Thanks for reviews. I like them just like everyone else! And, I still wish I owned the Twilight saga and didn't just write fanfiction.

Prom

"Bella," Angela cooed as I approached the table where she and Ben were perched at the prom, "you look gorgeous!"

"So do you. That color looks great on you." I was proud of myself for the amount of girl talk that had escaped my lips. It had never been my forte, compliments being the absolute worst. Yet, here I was, in a gown at my senior prom giving and receiving compliments freely, and thoroughly enjoying myself, surprisingly enough.

Jacob looked positively handsome. I noticed several female heads snap in his direction when we walked in. I suppose I should be jealous, but I just couldn't bring myself to be angry with them. My jaw had dropped at the sight of him in his dark gray pants, pale pink dress shirt and tie. And furthermore, from the way that his hand never left the small of my back, I knew that I didn't have anything to worry about.

Jacob and I joined them and the four of us watched the throng of people gyrating to the music pumping through the sound system. Jacob had convinced me to dance for one fast song and then, thankfully, he was content to mingle. I figured talking was better for my health than dancing in my dress shoes; that is, as long as I was not talking to Lauren.

"Where did you two go for dinner?" Ben asked Jacob.

Jacob's mouth twitched a little at the edge. "We went to that new Mexican place in Port Angeles," he said, rubbing his hand across my back.

I watched as the two boys, or young men, whatever one chose to call them, discussed the meals they had consumed prior to arriving at the dance. I had told Jacob it was not necessary for us to go anywhere for supper, but he had insisted that we get the full prom experience. At the back of my mind, I had wondered if he was trying to one-up Edward. For obvious reasons, a meal had not precluded my previous year's prom. That may have been a part of it, but now, listening to them talk, I realized what was probably the bigger motive. Jacob didn't really know any of the guys that he would be hanging out with tonight. He was not a shy boy and generally didn't have trouble talking to anyone, but a good full meal would give him an easy conversation piece. He and Ben were in guy heaven right now.

A ballad came on and couples from all around the room meandered to the dance floor. I reached up and placed my hands on Jacob's massive shoulders, and he pulled me close to him.

"So, are you glad we came?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes," I said matter-of-factly. "I am really enjoying myself." I let out a contented sigh. "I also have the added entertainment of watching several girls drool over you."

"Who?" Jacob quickly jerked his head from side to side looking around the room. "Are they pretty?"

I stomped on his foot. I had actually stepped on his feet three times already, which he had politely ignored, but this time, I did it with force.

"I was just curious," he joked pulling me closer. "I've already got the prettiest girl who for some reason is madly in love with me. I just want you to realize that what a catch you have in me, so you don't feel the need to go dance with some other guy."

I shook my head. "Nice cover there," I said, rolling my eyes at him. We held each other close, enjoying the sensation. "Hey, I have a question for you," I blurted out, tilting my head back to look up at him.

"Shoot," he said, leaning in to kiss my forehead.

"What is the deal with Sam and Emily?" It had been in the back of my mind ever since Harry died. "You told me it was a wolf thing. What wolf thing?"

Jacob took in a deep breath. "There is a rare process called imprinting," he began. "It's kind of like a really potent love at first sight." His hand swept across my back and pulled me closer to him, as if needing to feel me near. "It happens the first time a wolf sees the girl. It's like a force that just pulls them together."

"Does the girl get a choice?" I asked, a little appalled at how barbaric the whole thing sounded.

"I don't know if you really call it a choice," Jacob said shifting his left hand to caress the exposed skin of my shoulder. "An imprint is mutual, it's felt by both of them."

"But weren't Emily and Leah friends?" I asked still trying to get a grasp on the idea. "Sam must have seen her before."

"He had seen her when he was still just a man," Jacob clarified. "The first time he saw her after he was officially a werewolf is when the imprint happened."

We danced in silence for a few moments, swaying in sync, as the information Jacob had given me sank in. One song ended and the next began before I found the nerve to speak again. "How often does it happen?"

"Of our group, only Sam and Jared."

"So it is possible," I almost couldn't bring myself to complete my sentence, "for you to…"

"Imprint with someone else?" Jacob finished my statement in question form. "Yes." The single word sounded as though it caused him pain to say.

I laid my head against his chest and ran my fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. I took a deep breath and looked up into his eyes. "Jacob," I began, "if there is one thing that I have learned in the last year it's that if something is meant to be, it will find a way to be. I love you. You love me, and that is all we have to hold on to right now." I ran my hand across cheek, and brushed his full lips with my thumb.

"I just don't think I could live with myself if I did that to you," he said, his voice cracking with sorrow. "It eats Sam alive at times, what he did to Leah."

I snuggled back into Jacob's massive chest and basked in his warmth. He ran his fingers softly over my shoulder. The song shifted again, and we continued. After a few bars of the new song, I heard Jacob chuckle.

"What?" I asked, looking up at the grin that had found its way onto Jacob's face.

"Do you recognize the song?" he asked leaning down to kiss my forehead.

"Should I?"

"Well, I have more reason to remember this particular song than you. It's the only one I was able to dance to at your last prom."

I stood stock still for a moment, listening carefully to the ballad seeping from the speakers. I too smiled as recognition hit. "This is the song we danced to."

"You catch on quick!" Jacob teased. "I don't know what I enjoyed more; dancing close to you or the look on Edward's face." A rueful look gleamed in his eyes from the memory, but it wasn't there for long.

"May I cut in?" Mike Newton asked, extending his hand in anticipation of mine.

The look on Jacob's face was absolutely priceless. "Of course," he finally managed to choke out stepping back so I could move to dance with Mike. "It must be something about this song."

"No," Mike said with a grin. "Your friend over there said he needed to speak with you." He nodded toward the entrance to the gym where Embry stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest. "I told him I would get you. I figured delivering the message bought me at least one dance," he said doing his best to torment Jacob.

"Go see what Embry wants," I told Jacob. I took Mike's right hand in my left and placed my right hand on his shoulder being sure to keep at least a foot and a half in between us. "Mike was one of my first friend's in Forks. I think I owe him a dance."

I laughed in spite of myself, knowing that Mike was enjoying the look on Jacob's face just as much as Jacob had enjoyed Edward's last year.

"Are you having a good time?" Mike asked, trying to cover the fact of that enjoyment.

"Yes I am," I told him honestly. "I'm glad Lauren suggested I come."

We laughed simultaneously at the reason for my presence here tonight.

"You sure do know how to irritate her," Mike mused.

"You have a lot of room to talk," I said punching him in the shoulder.

"Yeah, but I do that on purpose," he readily admitted. "You seem to have an inborn gift of irritating Lauren. It just comes naturally."

"I wish I knew what I ever did to her to make her hate me." I shook my head trying to figure it out.

"Oh, I don't think you did anything," he said still wearing a playful smile. "Lauren is an equal opportunity bitch. You don't have to earn her wrath, she gives it freely."

There was a part of me that felt some relief at Mike's nonchalant admission of her hostility toward me. I had always tried to tell myself that her anger was her problem, but there was a part of me that couldn't help but wonder what I had done wrong. Mike's attitude was validation that Lauren was just plain mean.

He shrugged his shoulders. "When she tears into me, I just remind myself that she's leaving someone else alone."

"That's a healthy attitude." I suddenly felt very thankful that Mike had chosen to take a liking to me. And more importantly, that he chose to continue his gallantry even when I did not return his attentions. "Thank you for being such a good friend, Mike."

"You're easy to be friends with, Bella" he said, and I appreciated him all the more.

A fast hip-hop style song blared throughout the gym signaling the end of the slow dancing. "Thanks for the dance," I said.

I made my way to the doorway where Jacob and Embry were still deep in conversation. The closer I got to them the more I knew that my carefree prom night was over. I mentally kicked myself for not figuring this out immediately. Why else would Embry show up and need to speak with Jacob. I squared my shoulders and braced myself for the news.

They both stopped talking when I reached Jacob's side. He put his arm around my waist and said the words I dreaded hearing. "She's back."