Sorry I haven't been updating lately. With all that's going around, it's just crazy over here and I haven't had the time to do my stories.
Also, I do not own any Cullen/Black characters – unfortunately that belongs to Stephenie Meyer.
I wasn't aware I had fallen asleep until I felt my sleeping mouth close and I started to hear voices around me. I paused for a moment, stopped breathing to take in my surroundings. It smelled good – that was the first thing I noticed, but not really in a food way. I was tucked in Jacob's chest and I recognized the voices as my mothers and Jacob's. They were talking.
"…Should tell her," Jacob was saying.
"Jacob," My mom said, "she's too young."
"She doesn't look young," Jacob mumbled.
"Yes, but don't you think she deserves the right to chose?" My mom asked. I peeked out Jacob's chest, acting like I was squirming in my sleep, and saw my mom was biting her lip in deep thought. "Never mind, I know the answer to that. But she needs time."
"Why not right now?" Jacob said fiercely. "He'll find out eventually if she keeps doing this, and what are we supposed to do then? If we stop it – the dating- right now while it's early, and tell her options we all might be better off."
There was a pause, I wasn't looking, but I was pretty sure of two things. One was that they were talking about me, and two was that they were staring each other down.
The silence lasted, and I wondered if they figured out I was awake, or if I was just dreaming the whole thing. I slipped in and out of conscious in the next few minutes and finally fell asleep.
"Nessie, sweetie?" I heard Jacob say sometime later. I felt him rustle my hair.
I blinked and twisted my neck out of his chest. I looked at him, his eyes filled with concern, and when his gaze held mine for a long time, I lifted my chocolate eyes to the ceiling.
"Want to go hunting?" Jacob asked me.
"Sure," I agreed. "Is it Saturday morning?"
"Yes."
The new sun that peeked out the big window made me smile. It reminded me of how everyone in my family – expecting Jacob – sparkled like diamonds when the sun hit their skin. Jacob told me I sparkled too, but I wasn't so sure.
Hunting, one of my favorite things to do. Usually, Jacob, and my parents come with me. This time was no expectation.
I was breathing hard, and slower than the rest. My parents ran on ahead, telling us they'd meet up with us later. Still, this didn't stop me from trying to catch the biggest game.
I dropped my bear caress next to Jacob's, "Mine's bigger," I claimed.
Jacob dropped his head down to examine the two dead caresses. I rocked on my heels while he was deciding. When he lifted his head, he shook his head back and forth, a no.
"I disagree," I said. "See? Your bear is a lot smaller," I pointed to empathize.
Jacob dropped his shoulders, a shrug. Then we both ate, me drinking the blood I preferred over human food, but I still would've rather had donated human blood.
I looked at Jacob, "Are you mad that I got the biggest game again?"
Jacob's wolf mouth stretched into a smile that looked more disfigured than pleasing, and he raced into the woods.
"I won the last time," Jacob insisted after he shifted into a human again.
"I'll give you it," I said.
"Give? I won it!" He argued.
I laughed and raced ahead of Jacob, something that would not last for long.
"How was hunting?" Rosalie asked when I got back inside. She kissed the top of my head.
"Good," I said, still laughing.
"I think Nessie got the biggest game over Jacob several times," My dad added.
I saw Rosalie going to open her mouth, and I saw Jacob open his too.
"Don't even you two," I warned. "Don't fight."
My mom smirked, and I shot a glance at her curiously. She shrugged and I let it go, thinking maybe she remembered something from her human life.
"I promise if she does," Jacob murmured.
I signed; it was a miracle if they ever got along. Maybe I could ask for it for Christmas or something. After grabbing my purse, I headed upstairs. I was still tired; sleeping on a muscled chest didn't really count as a good night sleep. I paused on the steps when I heard the ringtone of 'A Thousand Miles' going off on my blackberry. I cocked my head. Odd, I only used it when anyone in the family needed to contact me, but they were all home. Hadn't I given my number to Erin, Kate and the rest of my new school friends? I thought through hazy school conversations, I was pretty sure I had.
I flipped open the phone, the caller reading unknown on it. "Hello?" I said into it.
"How did your date go?" I heard Erin's cheery voice say. "You must tell me everything!"
"Is that a customary greeting?" I asked, being serious. "To demand?"
Erin laughed, "You're so funny. So anyway, spill the beans, does he like you or not?"
"He likes me," I said slowly. I looked at my bare feet – my shoes were ruined during the hunting trip – as I made my way the steps. "The whole thing went great."
"What did you talk about?"
"A little about his family and Thanksgiving," I said. "We didn't really talk much."
"Ohhhhhh…"
I didn't know what her reaction was supposed to mean. I would've asked, but I didn't feel like it. I flew myself on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"Do you want to come with us at the Burger Gurger?" Erin asked, switching the topic when I didn't respond. "Stupid name, I know, but we'll be mostly talking then eating the lame food."
"Whose 'us'?" I said. "What time is it anyway?"
"You're super rich and you can't even afford a clock?" Erin joked. "I, Kate, Andy, Rachel, and Annabelle are meeting up there at three."
I looked at the clock on my dresser, it read 2:32. "Okay," I agreed. "I'll come."
I parked my jaguar, a gift after I learned how to drive from my dad, in the small parking space. I locked the car tightly, even with the knowledge that it wouldn't get stolen. Shaking out my prop umbrella I spotted the rest of my friends huddled under one running into the small shack to seek shelter.
"Hey!" I called, waving in the pouring rain.
Rachel turned and waved back, mouthing the word, run. Calmly I just walked through the puddles, wearing my nice shoes Aunt Alice had bought me just for this occasion to ruin them and piss her off. I smiled at the thought of the water sinking in the fine material and her face when I returned home.
"Are you guys all here?" I asked when I was inside. I had met them in line, them all ordering some beverage or small snack or another.
"Yeah…" Annabelle said, looking outside through the window with splattered raindrops. "Is that your car?"
"What?" I asked, turning to meet her gaze.
She pointed to the shiny Jaguar of mine, one untouched and glorious even in rain. The rest of them stared at it. "Wasn't that car on the top ten most expensive cars in America?"
I shrugged; I never kept up with things like cars. Jacob might've have known though, that would've explained why he was always eager to get in my car.
My phone started to ring as they kept their eyes switching to the car to the menu. I waved them ahead when the guy about their age was waiting at a cash register for them to order.
"Hello?" I said. I walked out of the line and into a tight corner.
"Nessie!" Aunt Alice cried from the phone.
"Look, Alice, I can't really shop right now, and I…" I started to say.
"Forget that," She said, which surprised me. "It's about Alex. I've had a vision. I'm only getting flickers, nothing truly concrete, but I'm getting the idea of what's happening…"
My face turned white in a flash of anxiety, "What about Alex?" The words sounded barely coherent because my teeth were grinded together.
"An accident. Should be happening around where you are," Alice said. "He should be walking on the sidewalk, with a noticeable yellow umbrella. When he crosses the street, it's most likely he'll get hit by a speeding car."
"Are you serious?" I cried, my voice raising three octaves. "How much time do I have?"
"Couple minutes," Aunt Alice said calmly. Of course she was, she knew nearly everyone's future, and it never bothered her. "Just go distract him or something. Keep him from crossing the street."
I shut off the phone without a polite good bye, but I knew Aunt Alice would understand. I raced toward the door, keeping my eyes on the yellow umbrella and ignoring the stares. I wanted to scream for him, I didn't want it to be him in danger. I could see him waiting at the light to cross the street, his back turned from the Burger Gurger. I could hear the speeding car racing his way up.
Meanwhile in my panic, I crashed into the door and threw it open, sprinted toward him.