HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEFOLK! TIS MOI AGAIN!

So I've just had the most divine inspiration. My imagination is so bi-polar, I just kind of write stories as they come to me, so ENJOY!

And again, I ask you not to critique to harshly.

Chapter 1: Leah Explains It All

LPOV

I was startled awake by the sound of my alarm clock. The papers on my chest fluttered to the ground and I scambled to pick them up. They were important. I had been working like a dog to finish my art portfolio along with my applications for early admissions to college.

As a new junior in high school, I felt it was important to secure my spot in a good college to get away from this hellhole of a reservation. This summer, I had been working on scholarship essays and perfecting my portfolio, making sure they were flawless. My hard work paid off though, because I had written enough essays and managed to accumulate alot of money to cover all years of education I would need.

My part time job at the Quileute reservation local art store had given me enough money to buy a good used car and have a good amount of money to spend on anything else I needed. Saving wasn't hard. I had no where to go, no friends, and absolutely no interest in spending obscene amounts of money on trendy things I didn't even like. All the funds from my job, babysitting, all my birthday money since I was five and my weekly allowance had gone straight into my bank account.

I applied early to all the great visual arts colleges. Parsons, Rhode Island School of Design, etc. I dabbled in all aspects of art, including music, and my portfolio was full of my work.

My hard work left no time for friends, not that I had any. At school, I was considered a social leper and have been that way since seventh grade. Theymade sure of it.

By 'they', I mean a group of kids at my school. I had known them all since grade school. All beautiful with hearts made of black stone.

There was Sam and his girlfriend, Emily, who just happened to be my cousin. A footballer and a cheerleader. Typical. They were so attractive and 'proud' of their relationship, it made me want to gouge my eyes out with a tetanus infected spoon. Sam and Emily were horrible to me, each of them causing me some sort of pain. Sam was more physical, but Emily could make a person feel like dog shit with one carelessly flung, scathing comment.

Next is Quil and Claire. Another footballer-and-cheerleader couple, Claire had Quil wrapped around her perfectly manicured little finger. Sickeningly sweet to teachers, Claire was Emily's best friend. She could pull a Dr. Jeckll and Mr. Hyde quicker than you could say 'poof'. Quil probably would have pretended I didn't exist, but Claire saw to it that he hurt me in any way possible at least once every day. Since Quil had no sense of a personality or a brain, he did whatever she told him to.

There was Embry and Vanessa. (Did Embry ever get an imprint? I honestly can't remember b/c I lent my Twilight books to my BFF.) They broke the mold. Their relationship was more of a slut-and-manwhore combination, and Embry was a soccer player. A match made in be honest, they never bothered me. They were too concerned about where they were going to hook up next to ever bother with someone like me. They looked past me and laughed when the others did, but never did anything to help.

Then, there was Him. Jacob Black. Every girl's fantasy and the reason behind their wet dreams, at least at the Quileute school. Based on all the rumors I've heard, he's seen the private areas of everyone from the Bio teacher, to the sluts and whores in the commons of Port Angeles. A footballer also, he was very muscular, with jet black hair, perfect lips and deep brown eyes that could undress a room full of women. It didn't help that he had that Harley and happened to wear a perfectly worn leather jacket to school almost every day. Everything about him screamed "Bad Ass!"

But no matter how devilishly angelic he was on the outside, he was the worst of them all on the inside. He could be so cruel to me that I've often had to leave school early before my anxiety turned into panic attacks. I always wondered what I did to deserve the trippings, the kicking, the teasing.

I gathered my papers, placed them in my portfolio and put it under my desk. Then, I pulled down the shade of my window, and went to take a shower, praying that my junior year could be better.

I got out of the shower, wrapping the towel around me. I didn't bother trying to dress fashionably. Choosing my usual uniform of jeans, Converse, a band t-shirt, and an old college sweatshirt of my dad's, I packed my back pack with my notebooks and pencils, taking extra care to place my sketchbook and soft leaded pencils into a special compartment.

Walking down the stairs, I listened for movement in the kitchen, finding none. Of course my father had left. He didn't bother trying to greet me in the morning. I quickly made some Pop-Tarts and got into my car to go to school.

I loved my car. It was a vintage black Cadillac in mint condition. Ironically enough, I bought it cheap from Billy Black, Jacob's father. The words 'Like Father,Like Son' didn't apply to them. Billy was one of the nicest people I had ever met. It was a wonder to me how he managed to get that devil's spawn for a child.

Billy sold me his car cheap. He couldn't use it anymore after an accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. I felt bad for him when I first met him, but he moved around so energetically, I quickly forgot.

The ride to school took ten minutes. I glanced around the parking lot as I parked my car, thankful that it was nearly empty. Grabbing my book bag and over-the-shoulder art bag, I got out of the car and locked it. The school had put me in some AP classes to challenge me. I was walking down the hall toward my locker, my arms full of the thick books the office given me. My sweatshirt sleeves kept drooping and I had to hike them up every couple of minutes. I found my locker and was turning the lock to open it when I heard a noise.

I dropped the lock, put the books inside, and quickly looked down the hallway. I had gotten to school early so I would have time to get accustomed to my new locker and schedule so I could disappear to the library in order to hide.

No one was in the hallway except for a tiny freshman girl reading a large Harry Potter book. I shrugged and turned back toward my locker. I gasped as I came in contact with a hard chest. Before I realized who it was, I had fallen to the ground.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry. Actually, I'm not." I looked up into the eyes of Jacob Black. I sighed and bit my lip. Just when I thought I could have a good day.

I got up and brushed myself off. My sweatshirt had ridden up and my tank top underneath had a smudge on it. I adjusted my glasses and turned to my locker to straighten the books.

'Just ignore him and he'll go away.' I chanted in my head over and over again.

"So you're not gonna say hi? I'm hurt, Clearwater." He smirked and I chanted in my head even more. He leaned against the locker next to mine, looking every inch the 17 year old heartthrob he was. He towered over me by a couple inches and he had to look down at me.

"Guess your mother never taught you to show respect, huh?" I saw red and my blood boiled.

Before I could stop myself, I slammed my locker closed and had curled my hand into a fist. Then I punched him in the shoulder.

I hit him hard in the same shoulder with my thick AP Chemistry book. "I will never show respect to an asshole who can't learn to keep his dick in his pants." I walked on to the library, dreading my little moment of bravery and what might happen to me.

Settling into a bench near the library, I read over my schedule list, anticipating an easy year. The school knew I was more advanced than their curriculum offered. I froze when I read my homeroom number.

Rm. 233 : Bernard - Cusack

Teacher: Smith, Kenton

I did some quick calculating in my head and groaned. Mr. Smith was a total hard ass. On top of that, I would have homeroom with Emily, Embry, and Jacob. I sighed and shook my head. I said a quick prayer, hoping that they would skip school often like they usually did.

I took out my sketchbook and began to draw the foliage around the parking lot. It truly was beautiful. The wheels in my head were turning as I sketched, planning out how I was going to paint it, shading the appropriate areas. I was so engrossed in my sketching that I was startled when the bells for homeroom started ringing.

I ran up the stairs and made it to Room 233 seconds after the late bell rung. Mr. Smith was in the middle of calling role.

"Miss Clearwater, I take it you have a good reason why you're late." He eyed me sternly. I wasn't that late. The bell had just rung.

"No sir. I just lost track of time." I bit my lip, hoping he would take pity on me.

No such luck. "Well, to ensure you aren't late again, I'll have to give you detention." I let out a frustated groan in my head, mentally cursing Mr. Smith and his stupid bald head. I took the pink detention slip and settled into a random seat in the back without really looking. I wished I had.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Leah Clearwater." I turned and Emily was smirking at me. "I see that you haven't changed at all over the summer. Same frizzy hair, and coke bottle glasses." My hair wasn't frizzy. It was quite wavy actually. Just because it wasn't bone straight like hers, she felt the need to tease me about it.

I ignored her and took out my sketchbook again, planning to shade a couple more trees before going to my first period class. I had turned my head for a minute to get another soft leaded pencil. When I looked back at the desk my sketchbook was gone and in the hands of Jacob Black.

"Give that back. I need it." I reached for it, but he held it over his head. I wished Mr. Smith would notice and stop it, but it was in vain. Being the wimpy man he was, Mr. Smith was scared of the whole football team.

"Awwww. Look Emily, Leah likes to draw. Let's see. Some trees, a squirrel, self portrait." He pulled it out of the way when I reached for it again and gave it to Emily.

"Wow, Clearwater. You are definatetly not that pretty. A little wishful thinking, or is this what you're going to give to your plastic surgeon? Not to be rude, but it's going to take a miracle for you to look like that." I blinked away tears. I knew she had every intention of sounding as rude as she did.

Thankfully, the bell rung at that moment. Emily put the sketchbook back on my desk and sauntered away. Jacob laughed at me and followed. I sighed and walked to Pre Calculus.

It was lunchtime. I had brought a sub BLT sandwich and a bag of cookies from home, and was at a vending machine, getting a soda. I heard loud laughter from the direction of their table. I rolled my eyes and turned to walk to my usual table at the back of the cafeteria. The librarian had to leave for a family emergency, so I couldn't escape there.

My first two periods had gone well. So far, I had no classes with Jacob and his group and I had finished a rough sketch for another painting. I couldn't wait to get back home to paint it for real.

I opened my sketch book and began to draw out one of my favorite memories. My mom and dad, curled up the couch, watching a bad game show and laughing loudly. My mom looked so beautiful, and my father seemed so calm and peaceful with her in his arms. They had invited me to sit with them that day and we all sat and laughed.

My thoughts wandered as I was putting the finishing details on the couch when I heard and felt it. A large chunk of the school's mystery meat was sliding down my face. I moved my sketchbook out of the way and into my bag so it wouldn't get messed up.

Of course I knew who threw it. I didn't look at them as I gathered my stuff and ran to the bathroom to clean myself off. I ran out of the room, leaving behind a trail of loud, cruel laughter. I thought that was all they were going to do, but I was wrong.

After my detention, I walked out to my car to start the trip to work. A couple of cars followed me out of the parking lot as usual, I didn't think too much of it. 'I have just enough time to make my 5:00 shift at the art store.' I thought as I made it to the store. Mr. Peterson, my boss, had to leave for a family emergency, so I had the responsibilty to lock the store at closing time.

It was almost 8:00 when Kari Anderson burst through the doors. I recognized her from our drama department. She was also Jacob's latest play thing. I was surprised she came in at all.

"Leah! Oh thank God you work here." She ran up to the counter, her long red skirt flowing gracefully behind her.

"What's wrong?" She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"Out in the parking lot, a man, he... I saw him... and..." She started to cry. "Just see for yourself."

She ran out of the store quickly. I jumped over the counter, grabbing my First Aid kit. I burst out of the store. The cold wind hit me forcefully.

"Kari? Where's the guy? I have my First Aid kit." She didn't answer. That's when I noticed the amount of cars in the parking lot. They looked just like the cars from school. Panic clutched my heart and I turned to go back into the store.

"First Aid kit, Clearwater? You're gonna need it." Jacob Black appeared behind me along with his friends. They pushed me into the alley near the dumpster.

"Please, just leave me alone." I cried. A crowd of kids from school gathered behind them. I tried to run through, find an opening in the crowd, but they kept pushing me back. Jacob lifted me by my throat. I could feel my air supply running low.

"Let go. Please." I gasped. Then I realized my hands were free. I punched Jacob hard in his nose. It didn't do much damage, but it startled him and he let me go. I landed hard on the ground, gasping for air and clutching my throat.

"You bitch!" Jacob lunged for me and I cowered away. Sam and Embry held him back. The crowd behind them chanted 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' Claire, Emily, and Vanessa began to punch and kick me for what seemed like hours. I screamed in pain and I could feel my world going dark. Quil appeared out of nowhere and lifted me. I cried out in pain when I landed on the cold, hard concrete. Then my world went black.

"Oh my God, is she dead?" Claire and Emily screeched together. I felt warm hands at my neck. "No, she isn't. I still feel a pulse." Sam's voice said. The noise of the crowd disappeared, so I assumed they had ran off.

"Let's get out of here." Embry yelled. "C'mon Jake." Then I succumbed to the darkness. I awoke quickly, freezing cold and in pain all over. I grabbed the well stocked First Aid kit, ready to take care of my wounds. I looked over my body, surprised to find that my cuts had bandages, and my arm was in a cast.

I locked the store and drove home. My father wasn't home, of course. I took a shower and settled into my bed, silently thanking whomever cared enough to stay and help me.