Previously on Life As A Black:

"On one condition-you have to stay away from Cousin Jesse."

Chapter Twenty-Five

Rosie's POV

"W-what?" I asked, too bewildered to say anything else. Maybe I had heard her wrong. She didn't say that I couldn't see Jesse when I visited Aunt Rebecca, no, it must have been something else.

"Frankly, he's a bad influence on you, Rosie." Nessie said and my ears started ringing. NOOOOO! She didn't mean it. She couldn't keep me from my secret imprint. I wouldn't let her.

"No he's not." I argued, feeling my body shaking with rage. I let out a deep breath, trying to calm myself enough to not phase in the house, but it was hardly doing any good. I was only lucky that I was only a quarter wolf or I would have been a wolf right now.

Rule One in our house is "never get emotional enough to phase or bite someone" (depending on your genetic make-up). Rule number two was "never argue with Momma." I just broke both in one conversation.

"See? Right there proves it." Nessie said with a frown. "You used to be so even tempered and never acted out. Now, since you've started spending more time with your cousin, you've been irritable."

"Maybe I wouldn't be 'irritable' if you would just let me see him more often." I stated honestly. "Besides, he's not my cousin."

"Jazzlyn Rose Cullen-Black!" Nessie said. "You will not talk back. Your father and I have discussed this, and we think it's for the best. If you still want to go see Aunt Becca and Mandi, then that's fine, but just know that we'll call Rebecca ahead of time and make sure she knows where we stand on this."

"But...but, Momma, it's not fair!" I whined like the five year old I was.

"Life isn't fair, sweetie." Jacob said, coming in with a grin on his face. Carlie was running behind him and wrapped her arms around his legs. He kissed Nessie in greeting, then ruffled my hair. "So what's wrong with our little flower?"

He always called me that when I was being emotional, so I rolled my eyes.

"Nessie is being unreasonable." I stated matter-of-factly.

Jacob raised an eyebrow at me, then turned to Nessie for the 'real story.' Stupid imprints. He always took her side. I couldn't wait until I was out of the house and could have Jesse always take my side like Jacob and Nessie did with each other.

Thinking these thoughts made me realize that I still wasn't going to get to see Jesse for probably another six months. A whole year? I don't think I could do that and survive. But my parents obviously weren't going to listen to me in my present state so I would have to go to my room to cool off.

Unfortunately, I wasn't so good at the whole 'not making a scene' thing. All these teenage hormones trapped inside of a nine year old physically body with a technical five year old status was killing me.

"You know what, I don't even care anymore." I fumed, stomping off to my room. I let out a scream before slamming my door angrily.

What I didn't realize was that EJ had been in here going through my book collection from when Bella used to live with us. I had duplicated her own private library, but she didn't really seem to notice I was trying to idolize her in an attempt to be someone's favorite Cullen-Black.

EJ had been banished to the house for pretty much the rest of eternity for almost biting Charlie, so he had picked up on my old hobby. Only difference was, he actually liked reading pointless romance novels or graphic horror stories. He just loved getting to know his human side better.

"That was intense." EJ smirked. Only he knew that I had imprinted, and somehow, over the last three years, he had managed to keep it a secret. Gotta love your brother being a shield.

"Shut up." I muttered half-heartedly. I was tired, but mostly, I just wanted to see Jesse. All this talk about him really made me miss him.

"You know," EJ said softly, glancing at the door even though we could both hear the rest of our family in the kitchen preparing dinner and discussing what they were going to do with me, like usual.

"If you just told them about the imprint thing, I think that they'd be able to handle it." EJ said, honestly believing himself. "I mean, they had that connection their whole lives, so they should understand what you're going through."

I scoffed. "Didn't you hear her?" I asked, bewildered. "She hates Jesse. Always has. She accepted him as Becca's son for Jacob's sake, but you know that she thinks he's pure evil when it comes to me."

EJ laughed. "You don't really help with that, do ya, kid?" He teased, but I just stuck my tongue out at my 'sixteen' year old brother.

"Just wait until my next growth spurt." I challenged. "We'll see who's the 'kid' then."

"Fair enough." EJ said, laughing again. I guess I can't complain about my family too much when I have such an understanding brother like Edward Jacob.

He was always so quite around our human family because it was hard for him to resist the smell of blood, he was nervous around our extended vampire family because he thought he couldn't measure up, and he was angry at the wolves for not having gotten that gene.

So, in a way, I was the only one he could talk to. That made me feel special, but he still bonded with Nessie more than I would ever so I guess I'd always be just a little bit jealous of him. Sibling rivalry and all that jazz, after all.

"Help me convince them to let me see Jesse." I finally asked at long last.

I knew he would hate to help me (only because it meant that I would hang out with Jesse whom he despised), but he would do it because he always came through for me.

One pouty lip and widening of my eyes and I knew I had him. Ironically, for wolves supposedly being his natural enemy, he was a sucker for the 'puppy-dog pout.'

AN: Yay! EJ and Rosie bonding :)