A/N:
Okay, so I decided to re-use the idea I had from my previous fic here because honestly, it was really cute. And cue Protective Paul in this. I hope you guys enjoy it bc I have had the most fun writing this story so far and coming up with things to do with it in the future.
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"Are you sure you don't want to come with Jacob and I after school?" Bella repeated the question and Olivia shook her head for a second time and then, just for good measure, she flashed her most reassuring smile at her older sister. "You go. Spend time with Jacob and have fun. You need it."
"Okay, well what are you going to do about a ride home?"
"You act as if I don't have feet that work perfectly well." Olivia countered the question before Bella even had a second to find a reason to beg out of going to spend time with Jacob Black.
So long as it kept her from sitting up in her room like a coma patient and essentially wasting away, Olivia didn't care much what her older sister did. And she was starting to come alive again lately. The tension that filled the house was starting to lift, slowly but surely.
"You're going to walk two blocks in the rain?"
"Bella, I swear to God if you don't wake up and realize I'm not a toddler at some point, I'm going to lose my mind. Since you're so worried, I'm actually not. I have a ride."
Bella eyed her sister warily. "Is it Angel?"
"Nope." Olivia answered while taking a sip of her orange juice.
Charlie spoke up. Gently but calm. "Bells, I'm sure Livvie will be fine. Besides, she's already asked permission to go with some friends after school."
"Okay, but what friends, hm?" Bella wasn't going to be deterred and when Olivia realized this, she spoke up to answer. "It's Paul, okay? He asked if I wanted to come to a fall carnival that they're holding at La Push High with him and a friend or two."
Bella gave a soft laugh and her next words were spoken in gentle teasing. Just to get Olivia blushing. "Oh, so it's a date."
"It's not a date." Olivia said it quickly, but she felt her cheeks starting to burn even as she insisted that she wasn't going on a date. "It would only be a date if it were just going to be Paul and I."
"Group dates are a thing.. Did he say it wasn't a date? Because there's varying levels of date or not date that exist."
"Damn it, Bella." Olivia grumbled as she scowled at her sister when she saw Bella start to laugh a little. "Calm down, fireball. I was just messing with you."
"At least you're feeling lively enough to do that again. That's good." Charlie mused as he sipped his morning coffee.
In a hurry to escape Bella's teasing and remembering that she agreed to meet Angel on the corner of her block, Olivia finished her food and wandered over to the sink to wash her plate. After hugging her father, she was hurrying out the door. Bella called out to her.
"You're not riding with me?"
"I told Angel I'd meet her. We're trying to get to school in a hurry to find out what part we got in the musical."
"Oh! Okay, I'll see you at lunch then." Bella called out.
Olivia gave her sister a thumbs up and hurried down the street to find Angel waiting by the streetlamp. Leaned against it.
"You look like you didn't sleep last night."
"How could I? My mother and that douchebag she met at the club last week were fighting and doing god knows what else in the next room until 2. I did see that wolf again though. It let me get close to it!"
Olivia gave her friend a blank look and Angel sighed. "Remember? The wolf I saw when we went to that party? I've seen it three? Maybe it was four times since. And every single time, it just walks right up to me. I'm kind of starting to feel like maybe it's a guide or a sign or something."
Olivia gave a soft laugh and nodded, just agreeing for the sake of it. Angel had herself a bit of an imagination, and Olivia wasn't about to ruin it for her by pointing out that there was supposedly rumored to be a hermit who lived in an old hunting cabin somewhere who kept a wolf or two if they got injured. So chances were, she was just seeing a wolf that had been rehabbed and kept just a little too long as a form of pet.
Because that made a lot more sense than anything else.
But if Angel wanted to believe the wolf was some sort of guide, Olivia wasn't going to crush that dream.
"Do you think you got the part you wanted?"
"God, I hope so."
"Know what would be the shit?" Angel asked, pausing to look at her best friend.
"What?"
"If you got the lead part."
Olivia shook her head and swallowed hard. "No, nope. That would probably be a disaster. You know how I feel about crowds."
"Oh come on! Live a little! It won't be that bad. And you look more like Sandy Olsen than stupid Irene anyway."
"Only because I happen to dye my hair the same shade as Sandy's.. That's pretty much where the similarity ends, Angel." Olivia answered with a soft smile. The school came into view and Angel nodded towards an unfamiliar bus parked out in front of it. "Hey, isn't that a La Push bus? Aren't they at the wrong school?"
Olivia followed her best friend's gaze and she happened to look at the bus in question just in time to see Paul get off. With Jared and several other students. And naturally, Angel had to say something, she couldn't just keep quiet about it. She gave a soft laugh and nudged Olivia as Olivia found herself in an intent staredown with Paul.
"Ooh, your boyfriend is here."
"Angel, he's not my boyfriend.. I mean.. I don't think he is. I don't know, okay? And it's not like I can just ask the guy, that's not how things work!" Olivia said it, but it came out more like a question than a statement. Honestly, she wasn't even sure what they 'were' and she didn't spend a whole lot of time dwelling over it. She didn't want to make things awkward or anything, so she hadn't exactly asked him one way or another, either.
"Holy hell.. They do make more hunks like the one you managed to land." Angel fanned herself dramatically and Olivia glanced over just in time to catch Embry staring at Angel. Angel, of course, was staring right back.
Olivia gave a soft laugh. "That's Embry. He's a sweet guy. I mean, if I'm remembering correctly. I don't know him that well, but I know he used to be friends with a friend of my sister, Jacob."
"He's Adonis. I refuse to call him anything else."
"Oh god." Olivia laughed and shook her head at her friend's statement. "Angel, you are something else. You know that, right?"
"You love me though. And you're stuck with me."
"I don't mind at all."
Paul was leaning against the wall. Chuckling to himself because thanks to super enhanced senses, he could hear everything Olivia and her friend were currently talking about. From beside him, Embry's throat cleared. "Do you ever get used to the way their scent is enough to knock you over or render you almost absolutely useless?" as he gave a goofy grin. Paul chuckled and shook his head. "Nope. At least that's not my experience. You going to be okay, Call?"
"Bite me, Lahote." Embry grumbled as he braced himself because his imprint was getting closer and the closer she got, the sweeter and more overwhelming her scent became for him. And he had this uncontrollable urge to walk over to her, to be close to her. As close as he could.
Paul took a deep breath, bracing himself in a similar manner. As soon as Olivia was closer to him, he started to walk towards her, smirking to himself as he did so. He stopped in front of her and chuckled quietly. "Surprise?"
Olivia smiled and nodded, a hand raised and tugging at blonde strands. "I am definitely that. What's going on?"
"Our classroom's kind of being remodeled." Paul shrugged. "So for a little while, I'm gonna be doing Anatomy and Physiology here."
Olivia grinned. "I have that class first. For me it's an advanced placement thing."
Paul rubbed his chin and chuckled as he stared down at her and stepped closer, closing the space between her. "So you're hot and smart, hm?"
Olivia's face burned hot and she shook her head no while giving a soft laugh. "I am not."
Paul caught sight of a blond guy in a letterman's jacket leaning against the side of the Jeep he'd seen at the party he last saw Olivia at and he tensed, nodding in the guy's direction. "What the hell is Newton lookin at right now?"
Olivia glanced in the direction and she shrugged. "Beats me. Knowing him, he's probably watching for my sister to get here."
Paul took a deep breath to keep himself calm. Keep any territorial urges he may or may not feel towards Olivia nice and hidden well enough that he didn't alarm her. Subtly though, he smirked at Newton and slipped an arm around Olivia as they walked into the building. The rest of the pack wandered over, and Paul chuckled as soon as he caught sight of Embry, being flirted with by the short brunette he'd imprinted on the same night Paul had gone to the party in the woods to make sure Olivia was safe.
Angel gave Olivia a smirk and a thumbs up and then wandered over. "His name is Embry. And I think we're all going to be sharing a class for a few weeks!" as she glanced from Olivia to Paul and smiled. "Don't hurt her, idiot or I break knee caps."
Paul snickered and shook his head.
Angel turned her attention back to Olivia and nodded towards the bulletin board across the hallway as she offered her arm. "Shall we, ma'am?"
"Why not. I'm telling you, knowing my luck, I probably got an extra part. There's no way I got Marty."
"I still say it'd be freaking awesome if you somehow managed to steal Sandy Olsen right out from under Irene. Then again, I just live for any chance to watch her have one of her epic but annoying meltdowns." Angel mused.
Embry nudged Paul and nodded towards Angel as he mused with a bit of a goofy grin, "I,uh.. Wow." Embry fanned himself and Paul could only laugh and nod in agreement. "What are they lookin at?"
"We could go over and see." Embry mumbled. Paul nodded and started to walk towards the bulletin board that Angel, Olivia and a small group of other students were gathered around.
"But I didn't read for Sandy." Olivia blinked and re read the cast list for Grease, the musical they were doing.
"Hot damn, I got Marty. I mean, I would've enjoyed playing Cha-Cha, but I wanted to play Marty anyway." Angel pumped her fist in victory. "Ooh, who did Ms. Queen Bitch get?"
"Ouch.. she is.. Not going to be happy. She got Patty Simcox." Olivia snickered a little at the irony. And they both rolled their eyes when they heard Irene shoving her way through the crowd and straight to the front of the board, narrowing her eyes at the two of them as she folded her arms over her chest. "Aw? Sad because I got the lead?"
"Actually, you raving bitch, you didn't." Angel smirked as she folded her arms and stood taller. Olivia tensed a little, but she smirked too as she spoke up quietly. "Actually, I'm the one who got the lead."
Irene gaped and then spun around. And immediately, she started to rant. "This isn't right. You two changed the cast list somehow! I read for the part! I am Sandy. I'm not Patty."
"She might actually explode this time."
"God she's so annoying. Can't I just punch her in the throat already?" Angel asked.
Irene glared and stepped closer to Olivia. Oliva tensed and glared right back at her as she stepped away.
From the back of the small crowd gathered, Embry nudged Paul. "You might wanna get up there, Lahote."
Paul stepped through two or three other people in front of him and stopped behind Olivia. Irene's gaze settled on him and she bit her lip as her entire demeanor changed. "Oh hey.."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "You were saying something, Irene. By all means, go ahead.. Say what you were about to say."
"I'll be talking to our drama club advisor about this. You'd better enjoy your fifteen minutes, Olivia. Because one way or another, that part.. And anything else I might decide I want.. They'll be mine." Irene's gaze settled on Paul as she said it and she winked at him. "My name's Irene."
"And?" Paul asked, barely hiding a smirk as he watched her facial expression go from overly confident to more than a little disappointed. "If I wanted to know your name, I would've asked you. Did I?" he asked, pushing just a little bit more.
"You realize Olivia's basically a boring wet mop, right?"
"You realize I think you're a bimbo.. Right?" Paul smirked a little more. Towering over the brunette. She gulped and her mouth opened and closed. "Did you seriously just call me a bimbo?"
"Did I stutter, Irene?" Paul asked, shrugging as he said it. "If I were you, I'd probably leave my girlfriend alone. Just a thought." Paul gave a menacing sneer as he said it and Irene glared a second or two before cutting her eyes to Olivia. "Are you going to just let your boyfriend talk to me like that?"
"Why not? It's kind of what you deserve, isn't it? You're the one who started every single bit of this." Olivia shrugged. She stepped closer to Paul when Irene stepped right up to her. Paul felt her tense up and he leaned down to mutter next to her ear quietly, "C'mon, kitten. I'll walk ya to your locker. This chick is a waste of time, alright? Don't let her get to you."
Olivia gulped but she nodded as bravely as possible. She had absolutely zero doubt in her mind though that somehow, Irene was going to make sure she paid for every single thing that had just happened. And this had her on edge.
As soon as the four of them were further down the hall Angel spoke up from between Embry and Olivia where she was walking, "I still say you should just deck her and get it over with."
"Angel, no. You know how I feel about confrontations and fighting. Besides, I'm pretty sure punching her wouldn't do anything."
"It will if you put some force behind it, woman!" Angel answered as she placed a hand on her hip and gazed at her best friend. "Anyway, she can go sit on a cactus and rotate. Pretty sure I know exactly why Mrs. A gave her the part she did."
"Why?" Olivia asked.
"Oh, trust me. Mrs. A cannot stand her. The only reason she even let Irene join is because she didn't want Mrs. Stanley coming down and throwing another one of her fits.. Kind of like how Irene got Co-Captain on the JV cheer squad? Yeah.. Pretty sure she only gets half the shit she gets because nobody wants to hear Mrs. Stanley, the actual cackling hen."
"Ouch. That has to be embarrassing though."
"Oh, I bet. At least I just have to worry about my mom showing up with a bottle of Evian and telling someone who stares too hard that it's vodka." Angel mused as she shook her head. Olivia sighed and leaned against Angel. "Hey, if that asshole from the club your mom works at is over tonight, just sneak in.. Or come by. My dad's pretty cool about you staying over."
"I think I'll take you up on it." Angel mused as she grumbled when her locker wouldn't budge. "Everybody move. I'm about to ninja kick the shit out of this thing. I swear, it's the fourth time this week."
"Hey, whoa.. Maybe just.. Let me try?" Embry spoke up quietly. With two well placed hits, the locker door sprang open and Angel turned to him, giggling. "I'm keeping you. Mhm. Totally."
The statement only made Embry blush just slightly as he chuckled and shrugged. "I won't complain."
Paul snickered and shook his head as Embry and Angel wandered away, talking quietly amongst themselves. Olivia finished swapping out her books and she turned, finding herself body to body with Paul. She swallowed hard and smiled. Paul nodded to the books in her arms. "I can carry that."
"I.. I mean, if you want to." Olivia stammered as she smiled at him. Paul decided to be a little bit of a tease when he saw her start to blush yet again. "It's kinda cute how easy I make you blush, kitten."
All Olivia could do was stick out her tongue and Paul decided to tease again, muttering boldly, "Do it again."
This, of course, only made her turn red all over again. He slipped an arm around her and they wandered into class behind Embry and Angel.
When the teacher split everyone into groups of four and let them choose, the four of them wound up working together.