Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Twilight Series

4

Caught

We all laughed as Paul threw his cards on the table, stood up and left. He held the most anger in his body, and to match, the most competitiveness. "Oh, come on, Paul."

Jared looked over his shoulder at him. "He's so dramatic," he said, and then he turned back to the small dining room table in front of us. He looked at Kim. "Why don't you go get Dani, babe? We can play another round of cards with her and then cake?"

Kim laughed, shaking her head. "It's Dani's birthday, it's her cake. She will let us know when she's ready to blow out the candles." She threw an arm around Jared. "Patience, honey."

Emily and Sam both shook their heads at them. Emily smiled, taking all the cards and shuffling them again. "One more round, and then we all convince Dani it's time for cake."

A hand - Sam's - moved to Emily's stomach. "We need a couple more slices than usual."

The way they looked at each other. Every since Emily told everyone she was expecting, they fell even more in love, which I didn't know was even possible. Sam was around Emily as much as possible and tonight was no exception.

Emily put her hand over Sam's. "You got that right."

I looked at Dani across the room. "She's busy." Dani looked beautiful in her light dress, her curly hair tamed into a low bun. Embry was next to her, arm around her waist. His hands hadn't left her the entire night. They looked happy. Beside both of them was Quil, wearing clothes. Everyone was, for once. I guess because the party was no just the wolf packs. Dani had invited her friends, as well - people who didn't live on the reserve or that belonged to the tribe; people who had no idea.

Quil had one a pair of dark jeans and a shirt I had never seen him wear before. It just a plain, all one colour of a deep blue. It fit perfectly, resting on his broad shoulders, tightening a little around his muscles and stopping just below the button of his jeans. After seeing him so shirtless for so long, it was nice to see him look different. It was nice to see him in clothes, which was a strange thought to have, considering how much I enjoyed seeing him shirtless. Bottom line, he looked wonderful.

It looked like the girl standing next to Dani knew it. Her name was something that started with an 'S'. She was Dani's friend. She was pretty and she seemed nice, but my dislike for her was sudden and strong. She only looked at Quil when she talked, even if he wasn't looking at her. She was annoying me, even though she was across the room.

"Claire."

"Huh?" I looked at Emily, who looked at me with concern. She placed a hand on my shoulder. "You alright, kiddo? You looked frustrated."

Jared giggled to himself. "It's like seeing a puppy get angry." When he saw me glaring at him, he laughed even harder. "You're not exactly intimidating, Claire-Bear."

I glanced at Quil again, seeing him laugh at something Embry said. He wasn't giving what's her name the time of day. I returned to the card game, shrugging my shoulders, feeling satisfied with myself. "That's alright. Who do I need to intimidate?"

"That's right." Sam's heavy hand fell on my shoulder. "You don't need to do any of that. Just call one of us and we'll take care of it."

I nodded, already hearing this a million and one times. Sam was the most fiercely protective person, after Quil and Leah. I offered Sam a small smile, thankful for him saying that, even though it was a one million and one repeat. "Thanks, Sam."

"Attention everyone!" Embry yelled into his living room. Everyone looked. "It is now time for...cake!"

Everyone cheered, including myself. Emily had made the cake, so everyone that had ever had anything of Emily's knew that we were in for one seriously delicious cake. It was just chocolate, but it was huge, to compensate for all the wolves that would have a slice or two or three.

We all gathered around a part of the kitchen. Dani was standing in front of the cake, beaming with happiness as we all started in on singing happy birthday to her. I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders as I sung. Quil moved my shoulders to the music, making me laugh. When we finished with the song, Dani blew out her candles and everyone cheered.

I looked over my shoulder at Quil, smiling widely. "Now we get to eat cake."

He smiled down at me, his arms coming around me, letting them dangle over my shoulders before wrapping them around my chest. He swayed with me. "You were trying to tell me something earlier."

I tried to explain that I had plans with Anna and Kato in a couple hours. That was a couple hours ago. I chickened out. For some reason, I just couldn't stand to see his face. I didn't want him to be hurt because I was leaving the party he helped organize, and I didn't want to see his face when I told him it would be a beach party hosted by the twins he always warned me about.

I shook my head, looking forward, bringing my hands up to rub his arm. I sighed, leaning against him fully. "I'm just...I'm not really feeling well." Imagine a lightbulb going off above my head. "Actually -" I shook him off, spinning around, hand on my stomach. "I'm feeling really sick. I think I might go lay down for a while." I started to walk away.

Quil followed, naturally. He grabbed my arm, pulling my to him, checking my forehead. "Are you ok? Sick like throwing up sick? Or sick like -"

"Yeah, throwing up," I said, feeling like that was a good one. I made a face of discomfort. "I just need to be alone in a quiet and dark room, you know? I feel a headache coming on."

Quil nodded, leading me down the hallway to his bedroom, where he laid be down in bed and pulled the covers over me. He sat down beside me, pushing my hair from my face, just like how he used to do when I was a kid and was actually ill. "I hope you feel better, Claire."

I nodded. "Don't come check on me, ok? Enjoy the party. I'll probably end up falling asleep, so don't rush."

He gave me a small and sweet smile, leaning forward and kissing my nose, his curly hair tickling my forehead as he did. He leaned away and stood, walking out of the room, closing the door softly.

I heard his steps retreat down the hallway and I threw the covers off of myself, walking over to the mirror and fixing myself up, as well as grabbing a hoodie of Quil's back from when he was small and skinny. He had no use for it now, so I was going to put it to use. I walked over to the window, pulling it open and climbing out. I snuck down the driveway, not too nervous. Everyone was eating cake and celebrating, not looking for me.

I walked for one whole minute before Anna and Kato's dad's truck came racing down the road, coming to a screeching stop beside me.

Anna leaned out the window, reaching out for me. "Hey, little Claire. Need a ride?" She smirked a devilish smirk, opening the door for me. For a split second, it felt like I was entering the gates of hell, but as soon as I took a seat next to Anna, I was ok. "Are we ready to paaaarrrrttttaaayyyy?!"

I looked to Kato. "Please tell me you aren't drunk like her."

Anna's arm came around me. She leaned in close, licking her big lips. "It's called pre-drinking, kiddo. It's essential."

Kato chuckled. "I decided against pre-drinking since I'm on my last strike with our dad. The favourite here had ten times the strikes I have, so I got stuck driving." He stared at the road intently and with alertness. Thank god.

Anna, on the other hand, sang along to the radio at a level too high for me, which resulted in me scooting as far away as I could and subtly placing a hand over my left ear. I watched as the trees got a little sparse, but still surrounded us. Eventually we left gravel and entered onto a rocky pathway, leading to a small parking lot, where Kato pulled into recklessly, leaning out the window and screaming that 'the party has arrived'.

The sand was mostly even, but dark and hard to see where you were going. The closer we got to the fire, the less careful I became with my steps. It was about twenty people or so, all gathered around the fire, each of the tops of their heads catching the moonlight, their faces an orange tone due to the flames. Some people were sitting, some standing, but whatever way, everyone had a red solo cup in their hand. Beside an attractive young man was the stereo and then a cooler next to it.

Kato patted my back. "You didn't bring your own drinks, did you?"

I shook my head. "No."

He smiled, reminding me of just how charming and convincing he was. "Go talk to Jackson." He pointed to the attractive man by the stereo and the cooler. "He usually watches the drinks. I'm sure he'll give you one if you flash him your pretty smile." He pinched me cheek, laughing as he walked away.

I took a deep breath, looking around at all the talking people. I dug my foot into the sand, feeling a little anxious just standing there, so I started to walk over to that man - Jackson. I stopped in front of him. "Jackson, right?"

He nodded. "That's me."

I sat down beside him, holding out my small hand. "I'm Claire."

He shook my hand roughly, causing my wrist to twist awkwardly. It was a carelessness I wasn't used to. "Claire Young, I know. You're from Neah Bay, even though you're here all the time."

My brows furrowed at him. "What?" I laughed at him, quickly covering my mouth when he looked at me. "I - I'm sorry, I don't remember who you are."

"Your cousin used to babysit me. Leah Clearwater."

"Oh yeah?" I remembered him a little bit. I remember that he was smaller and always seemed scared of Leah, rightfully so. "And how was that?"

"Awful," he said, looking like he was reliving a horrible moment of his life. His face contorted to pained, like he had been physically punched. "Leah really was a hard ass. I was just a kid."

"She still is," I told him, offering up the kindest smile I could. "But she's a good person deep down, I promise. She seems a little mean at first, but you get used to it after a while."

He crossed his arms over his knees. "You seem nicer."

"Thanks."

He opened the cooler, picking out the generic beer from the nearest convenient store. That was what Quil and Embry used to have on a Saturday night. They were disgusting, but they were cheap. "Here." He held it out to me. "This one's on me."

I took it, holding the cold beverage in my hand, already feeling sick at the thought of drinking it. "Thank you, Jackson." I took the smallest sip that I could manage, watching Kato and Anna a good fifteen feet away, taking to a group of people who were passing around a joint. "Do you come to parties a lot?"

"Yeah. Every night, in the summer at least, there seems to be a party." He push his beer into his leg, twisting it around. "It's always this shit hole."

I looked around, my eyes settling on the dangerously dark water, only barely illuminated by the big moon in the sky. I sighed, feeling the cool breeze from the ocean rush over me. The sound was wonderful, but I could barely here in with the stereo right next to me. "I like the beach."

I spent a good twenty minutes trying my hardest to enjoy the taste of the local Forks beer I was slowly sipping on, staring out at the ocean, when Anna made her way over to me, completely obliterated.

She fell down onto the sand with a thud, giggling and rolling over. She crawled over to me, swinging her leg over mine, sitting right in my lap. Her arms came around my neck and she smiled at me. "How are you doing, Claire?"

I stuttered nervously. I wasn't attracted to Anna. She was a pretty girl, but I didn't feel that way about her. She didn't feel any way about me either, I was sure, it was just her incredibly flirty personality that possessed her to straddle me on the beach in front of all these people. That was my concern - the people. I looked around at everyone else, seeing that the only person really paying mind was Jackson.

I took a deep breath, smiling back. "I'm good."

Her hand flew to her mouth and the rank smell the the joint entered my noise. She sucked hard on the thing, taking a big breath in before grabbing the back of my head and pulling our faces together. Her lips tickled mine as she blew the smoke into my mouth. I coughed, leaning away from her, causing her to laugh. She held the joint in front of my face. "Have some, Claire. You'll have more fun if you do."

I wanted to leave, but I knew I was never going to ask. I wanted to leave, but I knew it wasn't going to be a possibility for at least another couple of hours, so I plucked the joint out of her fingers. "Ok."

She smiled widely, rolling off of me. Her legs wobbled as her stood. "And you can finish it too, Claire-y."

I nodded, watching her walk away. I sighed heavily, watching the smoke roll of the end of the rolled up tube of cannabis. Just this once and only because I hoped it would make time fly by. And only because I knew it would make my beer taste better.

And so I drank my beer and I finished my joint and I had the most fun I could've possibly had in that situation until I felt it was an acceptable enough time to ask to be driven home.

I tiptoed, feeling the soles of my feet touching the hard wood carefully. I wished I was wearing socks, then there wouldn't be the weird sound of suction as my sweaty feet peeling away from the hard wood floors. Could you blame me for sweating? I was nervous.

If Leah found out I had been to a party, she would've given me hell and told Emily and Sam, who would've given me more hell. And then Quil would find out and he would be disappointed in me. I couldn't take that.

I moved toward my bedroom door, moving at a turtle-like pace. I let the knob go slowly, finally letting out a breath of relief as I took a step backwards, knowing that the back of my shins would eventually hit my bed frame and I would fall down onto it. Instead, I hit a wall - or what felt like one. I spun around, too scared to scream. My finger flicked the light, revealing the all to angry and disappointed face of Quil Atera.

"Claire Young, you're in big trouble."

I wanted to be serious, I did. But something inside of me, made this whole very serious and troubling situation seem humorous. My hand flew to my mouth, stifling the small giggles. "Oh."

His brows furrowed and he grabbed me by my shoulders, examining my face and looking deep into my eyes. "I can't tell if you're drunk or high."

"What're you doing here?"

Quil started to explain, but I found it difficult to pay attention. He was shirtless. He knew I was looking too, but he just ignored me and continued to explain how his night proceeded after I left his place earlier. "I went to check on you and you weren't there so I called you and that Anna girl picked up and said that you were at a party." He took a quick second the cringe. "I didn't want anyone else to find out. And you're lucky I decided that instead of going straight to Sam."

I smiled, walking towards him, letting my drunk hands slide around his waist, locking behind his back in a firm and unmoving grip. "Why thank you."

He looked uncomfortable. "Claire, stop." He unhooked my 'firm and unmoving' grip quite easily, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He went from angry to uncomfortable to looking pained and sad - the new feelings that rubbed off on me quickly.

I crossed one arm, the other leaning against it as a hand ran through my hair and then came to rest on my cheek. "Are you mad at me?"

"No," Quil said quickly, eyes finding mine. "I'm just -"

"Disappointed," I finished, letting my moody teenager self finish with a scoff. "Of course you are. 'I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed'. Classic."

"But I am." He was strong in his statement. He always was. He never had seemed much older than me to me, mostly because we had so much in common and I found his easy to talk to and get along with. But in these moments of seriousness, I was so intimidated by him. He seemed so much older; wiser; smarter. "You ditched a party that you were wanted at to go to a different party with a bunch of dangerous strangers to drink and do drugs?" He was no longer sad. The longer that sentence became, the more angry he got. "That's not you, Claire!"

"I just wanted to have some fun with my friends."

"They're not your friends." His voice became lower and more intimidating.

"Yes, they are!" I protested, feeling embarrassed. I had friends outside of the pack. I had friends outside of this little bubble I had been set up in since day one. I had a life outside of Quil.

He shook his head. "They shouldn't be."

My foot was tapping against the ground and I could feel the heat come to my face. "Why are you always so worried about me, huh? I'm not kid anymore, Quil. I can make my own decisions. I don't need your approval."

"Claire -" He reached out to me, to which I moved away. "Claire, I'm bound to you, okay? I worry."

"Stop worrying." It was my turn to be more serious, more intimidating; older; wiser; smarter. Though my drunk self would have a little bit of trouble coming through on the plan. I took enough steps forward so that I could reach out and place both hands on the sides of his face. "I want you to treat me like your equal, Quil - like a young adult, not your little sister." I searched his face, my mouth more ready to ask the question than my heart. "You don't still think of me as a kid anymore, do you?" I was desperate for him to see me as anything but an annoying little kid.

His mouth hung open, look conflicted in his response. He looked like he knew the exact answer, but the words never made it from his mind to his mouth. Instead, he spouted out, "Claire, I think of you as my equal and I try to treat you that way, but..." He let out a struggled breath, leaning away from me. "But it's hard when I want you to do what I think is right instead of letting you figure it out on your own."

That didn't answer my question. It was a sweet sentiment, and it made me feel better about the whole situation, but it was not an answer.

"That doesn't answer my question."

Quil shook his head, offering up a stupid shrug. "I don't know. I - I don't know."

"You don't." I knew I was right. Even though my train off thought was insanely off course, and nothing I was saying was really making sense, I couldn't have possible been wrong. If I was wrong, I was about to make a complete fool of myself, as well as create an incredibly awkward situation for the both of us. "When you saw me in my underwear, what did you think?" One of my hands stayed on his face, the other sliding down to his chest, right over his heartbeat, which was pounding inside of his chest. "What did you think, Quil, when you saw me in -"

Both of his big hands latched onto my thighs, squeezing harshly. His lips were pressed together tightly and his brows were so close, they almost touched. There was a nervous glisten on his forehead and averting eyes. "Claire..." he said quietly. His voice was low, almost a growl. He moved slowly, pushing my hands away from his body. He stood, causing me to take a step back to ensure we didn't crash into each other. "You're drunk. You're saying things you don't mean - things you'll come to regret in the morning." With his big and gentle hands, he tucked me into my bed.

Once laying down in the soft mattress, the exhaustion washed over me in one smooth wave. I yawned and pulled my covers to wrap around me. "Are you staying?" I asked, eyes closed, muscles relaxed.

"No." His lips barely touched my forehead. "I'll call in the morning. Goodnight, Claire."

I hummed and turned the other way. I fell asleep within thirty seconds.

Who knew a couple of cheep beers could make you so tired?