This was perhaps one of the most awkward situations I had ever been in.

I was currently sitting silently at the kitchen table across from Paul Lahote, who, in turn, was staring at me.

So really nothing new.

I was really starting to wish that Jared didn't leave for Kim's and that I didn't kick Embry out shortly after I answered the door... even though it was probably more on Paul's accord that he left, considering the daggers that he was sending Embry's way.

"Why should I have to leave?" Embry complained, pouting as I pointed repeatedly toward the door.

"Uh, because this is my house?" I replied, wondering if he had some kind of mental problem. I couldn't believe that I actually lied the other week in the diner to prevent hurting his feelings. "Why are you even here, anyway?"

"Your mom hired me as Marley's new babysitter," he said proudly.

I blanched. "She's a pregnant stay-at-home mother! She doesn't need a babysitter!"

"That's exactly why she needs one," Embry protested. "She won't have enough equal time for both of them when the new baby is born, so she'll need help. She thought it would be a good idea to get Marley acquainted with me before."

"But why are you the babysitter?" I demanded. "You're in high school! When are you supposed to be helping out?"

"Well, it's actually my mom who is sort of the babysitter," he explained sheepishly. "She's runs a home childcare."

"Then what's the point of you helping out when we already have your mom?" I asked, not understanding the whole point of this. I would have to bring it up with mom later.

"Because, I-"

"Embry," Paul interrupted, appearing from the kitchen where I had sent him to wait. "Shut the fuck up and leave."

Maybe it was the tone in Paul's voice, or maybe Embry finally understood that when I was home there was no need for Marley to have a babysitter present. But for whatever reason it was, he actually left, not without a bit of cursing and grumbling, but he left nonetheless.

Unfortunately, I didn't think of the consequences. Now I was stuck pretending to ignore Paul's somewhat-creepy intent looks, and trying to pay attention the books on the Italy and the Leaning Tower of Pisa that Paul had oh-so considerately brought along with him from the local library.

I didn't even know that La Push had a library, so it was fascinating that Paul somehow did.

"So..." Paul cleared his throat, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up slowly and waited for him to continue, but he had started up the whole staring thing again.

"So?" I repeated unsurely when he still didn't say anything.

Paul just smiled widely at me, displaying all his straight, white teeth. Me? I just blinked at him, wondering what exactly was going through his mind.

"Uh... do you like dogs?" He blurted out suddenly, looking regretful as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

My eyebrows furrowed at his unexpected and random question. "I... I don't..." I frowned, wondering how to word my answer, just in case this was some kind of trick question. "I don't not like them."

Paul's face fell at my answer and he blinked sadly. "What?" I asked irritably, honestly not knowing how to handle the current situation.

"Well, I guess you just seemed like a dog-person..." Paul replied, looking at me carefully for what my reaction might be.

"I never said I wasn't." I groaned, trying to explain my thoughts. "I just said I don't not like dogs."

"Doesn't that not make you a dog person?" Paul questioned, looking amused.

"No." I huffed, causing my bangs to flutter upwards. "I'm just not sure if I like dogs because our family never had one, Lexi doesn't have one, even our neighbours don't own a dog. Therefore, I conclude that I am not sure if I either like or dislike dogs because I have never really come in regular contact with one before. I mean, they're cute, sure." Paul raised his eyebrows at this. "And so, I could be a dog person, but I don't know because I don't have a dog." I finished explaining, proud at how mature my statement sounded.

Oh, because huffing "no" isn't childish, is it?

"I have no idea what you just said." Paul grinned at me, shaking his head for emphasis.

I huffed again and rolled my eyes, trying to look annoyed, but my amused smile betrayed me. "Well, since I really like those old school movies like Lassie and Homeward Bound, let's just say I am a dog person. Okay?"

"What about you?" I continued, searching for another topic so it wouldn't go back to the awkward silence that it had been minutes before. "Do you like, uh, dogs?"

"They're okay." Paul chuckled, almost like he was laughing at an inside joke.

"Just 'okay'?" I raised my eyebrows and leant my head on my hands.

"Well, I wouldn't say that I'm not a dog person, because I have had a lot of contact with dogs recently. Therefore, I conclude that dogs are, in fact, ok."

I frowned at him. "Are you mocking me, sir?" I inquired, putting on an extremely bad British accent.

The Queen would be ashamed of you right now.

"Of course not, my good man... uh, I mean... woman." Paul played along, stuttering nervously at the end and making me giggle. His attempt sounded even worse than mine.

As soon as the sound came out of my mouth, my eyes widened. Had Paul Lahote just made me, Aria Cameron, giggle? This wasn't meant to happen. I was meant to have forced myself to laugh for the sake of the plan, not actually giggle on my own accord.

My, my, my. What is the world coming to, these days?

This was the guy that tortured and mocked and teased me since freshmen year, who had stolen my own brother from me and had more than once publically humiliated me and I was giggling and joking with him?

"Ahem." I cleared my throat and looked around the kitchen nervously. "Would you like something to eat?" I offered as my eyes rested on the fridge.

"If you don't mind," Paul replied, running a hand through his hair and grinning at me.

I ignored his smile and started to walk towards the fridge. "If I minded, do you think I would have offered in the first place?" I told him quite rudely, as I glanced over at him.

Paul's face crumpled in hurt and anger.

It wasn't like I had said something horrible, but the tone of my voice and his reaction immediately made me feel guilty. I felt like hugging him and telling him that I was sorry and I didn't mean it, I was just a little worked up because I just realised that I was actually getting along with the Paul Lahote.

Even my inner voice seemed to be hypnotised.

Maybe you should apologise. And bake some cookies to make up for your mean words.

But I got a hold of myself just in time. I watched as Paul started to shake violently before turning back to the fridge. I pulled out bread from the freezer and ham from the fridge, since my cooking skills didn't go beyond sandwiches or toast, and the occasional nachos.

And even then sometimes you burn the toast or somehow manage to stuff up the sandwiches.

I frowned at my inner voice and turned back around, fully prepared to be hit full-force by Paul's sad face when I realised that he wasn't there. He had vanished, gone, poof.

Poof.

My eye twitched in annoyance and confusion as I set my cooking supplies on the counter.

I should have known that he would take off when he wanted. He must have seen he was getting anywhere with me and decided to call it a day.

The thought hurt me more than it should of.

I tried to distract myself, choosing to make a sandwich whilst trying to read some of the books Paul had left.

Half an hour later, my phone began to chime.

"Hello?" I answered, reading a passages from one of the books.

"A-aria? I-I... h-help! I- I- don't k-know wh-who else to call! I-I just n-need-" The tearful voice on the other end broke off in loud sobs.

"Kim? Kim! Calm down!" I said desperately, realising it was her. I immediately stood up from the table, although I wasn't sure why.

God, the girl sounds like she's hysterical. Hopefully someone's around to slap her...

"O-okay," Kim whimpered, taking a deep breath from across the line.

"Okay. Now, tell me what happened without sounding like you're having a panic attack." I ordered, frowning.

"It-it's Lexi. She's at Forks Hospital!" I heard Kim sniffle, trying to control her sobs.

"What? Why? Is something wrong? Is it bad?" I asked in shock, not quite grasping the whole situation.

My thoughts were running in circles. Why would she be in hospital? I knew Lexi had an iron deficiency, maybe she had some kind of collapse? But that didn't explain Kim's hysterics.

"Aria, you have to come to the h-hospital. L-Lexi's been a-attacked by a bear!"

The room started to spin.

. . .

Yes, I went there.

This chapter was really short. And a filler. And just sort of sucked in general, but it was meant to just be a lead-up to some big stuff that's gonna go down.

Question of the chapter: What do you think happened to Lexi? Wolf or actual bear?

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