"Jaq," Alice whined. "Please come shopping with us. Please."
"You have Rosalie. You don't need me."
"But I'm bored of shopping for Rose. I need someone else to work with."
"I feel used."
"Yes!"
"What? I didn't say yes yet."
"But you're going to." Alice sang.
"I don't think this is very fair."
"You'll thank me one day."
"No, I really don't think I will."
Alice just grinned. "Rose." She called. "We're leaving now. Jaq's just said yes."
"I haven't said yes."
Immediately Rosalie was in the room. "Can we go in my car?"
"No way." Alice shook her head. "I want to go in the porche."
"But I never get to use mine."
"Neither do I," Alice grimaced. "Anyway. My car's yellow. Therefore it is better."
Rosalie glared at her. "Fine, Jaq decides."
"Ermm... cars aren't really my thing..."
"Just pick a colour. Red or yellow?"
"Red." Jaq said without thinking. Then realised it was the colour of the shimmer in Embry's aura. She was glad she couldn't blush and give herself away.
Alice narrowed her eyes at her. "I'm going to make this shopping trip as painful as possible for you now, Jaq."
"Sorry..."
"Too late."
They dragged Jaq out of the front door and to the garage. They passed the wolves on patrol. She gave them a desperate pleading look as they past and Jacob chuckled.
When they entered the garage Alice threw a wistful look at her porche and shoved Jaq into the back seat. Rosalie jumped into the driver's seat and Alice glared at her.
"No way," She said. "I want to drive."
"My car." Rosalie smiled angelically.
"Hey, I lost out on using my car," Alice argued. "I should be able to drive at least."
"My car." Rosalie replied, more forcefully this time.
"Err," Jaq said hesitantly, trying to avoid an argument. "Aren't we going shopping?"
Alice snapped up at her words. "Fine," She said walking around to the passenger seat. "But I want to drive back."
"Okay," Rosalie sighed rolling her eyes. "But I get shotgun."
"Deal."
Jaq made a face. All this over shopping. She thought as Rosalie back the car out of the garage way too fast.
-~*~-
"Alice I don't think..."
"But Jaq, this one looks lovely on you."
Jaq looked down dubiously at the silk dress top she had been forced into. It was so far from her taste that it was ridiculous.
"I'm not really sure it's something I would wear." She said hesitantly.
Alice gave a huge theatrical sigh and Rosalie laughed.
"Jaq," She said smiling. "That's what you said about every item of clothing we've picked up for you so far."
Jaq didn't reply.
"Oh hang on I know!" Alice exclaimed. "There's that shop at the end of the street. We haven't been in there yet."
"Is that the one where we got those amazing boots from?"
"Yep."
"Great let's go." They both seized Jaq by the arms and dragged her out of the shop without giving her a chance of opinion.
They left her by the shoe section and ran off in different directions to find clothes. Jaq rolled her eyes and looked out the shop window. She watched the people walk past going about their various businesses.
She saw a guy of about twenty walk by. He had very extravagant hairstyle. She watched him walking, admiring it as he walked into the music store.
Her senses switched on. Music store.
Without thinking, she rushed out of the doors, across the street and into the music store. Looking around she breathed a sigh of relief. This was what she called shopping.
She walked over to the Rock Section and began looking through the CDs. Maybe they'd have that new album...
"Jaq?" Came a shocked voice from behind her. She spun around recognising it.
"Embry?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking at CDs." He grinned gesturing towards the displays. "What about you?"
"Escaping from Alice and Rosalie's shopping trip." Jaq said making a face.
"Ah." Embry laughed. "So what you looking at?" He took the album she was holding out of her hand. "Enter Shikari." He smiled. "Good choice."
"Shouldn't you be on patrol?" She asked him, smiling and taking the album back.
"Nope." He grinned. "I'm free today. I'm patrolling tomorrow."
"Cool." Jaq glanced over to the clothes store she had just escaped from. Why weren't they coming to get her back? Surely Alice would've seen her leave. "Wanna go get a bite to eat?" She asked.
Embry raised his eyebrows with a smile.
"I meant for you obviously."
"Sure," He laughed. "Let me just go get this." He held up the CD he'd been carrying.
They walked up to the desk together.
"That's $20.99," The shop assistant said. "Would you like a bag?"
After Embry had accepted the bag and insisted he wasn't hungry, they walked together out of the music store to the park.
They sat down on an empty bench near the stream.
"So where's Connor?" He asked.
"With Nessie I expect." Jaq made a face. "He was spared from the horrible torture known as clothes shopping."
"Surely it can't be that bad." Embry laughed.
"It is if Alice is involved." She said darkly. "She's insane."
Embry laughed again and his aura flashed brighter. Jaq watched to strange colours for a moment then look back to his face.
"What's it like being a werewolf?" She asked him. "Is there other stuff you can do like us or...?"
"Shape shifter." He corrected with a smile.
"Whatever."
"Well as far as I'm aware there's none of our kind that have supernatural powers like you guys." He said, sitting back on the bench. "But there is some stuff we can do."
"Like what?"
"Well for instance we heal almost immediately."
"You're kidding."
"Nope," He grinned. "Want to see?"
"Sure."
He dug around in his jeans pockets and brought out a penknife.
"It won't hurt you will it?" Jaq asked quickly.
"Nah," He said still grinning. "It'll be barely a scratch, I promise."
"Okay then."
He flicked the knife out and made a small slit in his left palm. Jaq leaned forward and watched as the cut fixed itself before her eyes. It only took a few seconds.
"Woah." She murmured.
"Cool eh?"
"Awesome."
He laughed at her amazed expression.
"What else can you do?" She asked eagerly.
"Well our bodies run at a much higher temperature than humans." He held out his hand in invitation and she took it feeling the heat that she had vaguely noticed at Nessie's party. "It comes in handy when we're out in the cold."
"How warm?" Jaq asked.
"About 108, 109 degrees."
"Cool."
"Also when we're in wolf form we can run pretty fast." He continued. "Fast enough to catch up with one of your lot." He grinned.
"I very much doubt you could beat me."
"Oh really?" He asked, his eyes sparkling playfully.
"Yeah." She smiled tilting her head back.
"I guess we'll have to try it out sometime."
"Sounds like a plan." She grinned. "So what else can you do?"
"Well, this may sound freaky but while we're in wolf form we can hear each other's thoughts."
"Freaky." Jaq smiled.
"Annoying too." Embry frowned. "There's no privacy."
"Sounds like being around Edward." She laughed. "It still freaks me out when he answers my thoughts."
"Imagine that with four other people."
Jaq shuddered and laughed. "I can see where you're coming from."
"But hey you get used to it." Embry looked at the watch on his wrist. "Oh crap."
"What is it?"
"I need to get back home." He sighed. "I promised my mom I'd help her with the kitchen. We're repainting it."
"Cool." Jaq said. "What colour?"
"Don't know yet." He said standing up. He looked down to her. "Sorry, I shouldn't leave you like this."
"Nah it's okay." She smiled. "I'll go find my shopping partners." She shuddered.
"Sorry." He laughed.
"Hey, I'll just stick with Rosalie. She seems saner."
"Sure."
"Oh that's probably them now." Jaq dug in her pocket and pulled out her ringing phone. "Hello?"
"Jaq," Came Rosalie's voice. "We're just about to go back to the car. Do you want to meet us there?"
"Sure, Rosalie." Jaq smiled. "Doesn't that mean the shopping's over?"
"Yes." Rosalie laughed. "We bought some stuff for you so don't worry."
There was a sound of Alice grabbing the phone and suddenly her voice was on the line.
"We got you some gorgeous clothes."
"Great Alice." Jaq said unenthusiastically. "I'll see you at the car okay?"
"Okay bye!"
Jaq hung up and put the phone back in her pocket.
"Looks like you got out of that one." Embry grinned.
"You can't understand how happy I am." Jaq laughed. "I was dreading going back."
"Well that's lucky." He looked at his watch again. "Okay well I've got to go. I'll probably see you some time tomorrow."
"Cool," She smiled. "You'll have to come in for dinner. I'm cooking." She winked.
"You can cook?"
"Oh yeah."
"Well I'll make sure I'm there for that." He grinned. "Right, well I've got to go so..." He pulled her into a warm hug. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he released her.
"Bye." Jaq waved as the heat was replaced by the cold air.
Embry waved back and walked down the street. She turned down the other street and began to walk back to the car park.
"Hey Jaq." Alice grinned as she reached the car. "Where'd you go?" She asked as if she didn't know.
"I...ermm... ran into someone."
"Oh." Alice smiled knowingly as Rosalie wrinkled her nose as if she smelt something bad.
Jaq jumped into the back of the car and Alice started up the engine.