Jacob Black
"Guys, this is stupid and worthless!" I yelled, but Sam and Quil just tugged on my arms harder, stumbling me forward. I dug my feet in the sand, but it was two against one.
"Come on, Jacob, you have to imprint some time."
"But does it have to be here?" They ignored my incredulity and continued to lead me toward the booth.
When we were in front of the stall, I made a run for it, but Sam just yanked me back by my shirt.
"Jacob you're not getting away with this," With that he forced me to sit on the stool, where I had a perfect view of the summer carnival from the station's window.
"Sam, you're suppose to follow me, not—"
"STEP RIGHT UP FOR THE KISSING BOOTH! FIFTY CENTS!" His voice boomed in a megaphone, magnifying my humiliation by a thousand times.
"Fifty cen—"
"COME ON LADIES—OR GENTS! THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE TO KISS THE SIZZLING JACOB BLACK!"
I was beyond shocked. Quil was holding me down, his shoulders shaking with laughter. A group of laughing girls was making its way over here.
"No! No no no! I am not doing this, Sam!" I tried to wrench free from Quil's grasp, but too late; a line was forming.
"DON'T BE SHY, PEOPLE! JACOB BLACK IS ONLY FIFTY CENTS AWAY!" I am going to kill Sam Uley when I get out of here.
Just then, Leah and Embry appeared. Leah was eating blue cotton candy, and Embry was grinning like an idiot.
"Great," I muttered.
Embry nodded to Quil. "Did it just start?"
"Yup," Quil said, "There's a bunch of tourists coming, so there should be plenty of variety."
I grumbled. "I cannot believe you would do this to me," But on second thought, I should've known better.
"ALRIGHT! WE HAVE OUR FIRST CUSTOMER! STEP RIGHT UP MISS, AND MEET JACOB BLACK!" Sam led a tall girl, who looked like she was twelve, and had her blonde hair in a high ponytail. I sat frozen in my seat.
"Hi," she leaned in the booth. "I'm Nicole."
Someone clapped my back, making my mouth close with a snap.
I gave a scowl in Sam's direction, who was looking at me expectantly.
"Jacob," I curtly said, looking in her steel blue eyes, when she smacked my unsuspecting lips with her wet, kiwi-flavored ones.
It took all of eight seconds for Nicole to withdraw her mouth, leaving me horrified and twitchy. She winked at me, then ran toward the beach.
How can twelve year olds be so...aggressive?
Behind me Quil, Embry, and Leah were laughing so hard, they were rolling on the ground.
"Well I hope you enjoy it!" I tried to keep as much dignity as possible, though I knew it all went away with Nicole's kiss.
I crossed my arms, wondering why I was even staying. I looked around, and it seemed that only Sam was paying attention.
Just when I stood up, two pairs of arms confined me to the stool. Damn.
Leah leaned close to my ear. "You're staying right here," she whispered, "until you've given all those girls," she nodded toward the line of about thirty people, "what they've paid for."
I squinted, trying to calculate how long it would take. As I scoured the customers, my eyes popped open.
"What the—" I was at a loss for words. "Is that a...guy back there?"
"Oh. My. God." Quil gasped.
There is no way I'm kissing a guy. No way in hell.
"Maybe he'll leave?" Embry suggested. I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Sixty-three dollars." Sam announced, placing the last quarter in the glass jar.
I wiped my mouth of the days' torture. "That," I snatched the jar, "belongs to me."
"Why should it all go to you?" Quil protested angrily.
I gave him a sour look. "I'm the one who got all types of kisses—wet, bloody, choking, smelly, biting..." My mouth turned to a frown, thinking of all the adjectives in between.
"Don't forget the homosexual ones." Sam chimed in. Quil and Embry snickered.
"I told you to never mention that again!"
"What?" Sam put on an innocent face. "Richard and Michael were very nice. If I recall clearly, they each gave you two dollars for your service. You must've done a good job."
The other two were full out laughing by then, and my face was hot with my never-ending embarrassment.
"Tell me again why we made Jacob do that," Quil cried out, after wiping tears from his eyes.
"All part of your stupid plan to get me imprinted." I said sulkily. Did they honestly think I would meet that special someone at a kissing booth? Probably not. They just wanted to see me suffer.
"It's better than nothing," Sam said.
"I kissed more than 120 people today."
"Well, now you know those people aren't for you."
"This is hopeless. I am hopeless."
Embry patted me on the back. "You keep looking. She'll come around. Or, maybe you've already met her. You just gotta look again."
"Maybe," I repeated.
Quil looked at the time. "Oh wow, it's eight. Claire's bedtime."
He swiftly ran, leaving Sam, Embry and me to sit in awkward silence.
"So..." Sam started, "where's Billy?"
"Sue's house. Where's Emily?"
"At home. She's cooking..." he said pensively, as if imagining she was right here.
"My darling's still at the carnival." Embry put in. He, too, had that far away look, his eyes looking out the window every few seconds.
I nodded, then resumed to put my chin on the palm of my hand. Minutes ticked by.
Tick...tock...tick...tock...
"Oh just go to your lovers already!" I yelled at both of them.
They looked at me, startled, but didn't say another word as they left.
I wanted to feel that. I wanted to love someone unconditionally, and be another girl's everything. But alas, she seems not to be found.
I sighed, glancing outside. People were bustling about, having the time of the summer.
"Well, there's always T.V." And once again, I experience the luxury of being alone.