Disclaimer: I don't own anything from any of 'The Twilight Saga'.

A/N: This story takes place during 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'.

Chapter 12:

A couple days past, and everything was mostly normal.

I sat by the kitchen counter, looking down at my calculus homework, trying to think and study a little before school, but have a conversation at the same time.

"We don't know who it is."

I tapped my pencil against the paper, looking up at Jared. "You just know that it was a vampire?"

"Yeah."

I cringed. "That's got to be scary."

Jared smirked and shrugged. "I'm pretty brave."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I meant for Bella, Jared."

Jared shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"And you're taking turns guarding with the vampires?"

Jared nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Good luck with that." I smirked.

Then Paul came down the hallway, shirtless and beautiful. "Let's go, Jared."

Jared nodded, running out of the house, but Paul stayed behind.

I frowned. "Do you have to?"

Paul took the seat of my stool at the kitchen, spinning it around to face him. He took my face in his hands and kissed me. I started to lean up, slipping my arms around his neck. Then Paul pulled away, kissing my nose.

"Yes, I have to." He smiled.

I tugged on his hair. "Why?"

I knew why, but I was stalling.

"Because if Jake needs to protect Bella, so do we. We're a pack. We stick together."

I leaned in close, pecking his lips. "Hurry back, please?"

Paul nodded, kissing me again. "I will." Then he backed away from me, running outside with Jared, cheering.

"Nita."

I sighed, turning around. "Hi."

"How are you?"

"I'm good, Kato." I tried to smile. "How are you?"

Kato smiled widely, no need to try. "Great."

I nodded. "Great." Then I went back to my locker, hoping he would go away, but he didn't.

"Hey, I was thinking that we could go to a movie."

I turned to him, very confused and very surprised. "What?"

"Me and you, the movies this weekend, maybe tomorrow."

I sighed. "Kato -"

Kato interrupted me, rushing to explain his thoughts. "I know you're kind of seeing Paul Lahote, but it's not serious, right?"

I shook my head, laughing at how ridiculous this was. "No, it's serious."

"Really?" Kato tried. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, smacking my lips. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"But you're a hundred percent sure?"

I laughed. "Yes, Kato, I'm a hundred percent sure. I can get Paul to -"

"No!" Kato said quickly. "Don't tell him about this."

"I won't."

Kato sighed in relief, leaning against the lockers. He looked down at me, pausing for a second, before saying, "But as friends, can we -"

"No, Kato," I said, shaking my head. "I'm sorry."

"Well," Kato breathed out loudly. "If you ever need me, I'm here."

I nodded, smiling. "Okay, Kato."

Kato smiled, walking down the hall. Not a second later, a tight hand landed on my shoulder.

"Nita Cameron."

I hit her hand off. "What, Anna?

"Why was Kato over here?"

I chuckled. "Oh, Kato. Gotta love -"

Anna clamped her hand on my arm. "Tell me."

"Ow, okay," I seethed out, pulling my arm away. "Calm down, Anna. He just asked me to the movies, that's all."

Anna's face turned red, and she scowled. "Kato asked you to the movies?"

I nodded slowly. "Yes."

Anna crossed her arms. "Did you say yes?"

"No!" I laughed. "No, of course not. I'm with Paul. I thought you knew that."

"Yeah, but it's Kato." Anna looked past me, love in her eyes.

"Yeah, sure, it's Kato, but I'm not into him."

"You're not?"

I shook my head, very sure of my answer. "Not at all."

Anna seemed pleased with my answer. "Do you think he'd ask me out?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Do you even hang out with him?"

"Yes," Anna snapped. "Sometimes. Kind of."

"Why don't you ask him out?"

Anna looked like she was considering. "I don't know."

"Okay," I said, closing my locker. "You can wait for him, or you can just ask him out."

"I think I'm gonna ask him out." Anna smiled.

I nodded. "Cool. Bye." I tried walking away, but Anna grabbed my arm.

She surprised me by saying, "We should hang out sometime. Maybe the beach?"

"Uh -"

"Great." Anna smiled, handing me a piece of paper. "This is my cell number. Text me, okay?"

"Uh, okay, but -"

"Bye, Nita!" Anna skipped away.

"I -" I sighed, my shoulders slumping.

Anna Takken wanted to hang out with me? She hated me, mostly because of Kato, but more for being around all the boys. I had to face it, the boys were very attractive, even more so now. That was a huge reason I never had any girls as friends - because of the boys.

When the bell rang, I just slipped the paper in my pocket and went to class, trying not to think about too much.

I walked back to the house after school to drop off my stuff, then go to the Black's. It was finally the weekend and we were going to have a campfire. Walking into the house, I went straight to my room and threw my bag on the bed. I looked down, then realized that I should've changed into something warmer.

I unbuttoned my jeans, pulling them down. Then I pulled my shirt over my head, after that, reaching back to unhook my bra.

The door opened faster than I could cover myself.

"Ah!" I yelled, trying my best to cover my exposed skin.

"Whoa."

I sighed, looking up and realizing that it was Paul. "God, Paul, don't you knock?" I stopped trying to cover myself, walking over to my closet.

Paul walked in, sitting on my bed. "Hurry up and put some clothes on."

"I'm going, I'm going," I said, scanning through my closet, searching for a certain shirt.

I heard Paul groan. "Nita."

I laughed, looking over at him. "You can close your eyes, Paul."

Paul's eyes travelled up and down my body. "I can't look away."

I shook my head. "It's just like a bathing suit."

Paul shook his head in disagreement. "Your bathing suit top isn't a push up."

I looked down at my chest, cupping my breasts and adjusting them. "This isn't a push up..."

Paul came over to me quicker than I could register. He surprised me when he pushed my up against my wall, his lips finding mine very fast. I jumped up, trusting him to catch me. And he did, hands holding my thighs as he walked over to the bed. We both fell down onto the bed, Paul's body settling between my legs. And Paul's hands were everywhere. For the first time, he let himself touch me, and it felt so good.

My hands ran through his hair, and down his back. As soon as Paul's lips left mine to kiss my neck, I moaned. And Paul didn't move away.

He was full of surprises.

The lower part of ours bodies met and I moaned loudly.

I was sensitive to his touch. We never touched each other how we were just then.

I reached back, unclipping my own bra. That was when Paul's lips left my body.

"No," Paul said hastily, his hand reaching around my back to hold the clasps together. "If you do that -"

"What?" I laughed. "If I do that, we might have sex?"

Paul cringed. "I don't know what would happen."

I smiled. "What is so bad about that, Paul?"

"I could hurt you." Paul got off the bed, turning his back to me. "You should get dressed. We have to go soon."

I stood on my bed, making my way over to Paul. I placed my hands on the biceps and massaging them. I kissed his neck as I did so, hoping that he would turn around and act on it.

Paul did turn around, but he only grabbed my face gently and kissed me softly. When he pulled away, his eyes never left my face. "I love you, Nita. But not now."

I nodded, kissing him again. I pulled away, pushing him toward the door and smiling. "Then get out."

Paul laughed, turning and walking toward the door. "Get dressed."

I reached out and smacked his backside, smirking. "You get dressed."

Paul didn't turn around, but I heard him laugh. Then he left the room and I finally got dressed.

Paul and I walked up to the fire that was getting started.

"Hey, Paul!"

Paul turned to me and kissed me quickly. "I'll see you later, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Paul ran off to all the boys, and I sat down beside Leah.

"Hey, Leah."

Leah glanced at me, then went back to staring at the fire. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Leah said, sighing.

I laughed lightly. "Do you want me to ask again?"

Leah almost smiled. "No, I just don't really want to be here."

I bumped her shoulder with mine. "Hey, you got me."

Leah looked at me. "No, I don't. You've got Paul."

I looked at her with confusion. "So?"

"So you're going to ditch me halfway through."

I sighed. "Of course I want to be with Paul, but I don't need to be with him all the time."

"Don't you love him?"

"Where is all this coming from?"

Leah looked at me pointedly. "You didn't answer my question."

I looked past Leah at Paul, who was laughing with the boys. He was so handsome. And amazing. I was impressed by him daily, and I was definitely in love with him. I just hadn't gotten around to telling him. I breathed in and out deeply. "I...don't know."

"Oh, please," Leah scoffed. "You're always staring at him, and you're always happy."

I laughed. "Being in love doesn't mean being happy all the time."

"So you love him or not?"

Yes, I loved him. "I don't know."

"Why are you scared to say you love him?" Leah asked, seeing right through me.

I shrugged, shaking my head and looking at the fire. "I'm not, I just..."

"You're just scared." Leah shrugged, smiling. "It's okay to be a baby about it."

I looked at Leah incredulously. "Are you challenging me?"

Leah laughed, looking back at the fire. "No, no."

I nodded, staring at her. "I can do it."

"Sure, you can."

"I can."

"Okay."

"I will."

"Do it now."

I sucked in, shaking my head. "No, I can't do it."

Leah shrugged. "Well, it's okay to be a baby about it."

I glared at her. "Whatever."

Then hands landed on my shoulders, and a voice near my ear said, "Hey, baby."

I smiled, turning to my right and finding Paul's lips. "Hey."

Paul walked around my chair, sitting down on the ground in front of me, burger in hand. He leaned back, his back resting on my chair, my hands on his shoulders. Paul glanced over his shoulder at me. "Get ready for the crazy party to start."

In reality, it was a council meeting. So when Billy Black started talking, almost all the teenagers zoned out.

"Jake!" Seth said, running over to where Jake was coming in with Bella. Eventually, they sat down, and Billy went on the talk about the tribe's history.

"The Quileute have been a small tribe since the beginning, but we have always had magic in our blood. We were great spirit warriors, shape-shifters that transformed to the powerful wolf. This enabled us to scare off our enemies and protect our tribe," Billy's voice was low, and everyone was quiet, only the cracking of the fire every once in a while. "One day, our warriors came across a creature. It looked like a man, but it was hard like stone and cold as ice," Billy told the story of the man killing the tribe wives and the fierce battle. "Our warriors sharp teeth finally tore it apart, but only fire would completely destroy it. They lived in fear that the cold man was not alone. And they were right. She took her vengeance out on the village. Our elder chief, Taha Aki, was the only spirit warrior left to save the tribe after his son was killed," Billy told us how Taha Aki shifted on intention to avenge his son, and save the village. "Taha Aki's third wife could see that he would lose. The third wife was no magical being, with no special powers but one...courage," Billy told us how the third wife stabbed herself to distract the cold woman. "The third wife's sacrifice distracted the cold woman long enough for Taha Aki to destroy her. She saved the tribe. Over time, our enemies have disappeared. But one remains, the cold ones. Our magic awakens when they're near, and we sense it now. We feel the threat in our blood."

I gripped Paul's shoulders hard, then let my hands fall to his chest.

Billy continued. "Something terrible is coming, and we must all be ready, all of us." Billy looked at Bella.

The meeting ended slowly, just like the fire.