A/N: If you don't like the characters or plot, then don't read. This is slightly AU as fair as Lana and their ancestry and stuff like that. But the main premise will not change.

DISCLAIMER: I only own my OC, nothing else.

WORD COUNT: 3, 957

Chapter 7

A Bookstore Visit Gone Wrong.

Lana sat opposite Jessica on the picnic table, her gray cardigan slipping off her light-russet shoulder as her black tank top wrapped around her torso tightly as she absorbed the sunshine, her tight, washed-out jeans was like a second skin to her long legs. Her face lifted up to the warm sun, her raven hair falling back like a black waterfall down her back.

Bella was not so discreetly looking for Edward and the Pale Gang, twisting an apple between her hands as she looked over her shoulders every two seconds.

"He's not here." Jessica murmured, looking at Bella and Lana opened one eye lazily to gaze at the popular girl before it slid shut once more, "whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear."

Bella questioned, this new bit of information detrimental to their research, "what, do they just ditch?"

"No, uh, Dr and Mrs. Cullen yank 'em out for like hiking and camping and stuff. I tried that on my parents; not even close."

"Guys!" Angela called and all three girls turned to the glasses-wearing girl who plonked herself onto the bench seat next to Bella. "I'm going to the prom with Eric! I just asked him, I took control!" She clambered up and pulled Lana into a hug and she returned it fiercly. Happy for her friend.

"Told ya." Lana grinned as they pulled back, winking at the shy girl.

"Are you sure you have to go out of town?" She asked Lana in a small voice just like a teenage whine.

"Oh yeah, it's a whole family thing." Bella dug her little sister into an even bigger hole, considering she actually wanted to go to the prom! Now she would have no way of going to the dance. Maybe if she staged some elaborate plan.

Hmm.

Trying to fake a plane crash was not going to work at all and the Bermuda Triangle excuse was geographically impossible, so she was stuck with her sister's growing lie. So hiding out at home was the plan for the two Swan sisters the day of the damn dance.

'Damn you, Bella.'

"Let's go." Bella pulled Lana out of her reverie and the youngest looked around to see Angela and Jessica walking away from them and Bella pulling her bag over her shoulder.

"Huh? Right." Lana murmured, jumping off the table and she shrugged her own bag on. "So, what did I miss? I kinda spaced out."

"We're going to Port Angeles to the bookstore I found while the others dress shop." Bella shuddered slightly as Lana sighed wistfully.

"Prom dresses," Lana whimpered, kicking herself for agreeing to the plan as she imagined wearing some sexy number, impressing Jacob enough that he'd forget about Bella altogether.

"Hey! Bookshop!" Bella bumped her day-dreaming sister who groaned.

"I got it!" Lana growled back, pouting as they followed Angela and Jessica.

No prom for Lana.

(..)

Lana smiled, watching the girls try on their dresses as they murmured and muttered to each other as Bella continued to read her book, needing the perfect moment to break away from the two girls watchful eye.

"Okay, I like this one, it makes my boobs look good." Jessica murmured, adjusting the plunging neckline of the metallic pink dress just as three guys about in their early twenties knocked on the glass to the dress shop and complimented Jessica.

Lana rolled her eyes at them, hitting the glass just as one of them knocked at Bella and glared at him. They scurried off quick smart.

"That is uncomfortable." Jess muttered.

"It's disgusting." Bella growled.

"Worse than that." Lana snarled, watching the guys retreat before turning as the girls posed for them. "I love that dress, Jess. I think, like, a necklace would balance things out since there's a lot going on upstairs. You don't want your twins to pop out but you want Mike's eyes to zone in." Lana observed before turning her eyes to Angela who stood there shyly. "You look gorgeous, Angie. The lavender suits your skintone beautifully, the way the dress flows. Elegant and stunning. Perfect for you."

"Bella, what do you think?" Jess got the older Swan's attention as both girls posed.

"That looks great." Bella supplied blandly, making Lana roll her eyes once again.

"You said that about the last five dresses though." Jess chuckled, obviously annoyed, but this time, Lana couldn't fault her.

"I thought they were all pretty." Bella half-smiled.

"You're not really into this, are you?" Angela picked up on Bella's discomfort for shopping easily.

"I just really want to go to this bookstore." Bella patted Lana's shoulder and she stood begrudgingly and they gathered their things. "Meet you guys at the restaurant?"

"You two sure?"Jess asked, looking at Lana more than Bella.

"We won't be long." Lana reassured.

"Yeah, see you guys in a minute." Bella reinforced as they walked towards the exit.

"Okay!" Jessica chimed.

(..)

They had spent a lot longer in the bookstore than planned. Bella had found the only book she wanted and Lana had found at least ten, promptly purchasing each one. She knew Billy would get a kick out of reading the old legends of his Great Grandfather's time and beyond that. He probably knew them all, but it she thought it'd make a nice present for him. Jacob also liked the stories and there were probably some legends in here that his father hadn't shared.

After paying, Lana stuffed the books in her large handbag and the sisters soon left with their purchases, happy.

They started walking through the alley, shivering from the chilly Port Angeles night air, before they were spotted by two figures who stopped to stare. Lana nudged at her sister and they continued up the path where they came, intending on a different path.

Lana kept her guard up and her eyes darting for other suspicious characters such as the ones following them, until they reached the parking lot and there were another group of guys, drunk and drinking even more. Lana pushed Bella behind her, watching them all closely as they surrounded the two girls.

"Well, hey! Look at the little brave one. Man, she's looks thick, something I can hold on to!" They were laughing as they circled, leering at Lana and Bella.

"Don't touch me!" Lana snarled, pulling away from their groping hands as Bella reiterated the same thing, both girls readying themselves to their defensive positions.

Lana's control snapped as one of the lewd boys grabbed her breast and her hip.

She grabbed his hand and bent it backwards, toward his wrist and she struck quickly; her elbow cracking into his nose to stun him as Bella crushed another offender's testicles with her knee just as a silver volvo screeched into view.

Lana and Bella just got out of the way before the volvo stopped right in front of them and a furious looking Edward Cullen emerged from the vehicle. "Get in the car." He demanded coldly, slamming the door shut. Lana's apprehensiveness about him came forward in full force but she wasn't about to argue as Bella grabbed her little sister's hand and they clambered into the car as Edward rounded to the front, staring at the men.

They backed away, afraid.

Bella, tearing her eyes from the entrancing and beguiling teen, she turned to look over the carseat to a pale Lana. "Hey, Lana, are you okay?" Lana nodded, though she chose not to verbally reassure her sister, but she waited as Edward joined them in the car, lurching forward to scare the boys, before he took off in the other direction and directly into oncoming traffic. Lana gasped as he narrowly avoided hitting another car and she quickly grabbed the seatbelt and clicked it in the holder, holding on to it for dear life.

"I should go back there and rip those guys' heads off!" Edward snarled, his eyes remaining on the road as an obviously distressed Bella looked at Edward in fright. Lana couldn't help but silently agree with him. She wished she could have caused more bodily harm to them.

"Uh, no, you shouldn't." Bella, ever the moral and reserved one spoke, still shocked by the events.

"You don't know the vile and repulsive things they're thinking." Edward stated, but what he said peaked both Lana and Bella's interest in what he said. Lana's eyes shifted to his seat, seeing a sliver of his face as she was in the middle.

"And you do?" Bella questioned.

Edward stopped, "it's not hard to guess." Lana recognized the instant calm in his voice as he was thrown off guard. He said something he shouldn't have. "Can you talk about something else?" He begged, "distract me so I don't turn around."

Bella floundered for something, anything before she blurted, "just put your seatbelt on!"

Lana nodded frantically, watching the world around them pass in a blur from how fast the volvo was travelling, but Edward laughed at the absurdity of Bella's statement, "'put your seatbelt on.'" Lana was seriously considering having him put in for a psych evaluation because he was obviously psychotic.

"Can you, for the love of all that is holy in the world, drive the regulated speed limit!? I don't want to become a volvo pretzel around some stupid lamppost." Lana snarled, her heart thundering in her chest and she felt the decrease in the accelerator as Edward started to drive at a more reasonable pace to the point where she could peel herself away from the seat, since the momentum wasn't gluing her to it. "Thank you."

(..)

Bella and Lana stood in front of Jessica and Angela as Bella tried to apologise but Angela cut her off, "where were you, we left both of you messages!"

"Yeah, we waited, but we were starving, so. ." Jessica's eyes widened as they took in the boy who stood next to Bella, smiling sheepishly.

"Um, I'm sorry I kept Bella and Lana from dinner. We just sort of ran into each other and got talking." He flashed both of the girls a small, embarrassed grin that had Lana gagging mentally, but Jess and Angela were enthralled by him, their earlier irritation forgotten.

'He isn't that good-looking. Jesus.' Lana growled mentally.

Jess let loose a gigantic smile as they placated Edward and Bella as Lana slowly started to back away, having spotted her bike a few rows of cars down, the opposite of where Jess and Angela were heading.

"I think I should make sure Bella and Lana get something to eat, if you'd like." Both Bella and Lana stiffened as they all turned to Lana, who stopped, mid step into going to her bike and she waved awkwardly.

Bella nodded, thinking this was now her chance to get some information from him, Lana literally screamed in her mind.

"I'll drive them back myself." Edward dug her into a deeper hole.

'I swear to God, he's literally Bella's soulmate if they can ruin me like this.' Lana exasperated mentally.

Angela and Jessica looked to Bella, who once again, nodded. "Yeah, we should eat something."

'Damn you, Bella.' Lana's eyes pierced and narrowed at her sister, telling her sister in silent volumes the scale of how much she was displeased, before all three entered the restaurant and were finally seated.

Bella and Lana ordered and all three sat silently.

So, Lana, deciding that manners be damned, she pulled out one of the books she bought and started to avidly read.

"Lana! Put the book down!" Bella scolded her little sister for forgetting her manners. No matter who their guest was, it wasn't polite.

"Bella, right now, I couldn't care less what is polite or what mannerisms I'm giving off. I'd rather read than stick with an awkward silence." Lana's voice was bland as she answered her sister, turning the page and she read the new text.

"One mushroom ravioli and one hamburger with fries and a side salad." The waitress announced and Lana set her book down, ravenous as she started to eat her fries. Though she rolled her eyes as the waitress flirted unsuccessfully with Edward before she left and Bella started picking at her food.

"You're not gonna eat?" Bella asked as Lana speared lettuce with a piece of tomato and cucumber and she slid the salad off her fork, savoring the flavour.

"No, I'm on a. . special diet," Edward smirked softly before turning to Lana, who's left cheek bulged from her mouth with the food, "you seem to be enjoying yourself." Lana shrugged, not answering as she continued to chew through.

"You gotta give me some answers." Wow, Bella exceeded Lana's mental countdown to when she wouldn't be able to hold back to demand information.

"Mm. . yes, no. To get to the other side," both Lana and Bella had the exact same expression, "1.77245-"

"I don't think she wants to have a recap of what the square root of pi is." Lana cut him off, sipping at her water.

"You knew that?" He asked Lana, making the younger Swan raise one eyebrow before she went back to her food.

"How did you know where we were?" Bella questioned.

"I didn't." Edward answered. Lana listened quietly, having finished her chips and salad, started on the burger.

"Lana, come on." Bella called, starting to get up.

"'kay." Lana answered, following her sister.

Edward panicked slightly, "don't. . leave." Lana looked to Bella, who, after a moment, nodded and both Swan girls sat back down.

"Did you. . follow me?" Bella asked as Lana took a large bite of her burger, choosing to stay silent.

Edward considered, "I feel very," he thought for a moment, choosing the right word, "protective of you." He leaned closer to Bella, their faces inches away.

'I should not be here.' Lana thought to herself over and over, repeating it like a mantra.

"So you followed me." Bella surmised.

"I was trying to keep a distance unless you needed my help and then I heard what those low lives were thinking-"

Lana stopped chewing.

"Wait," Bella interjected as Lana looked at Edward, her eyes wide, "you say you heard what they were thinking?" Bella had a small victorious smirk on her lips, incredibly hard to miss if you weren't attuned to her subtle facial expressions and lucky for Lana, she was fluent in Bella's silent and small displays of expression and she could easily see the smirk. "So, what, you read minds?"

It was far-fetched. It had to be, there was no such thing as reading minds! But Edward wasn't denying it. "I can read every mind in this room." Edward's lips turned upward as he continued, "apart from yours." Edward looked around, "uh, money, sex, money, sex, cat."

Lana suddenly felt very self conscious, but she wasn't a fool. He was just saying words. She leaned forward, looking at Edward intently, thinking hard. 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.' Lana grinned to herself.

"'Even though the sound of it, is something quite atrocious.'" Edward muttered under his breath, but Lana heard him, making her jaw drop.

Lana was convinced it was a fluke, so she sang something else. 'A spoonful of a sugar helps the medicine go down-'

"-'in a most delightful way.'" Edward finished, making Lana fall back in her seat.

"Okay, stop! That's creepy!" Lana stressed, her eyes wide as Edward chuckled.

"I didn't peg you for a Mary Poppins fan." Edward teased, making Lana's cheeks turn red.

"Shut up. You were singing it too." Lana grumbled.

"Wait, were you reading Lana's mind?" Bella perked up, pointing to her sister and Edward nodded.

"Yeah, she was singing Mary Poppins." Edward turned his gaze back to Bella and the youngest Swan felt relieved, "and then you. . nothing. It's very frustrating."

'I'd count it a blessing.' Lana thought, momentarily forgetting the boy who could read minds.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Bella asked him.

'Seriously, woman? You want him to know what's going through your head?! What about the whole; 'I can read minds' shtick?' Edward chuckled softly, looking at Lana knowingly and she clenched her jaw shut. 'Stay out of my head!'

"You're very loud." Edward answered her and Lana's eye twitched at his complaint but he turned back to Bella, "see, I tell you I can read minds, and you think there's something wrong with you. Your sister has the right idea, or the right thoughts rather."

"Well, I've already gotten a noise complaint." Lana murmured.

Edward chuckled before his expression turned serious. "What is it?" Bella asked, her eyes never leaving his.

He looked at Bella intently. "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

'Why on God's green Earth am I even here? Can the ground please swallow me up whole and just take me anywhere but here?' Lana prayed to the spirits above but they decided to plug in their earphones and watch Bleach because they weren't listening to her today.

So, Bella, deciding to make it even worse for her little sister and leaving her in their little Bubble of Love as she was now dubbing it, she whispered, "then don't."

'God, smite me.' Lana prayed harder.

(..)

"Are you sure? It's been raining-"

"I'm damn sure, thank you! I will be taking my own mode of transportation back to Forks. I do not want to be the third wheel in this anymore. See you later." Lana waved one hand as she practically sprinted for her bike.

She rode the way the slippery road in silence, having taken another path. She wasn't going home straight away, but instead going to the Rez. She needed to see Jacob.

Lana accelerated, the bike roaring as she flew onto the Reservation and she stopped in front of the small house. She cut the engine, the rain falling all around her, soaking her as she grabbed her bag and ran toward the porch, running up the ramp for Billy and she raised her hand to knock.

Lana hesitated.

They probably didn't want to be disturbed at this time of the night and frankly, she had no business being there at such a late time. It was stupid of her to show up so late.

Her awaiting hand fell back against her thigh, droplets of rainwater falling from her fingertips as she turned and walked back out from the protective shade of the porch and back into the heavy rainfall.

"Lana!" Jacob's voice rang clear. Lana whirled around to see the young teen wearing a hoodie in the open doorway, running out toward her and he pulled her to his chest. "What the hell are you doing out here so late and in the rain!? You'll get sick!" Without waiting for an answer, he pulled her up the steps on the porch and into the warmth of the house, shutting the door behind them and he quickly pulled off his hood as Lana shivered and ran into the small hallway, getting some towels from the linen closet and he wrapped her shivering form up in them. "What the hell were you thinking, Lana?"

"S-sorry." Was all she could offer at the moment as she pulled the towel around her tighter, wiping the droplets from her face as she sat on the couch and Jake sat down next to her. "I've just had a long day and it's not been the best." Lana murmured, remembering the drunk guys and the one that groped her and she shook, though this time, not from the cold.

"What happened?"

"Bella and I went to this bookstore. Well, Bella dragged me." Both teens chuckled at that but Lana's eyes became haunted, "there were a group of guys that cut us off at the parking lot, they surrounded us and one of them. . touched me. Both of us were lucky it didn't go beyond that but. ." Lana's vision blurred with tears as she sniffled and Jacob pulled her to him, letting her head rest against his shoulder.

"How did you get away from them?" Jacob asked, his hand running up and down against her upper arm.

"Edward Cullen, he swooped in with his volvo and poofy hair and swept Bella off her feet and I was kinda the third wheel, as per usual." Jacob wanted to ask about Bella, but refrained from doing so. Lana needed him more right now and he'd never abandon his best friend.

"Did you get a few good hits in?" Jacob asked, making Lana chuckle.

"Got one with my elbow and I almost broke his hand." Lana grinned crookedly as Jacob praised her. "Oh, I got you and your Dad some stuff at the bookstore." Lana grabbed her discarded bag and pulled out a few books about the Takuna legends and the Quileute tribes. "I thought of you two straight away."

"Oh, wow! Thank you!" Jacob smiled brightly, taking the books from her as he picked one up and flicked through the pages until he found a story he liked and began to read.

Lana listened to his soothing voice and in no time, her eyelids started to droop until they closed and her breathing deepened.

When Jacob finished narrating the story, he turned to see a fast-asleep Lana on his shoulder, her mouth slightly open as her breath passed through in deep, even breaths.

Slowly setting the book down on the coffee table, he got up and lifted a surprisingly light Lana in his arms and carried her to his room. His bed was small and it wouldn't fit both Lana and himself, so Lana was getting his bed. Jacob set her down gently, pulling off her wet cardigan and untied her converse and socks to make her more comfortable, setting them to the ground before he pulled the covers over her, making sure she was warm. Lana stirred, moving to her side as she curled up, hugging one of his pillows to her chest and he smiled at the sight before hanging her cardigan off the chair to dry before he walked out of his room and set the couch up for him to sleep.

He picked up the book and continued to read before he too, fell asleep. Dreaming of the Quileute legends, wolves and Lana.

I know, I'm a horrible person who should be hung, drawn and quartered.

FORGIVE ME FOR SUCH A LATE UPDATE!

So, we're getting deeper into the plot, seeing more of Lana exasperation toward Bella's tendency to drag her around and we see a vulnerable part of Lana now. We mustn't forget that she is fifteen and something like having older, drunk men grope you would do more than shake you.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Opposite Sides of the Spectrum!

Thank you so much!

~Munsurieya