So...yeah. February 2005, and there's still a while to go. Thanks for reviewing, timothysch22.

I found out a few days after the older kids' visit that Jacob had told Bella a little more than what he told me he'd said. We were back in his garage at the time, although he didn't have any more parts to work on for the moment. "I figured telling her the legends didn't do any harm." he said. "I mean, I guess I broke the treaty by telling her the Cullens were supposed to be vampires, but I'm sure she knew I didn't actually think those stories were real. I told her about the wolves, too. That wasn't a big deal, though."

"My mom believes all the stories." I told him. "She freaked when I told her your dad thought the vampire family was back. It must be a generational thing, our parents thinking the stories are all real. Though it's weird – everyone knows legends have been exaggerated over time." I paused. "So...what's going on with you? I didn't think you'd tell the stories to just anyone if it was breaking something, but you spill it all for Bella. What's the deal?"

Jacob blushed again. "She seemed like she really wanted to know." he mumbled. Then the blush faded and he looked back up at me mischievously. "What's wrong, Beth? You jealous or something?"

"You're kidding!" I said, starting to giggle. "Why would I be jealous of a gorgeous chick you tell everything to that you're totally crushing on?"

Jacob grinned. "You wanna say that again?"

"How about this – I'll go around the whole rez, knock on every door, and tell everyone about how you're totally going to propose to Bella Sw-" Before I could finish, Jacob got me in a headlock and wrestled me to the ground. He wasn't too rough or anything – clearly not trying to hurt me, but enough that I couldn't get out of it.

"Truce!" I begged.

"Promise you won't tell anyone what you just said." Jacob ordered.

"Okay, I won't tell anyone about your little crush." I swore. The second he let me go, I grinned up at him. "But I can still tease you about it when no one else is around!"

I didn't bring the crush up often, just every so often, but it was fun to tease Jacob. Later, in March, Jacob did go up with his dad to the Swan's place. When he came back and I talked to him the next day (a Saturday, and we were on the beach), he seemed a bit crestfallen. Apparently his dad had been acting strange, and Bella had told Jacob she was with one of the Cullen boys, which explained quite a bit.

"But are they actually dating?" I asked. "I mean, they might just be friends."

Jacob shook his head. "That would be one thing. But I know enough to know that the family keeps themselves to themselves. They don't socialize much. This one must really be interested in her to spend time with her." He paused, a smirk crossing his face. "That or she just has some really sweet blood."

We both laughed at that. "So did Bella seem to be doing all right?"

"She seemed happier than she did when she came down here with all the others." Jacob shrugged. "I think she just doesn't like crowds. That or I'm right – the guy she was hanging out with is helping. I can tell she still finds Forks itself pretty dull."

I heard quite a lot about Bella over the next few months. Jacob had clearly developed the world's biggest crush on her. I didn't quite get why. I mean, sure, she seemed OK, but what had she said to make Jacob like her so much? Apart from her being pretty and not having anything particularly unlikable about her, I didn't really see the appeal. But I let Jacob talk about her when we were doing our homework. Although one time, when we were doing Spanish, I teased him by saying in perfect Spanish "Don't you find Senorita Swan beautiful?"

Jacob had been thrown off for a second, but he recovered quickly and said, also in Spanish "Quit teasing, Senorita Keita," then he switched to English, "If you want to miss summer school."

I still teased Jacob, but even though he played it off, he never actually denied it. Just near the start of the summer, though – okay, spring, it was still May – he had an embarrassing moment he confided in me about. "I can't tell the guys, but my dad paid me off to literally do the worst thing ever. I had to go to the Forks High prom night-"
I interrupted him there. "How come? Does your dad want you to transfer there?"

"No, thank heaven." Jacob said, making a huffing sound at my interruption. "Let me finish. The reason was because Bella was there with her boyfriend, and he wanted me to tell her to break up with him, and that 'we'll be watching' whatever that means." He gave a sigh. "At least Bella told me it was okay. She was seriously pretty." He wrinkled his nose as he spoke, though, I noticed.

"What's with that? Pretty not good enough?" I teased.

Jacob shrugged. "It wasn't that – I think she was just wearing some artificial perfume. It was kind of sweet, but too sweet. It practically burned my nose."

We didn't really talk about Bella for most of the summer. I loved having the freedom to go for runs every day, and I really felt like part of the tribe. I knew just about everyone, including the older kids as well as the freshmen – well, we would be sophomores come September.

And...well, yeah, sophomore year started off great. Better than freshman year. Jess wasn't in my Chemistry class, though, so I ended up pairing up with another girl, Nina. She seemed okay, but I didn't get on as well with her. Luckily, Jessica was in my English class, so we sat together.

I wasn't in the same Math class as Jacob any more, but we still shared Spanish classes. We spent less time together in school, although I still sat with his trio every so often. It was just such an easy friendship. I still liked Embry and Quil as much as I had at the start of freshman year, and hanging with the boys just had no complications. I could say pretty much anything to them, and they reciprocated. I wasn't crushing on any of them, and I was sure none of them were interested in me, either. I didn't really have much interest in finding a boyfriend, although maybe I would later on. Besides, all of the boys seemed to have hit a growth spurt and all of them towered over me. How would I look next to a guy who was twice my height?

Then, just before Christmas, Jacob told me he'd been up to Forks with his dad, and he'd spoken to Bella, but he was seriously worried about her. I'd known the vampire family had left, and apparently her boyfriend had dumped her. "She looks sort of...empty. She tried to make conversation with me, and I tried to make her feel better. It didn't really work. She seemed a bit better when I talked to her, but she went all lifeless again when we said goodbye. I don't know what's up with her."

I thought about it. Bella wasn't my friend, and I didn't want to overstep, but I sort of wanted to find out more. I was going to take Psychology as one of my electives next year, and I could already tell that Bella had major depression from everything Jacob was saying. "You don't think she could be a suicide risk?" I said softly.

Jacob flinched anyway. But he shook his head. "I don't think so. She's trying really hard to do the right thing. She wouldn't take herself away from her dad when he's already so worried about her. Not deliberately. I don't think she's even as klutzy as she used to be. That's what's so scary – it's like she's lost everything that makes her who she is."

Just that thought was scary. I guess that was why, less than two months later, I didn't feel irritated when Bella showed up at the Blacks' house when I was over.

I know I kind of rushed through Twilight, but there wasn't much happening and I think, ultimately, it would have been a pretty uneventful time for everyone except maybe Jared and Paul (Sam, of course, already knew everything). Oh, and maybe Leah, too.