"Well, I felt that way once, like gravity flipped and then something was pulling me back… It was at Tammy's wedding, when I saw… Jake?"

"Wait, Jake? Did you…" Quil started.

"Yes. I did. Okay? I just didn't want to say anything yet, and ruin everything. I knew that you wouldn't trust me yet, ever since everything happened with the phasing. I just wasn't sure how you would react, I just…"

"Jake it's okay."

"How about we talk about this later, and go surfing already?" Quil said.

"Yes! Let's go!" I said.

We got into our wet suits and got out into the water. We surfed for a couple hours then once it got cold, we decided to go back to Jake's house and watch a movie. I was soaked to the bone, and of course I didn't bring any warm clothes, all I had were underwear, a bra, a tee shirt, and shorts. I called my dad to see if I could spend the night, of course he said yes, since it was Jake.

"Hey Jake? Do you have some sweatpants I can borrow? I'm freezing!"

"Yeah. Let me go get them."

I went into Jake's room to change while the guys got the movie and popcorn ready. Once I was changed, I decided to snoop around a bit. I hadn't been in Jake's room in at least 4 months, and a lot had changed. In the places where pictures of him and me used to sit, pictures of him and Bella, and the pack now rested. There was a birthday card on his desk, from Bella. There was no evidence in his room that I even existed, let alone we were friends. It made me realize how disconnected we had become.

"Hey, whatcha looking at?" I jumped. I turned to see Jake.

"Oh, nothing. I was just noticing how distant we have become. Ever since we started high school, we've just, little by little, become disconnected. Then the last four months, I realize, I've lost my best friend."

"Nissa, it's okay. I promise, I will never leave. I promise that I will never, ever hurt you." He said sincerely.

"Thank you Jake. This is really what I need. I really don't have anyone to talk to, about anything. I don't have a mom other than Lana, but I don't really confide in her that much, and Tammy has gotten married and moved to Port Townsend. Dad doesn't really pay any attention to me since he has his new family. I have no girl friends to talk to."

"We can always talk." We were lying down on his bed.

"You know, just because I imprinted on you, it doesn't mean we have to be romantically involved. I can be anything you need me to be: a brother, a friend, or something more."

"HEY! YOU TWO! GET YOUR BUTTS DOWN HERE! THE MOVIE'S ABOUT TO START!" Quil called from downstairs.

"Well, we better go before they get pissed." I said.

"Nissa, you don't have to tell me right now, but I just want to know what our relationship will be."

"I'm going to think about it. I'll tell you when I figure this out." Then we went back downstairs to watch the movie.

The movie we watched was some action movie that I really had no interest in, but Embry and Quil both seemed really into it. Jake's eyes were fixed on me, starring off into space, and he didn't know that I saw him. He looked like he was very deep in thought, as if he was trying to read my mind. Embry and Quil were sitting on the floor and Jake and I were on the couch. I wasn't really paying attention to anything, and soon I feel asleep.

The next morning I woke up, with someone's arms wrapped around me. I look down at the floor to see Embry and Quil passed out, practically spooning each other. I was about to laugh, when I realized Jake and I were doing the same thing, while lying on the couch. I rolled over to I was facing Jake. He looked very concentrated, like he was thinking very hard about something. I realized he was waking up, so I pretended to be asleep.

He pushed the hair way from my face, and just sat there, looking at me for a while. I decided, it was time for me to wake up. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"Good morning." He said.

"Good morning to you too. Were you thinking about something when you were sleeping?" I asked.

"A lot of things were going through my mind."

"I could see it on your face."

"were you watching me sleep?"
"Yeah. But you were watching me too. Of course I wasn't really asleep. Have you looked at those two over there? It's pretty hilarious."

"Oh my god. Look at that."

"Jake do you have a camera? Cause we need to get a picture of that."

"Yeah."

Over the next week, Jake and I started hanging out all the time. I would eat lunch with him at school, and after school, if he didn't have patrol, we would go over to his house and do homework. I still hadn't decided when I wanted it to be like between Jake and I. I really like having my best friend back, but I felt like I wanted it to be more. I needed more time to figure it out.

Jake called me up to invite me to go to Quil's birthday party at Emily and Sam's house. I was nervous because I didn't know anyone in the pack, but Quil and Embry. I was excited as well, because I would get to meet Emily. I recognized the pack at school, since Jake had them pointed them out to me, but we had never been introduced before.

"Okay, before we go in, remember not to stare at Emily, it pisses Sam off." Jake reminded me.

"Alright. Anything else I need to remember?"

"Well, not really. Just don't piss anyone off, I don't know what I would I would do if you got hurt."

"Okay. I think I've got it."