Dear lord... Do you guys realize that the original Bella doesn't like MUSIC!? Not just certain kinds... like... ALL music... Which is completely contradictory to 1) a conversation about 50's music and how she LIKES it with Edward, and 2) the fact that she likes Edward's piano skills. Despite this, in like... page 112 of New Moon, she claims that music annoys her... -.- Who hates ALL music!? Really!

But there is a reason I'm forcing myself into reading it... I need to make sure I can incorporate characters properly, such as Quil and Embry.

Three: The Dog, the Bat, and the Cat

That afternoon, Bella would be going to her school to bring in her waver and check to the orientation meeting for the photography class she'd be taking that summer. Driving to school that day, she felt particularly excited. She hadn't been to Seattle all that much, even though it was practically Forks' neighbor. She wanted to explore the city just as much as she wanted to advance her photography skills. She had been in Forks for almost a year now. She was itching to get back into a big city like Phoenix. She wondered what the malls looked like in Seattle. Her father probably would drop by every once and a while and take her to a Mariners game. The last time she went to a baseball game, she was five and watching the Arizona Diamondbacks. She couldn't quite remember who they were playing or if they won, but she did remember the ice cream that Charlie bought for her. It would be refreshing to go to another game with him. On the subject of Charlie, she still hadn't told him of her and Edward's intimacy. She didn't even know how to bring up the subject, and she had wasted a week trying to figure it out. She now had less then seven days to figure out a way to tell her father that she was... getting some. She figured she'd conveniently leave out the fact that it was on a near nightly basis. That was just begging for trouble. She'd find out some way... eventually. She drove into the school's parking lot, stepping outside. It was another sunny day. Perfect for a Saturday. A few other cars were there as well, but not a considerable amount. She took in the smell of the forest around her and spotted a sign propped up on a white board.

PHOTOGRAPHY SUMMER REGISTRATION

ROOM 820

With a nod, she clutched the manila envelope that held her paperwork and slipped into the school. A few others made their way down the same hallway, a faint chatter floating about the halls. In the pit of her stomach, a small bit of excitement bubbled inside of her. It wasn't overpowering, but it had an affect of giddiness on her. She found herself walking a bit fast and slowed down. There was no need to rush; it wasn't as though she was timed. She came to the required room, noticing that it was one of the Spanish classes. Along the walls and against the windows, pictures of Spanish speaking cities hung around the room. There was an old, dust covered pinata, the once bright colors in the tissue paper now fading away. A small group of people were all ready there. She didn't seem to recognize anyone. A group of three girls sat in the corner, speaking over one another fondly. They all wore knitted hats that flopped over on one side, the blond girl wearing large, celebrity glasses. Across the room, a girl with a ponytail sat on her boyfriend's lap, the two speaking lowly to one another. The boyfriend in question didn't seem like he was there for the photography lessons. In the front of the class, an emo looking boy with thick-rimmed glasses thumbed through a book, his perfectly straight, black hair flipped to the side. Others began to fill in the room, some of them bringing their own cameras, despite having no use for them today. Bella got the feeling that it was a subconscious display of ego or status. Knowing that each apartment came with a roommate, Bella was hoping that she would be able to room with someone she knew, at least vaguely. She tried hard to find a familiar face, but this far was in vain. Until she heard a very friendly voice behind her.

"Boo."

Turning on the spot, she saw the grinning, charming features of Jacob Black standing behind her. She broke out into a surprise laugh and threw him into a hug. Now at a ripe age of sixteen, Jacob had seemed to grow even more from when she first moved to Forks. His hair had gotten longer, and was now past his shoulder blades. The light strands tickled her face as they hugged. She pulled back, taking his large hands. "Oh my God!" she said brightly. "What are you doing here, Jacob?"

Jacob Black had been her best friend for years. From the time that she started coming during the summers to visit her father, she and the native boy had grown some invisible bond between the two. Whenever they were together, they were practically inseparable. They mostly crawled around the mossy forest that encircled La Push, Jacob's home, but on hot days, they would run to the beach and soak themselves like wet dogs. Now that Bella was living in Washington, they had spent more time together then ever. Surprisingly, not much had changed. The only difference now was the fact that Bella knew of Jacob's secret. It seemed that mythic creatures were now populating her life. For just as her boyfriend was a vampire, her best friend revealed himself that winter to be a shifter. In particular, a wolf shifter. Not necessarily a werewolf, because he could change on command, but the product of his tribe's ancestry. For the past half year, Bella felt as though she had been living her life behind a curtain. Now that it was finally lifted, despite the fact that it was often terrifying, she realized that she had been having the most fun of her life.

"This is my own personal vacation," said Jacob proudly. "I need to get away for a bit; Change of scenery and all that. Besides, this way we can still spend the summer together. And yeah, I'm not much of a photographer, but it'll still be interesting at least."

They spoke a bit longer, deciding about what they were going to do once in Seattle and how they hoped they'd be able to room together. Last winter, Jacob confessed to Bella that he had always harbored affection towards her. However, their friendship being as deep as it was, those boundaries were never crossed (for the most part), and there was never much of an awkwardness between them. Jacob was definitely a good friend to have. They talked as long as they could until the film teacher walked into view. They all took a seat and settled down, the room considerably denser then before. The teacher had with him a man who was foreign to the school. No doubt the spokesperson for the company that hosted the event.

"All right! We have a great turn out this year," said the teacher. The name escaped Bella at the moment. "As you all know, I hope, you are all the participants of the 'Picture Perfect Summer' program. Mr. Macabre here is a representative of Kodak, who is making all of this possible..." Bella listened as Macabre explained the rules, regulations and schedule for the photo class. They rented apartments for the summer, which was what the majority of their money would be going to. Everything was already set up for them. The rest of the money went to the class. After he explained everything, the teacher pulled out a role sheet and announced that he'd be calling out the names of people's roommates for the summer. Once their name was called, they were to come up and hand them their paperwork. Bella waited for her name in hopes that Jacob would be listed as her roommate.

"Isabella Swan," the teacher finally called. Flashing Jacob a smile, she scurried over to the teacher, eagerly waiting to see who would be her live in partner. "All right. You're going to be rooming with Miss Simpson over there." He gestured to the girl in the corner whom Bella had seen earlier fondling her boyfriend. Bella's heart dropped.

"Um... sir? Do you think I can room with my friend Jacob?" she gestured to the boy behind her. The teacher shook his head.

"I'm sorry. No co-ed rooms."

Bella wanted to argue further, but realized it would either get her nowhere, or get her kicked out. She slumped beside Jacob, who was equally put off. "Bummer," he remarked. As it turned out, Jacob's roommate was Bella's roommate's boy toy. Strange world. Once everything had been settled, Jacob insisted that they go grab a bite to eat. The sun was starting to set and they were both pretty hungry. Bella was about to agree when someone interrupted her thoughts. Turning, she saw her new roommate, staring at her.

"Hi," she said kindly.

"Hello," said Bella with a smile. "I guess you're my new roommate, huh?"

"Yeah..." she began. "About that. Um... I was wondering if I could change places with your friend here? It's just... Daniel and I have been talking about this all year and we were so planning on rooming together..." A smile came to Jacob's face.

"Say no more," he said, holding up a hand. "No problem. I'd be happy to switch with you."

She perked brightly. "Really? Oh thanks so much!"

Bella frowned. "Won't we get in trouble if you two switch?" she asked curiously.

"Nah," said Jacob. "They won't find out. We're all in the same building anyway, right? Plus, they don't watch us or anything. That's why we signed the waver."

Bella was a little uneasy about it still, but at the same time, she was happy a solution was so easily achieved. She nodded in agreement. "All right," she said, hands in her pockets. "Yeah, that sounds good." With an excited smile, the girl turned and hurried back to her boyfriend to deliver the news. Bella turned to Jacob. "I guess we're roommates after all, huh?"

"I guess so," said Jacob with a smile. "Now come on. I'm starving." So, Bella followed Jacob out of the parking lot, and the two headed into Port Angeles. Saturday was always a great night to have an outing, especially on a spring night in such as then. They settled on a little burger joint on the corner and sat themselves in the corner booth. It was one of those authentic style restaurants, one that seemed to have been there for decades. Black and white pictures were plastered to the walls, a wooden fan slowly circling above them. It reminded Bella of the diner that she and Charlie often went to in Forks.. They sat across from each other, staring at the menu. She wondered what she was going to get.

"I guess a regular burger is fine," she finally decided. "And fries. What about you, Jacob?"

"A double patty cheese burger," he began, "with a side of stake and wedge cut fries. I think I'm also going to get a chocolate shake and some onion rings... Oh and some chocolate cake for dessert."

"Holy Hell, Jacob," Bella remarked, staring at him. "Glutton much?"

"Relax," he said with a smile. "A lot of it goes home with me. I like to take food home whenever I go out, remember?"

Ah yes. Bella had forgotten. Whenever they caught a bite to eat, Jacob usually had boxes to go with him. She figured that they went to Billy, or was snacked on for later. Though she was never certain why. She cocked her head to the side, her chin in her hand. "How come?" she asked.

"Well," Jacob began. He lowered his voice. "Whenever I change, it takes a lot of energy out of me. So I always like to stock up on food... just in case, you know? Meat especially."

"And chocolate?" Bella asked.

A wicked smile came to Jacob's lips. "For my sweet tooth."

After ordering, they once more broke into a conversation of light things. How happy they were that school was almost over, and how much they were looking forward to the photo class. They also talked about subjects in school, if they were going to get a job next year, and so on and so fourth. "Are you going to the prom?" Jacob asked. "Or did that all ready happen?"

Bella smiled. "It already happened." She tapped on the table, going silent. Jacob knew what she was going to say next. It was something along the lines of "Edward took me." Bella wanted to change the subject, but found it hard to come up with a valid talking point. Luckily, it was at that point that the food arrived. They refrained from talking in order to eat.

To say Jacob and Edward didn't like each other was a bit of an understatement. The two boys despised one another with a fiery passion. Though some might look at the situation and say that Bella was the reason the two fought, the girl knew not to flatter herself. The two had hated each other since they first met, as Bella was told. The Quileute, Jacob's tribe, and the Cullens, Edward's family, have never been on easy terms. It all began when Carlisle Cullen was taken as a Quileute slave almost three hundred years ago. After escaping and becoming a vampire, Carlisle returned to Forks and made a pact of truce between them. Even so, the rivers of resentment between both parties still ran deep. And poor Bella was stuck in the middle.

She was thankful when Jacob steered the conversation away from the subject matter and started on something else. He had been known to harp on about how they couldn't be trusted, how Bella was in danger with them, and so on and so forth. Bella had always valued her friend's opinion, and she had indeed been put in danger because of her association with the vampire family. But during those dangerous times, Edward not only saved her life, he did so on multiple occasions. She at least owed him gratitude for that.

Speak of the devil.

Just as Bella was in the middle of finishing off her fries, her phone began to vibrate. Picking it up, she recognized the number. It was the pay phone that Edward used if he ever wanted to get in touch with her. She glanced at Jacob, who gave no protest. Flipping it open, she answered. "Hello...?" Edward asked where she was. "I'm in Port Angeles... with Jacob." She glanced at her friend as Edward asked what she was doing. "We're just having some dinner... Oh." She looked to the window. "Oh it is dark... Oh I'm sorry... I lost track of time...." Edward had probably been waiting at her house since sunset. "Um... well... you can if you want, but... Edward? Hello?" He had hung up. With a sigh, she closed her phone and put it away. "Edward's coming over..."

Jacob frowned. "What? He doesn't trust me?" he said, bristling.

"It's not that..." She paused. "Ok, maybe that's a lie."

"So, what, that gives him the right to run your life?" Jacob snapped.

"He doesn't run my life," Bella defended. "We like to meet right after sunset before Dad gets home. He can't come to school a lot lately because of the sun. It's one of the few times we get to see each other without my dad being able to hear us."

Jacob grunted, going silent. He ate quietly for the rest of the time. When he finally did put things in boxes, the door to the restaurant swung open, Edward walking inside. In a huff, Jacob swept past him, sulking back to his truck. Bella stood and smiled weakly at her. Clearly in a bad mood, Edward spun around on his heal. "Let's go," he snapped. Bella frowned.

"Don't be mad," she said, catching up with him. She folded her arms. "He's my friend. I'm allowed to hang out with him if I want to. And I shouldn't have to ask your permission."

"I never said that," he reminded her, stiffly. Heading to Bella's car, he sat in the passenger's seat. Bella hated that there was tension whenever these two were near each other. She put her hands on her hips.

"Edward, you need to get over yourself," she chided. "One day you're just going to have to live with the fact that he's my friend." He said nothing, but instead stared through her windshield. She turned her eyes to Jacob. Their night had been ruined, she supposed. Walking up to his truck, she smiled apologetically. "I'll see you later," she said.

Jacob sighed and looked to her. "Yeah. Later." He gave her one last smile before throwing his truck in reverse and driving away. Bella went to her own truck and sat in it. Edward still wasn't speaking. She didn't start the engine. Frowning, she tapped the back of his head. He glanced at her and she smiled.

"Don't be a sour puss," she said lightly. "Come on, you should be used to him by now."

Edward stared at her lazily. "I don't want to," he said in a flat tone.

With a roll of her eyes, she started the truck and drove back to Forks. "Childish..." she said jokingly. He didn't seem to think that was funny. She broke into a laugh. "Oh come on, Edward! You have to admit that you act like a little kid sometimes." He paused for a moment before a smile reluctantly made its way to his face.

"I guess I am," he admitted. His eyes narrowed playfully. "But you're reckless."

"Oh pshaw," she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I live on the edge! I laugh in the face of danger! Ha ha ha!"

"Light's red."

"Oh crap!" She slammed on the breaks just before she crossed into the intersection. Lucky she did, or else they would have been either caught by the traffic camera, or hit by oncoming traffic. Her heart slowed to its regular pace as Edward laughed greatly at her expense. Though she couldn't help but chuckle along, she hit him with her backpack. "Shut up!" she giggled. He knocked her pack out of the way and leaned forward, capturing her into a kiss. They sat there for a moment, before Edward pulled away. He grinned, his fangs showing.

"Light's green."

At least they're not calling each other names anymore XD so! Leave those reviews!!

~T.