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1
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If you wanna drink,
Go baby just do your thing.
Give up your keys.
Hell why drive when you can stay with me?
And then after a while we'll sneak away from the bonfire.
Walk by the moonlight down to the riverside.
Gotcha sippin' on some moonshine.
Baby if you're in the mood you can settle for a one night rodeo,
You be my tan-legged Juliet,
I'll be your redneck Romeo.
-My Kind Of Party, Jason Aldean
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Sam looked around at the growing number of teenagers. Someone would end up doing something stupid here soon, he already knew. There were four kegs set up along with a table of food. How they got those kegs, he didn't want to know. He had the occasional drink every now and again- he wasn't a prude- but only when there were no adults to catch him and he'd limit himself to three or four- if that! He had his back leaned up against a large oak tree with his left leg propped up and a beer bottle in one hand. The girls that had started to arrive did their best to catch his attention pouting when he ignored them. They were too young for him to pay much attention to them.
Paul only rolled his eyes. "You know all I heard over there was how hot you looked?" He asked as he walked over to Sam to stand much in the same position.
Jared rolled his eyes. "It's about all I heard from them too… talking about BOTH of you."
Sam sighed. "Jail bait… just remember that. Besides… I heard a few things about you too." He smirked when Jared offered him a one finger salute.
They'd been there for an hour now just observing. Embry had found them, offered them a beer each and then walked off to find his friends. He'd commented on the tight jeans and shirts that the three wore before hand saying that if they didn't want so much attention, they shouldn't have dressed to impress. Sam had only rolled his eyes took the beer and sent him away. He started to think his cousin had a point when he saw more girls eying him like a piece of meat on a hook.
"So… my dad sent you three to keep me under control huh?"
"Hey Jacob." Sam said bumping their fists together. "He didn't send us tonight, he just asked us to make sure you didn't burn his house to the ground." He teased.
Paul shook his head. "Or knock some large holes through the windows." He added.
they all got along for the most part. They didn't know each other on a personal basis since they had different circles of friends, but their dad's were best friends so they did know OF each other.
"Havin' fun?" Jacob grinned. "And please… it's Jake. Jacob makes me think I'm in trouble.. Again."
They shared a laugh. "For the most part. Tons of jail bait though." Jared teased.
"Yeah.. Well.. Old timers like you shouldn't be at the cool kid parties." Jacob shot back with a smirk.
Sam rolled his eyes. "This as big as it's gonna get?"
"Nah. Still waitin on a few people. Chief's daughter is gonna come with the fucker she's dating." Jacob told them.
"That the one you been fightin? Doc Cullen's son?" Paul wondered.
Jacob nodded. "He doesn't respect Bella. I stepped in a couple times when he got overbearing and he went running to his daddy. Fucking pussy!"
"See.. I knew there had to be a reason behind it." A voice from behind them sounded.
Jacob grinned. "Hey Quil. Bout time you showed your ugly mug, you fucker!"
"Sorry… Claire wanted to see my horse. Essie just had her surgery done.. She wanted to check in on her. Wouldn't listen to me when I told her I had just checked on her before I went to get her." Quil shrugged.
Sam arched an eyebrow. "How's she doin? My dad told me coyotes tried to get her in your back pasture."
"Yeah. She protected one of the younger horses from them. Girl gave as good as she got, I think. I came out on my quad when I saw one of the coyotes running off with it's tail between it's legs. I didn't even see the bite until she dropped."
"Lucky. Your granddaddy said the bites were serious and if you hadn't of used your shirt she wouldn't have her leg." Jared said.
Quil shrugged. "I didn't even think about it. I just wanted to get her help. Guess it comes from being raised by a vet. There wasn't anything else but my shirt to use."
Jared nodded. He understood.
"- even want to BE here! Why did you even DRAG me out here! These aren't the kind of people I associate with Bella!" An angry voice sounded to their left.
Embry walked over to them. "Hey, Jake. Bella's here… behave ok?"
"Who the hell did she bring with her?" Jacob growled.
"Sounds like the fuckers you whooped up on the other day." Quil muttered.
Sam arched an eyebrow. He'd not seen Bella Swan since she was 13 years old and getting ready to go off to private school with Jacob, Quil and Embry. "Wow.. She's… different!"
Jacob smirked when he caught the way Sam stared at her. Being just two years younger than him meant she was one of the few girls here that wasn't jail bait. She was the first one to catch his eye though.
"Look, Edward.. Please, just… Jake is my best friend! I promised him I'd be here, I'm not backing down on this, so if you don't like it, you can take the truck home and I'll call you tomorrow!" Bella huffed.
Sam let his eyes rake over her form in the fire light. Her feet here covered in a pair of black cowboy boots that stood out against her light tanned legs. Those long legs were left bare, save for a pair of daisy duke cut offs that had him shifting where he stood. Her black tank top was hidden by a red checkered flannel button down and Sam had to bite his lip to keep from moaning. Bella Swan was DEFINITELY not a kid anymore. Her long mahogany hair was left to hang down to her waist, and when she turned, he could see the fire reflecting in her sinful chocolate eyes.
Yeah.. She definitely wasn't the little girl he used to know anymore.
"Bella! You made it!" Jacob crowed, bringing Sam from his day dreams.
Bella smiled and made her way over to the small group throwing her arms around Jacob's taller form. "Hey Jake. Thanks for inviting me!"
Jacob grinned. "Wouldn't be a party without you!"
"Bella…" Edward nearly growled. His friends watched and waited to see what would happen. They, like Edward, did not want to be there at all.
Jacob arched an eyebrow. "You brought a dog? Bella… aren't you afraid he'll get lost?"
"Last I heard dogs go missing easy in the woods." Quil mused.
Bella sighed. "Guys… please… not tonight?"
"She's right you guys… lets just agree to disagree for tonight." Embry said staring at Edward as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Jacob.
Edward's lip curled into a sneer. "Taking up for your boyfriend now are you? How cute." He spat. Edward's friends burst into laughter behind him. Embry recognized them from school. James Gigandet- his cousin- and Laurent Gathegi their best friend.
Embry glared at him. "Watch it copper top. Just because I'm agreeing with Bella doesn't mean I won't haul your ass out behind the barn and string you up by the limp noodle you call a dick!"
Paul whistled in shocked awe. "Damn son! I think I'd listen to him. Embry doesn't make idle threats."
Bella turned to him and gawked. "Paul?"
"Hey princess." He said winking.
Edward huffed and grabbed Bella's arm at the elbow. "I think its time for us to go! It doesn't look like we're welcome here."
"I told you, I'm staying!" Bella said through grit teeth. She'd been trying to avoid making a scene, but Edward wanted to make it hard.
Jacob's face went from annoyed to furious when the blonde to Edward's left opened his mouth. "If the bitch wants to stay, let her fucking stay, Edward. We can find PLENTY of other girls to spend time with us."
Sam sighed and shook his head. The situation had already started escalating. "I think y'all need to leave now. It's obvious she wants to stay and its even more obvious that you don't want to be here. The way I see it, y'all comin' here is causin' problems for those of us trying to relax." He said well aware of the growing crowd of curious onlookers.
"And HOW is it any of your business what we do dumb fuck?" The blonde asked.
Jared nudged Embry. "Who's that?"
"That's James. That's the guy Jake fought so much at school. He's Edward's cousin and he's spending the summer here before they both go off to school. Jake hates the guy." Embry whispered back.
Laurent rolled his eyes when he noticed Jacob and Quil cracking their knuckles. He'd been in school with them all year, however, he'd stayed out of fights with them for the most part. "Wonderful. Bella, mon cher, why did you bring us out here? The intelligence in these parts is clearly lacking."
"I have to agree, Laurent. Though, I will admit they grow them tall in the boondocks. Too bad they fall fast." James smirked.
Bella sighed. "Please don't start. You guys, these are my friends, and I don't appreciate the drama! You ALWAYS start something. Why can't you just mind yourself for one night?!"
James glared. "Why can't you just mind your mouth? Edward told you we didn't want to come."
"So you should have stayed home!" Bella huffed.
Edward took a step towards Bella only to have Sam step further in front of her. "You may have money, Cullen, but out here, it don't mean a thing. You don't step up to a woman with intent to harm."
Bella stared at Sam in shock. He'd defended her without knowing her.
"And if I step to you? You look easy enough to knock down with one hit." James mused.
Sam smirked and passed his beer to Paul. His hat was removed and passed to someone behind him. "You sure you want to start messin with people before you know how they fight dumbass."
"The fuck you callin' a dumbass, you dumbass redneck?" James growled shoving Sam backwards. He'd nearly knocked him into Bella who had been standing behind him.
Quil was quick to grab her away. He rolled his eyes at the irony of what James had just said. "He does realize the hypocrisy in that statement doesn't he?" He muttered. Jacob only snickered.
"What? Too much of a pussy to fight back?" James asked as he threw a punch to Sam's jaw.
Embry only winced. "Shit.. Here we go."
Jacob watched on in avid fascination. There was a reason not too many people messed with Sam. People in town knew him to be polite and down to earth.. Unless he was provoked. He'd only ever been in three fights that Jacob was aware of, and that was by word of mouth. But Sam had walked away from those fights while the other guys had been left laying on the ground after two or three hits.
"You sure you wanna go down that road?" Sam checked.
James spat at his feet. "I'm not afraid of you! No dumbass redneck is gonna tell me how to handle myself!" He sneered.
"Come on Sam… don't do anything stupid…" Jared smirked.
Sam rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. When he turned back to James he was met with a fist to his jaw. Bella's gasp and the shouts of his friends were all he heard as the shock of the unexpected punch rolled over him. The anger followed the shock. He wiped the small bit of blood from the corner of his mouth and prodded his jaw.
"See Edward, I told you it would be fine. The boys around here are too dumb to defend themselves!" James crowed.
Edward smirked. "I guess so. Now come on Bella. This party blows."
They were the last words out of his mouth before Sam's fist met James' nose. Two more hits to his face and one more to his stomach and Sam watched in satisfaction as he dropped to the ground. Edward eyed him in shock. James was the fighter of the two. Edward may have been born in the south, but his family had a lot of money due to the success his dad had as a doctor. He'd never had to work for anything in his life and therefore didn't know how to fight well. He held his hands up in surrender instantly.
"Take your boy, get the fuck in your car and go the hell home. Bella can find a ride home with one of us. Do NOT let me catch you out here again tonight, you'll regret it if I do." Sam told him with a frown.
With a sigh Sam leaned back against a tree, his eyes closed, after taking his hat back from Jared. He tensed when he felt the soothing cold of a fresh beer bottle against his cheek. When his eyes opened he was lost to a twin pools of chocolate.
Bella bit her lip and kept holding the beer bottle to the spot Sam had been punched. He'd defended her when he didn't have to- not knowing that was the way her boyfriend was. This was the least she could do. He'd definitely grown since she left for private school. She told herself that he was a vision to see. The way he was all but poured into his form fitting jeans and tight tee shirt was sinful. She shook herself mentally. He more than likely didn't even remember her. Much less remember the crush she had on him.
"I just wanted to say thanks. You didn't have to do that." She finally said with a small blush across her cheeks.
"Its not problem Bella. He shouldn't have been treating you like that, much less lay a hand on you." Sam said. His attention was turned to his friends who had called him away from the stunned girl.
He remembered her.
A throat clearing beside her drew her attention to Jacob. "Hey Jake."
"Not a bad catch…" Jacob mused.
She huffed. "I don't know WHAT you're talking about, Jake. I have a boyfriend, remember?"
"You sure?"
"Jake.. .you're my best friend… You have been since we were born. I'm telling you now… if I would have had a chance to get Sam before I had Edward… well…"
Jacob just grinned. "Come on Bells. Let's go get you a new man!" He said with a chipper smile that faded when her back turned. He loved and hated having a female best friend. He'd nursed a crush on her only to be placed in the friend zone at the start of high school. Now he was about to set her up to bag a guy he barely knew. The only thing he was pleased with, was Edward would be history.