3) Guard

I had my elbow resting on the table, and my chin resting on the back of my curled hand as I plunged my spoon into my cereal bowl repeatedly. I ate slowly between mouthfuls, taking more time than needed just so I could avoid answering any questions or commenting on any remarks and giving my unenthusiastic atmosphere off.

"… and you'll get to do history, not quite the same experience though. Sport's pretty fun, even for you it will be fun because you'll still be heaps faster than the humans. English is interesting with all the different styles of literature and mathematics never really got any better over the years… Renesmee? Are you listening to me?" Aunt Alice slammed her hand down on the table, lightly enough so it didn't break but enough to make it shudder under the sudden impact.

I dropped my spoon into the bowl and lowered both my hands onto the table, chewing slowly as I watched her glare at me.

I took twice as much time to swallow my mouthful and force a smile at her. She straightened up and crossed her tiny arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Come on, I'm taking you to get dressed," she so kindly ordered.

I didn't even bother to argue but just twisted my own arms together as she grabbed me and ran up stairs. She dumped me on my feet in front of the bathroom mirror and disappeared.

I scrutinized myself; my long slim legs and dainty feet in black skinny jeans and black flats, and my curvy stomach and chest covered with a light gray shirt adorned in Indian styled feathers around the scoop neck line. My caramel hair descended in long loose ringlets to my waist and the gold locket that my parents got me when I was younger swung loosely over my chest.

"What's wrong with this?" I muttered.

"Nothing if you're a normal teenager."

I blinked at her. "I know I'm not exactly normal, but aren't I supposed to be pretending to be?"

"Yes, but it doesn't mean that you don't have to look hot," she grinned wickedly.

"I don't really have a choice do I?"

"Nope."

I heaved in a breath and pushed out in a long sigh. "Get it over with," I grumbled.

She flew around me, making me remove my jeans and flats and replacing them with minuscule dark denim mini shorts and a black pair of peep toe satin pumps.

Wow, I think I have a wedgy, I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing idiotically.

She fought with me to remove my shirt and replaced that with a crimson red satin triangle top singlet, which barely covered my breasts. She was smart enough to leave my locket alone but went for my face and hair.

"UT! Do not touch my hair or my face; I don't want to look like Barbie."

Her face fell and she pouted her lips, giving me her sweet little puppy eyes. Compared with Jake's puppy eyes (excuse the pun) they were nothing to deny.

"No," I told her again as I glanced at myself hesitantly in the mirror. It just didn't look right. "And I am so not wearing this singlet, Aunt Alice. It's so… revealing. Dad would never let me out, or Jacob… or me as a matter of fact."

She surveyed me for a second and dashed off, presumably to get another shirt so I removed the red top and folded it on the counter.

Alice had returned with a dark gray cloth and a satiny, oversized buckled belt. I shook my head and held my arms out for her to oblige the shirt to glide over my head. It wasn't so bad; the shirt was plain, slightly loose on my body and felt fairly comfortable. Aunt Alice also made sure to pin the belt on me around my waist and she fiddled with both garments until they sat how she wanted them to.

"Done."

I bit my lip and scratched my scalp for a minute.

"Well," she twittered. "Have a look."

"Do I want to?"

She dropped her arms by her side and her eyes flashed violently. The glowering look she gave me made me back track quickly.

"Okay, okay." I turned to the mirror and was fairly surprised.

I honestly didn't look too bad. The shirt and belt sat nicely on my slender body, and the shorts and heels made my legs long and eye-catching. I was, as Aunt Alice had said, hot. But I was still not sure my father would let me leave the house in these pants because of how they contributed to the whole hotness factor and all.

"Let's go." She whisked me into her arms and ran through the house with me before I could worry about what my father would say.

She stopped out front of the kitchen and deposited me on my feet. She smiled at me for a second and whispered, "This should be very interesting," before she threw me through the door.

I stumbled on the heels a little and flicked my arms for balance. I was used to wearing flats or going bear foot whenever the chance arose, but I was not used to heels. Let alone being shoved through a door way in them not quite so softly by your brute force fashionista Aunt.

A warm hand wrapped around mine and my head flicked upwards in response.

My cheeks heated as I met his appraising glance.

Alice, I hope you can see into the future that I'm going to kill you. I will it to be true, I will it! Oh, God, anyone but Jake!

"What do you think?" Alice had pranced in behind me and was standing with her hands crossed behind her back, a vast smile perched on her lips.

"Well. I… uh…" Oh, no! No, no, no! Please don't say anything, don't make this any worse than it has to be.

Jacob and I, hands still interlocked, stared at each other and swallowed loudly in unison. In spite of what I was dressed in, I heard my Dad laugh.

"I don't think she looks funny. I think she looks hot!" Aunt Alice disagreed.

"I'm not laughing because she looks funny, Alice. I'm laughing because you're not the only one who thinks she looks hot, —"

Jake's hand flexed a little then released mine and he stepped back to lean against the wall, my eyes following to watch how his muscles moved on his body. My eyes also trailed down to his legs, one set holding his weight against the wall and the other bent to press his foot against it.

"—and how I essentially find that humorous, I'll never know. What I find quite the contrary of funny though," Dad continued, "is how I will have to listen to inferior thoughts all day; she's my daughter, it's not going to be easy."

"I'll help knock 'em out," Jacob promised, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Who said you're going to be there?"

"Who said I was leaving her?"

"We're going to be there, Jacob. She will be fine."

"I am here," I interjected. "Don't I get a say?"

"Go ahead, honey," Jacob said to me as he held a hand out for my hand.

I glanced at it and reached for it, allowing him to pull me to stand next to him. He rested his arm around my shoulder and twisted his fingers through my curls, looking down at me while I spoke.

"I want you there, Jacob," I said to him, gazing into his black onyx eyes.

"I want me there, too. I'm not leaving you Nessie, I promise." He hugged me an inch closer.

"You're twenty-four Jacob, and you would hardly pass for it, let alone fifteen," Dad reminded him.

He shrugged around me. "I could be repeating."

Aunt Rose's ringing laugh pierced the room. "You know, that could work. Even as a human you're still a dumb ass, dog."

"Cut it, Aunt Rose," I groaned. "Jacob could have been in a football club before, and really worked out, they would never know. All they would know is that he is huge and they'd rather not mess with him," I argued fairly.

"I like that idea," Jake smiled and picked me up.

"Well, it could work."

"Maybe; if we play it right."

Jacob was holding me with my back against his chest, his arms around my stomach securing me there and he was resting his head on my shoulder. My elbows rested on his arms and my hands pressed together as if I were praying. Who knew, maybe I was.

Both our eyes, Jake's onyx and my chocolate, trained on my fathers tawny eyes.

Please, Dad. Please, I thought.

He shifted his weight on his feet and flicked his hands in the air. "It's worth a try. You will have to be careful though, Jacob."

"I have been all these years, haven't I?" he asked my dad rhetorically.

"Yes, well, that was around us."

I did not understand the glares they shot at each other at all. I glanced at my mother for an answer but she was scowling at my father.

"Don't worry, bloodsucker. I'll be careful, and Nessie will be safe. It's a win-win situation; I'll take every class Nessie has," Jacob said through slightly clenched teeth.

"You're making this sound as though you're an undercover cop or a guard or something," I mused as I gazed at him, my ill attempt at trying to lighten the tension.

"I practically am, honey," he grinned back at me. "What with you in these shorts, there is undeniably going to be guys trying to hit you up." His grin wasn't so wide now.

"Oh, Jake. You're not jealous are you?" I honestly don't know what I wanted the answer to be.

His body tensed and I frowned at the disruption it caused his arms around my stomach.

"No. Why would I be?" He didn't reach my eyes but instead set me on my feet, grabbed the bags and his white shirt and beckoned the way to the garage.

Okay, I thought. I don't know why it hurt, but okay.