Chapter 6: Our First Date (Goes Horribly Wrong)

Adrienne's POV

I wake up on Sunday, roll over and think about Collin. For a long, long time. I sigh, and roll over again, just to see Penelope's face.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHH!"

I scream at the top of my lungs for a few minutes and watch as Pen patiently stares at me, smiling her head off. "Holy – stop doing that!"

"Sorry. It's a habit. You know, just waiting until everyone in the house shuts up and lets me have a word. Can you do that?" She questions me, climbing onto the bed. I look at my alarm clock and see that it's 11:27.

"Why are you here? Good timing, but –"

"Just let me talk? Please? Thank you. Collin texted you a few minutes ago. I think he was trying to wait for you to wake up – how sweet of him – but couldn't wait until twelve thirty again." She chuckles. "I suggest you answer him. Or call him. Actually, I strongly suggest you get him to ask you out."

"Ahem. WHAT? Why? Why in this strange universe would I do that? I mean, yeah last night was fun, but it doesn't mean we're going to start dating! Why would you think such a thing?" It would be amazing if Collin asked me out.

No it wouldn't.

Yes it would.

No – yes – no – yes – no –

"ARGHH! Gah. Pen, please sort out my life for me."

"Gladly!" Pen exclaims. Then her face falls: "...Although, I suppose I should make you do that yourself." She sighs. "But will you please, please call him?"

I sigh and take my phone from my best friend. "Why aren't you at work? You start in fifteen!"

"Yeah, yeah. Life crises are more important than work."

I laugh and look at the message – 'Hey!'

Penelope analyzes every pixel of the message: the capital h, the exclamation mark… The scrutiny is killing me. Finally, she lets me reply – 'Hey. :)'

(She scrutinizes that forever, too.)

This goes on for five minutes, until we bike to her work. I alternate between texting Collin and writing my book for an hour and a half until I hear the door open. Turning my head, I do a double-take when I see Collin's face.

His face brightens when he sees me. "Adrienne! What are you doing here?"

"Um." I say, shoving my notebook into my bag. "Nothing?"

"Were you writing? Would you let me read it? I'd still love to,"

I shrink into the couch. "Yes. No. Why?" I say quickly. He looks slightly upset. Darn. I don't want him to be.

I don't care.

Yes I do.

No I don't.

Yes I do.

No I don't.

Yes I do, dammit!

Gah.

"That's great, that sucks, and because everything you do is amazing, so why would this be any different?" Collin replies. He's gotten the hang of this. Surprising. Most guys aren't half so quick. (Then again, most guys aren't half so clumsy. And don't stalk me. Although both points are quite irrelevant.)

Then I realize that I was complimented. That's so nice of him… (I battle in my head for a while again before speaking.)

"Thanks." My simple answer leaves Penny, who has been staring and listening intently to us the whole time, in complete shock. She makes insane hand motions at me and tries mouthing words (she's always been bad at that), finally resorting to text.

'GET HIM TO ASK YOU OUT. NOW! (Or better yet, ask him out yourself! ;) )'

Grr.

"So – what are you doing here?" I ask, and for probably the first time in my life I hope I don't sound too snarky.

"Well – I just came by to look for a novel I've been hearing some good things about… Have you heard of 'The Maze Runner'?"

"I am in love with that series," Pen and I say at the same time. While Collin looks oddly at her, I give her a death glare.

"By the way Collin!" Pen starts, and all I can think is that I am in for it. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Over there?"

He looks questioningly between the two of us. I wish I could say I knew what she wanted to talk about. "Um… sure?"

I fight down the insane feeling of jealousy that starts to rise in my chest as my best friend leads the guy I like (why the hell did I just think that?) to the other corner of the room. What are they talking about? I need to know! The suspense is unbearable! What if she's saying that I like him? Or telling him to ask me out? Oh my goodness I'm going to die!

But not before I kill Miss Penelope Ray.

Penny's POV

Adrienne probably thinks I'm going to tell Collin to ask her out.

I wish.

"Collin. There are vampires. Here. You seemed too calm when you walked in, so I figured the word hadn't spread to you yet."

"Sheesh, was I the only one who didn't know?" He rolls his eyes and mutters, "Way to keep me out of the loop, guys,"

I talked with Seth for a long time about it last night. We're both scared that a fight's going to break loose and someone's going to get hurt… And I couldn't bear that, or worse, happening to any of my friends.

"One of them took Billy Wringer, and no one knows if he's alive or dead or changed. I'm not sure if the Cullens know yet, but if there's more than one lone vamp, we'll probably need their help."

Collin rolls his eyes again. Just a few weeks and he's already sick of bloodsuckers. Catching on already – good for him.

"Listen… about Adrienne –"

He pales (as much as is possible for a Quileute). "Adrienne." He glances over his shoulder, panic apparent in his voice. "I have to protect her. What if she gets hurt? What if I have to kill one of them and in return they go after her? What do I do? I – I love her." His voice grows quiet as he says those last few words.

EEP! I've been waiting to hear that. "When are you going to ask her out?"

"… Soon. I'm just nervous."

I chuckle. So cute. (Not even remotely as cute as my Seth, though.) "I suggest you do it very soon, before you have to explain to her in a hurry as you're running away from a pack of vampires that you're a wolf and she's your imprint and all that jazz."

He looks at me with worried eyes. "Alright. I've wanted to since the moment I imprinted, so I ought to do it now…" He turns towards her, paralyzed. (And naturally, I give him a good push in her direction.)

Adrienne's POV

"Hey again…" Collin says to me, staring at his feet.

"Hi? Um- what was that about?"

"Do you want to go out tonight?" He blurts, barely letting me finish my sentence. I can see Pen looking at me from behind, nodding her head off like a mad woman.

I stare blankly at him. "Um" is all I can manage.

"YES! SHE'D LOVE TO!" Penelope Freaking Ray shouts.

I give her the most deadliest death glare I have ever given a person in my life.

But, I have to admit, I would love to.

"Pick me up at seven?" I ask, tilting my head to the right.

"I- uh – yes – thank you – I – bye!" Collin practically falls out the door, and I turn to my best friend. The pleased expression on her face puts me over the edge.

"You. Are. Dead."

"You're welcome!"

Collin does, in fact, pick me up at seven. I fret for hours about what to do with my hair, how to do my makeup, what clothes to wear, what to talk about, etc. This isn't my first date, but it's been almost a year since I last went on one, so I feel a bit rusty.

Penelope and I settled on a sea foam green sundress splattered with flowers, with strappy black sandals and a small black shoulder bag. I feel cute, I look cute, and he sure as hell better tell me I'm cute.

Or else.

"You look great," Collin says with a smile as we walk down the road. I smile and thank him (I'm trying my best to not be rude, spastic, or mad tonight), glad that he came right out with it this time.

We arrive at Riverside Restaurant. Thankfully it's only a few minutes away, so my sandals don't become the death of me. Once we're seated at a table for two on the patio, we talk for what seems like hours (although it's only been fifteen minutes). He tells me more hilarious bad jokes, and I can't stop smiling (it's such an odd thing. Really. Do other people always act like this? I'm growing on it). We've just gotten our food (fish and chips for him, a teriyaki chicken salad for me) when his phone starts to ring – playing 'Speed of Sound' by Coldplay, one of my favourite bands, I might add. "Sorry" he mouths to me as he answers it. "Hello?" He says, and as he listens his expressions range from mad to upset to disappointed to confused to scared. He hangs up and looks at me sadly. "I have to go," he says, throwing his napkin on the table and running away. "I'm sorry!" He yells over his shoulder. I watch him in awe (no that's the wrong word. I watch him in extreme anger) as he ditches me. Ditches me! Really!

I roll my eyes and eat my food when I realize that I'll have to pay the bill. Really?! Really?! This could not get any worse!

I slap down the money and leave, walking by the forest. Eventually I just break down and cry, sitting on a wide, old stump and putting my head in my hands, my body curling and shaking as I sob. After a while I feel something nudge my arm. A wet, slimy thing. I jump up and shriek in alarm when I see the giant wolf that is beside me.

"Nice wolfie," I say calmly, slowly backing away from this unfamiliar creature that I enjoy writing about so much. Huh. It's a lot less scary to write about such things.

The red-brown wolf in front of me seems to be almost… almost sad, if that were possible, that I don't want to be close to it. An emotional wolf. What an unheard of thing.

So unheard of, in fact, that I do something unheard of myself. "… Wolf, I've decided to like you. That is quite an unusual thing for me to decide, so you better stinkin' appreciate it. Okay?"

He comes closer and nuzzles my leg, so I take it as a yes. And for the next half hour I vent out all of my feelings to him, glad that he can't and won't judge me. I must be a funny sight, sitting here, racoon-eyed, with a spotlight from the moon pointing directly at me and my new furry friend. But I like it. Love it, in fact. And it's exactly what I needed.

Collin's POV

Sam ordered me to patrol. Honestly. On the one night I've been waiting for … dreaming of… for what seems like my whole life. Because nothing mattered until Adrienne. Nothing.

And as I listen to her view of what I did, I hate myself, but I'm doing what I can. She needs me. And I need her. And that's all I know, but that's okay, because I'm happy to be there for her, even if she doesn't know it's me.

K! I hope you liked it! Read and review please. I will post faster. Promise. 3 :D :)

Seeweed.