A/N: So, I'm not exactly sure if she knew he imprinted on her or not, so I improved. :D Hope you guys like this chapter! Next will be up soon, hopefully!
The world was so big, and I had never realized it. For seven years, it was as if I had been trapped in a bubble. In my bubble there lived a group of about twelve people, and they were all that mattered to me. It wasn't often that my mother or father let me go into town as a young girl, because they said my self-control and tolerance wasn't built up yet. I'd be taken on small, quick excursions to the super market, and that was that. Sometimes if the day was gloomy enough, they'd take me to the park. It was all so that I could adjust for this day, when it would be impossible to keep me from the world anymore.
I stood there in the middle of the crowded high school hallway, my hands balled into fists at my side, every muscle on edge, as my senses were momentarily overloaded. There were so many people, so many colors and sounds and smells. My heart raced faster than normal, even for me, and I felt more alone than ever. My mother and father had headed off towards their classrooms since they were registered for junior classes and I was only a sophomore, and the rest of my family seemed to have gone as well. It left me standing completely alone with Jacob, though we were surrounded by waves of people. Students rushed past, pushing at me like a river running past a single stone that refuses to move. Jacob put his arm around me, obviously aware of my shock at what the real world was like. I gently touched my finger to his palm, and for a moment I watched as his gaze dulled and I knew he was seeing the thoughts I was projecting into his mind.
Once I broke the contact he grinned that crooked puppy grin of his, and I immediately was over come with a wave of nervousness. "Looks like your dad pulled some strings and got us in all of the same classes," Jake murmured as he handed me my schedule and held up his own. I compared for a moment, and relief took the place of worry. I knew that if Jacob was there, I would be safe.
I never quite understood where the intense need for Jake in my life came from. For as long as I could remember Jacob Black had been there, like a guardian angel, always taking care of me. He hunted with me, read to me, taught me all about his Indian heritage and shape shifters. We giggled over Disney movies together, went for hikes, and just generally had fun. I felt such a strong connection with him, stronger than almost anything I'd ever felt. The only thing that topped my relationship with Jacob was my love for my mother and father, though that was hardly a shock. So having Jacob by my side now, as I faced my first day of high school, seemed decent enough. He took my hand then (he always knew just when I needed that extra squeeze for good luck) and we started down the hallway. As was usual, many eyes were directed towards us. Girls and boys alike stared, and for what reason I wasn't sure. Nervousness caused my stomach to clench, and I squeezed Jake's hand a bit tighter. Through the contact I conveyed to him in his mind how I was feeling, and I could hear him chuckle under his breath as he leaned in towards me.
"They aren't staring because you look ridiculous," he snorted and rolled his eyes, and I wrinkled my nose and nudged him in the side with my elbow. He let out a soft oof, though I knew I hardn't hurt him in the least. "They're just…" he looked around once more, as if to inspect the facial expressions, "sizing up the fresh meat," he informed me with a slight grin, though I could see that behind it there was slight concern. Jake had a tendency to be rather overprotective of me and though I always pretended like it bugged me, deep down I wouldn't have it any other way. He steered me towards our classroom and I chewed on my lip as we entered the room. Immediately jake slid into a seat a few rows from the front, and I sat down at a desk next to him, my head ducked. I could feel most of the eyes directed towards me. When I looked up, I was right. Most of the people in the room were staring directly at me, though some had aimed their glances towards Jake, and these were mostly girls.
I understood physical attraction well enough, but I'd never felt that I myself was physically attracted to someone. I thought my family members were all handsome and beautiful, and I'd always admired Jake's contrasting appearance to that of my family's, but I'd never been the object of anyone's physical affections. But they way some of the boys in the class were looking at me - as if I were a piece of meat or something – I didn't like it. I squirmed under their gaze, and felt the need to hide my face behind my hand or something ridiculous like that. I could see the muscles in Jake's arms tensing as he folded his hands on the desk, and immediately I scanned the room once more. I wasn't sure what had him upset, but before I could ask him, the teacher had started talking and everyone averted their attention to her.
In only a few hours, the bell rang and Jake directed me down towards two double doors, where most of the people seemed to be flooding. It was a small school, but the crowdedness of the halls would definitely take some getting used to, on my part at least. Jake and my family were used to it; they'd done it all before. But everything was so new to me, and I could hardly contain my excitement. "The cafeteria," Jacob explained as we entered a line inside of the room and grabbed a tray.
"But I don't-" He cut me off as he saw my quizzical look at the questionable school food.
"Appearances," he mumbled under his breath. I nodded and look all of the food handed to me, following Jacob's lead. Once we'd gone through the line, I scanned the cafeteria for a moment and immediately spotted my parents in the corner. Jake had already started off that direction and I was about to follow suit when I was stopped by a boy I slightly recognized from my second period class. He had a wide grin on his face, though he looked almost embarrassed to be over here talking to me. I could see everyone at the table he'd been sitting at looking this way, and it brought a new pink tint to my cheeks.
"Hey," he started, clearing his throat and ducking his head slightly. His eyes were momentarily fixed on his shoes and his hand ruffled his lighter brown locks, but finally he glanced up and met my eyes. I could feel the skeptical look coming over my face and one eyebrow arched as he momentarily fumbled with his words. "Err, I'm Jason, we have geometry together, second period?" I nodded, signaling I remembered him. "My friends and I were wondering if you wanted to come eat with us?" He gestured back towards the table where a few of the boys were smirking because Jason seemed to be making a fool of himself, and the girls were rolling their eyes.
I shifted my weight and bit my lower lip. "Thanks for the offer, but my friends are waiting for me back there," I nodded towards the table my family currently occupied and he looked back at them before nodding.
"Ok, that's cool," Jason shifted as if to go sit down and I was about to take off before he opened his mouth again. "Is that big one your boyfriend?" My eyebrows furrowed and I looked over at Jacob, fighting back any kind of laughter that was trying to push through.
"Who Jake?" He nodded and I shook my head. "No, we're just good friends," I informed Jason. He let out his breath and smiled a bit wider.
"Well then, I guess I will be seeing you around." He winked at me and I wrinkled my nose, but his back was turned so he didn't see it. I immediately rushed over to the table and seated myself between my mother and Jacob. The table was quiet, as if they had been discussing something I wasn't supposed to hear, and I sighed and looked at all of them.
"What?" I asked, breaking the silence. My father looked at Jacob who was staring at Jason. My mother was hiding a slight smile and Alice and Rosalie were deep in conversation about something involving fashion. They usually chose to stay out of these things.
No one said anything for a few more seconds, and I didn't like it, not at all. "C'mon, some one say something," I begged, looking at my father directly. I didn't care to know about what they were discussing, but I didn't want to sit here in silence.
"How'd your classes go?" This came from my mother, and I breathed out a relieved sigh and allowed a slight smile to come across my lips.
"Fine. Jacob fell asleep second period," I teased. The jest seemed to put him in a bit of a better mood and he smiled and started in on his food.
"Hey, school was never my strong suit," he shrugged here and I giggled.
The rest of the day passed fairly quickly. In history, Jason sat next to me and we talked for a bit before the bell rang. Jake hadn't seemed too happy about it, but I wasn't going to play the part of anti-social teen if it could be avoided. I knew contact with humans had to be limited and they could never find out what we were, but a conversation wouldn't hurt anyone, right? In my geology class I talked with a girl named Samantha, though she just seemed to be trying to get to Jake. He ignored her for the most part, adding in his two cents worth only when he felt it was absolutely necessary. As the day wore on Jacob's mood worsened, and finally when the final bell rang that ended the day, he swung his back pack on and stalked out of the room at a pace that made me have to run to keep up.
"Jacob, stop," I called after him. Leah was already around front with the jeep, with Seth sitting in the passenger seat. I ran a bit faster, not pushing my limits or anything, and grabbed a hold of his arm. His skin was so warm beneath mine, and our skin contrasted like night and day. For a moment I just stared. Finally I inhaled and squared off my shoulders and he looked down at me as if threatening me to do something. There was something in his eyes and I wasn't quite sure what, but I turned to Leah and smiled slightly.
"Go on ahead of us. We'll walk home," I told her. Jacob started to protest but I shot him a glare. "You've been acting weird all day. I think I deserve this at least," I informed him, my voice snide. His expression softened then and he nodded. "Thanks," I said softly. I let my hand fall to my side, but immediately regretted it. I missed the feel of his soft skin beneath my fingertips, the way I could feel his muscles tensing in anger and then releasing when he'd let it go. We were about to start on our way, but before we could a voice was calling out to me.
It was odd to hear my name on the lips of anyone but my family and I turned, brushing some curls from my face as I looked for the person who'd called out to me. It was Jason. I could feel Jake tense beside me, and I looked over to see he had his jaw clenched and his hands were balled into fists. "Hey Renesmee," he greeted me, a lopsided grin on his face. He wasn't unattractive, I noted. He had a nice smile and kind eyes, but that was all he was.
"Hey Jason," I shifted my backpack; it was starting to get heavy. Jacob took this as a sign and took it from me, flinging it over his own and looking to Jason, as if to challenge him. "What's up?" I discreetly elbowed Jacob in the stomach but he ignored it and hovered at my shoulder.
"A bunch of us are going out for pizza – well, more like me and Robbie and Sam, and we wanted to know if you wanted to join us." I looked behind him and sure enough, there was Sam waving at me and a tall, gangly looking boy wearing glasses stood beside her, holding her free hand in his.
"Do you mean like… on a date?" I asked him, one eyebrow arched quizzically.
"I guess you could call it that." He beamed at the fact that I was the one who brought it up and not him. Quickly I shook my head, though.
"Sorry, Jason, I gotta get home. My parents are expecting me and I've just got a lot to do," I informed him with a small sigh. He nodded, looking slightly disappointed.
"Well maybe I could get your number, then?"
"She's not interested, Jason." That came from Jacob. I glared shortly at him, but it was useless. He'd already seemed to have offended Jason, or scared him, because Jason was already backing away.
"Well, I guess I will see you around then, Renesmee," I cringed and nodded, and immediately him and Sam and the other boy headed off towards a car. I rounded on Jacob and glared at him before starting off down the driveway of the school and towards the main road. My arms were crossed over my chest, and I knew my face conveyed how angry I was.
It was Jacob's turn to run after me, and I could tell just by the distance he kept between us that he knew I was upset with him. "That was none of your business," I snapped. He shrunk away from me, almost like a child getting punished when he thought he was just helping. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, only now realizing how fast I'd been walking. I stopped on the sidewalk then, letting Jake catch up, and turned to him. "Why were you so mean to Jason? I just wanted to make a few friends around here…"
Jacob hesitantly put a hand on my shoulder and I rested my cheek against his hand. I wasn't as mad as he might have thought, but it did upset me that he very obviously didn't want me to be friends with Jason. "I wasn't trying to be mean, it's just… Well, I know what guys want, and it's not what you think."
"So you were jealous?"
Jacob fidgeted under my inquisitive stare, and my stomach did a small flip flop. Jealousy was a new emotion, one I'd never felt. I didn't understand why Jacob would be jealous of Jason, but I could tell by the way he was avoiding my gaze and shifting his weight, that was the issue here. Immediately I pushed his arm from off of my shoulder and wrapped my arms around him with my face buried in his chest. He smelled like the earth in a refreshing way, and I inhaled deeply, never wanting to let go. "I didn't mean to upset you," Jacob murmured. I could feel the vibrations starting in his chest, rising up through his throat and getting spit out into the air so I could hear his words. His arms returned the hug, pulling me in tightly and holding me close. I knew that if I wanted to break away it would probably be physically impossible right now, and that was something I was all right with.
"It's ok. I just… don't understand, I guess," I murmured lightly. I could feel his fingers, soft as butterfly wings, gently brush my hair back. For a moment longer we stood as we were, two entities entwined into one for only a few seconds. Finally he pulled away and ran a hand through his thick black hair, a nervous habit of his I immediately recognized.
"I guess it's time, then…" His words were heavy with emotion, and I looked up at him with a quizzical look on my face. His face was conflicted, as if the decision he just made was life changing. I absently twisted the bracelet that had been on my wrist for seven years and looked up at him with my wide chocolate brown eyes. His fingers intertwined with mine then, and we started walking down the sidewalk. Jacob was silent for quite some time, and I knew he was thinking of the right words to say. Once we were a bit outside of town and surrounded by trees, I could see the tension in his shoulders ease, as if a weight had been lifted, and he stopped and faced me once more.
"Do you remember what I told you about imprinting?"
I momentarily racked my brain. I remembered most of it. It was like being soul mates, like my mother and father, only for a shape shifter. Vampires called it mating, and shape shifters called it imprinting. I nodded, and Jake continued. "It's a remarkable feeling, really. Like the only thing that keeps me from floating off into the atmosphere is… well, you." I stared at him for a moment, unsure of what he was saying. "Didn't you ever wonder why I was always around? Why I hardly ever left your side? That's not normal. Especially not for a shape shifter and a product of a vampire," here his lips curled into a slight smirk and he shook his head. "I can't live without you, and I hate seeing other guys trying to get with you, because you're mine." I was still staring, mostly because I couldn't believe it. Jacob had imprinted on me, it explained so much.
He expected me to speak, but I momentarily had no words. My mind was racing at lightning speed, and I squinted my eyes shut for a moment. I ran my fingers through my hair, inhaling deeply. I felt like the whole world was changing, and I could feel the world revolving around me. Jacob's hand was at my elbow, and I pulled back for a moment, unsure of all of it. My heart was throbbing, and my head was pounding. I looked up at Jacob and suddenly I felt as if I were seeing him from a different perspective. Every contour of his face looked new, the way his jaw curved, the slight stubble there… my fingers hesitantly reached up and caressed his cheek. My fingers burned, and the sudden urge to be physically nearer to him was confusing and caused my head to spin slightly for some unknown reason.
I inhaled and expelled the air like a gust of wind and he grinned slightly as he wrapped his arms around me to keep me from falling. My knees felt weak, and I was unsure why. I was seeing my best friend from different eyes, as if I'd put on a new pair of glasses, and there was only one way I could be sure of what I was feeling. In a very rash motion, I grabbed the collar of Jacob's t-shirt and pulled him in closer to me. He didn't fight, just watched closely with a guarded expression. For a second I just breathed him in, keeping about an inch between us, and then I closed the gap, pressing my lips against his.
At first he stiffened against me, and then I stiffened and he loosened up. His fingers traced down my back, and I grew even more rigid in that instant. I enjoyed it far too much, and my mind was rebelling against the idea all together. I hurriedly pulled away, and could feel my cheeks flushing the brightest red color. "I'm sorry, Jake, I… I need to think." Without another word I took off in the exact opposite direction, deeper into the woods. I just needed time to think and be alone, to clear my mind for a few minutes or hours, or as long as it took for me to be ok with all of this.