Chapter One
Jacob's Pov
She was late, again. What on earth happened to her? She used to be so…nice and sweet. And now…she's not. She used to always be on time. I can't believe she didn't recognize me. After all I had grown my hair back to the long mane. But still…nothing. The Calculus teacher, Ms. Lemon, sat us next to each other. But, she still didn't recognize me. I heard a door swing open and didn't even have to look behind me. Wait for it… "Ms. Fitzpatrick. You are late. Again." She sat in the seat next to mine and said, "Sorry, my bad. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? Because I assure you, it will…not be done." She cracked a smile and turned my way. Her mouth dropped slightly and I think she finally recognized me. "Just sit." She kept staring and blinked a few times. She shook her head and said under her breath, "What does it look like I'm doing?" I smiled and watched her white teeth shimmer. Ms. Lemon started talking and I could hardly concentrate. The bell rang, dismissing us from Calculus and I got up and started walking to my locker. I heard rapid footsteps behind me and stopped walking. I felt Maddie slam into my back and slowly turned around. Maddie was out of breath and rubbing her face. "Jacob Ephraim Black, right? Am I right?" I nodded and said, "That is correct. Welcome back, M." Her face was very red. And not in the blushing way. "God, Madd. Are you all right? Your face is all red?" She smiled again and said, "Yeah, I'm okay. Just…your back is super hard." I nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. What are you doing here? Not that I don't love it." She looked down and said, "It's a long story. Maybe I can tell you about it sometime. I should go…my nana's expecting me soon. Maybe you could stop by; we could catch up." I smiled and said, "Will there be your grandmother's infamous chocolate chip cookies?" She nodded and said, "Of course. I'll-see you soon then." She ran off to the parking lot and I watched her. She kicked the stand on her bike down and put on a silver helmet. She started driving toward her grandmother's cabin and she disappeared. I love her. I rode in my rabbit to the garage and worked on my latest project. I would go to Maddie's in an hour. I worked on a 1959 Volkswagen Bug and went inside to take a shower. I let the cold water run down my back and dried off. I shook my body off in my room and slipped on a pair of black shorts and no shirt. Or some reason, chicks dig that. And apparently Maddie is now a bad ass, so she should love it. I grabbed my dirt bike and rode over. I revved the engine a few times and pulled into the dirt driveway. Maddie was on the porch swing, her legs tucked under herself. She looked sad. She gazed out into the forest and sighed. She cocked her head my way and smiled lightly. She motioned me forward and I got off my bike and had to stop myself from running. I walked over slowly and sat beside her. She raised her brow and said, "Jacob, do you own a shirt?" I smiled and said, "Does my being half naked bother you?" She smiled and said, "Yeah, a bit. Come on inside. You're going to catch your death." Poor, naive Maddie. We walked inside and she led me up into an attic. She stared out of the small window and all of a sudden, she didn't seem like such a bad ass. She seemed like Maddie. Only sadder. Maddie used to always be happy. Always smiling and skipping about. She half smiled and said, "Sit." I sat on the edge of her bed with her and said, "Maddie, why are you such a…bad ass? Or…rebel?" She half laughed and said, "I'm not." I all of a sudden did a double take. "What do you mean?" She bit her lip and said, "I mean, I'm not." I ran my fingers through my hair and said, "Do you mean to tell me, that this…rebel thing is all a front? Why, Maddie?" She looked down and said, "It's a survival thing. You know, an instinct?" I nodded and said, "An instinct?" She looked down and said, "Yeah. I mean, I had you before. And when I moved to Maine, I got…trampled. I promised myself I wouldn't let that happen again. Pretty stupid, huh?" Yes. "No, it's not stupid. Actually, it's smart. I can't believe you didn't recognize me before now." She nodded and said, "Yeah." What was she doing here and not at her mom's house anyway?
"What are you doing here, Maddie? I mean, honestly. Not in La Push, I think that's great. What are you doing living at your grandmothers'?" Her eyes got sadder and she looked like she was going to cry. "My mom died. When I was in Maine. And, you know my dad's in the Looney Bin. And my older brother Eric, he went overseas when he turned eighteen. Nana's all I have left." I wiped a single tear from her cheek and asked, "How'd she die, Madd?" She buried her head in my shoulder and said, "She died from this disease called Kuru. When she went to New Guinea a few years back, she must've tracked it. I don't know. No one knows a thing about it. Sorry." She slowly lifted her face and wiped her tears. She swallowed and said, "So…What's new with you?" Oh, if she only knew. "Well, I've had a very exciting few years." She smiled, happy for a distraction and said, "Really? What happened? I saw you finished the Rabbit. What's more exciting than that?" I chuckled to myself and said, "Let me tell you."
