*TRIGGER Warning* (If you need additional information, please send me a message.

Thanks so much to my marvelous beta, KJ. She's a wizard with her mighty red pen. All mistakes, however, are mine because I don't leave stuff alone. :D

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Four

The last bell rang, signaling the end of the first week of school. I met Leah outside the building. With a cigarette dangling from her lips, she fished through her backpack.

"What's the matter? Did you lose your lighter again?" I snorted because she always misplaced it.

She paused, narrowing her eyes. "Shut the hell up. It's in here somewhere."

"Maybe it's a sign you should quit." It was no secret I thought smoking was gross and unhealthy, but anytime I tried to get her to stop the nasty habit, she flat out refused to consider it.

"Give it a rest. Sometimes, you nag worse than my mom." She sighed and continued her search. "Found it!" After removing her lime green lighter, she lit her cigarette and took a long, dramatic drag. "Nothing beats the soothing relief of nicotine after a long-ass day of school."

"Jeez, Leah. You sound like some cheesy advertisement, promoting underage tobacco use."

"I do what I can." She flipped me off and flashed me a saccharine smile.

As we walked to my house to pick up my overnight bag, I thought about our evening plans. Ever since agreeing to sneak out and attend the party in Port Angeles with Leah and Mike, my nerves were in a state of constant overdrive. Worried about getting caught, I'd gotten little sleep, and now, my stomach felt as if it was doing an Olympic gymnastics routine.

"What's wrong? You're quieter than usual. Aren't you excited about tonight?"

I met her suspicious gaze and debated sharing my concerns. The last thing I wanted was to ruin our night before it even started. Shrugging my shoulders, I mumbled, "Sure, I guess."

She stopped and grasped my arm. "Cut it out. Tell me the truth. Are you worried about Jacob?"

"Yeah—about him finding out and making a scene. But other than that, I really don't care what he thinks. Our relationship is a lost cause. It's my mom... I hate lying to her." Tugging on the cuffs of my hoodie, I could feel my face growing warm, the heat radiating up from my jawbone. I couldn't stand admitting to Leah how much of a "goody-goody" I truly was. But deep down, it was the truth. The thought of breaking my mother's rules and upsetting her was what bothered me the most.

"Honey, you've got to look at it this way. I honestly think your mom would allow you to do more things if Jacob wasn't always around, blabbering nonsense into her ears. And you have to remember, you're not doing anything horrible—just going to a friend's house to hang out. For fuck's sake, it's not as if you're planning to rob a bank."

What she said made sense. My mom was much more lenient when Jacob wasn't around. Maybe she wouldn't have an issue with me going to a party. Hell, my parents used to let Jacob host small get-togethers back while he was still in high school, so surely, this wasn't that huge of a deal in the grand scheme of things. "I think you're right. Sorry for freaking out."

"It's okay. That's what I'm here for. Now, let's discuss what we're wearing tonight because I need this ass of mine to look smoking hot." She smacked her butt and smirked.

-GGB-

Four hours later, I sat on the hump in the backseat of Mike's Volkswagen Jetta, wedged between Tyler and an excessively sweaty boy named Eric. "I thought we were taking the van," Leah said as she explored the playlist on Mike's phone.

"We were, but it broke down last night. It needs a new radiator," Tyler answered. He turned in my direction and noticed my awkward position. "Do you have enough room? You can sit on my lap if you want."

I shrank away from him. Even though I was almost certain he only meant it as a nice gesture, I wasn't taking any chances. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine."

Leah glanced at me from the roomy front passenger seat and grimaced. "At least the drive's not too long. Right, Mike?"

"Not too bad. Just a little under an hour."

An hour? Ugh. I would need chiropractic care by the time we reached our destination. Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the seat and silently groaned.

"Hey, Leah. Can I use your lighter?"

I opened my eyes and watched as she gave it to Eric. He stuck a crude hand-rolled cigarette into his mouth and set it aflame.

"Fuck, dude!" Mike said with a hiss. "Put down your window. My parents will kill me if they smell that shit in my car."

"Sorry, man." Eric cracked open the window, allowing in the cool evening breeze. "Anybody want a hit?" He extended the cigarette to me.

"I don't smoke."

Leah threw her head back and laughed. "It's not a cigarette, honey. It's marijuana, and I want some."

With my jaw dropped, I stared in astonishment as my best friend casually inhaled from the joint before passing it along to Tyler. And from the ease of her actions, something told me, this wasn't her first time using. Disappointment rushed through me as I realized I didn't know as much about Leah as I thought I did.

Tyler bumped my shoulder with his. "Are you sure you don't want to try?"

"You should do it," Leah said. "It'll help you relax and enjoy the party."

Crossing my arms against my chest, I gritted my teeth together. The night was turning into a complete bust. I glared in her direction. "I don't do drugs, and I didn't think you did either."

She rolled her eyes. "Jeez. It's only weed. There's no need to get your panties in a twist. Hell, Old Man Uley grows it in his backyard next to his tomatoes." With a giggle, she said, "I bet you anything all the elders light up at the Tribal Council meetings."

"Leah! You're being disrespectful." Even as hókʷat, I knew better than to discuss Tribal business to outsiders, and for Leah to imply that the Council did drugs was downright wrong.

Leah and I didn't speak the rest of the trip. When we arrived at the two-story suburban house, she pulled me aside after we exited from the vehicle. Burying her hands inside the pockets of her tight jeans, she kicked a stray rock on the ground. "Listen. I'm a bitch."

Still pissed off and hurt by her actions, I scoffed, keeping my expression guarded. "I agree, but if that was supposed to be an apology, it sucked."

Pulling her hand from her pocket, she rubbed the back of her neck. "You're right. It did. But come on, you know I say stupid shit all the time, and apparently pot makes me even more of an idiot."

"Well, maybe you should think twice about partaking again."

She sighed. "Okay, Mom. I get it. No more giggle smoke for Leah. I promise." After she crossed her heart, she saluted me.

My lips twitched until I could no longer hold in my laughter. I playfully swatted her upper arm. "You're insane, but for some reason, I love you anyway."

Grabbing my hand, she said, "Ditto. Now, let's go. It's time to introduce these fuckers to the girls from the Rez."

-GGB-

The party was in full swing by the time we arrived, and within fifteen minutes of entering the house, I lost Leah in the crowd. Rooms were jam-packed with people-dancing or lounging on sofas talking. Not wanting to dance, I searched to find an empty spot to sit, hoping to hide out until Leah reappeared.

The overwhelming scents of pizza, alcohol, and sweat permeated the air. The smell was so reminiscent of Jacob's bedroom it caused me to gag. I squeezed through the congested dining room where a group of students played beer pong on what appeared to be an antique table. Entering the den, I yelped when a large, meaty arm encircled my waist. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

I twisted out of his grip, shoving him away. My heart slammed in my chest, my adrenaline spiked. "Don't touch me!"

He put his hands up in the air. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had a goofy expression. "Chill out. I was only being nice."

"No, you were being an asshole." A brown-haired girl appeared, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Fuck off, Jessica. Nobody asked you," he mumbled, his words slurred slightly together.

"And no one asked you to accost this poor girl, Lanny."

"Whatever."

After he stormed off, I turned and said, "Jeez. Thanks."

She waved her hand. "No worries. He's such a creep. My friends and I saw him bugging you. He's harmless but disgusting. Want to join us?" She gestured across the room to a sofa where two girls sat.

"Yes. You're a lifesaver. I've been trying to find a place to lay low." I groaned. "Wow. That sounded pathetic, didn't it?"

She patted my back and laughed. "No. I get it. We're a bunch of wallflowers ourselves."

"I'm Bella Black."

"Jessica Stanley. These are my friends, Lauren and Angela."

Smiling at the two girls, I said, "Hello. Thanks for rescuing me."

Angela took a sip from her can of soda. "Unfortunately, we've all been there before. Lanny is so vile."

"Are you new? I don't remember seeing you around before," Lauren asked.

"No. My friend and I live in La Push." At my answer, they looked at each other and frowned. "Is something the matter?"

"Is your friend that Leah girl?" Angela asked.

"Uh-huh." Confused by the question, I asked, "Why?"

Lauren jutted her chin toward Jessica. "Your friend stole Jess's boyfriend."

Unsure how to respond, I combed my fingers through my hair. "Shit. I-I didn't know."

"Lauren, that's not completely true," Angela said. "They were broken up."

A shadow of remorse passed over Jessica's face. "We were. I just thought we would get back together. I never imagined he would move on so quickly. We dated for over a month." She sniffled. "Sorry. It still hurts."

Gosh. Talk about feeling uncomfortable. Not only was my best friend dating her ex, but also I knew nothing about relationships or how to offer any type of solace. A month didn't seem very long, but it was obvious that Jessica was in pain. Not knowing what to do or say, I racked my brain. Finally, I recalled an episode of Gilmore Girls where Rory and Logan were on a break. Gently patting Jessica's leg, I said, "Maybe you should stay away from men for a while and just eat more Chinese food."

All three girls looked at me as if I had grown an extra nose. "What are you talking about? Are you stoned or something?" Jessica asked incredulously.

I grimaced, wishing the floor would somehow open up and swallow me whole. "No. Jeez. Just ignore me. I don't know anything about relationships. You see, Paris said that to Rory when she was having guy problems on an episode of Gilmore Girls, so I thought it might help you as well. And that was incredibly stupid so I'll just shut up now."

Angela giggled and then the other two joined her. "Oh my God, Bella. You are too funny. And I happen to agree—an order of General Tso's chicken sounds much more appealing than a date with Mike Newton."

"Totally." Jessica snorted. "As a matter of fact, we should go now. I'm starving, and this party's lame anyway."

Lauren stood and stretched. "I'm in. Want to go with us, Bella? I think the buffet is open until eleven."

Stuffing my face at a Chinese buffet sounded pretty fantastic at the moment, but I couldn't leave without Leah. And I didn't think the invitation included her. "Thanks for asking, but I need to stay here. Leah's my ride back to La Push. Speaking of...I should probably find her."

"It was nice meeting you." Jessica gave me a quick hug. "Maybe we'll run into each other again."

"Yeah, that would be great." And I meant it. I had come to the party with low expectations and meeting these three had made it worthwhile. I couldn't remember how long it had been since I had felt so accepted by a group of girls my own age. In all honesty, I don't know if I ever had.

"I'm going to run upstairs to use the bathroom before we leave. Does anyone else need to go?" Angela asked.

"Do you mind if I come along? I don't see Leah anywhere down here. Maybe she's upstairs."

"Sure."

While Angela waited in line for the bathroom, I wandered around the upstairs floor. Most of the doors to the rooms were closed and with the sounds of the moans coming from inside them, it didn't take a genius to figure out what they were being used for. When I discovered a small group gathered around one that remained open, I walked over to see what had everybody's attention. Tyler leaned against the doorway with a bottle of beer clutched in one hand and his cell aimed toward the room in the other, filming something. "Tyler." I yanked on his arm to get his attention. "What's going on? Have you seen Leah?"

"Oh, I've seen her all right." He chuckled and gestured into the room with his bottle.

Naked and on her knees, Leah was giving Mike a blow job while he stood in front of her with his hand tangled in her hair. I couldn't believe my eyes. How could this be happening? A rush of panic unfurled in my chest, causing my stomach to revolt. Thankfully, I hadn't eaten before we left home, or I more than likely would have gotten sick. I had to do something.

"Leah!" I yelled. When she didn't turn, I attempted to go into the room, but Tyler wrapped an arm around my torso to hold me back.

"Don't spoil their fun." Struggling to break free, I bit his arm. He screamed in pain and released me. "What the fuck, bitch!"

Running into the room, I pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Leah.

"Bella? What are you doing here?" Standing, she stared at me with an empty, glassy expression. Her pupils dilated so big I could hardly see their brown color. She was obviously drunk or high.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I pointed toward the crowd still congregating around the door. "I'm trying to save my best friend from humiliation." Gesturing to Mike, I said, "This asshole and his friend are taking advantage of you."

Mike grabbed the blanket away from Leah, dropping it to the floor. Pulling her into his arms, he said, "She's not being taken advantage of, Bella. She's being fucked. If you weren't such a prude, you'd know the difference."

Leah giggled and snuggled closer to Mike. "He's right. Leave us alone, honey."

Tears of frustration welled in my eyes. Deep down I knew this wasn't the real Leah talking—her behavior was caused by whatever shit was in her system. I needed help. Heading toward the bathroom, I searched for Angela, but I couldn't find her. Hoping I could catch her before she left, I ran toward the staircase. But as I reached the first step, I lost my balance and fell, tumbling all the way down to the bottom.

AN:

Fun fact: I suffered through almost every episode of Gilmore Girls during the month of March. My daughter binge watched the entire series. I'm not a fan of Lorelei. Is it just me?

Thanks again to everyone who is reading and for all the kind reviews. I appreciate each of you tremendously.

As always, much love to K, Kay, Lizzie, Mandy, and Gail. I couldn't do it without you.

Also, I have a new one-shot if you want to check it out. It's called All the Wrong Moves.

Until next time,

HE