Kim, in a word, was loud. Beyond loud, maybe even obnoxious, but that was only a word you used when you didn't like people, and I-just like everyone else I assumed- LOVED Kim. She was funny, and witty, and just about everything I'd kill to be. Everywhere she went, people looked at her and Emily like they were either something to fear, or something to worship.

"It's the boys," Kim said matter-of-factly, as if I was supposed to understand what that meant. "We're only known because we have them. You don't come across boys like ours every day."

In a sense, she was right. After seeing the rest of Paul's friends, I understood immediately why everyone might think they were a little odd. First off, they all looked like they were at least 25, which was hilarious, seeing as they were all still in high school. Hell, Sam was the only one graduated, and that had happened about two months ago when he was in his senior year. After meeting Jared and Embry, I started to question if there was something in the water around this town. It was just too odd- a bunch of 6 foot tall man-boys with ridiculous amounts of muscle and perfect features-none of it made sense to me, but to wish that they were normal would mean wishing Paul was normal, and that just wasn't possible.

I couldn't help but think about him every so often. It'd been days since he ran over my soul with a tow-truck, but I was still stuck on him. Stuck on his perfect face, stuck on his beautiful wide shoulders, stuck on the fact that his voice made me want to melt into a puddle of velvet. He was flawless. And he hated me.

"I'm sure he doesn't DIS-like you," Kim reassured me when I admitted my fears. "They all start out like that, trust me."

"Start out like what?" I asked, as Emily elbowed her. Kim didn't answer my question, but she grumbled something about Jared Thail being one of the hardest nuts she'd ever had to crack in her entire lifetime.

"So what do you do for fun in California?" Emily asked, nibbling on a brownie as we sat in the bakery. "Are there hot boys? Surfing? Late parties?" She sounded like your typical tourist.

"Hot boys? To Hell with all of them," I shot, causing both girls to raise their eyebrows at me. "Surfing, yes, but if you're bad at it, you'll be laughed off the beach. And parties…aren't too much of my scene."

"So you're a nerd." Kim stated, as if it were a question, but not really. Emily elbowed her again, and I laughed.

"Nah, I'm not a nerd per se, I jus-"

"So you're a nerd." Kim repeated.

"What she means is-"

"What I mean, is she's a nerd," Kim laughed, shooting Emily a look. She turned her focus back on me. "So you've never been to a party?"

I could feel myself turning scarlet.

"I mean, I've been to a couple of birthday things….when I was like seven…."

"Oh heaven help this child."

"Don't listen to Kim, she's broken."

"I'm not broken, I'm adventurous."

"Oh, I've never been the type for that." I laughed nervously, staring at my hands. Kim pointed a chocolaty finger at me.

"Well you better learn to be, especially if you're running with our crew from now on. Then again it's not really like you have a choice, what with Pau-HIT ME ONE MORE TIME EMILY. IT ME ONE MORE TIME. I DUR YOU. I DUR YOU TA HIT ME."

I was about to ask where in the Hell Kim had learned such a convincing ghetto-girl accent when Jared strolled through the front door with Embry and Quil trailing behind him.

"I thought I smelled something sweet." He smiled, pecking Kim on the cheek. She blushed, although I didn't get it. We were sitting in a bakery. Everything was sweet in here.

"Whatsup Buttercup?" Embry asked, taking a seat next to me. "Getting tormented by the Troublesome Twins?"

"Troublesome Twins?" Emily cried, clearly offended as Quil sat beside her.

"Oh hush, Em, after that last stint you and Kim pulled with the car accident, you've been labeled bad news."

"Car accident?" I asked, passing Embry a cookie. Emily rolled her eyes, along with Kim, who was shoving a brownie in Jared's face.

"Emily and I have a knack for getting in trouble." Kim explained.

"We do NOT get in trouble," Em corrected, although by the look on her face I could tell she was guilty anyways. "We simply…."

"Push the envelope?"

"Stretch the horizons?"

"Go bat shit insane with dumbass ideas that NOBODY else even thinks of?"

The two girls glared at the boys, huffing in defeat.

"They'll get you killed." Quil murmured with a smile.

"Fantastic," I grumbled. "I finally make friends and they're insane." I smiled anyways though, a sense of family and comfort washing over me.

"Are you kidding? Everyone in town would LOVE to be your friend. Hell, they'd love to get a good look at you." Embry sighed, shaking his head. I raised an eyebrow.

"You're the new shiny toy," Jared laughed, stealing a bite of Kim's food. "Everybody's talking about you like you're some sort of celebrity."

"Not to mention she's a dime," Embry shrugged, rolling his eyes at Quil's scolding look. "What? What Paul doesn't know won't kill him."

"Paul," I repeated his name, taking a bite of cookie. "Why does that kid hate me?"

"Hate you? Why would he hate you, you're his-"

Emily kicked Embry in the shin. I reminded myself to watch what I say when around her.

"Neighbor," Embry finished painfully, rubbing his knee. "Why would he hate such a lovely neighbor?" Quil rolled his eyes.

"Maybe you should just try talking to him." Jared tried.

"Speak of the devil…" Quil murmured. Everyone followed his gaze to the door, where Paul Lahote himself strolled in like the God he was. He shot Embry a look before rounding the table and wedging himself between Quil and Emily.

"Well hello Beautiful," Embry teased him. "We were just talking about you."

"Were you?" Paul smirked, crossing his toned forearms and raising a perfect, thick eyebrow.

"Mhmm, Haley here especially had a lot to say."

Paul's expression shifted from cocky to embarrassed, then to seriously worried. He stared at me, as if waiting for me to pull out a gun or something.

"No I didn't," I laughed nervously, turning bright red again. "I didn't, not at all."

"Awe, she looks like a tomato!" Kim pressed, mock adoration in her tone. Emily kicked her again. I sighed and sank down in my chair.

"We hear you weren't very friendly during your first run-in." Quil said, raising an eyebrow at my angel. Paul blushed almost as deep as I did.

"Yeah…I …sorry. Bad timing." He murmured. I raised my hands.

"No problem." I said stupidly. Really? That's ALL that could come out of my mouth?

"ANYWAYS," Emily cut in, thankfully. "Anybody know what's in two weeks?"

"Fourth of July!" Kim cheered, bouncing up and down in her chair excitedly. Emily nodded her head.

"Mhmm, and everyone's invited to me and Sam's place."

"Who's ready to raid the firecracker store?" Embry cheered, earning a few dirty looks from our neighbors. I blushed. I didn't need anybody in this town thinking we were obnoxious or something.

"And of course, our guest of honor this year will be Miss Haley Purser."

"Me? No, no way."

"Oh come on Princess, don't tell me you're afraid of a few fireworks." Paul smirked, eying me. I rolled my eyes.

"No," I snapped. "I just don't want to intrude is all. SOME of us have manners."

"Oooooooo." Embry murmured, instigating.

"Careful, you don't wanna end up like the last guest of honor." Kim smirked.

"What happened to the last guest of honor?" I asked worriedly, looking at Emily.

"She got turned into a vampire." Embry stated simply, looking at me. Everyone studied my face.

"Right. A vampire," I laughed. "Let me guess, before her came Santa Claus?"

They all shifted awkwardly in their seats, and I silently swore at myself. Maybe that joke wasn't funny enough to use out loud.

"ANYWAYS, FIRECRACKERS," Emily cut-in again. I almost laughed at how good she was at this. "Embry's in charge of them this year."

"YES. BOOYAH." More dirty looks. I rolled my eyes.

"Anyways, everybody's invited, and I mean everybody this time, alright? That includes Bella's family."

"Bella? Bella who?"

"Our last guest of honor." Kim smiled. I Shrugged. I'd never heard of any Bella, but then again, I was new to all this.

"No, no way." Paul shot immediately, his hands shaking slightly. Jared raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? Look, after Jacob and Ness we all swore we were gonna-"

"I don't want them coming and you all KNOW why. Jared, wouldn't you want Kim as far away as possible from those things?"

"That's different." Jared's expression hardened, and temperature seemed to be flying sky high, the air suddenly turning thick and hot.

"It's not different. If they're going then we're not." Paul shot, glancing at me.

"Oh come on Princess," I chided. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a few fireworks."

Paul narrowed his eyes at me, but I could've swore I saw a smile playing on his lips as his hands relaxed and curled out of their fists. Jared sat back in his seat victoriously. Embry leaned back in his chair and oooo'd again, Paul kicking his chair over so quickly that no one even had time to warn the poor kid.

Embry glared at him from the floor, rubbing his butt.

"You'll pay for that later." He grumbled. Paul rolled his eyes as Jared and Quil started making bets.

"So that's it then?" Kim smiled. "You're officially part of the crew!"

"NOOOOOT officially," Embry smiled. Paul glared at him and began shaking his head as if to warn him of something. "She still has to jump."

"Take her to that goddamn cliff and I'll kill you." Paul snarled, shooting out of his seat. I stared up at him wide-eyed, his frame looking even larger now that it was trembling.

"Paul," Jared said calmly. "Maybe it's time to go."

"No, let him stay." Embry chided, rising out of his own chair. The bakery had quieted down to a dangerous silence.

"Paul…" I squeaked, unsure of why I was getting involved. Paul's expression broke immediately as he looked down towards me, his shaking ceasing immediately. He glared at Embry one last time before shoving past him and exiting.

Quil started clapping.

"And yet another gloriously dramatic exit." He cried in mock praise. I rolled my eyes.

"Paul has a bit of a temper on him." Emily explained.

"They all do," Kim grouched, earning a kiss on the cheek from Jared. "Paul's just the worst."

"How come?" I asked, looking back out the window as if to find him. Quil shrugged.

"He's always been like that really."

"Great, maybe this girl really is God-sent," Embry smiled, sitting in his seat as if nothing had happened. "She seems to be the only one who can keep him in check."

I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my seat as the small talk continued.