Okey dokey artichokey's. This chapter is a tad longer than previous chapters. I also realized i haven't really given you guys any back-story on Allie (although i've thought it out and totally know what it is) I just don't know how to incorporate it into the story so, if y'all have any idea's i'd uberly appreciate it! Thanks for reading and reviewing guys as always!
...
School was an extra boring affair the next week. It was all blah, blah, blah this and blah, blah, blah that. No one was really paying attention because of course it was two weeks until summer vacation. All our thoughts were on the cool green-ness outside of our utilitarian windows.
Friday afternoon was especially boring because Jacob wasn't able to come over after school. I blew out a sigh and swept my unkempt brown hair out of my face and tried to focus on the algebra review sheet I was supposed to do. Mrs. Costa looked up from her romance novel.
"Stop sighing like that. Math is something you need to know," she said in an almost stern voice. Most of the time Mrs. Costa was much like an older sister; she let me have Jacob over all the time and she also listened to me when I had questions about hair problems and etc.
"Yes. Math is something you need to know, not algebra. Putting letters and numbers together is like putting mustard on a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich. It's just plain wrong," I complained erasing yet another answer.
"Well maybe Jacob could come over and help you," Mrs. Costa said absently going back to reading her novel.
I sighed again. "He's not much better than I am, besides he has . . . Stuff to do today."
In reality Jacob was having yet another wolf-pack meeting thing to discuss how the vampire of last weekend had possibly gotten past their defenses. The soul-mate's were not allowed to attend. Kim and I (Kim was Jared's imprint) had gotten very close over the last week, although her shy manner was a constant clash to my more outgoing side. We both lamented over the fact that we were not allowed to attend these meetings.
The phone rang snapping me out of my reverie. I sprang from my seat. "I'll get it!"
Mrs. Costa just shook her head and turned the page of her dirty romance book. I snatched the phone from it's hook.
"Hello?" I asked breathlessly.
"Allie? It's Jacob," he sounded happy.
I smiled stupidly. "Hi, what's up?"
" I was wondering if you wanted to go to a party tonight. A bon-fire, you know music, dancing, talking --"
I cut him off, "You had me at party. Is Kim going?"
"Yeah. I'll pick you up at eight okay?"
"Hell yeah."
"Watch your language young lady!" Mrs. Costa reprimanded her nose still in her book. I grimaced.
"Later," I told Jake hanging up on him and quickly dialing Kim's number.
As the phone rang Mrs. Costa piped up. "Going somewhere?"
I looked at her face. "A bon-fire. Is that . . . Okay?" It had never occurred to me to ask her permission. When I was with my mother I never had to do that. Well, mostly because my mother had never really cared about where I went and what I did.
"You'll be with Jacob?"
I nodded still unsure about her reaction.
"Okay then."
I smiled. "Thanks Mrs. Costa!"
………………………………...
It was a quarter till eight and Kim and I were standing in the middle of what appeared to be a disaster area. Clothes were heaped everywhere.
"How about this outfit?" I asked. I stood in a cream pencil skirt and a silk emerald top. Kim made a face. "Too dressy, that's what I thought." I stripped down again and stood in my underwear tossing through piles of clothes.
"It's just a bon-fire," Kim said tentatively. I looked at her. She was dressed in a pair of fabulously distressed dark wash jeans and a v-necked white blouse. She had awesome turquoise jewelry and her straight black hair had been pulled back into a sophisticated pony-tail. She looked awesome and like she hadn't even tried.
I was trying to achieve the same look. And failing spectacularly.
"How about this?" Kim's soft voice cut through my soon-to-be-break-down.
She held up a dark blue peasant dress with long sleeves and cut short. It was flowy and still looked casual. I tried it on. It hugged me in all the right places and was long enough that I wouldn't be considered a slut, but short enough to show some leg. Thank God for vintage stores.
"Perfect!" I told Kim, causing her to blush. I threw on some cowboy boots and threw my hair back into a messy pony-tail. At that exact moment the door-bell rang. Kim and I bounced down the stairs to the porch where Jared and Jacob stood waiting.
Jacob smiled widely. "You look nice," he said as his eyes raked over me. I shivered in delight.
"Oh this? It's just something I threw on," I told him nonchalantly.
Kim snorted.
………………………………...
I had never been to a bon-fire before. There weren't exactly rural area's in downtown Chicago that allowed for this kind of party. The music was blasting and people were dancing in the light of the flickering flames. The fire itself was massive. The flames licked the dark sky and it was taller than even me or Jacob.
There were a lot of kids from school here. I recognized some of them and waved hello's. Jacob held my hand tightly.
Suddenly a new song came on. It was one of my favorites.
"Let's dance!" I yelled to Jake over the sound of the music, laughter and crackling fire.
He shook his head but allowed me to lead him into the crowd of dancing teenagers. I started to dance. Something I loved to do, but hadn't much in light of the circumstances. I tended to forget everyone around me when I danced and just heard the music.
It was Jacob's face that stopped my ecstasy for a moment. He was looking at me in a kind of awe. I looked back at him, attempting to stop moving to the music.
"What?"
"Whoa. You can dance," he said it so seriously it caused me to giggle.
"Um. Yeah, I guess," I threw him a flirtatious smile. The song ended and a slow song came on. Everyone began to break up into couples.
Jacob's eyes lit up. He bowed to me gallantly.
"My dear lady, I request that you dance with me," he said in a cheesy British accent.
I fluttered my eyelashes at him. "Oh, sir, I don't know," I replied in an equally cheesy Scarlet O'Hara voice.
Jacob surprised me by snaking his arms around my waist and pulling me close. Our chests were touching and I reached my arms up putting them behind his neck, making us even closer. We swayed to the music.
"Where did you learn to dance like that?" he asked me.
"I am self-taught," I told him haughtily. He grinned. We danced like that for a while, just holding each other in our arms. It was very nice. The song ended and a new faster one started up.
Jacob shook his head at the expression on my face. "Nope, I only do slow dances," he said.
I frowned at him. "It's okay," Embry walked towards us, "I do all dances."
Jacob snorted and Embry looked at him. They seemed to be having some sort of man-glare showdown. Finally Jacob nodded.
Embry and I started to dance as Jacob walked away to sit on some hay bales next to a pretty girl I recalled as being named Leah. I was instantly jealous as she looked from me to Jacob.
Jacob and Leah began to talk and I could tell she was flirting with him on purpose, trying to get me upset I suppose. She laughed and touched his arm, tossing her long black hair. Well, well, too can play at that game.
At the next song I changed my dance habits. I danced closer to Embry sometimes touching his shoulders or pulling him closer to me. Leah's eyes narrowed. She scooted closer to Jacob, leaning a little bit so her long hair would drape across his shoulders. I pulled Embry practically on top of me, all the time keeping my hips gyrating to the beat. Embry's eyes widened.
"Um. I'm not sure --"
"Hush. That Leah chick is trying to steal my man, you be quiet and just dance," I told him whispering it in his ear.
"Girls," he mumbled. Leah looked back at me with a slightly deflated expression. I grinned triumphantly back at her. Unfortunately, Jacob looked at Leah and followed her gaze. His eyes darkened as he got to his feet.
"Embry?" I asked nervously.
"Yeah?" he replied still dancing with me.
"Run," I managed to squeak out. Jacob's face looked furious. I hadn't taken him for the jealous type, but apparently he was one.
Embry stopped dancing and turned around. One look at Jake's expression and he was gone. Jacob sidled up to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the group.
He stopped under a tree and stood there glaring furiously at me. I stood in silence waiting for the volcano to explode.
"Explain," he said in a frighteningly calm voice.
"Um. Well," I broke off but started again at the flash in his eyes, "Leah was flirting with you . . . And I guess . . . I was trying to make her jealous by dancing with Embry . . ." I trailed off uncertainly looking at the dark grass.
There was a long pause.
Jacob's loud laughter caused me to look up so fast I swear I had whip-lash. He was practically doubled over in laughter, tears of mirth pouring down his face. I frowned. It wasn't that funny. That-- that witch was messing with me. I looked down at the ground again, annoyed at Jake's reaction.
His warm hand caressed my cheek and I looked up into his eyes. Laughter was still written on his face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh -- I just never imagined that was what was going on," he leaned down and gave me a kiss on my left cheek.
"It's a girl thing," I told him silently hoping he would kiss me again, "you wouldn't understand."
His smile disappeared. "A girl thing?"
"Yep. A girl thing," I said and then just because I felt like it I kissed him.
………………………………...
As Jacob walked me up to the front porch the mood changed. We'd had a great time at the bon-fire and I was getting sleepy.
Right before we said good night Jacob's mood changed. His eyes grew serious and the arms he had around me tightened. I looked at his face, wondering what had caused his change.
"Tomorrow," he said finally "we -- that is the pack -- are meeting with some vampires to discuss our . . . Intruder from the other night." He said vampire like it was something disgusting. "They're the Cullen's. The one's I told you about. I just don't want you to be worried. That's why I'm telling you this, okay?"
"Can't I come too?" asked him hating to be away from him for more than a few minutes.
"No," his voice was dead serious, "absolutely not."
I winced at the menace in his statement. "Is Leah going?"
He looked down at me. "Of course," he said sounding surprised.
"Then I'm coming," and with that I waltzed into the house not bothering to listen to his protests.
………………………………...
I arrived at Jacob's house bright and early the next morning. His dad, Billy, had never met me before and seemed a tad shocked at my insistence that I go with Jake. Jacob pleaded and begged and ordered me not to go. But as long as I knew Leah was going, I was going. He tried to explain how much danger I was going to be in. That Leah was a werewolf that's why she was going, finally I told him not to ask me not to go anymore or I wouldn't kiss him. That shut him up -- for five minutes.
We met in a beautiful meadow clearing. Well, it would have been more beautiful if the fact that we were meeting vampires and the rest of the pack besides Jacob weren't wolves.
The vampires appeared suddenly. The only warning of their coming was the shifting of the wolves and a low growl from Jacob as he pulled me behind him slightly.
They were gorgeous of course. Jake had told me they would be. But I couldn't believe it until my own eyes saw them. The leader, "Carlisle" Jake whispered to me, stepped forward slightly.
I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was --
"Tall, blond, and yummy."
Jacob's head swung towards me a look of exasperated disbelief on his face. I heard the vampires chuckle.
"What? It's true. If I wasn't already madly in love with you . . ."
Jacob just shook his head.
Carlisle stopped and looked at all of us. "You wanted to talk about a visitor you had?" he said in a totally cultured voice. I checked my face with my hand to make sure I hadn't drooled.
"Yes," Jacob said with authority in his voice, "He wasn't one of you. He came into our territory hunting. I killed him. What we want to know, is how he got past us and you."
Carlisle turned back to confer with the other vampires.
"They're not here," Jacob's soft voice dragged my eyes away from the ethereal beings in front of me.
"Who?" I asked curiously, turning back to watch the vampires.
"Edward and . . . Bella," he sounded like he was forcing their names out. I put my arms around him burying my face into his back.
"Oh," I said softly realizing that the other girl he loved wasn't here. She was with the guy she loved, not Jacob. I knew it hurt him. But it also hurt me to think that he loved her still. Damn fickle boys.
The chatter ceased as Carlisle walked back towards us.
"Alice didn't see anything. And none of us smelled another vampire," he said pointing to a stunning pixie like girl.
"None of us picked up a scent until too late," Jacob said clearly thinking, "could we have missed something?"
Carlisle shook his head. "We would have smelled another if they had gotten close. Alice has also been keeping an eye out for . . . Visitors."
Jacob turned to the wolf that was Sam and then back to Carlisle.
"We'll need to discuss this," to the Embry wolf he said, "Watch her," and then he dashed into the forest with the rest of the wolves following.
"Um. Hi," I said fluttering my hand in the awkward silence that followed. "I'm Allie . . . Jacob's . . . erm . . .girlfriend," I said uncertainly wondering if there was a better word to use than girlfriend.
"Oh. You're his imprint!" the small dark hair girl trilled her face lighting up, "Edward will be thrilled!"
I smiled awkwardly at her. "Um, yeah . . ."
Her face was still in a wide grin as she leaned against a tall blond boy who held her hand, "I'm Alice and this is Jasper (she pointed to the boy who held her hand), Emmet (a huge dark haired man), Rosalie (a ravishing blond), Esme (a caramel haired woman) and of course you already met Carlisle." Each one nodded in acknowledgement at their names.
I smiled again. "Er. Hi."
There was a long pause and I stood there uncertainly, Embry bristling at my side.
"Oh stop being such a 'fraidy cat," I told him sternly.
He turned his huge furry head towards me and emitted a growling noise.
"Stop complaining," I said again as he made low muted growls. I heard a twinkling giggle and looked to see Alice covering her mouth with her hands.
Just then Jacob and the rest of the pack returned. Jacob nodded his thanks to Embry who stepped back into the wolf-line as Jake pulled me behind him again.
"We have decide to go on stricter patrols from now on, and request that you too start patrolling the area," he said authoritatively.
Carlisle nodded. "That sounds reasonable." And with that statement the vampires turned and left swiftly. One minute they were there, the next they were gone. Jacob and the others exhaled sighs of relief.
"What did you think?" he asked turning to me.
"Well the blond guys are definitely on a scale from one to ten a certified twenty and the dark haired guy is still totally dateable," I replied and skipped off towards the woods ignoring the look of defeat on Jacob's face.