I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BUT ISA AND CERRA. THE SETTING AND CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.

-Edited-

Chapter 8: "D" is for Dumb

I found an MP3 player in my desk and, on a whim, popped the earphones in and turned it on. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all the music on it was exactly what I listened to back when I went to school and found myself swaying my hips to the beat and singing along with almost every song. Grinning at the time warp, I gathered up the clothes in my laundry basket and headed downstairs to make a load for the wash.

"I'm telling you to loosen up my buttons babe, But you keep frontin', Sayin' what you gon' do to me, But I ain't seen nuttin,'" I sang as I moved around the kitchen with my eyes closed while I danced to the music. I had just finished loading up the laundry and was going to make myself a snack.

I swirled my hips and put my hands above my head as I shook my bootie, then I danced my way over to the fridge and pulled out some milk. I whipped my head from side to side making my hair fly all over the place as I moved over to the cabinet to grab a box of fruit loops. I even did a few moves that I had only seen pole dancers do, (aka dirty dancing) using the counter to pull myself back up. I was so absorbed in the music that I didn't open my eyes for a while. But when I did, I saw Jacob, Embry, and Paul standing by the door watching me.

I let out a surprised squeak, tripped, and fell sideways to land hard on the floor behind the counter, all because I had opened my eyes mid spin. Groaning, I pushed myself into a sitting position and pulled my earphones out. As I did I heard Paul and Embry's laughter at my reaction, making my face heat up, and I knew my face was as red as my dark skin would allow. I stayed on the floor and hid behind the counter feeling like a retard until I heard someone get smacked, and the laughter stopped.

After a moment I heard Jacob ask, "Are you gonna stay down there forever?"

'Maybe' I thought to myself but my pride wouldn't let me and I pulled myself up using the counter. I pushed my hair out of my face as I straightened; wincing as my body told me I had some bruises.

"You've got some serious moves there," Paul remarked with a wink and I felt my cheeks heat up even more, if that's possible, in embarrassment. "Ever thought of going Pro?"

"Like what? Become a pole dancer?" I asked sarcastically as I crossed my arm across my chest. Paul smirked.

"You'd make a lot of money if you went that route." His eyes wandered down my body taking in the yoga pants and tank top I wore. I couldn't help but notice Jacob glare at him. "But I actually meant like a backup dancer," he explained with a chuckle. I relaxed at his veiled compliment.

"And she can sing," Embry stated with a smirk. "She could record her own album and dance in her own music vids. This girl's got talent!" he teased. I narrowed my eyes at him but he just grinned cheekily back.

"Not that I needed the last ten years you three scared me out of, but why are you here?" I asked feeling a both embarrassed and irritated they caught me dancing and singing because I really love making a fool of myself in front of my friends. Note my sarcasm?

"We wanted to know if you wanted to come cliff diving with us," Jacob stated as he crossed his arms over his bare chest. My eyes lingered on him for a moment before I bent to pick up the box of fruit loops I had dropped on the floor. I heard someone get smacked again as I straightened and saw Paul rubbing the back of his head while he glared at Jacob who was glaring right back.

My eyes darted from Paul to Jacob, then Embry, who was hiding a smirk and I arched a questioning brow at him, but he just shook his head silently telling me to ask him later.

"Sure," I nodded slowly. The weather was much warmer than it was when I had to save Bella so it would be a lot more comfortable to swim in. Not that I really felt the temperature while I was a wolf, but I knew it was cold enough to give regular people hypothermia if they stayed in for too long.

Today the water would be warm in comparison and now that they had mentioned it today was the perfect day with the sky clear of clouds and the sun was hot. Perfect swimming weather.

"Just let me go get my stuff and I'll meet you there," I stated as I put the milk back in the fridge before climbing the stairs to pack my suit, a towel, and a change of clothes. I threw on a loose dress, and shoulder my backpack before heading down stairs.

As I entered the kitchen I stopped short when I saw Jacob sitting on the countertop waiting for me, while Paul and Embry were nowhere in sight.

"You didn't have to wait for me," I told him as I walked over to where my sandals were and slid them on. He hopped off the counter, shrugging.

"I wanted to ask if you told your mom about The Dress?"

I almost laughed at his calling it, "The Dress" and not the dress. I smiled as I grabbed the pair of sunglass and slid them on. "Yes."

"And?"

"She would have went out and bought it if I hadn't told her it wasn't for sale," I replied with a shrug before I opened the back door and held it open for him to exit. Jacob narrowed his eyes at me as he stepped out.

"I heard her talking to Sue and Emily about designs. Something about Emily and Sue looking for material next week," I remarked, not really worried about it. With my luck I'd probably end up skipping prom because of some werewolf duty.

"They're gonna make you a dress?" he asked in disbelief. I shrugged.

"I don't know and to be frank I really don't like dances. I never really did. Too many people I don't know very well, flocking around in their little 'herds' of sheep. I mean, come on either you're a part of the 'popular' crowd, or you're one of the outcasts. Those guys are sometimes so drunk or doped up that they think they're part of the popular crowd who are all just waiting for each other to fuck up and laugh at them."

"And which group are you in?"

"The group called 'WGaFA'."

"Which stands for?"

"Stands for 'Who Gives a Fuck Anonymous,'" I replied simply as I closed the door behind him and locked it. "We of this auspicious group could care less if we're part of a group and would rather be at home reading or watching movies with people we actually like being around and care about than listening to the mindless chatter of dozens of people we could care less if we knew."

Jacob burst out laughing and I smiled slightly back, unable to stop the thrill of knowing I was the one who made him laugh and not someone else.

"God, I forgot how funny you are when you rant about school," he chuckled as he tried to get himself under control.

"I'm glad I amuse you so much," I remarked with fake sarcasm as I headed into the trees and once I was far enough in I slid my shoes off and shoved them into my backpack before I whipped my dress off over my head to add it to the pile in the bag.

Once I was completely naked I dove toward the ground like a diver off the side of the pool and felt heat lick through me as I exploded into my wolf shape. I trotted a moment before stretching out the kinks in my muscles before turning to grab my backpack only to have Jacob dart out in front of me and snatch up my bag before I could reach it.

'-Ha-ha!-' I heard him taunt as he booked it towards the beach. I sprinted after him and tried to tackle him to get my bag back, but only succeeded in getting a face full of dirt and pine duff. Sneezing, I got to my feet, and took off after him again.

'-Jake, you better not be drooling all over my stuff!-' I growled as I nipped at his tail in annoyance because I knew I wouldn't be able to muscle my bag from him without ripping it in the process, something I most definitely didn't want to do. He growled at me as my teeth grazed his back leg and could feel his mild irritation at my accusing him of drooling.

'-Not any more than you would,-' he teased back as he leapt a log. I leapt after him keeping close but not quite catching up. I was so involved with trying to get my bag back that I ran smack dab into Seth, who had just emerged from the underbrush in human form. I easily knocked him on his face and I tripped over him in the process, almost landing on top of him.

I let out a startled yelp as I caught myself and half leapt over him. 'Oh shit!' I thought as I spun on my back legs to lean over him to see if he was okay. 'Please let him be okay…' I thought as I nosed his sides and head, checking for blood only for him to start laughing as I prodded him. He rolled on his back gasping for air as he tried to dodge my prodding nose.

"I give, I give! Just stop tickling me!" he shouted, rolling onto his back and tried to push my muzzle away as he laughed. I pulled my head back and looked at him curiously then whined softly before stepping away. Leah would kill me if I so much as scratched the kid.

'-He's fine, Isa. You didn't hurt him,-' Jacob said fighting back a laugh, my bag still in his mouth. A low growl started in my chest as I glared at him.

'-If you would of just let me have my bag, Jacob. I wouldn't have bulldozed him over in the first place,-' I stated annoyed now. Seth sat up his face still pink from laughing.

'-Now where's the fun in that?-'

'-Drop the bag, Jacob,-' I ordered as I took a step towards him and when he didn't drop the item in question I bared my teeth at him threateningly. '-Fine… Then you can tell Embry and Paul why I'm going home,-' I snapped before turned and heading back into the forest.

Seth frowned as he looked from me to Jacob then back. "Hey, where ya going? The beach is that way," he jerked a thumb behind him towards sound of the waves.

I walked for a few minutes letting myself be annoyed because I did want to go swimming, but I wasn't about to let Jacob dictate anymore of my life then he already was.

'-Look I'm sorry, okay? I was just joking around.-'

His voice was quiet, and I could tell he hadn't realized that playing keep away with my bag would get to me this much. A part of me was irritated at myself for reacting like I had, but this constant urge to be around him, to look after him, see to his needs first, it was chafing at my independence making me start to resent him a little and wondered if I really was so unlovable that he couldn't even consider looking at me like he looked at her.

I paused, but didn't turn around; I knew he was behind me, I could feel him, feel the pull to be near him like a magnet. I exhaled letting the flames flow through me as I reared up on my hind legs so that when I phased back to human I was standing upright.

I heard him drop my bag behind me and whine softly.

"Apology not accepted," I muttered darkly as I crossed my arms. "I'm still mad at you." I heard him grunt softly before my backpack skidded across the ground to bump the back of my legs. I heard him heave a sigh before whining softly. I glanced back and saw him giving me a pleading look, his ears down looking forlorn.

"I can't believe it. You're giving me 'puppy eyes'?" I stated trying to hold on to my angriness, but my heart was melting. He really had the "aww" factor on his side as he made himself look pitifully sad. And I have to say for a five hundred plus pound wolf to look anything but intimidating was a feat in itself. I flinched as my inner wolf growled at me for putting that look on his face.

Damn it.

"Okay, enough with the look," I growled as I snatched up my bag and pulled out my bathing suit which was tank-tini with matching surfer shorts. I pulled them on with quick annoyed movements before pulling my hair up in a ponytail. When I turned completely around, I found him looking at me with a wolfish grin on his face and wagging his bushy tail.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're still not completely forgiven, you know that?" I told him as I pulled my sandals out and slid them on. He gave me a nod, but didn't stop smiling. I laughed at his goofy grin as I shouldered my bag and started walking back. He walked beside me even though I knew he could have dashed ahead but chose to walk with me.

Once we reached the edge of the forest he disappeared behind a tree to phase.

"You know I have seen you naked, Jacob," I stated in amusement as waited for him. "Just as much as you've seen me." I glanced back to see him pulling his shorts the rest of the way up to hang off his hips like they would fall at any moment. I already knew what was under there and I couldn't help but feel my cheeks heat up as I smirked a little before turning away.

"I didn't want to harm your poor innocent eyes," he teased.

"Oh, I don't know about that, my eyes are hardly innocent after seeing all the guys in the pack naked at one point, or another." I smirked as I arched brow at him. "I'm a lot of things, Jake, but innocent, ain't one of them," I informed him as I walked the rest of the way to the cliffs.

When I noticed he wasn't following I glanced back to see him staring at me, his eyes darker than normal, I frowned and called his name. That seemed to snap him out of it and a look of embarrassment flashed over his face before he shook it away.

I shrugged it off before turning back when I heard Seth shout my name. I waved back to him.

"Geeze Isa, I didn't think you were such a girl," Embry shouted as he climbed the cliff back to the top. He was already sopping wet as he grinned at me. I arched a brow.

"Excuse me?" I asked incredulity.

"It's been like an hour since we left your house. Did you bring the kitchen sink?" he teased as he eyed my bag before snatching it from my grasp.

"Blame the puppy," I retorted still a little irritated. I jerked a thumb at Jacob, who gave me a look. "He's the one who was being a dick-"

Suddenly, I felt warm arms encircle me, pinning my arms to my sides as I was hauled off my feet towards the cliff edge. I felt my eyes bug out as I saw what was going to happen a split second before it did. Then I was sailing through the air still imprisoned against the warm bronze flesh wrapped around me. I let loose strangled shriek but as the water drew closer I had enough thought to take a deep breath before we hit.

The water was cool, pleasantly so, but still startling when you weren't use to it. The arms around me loosened but they kept their grip on my waist. I kicked as hard as I could towards the surface, we must have been down a good fifteen feet because the water was dark and murky. I ran out of air about five feet from the surface but I pushed the growing panic back and kept on swimming.

Panic makes it worse, I reasoned and I was glad I had fooled around in the deep tank at school when I was younger. Diving to the bottom for rings and bricks had made sure I didn't have a fear of water.

I gasped once I broke the surface and took great lungfuls of air as adrenaline swirled around me making my head pound as blood rushed around my body. As I panted for breath I felt my attacker's arm tighten around my waist to hold me against his chest as he began to tow me to shore. Once we were close enough to shore for me to stand I wrench his arm off me as I staggered out of the water falling to my hands and knees on the sandy beach.

I stayed like that for a moment panting before I heard someone laughing, rage swirled up and I felt the heat flare up that usually heralded a rage induced Phase, but I forced it back to look up and glare murderously at the pack mate who thought it would be hilarious to scare the crap out of me so badly he almost gave me a heart attack.

Paul Lahote.

The growl that escaped me was hardly human as I bared my teeth before climbing to my feet and stalked forward towards the asshole who was laughing at what he had done. I clenched my hands into fists, but just as I was about to cock my fist to deliver a right hook to the bastard's face, I again felt warm arms encircle my waist and pull me off the ground.

"Let me at him! He fucking deserves to have his ass handed to him!" I shouted, furious that who ever held me was taking me away from the asshole that rightly deserved to have his nose broken, or at least kicked in the balls for that little stunt.

"Isa, calm down!" I heard a familiar voice whispered in my ear making me pause long enough to think 'since when was Quil strong enough to pick me up and stop me from exacting revenge?'.

"Man, that was priceless! You should have seen your face!" Paul laughed making me renew my struggle to get at the cocky son of a bitch and tear him to shreds.

"Once I get my hands on you, you fucking bastard, you will be dickless!" I shouted giving him a murderous death glare.

"Dude, you better run when I let her go cuz I'm pretty sure she'll make good with her threats to make you dickless," Quil warned grunting a little as I struggled to break free from his grip.

"Isa, enough!" I heard Sam shout his voice echoed in my head with an Alpha command and I felt myself unwillingly submit to it and stopped struggling. He was heading over with Jacob and Embry flanking him. I just glared at Paul promising painful retribution.

"Can I put you down now and not have you murder someone? Because frankly I would hate to see my best friend go to prison because of some asshole," Quil asked me. My eyes darted to Sam.

"Oh I promise, I won't kill him," I growled. He just might be lacking essential parts he might want later in life, I thought angrily.

"Isa," Sam warned me. I knew it was his way of saying 'if you don't calm down I will order you not to kick Paul's ass and you won't ever get your revenge'. I reined in my obvious rage and took a deep breath.

"Fine, I get the picture, just let me go!" I snapped wanting to have my feet back on the ground. Without quite releasing me, Quil set me back on the sand and it was at that moment I realized my sandals were missing. Another wave of anger washed through me at the loss of my only pair of sandals.

Sam blocked my view from Paul I glared at him for a moment then felt myself soften a bit at the concern on his face. "Are you okay?" he asked me softly his eyes checked me over for wounds.

"He made me lose my sandals," I said darkly as I clenched my jaw.

"I take that as a 'yes'," he said as his lips curled into a faint smile.

"My only pair of sandals, Sam! The ones Mom got me from Vancouver!" I complained.

"We'll get you some new sandals," he assured me, but I glared at him.

"They won't be the same," I whined.

"We'll talk about this later, Isa, okay?" he told me calmly.

Still angry, I jerk my head down in a nod before Sam nodded to Quil to let me go. I shoved his arms out of the way, and stalked over towards the opposite side of the beach, as far away as I could get from the cliff side. Once I was content with the distance I flopped down on the gravelly sand and glared out onto the water.

Did I know I was pouting? Yes… Did I care at the moment? No… Because if I did I would have walked all the way home, which even at that moment I was still tempted to.

I pulled my knees up and leaned forward so my forearms rested on them as I fumed. It was a few minutes later when a huge, thick towel was thrown over my shoulder startling me from my dark mood. When I looked up I was slightly blinded by the sunlight and could only see a huge dark shape looming over me.

"Sam, said I should leave you alone," Quil remarked as he dropped his pack beside me on the sand. "But I came to the beach cuz I was bored and you've been ditching me so…"

Guilt flooded me as his words penetrated my anger enough that I felt bad, for the past week I had barely talked to him outside of school.

"I'm sorry, Quil. I've just been busy with dress shopping and other… stuff," I explained my face heating up in shame that I had ditched him like I had. I let my head drop so my forehead rested on my forearms.

"I'm sure you have and I'm sure that 'other stuff' is called Jacob," he said with an overly bright almost forced smile as he sat down beside me and leaned slightly toward me so his shoulders touched mine. I frowned slightly when I noticed this but mentally pushed it aside as I groaned softly before looking up at him, my eyes wide and pleading for forgiveness.

He snorted softly his lips curling into a genutine smile and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, hugging me affectionately. "Ah, don't worry about it, Isa," he laughed as he grinned at me. "I'm surprised you stayed instead of going home."

"I wanted to go swimming," I grumbled darkly.

"So come swimming with me," he said brightly as he pulled away enough to tug at my arm. I glared over at the cliff only to have Quil wave his hand in front of my face. "I promise, I won't throw you off a cliff, but I might try to dunk you every once in a while," he teased with a grin. I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes at him, but he wiggled his eyebrows at me, which made me fight a smile at the silly look on his face.

"Come on, Isa," he whined as tugged on me again. "I promise to let you dunk me all you want," He coaxed as he got to his feet pulling at my arm, but I didn't move. "I even brought my super soakers," he said with a singsong voice.

My eyes darted up to his, "Did you bring the water balloon pump?" I asked.

"Like I would forget something like that," Quil stated sounding offended. I scoffed and smirked slightly before holding out my hand for him to help me up.

Well, if I couldn't kick Paul's ass right then I could pepper it, and others, with icy water and water balloons. So Quil and I made a small arsenal of "weapons" before we snuck our way back to the cliff to see Paul flirting with some girls from my school.

We snuck up and I let Quil lob the first one at Paul's unsuspecting back. It hit him sort of in the back, on the neck and back spraying the girls a bit in the process, making them squeal in surprise. Paul whipped around to see who had hit him when I lobbed my own water balloon, nailing him right in the face, blinding him for a moment.

"Sorry, Girls! He was the target!" I shouted and waved an apologetically to them, which earned me a brief glare, but was replaced with amusement as they quickly tried to get out of range of more water balloons.

Paul on the other hand glared at me as he began to tremble a bit. "YOU BITCH!" he growled.

"Is that supposed to offend me?" I asked tauntingly as I gave him a cheeky smile. Just then Sam intervened and ordered him to calm down.

"If you can't take a couple water balloons without getting your tail in a twist maybe I should get you to run patrol with Leah," Sam stated. Paul growled softly at the mention of Leah. "You have to start learning to control your anger, Paul. I'm going to keep putting you and Leah on the same patrol duty until you learn to control your temper. It puts us all in danger. Got it?"

Paul glared at me, promising revenge. I arched a brow back and blew him a kiss, which made him tense and growl.

"Got it, Paul?" Sam demanded making Paul jerk his gaze from mine to my brother's and nodded stiffly. I turned to sneak away but Sam called my name making me freeze as I grimaced before turning back to my twin.

I arched a brow as I looked at him expectantly. Sam sighed tiredly.

"You're not making it easy for me are you?" he asked rhetorically.

"He's lucky all I've done is thrown a few water balloons at him for the stunt he pulled," I said venomously.

"I know, I heard you shouting at him from the cliff," Sam said with a small smirk. "I'm glad Quil caught you before you could do anything stupid."

"He'd deserve it!" I snapped, waving towards Paul's retreating back.

"I don't care at the moment," he stated glaring at me. "Stop baiting Paul in public you know how his temper gets the better of him. So stop it, or I'll send you both home with extra patrols," he told me with a disappointed look in his eyes. I flinched and looked away.

God, I hate it when people look at me like that, like I've let them down. I hated being a disappointment. I closed my eyes sighing. "Okay, I've got it, so enough with the look already," I pleaded opening my eyes to look at him.

He smiled at me before pulling me into a bear hug, which I returned happily. We both sighed before he let me go.

"Go terrorize the other guys and stay away from Paul," he ordered, but it was brotherly order not an Alpha one. I smiled, darted forward and placed kiss on his unsuspecting cheek before running off towards Quil who pointed his super soaker at me threateningly.

"Don't you dare," I threatened as I narrowed my eyes at him. He grinned at me.

"Now, that's just more incentive to spray you," he replied as he smirked at me. So the water fight began with much laughter and running until Quil managed to get me in the water then we swam for a while until the sun began to go down. Embry and Jacob didn't turn up until both Quil and I were relaxing in the nice warm sand.

Then Sam and Jared got the bright idea to light a bonfire to roast hotdogs and marshmallows. I was lying on my back with my eyes closed my face towards the last of the sunlight when I felt someone standing over me. I opened one eye warily, not sure what to expect. There stood Jacob with my bag in his hand and my sunglasses around his neck.

My eyes wandered over him and I couldn't help but notice that he was still deliciously wet from swimming and that drops of water glistened of his skin. I licked my lips as I suddenly had the urge to lick those drops away with my tongue. Groaning softly, I shook my head slightly to clear it before sighing and hardening my resolve.

It was starting to get harder and harder to keep those thoughts in the deep recesses of my mind where they belonged.

"Can I help you with something?" I drawled as I opened both eyes and stared up at him and pulled my hand out from under my head to scratch my collarbone before tucking it back behind my head. I watched his eyes drift slowly over me from my legs up to my face. I arched a brow as him as though to say 'like what you see?'

He glanced away before tossing my backpack by my side and I could see that his cheeks darken. "Sam forgot to bring your pack," he mumbled not looking at me as he spoke.

"Thanks," I murmured as I watched him curiously, wondering why he went to all the trouble of bringing it over to me when he could have left it over with Sam by the bonfire.

"No problem," he mumbled as he quickly turned around and stalked off towards the fire. I glanced at Quil who was lying on his side looking at me with an arched brow.

" 'Hey Quil long time no see'…. 'Yeah it's been awhile how's it going?'" Quil said under his breath like he was making up an imaginary conversation. I snorted back a laugh at his offbeat humor but I could tell Jacob blowing him off right then hurt a bit more then he was letting on.

I sighed and looked over at him. "I'm sure he didn't mean to, Quil," I said sadly.

"I just don't get it. He get's Mono and suddenly he doesn't speak to me or even acknowledge me," he frowned. "You had the same damn thing and you still talk to me, let me come over and aren't permanently glued to Sam's side."

"He's not glued to Sam's side," I scoffed.

"But you get what I mean though."

"Yes," I smiled as I rolled onto my side to face him. "We'll have this conversation again in couple of weeks," I replied cryptically as I reached out and ruffled his hair before rolling and sitting up. I pulled my pack into my lap and tugged the drawstring open to pull out a shirt and some yoga pants. I got up just long enough to pull them on over my damp clothes before sitting back down on the blanket with Quil. I leaned back so my head rested against his stomach. I closed my eyes with a sigh and before long I could feel Quil playing with my hair along with occasionally running his fingertips across my forehead and cheeks. I had taken it out of the ponytail to let it dry all the way through in the sun.

"I guess I should be impressed you waited until now to start feeling me up," I joked then I wrinkled my nose as he began to purposely using my hair to tickle my neck and nose. "Knew that won't last very long," I muttered as he chuckled making my head bounce a little on his stomach. "Pest!" I swatted at his leg.

"Of course," he agreed and I could hear the smirk just by the way he spoke as he threaded his fingers through my hair and tugged.

"Ow," I lied as he tugged a little harder before back combing my damp hair over my face, covering my eyes and mouth. "Having fun?" I asked then spit a mouth full of hair I had unintentionally tried to eat.

Quil chuckled again as I growled in annoyance. "You know you could just tell me to get off you," I muttered as I thwaped his stomach with the back of my hand making him grunt in surprise.

I sat up tilting my head back before shaking it so that my hair would fall back where it belonged and I could see again.

"Asshole," I grumbled as I ran my finger through my hair in an attempt to fix it. Just then my stomach decided to snarl making Quil stare at me in surprise as his eyes wandered down to my stomach.

"Did you eat a lion, or something earlier?" he joked with a half smile on his face as he sat up. I felt my face heat up and I narrowed my eyes at him in mock anger.

"Hey, I got drug out of my house before I had a chance to eat anything," I defended as I go to my feet and brushed my butt free of sand. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go stuff myself with hotdogs and chips," I announced as I walked towards where Sam and the others were roasting hotdogs and marshmallows.

Sam saw me coming and held out a roasting stick complete with hotdog already on the end. "The fire's pretty hot. It only took Seth two minutes to charcoal his," Sam laughed as I moved to position myself so I could stick my hotdog over the heat to cook it without sparks exploding in my face or inhaling too much smoke.

"I like them well done," Seth stated from his spot in the sand but I saw him grimace once in a while as he hit a charcoal-ly part. I chuckled as I rotated mine to cook it without burning it.

I was so concentrated on not burning my hotdog I didn't notice Jacob was seated behind me. So as I went to step away from the fire I tripped over his feet and fell backwards. I let out a startled yelp as I landed heavily in Jacob's lap and nearly knocked him on his back because of my momentum.

He let out a little groan in pain because I had elbowed him in the ribs when I had landed. My heart was beating a mile minute and we both needed a moment to collect ourselves.

"You landing on me seems like it's becoming a habit," he groaned softly in my ear.

"Hey," I objected. "You landed on me the first time and nearly squished me," I objected as tried to get to my feet but nearly stumbled forward into the fire only to have Jacob snag the back of my shirt and yank me back into his lap before I could go face first into the flames.

"You are a walking accident waiting to happen tonight," he remarked. "Just stay down before you hurt yourself," he ordered as he wrapped an arm around my waist. I blinked in surprise then looked dumbly at my cooked hot dog, which was probably growing cold.

Just then Jared walked over with a package of hotdogs and buns which he set beside us along with the ketchup. He was trying not to grin too widely at me. I narrowed my eyes at him a little in irritation.

"Sam said I should give the rest of them to you before the rest of us eat them all," he remarked before turning around and heading off back to his spot where Kim was. I glared after him only to have a bun be thrust in front of me. I blinked.

"Just eat your hotdog before it gets cold," Jacob ordered making me look over at my shoulder at him.

"Don't order me around, Jacob. Or I'll shove this hotdog somewhere mighty unpleasant," I muttered darkly as I grabbed a bun and then squirted ketchup on it before digging in.

He didn't let me up even when I wanted to go roast another one. He just scooted closer to the fire with me in his lap. I growled at him for this but he ignored me.

"I can stand up and not fall into the fire," I stated as he kept his arms locked around my waist like a seat belt. He didn't reply which made me growl again at his assumption that I needed a babysitter.

I ate a few more hot dogs before I needed to use the bathroom. I tried to pull his arms apart so I could get up but he stubbornly kept them locked around me.

"Jacob, let me up," I hissed getting really annoyed now. "Do you want me to pee on you?" I demanded in a low voice through clenched teeth. He instantly released me like I had burned him. I rolled my eyes as I got carefully to my feet, grimacing a bit because my foot had fell asleep. I dusted my clothes off as I headed for the bathrooms that had been built for the use of anyone at the beach.

I had finished and was stepping out of building when I nearly ran into Quil, who was looking at me expectantly. I paused mid step and looked at him in confusion.

"What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"YOU in Jake's LAP!"

"I fell."

"Fell?"

"I'm gonna start calling you, 'Echo' if you keep on repeating everything I say like a parrot," I threatened in irritation.

"Huh?" he blinked still scowling a little the realized what I meant and changed tactics

"Oh, sorry…" he began sarcastically waving a hand towards me. "It's just you've been avoiding him for almost two months straight, now you're content to sit in his lap for the whole evening eating hotdogs?" he asked incredulously looking at me like I had grew an extra head. I let out a long sigh as I closed my eyes to gather my thoughts to think and explain myself.

"Look Quil," I opened my eyes to look at him. "It's just really hard to explain right now." You know when I have to edit stuff out, like all the imprinting stuff.

"Then explain it as best you can!" he shouted, his eyes suddenly shifting to an eerie yellow. I froze for a moment thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me, but as quickly as it came it vanished.

"What business is it of yours what I do?" I retorted defensively.

"You're my best friend, Isa and Jacob has done nothin' but treat you like his personal yoyo when it comes to your feelings! You're telling me that he's so fucking dense that he can't tell you love him, heart and fucking soul?!" he shouted his face contorting in rage. "I saw how much it tore you up to even be in the same breathing space as him! And you're telling me everything all hunky dory now?"

"We talked and came to understanding-"

"An 'understanding'," he scoffed curling his fingers to 'quote' me. "What does that mean? That you'll be his personal lap warmer until Bella comes back? Gonna let him get in your pants too?"

I jerked my head back as though he had slapped me. I flinched away from his accusations making my pride sting. "It's not like I purposely went over there and threw myself at him," I stated sarcastically. "I tripped and I fell on him it's a simple as that."

"But you let him push you around, Isa! You could have punched him in the face, but instead you're letting him use you! He'll drop you like nothing once Bella gives him the time of day!"

My rage climbed the more he spoke and I could vaguely feel the same heat radiating off him that warred within me.

"YOU have NO clue what you are talking about!" I snarled shoving him away from me as I stalked towards the forest the heat was shooting up my legs with each step.

Quil tried to grab me, but I smacked his hand away so that I could enter the forest without being stopped. That thought quickly fled my mind when I heard him snarl and just as I looked back just in time to see his wolf form exploded out of his body and clothes for all to see.

Shit.

Of all the times for this to happen it had to be so close to the beach with all the regular normal people only fifty feet away? Just my fucking luck…

A/N: So the chapter was long again and I was gonna have a little more but I decided to end it here for this chapter. I hope people liked this chapter, if you didn't or really liked something about a scene or a character please feel free to tell me. It tells me you like the story and want to read more of it. Reviews are my friends and I love them. I'd like to thanks to HumptyDumptyWasPushed, Yeddi, littledozziebug, bonniebeast and an anonymous reviewer who left no name but told me they liked my story. Also I would like to thank all who added me to their alerts/favorites. And to my Beta Lily.

Later,

BL –waves-