Invisible Monsters

The things you own end up owning you.

Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club


Title Just Like Old Times
Claim
Leah Clearwater
Rating
T
Warnings
Spoilers through Eclipse
Disclaimer
I am not Stephanie Meyer
Summary
When she asked Kim to go camping with her, she hadn't realized the girl came packaged with a werewolf.
Table/Prompt
Sayings / 02 It Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time
Number
003/200
Word Count
645


"I was thinking about cutting it," Leah said absently, skipping a stone out over the unnatural still waters of the lake. The ripples disturbed the surface and the reflection of the nearby moutain became distorted. Kim Attridge nodded her approval while examining Leah's waist-length locks.

"It gets too tangled, now, huh?" She asked, running a brush through them. There were a few twigs ensnared in the mass of curls, a result of their somewhat trying hike up to the camp ground.

"Yeah, and it's just too hard to keep clean." Leah agreed, heaving another stone out over the lake. It skipped nine times.

"How short?" Kim wondered aloud, pulling the freshly brushed hair into a ponytail. Leah was about to reply when a groan issued from the ground next to them. Jared Foxe was sprawled on the bank of the lake, face down, with his face buried in his hands.

"You know," Leah said, flipping her hair as she spoke, "We didn't ask you to come along."

"Like I'd trust you to take her out here for three days on your own," Jared defended, not moving from his position. Kim frowned.

"I'm not a baby, Jared. I can take care of myself." She said, fussing with Leah's hair again. The werewolf girl smirked, though she was glad neither of them could see it.

She thought it made her a bad person but she really enjoyed it when the wolf clan's model couples had arguments. Because she always felt so alone, and perhaps because she'd never had a good experience with imprinting, she hated seeing the guys with their perfect girls. Especially since Jake had imprinted on her younger sister, Leah had been avoiding the couples like the plauge. Wiping the smirk off her face, she turned to Kim.

"Anyway, I was thinking just below my chin." She said, illiciting a low moan from Jared. Kim kicked him playfully in the side and he rolled over, arms still covering his face. She then turned to her long time friend and seriously considered the situation.

"I think shorter." She said, squinting as if she were trying to really visualise it. She then paused to consider something. "But Leah," She said, sitting down next to the girl instead of standing beside her. "You haven't cut your hair since you were, like, four."

To this Leah just shrugged, playing with the ends of her chocolate brown hair.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Kim proded, eyebrows raised.

"Sam likes it long," Jared commented from the beach. Leah glared at him and bit the inside of her cheek. Kim gave her an apologetic look.

"Why did you even come?" Leah asked tersely, rifling through her pockets for something to distract herself with.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." Jared said with a shrug, looking up at the two girls. Leah had found her distraction. It was a swiss army knife. She'd opened the blade already. Kim eyed her skeptically, not believing she'd really have the gall to cut off a foot and a half of her own hair. Leah gripped her ponytail in one hand and the knife in the other and closed her eyes. Change, change was for the better she said to herself.

And just like that it was gone. Eighteen inches, ten years of memories, just laying on the lake shore. Kim smiled and fussed with it until it was arranged nicely about her shoulders.

"You look just like a runway model," The younger girl cooed, perhaps a little too enamored with the style. It was really Jared's approval she was looking for.

He nodded at her- nothing like Kim's ceaseless gushing, but still something, and for once she felt like he took her seriously. Not just whiny, harpy Leah, but someone who was trying to be a better person. She felt included.