(Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and this world she lets us play in. I don't claim ownership of any of it.)
The bank is a necessary evil. Us Cullens lead a very privileged lifestyle that does need money to operate - not to mention all the cash we burn. So, I found myself standing in line at my bank, waiting for my turn. I was a teenager, if not literally than absolutely figuratively. I simply had to have cash and since I didn't have an actual ATM card, my fate resigned me to stand and wait. I could actually stand and wait for hours without so much as a fidget, but that wouldn't be one hundred percent human-like. We all tried so hard to appear as good little human specimens.
When it was my turn, I walked up to the teller and put in my order. A couple thousand didn't seem too excessive. It would last me at least a week if I was careful. I pretended to yawn and crossed my arms, waiting for the girl to finish up. I picked at my nail, an attempt to fidget that unfortunately morphed into an actual bad habit. My aunt Rosalie was constantly berating me for that.
I wasn't actually paying too much attention to my surroundings as I'd been at the bank countless times before. I wasn't on alert, but I couldn't mistake the extreme sense that suddenly something wasn't right. I glanced about cautiously at the other people in the bank. It was a rather large building, not like the small branches that peppered a suburban town. This was a city bank, on a typical payday, an hour before closing time. Needless to say, it was busy.
The teller slid me a slip to sign. I forced my distracted mind to wait a moment as I signed my name and she counted off the bills. Then I took the envelope of cash and slipped it into the inside pocket of my coat. As I walked away from the booth, the unmistakable scent of vampire hit me and I spun around, my sharp eyes searching everywhere for whoever was giving off the vibes. There was a vampire - one I was not familiar with - in a building full of people. I automatically slid my hand into my coat pocket, feeling for my phone. I had to call my family. My fingertips brushed nothing but a small, plastic container of mints. I checked the pockets of my jeans and came up empty. Where was my phone?
I quickly left the building and forced myself to walk slowly to my car. I looked all over the inside, swiping the carpets under the seats but coming up short. How could I have forgotten something so important? My phone! It never left me. Ever. I sat in the seat and stared at the building I'd just come out of. Part of me wanted to go back in and hunt. Seek and find the vampire. I was certain it wasn't a vegetarian. The scent had that edge of someone who had feasted on human blood as a pretty regular diet choice. All of us supernatural beings needed money. It was possible that the vampire was just in there for an innocent little transaction and nothing more. Or, any employee in the building at the moment could be unknowingly experiencing their last minutes of life as I sat in a car and debated what to do. Like most people, I unfortunately didn't take the time to memorize every phone number on my speed dial. That was what my phone was for, to hold that information for me. My father would have known exactly who it was and why they were there but I couldn't get in contact with him. Unfortunately, his power didn't reach so far so he wouldn't just "know" that I needed him. They were strangers in that bank - the humans - and not under direct protection of my family. The tentative rules that governed vampire kind were drawn with fine lines. More defined, however, were the rules that Jacob set for his kind. As far as he was concerned, one dead human by cause of vampire attack on his territory meant open season on that vampire.
My eyes narrowed and I took my car out of park, leaving the bank in the direction of the mall. I was meeting Leah. That made my choice for me. I didn't need her angrier with me, though I was sure she'd understand. The world was full of non vegetarian vampires. We were actually considered freaks compared to most of the others we knew - and even considered friends. It was strange being brought up with a code of ethics and morality that shifted gears when with different people. Was I just as bad as them by leaving the unsuspecting humans alone with a killer in their midst? Or did that "killer" have every right to it's sustenance?
I decided to put the moment out of my mind. I'd discuss it with Carlisle when I got home. He set our moral compass and usually knew the right thing to say about such things. For the time being, I was pulling into the parking lot of the shopping center. I found the underground parking that was habit and found the row I always used. I heard the familiar chirp of the car security system engaging as I walked into the mall.
It was the holiday season and the decorations were making their annual appearance. I was relieved the bookstore was close to the entrance as I entered it's comforting familiarity. My parents loved reading and I already read everything in their library. So, buying new books was something I was happy to spend hoards of cash on. Some of the staff said hello to me and I waved, smiling for them. They would never know that I knew so much about their lives. My hearing picked up on their personal discussions as I sipped my lattes and flipped through pages at the café in the store's corner. Oh, these people were under my own personal protection. They hardly knew me, but I liked them and knew them to be good people. Stay the hell away, mystery vamp.
I wandered down to the magazine area and leafed through the hunting section, looking for a copy of California Wildlife for Jasper. It was tucked neatly in the stack and I pulled it out as a scent that could only be one person drifted into my range. I turned to see Leah walking into the store, her shaggy black hair looking rather cute. She was tall, but I always thought it made her appear like a supermodel the way she carried herself. She thought I was insane, but her low opinion of herself didn't keep men from staring. She would have none of all that attention. She wasn't above actually snarling at men to leave her be. Go, Leah.
"So. What's up?" She was a tough girl. I was much softer in comparison. Much more girly. I kind of envied her attitude.
"I have to pick this up for my uncle, but we can do anything you want," I said, trying to be agreeable. "Did you want a coffee or anything? My treat." She shifted her weight to one foot and looked around the store. She gave off a "don't mess with me" vibe. It was totally unnecessary, but she was taking in her surroundings as a good werewolf would, acting guarded. She once explained that it's just something they do as a protective mechanism, like how us vampires feel out a room. Jacob does it all the time without being so obvious about it. He says it's just another "wolf thing".
"I have my own money, Nessie. Why don't we get something and walk around." She wandered to the café and I followed. She could be touchy about things like accepting money. She was a proud person. I didn't bring up the fact that her money was from the same fortune pool that mine was from. One didn't put one's finger in the jaws of a wolf to test it's bite, as it were.
We were wandering the halls of the mall with our frothy coffee drinks and my purchase. Leah decided she needed more clothes that were winter themed as cutoffs and tank tops didn't cut it with the snow falling. We ducked into a random ladies fashion store and came out with bags of clothes. I bought her the extra things that she liked but didn't have enough money for right then. I got around it by insisting she couldn't have it until December and that it was gifts. She couldn't really object much to that, though she acted quite irritable. I knew she was happy.
As we ducked into a huge media superstore, I made my way to the auto sound systems. The wolves could definitely use better sound in their vehicles, especially when I rode with them. I was checking out speakers when I sensed Leah behind me. "Hey Leah, what do you think of this one?" I pointed, but was surprised to see Leah standing one isle over. She was smirking at me. What the-?!
Hands closed over my eyes and pulled me back against a hard body, heat radiating through my back as my brain and senses quickly determined who it was. Of course. I hadn't even considered him, so I just assumed it was Leah behind me. He let his hands go as I spun around and playfully punched him.
"Jacob!"
He laughed. "That was too easy! I can't believe you didn't know I was there."
I glared at him. "I was busy. You took advantage of my distraction." I crossed my arms and narrowed my chocolate eyes that I knew he loved more than pretty much anything. He reached out and pulled me closer, the heat of his body cooling the initial shock of my reaction. How was it that that simple aspect of who he was could be so destructive to my resolve?
"Maybe you need a new distraction, " he said, his voice deeper than it was been a moment ago. I stared at him, his eyes dark and comforting. He was very warm in every way. He was quickly becoming a huge distraction in my life - the most important part of it. I heard Leah clear her voice none too subtly as I pulled out of his grasp.
"Um…shopping. Which do you think is best, Jake? You know cars," I attempted to move the subject onto something a bit more practical. Jacob was a subject that I needed a clear head to deal with and being near him prevented me from thinking rationally. I wasn't quite ready to take The Leap. I wanted more of this tender sweetness before throwing in the towel that was my childhood. Bella was too quick to do that, but I had immortality as far as we knew. Time was already standing still for us so there really wasn't much hurry. He would wait forever. He would never press or even question our future. It was just more thing to love about him. I sighed.
"Well, these are things that Rose probably knows about. She may be a complete airhead but she does know how to make rich things look better. On the surface." Jacob wandered around before looking up to see Leah in the videogame aisle. His interest began to lead him in that direction. "If you need someone to fix your flashy car collection, I'm your man. Not that a Cullen needs any more speed…" He started pulling out games as I shook my head. Boys and their toys. Leah had been dragged into the world of videogames and succumbed. The wolves' house was usually filled with the sounds of electronic game play or movies. They loved horror films and seeing as they lived on a lake in a forest, it helped to make it that much more effective. When you were the actual creature that people pretended to be in a movie, it kind of killed the horror for you a bit. There were things burned in my memory from my earliest childhood that would make a weaker creature scream in terror. I saved those thoughts in a special place that was etched deeply in my stored memories. They were vivid for me, but the memories would have mercifully faded a bit for those who I loved. For my Jacob. He, who was with me then. My fierce protector who refused to let me go.
"Nessie. Blink, baby." I snapped out of it immediately when I heard Jacob's voice. He didn't even look up or speak too loud, but he was smirking. He knew me better than I even knew myself. I had been watching Leah and Jacob and must have became lost in my thoughts of them. I wasn't aware that I was staring as I did. I tended to think very deeply and very hard about things. When I would lose myself in my mind, I'd forget to appear more human.
I cleared my throat and wandered over to stand by my friends. Something made me remember the vampire from the bank and I felt the need to tell him. I wanted to. He deserved to know. Keeping secrets from him was something I normally abhorred, fighting my family on the issue whenever needed. It wasn't exactly a secret, I just wasn't exactly informing the pack of my observation. I wasn't one of his wolves and therefore had no obligation. I was about to suggest going home so I could at least inform somebody of what I'd sensed - when the plan suddenly skewed.
"So, I was actually here to see a movie. Do you girls care to join me?" His newfound energy and suddenly infectious grin was enough to dazzle me into compliance.
"Sure." I mentally frowned, but a sweet and agreeable smile was fixated on my face. Jeez, Nessie. Get a grip here. People could be in danger. But…Jacob. Movie! Darkness with Jacob! Dark, Jacob, possible hand holding…! "Leah? You coming?" I squeaked.
She just looked at me as if the inability for my adolescent immaturity to resist such temptation was annoying, yet also amusing her to no end. She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Yeah. Sure, what movie?"
"Netherworld," he responded as we made our way to the checkout.
"Isn't that the one were the vampires and werewolves fight each other?" She asked, critically.
"Yep. I figure we can watch our age old feud battle itself out on screen. It will be great for a laugh anyway. Hollywood can't do us werewolves justice."
I crossed my arms and made myself lean on the counter to make up for my lack of forced humanity before. "I'm sure you'll be rooting for the fur."
Jacob looked down at me, his dark eyes flashing. "Loyalty, Nessie. Not that I don't appreciate the vampires now - the tame ones anyway. You'll be rooting for the leeches, then?"
I smirked a bit smugly. "My world is not so simple, my Jacob. I am Switzerland."
He rolled his eyes and I laughed. "Not that again." I thrilled at his reaction. Ever since hearing the story of his past with my parents, I held onto that little tidbit and had been dying for the perfect time to test it out.
"My mother had to choose. I already have both. Forever. So, yep." I stretched up on my tiptoes to kiss his warm cheek. "If it makes you feel any better, you're still my favorite." He smiled and wrapped his leather jacketed arm around my small shoulders, kissing my curls as Leah joined us. We made our way down the mall in the direction of the theater, laughing as we lost ourselves in each other and the moment. The lingering thoughts of the event at the bank slipped to the back of my memories.
My priorities were selfish.
So be it.
