Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

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"Did you know that penguins only have sex once a year?"

Mike leaned back on the counter and raised a bushy eyebrow at me. "Is that so?" I nodded. "Huh, never took you for the type to be into animal porn."

Fucker.

I threw the nearest thing at him -a pack of lighters- and missed.

Mike Newton. The bane of my existence, and also, might I add, is the one who controls my paycheck and got me this job, enjoys getting people fired up. Mainly me because I work here and I'm younger than him, which he insists that he has seniority rights over me. It's a good thing he'll be graduating in a few months. I started working at Newton's Olympic Outfitters just a few months ago to bring in extra cash and to get me farther away from my Nana and her constant plans to marry me off to one of the boys on the Rez.

Of course I still get funny looks from some of the people in Forks. We quileautes are known for keeping to ourselves on the Rez and away from town. And I like to think that I'm a bit attractive too. Maybe not Adriana Lima in lingerie attractive, but attractive nonetheless.

"I can't wait for you to go away for college, you asshat."

Mike picked up the lighters and put them back on their hook, he snorted. "As if you can handle this place without the assistance of this," He puffed his chest out, "handsome stud to assist you."

I rolled my eyes at him and headed to the front of the store, flipping the closed sign to open. "When that handsome stud gets here, lead him in my direction."

Mike laughed loudly. "I'll try to remember."

I turned at him with a wicked grin and he gulped. "So... how's Jessica?"

Mike grimaced and shot me the bird. "Screw you." I nudged his shoulder playfully.

"What about Beth, or is it Becky? I know it starts with a B..."

Mike let out a bitter chuckle and leaned on my shoulder. "Bella, her name's Bella. She's too busy with her love triangle with Cullen and one of your boys from the Rez."

I snorted. My boys? Yeah no, I wanted as far away from those boys as possible, which seemed impossible at times when my cousin Kim was dating Jared Cameron. "You referring to Jacob Black?" He nodded. "I'm not too surprised to be honest, he always had a thing for going after what's not his... Not that Cullen's any better. They're all a bunch of pale-skinned freaks."

Mike agreed with me and went back to the stockroom to check a few things over. I busied myself with reorganizing a hiking display when the door swished open and two guys walked in chatting loudly.

I stood up and almost groaned. Embry Call and Quil Aetera were currently chatting loudly as they made their way over to the shoe display. I gulped and tentatively walked over to them, clearing my throat.

They turned quickly, Quil speaking first with a grin. "Mariah Farmer! I knew I'd see you here today. It's been ages."

I quirked an eyebrow at him. "Quil, the last time I saw you was when you stripped buck-ass naked and chased me across the beach holding my bikini top."

Quil chortled loudly and slung an arm around me. "You had fun, admit it!" I shook my head and subconsciously leaned away from his warmth. "How's school been? I haven't seen you around a lot since.. y'know.."

I stiffened in recognition. I was the one to see Quil phase for the first time. He was ranting angrily at the beach as I sat by and let him, knowing how heartbroken he was when Embry and Jacob abandoned him to hang out with Sam's group. We had went skinny dipping and after dressing we sat there on the sand and vented.

Quil got so angry he literally burst from his skin, and to my horror, stood as a wolf, towering over me. I did the most logical thing a human should do, I screamed and tried to run. Just as I was sputtering in the sand to stand and start running, Embry came flying at me, knocking me out of the way as Quil pounced on the spot I had just been laying at.

I remember sobbing and shaking so badly in Embry's arms as I watched a large black wolf, later I learned to be Sam, calm him down. After that, I've tried to spent most of my time away from the Rez and if I was home, I barely left, not even for bonfires. I feared the idea of wolves and most of all I feared the idea of imprinting. As happy as Emily and Kim seemed to be, the idea of domestication repulsed me.

The only person I hadn't seen much of these days was leech-lover's bootlicker, Jacob Black. I honestly had only spoken to the boy two or three times. Once when we were kids, once at a bonfire a couple years back, and the day before he phased. My nana sent me over blindly to Billy Black's house to return a cookbook. Jacob answered the door rudely and I when I asked for Billy he slammed the door in my face. I never went back and I think the cookbook's still in my kitchen.

"Yeah.. let's not talk about that." I shrugged out of Quil's embrace, suddenly not feeling so safe around the two. "How's the bootlicker doing." I directed towards Embry as he regarded me with a guarded expression.

"He's.. coping.. She keeps stringing him back in."

I'm nodded in understanding before shoving my thumb back towards the backroom where Mike was. "She's done the same to my boss.I hope those damn vampires eat her."

Embry snorted in amusement and turned towards the shoes. Quil elbowed me with a frown. "We protect humans, Mariah, y'know that."

I glared heatedly at him, wishing nothing more then to beat his stupid face in for sticking up for her. "Like I fucking care."

Quil just shook his head at me. "You act too much like Paul. Thank god he didn't imprint on you. The two of you in the same room would be hell on earth."

I felt a grin spread across my face, "I don't know, I mean Paul is pretty hot." I teased.

Quil groaned and slapped his left hand to his face, dragging it down slowly. "Don't ever say that again, for the love that's all pure and holy, don't."

I fluttered my eyelashes mockingly at him before moving back to the counter, waiting for the two to get their shoes and get out. Quil quickly payed for his stuff and strutted out of the store, waving his hand goodbye.

I watched through the window as he got in a Volkswagen Rabbit. Jacob Black's car. Jacob was here and he probably heard everything I said. I turned quickly away from the window as I felt his heated gaze burn wholes through the curtain of black hair I let fall between my eyes and his. I squealed loudly when Embry reached out and touched my hand.

He jerked back startled and blinked. "Sorry Mariah, I was just trying to get you're attention. You ok?" His face showed true concern as he stared me down.

. "Y-yeah, just a bit out of it."

Embry glanced towards the glass door, a perfect view of Jake's car. "He won't put a hand on you, I'll make sure of it."

I nodded and swallowed thickly, "Is that all?" He nodded and payed for his stuff, before he left, he re-assured me that he would make sure Black kept his temper in check for what I said, confirming my earlier suspicion of him hearing me.

I turned towards the window again and saw Black's face snarling back at me, Quil's hand on his shoulder. I felt my body tremble in fear as I looked at his now pitch black eyes. I felt my heart pause, literally pause, as the wind was knocked out of me, causing my eyes to dilate as I stared into his equally shocked ones.

Several different emotions were easy to see on his face, shock, anger, disgust, happiness, despair, amazement, and love. His shaking had seized altogether as he continued to stare me down. Quil looked gobsmacked as Embry, who stood beside the the passenger side of the Rabbit.

I felt dread crawl through me as the thumping in my heart started to calm it's erratic tempo, and I felt my mouth form the words before my brain processed them.

"Bootlicker."