing in amusement, and I swear my heart rate increased by, like, a hundred. He probably took my speechlessness as resentment, because then he frowned.

"I'm sorry! I was just playing around, you know that, right?"

I brought myself back to reality, and suddenly blushed as I realized what I'd been thinking about my best friend of fifteen years.

"Of course I know that. I was just thinking of something," I explained and took the offered seat.

"Really? Of what?"

I didn't reply, but thankfully, I didn't have to.

Quil was suddenly thrown in front of us and his body was sprawled onto the ground. By the way he was writhing, I knew it'd hurt. I reached out a hand to check to see if it was alright, but then he let out something along the lines of a growl and sprang back upwards. "Bastard!" He shouted as Embry's laughter was heard in the distance. And with a roar that made me jump back, he flung himself at the other boy and continued their fight.

I sighed heavily. "What idiots."

Jacob nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Good thing I'm not like them."

I snorted.

He looked offended. "What was that for?"

"What was what for?" I asked innocently, looking up at him through my thick eyelashes. I was good at doing that—the 'Oh, look, I'm a cute little girl' kind of look. It was incredibly useful for persuading teachers and getting myself out of sticky situations. It worked on everyone; Jacob, the others, and even my Uncle Harvey. Jacob rolled his eyes when he realized what I was doing and leaned back on his palms.

"I hate it when you use my own puppy dog look against me."

I laughed a little. "I learned from the best."

Jacob thought for a moment, and then shook his head. "Actually… I learned how to do it from you."

"Oh really?"

He nodded and I kinked a brow, giving him a look that urged him to continue.

Jacob smiled. "It was that one time, when we were eight or something. During recess, when I was playing on the slide with some other kids and you didn't want to play because you were afraid of heights. Then some guy comes up to you and starts calling you 'Scaredy Jeremie'." He looked up at the sky, a distant smile on his face. I marveled at his pose as he continued. "You got mad, remember?"

I nodded and a pang of nostalgia hit me. "Of course. I started pelting the guy with rocks and one hit him in the eye—"

"—then he ran to Miss Bruce and told on you… But when she was trying to give you a punishment, you used the look on her."

"She completely melted," I said with a light giggle.

Jacob nodded and laughed a little. "I decided that it might help me sometime so I practiced."

I glanced at him sideways.

"You… practiced. The puppy dog look."

He shrugged. "It wasn't that hard." He grinned at me slyly, "You know, since I had the natural looks and charm and all."

I laughed. "Hardly!"

Jacob smiled widely, and I was winded.

God, this boy had no idea what he did to me. "It's weird how you still remember that," I said as I brought my legs close to my chest. I rested my chin on my knees and watched the bonfire. "I hardly remember anything that happened in elementary school." Anything that didn't have you in it… I fought down the heat that I felt creeping up my neck. I glanced at Jacob, almost shyly, and saw he was looking at the sky again with a look of reminiscence. His lips lifted into a small, lustrous smile.

He was so… so…

Could you call a guy beautiful?

Jacob shrugged and looked down at me, his brown eyes blazing. I knew he didn't mean it, but, damn. My heart just did a back-flip. "I remember everything that happens with you," he said earnestly. "Everything that happened with us. Our memories." My insides were soaring, and I almost felt like I was on cloud nine. The boy didn't even touch me and I was feeling euphoria off his flattering words. "We are best friends, after all."

And I couldn't help but cringe.

Friends.

Because that's all we'd ever be.

I let out a small, forced smile.

"Yeah…"

Jacob probably sensed the sadness in my voice because he glanced at me, a bit concerned. "Hey, are you alright?"

But then once again (thankfully) we were interrupted.

Apparently, somewhere during the time when Jacob and I were talking a walk down memory lane, Quil and Embry had finished fighting because they appeared out of nowhere, holding a bag of marshmallows, a box of graham crackers and some chocolate.

Quil grinned widely. "Who's up for some s'mores!?"

"Because our last day of summer wouldn't be complete without it," Embry sang as he nestled himself between Jacob and I. He shoved the marshmallows in my direction. "Here, fatty. Because I know that you like marshmallows more than anyone."

I gaped. "You asshole!" Pause. "…But you're right. I do love my marshmallows." I opened the bag and popped a few in my mouth.

Embry grinned cheekily. "Do I know you, or do I know you?"

"I know her better," Quil whined as he sat on the other side of me, snatching some of the little puffy treats from my bag.

"No you don't, shut up," Embry growled good-naturedly.

"Nuh-uh, you're both wrong." I interjected. I shot Jacob a winning smile, "Jake does. Right, Jakey-poo?"

He smiled back.

Embry groaned. "You guys always pull out the 'best friend' card. It makes me jealous. Hey, Quil, the two of us should be best friends. Okay, Quilly-poo?" He mocked me by batting his eyelashes and flipping his hair. I rolled my eyes and Jacob chuckled, while Quil just sat there with a blank look on his face.

"Okay, one? Don't ever call me Quilly-poo again. And two? …No."

"You are so mean," Embry sniffed.

"Whatever," Quil rolled his eyes. "Hey, hand over the chocolate!"

"No! You hurt my feelings!"

"Stop being so immature and hand me the damn chocolate!"

I sighed. "Embry, just give it to him."

"No!"

Quil growled. "Why you—!" He lunged.

I let out a shriek as he jumped over me. "Quil! Watch where you're going! You almost knocked over the bag of—ah!" I was knocked over as Embry's leg hit me.

Jacob sighed. "You guys, just stop before someone gets… Hey! I like these jeans! Don't—you—!"

Before I knew it, Jacob was in the little scuffle as well.

I sighed loudly as the trio rolled around on the floor. I shook my head and popped a marshmallow into my mouth.

Boys will be boys, I guess.

(to be continued)

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A/N: Ta-da! End of first chapter. (: How was it? Remotely good, I hope. Hehe. So anyway… I'm looking forward to any kind of feedback, really. I'm going to go out and get myself some Doritos, lol. I'm hungry. (drools) Until next time… Farewell!