Jacob POV

Argh! Why am I doing this?

"Hey Mahli!" I jogged up to her. She goes to my school. She's pretty. Tall, slim, blonde hair. And I wanted to speak to her. It had been three days since Ezra left and I had been stopping myself as much as I could but… "Wait up!"

Mahli had her books across her chest and turned to face me frowning. "Are you going to school Jacob?"

"No!" I scoffed. "Please… No actually, I'm here to pull you out of school."

"What?" she looked to the school gates and then back at me. "Jacob, I've got a test today."

"It's called jigging. It's healthy every once in a while." I leaned on school gate. "Anyways, it summer school."

"Meaning I can't jig." she started to walk inside but hesitated. "I'm free after school."

"It's now or never." I offered walking off. Thank you God! Score one for Jacob. None for Ezra.

I went over to my motorbike and got on it. As I charged it up Mahli ran up to me. "Jake!" she smiled. "Okay."

I gave her my best smile before passing her my spare helmet. "Jump on."

Ezra one.

Me nil.

Why was I doing this? This was the stupidest thing ever. I didn't want to. I had to.

"I'm going to make a detour before I take you out." I said. "Just hold on."

I flew threw the streets and leaned down on my bike, going faster than before. Mahli held on tightly, not really worried. I guess she had a lot of trust. I drove up to the Cullen's and drove up the driveway. Alice stood there expectantly. I guess her day just blacked out.

"Hey Jake." she said as I stopped up in front of her.

"Hey Shortie." I replied. "How've you been?"

"Good. I thought you'd be visiting sooner." she looked to Mahli. "Hello."

"Hi." Mahli said nervously holding me a little tighter.

I looked to Mahli. "Alice, this Mahli. Mahli, Alice."

"Nice to meet you." Alice nodded. "I'm guessing you're wondering if Ezra arrived yet."

"Just checking in." I shrugged. "You heard from her and Jazz?"

"You know them. Running around." she sighed. "Anyways. Ezra did text me. Her and Jasper checked in with Bella's mum and step-dad. In Arizona."

"Phoenix? Already?"

"That was just this morning. I think they're still going south. Petsha's lost though. Can't figure out where they are."

"Yeah." I nodded keeping up with the coded messages. "Sounds like Petsha. They're not going to slow down and let him catch up are they?"

"They're trying not to." she laughed but I could see the pain behind it.

Then Alice stared at me sadly. "I heard about what Ezra said. Emmett told me." she looked toward Mahli. "How do you two know each other?"

"I'm an old friend of Jacobs." Mahli said hugging me tightly around the waist. I felt like scoffing but something held me back so I just ended up choking. Alice and Mahli both stared at me in confusion.

"Okay then." Alice nodded.

I wiped the tears from my eyes from choking and gave Alice a pained smile. "Tell Ez I said hi and tell Jasper he owes me a game of Playstation."

"Emmett will verse you anytime." Alice reminded me. "We kinda miss you around here. Especially Esme. She's been buying food… that you like." she saved herself as she looked to Mahli. Alice then looked to the house. "With Edward, Bella, Jasper and Ezra missing… the house is getting kinda lonely." she stared for a few seconds. "Anyways, you better be off."

"Yeah." I nodded to Alice revving the bike. "Come on Mahli. Let's go."

Mahli nodded. "Nice meeting you."

"You too." Alice smacked her hands together.

As we started speeding back down the driveway my heart was trying to break but something kept it together. "That Alice girl is creepy! And what was with that shirt? It looked like it was out of a Goth horror shop!" Mahli exclaimed once we were out of human hearing distance. I heard Alice hiss as we continued driving.

"Alice has an awesome dress sense." I defended. "I mean… she dresses everyone."

"Maybe she should learn how to dress herself." Mahli frowned. "And who's Ezra? Is she that girl you've been hanging out with?" Now I remembered why I didn't like this girl.

"Yeah. She's a friend. She was in town for a bit. Now she and her brother are going down to South America." Well it was where I thought they were going.

"Her brother? She's a Cullen?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't you have a thing for that one who married Edward?"

How the hell did she know so much about my love life? "Yeah."

"What happened?"

I turned to her and gave her my best smile. "My eyes opened up and I saw you."

Mahli giggled girlishly.

Ugh! She giggled like a sugar coated preschooler. Ezra never giggled like that. Bella never even giggled like that.

"So Mahli." I said huskily. God, what was wrong with me? "Where do you want to go?"

"Um…" she bit her lip. "How about we go… to… the beach?"

Too public.

"Nah… too public. You are jigging."

"Good point… the forest?"

The Seth, Quil and Embry are on a run.

"Too dangerous for you."

"Not if your there."

"Next."

"Your place?"

I thought about this for a second. Paul and Rachel had a date. Dad was with Sue and Charlie. My place could work.

"Okay."

I sped a little, now knowing what direction I was going in. When we got there Mahli nearly fell, her legs feeling like jelly. I caught her. "You okay?"

"Weird feelings in my legs."

"It's called your first time on a motorbike."

Mahli nodded as I led her inside. "Well that's pretty embarrassing."

"Nah… I've had girls do worse without even sitting on the bike." I confessed.

"I'm sure you've had a lot of girls." Mahli smirked.

I gave her a sidelong look, my heart having that weird breaking but not breaking feeling again. "You have no idea."

Mahli giggled. Again. I let her into my house and she instantly made herself at home. "I figured something out the other day." Mahli said as she sat on the couch. "I figured why you don't let me join your little group."

I tensed as I made my way over to the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Lemonade if you have any." she said. I continued to the kitchen wondering if she had figured out the packs secret. She continued as if I had never asked her about her thirst. "I figured it because of your culture." Mahli continued, raising her voice so I could hear her, even though she really didn't have to. "I mean… you're all Quileute."

I sighed a breath of relief as I headed back into the living room handing her, her drink. "Lemonade." I said placing it in front of her.

She nodded gratefully and sipped the drink. "It took me a while to figure out which was pretty stupid… but I mean… Embry is Makah and I didn't know Seth and Leah were Quileute until I did a bit of research… I didn't see it right away. Only Embry I can't explain."

"His Dad." I said quietly. "His dad was Quileute."

Mahli nodded. "Really? Do I know his Dad?"

"No." I shook my head. "He died…years ago." It wasn't my place to talk about that.

"You know…" she said placing the glass on the table. "I don't look it… but I'm part Quileute. On both sides. It doesn't look like it I know but my dad's grandfather was Quileute and my mums great-grandfather was Quileute too. Different relations of course…"

Mahli kept rabbling on about how Quileute she was. I felt kind of bad. She didn't really know how to be a member of our pack. And even so, we didn't want her to join.

Mahli was special in her own way. I did feel sorry for her. She really had no friends. She looked like the kind of girl who should be popular beyond belief however her overly dramatic personality and need to be involved in everyone's business and know everyone's gossip made her a little standoffish.

I didn't like her but… stupid Esmeralda. Why'd I have to listen to her? Why couldn't I push her off me? This is so… so crap! The way her perfect eyes shone as she forced me to do her will. The way her hair fell over her face when she got up to leave, out of embarrassment and sadness. The way her lip quivered and I couldn't stop it… And now I have a picture of a burger in my head. I have no idea but I think it has something to do with her statement 'I don't want you to think about me… to much.' Well that 'to much' meant if I thought about her a lot my mind would wander to a completely new topic.

I realised Mahli was looking at me waiting for an answer. "Uh…yeah?"

"You mean it?" she said all excited.

"I'm sorry Mahli… what were you asking?" I frowned. "I was lost there for a second."

"I asked if I could join your little club…"

"Mahli…" I started.

"But Leah's in it! And Seth, Collin and Brady and they're all younger than me! So you can't use the age excuse anymore and you definitely can't say boys only." she looked cross. "And I'm Quileute."

"Mahli if you only came with me for an invite into… our group then you should just leave." I suggested. Please leave, please leave, please leave.

Mahli stuck her head up slightly. "Why'd you invite me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know… Got bored?"

"It's because your little poser of a girlfriends gone isn't it." Mahli frowned. "The Jade chick…"

"Jade?" I frowned.

"Emerald, Jade whatever the gems name is." Mahli stuck her nose up.

I frowned back. "Her names Esmeralda."

"Well where is? You two have been inseparable these last few weeks and then poof! She disappears." Mahli waited for an answer.

"She had family commitments to deal with…" I started.

"In Arizona? I heard she was studying in England and she's a Cullen. So what family business does she have where there are no Cullen's and is away from her precious private school?" Mahli narrowed her eyes.

"Mahli, that's none of your business." I said standing up. "I invited you because you're always hanging around and I thought I'd make you happy by inviting you over! Jesus! If you're going to bag out my friends then leave! I was gonna say we watch a movie…" oh no… there goes my mouth. "And hang out but I don't want to now." Yes! Saved!

Mahli stood up so she was standing up over me. I thought she'd slap me or just leave. I didn't think she'd lean on top of me and start making out with me. Never in my life did I think she'd do that.

Instinct kicked in and I pushed her away. "Mahli!"

She pushed herself back onto me and started kissing me again. "Mahli!!" I yelled as I pushed her off, again.

"Look, you're lonely, I'm desperate. I don't even care if you're using me…" she breathed heavily.

"I do!" I said moving away from her.

Mahli frowned. "Then why on earth did you invite me out Jacob Black?"

"Because I was told to!" I yelled. "It's not like I always invite my stalkers in!"

And that was it. I made the biggest, dumbest, stupidest mistake ever. Mahli looked toward the ground. I could see salty tears brimming on her eyes. Oh no. "Mahli." I muttered edging closer to her. "I didn't mean that." Yes I did, but I'd never say it. I'm not cruel. Or at least I try not to be.

"I-I-I just thought…" she stuttered.

"Yeah, I know what you just thought." I sighed. "Look, Mahli, I'm going through something pretty tough at the moment and…"

She leaned up and kissed me again. I kissed back this time even though in the back of my mind I truly didn't want to. "Come on Jake." she whispered as we broke apart. "You need this I need this… what's the point in denying that?"

I closed my eyes tightly and groaned. "I hate Esmeralda."

"That's the spirit." she continued kissing me and I could do nothing to stop it.