So take care what you ask of me
'Cause I can't say no

"Bye, Quil," Claire says, sounding impatient, as I linger in the doorway. Her sweet sixteen bash, with most of the wolves and imprints, had ended a half hour ago. I'd stayed under the pretense of helping Claire clean up, really just wanting to spend more time with her. But now I know it's time for me to go.

"See ya, Claire. Happy birthday." Once I step outside, Claire shuts the door, and I turn to get back in my car. As I drive home, I'm thinking. How long will it take for Claire to fall in love with me too? Renesmee was fifteen (well, she was four, but she was physically fifteen) when she fell in love with Jacob. Claire's sixteen now, the same age as me. And I'm not patient.

The twilight is setting in as I pull into my own driveway. Before I climb out of the Buick, I realize that I left my camera back at Claire's. I pull back out, and drive back to the Uleys. Night invades the dusky light as I drive in. When I turn onto the Uleys' street, I hear loud music pulsing from somewhere inside one of the houses. Then, to my shock and hurt, I realize it's the Uleys.

Cars spill out of the driveway and onto the street. Colored lights illuminate the inside like a nightclub. I realize what's going on immediately. Claire's having a party. As if she hadn't just had one. I know now why Claire was so impatient to get me out of the house, probably because people were already arriving. She'd managed to get her friends, the werewolves, out of the house and the party in full swing in a mere half hour.

A rusty Toyota pulls in front of the Buick. Three beefy-looking jocks climb out, slapping high fives to everyone in sight. Then Claire comes into view, opening the doors for the guys. Her eyes scan the darkness, looking for more partygoers, and too late she recognizes me. I start the car then. Claire tears after me, but I speed away, not wanting to talk to her.

That night I lie awake feeling empty.

I don't leave the house that next day. I'm just not in the mood. I feel betrayed that Claire would lie like that. Was she lying about having fun with the rest of us? I don't know anymore. For all I know, she's been lying to me forever. I don't want to think about it, so I cover my face with the blanket.

When the doorbell rings, I pretend I don't hear it. I know it's Claire, and I don't want to talk to her. I roll over onto my stomach and press a pillow onto my face. I hear the stairs being climbed, the sound muffled through the fluff of the pillow, and then the blanket is being lifted off of me. I groan and try to grab the blanket back. "Not so fast," Claire says sharply.

"Why?" I complain. "Go away."

"Look, Quil." As Claire speaks, she plucks the pillow off my head. "I know you're pissed at me. But let me explain myself." I pull myself into a sitting position, wondering what Claire has to say.

"Shoot," I sigh. "Let me hear what you've got."

"It's not that I didn't have fun with you guys. That's not it at all. I love all of you." I have to remind myself, and my heart which thrills to the word, that Claire's love is platonic. "But it's like your world and my world don't mix."

"Apparently they do, or else we wouldn't be friends," I point out with narrowed eyes.

"I meant, I can't see Embry and Jacob having fun at a huge high school party. And it just seems weird to think about," Claire says defensively. "And so I just tried to keep it from you 'cause I thought you'd be mad at me if you knew."

"Well, it worked real well, didn't it?" I snap. Seeing Claire's wounded expression, I try to control my tone. "Why didn't you invite me? I thought that I was your best friend. You didn't have to lie about it to me."

Claire looks down. "I know. It would have been, I don't know, awkward, I guess."

I look at her quizzically. "Awkward?" I prompt.

"Um...'cause I'm in love with you," Claire blurts.

I blink, thoroughly confused. "What?"

"I don't really want to repeat it." Claire studies her fingernails awkwardly.

"Oh my God, are you serious?" The words come tumbling out of me before I can stop them, and they sound all wrong. "I mean, really?" Claire nods, her face burning red. I reach out, cup her chin, and lift her head up so it's at my level. "You're in luck," I whisper.

Claire's eyes widen. "Seriously?"

"Since you were fourteen," I confirm. Then, knowing it's right, I lean in and softly press my lips to hers. The kiss is soft. It's brief. But it is undoubtedly the best thing that's ever happened to me. When I pull away, Claire is looking at me with an awed expression.

"I guess I'm forgiven, then," she jokes once she recovers herself.

"Yeah. And hey, next time you're in love with me, you can tell me right away. I can guarantee I'm in love with you too," I laugh.

"This happens to all imprints, doesn't it?" Claire asks. I nod. "That's why they're all married off by now."

"I've had to wait a little longer than the rest of them, though," I point out. "It's been fourteen years that I've had to wait for you."

Claire rolls her eyes. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she says sarcastically. "I'll try to age faster." She pauses. "Speaking of aging, what happens when I'm, like, eighty, and you're still sixteen?"

"Haven't you noticed? Sam's aging again, now that he and Emily are the same age. Now that you're sixteen too, I can start aging again. It's a werewolf thing. Well, the werewolf thing is that we start aging when we stop phasing, but Sam and I kept phasing while we waited for you and Emily to catch up. I don't quite get it either."

"Um, Quil?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind kissing me again?"

"I can't say no to you. But even if I could, I'd still say yes." And then I lean down and kiss her once more.

i'm sad to say that this is the end of the story. however, i'm probably not done with Quil and Claire yet. expect to see them in future oneshots ;) thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially chocoholic4eva, whose reviews i always look forward to reading. and thanks to Agrabah's Princess for helping me clear up some confuzzlation on the aging thing. while waiting for my next masterpiece, vote in my poll, read my profile, read my other stories, and read "Never My Happy Ending"/the sequel "Revenge" by seashell118, who never fails to impress me with her genius. review this too. a Quil cookie goes to the first person to find the line i ripped from a song (well, i modified it a bit, but you can still tell what song it's from if you know the song) and can name what song i took it from, and the artist. thanks for reading! lovelovelove, m