Hey guys, so I just thought I'd clear up that this takes place during Eclipse.

I am not Stephanie Mayers. I do not own Twilight.

Thanks for the reviews! Keem 'em coming!

Chapter 2

MICHELLE'S POV

Well that was strange. Could he have heard me…? I hoped not. I didn't need another thing for my dad to have another thing to worry about. I started cooking dinner for my dad. The smell of chicken made my mouth water. No. I finished setting the table just as my dad walked through the door.

"Hey dad!" I called.

"Hey honey. Smells great!" he complimented, sitting in his chair, "Are you going to have any?"

"No… I… uh ate before you got home," I mumbled.

"Alright. By the way, we're going to Charlie's house tomorrow afternoon for pizza and to watch the game."

"Cool," I said, smiling. I knew my dad had missed his friend.

I turned away and ran off to my room. I knew Charlie had a daughter, but she was seventeen or eighteen. I couldn't remember her name. The next morning it was raining again. Big surprise. I put on a pair of jeans, but they were too big. I smiled and put on a grey dress with pink flowers instead. I had half a day to kill before we went to Charlie's, so I thought that I'd take a walk or something. My dad had already left for work, so I grabbed my cell phone and left. The beach was just down the street from my house, so I headed that way. The rain had subsided to a gentle drizzle. I took of my shoes and let the sand go between my toes. It felt nice. I walked down the beach until I came across a girl. She looked slightly older than me, and she was smiling widely.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," I said.

"My name's Kim," she held out her hand and I shook it.

"Michelle," I smiled.

"Did you just move here?" she asked.

"Yeah, I used to live in Alabama."

"Wow. You moved far," she giggled.

I nodded, she was so friendly. I hoped we could become friends. After my mom died, I stopped talking to my friends. I became lonely and sullen. Maybe this could be a new start for me. Kim and I started walking down the beach together.

"So why did you move here?"

"Because uh," I wasn't ready to tell her about my past, "My dad got a job."

"What does he do?"

"He's a cop," I explained.

"Nice! Do you like the beach?"

"Yeah, it's cool," I admitted.

"Same. I was meeting some of my friends down here. Want to meet them?"

"Sure," I said, smiling.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to a group of people. I recognized some from the other day.

"Hey Kim," yelled one I didn't know.

"Jared," she breathed and wrapped her arms around him.

"Who's this?" he asked.

"Michelle. She just moved here from Alabama."

"Hey," I said.

"Hey I know you!"

"How?"

"I… uh… Sam told me," he muttered.

"Come meet the rest," Kim urged.

Everyone was sitting on towels and eating. None of the guys were wearing shirts. Again, classy. She introduced me to Embry, Seth, Leah, Emily, Brady, Collin, and Claire. The rest, Sam, Jacob and Quil, I already knew.

"Catch," Quil said to me as he threw an apple.

I caught it swiftly, but threw it back, "No thanks."

"I have never seen anyone turn down food before," he muttered, shaking his head.

"I ate before I came. I'm full," I said quickly.

"Paul's here!" announced Kim, looking directly at me.

I didn't know why she was looking at me. I had just met Paul yesterday and he seemed really weird. All the same, I smiled at him when he came jogging down the beach towards us.

"Come on Jake, you better not have eaten all the freaking chips!" he growled.

"Nah, man I saved some for you," said Jake slyly.

"Good. Now I don't have to break your face."

He seems lovely.

PAULS POV

"Paul," Sam said, getting my attention away from Jacob.

"What?"

He turned his gaze to his left and I saw her. Michelle. I had known she was close all along. I could feel it, but I didn't know she was this close. I smiled at her, but she wasn't looking. I watched the way her beautiful hair fell in front of her face and her delicate hands reached up to tuck it behind her ear.

"So Michelle, what was Alabama like?" asked Kim.

"Hot," she muttered.

Everyone broke out into laugher and she blushed. She obviously wasn't used to all the attention, but she would have to get used to it. If she was going to school, all of the guys would definitely be into her. I growled to think about that. She was mine. I started shaking. I really didn't like thinking of that. Sam put an arm on my shoulder.

"Calm down Paul," he soothed.

I shrugged it off and ran into the woods. I burst out of my clothes and into a wolf. Ugh! Why the hell was she making me feel this way? All I did was think about her with someone else! I paced back and forth for a while until I felt Sam join me.

Why do I feel this way! I yelled.

Paul, it's the imprint. What made you so upset?

She's going to go to fucking school and what if she finds someone else?

Paul, you're really over exaggerating. You're perfect for her. You need to show her that. Of course she won't find anyone else, Sam said.

Uh this sucks! I growled.

Go back Paul. Try talking to her, Sam urged.

Yeah... uh I don't have pants, I admitted sheepishly.

Sam laughed and ran through the woods. He returned a few minutes later in his human form holding a pair of cut offs for me and a shirt.

"A shirt?" I asked when I was decent.

"I got the feeling she wasn't digging the shirtlessness," he explained.

I was confused, but I pulled it over my head. Anything to impress her. Sam and I walked out of the forest together. I was still annoyed at everyone, but as soon as I saw Michelle, I relaxed. She was throwing around a Frisbee with Kim and Jared. Jared beckoned me over.

"Hey Paul, want to join us?" he asked.

"Sure," I said.

He threw me the Frisbee. Kim looked to me and then to Michelle who was catching as if to tell me to talk to her. I didn't know what to say, so I just caught the Frisbee and threw it to Jared. He "accidentally threw it too far into the woods and it got caught high up in a tree. I knew one of us could easily get it.

"Oh well," said Jared happily, "Come on Kim, let's dip our feet in!"

This was a set up. They were trying to get us alone together. I would have to thank them later. Michelle looked uncomfortable.

"Hey," I said, smiling.

She looked surprised, "Hi."

"Listen, sorry about yesterday. I was walking by your house and I thought I heard you coughing or something and I guess I… panicked," I admitted.

"It's fine. It was kind of you," she said.

"So what do you say… are we friends?"

"Um, I don't think so," she said, looking away.

I felt crushed, "Why?"

"I don't think we'd get along."

"Why?"

"Because you hot headed and overly temperamental," she said simply.

I didn't know what to say. Had she seen me punch Jacob yesterday? Crap I had really screwed things up. I wanted to tell her that I could get better… for her…

"I have to go home," she said to everyone, "It was nice meeting you guys."

Everyone waved to her and I was insanely jealous when Kim even hugged her.

"We should hang out again," said Kim.

"Totally!" she agreed cheerfully.

"Here's my number. Text me whenever," Kim said and Michelle took it and ran off.

I didn't want her walking home alone, so I followed.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Going home," I said.

"Oh."

We walked in silence. I wanted so badly to take her hand. A few houses down, she stopped and started walking up to her house. The walk was too short.

"Wait," I called.

She turned around.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly before running off.