Sorry I haven't been able to update all this in a while! Not completely my fault!

I don't own anything created by Stephenie Meyer but everything else…yeah that's mine. Which means I get Derek. Suck on that!

Playlist For Chapter:

The Middle-Jimmy Eat World

Boys Will Be Boys-The Ordinary Boys

Chapter 11--Operation Chicken Fried

"I think I have a problem," I said as I sat down at my usual table.

"What's up chica?" Claire asked, popping a fry in her mouth.

"I'm going to the dance with Brady and-"

"-How is that a problem?" Megan asked with a raised eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. "Well if you let me finish," I began, shooting her a slight glare. "Going to the dance requires sneaking out of my second story room, getting a dress and changing into it in an unknown location, getting to the school, and being able to actually have fun without Erika noticing that I'm there," I told the girls.

"Yeah, that could be a problem," Megan said, nodding easily.

"Oh! I could totally get a dress for you," Claire volunteered instantly. "You're probably the same size as me so it shouldn't be a problem if you're willing to borrow one of mine," she said easily as I sighed in relief and gave her a nod. One down.

"You can probably come to my house to change too. I only live two blocks from here," Vi offered quickly.

"Really?" I asked, I honestly had no idea where she lived.

"Yeah sure, Carol won't give a shit," she said with a snort as Claire rolled her eyes.

"Who's Carol?" Megan asked, just as confused as I was.

"My Mom," she said, just as the boys showed up with excessive amounts of food. Brady and I both instantly held each other's hands under the table.

"Okay, so we have the dress and head quarters covered-what else do we need to figure out?" Claire asked.

"What are you guys talking about?" Seth asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Operation Chicken Fried," Megan said easily as I snorted.

"Seriously? That's what we're calling it?" Claire asked in disbelief. "We could've come up with something so much cooler."

"I'll call it what I want to call it!" Megan exclaimed jokingly.

"Okay, us normal people are getting more confused by the second," Collin said as Vi elbowed him in the ribs.

"We're talking about the night of the dance. I have to sneak out of the house if I want to go," I told them.

"Oh," Seth said with a grin. "Wait. Don't you have a two story house?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"And psychopathic relatives," I added significantly. Aren't I lucky? "But that's the easy part-for me anyway. I'll just climb out of the window and down the tree outside my side of the house. Then I'll walk a couple blocks away where I'll have my bike hidden, ride to Vi's, change for the dance and-BAM-mission accomplished," I said easily. That's not that complicated…right?

"You seriously think that's going to work?" Collin asked doubtfully.

"It better work or I'm getting shipped to Timbuktu," I told them as they laughed-everyone but me and Brady. He knew I was half serious.

"But what if they go in your room and find out you're not in there?" Vi asked curiously.

"That's easy. Derek's going to cover for her," Brady said easily. Oh yes, Derek just couldn't resist helping me out with this one. I have no clue how he's going to do it but I trust him with my life. Well…maybe not my life-the guy can't even keep a goldfish alive-but you know what I mean.

"Okay, so you're basically all figured out then, right?" Meg asked with a raised eyebrow.

"But how do I avoid Erika?" I asked. That's my main problem. It's a small school-she's bound to notice I'm there.

"Can't you just tell her? I mean, what does she get out of all this if she tells on you?" Claire asked curiously.

I snorted. "A shopping trip in Seattle with my Mom," I told her. I'm not even joking.

"That's just wrong," Seth scoffed.

"Tell me about it," I grumbled, flipping through my sketch pad quickly before finding a blank page and starting to doodle on it. Well, it wasn't just a doodle. It was a cartoon me hitting a cartoon Erika with a sludge hammer. I wonder what a psychologist would say if they saw this picture? Oh well, Mrs. Garrison isn't going to care as long as I turn in some kind of drawing next hour.

"Nice," Brady said, snorting a laugh as he looked at my picture.

"Oh wait," Vi said, sliding my sketch pad towards her. She grabbed my pencil and her hand began to fly across the paper as I watched her in awe. She gave it back.

"Holy shit," I muttered as I looked at it. How the hell did she do that? She completely detailed my crappy drawing and even drew the school in the background and a motocross bike sitting behind me.

"I didn't know you could draw," Seth said incredulously as he looked at the picture.

"A monkey can draw," Vi said easily, ignoring our awed stares.

"Not unless he took lessons first," Seth said as we all laughed.

"No, but seriously, you're really good," Claire complimented.

"I know, she barely lets anyone look at her pictures though," Collin said, smiling down at her as she pretended to glare at him.

"Why not?" Brady asked curiously. Yeah, why not?

"I don't know. I just…don't," she said with an easy shrug.

"You should enter a picture in the school's art show. You'd probably win," Megan said nonchantly.

"Yeah, you should," Collin said, nudging her.

"Maybe I will if you all stop talking about it," she said with a slight smirk…but there was something else there too playing around her eyes. I watched as Collin looked down at her carefully before frowning slightly and leaning down to whisper something her ear before she perked up, smiling at him and giving him a quick kiss.

I sighed. "What's wrong?" Brady whispered in my ear as everyone started their own conversations.

"I am so sorry Brady," I whispered, looking down.

He gently took my chin and made me look up, meeting his eyes. "Sorry for what?" he whispered back, confused.

"Brady, we can't do that," I said, looking pointedly at Collin and Vi. "Not if anyone in my family but Derek is around. I feel like I can't be all I can for you and it's-"

"-Hey, hey," Brady murmured quickly, cutting me off. "It's fine. Really. I'll take whatever I can get and I'm perfectly happy with this," he told me, looking determinedly in my eyes, convincing me easily that he really did mean what he said. "It's not your fault and I know that. It's just going to take you some time to ease your parents into it-you've told me that and I'm fine with it," he said.

I sighed in relief and quickly glanced around, confirming Erika was flirting with some guy at her table and leaned up and quickly kissed Brady's cheek. "Thank you," I whispered.

"No problem," he smiled, squeezing my hand under the table as I smiled to myself. Can he get anymore perfect? "Oh, here. I grabbed you an extra cupcake," he said, setting a chocolate covered pastry in front of me. Yes. Yes he can.

………………………………...............................................................................................

AFTER SCHOOL

"Are you ready?" Brady asked as we hopped on our bikes.

"Are you sure they'll be okay with it?" I asked cautiously. This is, what, the seventeenth time I've asked this question?

"They all like you Andrea and as long as you can prove to them that you know what you're doing you'll be fine," he said easily, full of confidence. Oh whatever.

"Alright. Lead the way," I said before darting after him, down the parking lot. We weaved in and out of the streets of La Push before coming to the local garage that I had passed a couple of times. There were a couple cars parked outside of it and if you looked inside you could see several waiting for repairs inside. Brady took my hand and easily lead me inside.

"Hey guys," he called out easily. Half a minute later Paul, Quil, Embry, and one other guy that I didn't know walked over. "Andrea this is Sam," Brady quickly introduced when he realized I didn't know who this was.

I smiled slightly. "Hi," I said, he just grinned back at me easily.

"What are you guys doing here?" Embry asked curiously.

"Andrea needs a job and we were seeing if she can work here," Sam answered for us, obviously in on the plan.

All three of them looked at him doubtfully. "A job here?" Quil asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Brady said. "Here, I'll show you around really quick," he said to me, leading me away from all the guys who just ended up trailing curiously after us. "This is the back room where we all hang out to eat and take our breaks," he said, gesturing inside a small room with a couch, table, TV, fridge, and microwave. "And that's where we keep all the files and that crap," he said, gesturing towards a desk and a couple of file cabinets. "All of our tools and supplies are in that room," he said, leading me into a bigger room than the break room filled with equipment and storage containers. "And these are a couple of cars that need repairing," he said easily.

"What's that," I said, nodding towards an older motorcycle pushed in the back. That I can work with no problem.

"That's Quil's bike. No one has any clue what's wrong with it," he said as Quil muttered a couple profanities under his breath. I let go of Brady's hand and walked over the bike, crouching down beside it as my eyes swept over the frame and the engine. Huh. That could be a problem.

I stood up and walked wordlessly to their supplies room and grabbed the tools I needed and walked back as they all stared at me, Brady trying to hide his smirk. I quickly went to the bike and loosened and reset the clutch cable before looking back at the engine. What the hell did they all do to this poor bike? I took out the foam air cleaner and then replaced a couple of bad bearings before standing back up and revving the engine a couple of times.

"No mother fucking way," Quil muttered as all the guys but Brady stared at me with wide eyes. "You are my new hero," Quil said, still slightly dazed as he came over to examine his bike. "How did you do that?" he asked.

I quickly explained to him what was wrong and how he probably missed it as he nodded along, listening carefully to what I said-he clearly loved this bike. "Just let me know if you have anymore problems," I said as we both stood up.

He nodded before revving the engine himself and jumping around giddily before crushing me a hug as I laughed. "I say we keep her," he said as he put me down.

"I think I'm going to have to second that. We're all completely amatuer when it comes to bikes and she clearly knows what the fuck is up," Paul said.

"I think it's a done deal," Sam said, nodding in agreement but not being able to hide his impressed expression. "We don't have any other bikes now but we'll definitely let you know when we do," he told me as I nodded happily.

"Yeah. And I'll teach you more about cars if you teach about bikes," Brady bargained easily.

"Sounds good to me," I said with a shrug.

"Quil! I demand you to make a new sign saying we do motorcycles now!" Embry exclaimed, pointing at Quil.

"Why do I have to do it?" Quil asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Because it's been declared! No hop to it skippy," Embry said, pushing him towards the break room as Quil continued to glare at him.

I looked at Brady and smiled. "See? That only took, what, a half hour?" Brady said with a satisfied grin.

I rolled my eyes and stood on my toes to give him a quick kiss.

"I said use the green paper not the yellow!" Embry's voice boomed from the other side of the garage, followed by a crashing noise and a slightly familiar "Ow!" I think I'm going to like working here.

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