Twilight belongs to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer. Not moi.

Chapter Ten – Discomfiture

I woke up on Tuesday morning like a kid on Christmas. Jake! Jake was coming today! Jake! Jake! I merrily ran about gathering my school items, as I prepared for my dad.

I heard Carlisle call me from the main house. Ugh, they wanted to measure me again. Always a tedious experience. I felt like a lab rat every time I went through this.

When I entered Carlisle's study, he had the cloth tape measure ready. My mom, Alice, Esme, and Rosalie were seated on the leather chaise, attentive. While my grandfather began his measurements, Alice piped up, "This isn't just for Carlisle's scientific ponderings, Nessie. I need your latest measurements. The clothes I just bought you are already starting to hold a bit snug."

"Yeah, thanks, Alice, just what every girl needs to hear."

"Oh, please, Nessa. Carlise, are you done? I want my turn."

"All done, Nessie. 68 and ¾ inches. 1.75 meters. I think you only have a half inch left." He glanced over hesitantly at Alice's impatient expression before giving me a rueful smile and taking his leave of the study.

Alice already had the measure across my bust.

"Ow!" I complained. "Do you have to crush me in the process?"

She ignored me, turning to my mother, "Bella you were right. She is bigger than you now." She turned her attention back to me. "Your mother is a rather full 30-B, and you my dearest niece are an even fuller 32-C." She laughed to herself, before measuring my wrists, neck, hips, waist, and so on. It never ceased to amaze me how she thought so many measurements were necessary, when I could walk into any store and pick out a perfectly normal top.

The women of my family cackled on about my "womanly changes," as Alice finished up. They could really be a nest of old hens when they all got together.

"I think AMX and Everend will be a natural fit for you," she mused. "They're cut for thinner necks—but certainly I'll have to get some clothes tailored for by Martin and Seb, too. Most lines assume a thin neck comes with small chest—and you…"

She was in full on Alice-mode. I cleared my throat. "So when exactly is Jake's flight getting in?"

They all noticeably paused.

My mom spoke first. "The snow is cleared off the roads here, love, but Jake's flight transfers through Minneapolis-St. Paul, and they just had another blizzard sweep in. Jake's caught until the runways are clear."

My face must have noticeably fallen.

"Oh, cheer up!" Alice demanded in her high soprano voice. "He'll definitely be here tomorrow."

I left the room in a huff. I did not need to cheer up. Really, I didn't want to go to school, either. I wanted to curl up in a ball, cry my eyes out, and ignore the world until Jake came into my room and tapped me on the shoulder. But I needed to go to school. Due to the snow, I had yet to see my Alyssa since she returned from the hospital, or Abby and May Li.

I hopped in and out of the shower, and attempted to dress myself, but to no avail. Alice had been in my closet again. She seemed to think it was her duty to "weed out" my closet on a regular basis. I threw my hands up in the air, cursing wildly. There was nothing comfortable to wear. I felt awkward and sad, and the closet thing I had to comfort in my closet was a long-sleeved cotton shirt that said "Angel Bear." Ugh.

I threw on a simple white tank top and jeans, and began my hunt for mood-matching clothing. I went back to the main house and marched into Rose and Emmett's room. Emmett was sprawled out on the bed, watching some sporting event. He raised an eyebrow as he saw me, but I suspect he already knew the reason behind my mood.

"Uncle Em, I am borrowing your Montreal Canadiens sweatshirt," I informed him as I yanked it off the closest shelf and pulled it over my head.

"That's fine, Nessie. But if you ruin it, you owe me—at least three games on the pond. I do not care if it is Alice that tries to shred it off you. The shirt is sacred."

I nodded and left the room. The only sport Emmett liked to watch more than football was ice hockey. I believe the checking and fighting appealed to his baser nature. He certainly yelled a lot when he watched.

I didn't even bother to find my father. I marched out to the Volvo, climbed in the passenger side, and gave a mental call. Edward. Dad. I'm ready! He'd be here in a second. No reason to alert Alice to my fashion choices for the day.

Alyssa, Abby and May Li were waiting for me inside the academic building.

May Li looked mildly outraged when she saw what I wearing. "Nessa, how can wear those Ralph Lauren jeans and that shirt at the same time? It's like sacrilegious, at best."

It had become part of her daily routine to identify what labels I was wearing, and if she couldn't identify them, she took enormous delight in hunting down the new source. I would have to introduce her to Alice at some point. I wasn't sure I wanted to be around for the conversation, because it could last for several weeks, but I'm not sure I could take much more of the fashion-talk either.

Alyssa was assessing my mood. "Hmmm, you were happy on Sunday, but today, your face says someone snatched your first born child."

I frowned, muttering, "Hello to you, too," and continued in the direction of my English class. I knew I wasn't going to escape their questions, but I figured I deserved at least until lunch time to drown in my the mire of my misery.

And then lunchtime was upon me.

I refused to eat. Human food was disgusting enough. Cafeteria food was vomit on a plate. I was not going to be able to swallow an ounce of mystery mash in my current mood.

Alyssa, May Li, and Abby descended upon me at our table. I could see on their faces that they had been discussing me, plotting.

Abby spoke first, "Nessa, you've never been like this before. Can you tell us what happened?"

Alyssa added, "We just want to help. You've been there for us, so we want to be there for you." The image of Alyssa sprawled cold and pallid in the glen filled my mind, and I spit it out without meaning to.

"Jake's flight was delayed."

They all noticeably sat taller, intrigued but trying to hide it.

"Who's Jake? You never mentioned him before." May Li asked.

I hadn't. How odd. I was always thinking about Jake.

"He's been my friend since I was a little kid. He's always been there for me, my best friend." I must have looked sad, because Abby patted my back compassionately.

"Do you have any pictures?" Alyssa asked.

I flipped open my phone then, trying to find a recent picture of Jake. I found one from the first few days of August before he left. It was a shot of Jake on the La Push beach. I handed the phone to Alyssa. May Li was already peering over her shoulder.

They collectively gasped.

"He's gorgeous!" May Li exclaimed. "He's really tall, high cheekbones, full lips, ripped body. Maybe a little too old for us..."

I shrugged. I figured less was more. "He's not my boyfriend, May. He's just my friend."

Alyssa was holding the phone out for Abby now. "Where's he from, Nessa? Is he First Nations or Inuit?"

"No, he's Quileute. They are a Pacific-Northwest tribe in Washington State. He's been away at Stanford this past semester."

"Nice," she responded. The three of them had their heads together, collectively staring at my picture now. I could see that May Li had the zoom-in function in action, and they were examining parts of Jacob in unnecessarily close detail. I did not like it. I snatched my phone back from May Li with unnecessary speed.

"Fucking hell, Nessa!" She was sucking on her thumb. Maybe, I had yanked a little too hard…

Alyssa was giving me a ridiculous grin. "You were getting jealous, Nessa. You like him. You may not even realize that you like him, but you so do."

"Oh, bugger off, the lot of you." I was not in a mood to be teased.

They laughed collectively, but I think they noticed the tinge of menace in my mood, because they changed the topic to talk about the boys at the party.

I left my last class of the day in no hurry. There was no point. If life was fair, I would have been getting in the car to go and meet Jake at the airport, but life wasn't fair, and I wouldn't be able to see him until tomorrow or who knows when, depending on how long it took for the stupid, evil, belongs-in-the-bowels-of hell storm to clear up in Minneapolis.

I marched out front doors, not really paying attention.

I think my body knew he was there before my brain did. I was skipping down the steps then, barely able to maintain a human velocity. I walked straight past my small audience of friends, who were strategically positioned to observe on Alyssa's car. And then I was jumping—barely a human jump—into his waiting arms, holding him tightly. I didn't even realize that I had tears pouring down my cheeks. I was happy. Content. I had my Jacob. Everything was fine, perfect.

It was only when I heard him chuckle and looked into his bright almost-black eyes that I began to return to reality.

"I missed you, too," He laughed.

I laughed, too, putting both of my palms on his neck. How did you get here? Your flight was cancelled.

I realized my mom was there, then. She answered my question, even though she had not heard it. "Jacob came on foot, Nessie. He was eager to see you too, apparently." That explained it. He had phased and ran from Minneapolis.

My mother was still staring at me—she had a slightly disapproving look on her face. I realized that the position that I was in, with both of my legs wrapped around Jake's waist and Jake supporting my weight with his arms wrapped around my rear, did not really count as an age-appropriate position, especially for the Eastwood parking lot. I flushed crimson and gave Jake a nod, so that he set me down.

Alyssa, Abby, and May Li were approaching to investigate. Clearly, my little display had been too much for them to simply swallow their curiosity.

"So, Nessa," Alyssa said, a comically large smile on her face. "It looks like your Jacob did show up today. Would you care to introduce us?"

I gave her knowing stare. She knew I knew what she was up to.

She just smiled back hugely, before giving me a little wink.

None of this was lost on Jacob or my mother.

"Jake, Aunt Bella, these are my friends Alyssa, May Li, and Abby," I pointed to each of them in turn, and greetings were exchanged.

Dear god. They were so obvious when it came to this sort of thing. Alyssa kept looking at me with that shit-eating-grin across her face. May Li looked like she was mentally undressing Jacob. Even Abby kept flashing her eyes over to me, a tight, contained little smile sneaking across her features. I wanted to thunk each of them on the head.

"Hey, so I'll catch you guys later right?" I began shoving Jake into the Volvo. His eyes were laughing at me as I slammed the door behind him. My mom took the hint and walked over to the driver's side, getting in.

"Call me, Nessa!" Alyssa called as I was walking around to the other side of the car. I looked up to see all three of them giving me a half-demanding, half-ridiculous look, as they had their thumbs and pinkies out, "hand-phones," up against their ears. I groaned. I was not sure it could get any worst.

I hopped in the car, and then finally, we drove off.

I turned my head to smile at my favorite person in the whole, wide world.