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Part IV- Imprint

Chapter 9- Tell me about yourself

"So Bella Uley, tell me about yourself?"

I gave him a confused look. That was his first question and his way of starting our conversation?

He shrugged "What? You only said that we will start being friends from scratch, on a clean slate so I need to ask this question"

A laugh escaped my mouth at the innocent look on his face as I opened my mouth to answer his question.

"Umm" I started awkwardly "My name is Isabella Marie Uley, well obviously as you already know, but I prefer to be called Bella. I am sixteen and am still in high school, and yeah…." I shrugged trailing off, as I attempted to answer this simple yet ridiculously difficult question to answer. In my opinion unless you were a narcissist who could rant for days about yourself or a scholar with ten degrees and a fifty hobbies to talk about, this simple question had no simple answer, as you never knew what exactly to say.

He nodded his head with a curious expression on his face "Why Bella and not Izzie or anything more childlike to pronounce as a nickname when you were a child, considering you have been called Bella for as long as I know you"

I gave him a surprised look "have we really never spoken about why or how I came to be known as 'Bella'?

I had known him for years. Had we actually never spoken about this? Had it never really come up in all these years?

He shrugged "I guess it never really came up. As I said you were known as Bella in and around La Push by the time I moved here. I was probably the only one who called you Isabella, around and that was more to annoy you than otherwise" he said with a short laugh "Why? Is there a story to it?"

"You bet" I said with a smile as I reminisced about what Allison had told me on this, years back on one such day when I had been dying of curiosity "So, when mom had got me home first when I was nearly six months old, apparently it was really difficult for the then three year old Sam to pronounce Isabella, considering it is a mouthful" I said with a shake of the head. It was no hidden detail that I was not much fond of my name "So to make things easier for the toddler Sam who had been referring to me as 'baby' since the past three weeks, mom asked him to call me 'Bell' instead, as in the ringing of bells. But Sam being Sam decided to make his own version of my name and started calling me 'belly'. And let's just say having your daughter being called 'belly' in public got old rather fast. And so she came up with Bella and asked Sam to call me that instead and I guess the name just stuck then and soon everyone started calling me that"

"Makes sense" he said with a nod "And it is no doubt a beautiful name, perfect for the person who owns it" he said with a playful wink as I blushed crimson at his compliment and the sincerity that I could hear in his voice "Umm, thank you"

"So wait" he said after a few minutes of silence, getting the attention of my currently mushy brain that was still gushing on the fact that he had called me beautiful. "What do you mean by when Allison got you home first, when you were six months old?"

I gave him a confused look before realization stuck me. Right! Paul did not know of me being adopted. I had found out around the time that he had left for Pittsburgh and obviously, it had not come up since.

"I am adopted. Mom, I mean Allison adopted me when I was six months old"

"Oh" he said, surprise coating his features "But I thought your dad…"

I interrupted him mid sentence knowing what he was going to say ahead "Yeah, Sam, Embry and I share a father or rather sperm donor. All three of us have different moms though. Joshua Uley was quite a Casanova in his days" I added with a bitter laugh.

He still looked confused by my answer so I took a deep breath in before deciding to solve his confusion. If he would have lived in La Push, never moving to Pittsburgh, he would have known about this years back anyways. How close we had been, it was highly unlikely that I would not have shared this with him.

"My biological mom, Renee was married to Forks police officer Charlie Swan when she cheated on him with Joshua Uley who too was married to Allison and had Sam at that time. The end result of their one night of fun was that Renee became pregnant and lied to Charlie that it was his. Charlie was elated and did not have any suspicions as such and even after seeing me once I was born and looked nothing like him, he loved his wife and did not want to hurt her by questioning and doubting her loyalty and so accepted me like I was his own. A few months later though, Charlie died on duty being at a wrong place at a wrong time and Renee soon realized that being a single parent was not something she was capable of being. Don't get me wrong, she did love me in her own way and thought that leaving me in capable hands was better than being in a situation where she could not provide for me or raise me like she wanted to. So she left me at Billy's and disappeared, leaving behind just a letter telling him that he should inform Joshua of me as she thought that maybe he would be better capable of raising me, but by that time he too had skipped town deciding that family and marriage was really not his cup of tea, leaving behind Sam and Allison. And so when Billy went to her to tell her of all of this, she decided to adopt me and raise me like her own, as according to her I was already an Uley and Sam's sister and too cute not to be loved" I said with a silly pout and a short laugh.

"Wow" he said the words slowly, still in shock, trying to get a grasp on all that I had just told him "I really don't know what to say right now"

I gave him an understanding nod. I knew that this was not something you heard very often and my story was not quite conventional. It was pretty twisted to be honest.

"It's okay. I would not have wanted it any other way. Allison is a great mom and Sam and Embry are the best brothers a girl could want. They gave me a great childhood, one that I loved almost every minute of, so no regrets there" I smiled looking at him

"It must be good to have siblings" he stated rather than asked.

"It is, most of the time" I said with a nod "well unless you are fighting for who gets the last piece of pizza or who gets the TV remote in their hand or who mom loves more" I laughed "Seriously I love my brothers but at times I wouldn't mind taking a gun and putting a bullet through them. They can be really infuriating"

I thought back to all the times when I had fought with either Sam or Embry, or the times when it would be two against one with me and Embry on one side and Sam on the opposite or the rarer times when it was both the boys versus me, an example of that being when a boy in middle school had asked me out on a date, only to be scared away by my brothers. Sigh!

Sam and my fights were more of the verbal ones with us shouting cuss words at one another across the room, with no attention to who heard us and got influenced by it, cough Embry cough, as Sam could never even playfully hit me. He was too big a softie for that, no matter how tough he looked in life.

Embry and my fights on the other hand, were more physical in nature. We would playfully hit one another on the arms till either of us was red or one of us shouted 'Mom, he or she is hitting me', which more often than not was my doing. I knew it was childish but sticking out your tongue when your mom is scolding your sibling is great fun and heavily pleasurable, no matter how juvenile it is.

Allison would often say that on some days she felt that she was more of a referee than a parent to us, but then again I guess that came with parenting, when you had more than one child.

I laughed as I remembered an incident when I was probably thirteen or so and was comparatively light weight for my age. The then ten year old Embry who was fond of watching WWE and idolized John Cena had thought that it would be a great idea to try some of John Cena's moves in real life and knowing nobody else who he could try it on, he had come to the conclusion that I was his guinea pig for the day. The result of his said 'experiment' had been good for him as he had successfully managed to replicate the move but the same result had been disastrous for me as he had mastered it all too well for someone who was trying it for the first time. When Allison and even Sam had found out about this, hearing my cry of pain, they had ripped him a new one, all the while I had laughed from my place on the ground ignoring the fact that every inch of my body hurt. But when Embry had started crying, pleading to me that hurting me was never his intention and I should not hate him for this, my heart had broken and I had instantly hugged him telling him that I was fine, or I would be in a few hours and I definitely could never hate him. Yes, my brother could be ass at times but he was also a sweetheart, many more times than the few times when he was an ass.

"Oh" I whispered as I remembered where I was at the moment. I turned to look at Paul, a guilty expression on my face. I had completely got lost in my own thoughts, not paying any attention to him "I am sorry. I should not have got lost in my own world like that" I said apologetically, also knowing that family was a sore subject for Paul. A part of me felt terrible for gloating about it when he hadn't even half of this, but I quickly pushed that guilt aside when he shrugged, looking as normal as before "It is okay. It is calm here. A good place to think"

"Why did you get emancipated?" I blurted out before I could stop myself

He shrugged again "Thought better than to live with someone who did not give a damn of whether I lived or died"

"I am sorry" I whispered

He nodded his head, a signal that it was okay and he was fine.

"So I assume you moved in with Cherry after that?" I scowled as I said her name, my body starting to shake in anger.

"Yeah, I have known her since a while and needed a place to crash, cheap. Cherry is eighteen already and after her mom remarried after her dad died, she left their old house to Cherry and when she found out that I was being emancipated, she offered to let me move in with her and share the rent and bills and all. It was a win-win for both and not an offer I felt like leaving"

"So how was it? I mean living with her as a roommate"

It was certified. I was a masochist.

"Like I said in the diner, I see her more like a buddy that a girl" he said, completely ignorant of the turmoil and rage going on within me "We would chug beer down, play video games, bet on stupid stuff, that kind of things"

"Oh" I said, failing to avoid the hostility in my tone, though I was a bit relieved by his answer. I was not sure what I was expecting but whatever it was, this was better than that. Still I wanted to be the one to do all of these things with him. I did not want him to do all of these things, or smile or laugh or even enjoy himself with Cherry or rather any other girl who was not me.

"She seems great" I added much to my reluctance, even emitting these words out of my mouth felt nauseating and left a bad taste in my mouth.

He nodded his head "Yeah she is"

I scowled at him for saying that. Couldn't he have said something more on the lines of 'No she is a terrible person who I will stay away from, from now on or something like that?'

Ah, Wishful thinking!

"And Jasper…."

I interrupted him before he could finish "He is great too. He is such a kind person, I cannot tell you" I said in a tone of sheer admiration.

If Cherry was great so was Jasper and I had a feeling that I would have said the same words for anyone at the moment. Even if the first name out of his mouth would have been Mike Newton for some reason, I am afraid that the same sentence would have left my mouth.

I know it was spiteful and childish but I could not help myself.

His reaction was more of a threatening growl as he scooted a bit closer to me in a way that clearly shouted possessiveness and protectiveness.

"Did you just growl?"

Wait, how close was his wolf if he could growl like one already?

He looked shocked for a minute before shaking his head as a smirk took over his face "You are hearing things Uley. Are you sure you don't need a doctor?"

It was now my turn to roll my eyes as I decided to ignore it for now but I would definitely be keeping an eye on his physical symptoms to see how close he was to shifting.

"So pizza or hamburger" he asked after a minute of silence

"What" I looked at him, raising my eyebrows at the sudden change in subject.

He gave me a 'duh' look "We are getting to know one another. Now answer. What would you prefer?"

I laughed as I thought about it for a few seconds "If I have to choose something unhealthy, I would rather go for Mac and cheese or hot dog"

He nodded his head "Pop tarts or…"

"Pop tarts" I cut him off "Don't even need to hear the other option"

I had loved Pop tarts ever since I was a child and I guess that one fact was here to remain.

"Curly fries or regular fries"

"Regular" I said with a grin

He opened his mouth to ask another question but I beat him to it "My turn"

He nodded his head telling me to continue. I thought about it for a minute before asking.

"Pancakes or waffles"

He gave me an accusing look as he gasped in exaggeration "Now that is just cruel. How could you ask me to choose one?"

I rolled my eyes at his antics and the disbelief and mock hurt that were visible on his face.

"Okay fair enough" I said with a quiet chuckle "So would you rather run outside in the open or use the treadmill in a gym?"

"Run outside" he said with a grin "It is freeing and I feel great after a good tiring run" "What about you?"

"Same" I said with a nervous laugh. If only he knew how much I enjoyed running in the woods.

"To read the book or see the movie?"

"Book" I replied instantly and without any hesitation "They are a hundred times better than the movie made and it is much more fun to read the book than to see the poor excuse of a movie that they have made from it" "You?"

"Movie" he replied, sheepishly "I don't have that much patience to read the book and go through all of those pages printed. Watching the movie is just easier"

I rolled my eyes. Some things never change and Paul Lahote was never one to do easy things the hard way.

"Pop music or classical music"

He gave me a disbelieving look "Do I look like the kind of person who listens to classical music?"

I rolled my eyes with a shake of the head as I heard him mumble something like 'that must be what that loser Jasper listens to' under his breath but I decided to ignore it, for now.

I still didn't know what problem Paul had with Jasper. Yeah, he was a vampire and our mortal enemy but Paul didn't know that yet.

"A hundred acquaintances or one trustworthy friend"

"You know me" I shrugged "One trustworthy friend is much better than several fake ones" "You?"

"Same" he answered

"A day at the beach with friends or a night under the stars with someone special?" I asked hesitantly

"Depends" he said after a few seconds

"Depends on what?" I asked curiously

"Depends on who is with you. Both can be equally fun if done with the right people and equally boring if done with the wrong people" "Liquor or soda"

I scrunched my face "I will have to say soda. I try to stay away from alcohol"

"Any bad experiences" he nudged playfully, coaxing me to continue

I laughed, my face turning red from the embarrassment I felt retelling this story and that to, to Paul out of everyone "Nearly a year back, we were all at Harry's place. He and Sue had organized a barbeque for a few of us. Mid party Kim and I sneaked in from the backyard, where everyone else was and entered the dining area where already Leah had informed us where Harry hid his stash. Showing our daredevilry for probably the first and last time in life, we had drank from that bottle of wine that we had found open. Leah had promised that she would be keeping an eye out to see that no one entered the kitchen while we were 'trying it out' but unfortunately Sue guessed that something was up and at the same time our trying turned to something completely different" I winced as I said the next part "Long story short, Sue found two heavily drunk fifteen year olds giggling like maniacs in her kitchen, sitting on her floor with two empty wine bottles by their side"

"Ouch" said Paul with a smirk "That couldn't have ended well. What was Allison's reaction and Sam's? Were they angry?"

"Well on the contrary" I said slowly, trying to build up the suspense "Mom's first reaction was to laugh before she told me that if I were to puke, I would be the one to clean it and then her next unforgettable and completely true words were 'Best of Luck for tomorrow morning'. I have an evil mother, I tell you"

His loud guffaws permeated the air as a smile overtook my face seeing him laugh so freely. He looked gorgeous when he smiled and my heart craved to see him smile like this more often.

"And Sam" I continued "It is not like he has much space to criticize, on this at least. He was no saint"

"Really" he asked, his eyes widening "Tell me quick. I need to hear the misdoings about the golden boy of La Push"

I rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm "When he was sixteen, he thought it would be a great idea to sneak in while the rest of us were asleep. But the 'genius' forgot that drunk and silent don't really go together. He had hardly taken three steps in when the rest of us woke up on hearing someone bang into the furniture. It was hilarious to see mom so angry the next morning while Sam sat with his throbbing head in his hands. She blasted him for being a bad role model for the younger siblings by drinking underage and sneaking in, or at least doing so while we were still too young the consequences of all of this. But Sam was not one to learn as easily and so by the time I entered high school, mom was pretty experienced with how to deal with all of this from repeatedly scolding and grounding him"

His reaction was another round of booming laughter as he sat clutching his stomach tightly "Oh man! I will never be able to look at Sam the same way again"

"Okay, enough laughing on me and my brother's expense" I said finally, after a few minutes of hearing his loud laughter, that did not look like it was going to stop anytime soon, a small smile threatened to break the façade of seriousness that I had on. "Be able to fly or turn invisible"

"Hmm, tough one" "On one hand if I can fly, I can see the world free of cost and just fly from one place to another instead of bothering with cars and gas, which is tempting but on the other hand, invisibility is much more fun. Do you realize how much could be achieved by just being invisible? I could eavesdrop on anyone I wanted, intruding on private conversations like a fly on the wall. I could be wherever I wanted and do whatever I want. Heck for that matter, I can be in the same room as the president without him realizing of it. How cool is that?" he grinned "So yeah, invisibility hands down"

I rolled my eyes at his childlike enthusiasm.

"La Push or say… New York City" he asked in his turn

I stared at him in confusion for a few minutes, not quite understanding his question before it hit me
"You mean living in a big city or a small town?"

He nodded his head "Yeah, exactly"

I was quiet for a few minutes. I had never really thought of where I wanted to live. La Push was my home and I had lived here all my life and I would be lying if I said that I wasn't terrified of moving out into unfamiliar horizons. What if I am not meant for the big cities and their fast paced life? It was a scary thought, but also one that gave me butterflies in the stomach.

But then again, it was not like I could leave the res, at least not till I was phasing and that would probably be years from now. So why think about something whose chances of occurring are so less.

"I don't know" I said nervously "You could say I am scared but I have never been further from Seattle. I don't really know what is out there and what to expect"

"Oh Bella, you have no idea" he said with a shake of the head "It is a completely different world out there. Cherry has been to New York and she tells me all these tales of there. I at least will visit it once in life and not only New York, there is so much out there. It is crazy"

I nodded my head asking my next question "La Push or Pittsburgh. Where would you prefer to live?"

For this one answer I was petrified. What if he said that he hated living in La Push and couldn't wait to be out of here? Being a wolf, I couldn't leave and how would that work with the imprinting pull, in case he decided to leave? Would I even survive such a separation?

He sighed "Both are different and I really can't compare. I loved it there but I also really like it here. So I really can't choose one. One was my dream come true and the other is my home and how can you choose between those both"

I nodded my head. I wanted more answers. He had said that he liked it here but what if it was only the pull that was forcing him to continue staying here? What if he was really not happy living here? Could I see him leave me and go?

He opened his mouth to ask me his next question but before he could put sound to words, I heard a loud howl calling for my attention. I immediately froze. I recognized the howl well. It was a howl for emergency, the pack calling for their alpha.

"I have to go" I said standing up and brushing my shorts once to clear off any sand, though it was more for appearance sake than otherwise as I would be removing these to phase any minute now.

"But" he protested, standing up "Where are you going? What happened?"

I hated lying to him and I was already a terrible liar on top of that "I just remembered I have to go for a dental appointment with…."

"Kim" he prompted

I was about to nod my head, in affirmative when he added "She is at the tide pools" "And don't try Embry, even he is with her"

"Look I am going with my mom okay" I said frustrated "And I know she is at home"

He just nodded his head, his expression clearly stating that he knew that I was lying. I just wish I had the guts to tell him the truth but I wanted him to phase before he found out about the imprinting. There was still a small greed in me which wanted to see if he imprinted on me or not and if he did, it would just make things easier.

"Paul, I had a great time today" I said looking at him "Like seriously, this was the most fun I have had in a while. It was great talking to you. I will see you again soon?" I posed it as a question as he nodded his head mumbling a yeah.

"But hopefully the next time you won't feel the need to lie to me" he said in a whisper, too low for my human ears as I took two steps away from him. I quickly pushed my guilt away, at leaving him like this. My pack needed me and I had to see what the emergency was.

A/N: Firstly I am so sorry for this huge gap between two updates. I was stuck with the infamous writer's block and I just could not seem to put pen to paper or was just not happy with what was turning out. But hopefully this won't happen again. I already have two to three chapters after this, written down in rough so they should be posted soon. Like I have said earlier I do plan on completing this story. Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it.