"Thinking of You"

Phascination Phase

Hey guys (:

Firstly, I want to say that I really love you for giving me feedback, and thanks for giving my story the time of day. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it! Sorry about taking awhile to post again… I was busy with other things but I'm done with that now!

I don't think I made it very clear last chapter about how Claire feels about Quil. I mean she does love him but the question is, is she in love with him? Unfortunately, she doesn't know yet. She just hasn't come to realize what Quil is to her… but that will all change soon enough.

And Quil (having imprinted with her) loves her more than he loves himself. He is just anything she needs him to be. If she needs a protector, he'll be one. If she needs a lover, he'll be just that. But right now he is just what she needs; a friend. And just to clear things up, Quil appears to be around the age of 18-20 though he remains 16.

Anyway… along with the story… *cough* *cough*

Disclaimer: They aren't mine? Aw, how sad.

Chapter 2: "Different"

Eager to get to the front door as quickly as possible, I wrenched open my bedroom door without a second thought and raced to meet my greatly expected guest.

I raced at a fast pace to the end of the lengthy hallway then went quickly down the stairs. I was wearing my regular white socks -which included no grip whatsoever- and was unable to come to an immediate complete stop, almost causing my face to flatten against the wooden door. Luckily though, I caught myself on the door's handle just as I was about to slip, while accidentally twisting the golden handle, unexpectedly opened the door.

When my episode had reached its end, I peered up at a face; a boy's face. A face which I had practically known my whole life. A face that brought warmth into my body by just smiling at me. A face that was, at the moment, looking at me with a mixture of shock and concern. After that long second had passed, his features twisted into obvious amusement.

"Ha! Well, hi down there," his booming laughed echoing. He patted me on my head, then after another laugh, he held his hand inside of the doorway to help me up. When I was standing, he gave a smile that could only be described as a very warm one.

"You've been over here a million times, and you still knock?" I asked playfully, returning with what I hope is the warmest smile that I can muster.

"Can't you just congratulate me on my politeness and let me in already? Please, try not to fall this time," He warned, teasing me again.

I scrunched my nose at him. Giggling, I opened the door wider for him to step inside the living room. When he stepped inside he brought me into a big welcoming hug. As we hugged I rested my hands on his perfected shoulder blades, appreciating how they felt, as I felt his large hands press against my long hair that gently fell on my back. Just before we broke the hug, he tugged gently at the ends of my long hair.

"Hey!" I quickly pulled away from him to glare at him. "Did you come over here to eat dinner or to annoy the hell out of me?"

"Mmm…" He rubbed his chin with his index finger contemplating, pretending to think over my question. "Both. Definitely both."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"I've missed your silliness these past few days," I grinned at him, but a little more serious this time.

"I missed you, too Claire Bear." He grinned down at me dreamily. It was then that I noticed how tired he looked.

"Speaking of which…" I trailed off, leading him to the closest couch, then continued in a low whisper. "What have you been doing these past few days?"

He looked at me warily and said "I'll tell you later."

Quil plopped down on one end of the sofa, stretching out his long legs which took up a great deal of the tiny living room space. I sat opposite of him with one leg curled underneath me, letting the other dangle off of the sofa, and turned my eyes away from him to watch the flames dance in the lit fireplace.

After a few prolonged moments I asked him. "Later as in…?"

I waited for him to speak. He didn't say anything.

"After dinner…?" I questioned.

After a few seconds of no reply I turned my head to look at him. He was already passed out with his head slowly flopping back and forth.

"Two weeks? Six years?" I pressed, intrigued and unable to resist.

"Sounds good…" He mumbled asleep.

"Quil!" I shook his arm, hard. "Are you even listening to what I'm saying?"

"Okay, okay!" He sat up a little straighter and blinked his eyes, getting rid of sleep in them then looked at me. "I'll tell you after dinner." He said while he yawned hugely.

"Alright." I agreed. "What's the-"

"Claire! Dinner's ready!"

Cutting me short, Mom came in the living room. She was taken aback by seeing Quil sitting on the sofa beside me. Obviously she didn't realize he was already here. "Nice to see you, Quil. It's been a few days, hasn't it? Thought you two were attached at the hip. Where have you been?"

"Oh, uh, hi Mrs. Carter. Uh, I've just been really busy." He told her but when the words came out they sounded like a question.

To avoid more awkwardness or some more of Mom's questioning, I said "Come on. Let's go eat. I know you're hungry."

I grabbed Quil's feverish hand and pulled him off of the couch, and led him to the kitchen. When we arrived in the kitchen, Aunt Emily was standing over the table placing napkins and silver wear on the table. She looked up from her job and smiled at us.

"Claire!" She put her arms around me, squeezing me, and began to rock me from side to side. "I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Oh, Aunt Emily, it's just been a week." I said when she released me and I could actually breathe again, feeling slightly guilty that I hadn't come down to greet her when she came in.

"Really? It just feels like it's been- Oh hi Quil." She smiled up at him. "I didn't know that you were going to be here." Then she asked in a lower voice, "They say you could take the night off tonight?"

He nodded his head at her, looking even more tired.

Mom came in and we made our plates. As we ate dinner, her eyes kept darting between Quil and I, which irked me greatly. What was her freaking problem? Why couldn't she just think what usual parents would? That we were a guy and a girl that were best friends that enjoyed each others presence, or, even going to great lengths here, would suspect we liked each other or something of that liking?

A few months ago was when I first realized her suspicion of Quil, which had grown marginally each week. When Quil and I left the house together, I would arrive back at home and she would badger me with annoying questions like "What have you and Quil been up to exactly?" "Why wont you tell me?" And I had the nagging suspicion, myself, that she actually knew what we were "up to." The reasons behind her questioning, I did not know exactly, but I had a great guess. I just had to give her any excuse other than her finding out Quil was a werewolf. I shuddered at the thought of what would happen if she found out.

It would ruin…everything.

Emily asked Mom a question about gardening or something, causing her eyes to advert away from me and especially, Quil.

As they began to chatter, I put down my fork and lowered my hand down underneath the table. I grabbed Quil's hand that was resting on his leg nearest to me and gave it a squeeze. He stopped stuffing his face with Emily's delicious pork chops and potatoes for a moment to look at me. He gave a firm, but gentle squeeze back.

Whatever the reasons behind the questions, I was just going to have to forget for the night. Tonight belonged to me and Quil.

"…And, and then… we were starting to go really fast, and… Jacob growled really loud from behind us… and he turned his head around to look…cause, cause well you know…anyways…!" Quil paused unwillingly to catch his breath from the unstoppable laughter. He wiped a tear that was falling out of the corner of his eye. "He ran into a tree!" He finished, finally.

I clutched my sides, to stop them from hurting so much, as I was laughing so hard. I don't think I've laughed this hard since I was four!

"Ha ha! Paul!" I gasped. "A friggin' tree! Paul!"

Quil was telling a story about him and Paul racing, and how Paul looked away, but only to run into a tree. Priceless.

We sat there for a moment in my room without speaking any words that were actually coherent, instead just laughing together at the hilarious picture that was forever painted in our minds of Paul running into a tree.

After the laughing had ceased completely, Quil stretched a long, thick arm of his over his head, and leaned back on my bed's bedpost, resting his head on the wall. I sat on my seat that was connected to the wall and the window that overlooked my now pitch black backyard.

I turned my face away from my window, and looked to see him looking at me. Most boys, or people in general for that matter, would've turned their heads quickly away, pretending to be absorbed in something else if they were ever caught staring at someone. Though he just continued to look at me with the warm, gentle expression that was usually found upon his face. He also seemed to appear even more dreamily than before and he began to lift his face into grin. Instead of giving a grin, he opened his mouth larger and wider than I had ever seen him accomplish before and breathed out a huge yawn.

"Well, whatever they've been having you do these past few days, it's got you working late hours." I said, concern touching my voice.

He laughed a bitter, tired laugh. "Ha, yeah it has."

"When was the last time you've slept anyway?"

He looked at the ceiling for a moment again, thinking before giving his answer.

"Monday night." He confirmed right before letting out about the millionth yawn tonight, and readjusting himself against the bedpost.

"But today's Wensday!" I complained. "That's two days of no rest!"

He did another sleepy grin and this time, shook his head. "Look," he commanded, pointing at the alarm clock that sat next to my bed.

The alarm clock flashed 12:06 AM.

"Thursday!" I whined. "Three days! Let's see that's… er, let's see… uh, 72 hours! " I calculated as quickly as I could. Hey, what did you expect? I was tired too…

He shrugged. "No biggie, no big deal," He chanted, I guess trying to make me feel better.

I sighed internally. I had to let him sleep. That means letting him leaving again without telling me what he's up to… but I guess he does need to sleep which is certainly more important than my craving curiosity.

I rose up off of the window seat and went over to the side of my bed he was laying on and I rubbed his face tenderly with my hand. He closed his eyes as if he were going to sleep for good this time. I stopped the rubbing but kept my hand stationary on his feverish cheek.

"Listen…" I began. "I really want to know what you've been up to, but… You really should go home and sleep in for a few days, you know?"

He opened his familiar brown eyes and searched me before nodding. He sat up.

"I wish I could sleep here… with you."

Wow. I thought. That would be a lovely sight for Mother Dear in the morning.

"Yeah, I know," I told him, trying to sound reassuring. "But you can come over whenever you are fully rested, okay? And you can come no matter what the hour."

"Kay, thanks." He dragged himself off of the bed as I got up to let him out and we hugged the usual hug for a long moment, but something felt… off. I broke the hug.

After I had broken the hug, we stood there in my room so close to one another than I could feel heat radiating off of him. His honey chocolate eyes bore into mine and for some strange reason, it felt... I don't know… different? Usually we would hug when saying good-bye for the night and that would be the end of it, but for some odd, peculiar reason it was different this time. Just…different.

So I spoke to break the silence that was slowly but surely making me go crazy.

"Please, just," I told him panicky, breathing in a weird fashion. "don't worry about me? Okay? Just go… catch up."

He blinked several times, beginning to breath quickly, too.

"Yeah, alright." He said backing away slowly, as he scratched the back of his sleepy head, which looked a tad more aware now. "Kay, uh night, Claire… uh, Bear."

Quil closed the door quietly on his way out of my room, and I just stood right where I had been by the bed and listened to his footsteps descend down the stairs. I didn't move until I heard the front door close, which brought me back into reality again.

I walked over to my window and just stared at it for awhile, though not really seeing anything interesting, only a faint reflection of me. I didn't try to look out of it to try and see Quil transform tonight as I usually would. Now I just looked at it to watch my chest rise and fall dramatically in my reflection.

"What. The. Hell?" I whispered loudly.

After my chest stopped acting all exasperated, I walked to into my bathroom that was connected to my room, and did the usual routine I did before I got into bed and managed to go to sleep. That being whether I could sleep tonight. Anyway, I washed my face until it felt clean and brushed my teeth until they felt -and smelt- fresh. Then I walked back into my bedroom, which was mostly the color purple, and went over to my large dresser, also created by my grandfather. I pulled out an over sized tee shirt and shorts, then walked over to my bed. I turned off my lamp that was on my nightstand, and crept into the blankets.

My thoughts still not fully registering, and me not ready for them to, I laid in my comfy bed, and I rolled over to the left side of it. I reached over on my wooden nightstand for my silver iPod. Heaven knows I can't ever sleep without listening to it at night.

I felt it in my grasp, wrapped my long fingers around it, and pulled my arm back into my toasty purple sheets. I plugged the earphones into my ready ears and turned it on. I choose a playlist I already had prepared for sleeping, turned off my nonexistent thoughts, and watched the back of my eyelids, listening to the music. Somewhere along the way, I fell into heavily awaited sleep.

Thanks ;)

R&R please?

I only write because I want to hear what people think about the stuff I wrote…

And because it's a curse…

Phascination Phase

PS- Get ready for a long, exciting chapter.
PSS- Any questions, I will try to respond; depending on question.