I do not own the Twilight Saga. All belongs to her majesty SM.

Charlie had been more than willing to let me go to La Push; something about old friends and fishing trips. I didn't remember any fishing trips but I had an uncanny ability to block painful and unnecessary things from my memory. Two years of ballet were completely out the window as well as many a surprise birthday dinner concocted at the hands of Renee. I was sure that this drive in Mike's car would accompany the black void that ate my less than desirable recollections. He had decided we would meet up at his parent's sports store so I had showed up at six o'clock sharp. To my dismay, it was not just Mike and I that were attending "the small get together". Jessica, the bouncing brunette, Lauren, the Straight As A Stick blonde, Tyler, Eric, and a few other unnamed classmates had joined. In total, there were nine of us carpooling to La Push.

Mike, Jessica, Eric and I were riding in Mike's car while the rest would ride in Tyler's van. In an instant, I noticed Jessica's clear infatuation with Mike, not that he took the time to really look. Jessica hung on to every word he said like it had the answer to the universe, but he paid her no mind. It was growing increasingly awkward because, with no Edward in the picture, one could see her utter devotion to my possible Beau. The guilt was unsettling. I had not had many friends before, so vying for the attentions of a guy with Jessica was a new concept. Would it really be fair of me to allow a relationship to blossom when I knew that losing one of the few friends I had would be the consequence, especially when my romantic inclination to him was lukewarm at best? The answer was a resounding 'No'. So, when Mike opened the door for me to sit up front and Jessica's face fell, I lied. I up played a nonexistent ailment of car sicknesses and told him, with a forlorn look, that I preferred to be in back where I didn't have to look at the road. His disappointment was clear, but Jessica was in the front seat. Mission Complete.

I leaned back in the seat on the way to La Push, trying to look as uneasy as possible and poor Eric had stuck to his side of the vehicle with apprehension. I wanted to snort at how he floundered his hands uselessly in my direction, attempting to distract me from my pretend illness without daring to come too close. Every so often, I would look forward to see Mike's eyes on me in the rearview while Jessica prattled on about shopping trips and movies. It sounded like she was trying to hint at Mike to ask her on a date, but was coming up empty handed. I decided I would have them together by the end of the night if it killed me.

La Push was beautiful in its dreariness, the gray water crashed against gray sand, but I revelled in the smell of salt and sea. It had been months since I had seen anything that resembled a beach and, though the high was only 65 degrees, I shrugged my jacket off to feel the breeze. An arm snaked around my shoulders and, looking over at Mike, I fought the urge to shrug it off. Instead, I opted to be fascinated with our new arrivals and, with a bright smile, trotted off toward our group of friends, whom had gathered around a fire pit, seated on large pieces of bone-white driftwood.

The 'new arrivals' in question were indeed breathtaking. Clearly Native American, the six boys that strolled over to the group were striking. They all could have been brothers with how closely they resembled each other. Though all shapes and sizes, the boys (young men?) were coiled with defined muscles, their bodies poised with underlying strength, and yet they did not feel… threatening. They felt more protective. As though, at any sense of danger, they would face it head on so we wouldn't have to. Shrugging the feeling off, I continued my scrutiny. Each had short cropped midnight hair… save one. And save me, he was gorgeous. His long ebony locks flowed around his shoulders and down his back freely, proving thicker than my hair could ever be, and streaked with the occasional dark brown as if he spent his days outside. His large black eyes and strong, sharp features seemed familiar but I couldn't place him. His body, strong like the rest, was taller. He towered over his friends, his muscles bulging around him intimidatingly. He could have passed for a nightclub bouncer.

To my embarrassment, in the midst of my appraisal, his large eyes locked with face went utterly blank before russet skin broke to white as he gave me a wide smile, happy, though I had no idea why. He approached me quickly. Moving with a fluid grace that struck envy into my heart.

"Bella?" he asked, incredulous, his deep voice matching so clearly with his overwhelming physical assets. "Bella Swan?!" I smiled, waving awkwardly as everyone's eyes (including Mike's) turned to me in shock. The boy stopped in front of me and pulled me into a bone crushing hug, before dropping back onto the sand. He steadied me as I teetered. "It's Jacob Black!" Black… Black?

"Billy Black's boy?" I asked, realization shocking me to my core. My God, he had grown. No longer before me stood a little boy with a tubby little belly and mud caking every inch of skin. This was not the child that played hide and seek with me in Charlie's backyard, cheating by ending his count to 100 too early. No, before me stood a killer- a lady killer, a specimen of utmost superiority. I closed my mouth sharply. "Jacob?! My God, what have they fed you, steroids?!" He threw his head back, filling the beach with a rich laugh that made my toes curl.

Jesus Christ.

"Just a lot of eggs," he said, his voice both euphoric and reminiscent. I could tell he was replaying many an adventure we shared before my fourteenth birthday when I had insisted that my father take me on vacation rather than spend the summers drowning in rain. I, myself, thought of the fun we had shared. "How is the truck running? I wasn't sure you'd like it when Charlie offered to buy it from us, but he swore you would."

"He was right," I insisted. "The truck runs like a dream. I'd take it over a fancy heap of scrap metal anyday." He beamed and I couldn't stop my answering smile. I was relieved, in all honesty. There was someone here that I wouldn't have to get to know to befriend, just reacquaint, and the prospect brought a sense of excitement. It was only after we were grinning foolishly at each other for a short while did I notice the silence surrounding us. Jacob must have noticed as well because he looked around sheepishly before engulfing my hand in his own and leading me to the group of boys.

"Guys, this is Bella Swan," he said, emphasizing my name a little more than I expected. There was a brief pause before I was greeted with rambunctious welcoming. Embry, Quill, Seth, Paul, and Sam introduced themselves one by one, though Paul and Sam were a little more mature in the way that they talked to me. No yippiness that resembled excited puppies came from those two but it didn't bother me. There was clearly no malice there so I felt no need to be hurt or alarmed.

Soon after the introductions ended and the sun was setting did the party begin. Yes, party. Tyler had backed his van to the edge of the beach and opened the hatch, allowing music from a radio station to pour out, coating the atmosphere with a sense of "let loose". Quill and Embry lit some driftwood in the firepit (I briefly dazzled in the colors), and Mike pulled out a large red cooler stowed in his trunk. To my chagrin, it was opened to reveal various types of alcohol.

"How did you-" I began to ask him, shocked, but he cut me off.

"Ah ah ah, Bella," he chastened me playfully. "It wouldn't do me any good to spill my secrets to the Chief's daughter now would it?" He grazed his thumb over my cheek bone quickly with a smile before tossing Eric a beer. I noticed Jessica's pout and decided it was time to smush the two of them into one. I had no idea where this inner Cupid was coming from, I wasn't a match maker by any means, but I needed this over with before Mike got too drunk and tried to fondle me or something. I walked over to Jessica, who sat on the biggest piece of driftwood alone, and planted myself at her side. It was silent for a beat or two between us before I got up the courage enough to side step my awkwardness.

"So you like Mike, huh?" I asked. Her baby blues went wide and her cheeks flushed.

"Bella," she sputtered out quickly. "I don't plan to- I wouldn't! I know he's your boyfriend and I shouldn't-"

"Jessica," I interrupted quickly before she could give herself an ulcer. "It's okay. He's not my boyfriend."

"But this is your date and-"

"Jessica," I said more firmly. "He's not my boyfriend. I mean, sure, I thought about it… but that thing just isn't there, you know? He's just… not my type." I tried carefully to word it as best I could but words were beginning to fail me. It didn't matter, Jessica was nodding slowly, thoughtfully.

"But he likes you," she whispered, her eyes ghosting past me to stare at the boy in question, laughing and talking without a care in the world. I glanced over my shoulder and there was no doubt he was handsome and great boyfriend material, just not my boyfriend material.

"Do you want me to talk to him Jess?" I asked, smiling slyly and looking back to her. She paled slightly, but I could see the shimmer of hope there,

"Would you, Bella?" she whispered, leaning closer to me. "I know he likes you and I know you'll have to let him down a little… but could you?" I grinned and patted her shoulder, rising from the makeshift bench and making my way over to Jessica's source of enamourment. I leaned toward him to whisper in his ear.

"Can I talk to you?" I watched with dread when excitement overtook his features and we made our way out of the light of the fire, catcalls and whistles following us. I rolled my eyes and knew it would be just as embarrassing to walk back with a sullen Mike. I stopped just a little ways away and sat clumsily on the ground, kicking sand up into the wind as I went. When Mike sat by me, his body angle toward me, no doubt expecting a kiss.

"Mike," I began, my voice quiet under the crash of the waves. "I like you. You're nice." Realization began to dawn on his face and I rushed on. "I mean any girl would be lucky to have you-"

"Any girl but you," he concluded, his eyebrows knit together as he stared at his lap, his legs crossed under him. This was making me feel bad. I wanted to hug him and tell him I was sorry I couldn't be his girlfriend, but I didn't think physical contact right now was a good idea.

"It's just," I began before heaving a sigh of remorse. " I can't, Mike. The truth is that Jessica really likes you. I mean really likes you and I wouldn't be a very good friend if I dated her crush." His eyes shot up to me, surprised and I suppressed the urge to grin. Hook, Line, and Sinker, I caught him (as Charlie would say).

"Jessica likes me?" he said, incredulous, looking over his shoulder to watch the girl shooting fidgety glances our way. She pretended to catch sight of a bug flying through the air when we caught her looking and Mike turned back to me grinning broadly. Our conversation ended quickly after that, me promising it wouldn't be awkward that he would be dating my friend, him promising that there was no hard feelings, us promising we'd still be great friends, all textbook really and I watched, smiling, as he stood and made his way over to Jessica. Her shocked eyes captured mine and I knew the look of pure panic was more of a 'what the hell am I going to say' rather than a 'save me'. I sat there for a few minutes, watching the large moon and taking in the funky croons of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers before my little bubble was penetrated by a large form plopping on the sand beside me. I glanced over shyly at Jacob.

I knew it was ridiculous to be any form of self conscious around him. We had seen each other in our underwear on this very beach when we went swimming with our dads (my flighty mother always forgot to pack my bathing suit and Jacob was a little boy who's tighties often sported cartoon characters). It was just different now… we were teenagers and he had grown into a rather… delightful looking young man and it had been over three years since we had last hung out.

"That was nice," he said, looking at me with a new sort of appraisal and, had it been anyone else, I would have been offended. Just because I was a teenage girl didn't mean that I had no soul. Instead, I shrugged. "Did you like him?" I shook my head no, still shooting Jacob sidelong glances. He nodded in the dark, his expression thoughtful. The silence grew between us, but it became comfortable quickly. I found that I liked that about Jacob. There was no point in filling the space with needless chit chat. Jacob handed me a cool beer, and, after popping the tab, that was how we spent the next hour, enjoying each other's company, lit by nothing but the moon. It was fun and blissfully Cullen-free.

I should have known it wouldn't last.

Phew, I hope that didn't bore you to death, but we got Jacob Jesus Christ Black.

And what's gonna happen at this little shindig next. YOU'LL FIND OUT TOMORROW.

Thank you again for those Favorite and Follows. And that lovely review. (Ayyye ACW1!)

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With Love,

XOXO El