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CHAPTER FIVE

BAD VIBES

I was late to lunch. I didn't mean to be but Jasper had me cornered by my locker.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, his topaz eyes showing nothing but concern for my well-being. I was tired of concern.

I nodded shortly, "Yeah, I'm fine."

But he didn't look convinced, "Are you sure? I know that near death experiences can be quite trying."

I rolled my eyes, "I've been near death for a year now. It's nothing new."

He looked confused by my crude confession but didn't comment further. Instead he asked, "Would you like to have lunch with me and my siblings?"

It was my turn to be thrown for a loop by his sudden request. "I'm not good company to keep." I knew I was being hard on myself. I could almost picture my mother urging me to 'go on and play nice with the other kids'.

"Please?" Jasper smiled, "I can show you how wrong you are."

I don't know why I said yes, but next thing I knew I had my arm in Jasper's as he led me into the cafeteria. We paused in the door way and nearly everyone turned to stare. I knew they were wondering what he was doing with me.

But of course my sister's new best friend, Jessica, came skipping up to us and acted like she was my best friend too, "Callie, how are you?" She then looked up at Jasper and stuttered a bit trying to be sensual and alluring, "Hi Jasper."

Jasper smiled politely, "Hello Jessica. Nice to see you but if you'll excuse me I have to make sure Callie has something to eat."

Jessica slightly gaped at him in awe before his words seemed to sink in. "Oh! Callie! We were wondering if you wanted to come to the beach with us this weekend! It'll be so much fun, surfing, whale watching, and a bonfire. You'll come too Jasper, won't you?"

I asked, "Is Bella going?"

Jessica rapidly nodded, "Yep, we'll see you there! You'll come too Jasper, won't you?"

Jasper tightly smiled, "Which beach?"

"La Push." Jessica smiled as if she had her hooks in him.

But Jasper frowned, "I don't think I can make it. Excuse us." With that he pulled me away and into the lunch line.

"Is there something wrong with La Push?" I asked suspiciously.

"No. My family and I just aren't that into swimming."

I gave him a look, "With this weather, I doubt anyone is really into swimming." I grabbed a small salad in a plastic container and set in on my tray, "Okay I'm done."

Jasper frowned and grabbed pasta, an apple and orange juice and put it all on my tray. When I looked at him weirdly he just said, "A salad is not a meal."

"I don't see you piling your tray with food," I said smartly.

He grinned, "Not hungry. You are."

I didn't say anything when he paid for my food. I didn't have any money on me and I'd pay him back.

I didn't say anything when he led me to the circle table at the back of the cafeteria where his stunning girlfriend and the power couple, Rosalie and Emmett, were sitting. I felt so... plain and insufficient in comparison.

Jasper put a hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze, steering me into a seat between him and the blonde girl, Rosalie. "This is my friend Callie from music class. Callie, this is my sister Rosalie and her boyfriend Emmett. And this is.." He looked down at the pixie girl with something of awe and devotion in his eyes and in his voice when he said, "my Alice."

Alice seemed excited to see me, "Hello! It's great to finally meet you, Callie! We've heard so much about you."

"You have?" I felt dread with the expectation of their pity of the new girl with no friends.

Alice smiled placating, "Yes, of course. All good things, I promise," she giggled.

The big, burly brown haired guy grinned, "So tell us about yourself Callie."

I was so out of sorts. I felt like an outsider here at this table. "There's nothing to tell."

Rosalie's face finally cracked a smile – she'd been scowling all day, "Of course there is. Are you happy to be in Forks?"

"Where I am is irrelevant to how happy I am."

There was an awkward pause as I knew the Cullens didn't know what to say. Alice smiled gently, "Do you like it here?"

"I like living with my Dad. I haven't seen him since Bella stopped our visits about four years ago." I know that made it sound like I was blaming Bella, because I was. She should have thought about what I wanted before she begged Mom not to 'make' us go stay with my Dad in Forks. But I also blamed mom for listening to her.

Anything to stay clear of Forks for her.

"You don't like your sister," Rosalie said.

"No..." I answered slowly, "You don't like my sister. I love my sister because she's my sister. I just don't agree with her most of the time."

Rosalie almost looked guilty when I accused her of not liking Bella so I added, "You're protective of your brother. Of Edward."

Rosalie nodded shortly, "Yes, I am."

"We all are," Emmett joined in, "Eddie's been alone for so long and now he's all ga ga over your sister."

"It's not like boys have been lining up at our door either. Edward's the first guy I've seen Bella get this worked up over."

"Everyone gets all worked up over us," Rosalie said bitterly, "And then the novelty wears off. It will for her too."

"And it will for him too," I said. It wasn't all Bella's fault. And I didn't even know what she did.

Just then, the bell rang. I stood up quickly and gathered my stuff. I dropped my untouched food into my bag and promised Jasper that I'd eat it later. I then walked off without another word.

I'd see Jasper later anyway.

When I went to meet Bella after school, she was waiting by her car.

"You know, I still don't like that you still park here. It's like you're waiting for another van to come and try to crush you."

Bella laughed sarcastically, "Very funny. Listen.. uh.." she looked at me a little guiltily and I wondered why, "Mike asked me to prom and I uh... t-told him that I was going to Jacksonville that weekend."

I gave her a blank look as I put my bag on the bench seat of my car, "And are you?"

"Well no... I wasn't planning on it..." Bella replied but I knew there was more.

"What else?"

Bella blushed, "Well he asked what you were doing for prom..."

"Did you tell him I'm a year behind you?" I raised an eyebrow. But I was secretly mocking this 'Mike' in my head.

"No, I told him you were going with me to Jacksonville. I didn't know if you wanted to go to prom with Jasper or something..." Ah, now I see.

"Why would I go with Jasper to prom? 1) it's prom... 2) it's Jasper, we're just friends and 3) it's prom..." I gave her a look that said, 'isn't it obvious that I don't want to go to stupid prom?'

Bella gave me a relieved look, "O-okay. Anyway, do you wanna go to La Push this-"

"Yes to La Push. No to prom." With that I got into my car and put it in drive.

When we got to La Push, I was secretly cursing Jasper in my head for not coming. It was a nice beach for rainy Washington. It was freezing though. But that Mike dude, the guy who almost killed Bella, Jessica and the others suited up for a surf. The guy that's always taking pictures was hanging out with them.

I was sitting with Bella in the van and Angela was talking to us from the front seat, "I keep thinking Eric's going to ask me to prom, then he just... doesn't."

"Just ask him," I answered before Bella could open her mouth, "If you see something you want, go and get it."

"You're a strong, independent woman," Bella added.

Angela looked skeptical, "I am?"

"Yes," Bella said, chewing on a red vine.

"Bella!" We all turned to see Jacob coming over with two guys behind him.

Bella smiled awkwardly, "Hey Jake." I stood up to give him a seat and of course he didn't even notice I was there anyway and nearly sat on me. I stood off awkwardly on the side. I didn't know anyone besides Bella and she was busy leading this poor boy on.

I overheard their conversation though. "Are you stalking me?" Bella teased.

"You're on my rez, remember?" Jacob answered.

"Hey.. you're Callie right? Isabella's sister?" I turned to see one of Jacob's friends was smiling awkwardly yet politely at me, coming to stand by me.

"Yeah..." I said, confused as to why he was talking to me, "I'm Callie. And you're...?"

He smiled, looking relieved, "Embry."

"Nice to meet you," I said, not smiling.

Then I heard Jessica saying, "Why don't you boys keep these two company? Their dates bailed."

"What date?" Eric asked, freezing.

Jessica smirked, "She invited Edward."

Bella stuttered, embarrassed, "To be polite."

"I think it's nice she invited him. No one ever does," Angela answered, ever the mediator. I think I like this girl.

"Because Cullen's a freak," Mike said bitterly.

"Shut up!" I scolded him. Everyone looked at me like I had grown two extra heads.

Then Jessica smirked again, "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You invited Jasper."

I glared at her, "If I remember correctly, it was you who asked Jasper to come here... twice." Jessica's smirk fell right off her face.

Mike glared at me, "It doesn't matter who invited them as long as they didn't come. The Cullens are freaks."

I was about to protest when the third Indian guy spoke, "You got that right."

I glared at this guy now, "And you know this how? You guys used to be bestest friends?"

Sam got serious and said sharply, "The Cullens don't come here."

I registered and noted the tone and potential double meaning in his words and put them aside. I almost smirked, "So you don't know what you're talking about. Shut up." I knew I seemed curt and rude. But Jasper was the first friend I had in over a year since I was diagnosed. He showed me nothing but kindness and friendship without any pity or ulterior motives. I wasn't about to let him and his family be slandered by people who didn't even take the time to get to know them.

Bella stood and pulled Jacob up, "Want to go look a the tide pools?" She awkwardly smiled in what I'm sure she intended to be a flirty matter but it just looked horrendous. But Jacob ate it up and headed with her towards the water.

Soon, Jessica and the guys were out surfing and Angela was out taking pictures. She invited me out to stand with her to be polite but I declined.

Embry didn't leave me though. I was blunt, "What did Squanto mean by the Cullens not coming here?"

Embry laughed nervously, "You noticed that too, huh?"

"Answer me," I replied curtly.

Embry sighed, "I can't really say..."

I looked at him, eyebrow raised, "Do I look like I have heaps of friends to tell?"

Embry looked like he wanted to say more on my comment but decided to play it off, "It's just a story Callie."

"I wanna know why your friend thinks he can trash talk my only friend. So I guess it's story time," I took a seat in the van bed and gestured for him to sit besides me. I idly offered him a red vine and looked at him expectantly.

He thoughtfully chewed on the candy, "Well, Quileutes are supposedly descendents of wolves..."

My brow furrowed above my nose, "So you humans came from wolves. Like real wolves?"

"That's the legend of our tribe," Embry nodded.

"And how do the Cullens fit into it?" I asked, now curious, less rude.

"Well... they're supposedly from this 'enemy clan' …. but claimed to be different so Jake's ancestor, the chief of the tribe, made a treaty with them."

"So you're friend judges the Cullens because a scary story claims their this enemy tribe from ancient times? They just moved here like two years ago and they're teenagers." I rolled my eyes

"When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous, but..." Embry trailed, "Sam is really into the legends. He takes them really seriously."

I leaned back against the side of the van, chewing on my own red vine, and asked, "What were the terms of this treaty?"

Embry looked back and I turned, seeing my sister fluttering her eye lashes at Jacob. Poor guy. He doesn't even know what she's gonna do to him.

Embry cleared his throat awkwardly, "If they stay off Quileute lands, we won't expose what they really were to the pale-faces," he gestured to me.

I thought back to Jasper's decline of the invite. It was this specific beach that he wouldn't come to. That, unfortunately, fit into Embry's 'legend'. And even I had to admit that there was something odd about them. They never ate or drank anything that I saw. They didn't talk to anyone but me and Bella outside of their family. They were extraordinarily beautiful, almost inhuman. I just had to find a name for it all.

"And what are they really?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

Embry smirked at me, "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I'm willing to," I said straight faced.

I knew Embry wanted to get more information about what I said. But I thought it was pretty obvious right about now. "They're called the cold ones."

"And I'm called a pale face but others don't exactly know what that means either." I rolled my eyes.

Embry looked hesitant, "It means vampire."

I gasped.

Ooooooh Embry spilled the beans. Can anyone tell who Callie will end up with? Hehe, I doubt it.

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RegalGirl94