Author's Note

Okay guys, I caved. Truth be told, I was going to hold out MUCH longer on this chapter, even though it's kind of short. But, it does have Paul in it. Okay, so:

Gryffindor Gurl2: Thank you so much for reviewing two chapters in a row. I'm so lazy, I wouldn't have bothered even reviewing, much less for putting me on alert. You're awesome for that!

lolipops09: Thanks to you for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting my story! ;)

emily: Even though you reviewed one time, thank you. I love getting reviews because they make me super happy.

jdmceakwcmd frion: Thank you for the enthusiastic [to say the least] review, and it made me smile. As for your question, the brownies come in this chapter, but only to be eaten, of course.

And last but not least:

Manic-Cheese-Fairy, Jacqulin, and katevs: Thanks for the alert. You guys are awesome, too. ;]

So, in this very short chapter, and hopefully I don't disappoint too much. I've already written up to chapter eight [I have a lot of free time], so I should be able to complete this story. So, without further adieu....

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Who Stole My Damn Brownies?!

I tried not to freak out in the woods, squeezing Allison's hand so tightly she yelped several times. Every time she did, Embry acted as if a bomb had just exploded, running over to Al and examining her hand, sending several nasty glares at me. I barely refrained from throwing a rock at him.

Finally, we—or at least I—stumbled out of the woods and come upon a nice sized house, the porch lights still on. It was, literally, a haven from the dark and I all but ran to it. I heard Ally laughing behind me, running after me. Seth strode to the door, rapping on it twice before letting himself in.

We were met with a delicious smell, and a clatter of activity. I followed Seth—Embry and Ally behind me—towards a kitchen, a woman's back to us as she stirred something in a pot.

"Hey, there, Emily!" Seth boomed, plopping himself up onto the counter. He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "So, what's for dinner?"

The woman—Emily—turned, and smiled at him. I barely contained a gasp of horror as I took in the three long slashes down the right side of her face. "Seth, dear, you ate enough food to last ten people a lifetime but two hours ago. How you can you still even think of eating?" she asked with mock disgust with a teasing smile. Emily seemed very motherly, and I immediately liked her.

"Oh," she said, looking at us. "Who are these young ladies?" She turned around to look at us. I smiled at her, waving shyly. "I'm Cassie." I said quietly, and a blush took over my cheeks. Allison was a bit more outgoing with her introduction.

"It nice to meet you both. I'm Emily, and I take it you already know these two lady killers." She said, winking at the two boys. They groaned in unison, putting petulantly.

"We may be in our twenties," Embry grumbled. "But she still treats us like were sixteen again." Seth nodded solemnly, but was secretly eyeing the contents of the pot with a wistful eye.

"You girls hungry?" Emily asked. I shook my head, willing Allison to stay quiet. No such luck. "Just a tad, but not that much." Emily smiled largely, one side of her face lifting up.

"The spaghetti won't be done for awhile," Emily said. Seth grinned at this, having finally learned what was in the pot. "So, how would you two like some brownies?" Allison nodded her head enthusiastically, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Emily grabbed a plated covered with plastic wrapping and sat it in front of us. "It was supposed to be for Paul, but he hasn't bothered to come to pick it up, so it's been sitting there for two days. Knowing him, he won't want it until he can't have it, so it's pointless. So, go ahead and eat up. I'll make him some more tomorrow." And with that, she went back to stirring her pot of noodles.

Seth laughed, the sound reverberating off of the walls. "Oh, Paul is gonna be so ticked when he learns that you gave away his brownies, Em. Hey, Embry, remember the time when Paul lost it when Quil ate his hot dog?"

Embry let out a loud guffaw, and I saw him wrap a large arm around Allison, who didn't protest in the slightest bit. I bit into a sinfully delicious browning, and couldn't help but narrow my eyes at Embry.

Embry launched into a detailed story of how they had had a bonfire a few months back. Paul had gone off to get his cell phone out of his truck and Quil had mistaken Paul's food for his own and ate it. So when Paul came back, complaining about how hungry he was and how long it had been since he last ate, but then saw that his plate was empty. Seth interrupted Embry to describe the look on Quil's face—a mixture of guilt and apologetic—and how Paul chased him around the beach for hours until he finally cooled down. Allison was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down her face, and I couldn't help but giggle a few times myself.

Paul sounded like a fierce character, and was told to have a fiery temper that could come and go in an instant. He sounded vicious, and I wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to meet him. My hand reached out to grab a brownie, but was met with only hard, cold glass. Too bad. Perhaps I should ask Emily the recipe? I tuned back into yet another Paul story that Embry decided to tell.

I'm not sure how long had passed—how could it fly past so quickly?—before we heard the front door slam. I froze as I heard the loud footsteps that were headed this way. Seth snickered, and I didn't miss how Embry tightened his arm around Allison in a protective gesture. Crap.

"Hey, Emily. I came to pick up my—" Paul paused, and I could only imagine what he was taking in: an empty plate where his brownies used to be. My hair fell in my face, and I looked down at the floor, wringing my hands nervously in my lap. "Who. Stole. My. Brownies?" Paul's voice was quiet, and I had to strain to hear him. "Who stole my damn brownies?!"

This time, it was much, much louder, and I barely contained my yelp. I heard Embry try to calm him down, but I could feel Paul's eyes on me, and on the now empty plate in front of me.

I sensed more than heard his footsteps, this time more quiet. He stood right behind me, his eyes boring into my back. My muscles tensed, and I squinted my eyes shut. Paul didn't move, and I knew he was waiting for me to turn around. Oh my gosh! He's going to EAT me! My mind screeched. I'm gonna die! I turned my head around slowly, my face draining of all color as I finally got a good look at him.

Paul had sharp, menacing features. He had the same russet skin the others had, but his was stretched over high, sharp cheekbones. Under unruly, black hair, dark eyes glittered at me, and his thin lips were pursed in a tight line. After a moment, his jaw went slack, and eyes widened as he saw me. I'M GONNA DIE!

The instinct to run was undeniable and strong. "I, um, g-gotta g-go!" I squeaked, quickly jumping out of my seat and running out the door. I heard Ally yelling after me, and I didn't care that I was running out into the dark, into the woods, because I found something that scared me even more: Paul.

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Okay, so a really short chapter, but the next one is longer. It would probably be my second favorite chapter because it was so much fun writing. So, to make me get off my lazy ass and post the next chapter quicker, please press that lovely green button below and review. It would make me so happy. ;)