Chapter 4
True to his word Jacob was not in school the rest of the week. I looked for him everyday even though I knew he wouldn't be there. Everyday I realized he wasn't here I would be disappointed. It was actually more than disappointed it was depressing sadness. How could I be so upset over him when I didn't even know him. Could I really be that enamored by him?
Finally Friday came and I saw Jacob with the rest of the tribe sitting out front of the school. I wonder if he forgot he was going to take me around today. I didn't have to wait long because as soon as I started to make my way to the school Jacob broke away from his friends and made his way towards me.
"Hey Bella ready to go?"
"To class?"
"No I told you I was taking you out Friday. I need all day to show you everything."
"Are you sure we should be skipping school? Won't they know?"
"They won't care, I promise Charlie won't even get a call. We will go to the reservation so there is no real chance of us bumping into your Dad. The meeting with the elders is at five thirty, twilight."
"Okay but I need to stop by my house to write a note for Charlie."
"No problem let's get going."
He grabbed my hand leading the way back to my truck. We past Mike and Jessica whom were bluntly staring at our connected hands. I saw something flash behind his eyes but turned his head away before I could look closer. Monday morning the whole school is going to know I skipped school holding hands with Jacob. I doubt they will wait that long, there will be all kinds of rumors started before we are out the parking lot.
We finally reached my truck and he actually held my passenger side door open. Blushing slightly I quietly thanked him while slipping by him. I pulled my keys out and put them in the transmission as Jacob slid into the driver's side. As soon as he shut the door he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The visible strain seem to be draining from him and his demeanor lightened.
It was quite the whole ride to Charlie's. I was surprised he didn't need directions to the house, but I guess everyone knows where the Chief of Police lives. Jacob seemed to be on cloud nine as we drove and I noticed I was feeling better as well. May I was just relieved that I was finally able to see him and no longer felt that disappear without him. Once we got to Charlie's I flew from the truck to the house. I took the stairs two at a time to my room and managed to change my wrinkled in record time, tripping down the stairs to write Charlie the note I came by for originally. I knew Charlie wouldn't be home till late but I didn't want him to worry if he came home early. Jacob stayed in the car fiddling the radio station.
"Your radio doesn't work."
"Sorry I didn't know. Charlie bought the car before I got here."
"Nice outfit you didn't have to change on my accord."
A smirk past his lips as if he was laughing at a joke only he knew. I was amazed he realized I changed honestly. I just tossed on a long sleeve shirt, light jacket, and my sturdier shoes. Funny how I felt the need to change even though what I was wearing before was perfectly okay. This outfit was just a tad more relieving and tighter. Why did I change my clothes?
Jacob must have noticed my inter debate as he laughed driving out of Charlie's driveway towards La Push.
"Where did Charlie get this car?"
" I'm not sure. Charlie had it in the driveway waiting for me when I arrived. He bought it off a friend of his who fixed it up."
"It just smells funny to me."
"Oh I don't smell anything."
Would I ever stop blushing around this guy? How embarrassing he can smell car funk that I cant. Do I stink?
"I tend to have a heighten sense of smell. I can fix that radio for you if you like"
Great we hadn't even reached La Push and I was already getting to awkward conversation. He wants to fix the radio so he can clean out the car stink for me since I'm not able to tell when I smell. Maybe he will just drop me off and forget taking me out. Monday morning I'll go back to school to be the stinky new girl. The silence of the drive was driving me nuts, I could feel the unusual calm melting into more known awkwardness.
"So what happens at a tribe meeting? I've never been to one."
Nothing. He even refused to look at me. Finally after minutes of silence he spoke up.
"Honestly I'm afraid that if I tell you before then you won't want to get to know me."
"Why is that?"
"Well tonight they are going to tell a lot of stories of our tribe. Some of them are really hard to believe. I want to give you a chance to get to know me before you hear them."
"They are just legends it won't change how I think of you."
"That's what I thought too.""
He mumbled the last so low I don't think I was suppose to hear it. What did he mean, did he believe the stories? I was starting to get really nervous about this evening.
"Are the rest of your friends going to be there?"
"Everyone but Seth, he isn't allowed to hear them yet."
"Why can I hear them and Seth can't?"
"It's hard to explain and I'm not the best one to tell you. I only found out about all this a week ago. Please stop asking about it."
What the hell is going on? I want to skip ahead to the meeting tonight and hear what is going on. What was going on with me? First the tribe staring at me and now I'm part of some secret pack I didn't even know I belonged to.
"First I am going to show you La Push beach, then we will go to lunch and then to a place I like to go to think. After that it will be time to meet up with the pack and can get all the answers to your questions. I have a few myself that my Dad wasn't able to answer for me. I think tonight will be… interesting."
We pulled up to La Push beach and I was happy to jump out of my truck. Maybe some fresh air would help with all my questions. I want to make sure when the time comes I will have good questions so I can get the answers I want. Jacob met me in the front of the cab waiting for me to finish kicking off my shoes. I tripped over the curb and went flying into Jacob's broad chest. Laughing Jacob helped me to my feet and holding my hand lead me towards the gentle waves. His body was so warm next to mine, I could feel the heat radiating off of him. As we walked we talked about everything and anything. It seemed we were complete opposites, but not completely. Everything he liked to do, ride motorcycles, work on cars, and hanging out was thing I wanted to do. I had always wanted to drive a motorcycle but Charlie would never allow me to have one. The thought of Jacob on the back of a bike hair whipping around behind him wearing a loose leather jacket and boots was so hot.
We went to a late lunch at a nice little dinner on the reservation. There wasn't too many people there but the food was good. It was nice not to have so many people around since we were still technically suppose to in school. I was starting to feel more and more comfortable around Jacob. There was something about him that put me at ease and I could tell him anything. I thought he would be arrogant the way Jessica spoke about him, but he seemed genuinely nice to me.
After lunch we drove to the edge of La Push beach to a cliff. Once we were there he grabbed my hand pulling me up to the top. From the top of the cliff I could see the waves crashing against the tall cliff below. I was nervous standing so close to the edge even holding Jacob's hand. I was sure I would trip and fall to my doom.
"Want to jump?"
"What?! Jump?"
"Yeah the water below is deep enough that people jump off here. The water is a bit strong but I would be able to help you if you had any problems."
" I don't think that is a good idea Jacob. I didn't bring a change of clothes and Charlie wouldn't be happy if I came home dripping wet with a boy."
Jacob agreed that it wasn't one of his brightest ideas and we sat there on the cliff talking till twilight came. When Jacob noticed the darkening sky he helped me up and took me back to the truck. When we sat down Jacob looked nervous and on edge.
"Bella I have to tell you something."
"Okay…"
Here's when he tells me he asked me out on a dare. That he really wasn't interested in me and it was all a big prank.
"We are having a meeting with the elders and you will hear a particular story from them. The story is hard to believe but you have to go into it with an open mind. What you learn tonight has to stay between the people present when you are told. No one else is to know what you are going to be told. Please hear everything you are going to be told and you can ask all your questions at the end. Answer any questions with honesty even if you think it will be difficult for me to hear"
"Okay?" Not what I expected. It's not like they are going to tell me they are martins from another planet or something.
Thankfully we pulled up to a small fire where the tribe was gathered around. I didn't get much of a chance to think over what Jacob said. We were greeted by Jacob's father.
"Hello Bella I am Billy Black, Jacob's father. I am the leader of the Quileute tribe. What we are going to tell you is going to be difficult for you to believe. I think the best way to go about this is to tell you our story and then show you so you will take us seriously. I know you will have a lot of questions and we have some for you as well. I just ask that you keep your questions to yourself till I am finished. I hope that by answering my questions I will be able to answer yours better."
"Sure."
What is going on? Everyone in this tribe drinking crazy juice or something? Good thing I just ordered water at lunch.
"Wonderful, please join us around the fire."
Stepping forward I saw Sam, Emily, and Leah as well as a few faces I didn't know. Besides the tribe there were mostly older males and a few older females.
"Before I start I need to remind everyone that what is said at this meeting will not be discussed with others and shouldn't be talked about within hearing distance of others. Since this story is only for Bella I will go over the highlights of the story.
The Quileute tribe descend from wolves and the wolves are our brothers and it's against our laws to kill them. Everyone is our tribe knows this. What they don't know is that at sixteen the descendants of our fathers turn into wolves. This only happens when our enemy the cold ones are in our territory. During my grandfather's time a pack same into our territory but they were different. They didn't hunt the way other vampires did, and were not suppose to be a danger to the tribe. My grandfather made a truce with them, if they stayed off our land we wouldn't expose what they were.
It was during that time that the genes of the wolf started to appear in our youth. I was the first to transform not knowing what was happening to me. A few others, those elders you see before you, also phased into their brother wolf's form. After the cold ones moved no one else phased. It has only been the last few years since the gene has resurfaced. The cold one's came back but only Sam was old enough to phase at that time. Leah was next, and now Jacob. I think a few more will phase till the pack is full enough to enforce our treaty with the cold ones.
Because we are shape shifters we do not age until we decide to give it up. This is why we look older to you but Sam looks young enough to attend high school. He is there to make sure our new additions keep to the tribe rules and not show themselves as anything but human. Last week when Jacob missed school he wasn't technically sick. He was going through the changes of the shape shifter. It is a dangerous time to be around humans. I'm sure you noticed the changes that have taken place over the week he was out. Something else happened while he was changing, he imprinted.
The moment a shape shifter sees the one they are destined to be with they imprint. No one else matters because after that moment they are only there for their imprint. The person that is imprinted on is the shape shifter's reason for living. It's like finding your soul mate, the only person you will be happy with. If an imprinted person is killed the wolf who imprinted on them can never forgive the killer. If the killer is someone from the pack the wolves will fight to the death. For this reason the most important law is that no wolf may kill the object of a fellow wolf's imprinting. We have never had a person who wasn't effected by the imprint, until now.
Bella, how do you feel about Jacob?"
