I Like Me Better

by pantheradraconis

Bella, after graduating high school in Florida under the roof of her mother and stepdad, moves to Forks, WA for her first year of college. She arrives the summer before and spends most of her time at the res with her friends Jacob and Leah, learning about the wolves and taught to fear the cold ones.

7. Soft Spot

Title: I Like Me Better

Author: Pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie, Edward/Leah, Emmett/Angela

POV: Changes, 3rd Person

Summary: Bella, after graduating high school in Florida under the roof of her mother and stepdad, moves to Forks, WA for her first year of college. She arrives the summer before and spends most of her time at the res with her friends Jacob and Leah, learning about the wolves and taught to fear the cold ones. On her first day of classes at Peninsula College, Bella runs into the most gorgeous girls she's ever seen and immediately becomes infatuated with her.

Chapter 7

Bella

"I fucked up."

"Yeah, there's definitely no doubt about that."

Bella pushes Jacob toward the waves of the ocean but he merely leans back into her, causing the short girl to stagger. They move along the beach picking up random stones and throwing them at the rushing waves. The autumn season brings a brisk wind over the sea and Bella shivers slightly.

"You should have brought a thicker coat," Jake says before leaning against Bella again; this time with less pressure.

"Why bring a coat when I have my own personal heater?" Bella throws both arms around the taller boy, holding him in an awkward hug as they continue down the sand.

"So tell me again how getting a kiss means you messed up? I mean, honestly, most people would find a kiss a complete win."

"She didn't kiss me back," Bella declares in anguish. "I just sort of forced myself on her out of nowhere. I have no idea what I was thinking."

Jake shrugs. "That still doesn't sound all that bad. I mean, at least you got to kiss her, right?"

"Seriously?" Bella pulls away from Jake and looks up at the Quileute. "Do we need to have a discussion about personal boundaries?"

Jakes rubs his hand through Bella's hair, messing it up even worse than the wind. "It's not like she said no."

Bella rolls her eyes and sits on a large branch that lays around the makeshift bonfire area on La Push beach. Over the summer, Jake, Bella, and Leah had spent many hours burning driftwood into the night, talking about their fears, interests, and ambitions. It became their safe space, the one place they could gather and no one would bother them.

Huffing, the teen leans forward letting her hands drape over her legs. "I mean, I feel like things were going really well, you know? Like we were seriously getting along. And she held my hand! I know that sounds like some dumb middle school thing, but when was the last time you held someone's hand?"

Jake reaches over and grabs one of Bella's hands in both of his; his fingers longer than her palm make her hands disappear in his grasp.

"Nope, I don't see what the big deal is," Jake laughs as Bella struggles out of his grip. "Come on, Bella! You can't seriously think she never wants to talk to you again."

"Uh, yeah, I most definitely can!" Bella holds up her phone as if it is Exhibit A in a courtroom. "That date was on Wednesday. It is now Saturday. I haven't heard a single word from her. Not. One. Word."

Jake grumbles and holds his head in his hands, "So then just call her or text her or whatever."

"I can't do that!"

The two teens look at each other in exasperation. Jake simply doesn't understand and Bella doesn't know what to do with him.

"Hey guys," Leah says as she runs up the beach. "Sorry I'm late. How's it going, Bella?"

"Oh hey, Leah. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Sitting up straight, Bella becomes excited at the prospect of Leah's take on her love life. Perhaps she will understand the horrible predicament she has put herself in.

"Yeah, about that," Leah sits down across from Bella on the sand with her back against another log. She looks down and rubs her hand through her hair, a movement Bella isn't sure she's seen Leah do before. The younger teen wonders what is bothering the Quileute.

"Leah's got herself a boyfriend," Jake says in a sing-songy voice. He grabs a twig and throws it out toward the water but it stops a few feet short, the wind having pushed it back.

"A boyfriend?" Bella says, leaning forward. "What do you mean, a boyfriend? When? How did that happen?"

"Wow, you sure know how to make a girl feel special," Leah laughs and rolls her eyes.

"I thought you guys didn't really date?" The teen tilts her head to the side, completely confused. She remembers the story of how Sam broke Leah's heart because of some sort of special soulmate business, but she still doesn't completely understand how that would work. "Wait a minute, did you input?"

Jake bursts out laughing and falls off the log into the sand. He kicks out as he lands and breaks one of the large branches off the driftwood seat.

"It's uh, not input." Leah says with a confused look on her face. "It's imprint."

"And?"

Leah blushes and looks down at her hands.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Bella jumps up in the air and almost stumbles as she lands. "I can't believe you've found your match! This is so exciting!" She moves over to Leah, sliding down into the sand before the girl, and grabs her hands. "Tell me all about them!"

"Well," Leah continues to blush and has trouble making eye contact with Bella, but the teen doesn't care. She's never seen Leah this adorably self-conscious before. "His name is Edward."

"Edward, what a dreamy name. He sounds like a Victorian aged romance hero."

"Yeah, that's one way of looking at it," Leah agrees awkwardly.

"He's definitely old enough to be Victorian!" Jake says, still lying in the sand. He's moved his hands behind his neck and is looking up at the clouds passing by.

"What does that mean?" Bella asks but neither seem to be very forthcoming. "Ok, well, tell me more about him. Is he cute?"

"He's gorgeous," Leah replies with a soft sigh.

Bella giggles like a schoolgirl, hardly able to hold in her excitement.

"He's not that good looking," Jake says, still not looking at either of them. "I mean, for a…"

"Nevermind," Leah growls, gripping Bella's hands just a little too tightly.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, sorry," Leah drops Bella's hand like they're made of hot metal. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, sorry."

"It's ok, Leah, don't worry about it. But, could you two, maybe, explain what's going on here?"

Leah rubs her hand through her hand again and sighs. "I'm sorry, Bella, but I really can't right now. It's, well, it's a difficult situation."

"Sam doesn't like him," Jake says.

"What do you mean Sam doesn't like him? Is he allowed to have a say in an impaint?"

"Imprint."

"Right, that's what I said."

"Not exactly, I mean, he just wants to keep me away from him. He's worried about me," Leah says quietly.

"Worried about your imprint?" Bella shakes her head, completely confused. She barely hears Jake mumbling, 'hey, she finally got it.' "I thought this was next level soulmate shit. How can there be worry over all this?"

Finally leaning up on his elbows, Jake explains in a diplomatic voice. "He's not of the tribe."

"Neither is Emily!"

"He's not of any tribe." Leah explains further. "He's a, well, he's a pale face."

"Oh."

"Sam's worried that he won't understand what imprinting means to us. He's also worried about how this imprint will affect the entire tribe. It's not without true concern, but he is being a little too strict. If we're being honest." Jake gives a small smile before laying back down. "I can see where he's coming from even if I don't agree with him."

"Have you met him?" Bella asks, twisting to look over at Jake.

"Not exactly."

"Huh?"

Leah taps her head with her finger and Bella nods in understanding. "Oh right, this is part of the wolf mind reading?"

Sighing, Leah says, "Every time I see him, every time we talk, every time I think about him…"

"Ugh," Bella shakes her head in distaste. "That sounds awful! What do you do when you're daydreaming about him? I mean, that's kind of, you know, private."

Jake laughs and says, "Luckily Leah is too nervous to kiss him! So no weird fantasies over here!"

"Seriously? You guys like… wait, how does that work?"

Leah leans back and pinches her lips together. "Well, we can read each other's thoughts, right? So sometimes, when you're constantly hearing the thoughts of someone else, you forget what thoughts are theirs and what thoughts are your own."

"Old Quil says it's supposed to be an extra level of protection for the tribe. Since we see the imprints of our pack the same way they see them, we'll give our lives to save them."

"So, technically, Sam would give his life to save Edward?" Bella asks. "Even if he doesn't like that Leah imprinted on a pale face like me?"

"Not exactly like you," Jake says under his breath but Leah quickly replies, "Technically, and I have no doubt that Sam would stand beside me if needed." Her voice wavers slightly while she says this but Bella smiles reassuringly.

"I'm sure he would too. Sam has always been stubborn but the way you two talk about him, I bet he'd be there in your time of need."

"Ugh, this is depressing." Jake shouts out as he reaches his hands up to the sky. "Let's do something! Let's go somewhere! Let's get drunk at least!"

"I can't," Leah responds shortly. "I've got patrol tonight."

"Didn't you just finish a patrol?" Jake asks only partially curious.

"I did, but the way Sam sees it, if I'm running patrols, I'm not with Edward."

"Well, he's not wrong," Jake says before leaning up and looking at Bella. "What about you? What are you up to?"

"Going to the Pirate Party on campus. I'd ask if you wanted to go but…"

"College girls are so unappealing. All they do is talk about books." Jake lets his hands fall into the sand and moves them up and down as if making a sand angel. He quickly loses interest and stills his arms.

"Maybe you could learn something from a college girl," Leah laughs before standing up and stretching. "I'm going to grab some food and a nap before tonight." She turns to Bella and says, "Sorry I couldn't hang out longer. We'll get together sometime soon."

"Maybe you could learn how to answer your texts!" Bella calls out to the already retreating girl. Leah merely waves goodbye.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" The teen moves over to Jake and leans her ear against his stomach; it gurgles loudly in reply.

"Will there be food?"

"Probably not enough to fill your bottomless void," Bella laughs.

"Sorry Bella, but I've got patrol in the morning so going all the way to Port Angeles isn't the best choice. I'm going to have to pass on the party."

Bella leans back so her head is resting on Jake's shoulder. They watch the clouds as they rush across the sky too quickly to make out any specific shapes.

"I guess I'll just go alone and see if I can make new friends."

"What about your girl? What's her name? Rose?"

"Rosalie," Bella sighs. "I doubt she'll be there. I had asked her before and she said probably not but then I figured after this date, but then I went and messed that all up and…"

Jake picked up his hand and dropped it over Bella's mouth, effectively shutting her up.

"Maybe you're right, ok?" Jake says while ignoring Bella's squirming. "Maybe that was your one chance and you completely blew it." Bella chomps down on his fingers but he doesn't budge. "Or maybe you did something right, taking the initiative like that. And maybe you've squirmed your way into her heart. You know, in that endearing parasitic way you used to befriend me and learn all my secrets."

Jake finally lets go when Bella licks his hand.

"Eww! There is something wrong with you!" Jake laughs as he shakes his hand out trying to remove the spit.

"Do you really think there's a chance I didn't completely screw things up?" Bella asks quietly after a few minutes.

"I think there is a tiny, miniscule, you've got to pull out a microscope to find it, chance."

Bella punches Jake's side with all her might, but he doesn't even flinch. "Stupid werewolf sixpack."

"Excuse me, it's a twelve pack."

Emmett

The scent carries along the breeze, sweet but tainted with salt, the scent of fear. Emmett rushes his body forward with all his speed, careening past trees, rocks, and a small brook. He climbs as he moves, his feet leaving the forest floor below and finding purchase on the tree branches. Finally, he allows his body to fall, arms out in front of him, grabbing the mountain lion around its neck. He dives into the fur, his teeth sinking into the skin and releasing his venom. The large cat grows still instantly and he begins to drink. The warm, sticky fluid coats his throat as he drains the animal.

Drinking the blood of an animal brings about a certain level of euphoria to a vampire, a sense of delusional happiness. Emmett leans back against a tree and let's his eyes close. His senses are on high alert but his body is content to remain perfectly still unless attacked. So when Alice dances from around the tree and reaches out to touch his face, Emmett immediately reaches out and grabs her arm, his eyes opening in the same movement.

"Gotcha!"

"Oh really?" Alice says, holding her other hand out mimicking a finger gun. "Bang!"

"Oh, oh! She's got me!" Emmett rolls over onto his side, holding his stomach to accentuate his fake performance. "Oh, ah, oh, ahh! Oohh ah, ah, ah!" He turns his body and kicks the tree several times, continuing his death scene. He finally falls to the ground and lays still for several seconds before popping back up and wriggling in pain. "Ah, ah, ah!"

"Oh my god," Alice giggles. "This is even funnier the second time!"

"What is he doing?" Asks Jasper as he walks up next to Alice. The two stand close enough to be one person and yet always remaining individuals.

Emmett jumps up from the ground and holds his hands out in explanation. "Seriously? Paul Reubens? PeeWee Herman? Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"

"These all sound like made up words," Jasper responds before turning away. "Rosalie is finished. Should we be going?"

"Have you really never seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer?"

"It was a TV show, yes?"

"No, well I mean, yes, but not that one."

"I haven't seen it either way."

"Then why did you? Ugh."

The trio move through the forest at a relaxed pace; not quite visible to human eyes but not at their fastest. When they find Rosalie, she's pristine as ever, not a single drop of blood on her clothes. Emmett remembers asking her for tips on how to stay clean but he could never manage to accomplish that sort of perfection; so he gave up trying.

Rosalie turns around and pulls out a shirt from her hiking bag; she passes it over to Emmett who smiles appreciatively before stripping his soiled one. She hands over a bleach pen to Alice who cleans the small splatters on her sleeve before moving over to Jasper's shirt collar.

"I really have no idea how you guys manage to stay so clean." Emmett says as he shrugs the clean shirt over his head. He passes the old one to Rosalie who drops it into a ziplock and back into her bag.

"It's all about reaction time." Alice says.

"I simply hold my body slightly farther away." Jasper explains.

Rosalie crosses her hands over her chest and rolls her eyes. "I have a feeling you were a messy eater as a kid, too."

Emmett grins in response. He doesn't remember too much of his life as a human but he can easily agree with Rosalie's assessment. He wants to crack a joke about how their offspring would be messy eaters too, but he knows better than to make kid jokes; he holds his tongue but keeps grinning. Eventually, Rosalie rolls her eyes and grins back.

"We should get moving," Jasper says while looking down at his watch. "The girls will want time to do things to their hair."

"All right!" Emmett calls out and pumps his hand in the air. "Go Pirates!"

The group returns to Emmett's Jeep parked on Route 35 near Mt Hood National Forest. As Alice calls out different turns, using back roads to avoid being caught speeding, Emmett drives them back to Forks in only four hours. The drive is spent deciding what to wear and how long each teen wishes to stay.

"I don't see why we're going to this party," Rosalie pipes up as they round Portland. "Avoiding human interaction is a high priority."

"If we ignore all human interaction, what is the point in living in the human world?" Jasper asks calmly from the back seat.

"We get plenty of human interaction at school," Rosalie leans back in her seat and huffs.

"Don't worry about her," Alice says as she leans against Jasper. "She's just nervous about seeing Bella again."

The blonde groans in the front seat and Emmett laughs, getting a slap on the arm. "Oh, come on, Rose. You've got to admit it's pretty adorable."

"What is adorable?"

"You," Jasper answers, a smirk on his lips.

"I am not adorable."

"Let's take a vote!" Alice calls out. "All those who believe Rosalie's crush on Bella is adorable, raise your hands!"

Three hands shoot up against the roof of the Jeep. Rosalie looks around in disbelief at her siblings.

"I do not have a crush on Bella."

"Hmm, I must be confusing your feelings of joy, nervousness, and slight discomfort as something else. Perhaps instead of butterflies, you're feeling indigestion?"

"Shut up, Jasper."

"We should invite Edward to the party and just have him read Rosalie's mind while they're together." Emmett says, getting another (this time very deserved) slap on the arm.

"Hmm," Alice thinks aloud. "I'm not sure if he'll come. He isn't seeing Leah tonight, I can tell that much." Emmett nods his head knowing that Alice can't see the wolves. It's something that makes the whole coven uncomfortable, especially Edward. "Right now he has plans to sit around and listen to music on his headphones."

"That sounds like every night," Jasper says quietly, a small grin on his lips.

"He would enjoy getting out for the night!" Emmett says confidently.

Alice remains in deep contemplation over the subject but doesn't say any more. Rosalie twirls her hair up in different styles while staring at herself in the flip mirror. Emmett wants to ask Jasper what Rosalie is feeling now, knowing that she is going to see Bella tonight, but keeps his mouth closed for the duration of the ride.

It used to be weird, just after Emmett and Rosalie had decided together that they weren't meant for each other the same way Esme and Carlisle were, the same way Alice and Jasper were. Originally, they thought they were a match made in heaven, especially with how Emmett perceived Rosalie to be an angel when he first saw her. But as time went on, and once Alice and Jasper joined their coven, the two realized they needed each other, just not in the way lovers need each other. It has been an easy enough break but the thought of being with anyone else was hard. It wasn't until Emmett fell in love with Angela that he even understood what it was he was looking for. Knowing that love, he couldn't help but wish the same for Rosalie.

When they get home, each teen goes off to their room to get ready. Emmett is given the task to ask Edward to come with them tonight, so he knocks on his brother's bedroom door.

"Yo, Eddie! Open up!" He shouts loudly, knowing the redhead has his headphones on full blast.

The door swings open quietly and Edward stands on the opposite side with his headphones wrapped around his neck.

"We're going to a party tonight, get dressed."

"Oh, no thank you," Edward begins to close the door but Emmett holds it open.

With a giant grin, the teen explains, "Trust me. You don't want to miss this." You have yet to meet Rosalie's crush. The two of them together is worth going out.

Edward raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything. Emmett knows he's reading his mind, trying to figure out what he's getting at, but Emmett tries to keep his thoughts on the current moment.

"Just trust me. You haven't seen Rosalie in action around this girl."

"Are you sure it's a crush?" Edward asks, extremely doubtful Rosalie could ever crush on a human.

"Look I know you've been a bit absent lately, having your mind focused on your wolf girl, but trust me. This is a true bonafide crush."

"On a human?"

"Trust me," Emmett grins and turns away. Edward remains skeptical but the burly teen knows he's won over his brother's curiosity. "We're leaving in an hour!" He calls out over his shoulder.

Once Emmett is showered, dressed, and smelling Fucking Fabulous (because the one large purchase he always makes is on his favorite Tom Ford cologne), he makes his way down to the living room. Alice is wearing a short, A-line dress with silhouetted tulips across the bottom edge. Jasper is wearing perfectly fitting dark blue slacks and a white button down shirt. Rosalie walks down the stairs next, wearing a wrap dress with a peacock print and high, strappy heels. When Edward walks down wearing tight fitting black jeans, a dark grey button down, and a well fitting light grey vest, Emmett finally feels out of place.

"I don't know which is funnier," Edward says, taking up a spot next to Rosalie as if the two were modeling today's fashion. "You wearing jeans and a Pirates t-shirt, or the vast amount of fashion knowledge you possess."

Emmett rolls his eyes and admits, "Project Runway is an amazing show." And it's true, Emmett and Alice watch it together every Wednesday, and every time there's a marathon. "This is a Pirates party! Why aren't any of you dressed in support?"

"Because, darling," Alice replies with her arm wrapped around Jasper. "This is a college party. We dress to impress."

"I bet you all will be feeling pretty ridiculous when everyone else is dressed in school colors," Emmett says in finality but accepts the leather jacket Alice holds out for him while they exit the door and split up into Rosalie's BMW and Edward's Volvo.

"We used to lie in bed and talk/For hours about everything/And anything you said you wanted to/Pull the covers over our short hair/Pretend like the city wasn't there/Like it was only just us two/You told me that it's over now/But I can't help that I think about/All the things that we used to do/'Cause I've got a soft spot/I've got it for you/It for you" - Soft Spot by Claud

A/N: Spoiler alert, everyone else is dressed to impress at the party, haha! So, the big question of this chapter, how will Edward react to meeting Bella for the first time? Any guesses? How will the party play out? And, bonuses to anyone who noticed, will the vampires know who Bella spent her day with? We've got a lot of fun coming in the next chapter! Tell me, what fun (or at least memorable) experiences have you had at a college party?