/AN: Please enjoy this newly updated chapter/
/DISCLAIMER: I do not currently hold any rights to Twilight/
NEW!
Vivianne helped Bella and Charlie set up the picnic, her movements monotonous and her focus drifting to what she had recently experienced. After they had walked away from Sam and the boys, the nausea had faded, leaving only a slight impression. Still, she felt disturbed, as though her life had been turned upside down in a single moment. She felt different somehow, though she couldn't figure out in what way.
After a few more minutes, their friends from the school began to arrive. Angela and Ben gave Vivianne a friendly smile in turn, the other two rushing up to Bella without noticing her. Tyler showed up after some time, too, but he kept his distance from Vivianne and spent most of his time sulking near the tide. When Mike did notice Vivianne, he looked her up and down openly and grinned mischievously.
"Don't tell me you dressed up nice for me?" His tone was relaxed and amused, Vivianne knew he wasn't being serious.
"Mike!" Jessica smacked him, "You're gonna make her uncomfortable!"
Vivianne blushed at this, but smiled all the same, happy she had made friends here.
"Hey!" Distracted from Vivianne's outfit, Mike began to chase Jessica down the shore, both laughing all the way.
The whole group watched them go in amusement, a comfortable silence falling over them, when Charlie suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, Jake! Boys, how are all of you?"
Vivianne fidgeted in discomfort and set about straightening the towel that was protecting the food from getting sandy.
"Hey, Charlie!" Jacob sounded happy and calm, a stark contrast to his previous attitude, "Heard you brought us dinner,"
Charlie laughed, "Definitely glad I brought so much,"
The boys laughed and settled around the basket, separating and mixing into the group, all talking excitedly. Vivianne nearly leapt from her skin when one of them sat next to her.
"So, you're Vivianne,"
She nodded, swallowing hard and forcing herself to meet his gaze, relief flooding her when she saw who it was.
"I'm Seth! Nice to meet you,"
She gave him a shy smile and then returned to the menial task she had set for herself. Charlie opened the cooler that he had recently towed from the car and began to pass out the drinks, tossing them mechanically to each individual. Vivianne jumped back when Seth, without warning, leaned forward and reached out in front of her. In each hand he held a can of soda, one of them having nearly struck Vivianne in the head.
"Oops, sorry Vivianne. Wasn't paying attention," Charlie apologized.
Everyone seemed relaxed, congratulating Seth on his reflexes and teasing Vivianne a little. She blushed, looked gratefully at Seth as he handed her the drink.
Mike suddenly cut in, his tone light, "Better keep those gorgeous eyes up from now on, Anne,"
Vivianne's blush immediately spread, burning her ears and staining her cheeks, but she laughed along with the others. She silently determined that she would stop looking down, no matter how uncomfortable she felt. She locked eyes again with Jacob's, who had sat down across from her, looking away again almost immediately.
"Has she met everyone?" Charlie asked Bella.
Bella shrugged, "Sort of,"
Charlie sighed and sent his daughter a warning look before taking it upon himself to introduce all the boys and the two girls that had joined them. Vivianne tried to follow, though a few of the names and faces blurred together. It was much easier to remember the girls' names.
"Nice to meet you all…" Her eyes wandered to Jacob for a moment.
"Well!" Charlie clapped his hands, interrupting the quiet and earning back both Vivianne and Jacob's attention, "I'm going to get a fire going so I can cook these hotdogs, you kids go amuse yourselves. Sam, wanna give me a hand?"
Sam nodded as almost everyone evacuated the little circle they had formed and began to frolic through the sand. Voices almost immediately rang out in laughter as Mike and Jessica, once again, started up a game of chase. Seth waited for Vivianne, who had taken her time to remove her sweater and tuck it into her bag. When she turned to see him standing there, she returned the kind smile that he gave her.
"You swim?" He asked as they started walking.
She nodded, "A bit. I haven't in a long time, though…"
Seth had downed the last of his soda before they had even gotten up, while Vivianne had chosen to leave it, unopened, on the towel. Down by the tide, a few of the boys had begun wrestling again, attracting the others to watch and cheer. The two in the midst were Jacob and Paul, the latter seeming to have an unfair advantage in weight and height. Jessica and Mike returned as Vivianne and Seth reached the group, Mike immediately joining in encouraging the tousle, making Jessica roll her eyes.
Seth grinned at Vivianne before pushing through the crowd and joining the fight, peeling Paul off of Jacob in the process. There was hooting and laughing as Jacob took the opportunity to pin his opponent to the ground.
"Hey! Interference!" Paul called, his face in the sand.
Jake laughed and stood up, helping Paul to his feet in the process, "It was only a matter of time before you lost, anyway,"
"No, I had you down, fair and square!"
Vivianne smiled at their good-natured bickering and moved to stand beside Angela, who also seemed to be enjoying the light mood.
"Guys, guys, c'mon," Seth interrupted, "Clearly, everyone saw it. I won this one,"
Jacob and Paul glanced at each other before bursting into laughter, Jacob even strung his arm around Seth's shoulders, easily trapping him in the crook of his elbow and giving him a rough, brotherly noogie. Seth tried to pull away.
"Alright! Okay, you won!" He called submissively, laughing.
Jacob released him, marching out of the little ring to high-five other members of their group in celebration of his victory. Fleetingly, his eyes landed on Vivianne and he gave her a small smile. Her heart accelerated, and it took a her a moment to rejoin reality.
"Chicken fight!" Mike suddenly called, snapping Vivianne back to earth.
They were, apparently, looking for a new way to spend the afternoon before dinner. Several voices agreed to the suggestion and teams were chosen. During the first round, it was Mike and Jessica against Seth and a squealing and argumentative Angela, who would have much rather stayed on the beach. Due to her fighting, their team lost almost immediately, both soaked as they made their way back to the shore, Angela was fuming, and Seth was as lighthearted as ever. Another one of Jacob's friends took their place, his name was Quil, if Vivianne remembered right, and he hoisted Bella to his shoulders. This round lasted a little longer, the two teams seeming to be equally matched, but Mike slipped on some seaweed and they both tumbled into the water. Jessica was shouting at Mike as they reached the beach and they continued to argue as they walked back to the fire. Vivianne felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look up at a still dripping Seth.
"You wanna go next?" He asked, grinning.
Vivianne smirked, "Do I have a choice?"
His grin widened, "Nope!" and he hoisted her up, dangling her over his shoulder.
Vivianne giggled and kicked in mock agitation, smiling at her friends as they stared after her. Ben gave her a hoot, cheering her on, while Angela smiled sympathetically. When they reached the water, Seth resituated her, so she was sitting atop his shoulders and could easily lock hands with Bella, who was smiling at her maliciously. Someone called a countdown, and the struggle began.
Vivianne pushed with her might, trusting Seth to keep them both upright, keeping her legs relaxed so as not to accidently strangle him. The other team, however, had a height advantage, and after a few minutes of struggle, Vivianne slipped from Seth's shoulders. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes tight in preparation for submersion, letting out a quiet screech in the process. Impact with the water, however, never came. Something, or rather, someone, had caught her mid-air, keeping her from the shock of the icy water.
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