Chapter 5

On Sunday Charlie was up and gone early before I had even gotten out of bed. That was strange. He usually told me where he went. I made some breakfast and sat to eat it at the table, calling Jessica on my new phone to tell her about my encounter last night. She was duly horrified about the men, apologizing over and over again for letting me walk on my own. I kept telling her it was fine. She seemed more convinced of its fineness when the conversation changed to my dinner with Jasper.

Charlie didn't come back home until around eleven am. I heard him come through the door and bounded down the hallway to greet him.

"Hey, Dad, you were up early," I said.

"Hey, Bells," he said warmly, "I had to head down to the reservation early to pick up a surprise for you."

"For me?" I asked. He nodded, ushering me out the front door.

In the front driveway, my old truck was parked. He hadn't been exaggerating about the paint job. Not only had all the dents from Tyler's van been removed from the body, but it had also been newly painted and waxed. It was the same light sage green I had come to love. It was shiny and looked like a newly remodeled classic now. I knew better, having driven it, but felt a rush of gratitude all the same.

"Dad, this is incredible," I said, running out to the driveway still barefoot in my pajamas. I had been wearing the ones Jess had given me ever since last week, and I now matched the shiny new paint job of the truck. I loved it. "You didn't need to do all this, Dad, really. This is too much." I could feel tears welling up. I wasn't sure how to handle all the gratitude I was feeling.

Charlie shuffled, looking down at his feet. He wasn't one for showing emotions. We had learned about the five love languages once in a psych class back in Phoenix. I would say Charlie showed love through acts of service.

"Don't even worry about it, Bells. My friend Billy's boy, Jacob, does some auto work in his garage. He was willing to fix it up for me on the cheap to help earn some money for parts for his Rabbit."

"He did amazing," I said. "I love the color."

"I noticed," Charlie said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I walked over to him and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

"It's perfect, Dad."

Later that night my new cell phone buzzed. The only numbers I had saved in it so far were Charlie, Renee, Jess, and Angela. This was one I didn't recognize. I looked at it.

Bella, it's Alice. Jasper gave me your number. Add me to your phone!

I smiled, flopping down on my bed, adding the contact.

Hey Alice. Glad you're back.

I was happy to hear from Alice, but I couldn't help wishing Jasper had texted.

On Monday morning, I got up and ready for school. I was feeling a little glum. I was glad to have my truck back, but somehow I knew that Jasper would know already. If I had my truck, he wouldn't need to come out of his way to drive me to school every morning. So I was pleasantly surprised when I walked out of my front door to find not the SUV parked on the side of the street, but the silver Volvo. Edward was behind the wheel. Jasper and Alice stood outside the car waiting for me. Alice was bouncing up and down with excitement, Jasper was looking unsure holding a single blueberry muffin.

I grinned at them. Alice bounded forward and engulfed me in a hug. She was freezing, and I was reminded of the time I had kicked Jasper's shin under the science table. She was rock hard. It was like hugging a statue. I laughed and hugged her back.

"Hey, Alice. I've missed you this week. Did you have fun camping?" I asked when she released me.

She laughed her tinkling little laugh.

"You could say that," she said evasively.

"Does anyone in your family ever just directly answer a question?" I asked with a laugh.

"Not if we can help it. Well, maybe Esme, but she's too good for the rest of us anyway."

"So, I get a whole entourage today?" I asked, turning to look at Jasper. He bit back a smile.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you would even still want a ride now that you had your truck back, but Alice here wouldn't hear of it. She said I've been hogging you to myself."

Jasper pulled the passenger door open for Alice, who smiled at him as she climbed in and then kissed Edward on the cheek. The two of them could be nauseatingly adorable sometimes. Then, Jasper turned and opened the door of the backseat open for me, helping me in before walking around the car and climbing in the other side. When he got in, he handed me the muffin he was holding. I grinned and shook my head at him.

"Thanks," I said, trying not to chuckle. I turned to Edward, "Hey Edward, thanks for picking me up."

He smiled, starting to drive a little too fast for my taste. "No problem, Bella. You're one of us now."

Jasper shot him a look when he said it. There was an edge to the glare that shocked me. Edward just smirked back at him through the rearview mirror.

"Bella, I wanted to see if you could come over again this weekend," Alice said, distracting me from their interaction.

"Oh," I said regretfully, "well, all Saturday everyone is going up to First Beach in La Push. We have to leave early because it's a bit of a drive and Jess wants to make a whole day of it. You guys should come!"

"I'm sorry, Bella. We can't go down to the reservation. Maybe you could come by for a bit on Sunday?" Alice said. Edward and Jasper were both studiously avoiding eye contact with me.

"Are you sure? You guys are more than welcome, and it won't be sunny that day. I checked," I said, wondering if that was their worry.

"Some other time," Alice said with a grin.

Silence fell over the car for a moment.

"Wait, how did you know about my truck?" I asked turning to Jasper curiously to break the silence.

"Oh, I'm omniscient," Alice said casually from the front seat before Jasper could answer.

"WHAT?!" I cried a little too loudly, my eyes going wide.

Alice and Edward laughed. Jasper looked annoyed.

"I'm just kidding, Bella. I just wanted to see if you'd believe me. Edward told me about your conversation with Jasper."

"An extremely poor joke," Jasper said, glaring at her.

Oh. Right. Because Edward could read minds. Of course he would know. Not my mind though, I thought with a smirk. I was going to find a way to prank them back.

"So what are the chances you are going to tell me what exactly it is you do that isn't being omniscient?" I asked. "Because honestly, after reading minds and controlling emotions, I'm not sure what I am or am not supposed to believe."

She just laughed again.

"I'll tell you Sunday, Bella. When you come over."

I grumbled a little. I did not like having to wait, but we had pulled into the lot at school. I saw that we were parked next to a jeep that I recognized from the Cullen's garage. Edward had said it was Emmett's. I hadn't even thought about how Rosalie and Emmett must have gotten to school. I felt suddenly guilty. Jasper looked over at me, concerned. Oh right, he could feel that.

"Are you okay, Bella?" he asked as we climbed out of the car.

"I'm fine, really," I said shooting the jeep another look. He followed my gaze.

"Rosalie will come around," he said. "She's just jealous."

"Jealous of me?" I asked in shock. Jasper just nodded with a grin.

I had so many things I wanted to ask him. Starting with how the most gorgeous woman on the face of the planet could possibly be jealous of me. Followed closely by if they are really twins. I didn't have time to do either though. The bell rang, and we had to head off to our classes.

"Come on, Bella," Alice said cheerfully, looping her arm through mine and leading me off to English class.

Jessica was thrilled to see that Alice was back. She quickly pulled out her phone and started showing her pictures of outfit ideas for that Saturday at the beach, wanting Alice's opinion on how best to impress Mike. Jess also tried to invite Alice out to the beach, but to no avail.

We fell into an easy pattern. In the mornings, Jasper came to pick me up for school with Alice and Edward and then driving me home after school. I found I was growing to enjoy all of their company. I was one of them now. I would think warmly sometimes, remembering Edward's words that first day. I only wish I hadn't seemed to have run Rosalie and Emmett off with my presence. The guilt of that hung heavy over me anytime I saw them. Whenever I would glance over at the Cullen's lunch table to catch Jasper grinning at me, I would now also find Rosalie glaring at me in annoyance.

When the weekend came around, I was both excited to spend a day at the beach with Jessica and Angela, and I felt a little sad I wouldn't be seeing Jasper that day. I got dressed that morning trying my best to look as dumpy and unappealing as possible. Although I had been in Forks for a few weeks now, Mike's infatuation with me did not seem to have faded. I didn't want to do anything to invite his attention or hurt Jess's feelings.

Around nine I heard the honk of a horn outside my door. I looked out the window and grinned. It was Jess in her Beatle. Angela and Lauren were both in the car as well. We were going to meet the boys outside of Mike's parents' sporting goods shop. I dashed out the door and hopped in the backseat next to Angela. Jess looked at my outfit, horrified.

"Is that what you are wearing, Bella?" she asked. She still hadn't seemed to notice Mike's crush on me, and I certainly wasn't going to be the one to point it out.

"Laundry day," I lied quickly, shooting her a rueful smile. Jess just rolled her eyes. Angela and I exchanged a look in the back seat. Angela had definitely noticed Mike's attention. Angela noticed a lot of things.

When we got to the Newton's store, the boys were already there, loading food into Tyler's van. They looked up and smiled as we pulled into the lot. It didn't take long for us all to file into the van. Tyler tried to insist that I sit shotgun, but I quickly declined, saying I had a class assignment that I needed to discuss with Angela. It was a lie. Lauren hopped in the front instead, happy to steal control of the music for the drive.

It worked out for the best. The drive to First Beach was around twenty minutes, and by the time we had arrived at the beach, Tyler was fully distracted in conversation with Lauren. Apparently, they had very similar and distinct tastes in music. They led the way down to the beach, fully engrossed in their private conversation. Jess, Angela, Mike, Eric, and I walked behind them. When we got onto the beach, Mike and Eric headed right over to a small circle of driftwood that surrounded what must have been used as a fire pit by many groups before us. They pulled in small pieces of driftwood to light, and quickly we had a small blaze going. I sat on a small piece of wood only big enough to seat two, quickly pulling Angela down next to me.

"She's going to notice eventually, you know," Angela whispered quietly to me, as we watched Jess seat herself next to Mike on a log across the fire from us. He was looking over at where I was sitting disappointed. "She lives in her own little fairytale sometimes, but even she isn't that clueless."

I sighed. "I know, Ange. But I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Mike can't seem to take the hint. I'm just hoping he notices Jess long before Jess notices him noticing me."

Angela raised her eyebrows at me. I dropped my head into my hands and groaned.

"I know. I know. It's a bad plan. But what else am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"Hey, don't look at me," she said. "Trust me, I'm the last person on earth you should be asking for dating advice."

I looked at her curiously. Angela had never actually mentioned any interest in dating. I wondered if I was missing something in my quiet friend's life because I was so preoccupied with my own. I felt guilty.

She shook her head as if sensing the direction of my thoughts.

"It's nothing," she said quietly.

"Bella," Mike's voice cut across the bonfire, interrupting our conversation, "we were going to go on a hike to see the tide pools. You should come."

His face was eager. Jess was looking at me expectantly. I knew she was going.

"That's okay," I said. "I'll stay here and watch the fire."

"Lauren and Tyler are going to stay and watch the fire. You have to come, Bella. You'll love it," Jess said.

I sighed, looking over at Angela. She just shrugged. We both stood to join them.

I knew that I would enjoy the tide pools. Charlie used to take me to see them when I came to visit. I had been much younger back then. I followed the group diligently as they hiked, Angela and I lagging to the back of the group, trying to let Jess talk to Mike. At first, he seemed determined to try and lag back with me, but when that proved impossible, he forged ahead with Eric, leaving Jessica behind. By the time we got to the tide pools, she was looking very put out.

"I don't get it," she grumbled as she watched Mike and Eric shoving each other up ahead of us, both trying to get the other to fall in. "Why doesn't he want to spend time with me?"

My heart broke a little for Jessica in that moment. I didn't know what to say.

"It's okay, Jess. Boys are just immature," Angela said, glancing over to Mike and Eric's antics to prove her point. "Don't let them get to you."

Jess smiled at Angela. I felt immensely grateful for her presence. Angela really was the best of us.

"You guys wanna head back? I could use some lunch. Maybe it'll give Mike some time to miss me," Jessica said.

Angela grinned. "Good plan," she said. I nodded.

The three of us made our way back to the bonfire.

When we arrived back, we noticed that Lauren and Tyler weren't alone anymore. Some local teens from the reservation had joined them. They were all talking and laughing. We walked over. There were three younger boys who looked like they could have only been fifteen or sixteen, an older boy who looked to be around nineteen, and a couple of girls who must have been around our age.

"Oh, guys, these are our friends Jessica, Angela, and Bella," Lauren said, turning to smile at us as we approached.

One of the younger boys perked up.

"Bella? Are you Bella Swan?" he asked.

"Yes?" I answered, more of a question. I didn't know how he knew me.

He laughed good-naturedly. "I'm Jacob Black. Our dads are friends. I fixed your truck."

My eyes lit up. "You're the one who made it look so good after the accident?"

He grinned. "Guilty as charged."

His eyes weren't watching me as we talked. He was watching Jessica. I smiled to myself, hatching a plan.

"Jacob," I said smiling, "our hike actually got cut a little short. What are the chances you would show me and my friends here around the beach?"

His eyes lit up at the opportunity. He jumped up from where he was sitting.

"Of course. I'm always happy to show some Quileute hospitality."

"I think I'll sit this one out," Angela said with a soft smile, going to sit on one of the driftwood logs.

"I don't know Bella…" Jess said, still sounding glum.

"Nonsense," I said, linking my arm through hers and motioning for Jacob to walk with us. As we started walking down the beach, I turned to Jacob and said, "Jess here needs some cheering up, boy trouble."

"Bella," Jess practically hissed at me.

Jacob was smiling down at her though. He was damn tall for how young he looked.

"How could anyone as pretty as you be having boy trouble?"

Jess blushed, grinning back at him.

"You're a suck-up," she said.

"Sorry," he shrugged with a lopsided, boyish grin.

"Don't be," she said. "I'm a sucker for flattery."

I smiled to myself. Jacob was far too young for Jess, but I had certainly hoped that a little attention might make her feel better today. We walked in silence for a while.

"I just don't understand why he doesn't seem to notice me," Jessica mumbled morosely after a while. Clearly, she didn't seem to mind Jacob's presence one bit. The boy looked down at her, concerned by her sudden shift in mood.

"Jess-" I started.

"No," she said, cutting me off, "no offense, Bella, but it's hard to take advice from someone living the perfect fantasy with Jasper Hale."

Jacob laughed out loud at that. We both looked up at him, startled.

"You're dating Jasper Hale?" he asked, trying to contain his amusement.

"No," I said stiffly, feeling annoyed at him. "I'm not, but would there be something wrong if I were?"

Jacob shook his head. "No, no. Of course not. I'm sorry for laughing. It's just, don't tell Sam, the older boy back there. The tribe can get pretty superstitious about some things, and he buys into it a little too much these days."

"Superstitious?" I asked, my curiosity peaked.

"There are quite a few people here who believe we have a treaty with the Cullen's not to come on the Reservation, dating back hundreds of years."

"Did Dr. Cullen's ancestors come from here?" Jessica asked confused. "I thought they only moved here from New England a couple of years ago."

Jacob just laughed heartily again. "Oh no. They think it's the same Cullen's."

Jessica scoffed, rolling her eyes, and Jacob grinned at her.

"Bella said you needed a distraction. Do you girls like scary stories?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Jessica grinned at him.

"Jake, you should know that telling each other scary stories is one of our favorite past times."

The silly smile he got on his face when she shortened his name was enough to make me feel guilty about using him to cheer my friend up. He seemed so pure, but if he was going to tell us a story about the Cullen's just to please her, I couldn't help but be glad at my choice. We stopped walking to sit on a rock, Jake in the middle of us. I noticed that he angled his body to face Jessica. He started talking in a low, spooky voice.

"My people have many legends dating back as far as the flood, some even further. They say our ancestors tied their canoes to the tops of trees to survive the great flood, just like Noah and his ark. Our people survived while their enemies were washed away. They tell stories about our origins. They say our oldest ancestors are wolves; that we descended from them. They say a wandering transformer came to the wolves and changed them, allowing them to walk amongst men. The Quileute's believe that the wolves are still our brothers. It is illegal for us to hunt them. There are many legends of spirits and monsters that the Quileute's fear, such as Duskiya, the child snatcher. But one of our oldest legends is about The Cold Ones."

"The cold ones?" Jessica asked.

I was glad they both seemed caught up in each other. I didn't think I could hide the intense look of interest on my face.

"The legends of the cold ones go back nearly as far as the legends of the wolves, but some are more recent. They say that these beings are strong, dangerous, lethal. They are the natural enemy of the wolf. Well, not wolves per se, but the wolves of our legends. The wolves who walk amongst men."

Jessica's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Werewolves," Jake said, leaning in close as he practically whispered it. I might have rolled my eyes if I weren't also so enthralled by the story. He was clearly enjoying having Jess as a captivated audience.

"Apparently my own great-grandfather knew some, your Cullen's," he said with a spooky grin.

"Your great-grandfather knew the Cullen's?" Jessica asked, disbelief in her tone.

Jake nodded. "There are more of them now, though. He made the treaty to keep them off of our land," he said.

"Why?" Jessica asked. I was glad she was here. I was afraid to draw too much attention to myself, to my curiosity.

Jacob just smiled, thrilled he seemed to have such an engaged audience.

"As I said, the cold ones are our natural enemy," he continued, "but when my great-grandfather came across this pack during his time, they swore to be different. Civilized. Tame. They said they hunted differently than their kind did, promised they were no threat to the tribe. My great-grandfather was a wise man. He didn't see it fit to start a war if it was possible to avoid, so they made a truce. They wouldn't come on our lands, and in turn, we wouldn't expose their true nature to the ho-kwats."

"White drifting-house people," Jacob clarified seeing Jess's look of confusion before adding with a laugh, "the pale faces."

"What do you mean they were civilized?" Jessica asked, rolling her eyes lightly at him.

Jake grinned.

"They said they didn't hunt humans."

I couldn't help the shiver that ran down my spine.

"Hunt humans?" Jessica asked with a giggle.

Jake just nodded intently. "They swore they only hunted animals."

"What exactly are the cold ones, Jake?" she asked, grinning at him.

"Blood drinkers," he said, smiling mischievously.

Jessica's eyes lit up and she laughed.

"Jake, are you trying to tell us that the Cullen's are vampires?" she asked between laughs.

Jake was laughing too now.

"Don't worry. I don't believe those old superstitions, but some people still do. When the Cullen's first moved here, some people on the reservation refused to go to the hospital anymore. Bella's father and my dad actually had a bit of a fight about it. Charlie called it prejudice. I guess I've broken the treaty now by telling you two," he said, looking at me for the first time with a grin.

I quickly tried to cover the wave of emotions I was feeling. I put a smile on my face.

"Don't worry, Jake. You're secret's safe with us. Right, Jess?" I said, trying to force my tone to sound bright.

"Absolutely," Jess said grinning. "Thanks for that, Jake. You really did cheer me up."

Jake's whole face lit up at this.

"Now, let's head back. I really do need some lunch," she said.

I trailed behind the two of them on the walk back up the beach, lost in my own thoughts. Could the Cullen's really be vampires? It seemed so ridiculous, and yet, it all seemed to fit.

When we got back to the bonfire, Tyler and Lauren were happily laughing as they talked to each other. Angela was on one of the logs engrossed in quiet conversation with one of the girls from the reservation. Mike and Eric were loudly debating cars with the kids from the rez. Mike looked up when he saw us walking back. When he saw us with Jacob, his eyes narrowed jealously. This made Jess smile brightly, though I wasn't sure she was the one he was jealous over.

I quickly made sure to walk over and sit by Angela, removing the ability for Mike to try and join me. She turned and smiled at me.

"Bella, this is Leah," Angela said. I smiled kindly at the girl on the log. Leah smiled back but it looked hollow. She was watching where the older boy from the reservation was up talking to the other girl with an enraptured look on his face. "That's her boyfriend and her cousin," Angela whispered in explanation, leaning in so Leah didn't overhear. My eyebrows shot up. Shit. I suppose I would look as glum as Leah did. If the guy was her boyfriend, he was being a real jackass. Apparently, First Beach was a place cursed for love.

We all dug into the food that we had packed with us, eating happily. I noticed that Jacob sat next to Jess, seeming to hang happily on her every word. I felt a little guilty. I probably shouldn't have used the boy solely to cheer up Jess, but I couldn't help it. I hated seeing my friend sad. I hated worse that I knew I was inadvertently the cause.

"Jess seems a little happier," Angela said as we ate.

"Yeah," I said quietly, "I hope so, but how long can that last? Is she going to end up hating me?"

"Bella, Jess could never hate you. Mike, hopefully, but never you."

I smiled sadly at her. I wasn't quite as convinced. Jess's crush on Mike long predated our friendship. I was too consumed in conversation and watching Jess for signs of sadness (luckily, Jake seemed to be on the same level of vigilance and was quick to distract her whenever she became too focused on Mike's disinterest) to have time to think about Jake's story for the rest of the day. When the sun started to set, we gave our new friends our regrets but had to head home. Jacob made us promise we would come back out to visit the beach soon, giving Jess and me his number to call him when we did. Jess giggled softly at this. I could tell she was still enjoying the flattery, even if Jacob was far too young to be a real prospect. Everyone needs their vanity played to sometimes.

When Jess finally dropped me off outside my house later, the rush of emotions kicked in. Vampires. My breath became a little panicked. I pushed the thought aside. I had to make it past Charlie before I could think about it.

"Hey, Bells, did you have fun today?" Charlie asked when I was through the door.

"Yeah," I said, willing my voice to sound normal. "We actually ran into Jacob Black."

"Did you? I'm glad. Jake's a good kid."

"He is. He was fun. I think he's got a little crush on Jessica."

Charlie laughed.

"Well, you can't blame the boy for getting a crush on the older girls."

I grinned. "No, I can't. It's too bad he's so much younger than her. She could use a nice guy like Jake."

I headed up to bed, taking the stairs two at a time. I went through my nighttime routine numbly, refusing to let myself think. It wasn't until I was safely under the covers of my bed that I let the rush of emotions kick in.

The Cold Ones.

It seemed so crazy, but then everything about the Cullen's seemed crazy. It made sense, didn't it? Super fast. Super strong. Like a predator. Freezing cold. Like the legends. Jasper had once told me that he had saved my life, pulled me from the well so to speak, because all the other times he had been the one throwing people in. Had he meant that he had killed people? I shuddered, feeling tears prickling at my eyes. But Jake had said the treaty existed because the Cullen's didn't hunt people. My mind was spinning. I only knew one thing: tomorrow Jasper and I were going to have to talk.

Sleep didn't come easily that night. When it finally did come, my dreams were tormented. I saw angry villagers chasing down Jasper and the rest of his family with torches and pitchforks. I screamed for them to run, but they couldn't seem to hear me. They just sat at their lunch table, with the bored expressions they had worn the first day I had seen them, not noticing anything. The mob engulfed them. I saw Jess, standing on the windy beach with a wolf by her side, asking how I could have betrayed her like I did. When I tried to walk towards her, to beg for her forgiveness, the wolf spoke, telling me I wasn't welcome there. I tried to ask why, but suddenly, I was at the Cullen's house. Jasper was bending low over me. I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he bit my neck. I should have screamed. Instead, I grinned at him, standing to look at my own reflection in one of the many windows of their home. My own eyes staring back at me had turned golden.

Some notes on this chapter: first, I know that a lot of Jacob's story is the same as we remember it. Bella needed to get the information. I wanted to keep as true to Stephanie Meyer's original lore and actual Quileute legend as possible. If I have messed anything up, please know that it is absolutely not my intention to insult or disrespect anyone's culture or heritage. Second, perhaps my understanding isn't as full as it could be, but what I can tell from the original novel, Bella's beach trip must take place after Sam has phased, given his reaction to the Cullen's name. So in my story, it takes place the day Emily comes to town to visit Leah for the first time since he's shifted. Sucks to be Leah. Thirdly, yes, I am fully aware if Bella were an actual newborn she would not have golden eyes. She doesn't know that though. Please don't correct me. Our girl's knowledge is currently limited.