I've been writing this for almost a week now & I decided to post this since i have writers block. Bleghh.
Continue? Or Delete? Review Please
The first time he saw Annie Spencer he was six years old, she was five, she punched him in the gut and called him a 'pussy'. He doubled over and dry heaved while she walked away, frowning. That was the first and only time he thought he would see her, he never believed that he would see her ever again, he didn't want to. But like always fate seemed to be hate him. He remembered the first time he saw her like it was yesterday.
It was a typical Saturday afternoon, little Jacob and his father were going fishing. Jacob twitched as he tried to sit still, he didn't understand why his father had to bring one of his friends to fish. This was their tradition, their special father-son bonding time. He lived for this, his twin sisters, Rebecca and Rachel had their mother to bond with, and he had Billy. His father handed Jacob his fishing pole, a smile on his tan face. Jacob tossed it aside next to him on the black couch. He was mad, but Billy knew that Jacob couldn't stay mad for that long. Billy sat on the other side of Jacob, hugging his son. Jacob flinched from him and stared at the blank television screen. It was better than looking into his father's treacherous face. They sat like that for a while, Jacob fuming and Billy smiling. The sudden roar of a truck managed to jolt them. Billy rushed to the door as someone rang the doorbell furiously, a little girl stood behind it. Her hair cut to her chin, her dark eyes annoyed. She blew the hugest bubble Jake had ever seen, popping it with her index finger. She glanced at him and scowled, her little face scrunching up. Jake blushed, looking at the floor. He suddenly felt intimidated by her stare; he glanced once again at her.
"My daddy said that you hurry your butt into the car or he's leaving." With once last glance –glare- at Jake she turned on her heel and left. Billy glanced at his still blushing son and smiled, he knew that look. After all it was the same look he had given his Sarah the first time they met, except his Sarah was sweet, gentle and the exact opposite of Bert's daughter. But then again, Annie did remind him of Sarah maybe it was the eyes. The cycle never stops, he thought.
"Come on Jake, wouldn't want to be left alone." He grabbed his son and led him to the door, locking it behind him. The red pickup truck was slightly rusting, a classic ride. Jacob sat in between Annie and his own father. She changed the radio station to rock and Jake blushed again at her odd choice of music. She was so grown up, so different. Jake felt like he was the only child in the truck, even thou she was just slightly under two years younger than him. The rest of the ride to their special fishing spot was other than quiet with a loud metal rock song on. Jacob kept glancing at Annie and Billy kept glancing at his son. He was right, but then again, Billy Black was always right.
The sound of the waves at First Beach was extremely loud for Annie's liking. She loved the beach, the hot kind that was in California or deep in South Texas, not the cold sorry excuse in Washington. One day she was going to go to California. She would swim in the waves forever, being left alone by everybody. She would never tell anybody but she wished she was a mermaid. Sure, it was really childish and idiotic of her but she really wanted to. Not that Annie was childish or idiotic, she was anything but that. Annie prided herself in being the smartest of her class; she was Annie, after all and not your typical 5 year old.
She felt someone look at her, and didn't ask herself twice about who was staring at her, she knew. It was that annoying Jacob kid, Billy's son. She didn't get why he was staring at her. She thought it was creepy and kind of flattering. Then she felt rather absurd. Why was she overthinking it? Maybe he'd never seen a girl fishing before or maybe he was just weird. It still irritated her. Annie hated a mystery or creepy guys that stare.
"Take a picture it'll last longer." She snapped. Jake blushed and looked at the blue-black water. He didn't know what that expression meant but her snappy tone pretty much described it.
"Annie." Her father, Burt, scolded. Annie huffed and rolled her eyes. "Say sorry to Jacob." She glanced at his little blushing face and felt sorry. The look on his face was really sad.
"Sorry, Dad but his staring it was rather disconcerting, it was creeping me out."
"Discon-what?" Billy mumbled, first she offends his son, then she starts talking like freaking Bill Gates. Billy didn't like this girl, regardless of the way his son looked at her. Annie rolled her eyes and blew a puff of air from her mouth.
"Confusing, perplexing, baffling, mystifying, you know." Billy smiled; maybe he was wrong because he remembers that tone, especially on his Sarah. Annie glances at Jake's still confused face. "Sorry Jake." He looked up, surprised. This was the first time she spoken to him without as much as a threat and an ugly look. He was honestly stunned.
"S'kay." He mumbled, she smiled, one single dimple appearing on her left cheek. He smiled back almost instantly, he thought she had a beautiful smile. Suddenly she turned around back into the water, both father's relaxed. Bert looked at his only daughter with a sense of pride. She was his everything other than his wife. He was glad that she was only five and not in that teenage phase where they start wearing makeup and getting hickeys. He wanted this sweet, intelligent little girl forever. He was pretty sure that if he could inject her with some kind of shot to keep her young forever he would do it in a heartbeat.
The two men and the children sat in silence on the small graying boat. Jake's foot started to fall asleep so he rested his fishing pole on the boat. He leaned on his little tan palms to glance at the ocean. The water seemed to almost look calm, not moving, not even a fish. He ran his index finger across the edge of the water, skimming. The water was surprisingly warm for the sixty degrees weather. Billy looked at Jake as he played with the water. He then looked at Annie as she almost looked as if she was going to fall asleep.
"Hey Annie?" she looked up at the elder, a bored, unamused look on her face. "How about you and Jake go or a swim?" Annie touched the water with a single finger and shrugged.
"Billy-" Burt began.
"Don't worry, it's warm enough and not that deep plus we're here. There's not even one small fish. Come on, Burt." Burt looked at his daughter's animated face, considering the options in his head. Sure she could drown or get water into her brain and his wife would beat the crap out of him. But Billy was right they were within an arm's reach and she's never really gone swimming before. He nodded once stiffly before Annie started to yell and giggled. Jake sat on the boat bench, looking green. Why had his father dragged him into this? He couldn't swim, not even to save his life. He was humiliated and he was sure that his face was a red apple color.
"Dad." He whispered.
"Yes son?"
"I don't wanna."
"Don't tell me that you don't want to go 'because I'm a girl." Annie smirked, hands on her hips. Jacob hunched and bit his lip. He was embarrassed but he imaged he would be more embarrassed if he told them that he couldn't swim. Annie could swim and she was a girl, he felt his ego deflate. Annie snickered and Billy looked worryingly at his son. Something was up, he could tell.
"You don't have to go, Jake." Billy said, Jake watched as Annie jumped into the water without hesitating. If this girl who was basically a toddler could do it, then maybe he could. He was Jacob freaking Black dammit and he wasn't going to let some whiny little girl do something better than him. He shook his head and sat on the edge of the boat as Annie swam in perfect even strokes. He took a deep breath and jumped. The warm water startled him and almost seemed to invite him in. Annie smiled at him and Jake dunked his head underwater once again. He wasn't sure why he was so scared before, this was amazing! The water was calm enough that he didn't really have to move a lot, so no drowning would happen today. He splashed Annie and she splashed him back. He threw more water at her and she giggled, dimple once again appearing. Jake wished she would smile forever.
"They make a cute couple don't you think?" Bert mumbled, taking a sip of the beer on his hand. Billy grinned, so he wasn't the only one who saw the connection between the two kids. The one look at Bert's face told him that he was just kidding, Billy just took another sip of his beer.
"They sure do, wouldn't be surprised if they got married." Both men looked at each other and chuckled. Bert's laugh was more jokingly while Billy just managed to chuckle. He knew the look on Jacob's face and maybe they wouldn't get married but they would sure be an important part of each other's life one day. All Billy had to do is wait, 'because Billy Black was always right!
The children swam happily, splashing once in a while, the warm water more than once appearing in their mouth. Jake was just about to splash Annie once again when he felt something cold wrap around his ankle. His eyes went wide, his mouth slack; a single scream came from his mouth startling both parents. Annie raised her eyebrows as he let out a super girly scream out, not even Annie screamed like that. Billy rushed to edge of the boat and plunked Jake out of the water, Jake who kept screaming like a teenage girl.
"Son?" he asked, Jake started to let little sobs out of his small, fragile body. "What's wrong Jake?" he asked.
"Something wrapped onto my leg." He whimpered, shaking. Annie's father called out for her to get back on the boat, Annie shook her head and went underwater once again, much to her father's disproval. She grabbed onto some cold thing pulling it up with her as she got out the water. She glanced at it and looked back at the crying Jacob. This was what Jacob was so scared about? A plastic bag? It didn't quiet look deadly or even feel remotely deadly. Jacob sure did get scared for everything.
"Gosh Jake, it's just a bag." She said, Jacob looked at her in surprise, examining the wet, white, plastic grocery bag. Was that the 'deadly' thing that wrapped around his foot? That was it? If he thought that he looked like a wimp before he sure looked like a wimp right now. He was so embarrassed that he could die. Annie swam to the boat and peered at Jacob. He looked scared and was he blushing? "It's no big deal Jake, many people get scared of silly things." She said, shrugging, Jake closed his eyes wishing and desperately hoping he was somewhere else. This was his entire father's fault for bringing them here! He sure was going to speak to his father when he got home.
"I think it's time we go now." Billy said, looking at one of his oldest best friend with a look of urgency. Billy didn't mean to cause discomfort to his son by bringing Bert with him, maybe Jacob was right and this was a bad idea. He won't do it again, he thinks but he's been seeing Charlie Swan a bit and he seems to love fishing as much as him...
"Yes, good idea. I think that'd be best." The other father said, nodding. Annie silently climbed onto the boat, shuffling her feet nervously. Was she the one who had made Jake cry? She was confused, maybe she had been a little too much 'in his face' about the staring and the plastic bag accident. He was still lying on the ground, his arm covering his face. She was unsure whether he was crying or not but she thought that she better not risk it. She silently sat next to him and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers together. Jake's heart beat faster, she was holding his hand! He had seen his mother and father clutching hands thousands of times and his ten almost eleven year old sisters with blushing boys at the elementary school. This had to mean something right?
He didn't move or breathe the entire ride back to the shore. He was scared that Annie would move his hand. He liked holding her hand, and okay fine maybe he did have a soft spot for Annie. She wasn't the only one to make his heart beat this loud. There was another girl, Bella Swan. He'd seen her around town every summer with her father. She was a pale, tiny little thing but he thought that she was very pretty. She was older, almost as old as his sisters and she never seemed to be in Forks very much but to Jacob that didn't matter. Bert glanced as Jake's chest seemed to move faster and faster due to his daughter clutching his hand. Sure it was purely innocent but it still irritated him that his little sugar pie was holding his hand. If he was like this before he couldn't imagine the way he would feel when she started to date. Yikes. Billy just glanced at the exchange and smiled, yes, he was right. Again. Smart ass. . Bert dropped Billy and Jake home, calling Billy an old man even thou they were the same age and ruffling Jacob's hair. Jacob hugged Annie before she could push him off. She hesitated and hugged him back, Burt just frowned at him. Billy and Jake waved goodbye before running back inside so Jacob could change and gather his thoughts. Annie looked back into the rearview mirror as Jake went back inside. Today had been a great day, she loved to go fishing and she wanted to go again with Jacob and Billy. She liked Jake even though he was a bit of a loser and a creep.
"So did you like today sweetheart?" Bert asked, she nodded opening her mouth to speak as he father's phone rang. "Hey Mike." He said yapping into the phone. Annie looked out the window at the moss filled trees, distracted. She barely turned around in an urgency as her father called out, phone falling to the ground. She saw the truck coming straight at them and her short life flashed before her eyes, Jacob Black's face the last thing she saw before her world went black. Bert Spencer died almost instantly; apparently wearing a seat belt was pretty important. He crashed through the window glass piercing him. Affecting him beyond repair. Annie Spencer was luckier, she was smart enough to wear a seat belt and she was only knocked out. Annie's mother went mad the minute she heard. Blaming Billy, blaming herself and most importantly blaming her daughter. Allie Spencer thought her daughter was the one who deserve to die, not his Bert, the love of her life.
Billy broke down and bawled his eyes out on the couch, his Sarah on the side of him whispering reassuring words. Jacob looked from the shadows as his hero; his father broke down like a simple young boy. It was funny, watching the chief of the tribe look as small as a child. It weirdly made Jacob respect him more. Jake didn't object when his mother insisted he wear his only pair of itchy black pants and a white button-up shirt. He wanted to please his father not make him more upset than he already was. Billy was trying to hide it, smiling and joking but all three of his kids saw the dark bags under his eyes and the redness on his nose. Bert and Billy were pretty close, best friends since children; they were like brothers. It was like the only brother that Billy didn't have. They arrived at the funeral half an hour earlier. Jacob immediately searched for those dark eyes he had been dreaming about for the last night. He found her, standing next to a pine tree looking out in to the forest in a black dress. His father nodded once and Jake didn't need another reminder he sped off after her.
"Hi Annie." He said, almost hesitating. He was unsure whether she would push him away or not. She gave him one glance and looked back into the forest. "How are you?" he asked.
"How do you think I am? My father just died yesterday and you ask me whether I'm ok or not? I'm not Jacob." She snapped.
"Sorry." He whispered. He didn't know what to do anymore. He thought he should leave and leave her alone with her thoughts.
"Why are you sorry? This isn't your fault." She said. Jake was sure, he had to leave before it got really ugly. He turned to leave but couldn't, hear Annie give out a low sob. He had to soothe her, reassure her that everything was going to be ok, that he and his family were here for her. He hugged her with his tiny tan arms and she relaxed into him. They stood there for a while, and for the first time since he met her, he felt grown up somehow. She looked at him and smiled her dimply smile. Jake didn't know what made him kiss her on her lips. The lightest touch of his lips to hers brings on the strongest sparks that Jake has ever felt. He's never kissed a girl before but he's seen his mother and father kiss and it just feels right. She unhands herself from him and glares; Jake's confused. His mother doesn't glare at his father after they kiss; this is his final thought before Annie's fist goes straight to his stomach. He doubles over in pain and dry heaves. Okay this definitely doesn't happen with his mother and his father.
"You shouldn't have done that Jake. I'm five and it's gross." She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand trying to get the cooties out. "Pussy." She whispers into his ear and walks away. Jake glares at her retreating figure.
He doesn't want to see Annie Spencer ever again. He doesn't look at her throughout the whole funeral. Even when they shake hands he refuses to look at her and stares at the ground in shame. The grown up –ness in him, dead gone. She's gone within a week, her mother refusing to stay in the town with so many memories. She takes Annie with her, not that she wants to but has to take her.
Jacob grows into a teenager, memories of Annie and his first kiss long gone. He changes from the shy little boy into a man practically overnight. One day he even talks to Bella Swan in a bonfire. A year later, she comes back to him again and they become best friends. He can't live without her and he thinks that he's in love with her but she's broken, always seems to be in mortal trouble and in love with a monster. Jacob's furious that she doesn't love him after everything that he's done and changes into a monster himself but that doesn't stop him from loving her and her beautiful eyes. She leaves him the first chance she has for his worst enemy. Jacob hangs on, the hope in him still there. He never understands when the right time to kiss a girl is and kisses Bella. She breaks her arm and her boyfriend offers to kill him. He kisses her once again this time willingly. He thinks that maybe there's a chance but she gets married and he leaves, coming back two years later. He's ruthless and stronger than ever, Bella Swan always in his heart. He opens a garage with his two buddies, fixing cars for a living. He fixes cars for ten years straight, watching as all his buddies grow up and get married while he stays the same forever. It's a lonely place for Jacob.
As for Annie, she grows up with a mother who's gone completely bonkers and hates her. She graduates early at only sixteen years old. She leaves for college, deciding that she wants to teach. She hangs on, even when the hope is almost gone. She visits her mother one day and comes home to a limp body hanging from the ceiling; the image haunting her. She starts her own life, teaching at elementary schools. She doesn't marry or have children, she has enough with the ones from school. One day, while cleaning out her attic she comes upon pictures of her old hometown, La Push. She realizes that she hasn't been there in twenty one years and wants to go home. She transfers to Forks Elementary School the first chance she gets and the plane home is unbearable. She's dying to visit the town she loved as a child, the town where her father left Earth. Her car breaks down on the way to her new house in La Push. A tall dark man, who later introduces himself as Embry is nice enough to tow it to a mechanic shop in La Push.
"So what are you doing in La Push?" he asks.
"I'm teaching at Forks Elementary school." She explains, smiling at the handsome man. She's not one for small talk, she prefers to stay quiet and observe but feels rude. Plus, the man is dashingly handsome.
"Are you from here?" He questions, taking a left turn.
"I used to live here a long time ago but after my dad's passing my mother moved away. I missed La Push so here I am." She says, saying her thank you's to God as they arrive at the mechanic shop. He leads her inside into the mess filled shop.
"Jake!" he yells. Annie stands awkwardly next to Embry, feeling short. She's always over towered everyone with her 5'11 stature, but now she feels the exact opposite. She bites her lip and twirls a piece of her hair around her finger as the Jake guy walks into the shop. He has an angry look on his face and glares at Embry. He's taller than Embry at almost 6'8 and has rugged good looks. Annie wants to chuckle at how he almost looks like a giant awakened from his slumber. He takes one glance at her and looks back at Embry.
"Don't tell me you brought back one of your little whores here?" he huffs, Annie's cheeks redden, offended.
"Jake." He says, shaking his head. Embry throws her an apologetic look for his rude friend. "This is Annie, she's new to town and her car broke down." Jacob takes another peek at her and Annie smiles. He furrows his eye brows like he's thinking hard.
"Annie Spencer?" he asks incredulously.
"Um, yeah. Do I know you?"
"I'd know that smile anywhere." He mumbles and Annie flushes. "It's me Jacob Black." Annie's mind flashes back to the last time she spent with her father. Yes, she remembers Jacob Black. They went fishing one time and he cried like a little girl. She held his hand on the way back to the beach. Her father died right after dropping Jake and his father off. He kissed her at her dad's funeral and she punched him. She finds it hard to believe that this man standing before her is little Jake.
"Yeah, I remember you. You kissed me at my father's funeral." She says. Jake chuckles a bit and shrugs then coughs and scowls again.
"That's Jacob for you. Looks like you haven't learned anything yet, Jake. Still kissing girls when they don't wanna be kissed." Embry chortles ignoring Jacob's glare. "So you going to fix up her car or what dude?" Jake nods looking in her eyes once again as if trying to find something in them and shakes his head, walking away. Embry whispers something and Jake shakes his head, Embry groans. Annie follows right after them, the rapid beat of her heart not stopping. Maybe it was good of her to come back to La Push. Jake takes one look at her clunker of a truck and tsks.
"This is a piece of shit." He mutters.
"It's a classic." She defends her car the only piece she has of her mother.
"A classic piece of shit." He says opening the hood. Annie stands there as he fiddles with things inside the car. Things that she doesn't know what the hell they do. He hums and Embry raises his eyebrows. Jake doesn't sing, Jake doesn't chuckle and Jake doesn't hum. Ever. Well, since the accident with Bella Swan. Embry is disappointed that Jake didn't imprint of Annie. It would've been nice to get the old Jacob back.
"So? What's the problem?" she asks as Jacob starts to chuckle. Embry's surprised, again.
"Your car ran out of gasoline." He says, crossing his arms over his chest. Annie blushes with embarrassment.
"Oh." She mutters, glancing out into the forest not wanting to look at Embry and Jacob as they laugh. Jacob tells Embry to go get his bottle of extra gasoline, which embry brings at lightning speed. Jake's still laughing when he pours the gasoline into the silver car. "Thanks, um… I should leave." She said, reaching for the car handle.
"Wait, um... why don't you come over for lunch tomorrow? I'm sure the old man would love to see you. It's the red barn-like house by 'Swanson' street." Annie smiled and nodded. She would love to go visit her father's best friend and she certainly wants to see more of Jacob. A lot more. He was her first kiss and he's one of the most beautiful guys she's ever seen.
"Yeah, I'll be there." She said, waving at a triumph looking Embry and a smiling Jacob. As she backs her car out of the garage and drives back home she decides that it was definitely the best choice she could ever make. Annie's back and she's here to stay.