Romantic Comedies Aren't So Bad. Really.

It was a week past Christmas. Dad had been right – he had gotten something nice: a gift card for a prom dress, plus shoes and jewellery. Sure, prom was still ages away, but I was glad I didn't have to pay for me looking good. Especially since I finally had found someone to look good for.

My brother had been extremely happy about his new watch and had almost killed me with his hug. He in return had given me a DVD.

It had finally snowed, and we had celebrated New Year with a sufficient amount of fireworks, which had been a little too loud, in my opinion. The whole village had been together, though, and although that had meant for me to watch Sam and Emily again, I had also enjoyed it. Partially because Jake had laid an arm around me for almost the whole night, and my head had rested on his shoulder.

It was now January the second, and that meant that I had exactly three days left until Jacob's birthday on the sixth, which made me panic. What should I get him? He had given me a journal and he was going to invite me to the movies. I in turn had given him the dream catcher with the picture. But I didn't have a clue what to get him for his stupid fifteenth birthday.

So when I walked past a store that sold weapons and tools in Port Angeles, something caught my eyes immediately. Something shiny, silver and black. It was a set of tools, with black handles. They were in a black box. I supposed someone who liked to build cars would love them. Surprised by my own idea, I entered the store to buy the box. The man behind the counter smiled and talked me into engraving the tools. We decided to put 'Jacob Black' on it. Just in case Jake would forget how he was called one day.

The man told me the tools would be ready tomorrow, and so I drove back to the rez, making a short stop at the supermarket in Forks to buy Jake's and my favourite chocolate-covered doughnuts. The reason for that – apart from me being hungry – was that tonight, Jake was coming over to my house to watch my all-time favorite romantic comedy with me.

He dreaded it, of course, but I guessed that was just the typical prejudice of a boy. I believed guys actually liked romances and romantic comedies (my brother was enough proof of that), but that they thought themselves too manly to admit it.

I was a little excited, because this was the first time that one of us was going to sleep at the other one's house. We had wanted to sleep in Jake's garage on Halloween, but, well, Sam had gotten between us. Like he always did. Stupid Sam. I hated him and loved him at the same time.

I had put a mattress and some pillows on the floor so Jake – or I – could sleep there. I didn't know who would sleep where tonight. Maybe both of us could sleep in my bed – at least I hoped so. I had also brought the TV upstairs and the DVD player. I had bought candy and coke.

Deep inside I felt a little scared, because I was nervous about the sleepover. Like I said, we'd never done this before, and I just dreaded the thought that something might change between us. That was a foolish assumption, of course, but I still feared it.

When the bell rang, I walked downstairs cautiously, trying not to trip because that would be just too embarrassing. Like Jacob said, me tripping was a running gag, and it was one I didn't want to be repeated. Especially not tonight.

I opened the door, and there stood Jacob, grinning at me. „Hello, Leah!", he greeted me and held up a bowl of popcorn in his one hand. He hugged me with his other arm and entered the hallway. „I'm a little scared, you know." Good. At least I wasn't the only one. „I've never watched a romantic comedy before." I grinned at him. „Don't worry. It's not so bad. Really."

We went upstairs and sat down on my bed. Jake took a blanket and made it himself comfortable. I jumped up, put the DVD into the player and pressed 'play'. The theme song of Love Actually, my most favorite movie of all times (except for Star Wars, maybe), started to play. Jacob groaned. „What have I gotten myself into?", he muttered. I hit him and handed him the doughnuts. He beamed at me. „Great! I guess now I'm gonna be able to sit through that thing." He took a big bite and munched for a while. The movie started. Jake and I were both cuddled in blankets and he had laid an arm around me. I felt great. Who wouldn't?

Jake actually thought the movie was hilarious. He especially liked Great Britain's Prime Minister because he was almost unbelievably dumb and funny. He also liked the guy who wants to travel to America to find a girlfriend.

When there was the Christmas show of the schools and little Sammy played the drums, Jacob turned to me. „It's not so bad. But I still think action movies are better." I hit him. „You haven't seen the end yet, Jake." He shrugged. „I don't need to. I don't like romantic happy endings." I raised an eyebrow. „Because you haven't had one", I smirked. Jake shrugged again. „Maybe." He paused for a while. „We could change that, you know?", he said and smiled at me. I tried my best to smile back. The „we" he had mentioned made my heart beat faster, but I knew he didn't mean it the way I wanted him to mean it. And I wasn't going to tell him that I wanted him to mean it the way I wanted him to mean it, because I knew he didn't mean it that way and I'd rather be his best friend than nothing.

I slapped my subconscious, not because I didn't want it to think about that, but because it felt weird to admit that I liked Jake a little more than just as a best friend. Just a little more. And I started to love Sam a little less.

That was a good sign. My pain started to disappear. My wounds began to close, and my broken heart began to heal.

Just small parts of my heart, of course. But loving Jacob Black – no matter whether it was the love for a best friend or a little more than just that – made the process much easier and faster.

I simply loved the end of Love Actually. How Colin Firth goes to France to ask a girl in horrible Portuguese if she wants to marry him while about a hundred people are watching them. How Sam (Ugh. That horrible name again!) jumps past the Airport security to say good-bye to Joana, his first love. And in the end how all the people return from their travels and meet at the airport, a place where, according to the movie, love can be experienced everyday.

I even cried a little at the end. I liked crying if it was for no true reason. That way one could cry about the things one wanted to cry about without really cry about them. Awesome!

I felt something shaking behind me. I looked up and saw that Jacob was trying to hold back tears. I grinned. „What's up with you?", I asked, knowing exactly what was up with him. „Nothing", Jake muttered and wiped the tears away, but I could see he was smiling.

I turned the TV off and crawled under my blanket and Jake laid down on my bed as well (it seemed like no one was going to sleep on the ground tonight). He pulled me closer and mumbled something about not wanting me to get cold.

I pulled my hair in front of me so Jake wouldn't choke on it. Jake followed my hand and started to play with a strand of my hair. „Good night, Lee-Lee", he whispered in my ear, and I smiled. He was allowed to call me that. I didn't know why, but somehow it felt like he was supposed to call me that. „Good night, Jake. Love you." He kissed my head. „Love you too."

He fell asleep a lot sooner than I did. I listened a while to his calm breathing and quiet snoring. Sam's snoring had always bothered me – it had been loud and irritating. Jake's was different. It was calming, and I felt safe somehow.

Moving a little closer, I finally closed my eyes and fell asleep, concentrating on the quiet noises Jacob made.

When I woke up the next morning, we were in the same position we had fallen asleep in. We hadn't moved an inch. The only thing that had changed was that instead of holding a strand of my hair, Jake was holding my hand now.

I looked into his face and saw too dark eyes staring back. Apparently he had woken up the same time I had. Funny.

„Good morning!", he yawned and smiled at me. „You know, Leah, I have to admit, the movie wasn't bad." I grinned. „Told ya, didn't I?" We beamed at each other and stood up. Together we walked downstairs to get some breakfast. Mom had scrambled eggs ready for us, and Jake ate as if he hadn't eaten anything for days. „Sorry", he said when he realized I was staring at him, „I'm just starved." Boys. Their stomachs were way too large. „It's OK", I smiled, „When do you have to leave?" He didn't know, so we went back upstairs to bring the TV to the living room so Dad could watch a game again. Seth helped us, which wasn't any help at all since his arm was in a sling. Actually, it was more annoying than anything else, but I knew he wanted to spend some time with his Indian Idol. Jake grinned. He liked it that Seth idolized him.

Before I could persuade Jacob to stay for lunch, Billy called and commanded him home. Jake looked sad and hugged me close, giving me a kiss on my left cheek, a kiss on my right cheek and one on my forehead. I grinned, feeling victorious. Three kisses. Gotcha, Jacob.

After Jake had gone, I drove to Port Angeles to get is birthday present. For a second I thought about buying him a cake, too, but then I decided to bake one. My apple pie. Then Jake would be the second person outside my family to know that it was my famous pie, not Mom's.

The reason why everyone thought that it was my mom's pie was that when I had been in sixth grade, there had been a School Spirit Day where the parents had been supposed to bring a cake or muffins. I had brought the apple pie which I had made all by myself because Mom hadn't had the time to bake one. She had been at the hospital with Dad. He had gotten his pills against heart disease on that day and had to be checked by a doctor again. So I had used an old recipe by my grandma (Daddy's side, of course), only that I had changed some things, added a little more cinnamon, things like that. Everyone had loved it. But when I told that it had been me who had made it, nobody had believed me. Especially Jared the Jerk had told everyone I was a big fat liar, and everyone had rushed to Mom to get the recipe. Mom in turn had thought that I had used Grandma's recipe, so she had given it to all those who asked. That had led to everyone assuming that I indeed had been lying about the apple pie. And still, they all only had gotten Granny's recipe, without my changes. And so the Clearwater Pie was still the best in the rez.

I'd never told Mom how to make it.

I bought the present and drove back to Forks to buy the needed ingredients in the local supermarket. I walked straight to the apples and looked for my favourite kind.

Suddenly I smelled the too sweet-scent again. It smelled a lot like peaches and chocolate, but in a sickening way. It was sweet to the point of burning my nose. I felt danger and spun around, ready to attack – throwing a shoe or something else as helpful as that – when all at once I calmed down. I felt comfortable again although his sight had given me this odd feeling of jeopardy creeping up my back. But it was all gone, and I felt plain happy.

„Hello, Leah Clearwater." I sighed and beamed at the guy in front of me. The beautiful, creepy, blond guy I'd met in Seattle. „Hello, Jasper Hale." I still smiled, but it felt weird. I didn't want to smile, and still I couldn't help it. „I assume you have had your car repaired?", Jasper asked, smirking at me. I wanted his stupid smile to piss me off, but it didn't. It looked so... handsome. So instead of snapping at him, I just nodded. „That is good", Jasper stated, „I do not think I will be there to save you a second time." He winked at me. „So, Leah, what are you doing here? Not Christmas shopping, if you allow me to guess." I rolled my eyes at him and held up the apples I had picked. „I'm going to bake an apple pie. And you?" What was wrong with me, for crying out loud? Why was I so polite? To him?

He held up a bag with oranges. „Groceries. My girlfriend has sent me here. We need some... stuff." He sounded as if he had no idea what this 'stuff' could be. „You don't go shopping often, do you?", I asked, half-grinning. He looked so lost, like he didn't belong to the reality of a supermarket. „No", he agreed, „That's Alice's job, usually. Today she has sent me, though. I don't know why. I don't cook often, too." I snickered. Awfully good-looking guy who couldn't cook. Well, you couldn't have it all. „What can you cook?" He looked at me. „Apart from eggs sunny side up? Nothing." „Jeez!", I laughed, „I would die! Eggs and eggs everyday – you can be happy you have someone else who cooks for you." He half-smiled. „Yeah. I probably should learn it, though, don't you think?" „Let's put it this way – a guy who is able to cook is able to survive without eating too much McFat food." Jasper raised an eyebrow. „What is so bad about fast-food?" I groaned. „It's not bad. It's not sexy." He laughed. „So a guy who can cook is sexy?" I slapped my subconscious for my comment. I shouldn't flirt with this boy. I shouldn't even talk to him!

I nodded. „At least I think so." „Well, then I guess I'll have to practise if I want you to find me sexy", he smirked, with his golden eyes glittering at me. I liked his eyes.

Irrgh. I didn't want to find him attractive. I thought about Jacob, and this distracted me from getting lost in Jasper Hale's all-too-bright eyes.

Jasper looked at his watch. „Oops, I have to go. I promised my family to be home at six. Good-bye, Leah. It was a pleasure to meet you again." Yeah, yeah, talk to my hand, I wanted to say. I was angry with him, although I couldn't say why. But I just smiled and said really friendly: „Pleasure's all mine" through gritted teeth. He smiled and walked away, just to turn round once again to wink at me.

When I was sure he couldn't see me anymore, I threw an apple on the ground. I hated him! I hated him and the rest of his stupid rich family. He knew that. All Cullens knew that the Quileute didn't like them. And still he was talking to me! The thing that bothered me the most was that he didn't look so much in pain anymore. I didn't know why that bothered me, but it did. Because that had been one of the many reasons why I had thought he was weird, and I didn't want that thought to go away. Jasper Hale was weird, and no boy to look at.

END.

I returned home and watched TV, but I couldn't really concentrate. 'Scrubs' was on, something I usually found hilarious, but not even the iced tea I had bought for me could make me think about something else.

Jasper Hale was haunting me.

And he continued doing so in my dream.

In my dream, Jasper Hale stood next to me in the supermarket. His eyes were blood-red, which scared me like hell. And still we walked right into the woods, hand in hand. In the woods, his expression changed. He bared his perfect white teeth at me, and they looked really sharp. He prepared to assault me – I could see that in his eyes. But I couldn't run. My feet were frozen.

Suddenly a huge russet wolf jumped over me and attacked Jasper. With a loud crack the wolf ripped Jasper's head from his shoulders and threw it away. Then the wolf turned to me, and with a loud scream I woke up.