"Oh my gosh, are you serious? Matthew asked you to prom? The Matthew?" Bethany was just as excited as I was.

"Yeah. The Matthew. He asked me right after school. I've been dying to tell you."

"Not that it's a surprise. You're like… the prettiest girl in school. It was only a matter of time before the hottest dude asked you out."

"Oh whatever. You're chances were as good as mine."

She scoffed. There was a long pause before she spoke again. "What did Jacob think of you going with him?" I hadn't thought about Jake. But why would it matter. We were only friends, right?

"He won't care. He doesn't think of me like that."

"You sure about that? I've seen him look at you, Nessie. He looks at you pretty weird."

"You're imagining things."

"Am I?"

I had to think about it for a second.

"Yes."

She sighed before continuing. "Well then, I suppose you're right." She got excited again. "Can I go with you to go dress shopping?"

I laughed. "What do you think?" I could practically hear her face light up.

"Yay! I'm so excited! I wonder when Tom will ask me. He needs to hurry up if he thinks I'm going to buy a dress so late…" Bethany trailed off in her thoughts. I giggled a little.

"I'll talk to you later, Beth. I'm going down to the reservation to hang with the Quileutes. I'll call you tomorrow. We'll make official plans."

"Ok, have fun. Bye."

I pocketed my cell phone and got up from the bed. I still had a few hours before the bonfire at La Push, but I might as well go ahead and hang out with Jake since I had nothing else to do. I pulled on a sweatshirt over my tank top and pulled my jeans down over my converses. I didn't feel like getting prettified, so I pulled my hair back into a ponytail as I walked down the hallway to my parent's room. "I'm going over to Jacob's," I called after them before proceeding out the door. I could have sworn I heard my father sigh.

It was a little too windy for riding my bike down, and I didn't feel like running the whole way, so I jumped over the river and went into the other Cullen home. Rosalie and Emmett were cuddled up on the couch watching a football game. I could hear Esme typing away on the computer. I knew that Carlisle was still at the hospital, and Alice and Jasper hunting. I stayed on the porch and pulled out my phone to call Jacob.

"Hey there, honey," he answered.

"Do you mind if I come over a little early?"

"Absolutely not. I'll be over there in a second."

I sat on the railing of the porch, swinging my feet as I waited for Jake. I got a text message in the process. It was from Matt.

"Hey."

"Hey," I replied.

"What are you doing?"

"About to go to La Push."

"You still hang with that Quileute kid?"

I was a little upset about the way he said, 'that Quileute kid," but I replied calmly.

"Haha, yeah."

"That's going to have to change you know. I don't like another guy with my girl."

The butterflies in my stomach helped me deny the fact that he wanted me to stop being with Jake. However, I didn't have anything to say to that. So I just blubbered.

"Haha."

At that time, I heard the Rabbit pulling off of the main road and onto the long Cullen drive. I hopped down and ran out to meet him halfway. He was smirking as I slid into the front seat.

"Hello there," he said as he slipped his hand into mine. I thought about how hot my skin was going to feel on Matthew's when we touched at prom. Was he going to freak out? Just then my phone vibrated.

"You excited about prom?" Matthew asked.

"Very excited. But I'll talk to you later. I have to go."

I snapped my phone shut and set it in my lap.

"Who was that?" Jake asked absentmindedly.

"Bethany," I fibbed. I didn't understand why on Earth I was lying to Jake. I couldn't remember a time where I had ever said anything but the truth to him, even for something this small. Why did it matter if I was talking to Matt? I was going to prom with him for crying out loud! It wasn't a secret. And besides, Jacob wasn't going to be mad or anything. I doubt he'd even care. Still, I had a strange feeling in my stomach at the thought of telling him.

We didn't do anything but watch a little bit of a game with Billy before heading off to the beach. Sam and Emily were already there. Sam was building the fire, and Emily was pulling food out of the car. While we were helping her set up, Paul and Rachel pulled up. Jacob hugged Rachel, but simply nodded to Paul. It still made Jacob uncomfortable that Paul had married his sister. Embry, Jared, and Kim came next, followed by Quil and Claire. It was so weird to think that the little girl on Quil's hip was technically a few years older than me, and she wasn't even in middle school.

Seth and Leah were the last to arrive. It was loud by the time we gathered around the fire and began roasting hot dogs, what with all the rambunctious werewolves around. I didn't eat anything of course, being the vampire girl there, but I did help Jacob make some at a faster pace. When there were 12 empty packages of hotdogs on the sand, the werewolves finally leaned back and relaxed. After about 10 minutes of content silence, Quil said he had to take Claire home. As he got up, the rest of the pack stirred a little.

"How about a little football, Nessie?" Seth asked me as he hopped up and grabbed the football lying beside him.

"You're on."

I hopped up and followed Seth out to the beach. He went back pretty far, but with the super hearing of the mythical beings, we were able to talk at a normal level.

"I haven't really seen you in a while," he began as he threw the football effortlessly to me. What've you been up to lately?"

I caught it firmly but gently, not wanting to bust it. "You know, the same old. School, bikes, being a vampire. The normal.."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, totally normal."

"So what about you?" I asked as I threw a straight shot into his hands.

"You know, just school. Being a werewolf. The normal."

"Yeah, totally normal," I quoted as I caught the ball again. As I was about to throw it back to him, he kicked the sand around a little, his eyes cast downward. "What's up, Seth?" I asked, not really sure what was going on.

"It's nothing. I was just…" He stopped there. I threw the ball back.

"Just what?"

"Na, forget it. Jake would get mad at me for asking anyway." What the crap?

"What is it Seth?" He hesitated again, then took a deep breath and rushed out the words.

"I was just wondering if you and Jake were, you know, going out or something," he somewhat muttered as he threw the ball back to me. That really took me by surprise.

"What did you say?" I asked as I caught the ball.

"I knew I shouldn't have said anything. I was just curious you know. Sorry.."

"No, no, it's fine Seth. I was just wondering why you thought that." He looked a little relieved that I wasn't mad, but he still didn't meet my gaze as I threw the ball back.

"Well, you know, you spend a lot of time together. You are constantly hanging out, and well, you really do act like a couple. I was just wondering if there was something going on that we weren't seeing." He threw the ball back.

I understood why he would think that. I mean, I was always with Jacob. We were either in the garage together, or we were over at my house, or at Charlie's watching games. Hell, we even slept in the same bed sometimes. But I hadn't really ever thought of Jacob like that. He was just my best friend. He understood me in a way I didn't even understand myself. Yet never once, not when he held my hand, or called me honey, or even held me in his sleep, not once did I think of him in a romantic way. The thought somewhat freaked me out. I mean, it was Jacob for crying out loud. My best friend, older brother, protector, buddy. But… did the thought repulse me? No… I could see it, I suppose, if I thought hard enough.

"It's not like that Seth. We're just best friends." Best, best friends.

He looked a little ashamed now, but I smiled at him encouragingly as I threw the ball back.

"Yeah, I didn't think so.. But I thought I'd ask anyway." He was sheepish as he threw it back. I grasped it in a perfect catch. The next thing I knew, I was being knocked to the ground. Before I hit the sand, however, warm, strong arms wrapped around me and caught me. Jacob was hovering over me with a huge grin. I was laughing so hard I dropped the ball.

"Oh! Fumble!" Jake yelled as he jumped up, grabbed the ball, and shot it back at Seth. "Touchdown!" He said as he threw his arms up in the air. I rolled over and added a very loud snort to my laughter.

"Well, that was sexy," Jake smirked and then walked over with an extended arm. I grabbed his hand and pulled with all my might, bringing him down on the sand beside me. We were both lying on our backs, laughing like crazy. Paul, Embry, and Jared were throwing the ball with Seth now, oblivious to us.. When both of our sides were hurting from the hysterics, we became quiet. Jacob reached across himself and slid his hand into mine, entwining our fingers. I turned my head to look at him to find that he was looking at me too. Our smiles seemed to fade at the same time, and we were simply staring into each others eyes. I didn't understand what I was seeing in Jacob's. There was a twinkle, but that was always there. It was as though he was looking at something amazing for the first time. His eyes were full of wonder. It was just me though. I didn't get what was with him at all.

"What?" I whispered. He shook his head a barely smiled.

"Nothing. It's just that, you have the most beautiful brown eyes I've ever seen."

I took a slow breath. "Um… thanks." It was like one of those moments in a movie where the characters usually kissed. It seemed perfect. Jacob propped himself up on his other elbow and slid his other hand out of mine in order to brush away a strand of my hair.

My heart began to accelerate. There was a thudding in my ears. All I was aware of was the warm radiance of the man leaning over me. He started leaning in towards me, and I took in a sharp breath. What was this? Damn Seth for putting thoughts into my head. I closed my eyes though, not sure if I was willing anything, or simply closing my eyes in confusion. I waited for it, the soft lips to press against mine. In that moment, I thought about Matthew. I was crazy about Matthew. Why the hell was I lying here, about to let my best friend kiss me? Or was that what was about to happen? Maybe he wasn't like that at all. It was just Jacob. But, I mean, would I mind him kissing me? Yes. No. Maybe? Something wasn't right here. I wasn't in any state to make a decision. I needed a bail out.

Almost as though he read my mind, I heard Seth. "Come on dude, let's play a game."

I felt as Jacob's heat was taken away from me, and I opened my eyes. Jacob was standing a good bit away from me, eyes closed, shaking slightly. Seth had his arm around his shoulder and was tugging. Jacob opened his eyes and looked at me. Then all of a sudden, he looked… scared almost. He pushed on Seth, a little hard I thought, but then smiled a tense smile.

"You're on." His voice was slightly shaky.

What the hell?

I pulled my self up and walked back over to the fire. Emily was under Sam's arm, who was staring bullets at Seth for some reason. She smiled at me and patted the spot beside her. When I sat by her, she wrapped her arm around my shoulder. I sat there somewhat awkwardly staring at the boys. My head hurt a little, and my mouth was dry. What was this? Why did I have the feeling that I got when I was around Matt? I hated it. I took deep breaths and bit my lip. Emily rubbed my back up and down a little and then leaned in towards me. "I know that was weird, but don't let it mess up anything between you too, ok?" she whispered into my ear. I smiled at her and nodded. Yes, that was very weird. But the thought of not being the same around Jacob was even weirder. Sam got up then, and the girls stayed at the fire to watch the guys play a game of football until it was dark.

I went and sat by Jacob when he came back, feeling slightly drowsy. I held his hand and laid my head on his shoulder. He sighed a little. I shot a glance over to Seth, who was watching me. When I met his gaze, he gave me an apologetic look. The crew was silent for the most part now. I stared into the fire for a long while. The last thing I remembered was the red and orange flames licking the sky.

"You ready to go, baby?" I heard Jacob's rough voice. I fluttered my eyes open to find I was looking up to Jacob, stars in the background. "Good morning, sleeping beauty. I think we're all calling it a night." I sat up out of Jacob's lap and looked around. The only remaining people were Sam, Emily, Jared, and Kim. Sam and Emily were packing up into their truck, and Jared was carrying the sleeping Kim to his. The fire had dwindled down to embers, but the glow was warm. I stood up groggily, and Jacob stood and wrapped his arm around my waist, leading me to the car.

"Night everybody," I muttered behind myself. Emily smiled at me, and Sam nodded. Jacob opened the door for me and guided me into my seat. However, when he started the car, I didn't feel quite as tired. He reached over and grabbed my hand.

"So, how was school this week?" he asked conversationally.

"It was ok. Kinda boring actually, but what's new about that."

He chuckled a little. "Hey, isn't your prom in a few weeks?" Oh no. No, no, no. I was not getting into a prom discussion with Jacob.

"Uh… yeah, it is."

"You been asked yet?" he asked somewhat jokingly, but the way he wouldn't look at me made me worried. Should I tell him? Was that back at the beach something more than the usual Jacob? Should I lie? I heard Emily's words in my head. I know that was weird, but don't let it mess up anything between you two, ok? She was right. I hadn't ever had the need to lie to Jacob, why start now?

"Yeah actually." Did Jake just tense up?

"By who?" His voice was calm, almost uncaring. But I knew Jacob enough to hear the hint of strange curiosity.

"This guy named Matthew. He's really sweet. Star basketball player, all that stuff," I said, trying to shrug it off, hoping that Jacob would drop it.

"And what did you say?" Jacob asked lowly. Of course he wouldn't drop it. I hesitated.

"Yes."

Jacob wrenched his hand out of mine and put both hands on the wheel. His skin stretched over his knuckles tightly. I saw slight tremors go through his body.

"Jacob?" He didn't say anything. "Jake, you ok?" He took a deep breath.

"This Matthew… he's not good enough for you. You shouldn't go with him." I couldn't tell if I was flattered or offended, but I didn't like him telling me what to do.

"I can go with whoever I want to, thank you very much."

"Do you really think that's smart?" he said slightly louder. "If he's on the basketball team, he's probably after something."

Was he really doing this to me? "Just because he plays basketball doesn't mean he's after anything! He's very sweet, and he wouldn't do that."

"You'd be amazed," he said with a scoff.

I was raising my voice now as well. "How the hell would you know?" He turned to me, his eyes cold.

"He's from the male sex, is he not?"

"Not all guys are interested in girls just to get some!"

"But most of them are!" He was getting angrier.

"Are you?" My question took him off guard. His face softened a little, and his grip loosened.

"No," he said as he turned his eyes back to the road.

"Neither is Matt."

"I highly doubt that," he was quieter now.

"Why is that then?"

He looked at me and gestured his hand up and down my body. "This is why. You're the freaking most gorgeous thing to walk to halls of Forks High School. I wouldn't be surprised if every male at that school fantasized about you like that!"

"So it's impossible for someone to love me for any other fact except that I'm apparently pretty!" I shouted at him.

Jacob took in a sharp breath and softened all the way. "Of course not," he whispered. "I was just saying-"

"Saying what Jacob? That I'm not capable of charming a guy with anything but my curves? That's really… really…" I couldn't think of a word. "That's really mean, Jacob."

"Nessie, babe, I didn't mean it like that!" he said frantically.

"Don't call me babe.. I'm not your girlfriend." I regretted the words the second they left my mouth. I loved it when Jacob called me those nicknames. I could have sworn I saw a touch of pain hit Jacob's face. But I couldn't really tell, because just then, my eyes filled with the most atrocious tears. I turned my head to glance out the window. We were pulling up the driveway to the Cullen mansion.

"Renesmee, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"S' fine," I managed to sniffle out.

"Aw, are you crying? Ba-" he stopped himself. "Nessie, I didn't mean it. I mean, I don't think this loser is good enough for you, but you're wonderful! There isn't a guy in the world that wouldn't fall for you." He pulled to a stop in front of the house and turned off the engine.

"You… you can still call me baby." I blubbered. He chuckled and pulled me over into his lap. He kissed my forehead before I closed my eyes and rested against his chest. I couldn't help but think about earlier at the beach. It was so crazy for me, and I was shamefully curious what Jacob was thinking. I was too embarrassed to ask him aloud, so I reached my hand up and rested it against his cheek before replaying the scene. He tensed up a little, but chuckled. Then he pulled my hand off of his face and held it.

"You look tired. Maybe you should go ahead and go to sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

I was very aware of the fact that Jacob refused to comment on my thoughts, but I really did feel tired. I nodded, kissed him on the cheek, and then climbed out through the driver's side.

"Night, Jacob."

"Night, Nessie."

I watched him turn around and pull away before turning and running back towards my house. The run to my cottage seemed longer considering I was so tired, and the thoughts on my mind seemed to weigh me down, keeping me from running fast. My parents were waiting up for me when I came in. I tired to block out the thoughts of the La Push trip from my mind, not really wanting my dad to see them, but I was just too exhausted.

"Did you have fun, sweetie?" My mother asked me. I nodded, to tired to do much else.

"I'm going to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow." And I probably would. My mother would probably know the right thing to say. I was barely able to slip off my shoes and jeans and pull on shorts. I ripped off the sweatshirt and all but dove into my bed. As exhausted as I was, I couldn't seem to turn off my mind. What was with Jacob tonight? What was with me tonight? There was a strange churning in my stomach that I couldn't explain. Surely I wasn't crushing on Jacob. That was just out of the question. I pondered each moment of tonight, but I was completely lost. Finally, my thoughts dimmed and I fell asleep, hearing a wolf's tortured howl. But surely, I was just dreaming that part.