A/N: Okay, I know I said that this story was just going to be a one-shot, but now, I've reconsidered. A few friends told me I should add another chapter. So, here it goes. Please R+R. Just FYI: This chapter was written while the author was listening to the RENT soundtrack and Over My Head (Cable Car) by the Fray.

Why Chapter 2: Tabloids

Leah POV

"Tabloids?" asked a tall young man. He had dark hair, slightly ruffled, with that 'just woke up' kind of look I had noticed on a lot of boys. "A girl like you reads tabloids?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way," he backtracked, "It's just you don't seem like the type who reads them," his arm gestured towards the stack of magazines I had laid down near the cash register, then to me. I looked down at myself. Seeing his point. Tall, lean, and a bit muscled girls don't usually sit around reading celebrity gossip all day.

"Well you're right about one thing," I replied, smiling, "They aren't mine, they're for my cousin, Emily." She was with Sam at the moment. They had gone to Seattle for a few hours, and would be back shortly. Emily had asked me to buy her the magazines. Something about the break-ups and make-ups seemed to appeal to my cousin.

"Next, please." Said the cashier, scanning my items. I swiped my MasterCard and signed. As she printed my receipt and bagged my purchases, the guy behind me said, "I didn't catch your name,"

I rolled my eyes, imagining myself in a movie, "I didn't give it." With that, I grabbed the two bags and walked out of the store.

Outside, was a sheltered parking lot. You know the kind, dark, lit only by the interspaced yellow lights. Perfect place for an ambush.

I had made my way halfway to my car – a Bentley GT Convertible, if you must know – when I heard footsteps running up behind me. A guy was yelling. At me? With my supernatural hearing, I could make out that we were the only two people in the garage. Keeping my pace steady and not turning, I continued toward my car. I could outrun anyone.

"Hey! You! The one who bought tabloids!" he called across the lot. The man had reached me, and in one quick movement he was on the floor. Did I ever mention that there was a Kung Fu class in La Push?

"What the freaking hell!" he cried, "I just want to know what your name is!"

That was when I turned around to see the guy who had stood in back of me in the line for the cashier. "Oh, god, I'm sorry!" I told him, helping him up. "Are you ok? I kinda thought you were a kidnapper or something."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, "And about the kidnapper thing, totally understand. Everyone thinks that. I make it a habit to follow every good looking, sensible girl I meet in a supermarket."

I laughed, "Was that a compliment?"

"Depends what you mean by compliment." He replied.

We stood in silence for a while, as I thought about what he had said. Good looking. Sensible…

"So, what's your name?" I asked, meeting his gaze. He was a few inches taller than me, his eyes a dark green, like the forests surrounding Forks.

"Hey," he said, "That's not fair. I asked you first."

"Yeah, but you want to know my name, I don't really care about yours"

He put his hands over his chest, "Ouch! You don't know how much that hurts!"

I rolled my eyes. Again.

"Okay, it's Tanner. Tanner Kross" he said, sighing. "You got it out of me. There aren't a lot of girls who can do that."

I smiled sweetly at him, "I guess I'm special."

"Special Ed…" he whispered, under his breath jokingly.

I glared at him, and started walking away.

"Hey!" Tanner called after me, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that!" He reached his hand out to grab my shoulder. He probably remembered the incident earlier and quickly pulled it away. "And you owe me your name."

By then, we had reached my car. I opened the door, threw my bags into the passenger seat, slid inside, and stuck the keys into the slot. "It's Leah, Leah Clearwater," I said before backing out and blasting the stereo.

Tanner. Tanner Kross. He was…nice. And…funny. And kinda…cute. I had to admit that there might have been something in his casual flirting. He had chased after me to learn my name, after all.

And I did like him. Not like Sam of course, that had been a sort of 'love at first sight' thing. I hadn't really believed in them before. Tanner was more…friendly? Sam was I guess…intense. Really intense. How many times had I heard him tell me he loved me more the entire world. How he would never leave me. Ever. Look where that got me. A couple of years wasted on bitterness.

Then. Tanner. I couldn't do that to him. It would hurt him so much. I knew, firsthand. The experience with Sam had made me careful. Where I would go head first into something, now I wouldn't.

Look at me. Just because a guy started flirting with me, and actually seemed to like me, I started getting ahead of myself.

It had only been a week. Since the day I had sat at a bus stop, with Seth and Embry, sheltering from the rain. We had talked about…imprints. Even optimistic Seth hadn't thought we had a chance. But now with Tanner, I had a choice I needed to make. The more I thought about the risks, the more I wanted Tanner to like me.

If there was no chance, I could take the risk. Couldn't I?

A/N: Thank you all for reading this! Please review; I love to hear feedback. Please no flamers though, I don't really mind them, it's just if you could say that you don't like my story in a more civilized way. Thank you. Oh! By the way, the picture of Leah's car is on my profile.