I went back and read my story and then watched Twilight. I skipped alooooot.
So I'm going to go back and add parts in that I missed. Right in the middle of Chapter 3 is a huuuuge part I thought I'd included but didn't.
Sorry (:
So, this is after Paul comes to the school and they fell off cliff. And before Billy brings Harry's fried fish.
OH. The good news is I passed my licensure exam. Officially a registered nurse! Ah!
Paul brought me home before dinner that night. He offered to come in and meet my dad but it was too soon for me. Just the other day he was with Rachel and the crazy guy had switched schools, gotten me to ditch, had me hurling off cliffs, and kissing him. I had other guys try to kiss me but it had always been a quick peck. I was too nervous to let anything else happen with other guys. Usually my mind raced, but with Paul I just seemed to calm down. My overactive mind was just a little bit quieter whenever he was around.
Still much more overly active than the average human mind, I supposed but I'd take it. Anything that would make me a little less weird.
Oh, goodness. I am weird. Or so they say. Was it not normal to have such detailed, long, and slightly paranoid inner monologues?
Or did everyone do it and were too afraid to admit it?
Unless I invented some kind of machine where I we could read people's thoughts... the world will never know what "normal" thinking really is.
I woke up the next morning excited to see Paul after we'd gone cliff-diving and all.
Wait.
Cliff-diving.
Me.
Paul.
Imprint.
Shit. How would I act today? What would I even say to him? What if he got to know me and thought I was too weird? They said I could reject him... but did it work the other way around? A wolf reject his imprint.
I would be the first rejected imprint. That was just my luck.
My stomach was queezy as I got out of bed and now I understood why they called it 'butterflies in your stomach'. That's exactly what it felt like and what I don't understand why in the world would anyone would want to feel this way?
I did my usual morning routine of showering and finishing all the hot water before Bella or Charlie did, getting dressed into some outfit Nikki and Cam had gotten me to buy, and making a delicious breakfast. Today I made waffles and made smiley faces out of strawberries.
"Hey, Gabz. C'mon we're going to be late." Precisely Bella, just as I'd been aiming for. This way I'd have less time to make a fool out of myself in front of Paul. "Hurry or I'll leave without you." She threatened when I didn't respond, sitting on the couch, fully dressed and ready to go. She even went as far as to back out of the driveway before I ran out after her.
"Is there a reason in particular you don't want to go to school? A tall, handsome reason... named Paul?" She gave me a sly smile.
"How'd you know? It was literally just yeaterday."
"Oh, everyone's talking about it. It's kind of nice. They're starting to forget about me, the new girl." She said happily. Bella hated the attention she'd been getting. You couldn't really blame them, I think I was the last transfer student and that was three years ago.
"Not fair. I was already the new kid. Although, I didn't stick out as much as you... or get as much attention. I never really left Forks though. So, what is it everyone is saying?"
"Well... Paul's attracted a lot of female attention it seems." I felt a burning sensation in my chest at this information and I tried my best not to let it show but Bella was too busy driving to notice. "He's pretty much replaced Cullen in that sense. Everyone is talking about his motorcycle and how they saw you get on it and leave with him. And..." Bella trailed off, seeming even more unsure about the last piece of gossip she'd heard.
"And what, Bella?" I sighed, "Go ahead. I'd rather know than not. It might decrease the statistical likelihood of me making a fool of myself."
"Okay... but it's not true. You know how some of the girls at school can be." Oh, boy did I ever. She'd only been here a few weeks. What she had seen was only the tip of the iceberg for the bitches around here.
"Bells." I gave her a pointed look, "Out with it already."
"They wonder why he'd pick you of all people. And then people say it's because you were the only familiar face to him or somethig and that's why. They were much nastier about it though. They're just jealous, Gabz. It's not true... you are pretty. Paul's got great taste if he does like you and he's blind if he doesn't."
I blinked. I'd never seen Bella get so emotional about something. She talked in monotone most of them time. "Are you upset because they say that about you and Edward too or...?"
"Well, partially. You are my sister, Gabz. They're wrong and it's annoying." She was still pretty heated. It made me all warm nd fuzzy inside but i wasn't really sure how to react.
"Er. Thanks, Bells. That means a lot to me... and for the record, they're wrong about you too. You're gorgeous. I'd be more happy for you if Cullen wasn't..." Wasn't a vampire? Didn't want to suck your blood? How could I tell her and get her to take me seriously? She had seemed pretty freaked out about the whole he stopped a van with his bare hands fiasco... but was it enough? Would she listen to me and stay away or did Bella have to figure it out herself to have the sense to stay away?
"If Edward wasn't what?"
"If he just wasn't so weird..." I said, unable to think of a better word.
"Gabz. You're weird." She pointed out. Damn; she was right.
"Yeah, but it's a different weird okay?" I argued."There's just something off about him. An untrustworthy type of weird. I, on the other hand, are a completely harmless classification of weird."
"Okay. Fine. It doesn't matter. Last time we talked he said he shouldn't be my friend so I guess that's that." She said bitterly. I had to agree with Edward on that one. He could put her in serious danger.
Bella pulled into a parking spot quickly and sharply in a very unsafe fashion. Her grip on the steering wheel was tense. "Sorry."she apologized, noticing I'd been slammed into the seat from the acrupt turn.
"It's fine." I told her, now more focused on seeing if Paul was around. He was sitting on his motorcycle on the other side of the parking lot. There were a few senior girls standing around him. Bella said goodbye and was more foxused on watching the Cullens, who had parked on the very opposite side of the parking lot from Paul.
Interesting.
Not as interesting as the way my stomach churned. I had the butterfly flutters in my stomach but I also felt an acid feeling there as well whenever I looked at the girls giggling at him. My nervousness got the best of me and I hid in a position where I could just barely see them and was hidden behind a car. I wrestled between this anxiety and the anger I felt because of other females near him. It was an odd feeling, I had never really been the jealous type with Chris or the guys before him.
It was probably the imprint bond. I felt bad remembering my petty moves from yesterday, trying to flirt with Chris in front of Paul. Paul was hardly paying attention to the girls around him. He was doing his best to look around them without being too onvious.
Was he looking for me? Maybe he'd decided he didn't want to do this imprint thing after all and was looking for me so he could tell me. Maybe he—
All my thoughts stopped when a blonde girl flicked her hair over her shoulder for the millionth time and put a hand on him. The butterflies left and I felt the acid burn through my insides. It was like a reflex; I started marching over to wear Paul was. When I was about fifteen feet away, Paul's eyes lit up.
"Gabby!" He called, standing up and moving past the girls. He gave one an ofd look when she went as far as to step in front of him. "Hey." He smiled when there was only a few feet between us. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at me, waiting for my response.
"Hi." I wanted to say more. Ask him how he slept and if he got home okay... but I was afraid to open my mouth too much. The butterflies had reutnred so badly I felt they might fly out if I opened my mouth.
"Oh, hi, Gabz! Hey, do you and Paul like know each other from the reservation?" She looked hopeful, even more so when he first answered.
"Yeah. We've know each other a while..." he began, and I didn't stop my face from falling, making two of the other girls snort. "But as of yesterday, I think we're more than friends...?"
And that was when petty, theatrical, jealous Gabz took over. I am not proud of my actions.
"Of course! Silly!" I pinched his cheek, standing in my tip toes to reach. Paul raised an eyebrow at my unusually enthusiastic voice. "We had such a great time on the beach. We should do it again sometime." I was even bold enough to snake my left arm around his waist and leave my right hand on his chest. The girls were unable to hide their frowns any longer when he put an arm on my shoulder.
"Oh. I see. Well, we will see you later. Bye Paul." The blonde girl said sweetly, but her sweetness went sour when she looked at me. "Gabz." She gave me a challenging pook before she stalked off.
"Can't believe he likes her." I could hear one of them mutter.
"She's like, not even captivating."
The others seemed to agree but they were out if hearing range at that point so I couldn't make out their response.
"You okay?" Paul asked, a grin on his lips that made my stomach do summersaults. I felt my cheeks burn despite the cold weather. I could only give him a deer in the headlights look as I processed what I'd just done. Well, if he wasn't sure before he definitely wouldn't like me now.
Goodbye my almost lover, I began to sing the sad lyrics in my head, already planning which flavor I'd buy my tub of icecream in when I'd eat my feelings after being rejected by my imprint.
"Hey. You have to talk to me." He touched my chin lightly to make me look up at him. "I know the whole imrpint thing... it's weird. But I really want to make this work. We owe ourselves that much to at least try."
"Y-you do? Even after my little outburst?"
"That? Were you... jealous?" I nodded nervously and he flashed a smile, " I kind of liked it."
I gave him an 'are you crazy' look but was feeling a little more confident now. I still didn't want to linger on the topic. "Imprinting. Sam said it was genetic compatibility or something thought. Was it really enough to make you switch schools? ... for me?" It did add to my stress; would he figure out that I wasn't worth it?
"That's just his theory. Maybe it is but there's also the pull. You feel it, don't you?" Pull? Is that what he called it? Maybe pull, like gravity's pulling force when you fall off a fifty foot buidling and the gravitational force pulls you to your imminent death.
That's what this anxiety felt like.
"I guess I do... but I'm afraid to disappoint you." I said truthfully.
"Don't." He started, "Try not to worry so much. Just be you." That's exactly what I was afraid of. "I... I thought I didn't want it at first... the whole imprint thing. But seeing you. I do want you... no, I need you. You don't have to worry. Switching here, I did it for myself... yes to meet you, but I had to give this," he gave me a quick peck on the lips, startling me but it only made him grin, "for me. So, if in the end it didn't work out... it was my decision not yours and I won't regret it. So just relax, we'll take it slow." His voice soothed me and slowed my overactice conscience. He leaned towards me as if to kiss me like he had yesterday but it was too much. I'd have to consult my friends before I got confident enough to feel like a good kisser.
Being the rational individual I am, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind and dodged his lips. "We're late for biology." He stopped with a sigh, and settled for a kiss on my headache that still sent shivers down my spine the entire walk to our first class of the day.
It wasn't until we'd entered the class I remembered who else was in this class.
Edward Cullen.
"Okay, class! Today we have an exciting lesson." Normally, I'd be more excited but there was a vampire in the room currently having a stare to the death match with my shape-shifting wolf boyfriend. The class was just as unenthusiastic about Mr. Molina's 'exciting lesson', and more interested in what beef Edward and Paul had. Mr. Molina continued, not phazed in the least by everyone's disinterest. I didn't Edward's head snap to him moments before he spoke, "We'll be doing blood testing! I know it wasn't until later in the lesson plan but with recent events and attacks, the American red Cross is having a blood draw this weekend in Port Angeles so we'll be extra prepared by already knowing our blood types!"
Blood-typing.
With a vampire in the room.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
Edward looked just as bothered as I did. Paul narrowed his eyes, and we sat directly behind Edward. Surprisingly, he seemed glad. If the blood drove him crazy, and he bit someone, would Paul phase instinctively? He was already beginning to shake. I reached out to touch his hand nervously, it seemed to calm him yesterday. I stopped holding my breath when he relaxed under my touch so I kept it there.
"Easy, wolf-boy." I said in a low voice, earning a smirk from him. Edward glanced back at us. Good, I'd been trying to warn him.
As Mr. Molina began giving us instructions, I noticed Bella getting clammy and looking paler than normal. When Mr. Molina notices Bella, he stopped mid-sentence. "Are you alright, Bella?"
"Yeah, uh, I already know my blood type." She said in a shaky voice.
"Will someone please take her to the nurse?"
Several guys stood up to be her knight in shining armor but Edward, being the closest, beat them. Boys. Typical. "I'll take her." Edward said, not bothering to hide the urgency in his tone.
The teacher looked at each guy then at me as if asking me to pick. "Yeah. Edward. You should go." My response came out harsh and the classes were all giving me curious looks. "Hurry! She's turning green. I don't want to get vommitted on."
Edward nodded and picked her up bridal style, probably wanting to get out quickly and not risk getting exposed. Beside everyone's excitement about what went down in Biology, the rest of classes went fairly normal. I was an AB blood type, only further confirrming he fact that I was unusual.
"You didn't tell me you had classes with one of them." Paul said in a low voice as he was walking me to my next class, which we didn't have together.
"You didn't ask..." I gave him a guilty smile.
He didn't look amused. "Do you have any other classes with them?"
I had to think about it at first. "No. Just biology."
"Good. See you in History." He gave me a kiss again, making me blush but he didn't seem to notice. He walked away quickly as if looking for someone.
At lunch, Paul and I sat at a table outside despite the cold to avoid hearing on the whispers.
I wasn't really sure what to say to Paul first, so I figured YOLO, and said whatever was on my mind. He seemed content to just look at me but it made me self-conscious. "Paul. That's a nice name. That's my favorite apostle."
"I didn't realize you were the religious type." He seemed surprised but not entirely turned off by the topic I'd chosen. Better than I'd expected so I couldn't really complain.
"I'm not really... But Charlie invested in me going to the classes at the church because he thought it was the right thing to do. I know all the stories but I guess I just have my doubts sometimes." I shrugged. I mean, what if there was no God?
"But you have a favorite apostle." He smiled but gave me a look as if I were a difficult puzzle he couldn't figure out. If he only knew.
The inner mechanisms of my mind are an enigma.
Focus, Gabz. "Yeah, well he keeps a positive mindset. Even after his leader and fellow apostles had been killed and he was landed in prison. He said, great now I'll have time to finish the letters he needed to write. He wrote four books of the bible while in prison. And when they told him they would kill him, he said there is no greater way to die than for a cause you believe in... I admire that."
"I didn't know that. Maybe I'll read some of his work. Your name is from the bible too, isn't it?"
"It's a feminine form of Gabriel. He's an arch angel who visits Mary and tells her she'll get pregnant."
"An angel. How fitting." He said and I would have that he qas trying to woo me but he seemed to be speakig more to himself than me.
"You really don't know me that well." I'd always thought it was very unfitting. Although, Charlie used to call me 'angel' as a pet name. He says I saved him from his own personal lions' den. I thought I'd offended Paul the way he stiffened but he was no longer looking at me. He was very angrily glaring at something to thw right of mez I followed his gaze and knew immediately, he was glaring at the Cullens.
"Which one is which?" He asked, his voice was deep, almost like a growl.
"You mean their names? I think the short, freaky one is Alice. The blonde that looks like he's in pain is Jasper." He did look like he was suffering all the time, if he wasn't a vampire I'd feel bad and want to give him a hug or something. "The beautiful one is Rosalie and the beefy guy is Emmett. They're all in their senior year while Edward is a junior like Bella and I. They keep to themselves but everyone is interested because they're all so attractive."
He glanced back at me, still upset. Was he mad that I knew all their names? They'd only been everyone's favorite topic for the past three years.
"You think they're attractive?" He furrowed his eyebrows when I smiled.
"Well, they're aesthetically perfect I suppose but I'm not really into pale faces." He didn't seem satisfied by my answer. " I never really got why everyone was so obsessed. I thought it was because I'm just different but maybe it's because I sensed something off. "
I assumed my answer was good enough because he went back to watching them. They stared back at him, with expressions as if they'd smelled something extremely unpleasant.
Rude.
I was relieved when they went inside but I also spotted Bella sitting and talking with Edward. She looked upset, which was probably a good thing. Unless she aggravated him and he attacked her.
"That's your half sister, right? If she was smart, she'd stay away from him." Cullen looked over when he said that, and nodded as if agreeing. Could he hear theough glass? Could Paul hear through glass?
After we'd gone to the beach, I started seeing Quiluete legends in the search history on the computer. I assumed Bella was looking them up, which was perfect. She'd figure it out soon at this rate.
The next few days at school were sunny and as usual the Cullens were no where to be seen. I had never really questioned their excuse of going camping and outdoors whenever it was nice out but made sense now. Paul was visibly more relaxed. That is until I brought up talking to Chris.
"No." Was his immediate response, which upset me. It made me feel like a child.
"Really? I have to at least tell him I'm sorry. I won't tell him anything else." I felt really bad, not only did I leave him hanging one day but I came back the next with a boyfriend. To top it off, I'd completely forgotten about him until I'd seen him in P.E. I did have that class with him nd I could probably manage to talk to him without Paul finding out but i was trying to establish our relationship as an honest one. And it's like Michael Jackson said, I'm looking at the man in the mirror...
"Fine. We'll find him."
"Isn't it bad enough I left him at lunch one day then came back the next with you? The school gossip mill is probably having a field day with that one." I sighed at this realization.
"I don't give a fuck about his feelings." I was taken aback by his temper.
"You cared about Rachel's. Maybe you still do." He gave me a defeated look. I kind of hoped he'd say he didn't.
"Fine. Please, just do it in a public place. I don't want anything to happen to you."
"At lunch. They'll be inside. Just stay outside." I wasn't sure if Paul would be able to control himself. It wasn't worth it to expose the pack." He nodded in agreement but didn't say anything else. As we walked, I wondered if he was thinking about Rachel now that I'd brought her up.
When lunchtime came around, I swallowed my pride and made my way over to the table I used to sit at. Cameron aas welcoming but Nikki was just silent.
"Hey beautiful!" Cameron greeted, "How are you?" She gave me a quick hug.
"I should talk to Chris." I said in a low voice, "I want to say sorry."
"He was pretty hurt." She commented.
Nikki finally spoke, "Uh, try hella hurt. I mean you meet some guy one night and then you're together all of the sudden. You could have warned him. And not shown off your new boy around school. Gabz, do you even know this dude?"
"That's why I'm here to apologize." I said softly, already embarrassed. "I do. We went to school together on the rez..."
"Well, here's your chance. He's heading over here." Cameron warned. I turned to see she was right, Chris was walking toward us but hadn't seemed to notice me yet. He didn't look good. His beautiful face seemed more dull than usual, his eyes looked like he hadn't slept in a while, and he wasn't smiling as he talked with Tyler. His face was emotionless, that is, until he saw me. Then it was shocked and then angry. He stopped walking, causing Tyler to wonder what was going on. When Tyler spotted me, he gave me a dirty look, muttered something to Chris, and they began walking towards us again.
"What are you going here?" Tyler asked when they were close. The chattering in the cafeteria started to fade away. It made me nervous but I wasn't too bothered. If everyone heard maybe I could somehow salvage his reputation.
My voice came out smaller than I had hoped but I was pretty sure everyone was able to hear me. "I- I wanted to apologize to Chris... so if he and I could speak for a moment."
Tyler answered before Chris could, "If you have something to say to him, then say it now."
"No. It's fine." Chris's voice seemed hoarse. "Where?"
"Ey man, you don't have to deal with this..."
"Just over there at an empty table." I pointed to one in the corner farthest away from the windows close to wear Paul was sitting outside. I'd texted him that he didn't have to sit outside, and that he could go somewhere else to wait for me but he insisted on being somewhere where he could see us talk.
"Yeah. Let's talk then. Over there." Chris's expression was unreadable.
When we sat down at opposite sides of the table, I could see now that his eyes were bloodshot. I wondered if he'd been using something... he also smelled odd. It was something I'd never smelled before. We sat for a few moments, waiting for someone to speak first. I figured it would have to be me.
"Chris... I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what happened..." I started, and when he didn't respond I kept talking. "I should have told you sooner... it all just happened so fast."
He was silent for a good minute before he spoke. "So, we're done then. Just like that."
"We weren't really anything before, were we?" Technically, he'd never asked me out. We'd just flirted and spent a lot of time together. People had just assumed, I guess that we were. "I mean, you never really said anything about us being more than friends."
"It's my fault? Well, shit, I thought it was obvious." He said, in a more bitter tone he added, "I'm sorry I was a little preoccupied. You know it's just me providing for my grandma and brothers. I've taken up a job here on weekdays so I wouldn't have to..." he stopped himself and in a quietee voice continued, "Sell."
"I know you have a huge responsibility but I'm not a mind reader, Chris. You only had to say a few words. We talked all the time you could have said something." I wasn't really sure why I was arguing. To be honest, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. Paul was my imprint and fighting it for a day was so difficult. I wouldn't have been able to avoid it even if Chris and I were official. In a way, I was kind of thankful that he hadn't because it would have made things even more complicated. At the same time, I'm only human and him not bothering me to ask me out officially hurt my ego.
"You were the only thing that took my mind off it all. I was trying to forget about my problems."
"I'm a person, Chris. Not a hobby."
His anger was starting to go away now, as ifbhe was realizing I was right. "What if I asked you now?"
My mouth opened to speak but no words came out. Get it together, Gabz. Paul was listening. I looked outside to find him, still sitting in the same spot as earlier but his fists were now clenched and he was staring intensely at me.
I didn't know what to say that would make them both happy. One of them would get hurt. I mean, Paul would end up with me anyway, so should I at least try to save some of Chris' pride? Or should I just be honest? Lying to make him feel better might end up hurting him more in the end. I couldn't lead him on, I decided.
Yes, honesty as the way to go. "Chris... it's too late."
"Too late? Gabz, you just met this guy."
"I love him, Chris." I said in a barely audible voice.
"And you don't love me?" I was glad his voice had lowered as well. People were looking now, trying to read our lips and I knew they couldn't hear us anymore. Well, Paul might be able to.
"I care for you, Chris... but please don't ask me to choose because I already have. I will always choose him."
Like I said; honest.
His expression was unreadable as he sat and stared at me. When he snapped out of his daze, he got up and slammed the chair into the table. He left the cafeteria quickly, and Tyler, Nikki, and Cam followed after him. Cameron nodded at me as if letting me know I did the right thing and they'd handle it from here.
I sighed a breath of relief and got up to head outside, aware of the stares I was recieving on the way.
Several people didn't even bother to whisper.
"Poor Chris."
"How could she?"
"What a slut."
I didn't say anything because in a way, I agreed.
When I got outside, Paul was alredy gone. I heard a wolf howling in the distance. Judging by the way no one was screaming, he hadn't turned into a giant wolf until he'd been deep in the forest where no one could see him.
I didn't want to be alone, and with Paul, Cam, and Nikki gone, Bella was the only person I could go to. She was sitting outside with Angela and Jessica who were lazily lounging in the sun light.
"We should go to Port Angeles before all the good dresses are gone." Jessica was saying when I got there.
"Hey, Gabz. You okay?" Bella asked. By the look on her face, I felt she'd seen me speak to Chris and both him and Chris leave angrily. Jessica's head snapped up and she gabe me a somewhat disgusted look. I only nodded at Bella. "Hey, why don't we go with you guys to Port Angeles? Do you mind, Jess?"
"No, she doesn't." Angela said quickly just as Jess was opening her mouth. She gave Angela a pointed look. "I need your guys' help finding the perfect dress." Angela added with a smile and not-so-subtle nudge to Jessica's arm.
As nice as Angela's gesture was, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go there on a weekend when I knew Chris worked in the area at that time. "Uh, that's really nice but I don—-"
Bella intervened before I could finish my sentence. "Great. We'll drive to your place and we can carpool."
"Port Angeles? That's where he works." Days later, Paul was still upset, and Bella insisted I go with her and her friends.
"Bella isn't taking no for an answer. She's set on going to this book store to get a book on Quiluete legends." I sighed. If my sister planned on leaving the group, I didn't feel good about not being in the area to save her.
"She can't know about the pack. The secret has to be kept."
"I don't think she cares about that part of the legend." I said wearily. Paul gave me a confused look. "She's obsessed with finding out what Edward is."
Paul sighed, defeated once again by my awesome persuasion. Well, my persuasive skils weren't acually that great but I think Paul has a soft spot for me. In the entire week we'd been together he rarely said 'no' to me. "We'll go to Port Angeles as long on one condition."
"What condition?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Let me take you out for dinner."
That was it?
Ha! Joke's on him.
There would be foods.
He didn't have to tell me twice.
My stomach rumbled a little as I thought of all the foods places in Port Angeles. There was only one restaurant that was actually date-worthy. "Oh! How about that one italian place?"
"Everyone goes there." He put a heavy emphasis on 'everyone'. "Let's go somewhere different." It was really the only somewhat fancy restaurant in the 200-mile radius. I'm not even exaggerating in the slightest. Port Angeles was almost 60 miles from Forks and Seattle was another 80 or so miles.
"Yeah, but we haven't done it together yet. It's inevitable. We might as well get it over with." I said cheerfully.
"Fine." he grumbled, just before the bell rang to signal the end of fourth period and the beginning of lunch break.
"Besides, it's on the other side of town from the club where he DJ's." I thought out loud. Not a smart move, Paul tensed up even more.
"You've been there?" He asked, raising an eyebrows. I wasn't sure why he asked things he wouldn't like the answer to.
Honesty is best, Gabz. I had to tell myself as I looked at him and debated on whether I should tell him the truth that he wouldn't like or a little white lie that might make him feel better. I suppose I'd rather be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie... so I'd do the same for him.
"Yeah..." I said slowly, wondering if omitting the number of times my girls and I had been there illegally and without our parents' knowledge was still classified as lying. 'Don't ask how many times.' I chanted in my mind.
"Often?" Well, he didn't ask how many times. I didn't know exactly how many times but it had to be over a hundred. Let's see, almost every weekend for the past two years... how many was that?
"Uh, I guess so?" I laughed nervously and tried to put a smile on my face. It made him look a bit less angry, but he was still not happy.
"And your dad was okay with this?" he frowned again.
"Uhh. He is blissfully unaware." There were no pictures of us either, I'd made sure of it. There was no way anyone had any evidence to prove we'd gone. We made sure to hide our faces with hats or sunglasses. Lots of people did it. I was glad now that I'd said no when Chris had asked me to come up and dance with him. Instead, I'd waited for his shift to be over and the next DJ to replace him, and he'd come down into the crowd to dance with me.
"Good, you aren't allowed there anymore." I wasn't really upset. I didn't want to go there anymore, it had gotten old. What I didn't like, was his bossy tone. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow at him. His face softened, "Please don't be stubborn about this. It's not only illegal because you're underage but it is dangerous. There are shady people in Port Angeles."
"Well, you can't just order me around. If you don't like it, let me know and I'll think about it. If you would have asked nicer, I would have told you I don't plan on it anyway. Don't speak to me like I'm a child or something."
He grinned, and I narrowed my eyes. "You are child sized."
"Har, har. Real original." I said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and pouted the entire way to the cafeteria which only made him laugh more.
Hilarious.
I rode with the girls to Port Angeles. Bella and I were mostly silent while Angela and Jess chattered excitedly about their dates and what kinds of dresses they wanted. I had tried inviting Cameron and Nicki to make things more bearable but they already had plans for the weekend. At a club that Paul and I had agreed I would no longer be going to. I told Cam and Nicki, it wasn't safe with the recent attacks but they didn't listen.
We pulled into a parking spot in front of a small dress boutique. It was full with dresses and had no customers. I figured everyone else was waiting until tomorrow to come. Jessica was right about being first by going on a Friday evening. I looked around to see if Paul was around but I didn't see his bike or truck anywhere so I followed in after the other three girls.
After trying on just about every dress in the store, Jess seemed decided on a fuschia v-neck one and Angela was between the lilac one with a criss-cross design she had on currently and a baby pink one she'd tried earlier.
"This one makes my boobs look nice." Jess was commenting when I came out of the dressing room. The three girls' jaws dropped when they noiced me in the red dress I'd picked. After trying on dress after dress, I'd finally decide to try on a more fitting one because all the a-line dresses made me look wide because the didn't show the curve I had at the waist. The one I'd picked was red like all the ones I'd tried on, but this time it was a mermaid type fit made of a sleek thin fabric that hugged my body tightly. It had a halter neck and the back was merely a few crisscrossed strings that held the top on.
"Can you tie the back, Bells?" I asked and she got up to do so.
"Gabz, I didn't know you were hiding such curves! Paul is going to love it!" Angela said happily. It was sweet of her but I wasn't really sure if he'd be happy about this.
"Speak of the devil..." Jess said, peering out the window. Angela and Bella quickly pushed me back into the dressing room and untied the knot so I could change back into my black peplum top and fitting black pants. I also put on a bomber jacket made of a sheer see-through material that had red roses all over it. I'd put a little more effort into my wardrobe than usual and had even applied red lipstick and black eyeliner and mascara. I normally just wore mascara and chapstick so it was a big deal for me.
When I came out from behind the changing stalls curtains, Paul was sitting awkward on a chair inside the shop, staring at the floor. He was being polite still and answering Jessica's smalltalk but didn't look up until he heard me come out. The way his mouth hung open as he looked at me from my feet up, I could tell he was surprised.
"Hi." I smiled, blushing under his stare. I could see Angela getting giddy from behind Paul and Bella grinning. Jess was forcing a smile but I figured that was as much as I could expect from her. She was... competitive it seemed in all aspects of life. "We should get going. It's a bit of a walk."
Paul physically shook himself out of his trance, "Uh, yeah. I just walked it. I parked near the restaurant. Well, we'll see you three there?" They all nodded so we said a quick 'see you later' and left the litte shop, its bell ringing when we opened the door.
We walked in silence until Paul noticed me shivering. He took of his jacket and put it on my shoulder. He let his arm linger and stay wrapped around my shoulder. He gave me a cocky grin as if challenging me to say I didn't like it.
I most definitely did. "Won't you get cold?" He furrowed his eyebrows at me but kept smiling.
Oh, yeah. Werewolves didn't get cold.
As we walked, we passed a group of creepy bikers who were probably in college or older. They stared at us and Paul stared back fearlessly. He wore only a grey t-shirt and jeans now that his leather jacket was wrapped around me. He was bigger than most of them and they tried to act tough, giving me a few cat calls. I was suddenly glad my body was covered by his large jacket. Paul stopped in his tracks at the cat call and turned to give them a dark look.
"Paul." I tugged at his arm but he didn't budge. The creep that had made the noise was smiling now. He still made no advances but waited for Paul to do something. "They aren't worth our time." I pleaded, now that he was beginning to shake with anger. I knew Paul could take them all out and he might not need to phase to do so, but I didn't want to deal with it. When he made a move to step toward them, I panicked and threw myself into him. It surprised him as I had hoped but only for a moment. In desperate need of a better intervention, I pulled his face down to mine and crashed my lips into his. The anxiety of not wanting him to get in a fight with some stupid gang made me momentarily forget the fear of being a terrible kisser. I even let him go further than a simple peck and he took advantage of it, slipping in some tongue.
I heard the bikers say some kind of bitter remarks and then the engines of their bikes as they sped away. I broke the kiss out of breath. I searched his face, silently thanking myself for wearing the no budge lipstick Cameron has given me, when I noted that there weren't any streaks of red on him. He was smirking at me and stole another quick kiss.
"Oh, shut up." I blushed and tugged at his arm.
"I didn't say anything." he said, still smirking. I shot a glare over my shoulder as I pulled him along. "I'll keep talking though if it means you'll try stopping me again.". I didn't turn around so I could hide my face that now probably resembled a tomato.
It wasn't until I smelled food that I was able to temporarily forget about my embarassment.
It returned when we got to the table and Paul pulled the chair out for me to sit in. Still, it was warm so I took his jacket off and hung it on the chair, making his grin fade at the sight. My peplum top showed some cleavage because of the lacey see-through part on my chest. He looked down at it then looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. It wasn't that showy, and as I expected, the people in the rest of the restaurant continued. chattering. There might have been one or two males who glanced my way but it was nothing compared to the way our waitress smiled at Paul. She had the nerve to look me up and down as if sizing up her competition. Her smile returned when she looked to Paul as he ordered a large amount of food.
"What would you like, Gabby?" he looked up to me when he had finished his order. Was I going to be the stereotypical girl and order a salad here and just pig out once I got home? Or would I be the real me and order the pesto chicken?
Being real it was. "The pesto chicken and fettuccine." I told the waitress, handing her my menu. She looked scandalized that I would order anything but a salad with such a good-looking date.
"What was that about?" Paul asked. I waited for him to smile and indicate he was joking but he maintained a confused look. Was he really oblivious to her obvious flirting?
"You really don't know" I asked, but he shook his head. "She was trying to flirt with you and then she was amazed that I didn't order just a salad or something light."
"Oh. Why didn't you?" he ignored the fact that she'd been flirting entirely, and seeming genuinely curious as to why I didn't do what most girls would.
I shrugged. "I figured you should know about my appetite from the get go."
"I like it. You already know how much I eat."
"Yeah... have you always been like that or is it," I lowered my voice a little, "a pack thing?".
He thought about it for a moment. "I've always had a healthy appetite but it seems to have gotten worse since... the change. Emily always complains. Not just about me but all of us, as a group." Neither of us could hold back our grins at the thought of Emily nagging about the boys' feeding habits, but continuing to cook for them every meal anyway. "I may eat the most but the other guys' eat at home so she understands." he added quietly, fiddling with his napkin.
I thought about it and realized, Paul and Jacob were the only ones without mothers at home, but I'd heard his father wasn't like Bilky who actually took care of his son. Poor guy. Of all the guys, he was the one who did part-time work on the rez in addition to his patrols. He had to work to support himself and his sister.
He seemed to notice I'd gotten so quiet and could probably guess what was on my mind. I only got this way when we talked about his situation at home. I knew so little still from what he'd told me. He never said more than a few hints here and there and would quickly change the topic. He'd been so sweet today I decided to do it for him.
"So, do you have any hobbies?" You know, other than changing into a giant wolf and ripping vampires to pieces, I wanted to add.
He seemed surprised but caught on quickly. "I paint. Play sports. Nothing much." he shrugged.
"Nothing much? I can hardly draw stick figures." I said. It was sadly true but I didn't mind. It got him to smile again which made my heart flutter so I continued. "I am zero percent creative."
"You dance. That's creative, isn't it?"
"I guess. I'm more technical I think, than creative when it comes to most formsof dance. Some types of freestyle I can let go and just let my body move... but not when it comes to choreography. Nicki's amazing at choreography in any style. Cameron has the best jumps and is most graceful." I almost forgot he was there I had been so into what I'd been talking about. I could carry on a conversation with myself, and he was content just to listen.
I stopped and blushed when I realized he'd been watching me talk for at least two minutes continued to watch me even after I'd stopped talking, seeming to notice every small movement I made. He seemed like the type to notice every detail under a careful gaze and I felt I had more flaws than good feautures to be noticed.
"Hey, Gabz." I'd never been more grateful to hear Jessica's voice. The two girls ere giving us sly smiles as they stood next to our table.
"Want to sit down?" I offered. They looked excited but Angela seemed unsure. Paul didn't seem to mind but he did continue to watch me.
"Are you sure Gabz? We don't want to intrude or anything. We can wait for another table." she motioned towards the rest of the restaurant but it looked pretty jam packed.
"Sit down! I know you two are hungry. Wait, where's Bella?" In my eagerness to take Paul's attention off of me, I'd completely forgotten about my sister who was nowhere to be found.
"Bella went to get something from the bookstore, she said she'd meet us here. Hey, Jess," Angela looked to Jessica, who was already pulling up chairs for them, "maybe we should wait for her and get another table."
"I'm sure Bella will be hungry when she gets here. We should probably just order for her." she reasoned. Angela gave in and took the chair between Jess and I. I didn't miss Paul scooting his chair closer to me when Jess sat next to him. He was smooth about it and pretended to make more room for her chair. As they got seated, several waitresses came with our food.
"If you guys want any of our food, take it," I offered, "and we'll just order more." I gave a pointed look at Paul who'd looked visibly disappointed when I'd spoken. Angela and Jessica greatfully accepted some of the pizza and ravioli he'd ordered, leaving him with just his parmesan eggplants and lamb chop.
I made sure to order more ravioli for him when a waitress came by. He seemed satisfied by this and started to dig into his food like the other two already had. I started eating when I knew he wasn't watching. It really bugged me when people watched me eat. I was sure I was not attractive while eating. I wasn't sure if anyone did look good while eating; it made me uncomfortable to be watched so I didn't watch others do it. It just felt like good manners to me.
"Hey," Angela spoke when she had finished most of her meal and was probably starting to feel full, "Bella should have been here by now." she glanced at her watch then around the restaurant. We all looked up from our food and at each other. We were all too familiar eith my sister's knack for finding trouble.
"I should go find her." I said, now worried.
"I'll go with you." Angela volunteered. I could sense the same worry in her tone.
"I'll go." Paul said in a more final tone. "You three stay here. Would you ladies do me a favor and make sure my date doesn't wander off?" he said in a more lighthearted tone.
"Sure." Angela smiled, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
Jessica beamed at Paul, "Of course!". She seemed genuine, which was really great coming from her.
Paul thanked them quickly, winked at me, and stalked out already looking around, probably using his more sensitive hearing to listen for her.
"Oh my gosh. You two are so sweet." Angela squealed when he was out the door.
"He totally has it bad for you. He was just staring at you when we walked in." Jess seemed happy for me. I guess she was happy that Mike had finally asked her out for prom. She'd liked him for some long; we weren't even close and I'd kniwn that before Bella came to Forks High School. I knew she'd shown some interest in Edward, who'd totally ignored her. I couldn't really blame Jessica if she had difficulty trying to hide her envy for Bella. She'd gotten both guys to be interested in her in the few weeks she'd been here effortlessly while Jess had been trying for two years.
"I don't really see why me..." I shrugged. I did know why, but I couldn't tell them about the imprint. Other than that, I wasn't sure why someone like him would be interested in me so it was partially true.
"Aw, you're fun and cute, Gabz, why wouldn't he?" Angela said. She was way too nice. I smiled appreciatively.
By the time, we'd all finished eating, neither Paul nor Bella were there yet. I asked the waitress for take-out boxes and bags to bring Paul's food. She seemed way to smug about him having left me on our date and me having to pay. I tipped 15% in tips instead of 20% because of her attitude.
Take that.
"Guys, we have to find them." I urged them.
"I hope they're both okay." Angel added nervously.
"They've been gone over an hour!" Jess complained as we were walking out of the restaurant but just in time, Bella walked up to the front of the restaurant.
"Where the hell were you?" Jessica demanded immediately. She stopped when she noticed Edward following after Bella.
Angela, as usual, tried to diffuse the tension that Jess created, "We waited for you but we were really hungry."
"I'm sorry I kept Bella so long. We'd gotten to talking and lost track of time." he gave her a charming smile. I wondered if it was a vampire thing to be that charming. It definitely attracted girls like Jess and Bella like they were under a spell or something.
"Oh. It's fine." Jess said in a pleasant tone.
Edward didn't have the same effect on me. He smiled my way when I thought this, as if he could read my mind... then looked away quickly. Maybe vampires could read minds.
"Where is Paul?" I demanded, not allowing myself to get distracted by the mental skills Edward may or may not have. Edward pointe to the sidewalk at his right. I pushed past him and Bella to find Paul sitting on a bench with a pissed off look on his handsome face. He seemed to have blood on his knuckle and a bruise on his cheek. I knew the bruise wasn't there earlier but it looked as if were already in the healing stages, as if it had been there a few days already.
"What happened?" I asked, my expression softening when I looked at him.
Edward answered when Paul didn't, earning a glare from him. "The same gang," he spat angrily, "who were bothering you, tried to corner Bella. I was... in the area and found Bella just after Paul did. I made sure Bella was safe while he took care of them.". Edward was clecnhing his fists and Bella looked around awkwardly.
"Bella is lucky the two of you were there to save her." Jess said to break the silence, "We should be heading home. It's getting late."
"I could drop off Bella. I think she should get something to eat." Edward said just as they were heading towards the car. He was looking at me as he said it for some reason.
"Aw, that's so thoughtful." Angela cooed.
"Yeah, really thoughtful." Jess forced another smile, probably upset that Bella was getting the attention she'd wanted from Edward. I glanced back towards him and noticed he was looking from Bella to me.
Ah, Edward was hoping Paul and I would stay and wait for Bella. He nodded slightly and smiled when I thought , Mr. Freaky Mind Reader, read this.
There is no way in hell I'd even consider leaving my sister with a vampire.
I didn't really understand why he would want us to stay and guard him but I had a feeling I'd find out by the end of the night.
"Actually, Paul," Paul's head snapped towards mine, with an accusatory look,"didn't get to eat either." Angela was looking at me with wide eyes, motioning between Edward and Bella. Ah, she was telling me not to cock-block Ella from the current hottest and most mysterious guy at school. Got it. "We'll sit at a different table. Double dates are not my thing." This was a lie,"Especially with my sister. Talk about awkwaaard." Bella gave me an appreciative smile and Angela gave a not-so-subtle double thumbs up. She then hopped into the car that Jessica had already started.
"We'll meet you out here when she's done eating." Edward said politely and they went into the restaurant.
"Are we really going to play watch dog for your sister?" Paul asked wearily.
Hm. Watch dog. Interesting choice of words.
"Of course not, my wolfy-man. We're just going to finish our date. It was your one condition." I grinned. He raised an eyebrow but changed his mind when I held up the food I'd decided to take out and his stomach let out a rumble. He sighed and got up and immediately headed inside. I skipped merrily after him.
I did not choose the table right next to Bella and Edward.
I didn't have to. We sat at the opposite side of the restaurant, which was still within Paul's hearing range.
"Bella is asking for answers. Edward says, yes, no, to get to the other side, and 1.7 something. The square root of pi." I snorted. Edward was clever. "Eavesdropping on your sister's dinner with a leech wasn't exactly whatI had in mind for a date."
"You can have my breadstick."
Paul gave me an incredulous look but then gave in. "Fine. She wants to know if he followed her. The leech feels protective over her and he heard the disgusting things those guys had been thinking about her and..." he growled suddenly.
"What? And what?" I asked nervously and glanced toward them to make sure Bella hadn't become dinner.
"The things they were thinking about you." He added in a dangerously quiet voice, his fists clenching and nails digging into his palms.
Instinctively, I grabbed his hand and attempted to pull his fingers and loosen his grip. I knew physically I couldn't but I hoped my touch might calm him.
"I knew I shouldn't have let them go." He growled.
"You can't stop people from thinking those things... did they give you that bruise?" The bruise on his face was almost gone now. He nodded.
"You should've seen them." He finally loosened his grip and smiled, but it was cold. I glanced to Edward, who was also smiling the same. He could hear Paul as well it seemed... maybe more than just what he was saying out loud.
"So, how did he know where to find Bella?" I tried to change the subject.
Paul seemed to sense my discomfort. "He smelled me... but he won't tell your sister that. It's not his secret to tell... but he is telling Bella that he can hear people's thoughts." I knew it! I was surprised when Paul smirked. I gave him an inquisitive look. "He can read minds. Except for Bella's. He hears nothing from her mind... and she asks if she's weird."
Excellent. Just ignore the fact that he just told you he can read mind.
"Only Bella." I sighed, shaking my head, "You don't have to listen in for me anymore. Just let me know if they're going to leave." I smiled when he looked relieved. "You can eat now." I added. He did so, eagerly but still minding his manners and table etiquette.
"I don't want to talk about your sister anymore. You are always worrying about everyone else. Talk about you... or us." He said, pausing momentarily from his food.
"Does asking about how you feel about Bella dating Edward count as talking about us?"
"No. But I don't like it. I told him to stay away from you both." He continued before I could even ask why he cared about Bella seeing him, "She's your sister and as I predicted, you'll do everything to protect her. That's why I said to stay away from you both."
"I see. He tried, didn't he?"
"Not hard enough."
"She has to find out what he is for herself. She's hardheaded like that." I stopped when he snorted, "What?"
"Hardheaded... just like you."
"I resent that. Anyway, she has to ride home with him. She's relentless about figuring him out and this way, we'll be following right behind them. Okay. That was it. We'll talk about us now..." He gave me a look that told me he didn't believe me, think, Gabby, what to ask about him? "What's your favorite color?"
"Really? You're going to ask me about my favorite color?" I looked down, embarassed. "Grey."
I looked up at smiled. It was sweet that even though he thought I was being ridiculous, he still humored me with an answer just to make me feel better.
"That's not a real color." I smiled despite myself.
"White?" He offered.
"White? Your favorite color is the absence of color? That's still not a real color."
He shrugged. "What's your then?"
"Red."
"Oh. Me too." He smirked and I rolled my eyes. "Why did you switch schools? For high school." His gaze was now more intense.
"It was too far for Charlie to drive." I explained. He looked relieved. "What did you think was the reason?"
"Me." He avoided my eye by playing with his silverware.
He thought it was because of him. Because he'd bullied me. It made sense but the thoyght hadn't really ever crossed my mind.
"No. Why did you torment me though? Of all people?" I had always wondered if it was just because I was different or if I seemed weak.
"It was the only way you ever noticed me."
I'd never even considered the possibility that he was seeking my attention. I gave him a curious look.
"You couldn't guess? Isn't it what all little boys do when they have a crush?" He didn't look up at me but I could see him smirk.
"But... that was before the imprint. Why didn't you tell me? After six years of it?"
"They say I had a hard upbringing... that's where my temper comes from. I didn't really know how else to get your attention. Well, I did figure it out eventually but I was scared. When I finally found the courage... you had moved. I thought it was my fault... I stayed away from you after and even convinced myself that I liked tall and thin girls better... the exact opposite of you." He laughed to himself.
"So... it wasn't because I'm just weird?"
"Oh, it was. Maybe that's what I liked... different. I always knew it but I tried to deny it and fight the imprint. I felt guilty. That didn't last long though. I couldn't stay away from you..."
"Well, I forgive you." I smiled genuinely and he returned it, finally daring to peer up at me. But suddenly he sighed.
"They're paying the bill and about to leave." He called over the waitress and did thesame. Luckily, we had the same waitress and she was closer to us and took care of our first. We were already outside waiting by the time Bella and Edward were exiting the building.
"We'll follow your car on the way home." I said loudly, making Bella jump. She hadn't noticed us sitting on the bench. Paul and Edward were having a small glaring match/
"You don't have to d—" I cut Bella off with a look that dared her to continue. "Okay."
"See you there." Edward smiled and helped Bella into the car. When she was in, I was thinking anout how she would most definitely be figuring out what he was tonight. She'd find the book, do a google search... My train of thought was interrupted by Edward. "I really hope so. Maybe she'd finally stay away." He added with another smirk, as he walked around to the driver's side of the car.
Paul look from the car to me as it drove off. "What did he mean? What were you thinking?"
"That Bella would figure out what he is tonight."
We quickly made our way to his car, and found Edward had parked just ahead of it, waiting for us.
"Wouldn't most vampires not want to be followed?" I asked Paul once we'd started driving.
"The Cullens are... they call themselves vegetarians. They don't feed from humans. But he's having difficulty not feeding from Bella. I think her blood attracts him." he explained.
"Why Bella's blood?"
"Some humans smell better to certain vampires. The way he asks us to be there when they're together tells me he has trouble resisting her smell. A vampire as old as the Cullens shouldn't have that much trouble. I've heard it from Sam's thoughts. He tore up a lone vampire who liked the smell of Emily." I suddenly realized that I, much like ithers, had underestimated Paul's intelligence. Even if I had known everything he did about vampires, I wouldn't have been able to put two and two together so quickly.
I couldn't stop myself from wondering out loud. "Do I smell nice to you?"
He nodded and grinned. "You do. From the vanilla scented body wash you use to the baby powder fresh scent. And your natural scent as well..." he trailed off. His hand found mine in the seat and he laced his fingers in mine, giving it a kiss.
"Bella used my deodorant. Maybe that's what Edward can't resist." I smirked. He shook his head. Hm. I thought it smelled great. "It does smell nice though." He inhaled starting from my hand to my arm like a creep and started laughing.
"Ew. That reminds me of that guy from the Princess Bride." The one that is obsessed with smelling hair.
"From what?" I searched his face but his expression was clueless as he glanced at me quickly then watched the road as he drove.
"You haven't seen the Princess Bride?!" It was definitely one of my favorite movies.
"No, but you are my princess and hopefully someday my bride so..." he did the weird smelling thing to my hand again.
"Stop!" I laughed, pulling my hand away. "And that's cheesy... but if the crown fits." I shrugged, looking away now to hide the burning red color I knew my cheeks were.
"Well, you are."
I smiled. "Well, I guess it fits then and honey, you should see me in a crown." I said the last part with attitude, closing my eyes and swaying my head side to side with each word.
Paul only rolled his eyes.
There you have it! Chapter 3.25 or Three and a Quarter.
I was watching James Moriarty from Sherlock as I wrote this and had to include that last line. If you aren't familiar, you can look up 'James Moriarty Honey, you should see me in a crown' and you can see the clips. I wasn't sure how to describe but I loved it. (: