After school, Jasper and Alice followed in the trees instead of in their cars. I drove with Angela and didn't want it to seem odd that the Cullen's followed me to the reservation.
"So you and Jacob? He's nice, and cute" Angela asked, a hint of something in her voice that I couldn't figure out.
"He is cute but he's sort of like gorgeous now? His looks have only gotten better as he hit this last growth spurt." I had to stop myself from daydreaming about his muscles or I would crash the truck. "I mean, if you want to talk about tall, Jake's like six foot seven now. All the guys are tall.."
"Are you serious? Maybe I won't stand out so much around them." She looked hopeful, I just wish she never had a reason to. That jerk should never have brought her height into it. Six foot may be tall for a girl but it isn't freakish and he should feel ashamed talking to her that way. When we got to the border of the reservation, I could faintly see Alice take off along the treaty line as a small silver wolf appeared in the treeline. Barely perceptible unless you knew what to look for.
"Yeah and there's a girl down there, Leah, whose almost as tall as they are. You might have a fight for the tallest girl title." Angela smiled, seemingly hopeful to finally find a place where she fit in.
When we got to Jake's, Quil and Embry got up from playing a game of cards at the table that Billy had on the porch.
"Hey Bella, Jake's," Embry started before seeing Angela get out of the other side. "Uh, helping Sam with something. Shouldn't be too long. You're welcome to stay and wait." He said, with a hopeful gleam in his eye.
"You mean you want me to cook you some food." I caught him.
"I… mean I want you to cook me some food. Yeah." I laughed and shook my head.
"Coming right up."
Angela and I walked inside the Black house and I put a box mix of muffins in the oven while Angela made sandwiches, and I started on the seafood chowder that I promised to make. Angela was completely content helping out and was pretty quick making sandwiches too.
"Wow, you slapped those together some fast." I admitted.
"I watch my twin brothers on the weekends and a lot through the summer. When Ben… well I spent most of my Spring Break at home helping take care of them. Sandwiches are one of the few things they'll eat."
"Well that explains it."
"Speaking of explaining, why are we making these guys food, anyways? They locked out of their houses?"
Crap. I really didn't want to tell Angela a lie but how else do I explain what's going on? "It's kind of like, an after school youth program that I've been helping with? Some of the folks down here help out to keep the community safe, ya know, keeping drug dealers away and litter clean up and in return, they get free food. I just happen to be the one making it at the moment. Used to be someone else but she had to go away… for a while." Well that was pretty darn close to the truth. Not actually a lie. Hey, I was good at this improv stuff.
"Hey, Bella?" Quil called through the open doorway. "Are you good at Math?"
"I'll help." Angela said, "You keep making that chowder."
"Thank you." Just as Angela walked out the door, Jake walked in, and despite the other tall boys around. Jake was by far the tallest. He was even a little taller than Sam, must be the Alpha gene. As Angela walked past, her eyes trailed up to his full height then back at me.
"You weren't lying." She winked and kept walking to sit next to Quil at the table.
"What was that about?" Jake asked, suspicious.
"She's having a difficult time with her height, told her I'd show her some REALLY tall people. I may have also told her that you really came into your looks with that last spurt?" I giggled as Jake shook his head at me. "Where are the others?"
"Leah and Seth took over after Sam and Paul," he looked out at Angela, "Worked… all day. He has Jared and Paul helping him load up Emily's things and they'll be taking the stuff to the Makah reservation so Sam doesn't have to. I was just dropping off some boxes I had lying around."
"Oh. You were actually helping him. I thought that's just what Embry was saying instead of patrol because of Angie. So you'll be staying here for a bit? I was thinking about the schedule you guys have and how it isn't really working at least not with school and I think I came up with a good one. If you don't mind."
"Not at all, I can use all the help I can get."
"Well the schedule is based on six hour intervals. You guys get school between eight and two?" I was pretty sure that was it but had to double check. Jake nodded. Listening to that I had to say. "Ok so this would be 8 AM to 2 PM, then 2 PM to 8 PM, then 8 PM to 2 AM and 2 AM back to 8 AM. Sam would get 8 AM to 2 PM during the week days up until summer since he's done school. Then you'd each run in twos on the other times. I was thinking Seth, at the same time Sam's out and only on the weekends until Summer and the other times get divided up but you keep the same time every day so you can go to school and have a decent sleep schedule still."
"That's actually pretty great. I'll get it settled with everyone and start tomorrow morning. I'll be taking the night shift."
"The 2 AM to 8 AM shift? Why? You're the Alpha. You can choose the best option for yourself. Like being the boss and never having to work weekends or close up at the end of the night because you took the opening shift, you know?" It didn't make sense that he would want that until he explained.
"I can barely sleep when you're at home. All I can think about is how you're surrounded by vamps and I know they're on our side but the wolf in me won't settle down. If I'm out there doing something while you sleep, it makes it easier on me."
"Oh. That actually makes sense. So who you gonna run with?"
"Honestly, I think Leah makes the most sense. At least if my mind starts to drift and I get filled with thoughts of you. I don't have to get jealous or anything because it's Leah. Plus the way you've been with her, I imagine you'd be discussing things with her anyways?"
"That might be true. Alright. Glad I could help though I really hope your mind doesn't wander, I'm glad it will be her thoughts and you can just Alpha order her to not think it while around others, right?"
"Hell yeah I can. Plus this schedule gives Leah and Sam, and me and you, Anywhere 2 PM to 2 AM to spend time together or rest. You really are an Alpha Imprint. Making decisions and things like you run the place."
"I do run the place. If it weren't for me, you all would starve and I'd have a bigger savings account." I joked though I think Jake took it to heart.
"Sorry."
"It was a joke, Jake." I rubbed my hand along his arm.
"Yeah but it was also true. You should go to college or university or whatever it is your heart desires but you're stuck here, with me. When this is all over, I want you to go. I want you to finish getting an education. You're so worried about all of us having time to graduate but you need to go to school so you can have a career, I know you'll never be happy just sitting at home all day. You aren't that kind of girl."
I never realised Jake was going to take my comment this direction but I was kind of happy about it. I'd been thinking a lot about my future this past week and even sent off an application to Peninsula College in Port Angeles.
"I will. My grades are spectacular and I was talking to the guidance counselor at school and applied to Peninsula College. I want to learn how to run a proper business which they have online classes for. I'd just need to go in once a month for testing. Assuming they accept me."
"You… and business. I have ask, what business?"
"Well. I was kind of hoping to open my own bakery here in La Push. It's one thing you guys don't already have and I'm already feeding everyone anyways. Might as well get paid."
"Wow, Bells that's actually an amazing idea. They'd be stupid not to accept you." Jake kissed me, a smile still on his face. "You're perfect, you know that?"
"I… am not." My face was red, a common issue when with Jake and my smile was big. Angela walked in and her own smile appeared.
"Finally, a Bella that's actually happy. Edward never got this response from you. Hey Jake."
"Hey, Angela. How are things going?" Jake asked, without taking his eyes off my lips.
"Getting better, it seems. I like it here. Your friends are nice." Angela seemed to fit in well. Visually she fit in better than me. Her skin tone and height matching the pack members much more than my five feet four inches and pale skin did.
"Yeah, they have their moments though. They fighting for your attention yet?" he asked.
"What?"
"They tend to both set their sights on any girl they see and make it a bet. Don't take it personal, they're just lonely because no one will go out with them. They did the same thing with Bella."
I gasped in shock that Jake would say that before seeing Embry stand up through the kitchen window and Jake smiling, holding back a laugh. Oh yeah, wolf ears. He was trying to get a rise out of them.
"What the Hell man? We can hear you!" Embry complained, chasing Jake outside and around back toward the garage. Jakes smile as he ran was infectious, making Angela smile too.
"They always like this?" she asked.
"Pretty much. They'll be back though, if they want to eat before it's all gone."
Eventually the day wound down, Charlie was pleasantly surprised when he arrived to see Angela in the kitchen. She stayed for the chowder and when the day ended, she thanked me for helping take her mind off of things. I dropped her off at home then headed home for the night.
