As Jacob and Bella wound down for the evening Renee came downstairs and Bella took Jacob's earlier advice and decided to sit her down and tell her what her plans were. He said part of her frustration may be that she isn't included in Bella's life anymore and doesn't know how to fix it. So Bella sat her down and Jacob lazed in the chair for moral support.

"I'm glad you want to talk now." Renee said, sipping her sweet tea.

"I thought it was only fair to allow a conversation to happen." She bit her lip, her mother squirmed. Bella took after her father, but when she was blunt like this her mother acted just like them.

"Okay."

"I've decided to attend Forks Community and take the main classes for now. I'll save money on housing by staying with Charlie and I have my truck there."

"Sounds like you have everything figured out." She eyed Jacob suspiciously who was reading a baseball magazine of Phils.

"Don't. He...He has nothing to do with my decision." she lied.

"Really? Doesn't sound that way. I'm sorry Jacob." Jacob looked up at the sound of his name and raised his eyebrows.

He pretended to be very interested in the magazine, though he had read the same paragraph 4 times already.

"When Phil and I said it'd be best for you to live with your father you didn't want to go. Now you don't want to leave...I just don't think Jacob isn't in on your choice."

"So you don't want to hear anything but what you want to hear?" She rose from her chair as Renee slammed her glass on the table.

"No. You explain to me why Forks is so damned amazing Bella! Tell me why community college is your dream then, and that it has nothing to do with a boy!"

Slightly taken back by her mothers outburst she regained her voice, "You gave me no choice in the matter. I had to make the best of what I was dealt and I did. I made a lot of friends at school, I became better friends with Jacob and I've gained a relationship with Charlie. I have everything I need there, here I have nothing but you and some old high school crap I don't want anymore."

Bella sat back down and sighed. She understood her mother's frustration, Jacob was a part of her choice but only a PART. She was miffed that her mother thought so little of her decision making.

"I see." She said softly, clinking her ice cubes in her glass. "But he has nothing to do with it..." She scoffed in Jake's oblivious direction.

"Not in the way you are implying, no. He's my best friend, I can't just find someone and have 17 years of history with them."

"You have phones, Skype and we can get you a nice little car Bella." She pleaded, desperate not to lose her baby forever. Which only angered Bella further.

"Mom, stop! You can't replace everything in my life and be selfish like this. I'd like your support, but I'm an adult and I need to make my own choices."

"Are you dating someone? I mean is that it? Someone back home you don't want to leave?" He mom tried delving.

Jacob's eyes met Bella's briefly before Bella spoke. "I chose this school because it's where I want to go."

"I have a hard time believing you choose a tiny community school over big Harvard league schools because of the education you'd get Bella. Just be honest with me." Renee pleaded.

Their eyes met once again and her heart fluttered. "I am not dating anyone. I just told you the reason I want to stay in Forks."

"Excuse me." Renee exited the room before she started another argument. She wasn't satisfied with the answer Bella gave her, or the uneasy feeling that she was keeping a secret. She pulled the keys down from the door and a few seconds later pulled out of the drive way and out of sight.

"Well that went well." Jacob said, tossing the magazine on the table.

"Yeah. Right. Let's go do something." She rose to her feet, stretching her hand out to Jacob.

He grinned at her, "Sounds kinky."

She shook her head and kicked his foot, "You are impossible."

"I'm just a guy who knows what he wants." He pulled on her hand and she fell into his lap, she bit her lip trying to hide the smile on her face.

"Guess who's not getting what he wants. You, that's who." She tried to get up, but his hands held onto her hips.

"What are you trying to do?" He laughed, pulling her back to his chest, locking his fingers together at her belly button. "Because you aren't going anywhere."

"You're an ass Jake." She giggled, still trying to get away. "Your super human strength is such a turn off."

She laughed as he released her for a second, a second long enough for her to jump up and head for the front door. He was on her heels in seconds and pushed her up against the wall, sticking his tongue out at her. "I decided that I didn't care."

"Lucky me." Her heart was racing, her legs were shaky and she was finding his touch angered the butterflies.

"Yes, lucky you." He sounded smug but she decided to play his game.

She shoved on his chest, wrapping her slender arms around his waist and smiling. "You know what I want Jake?" He moved backwards until he was up against the stairwell.

"S'that" He mumbled, caught off guard by her sudden boldness.

Bella stretched on to her toes and pulled on Jake's neck, inching her face towards his as he closed his eyes.

Jake felt her release him, the door opened and he opened his eyes to see Bella outside on the sidewalk, laughing.

He scuffed. "That was mean."

Bella continued laughing, feeling very proud of herself. "Yeah. I decided I didn't care."

Jacob didn't have long to sulk, he had managed to hold Bella's hand while they waited in line for a cotton candy on the boardwalk. Their fingers intertwined, the beautiful charm bracelet he made her dangling between them. Bella chose blue raspberry and shared with Jake, offering it to him every time she bit off of it. They had gotten several weird looks but didn't pay any attention to people, they were lost in their conversation about Bella's inability to walk without tripping.

"I'd bet you $500 dollars on the spot that you wouldn't last a week without A) Tripping B) Stumbling C) Falling or D) losing your balance"

"You're on!" She rocked her head from side to side and pursed her lips. "You are about to be a very poor man."

Bella spun on her heels, pulling Jacob along behind her who was laughing.

"Lets go on this one!" Jacob was scared by very little but the ride was as tall as a skyscraper and did flips he couldn't imagine doing without throwing up blue stomach goo.

"That's pretty intense."

Bella tugged on his hand, "Jake isn't...scared. Is he?"

"No! I just."

"If you go on this with me I'll give you a present." His ears burned and he squeezed her sweaty hand. He contemplated her plea. He was surprised she hadn't released his hand all night, maybe she was coming around.

"Do I get a sneak peak at what it is?" He smirked down at her, inching her backwards as the line moved forward.

"No, but trust me. You will like it." She'd learned all her best tricks from Jacob.

"You guys riding?" The young kid asked, motioning to move the line through.

"Come on Jake." Bella pleaded.

"Alright, here." He handed off four tickets and sat next to Bella, his knuckles were white from gripping the restraint already.

The ride was only a few minutes long but he did his fair share of screaming.

"You okay? You look...Newton green." She laughed at their movie nightmare with Mike.

"Mmhm." He plopped down on a bench and put his head in his hands, willing himself not to throw up. He could turn into a wolf, he was practically invincible, he ran at super speeds and could read wolf minds but a carnival ride nearly ended him.

Bella felt awful that she had tricked him into riding when she knew he didn't want to. "I'm sorry Jake."

He only groaned in response and her guilt thickened. She rubbed his back for a few minutes, watching people pass by. Some were laughing and there were a lot of families and kids in strollers trying to get over the bumps from the cords. Then you'd see a couple or two where the girl was pouting and the guy was trying to make it up to her. She smiled and realized how she probably looked right now, soothing Jake.

"So this prize..." he mumbled into his hands. "Am I going to have to carry it back to the car?"

She smiled, "nope."

He lifted his head; his color had mostly come back but his face was still pale. "I hope to god it isn't something to eat."

She giggled, rubbing his forearm.

"Is it pretty?" He was staring straight ahead of him, still trying to force down the sick feeling.

"No."

"Will it induce vomit?"

She laughed, "I hope it doesn't."

He leaned against the bench and turned his head towards her, looking a bit more like Jake. "I give up."

Bella hadn't planned on giving him anything other than a stick of his favorite gum, and now she felt guilty and made a rash decision.

Bellas heart fluttered, "Close your eyes."

He closed his eyes and Bella pressed her lips against his, sweetly and softly. She could taste the cotton candy sugar lingering on his bottom lip and smiled into the short kiss. When she pulled back he smiled at her as she took his hand again. The innocence of whatever was going on between them was intensifying at an amazing and beautiful speed.

" What was that for? Not that I'm complaining."

Bella hesitated briefly, enjoying the comfort she got from holding his hand. "A thank you. For today, it's been amazing."

He smiled at her and nodded, "It has."