Okay, guys. This chapter takes place a month later. In Seth's and Jazz's P.o.V…And quite possibly Leah's…Maybe Jake's, too. Like I said before, I write my author notes before I write my chapters! It's the first day of school…For them…Yeah. Sorry! I didn't know what else to write about in their summer! Jayah is…About three months. It's pretty eventful, so I know you'll all be happy!
~SashaFierce12.0
Chapter 31
Jazmyn's P.o.V.
I looked myself over in my mirror once again before nodding. I'd done good…And with two hours to spare! Umm…Yeah. I couldn't sleep with the overwhelming anxiety that was jumbling up inside me about school starting. I'm a sophomore! Plus…I still hadn't decided on what I was going to wear. But, finally, I picked it out.
I had chosen my new denim skinnies; there were rips here and there, and it made it look cuter. Just because it was cute—and went with my outfit—I put on my black belt with the gold buckle. My shirt was grey, and cut off right below my chest. I put a red undershirt on under it, and moved my shirt so it was resting off my shoulder. The grey shirt said 'Be Happy' on it…Although the 'happy' was substituted with a funny smiley face. Finally, I chose to wear my black and white Vans. Mom and Dad let me get my eyebrow pierced a couple of weeks ago, and I put a diamond stud in it. And…With some earrings, a necklace, and some bangles here and there, I was ready!
My hair was still the way Alice had cut it for my date all those months ago. You remember, that pixie cut? My bangs fell in front of my right eye, and the back was spiked. It was too cute to go away! But sometimes, I did miss my long hair…
I spun around again. I. Am going to be the cutest. Girl. At. School. Girls will envy me; boys will fall for me…
I stopped my daydream right there. I am a happily imprinted girl. Seth is the only person that I'll ever love.
Ever.
All of a sudden, there was a sharp tap on my window. I hesitantly walked towards it…For all I knew, a freaking serial killer could be outside there! I paused to pick up one of my pillows, and held it in front of me for defense. I thrust open my curtain and was prepared to attack, but then relaxed when I saw it was only Teasha. I sighed in relief and opened the window. She hopped in, wearing her pajamas. Her messenger bag was slung over her shoulder, but she took it off and threw it on my bed.
"I thought you were a serial killer or something! How'd you get up here?" I asked. Teasha walked over and sat on my bed.
"I climbed! Duh!" she replied. Then she frowned. "You would use a pillow as a defensive maneuver against a serial killer?" she asked slowly. I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Shut up, Teasha!" I said in a 'duh' voice, using our little inside joke. Teasha laughed.
"Just sayin', Jazmyn!"
"What are you doing here…In your pajamas?"
"I woke up with the sun…And spent forever and a day trying to find something to wear to school. I couldn't find anything. I was gonna' call you…But I already knew you'd be up. So…I thought I'd come here and raid your closet." I giggled and gestured dramatically toward my clothes.
"Raid away!" Teasha laughed and walked to the closet.
"Oh, my gosh! There are so many things to choose from!" Teasha exclaimed. I shrugged.
"Half of the things in there I stole from Alice," I said, walking over toward my iPod dock. Flipping through the selections of music, I finally settled on my Beyoncé playlist. Countdown immediately came on.
"Turn it down, Jazz! Some of us aren't morning people!" Mom yelled from across the hall. I snorted a laugh and turned it down a little. "I love you, honey!" Teasha laughed from my closet.
"You're family is so funny," she said, and pulled out a pair of cut-offs. One of my favorite pairs. I got them a couple of months ago, and I still remember sewing that little heart onto the butt pocket. Isabel, one of my friends from North Dakota, had made me do it. It had been for twin day at school. Her heart was pink; mine was black with a silver star in the top corner of it. "Ca-ute! Can I?" she held it in front of her, and I nodded. "Awesome! Now for a shirt…" she rummaged through my closet again, and pulled out my favorite blue, black, and white plaid shirt. It was supposed to be short sleeved, but it reached my elbows because I was short. That's probably what would happen to Teasha, too. She was only an inch taller than me.
"That looks great together. Here, I have white undershirt to go with it…" I reached in my drawer and pulled out said shirt. "Go put it on, and then I'll help you with your hair and stuff." Teasha nodded and left to change.
When she came out, I smiled and nodded in approval. She left a few buttons undone at the top, and the undershirt peaked out from beneath it. I was right about the sleeves; they reached just above her elbows. Everything hugged her in all the right places…I didn't know why she hid behind all those big sweatshirts and jeans before; she had curves to be proud of!
"Collin will definitely be pleased!" I said, waggling my eyebrows. "Look at those curves!" Teasha blushed, and I giggled, pushing her onto my desk chair. "I mean, really," I continued, straightening her hair. "He's in to you…And you're into him…There's no denying it! I don't understand why you two aren't together yet. You spend, like, every waking moment together, anyway." Teasha sighed.
"I know…I really like him, but…I haven't really known him for that long…Plus, my parents will MURDER ME if they find out that I'm dating someone. Dad says I can't do that 'till I'm at least thirty." Through the mirror, I could see her rolling her eyes. Then she looked down. "Are you sure he likes me back?" I nodded, unplugging the flat iron and running my fingers through her hair. Then I put it into a side ponytail, and combed her bangs forward so I could make a pouf.
"Positive. I'm kind of surprised that you don't see it. It's in the way he looks at you…The way he talks to you…The way he laughs at everything you say; even when it's not funny." Securing the pouf with a heart barrette, I looked at her reflection in the mirror and grinned. "Rephrase what I said before. Collin's gonna' die!" Teasha stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled at herself.
"You did great! I look awesome!" she said happily, then looked down at her bunny-slipper-clad feet. "I don't have to go to school in these, do I?" she asked. I laughed and shook my head. Then I headed back over to my closet to help he look for shoes. "What size are you?"
"Seven," I answered.
"Seven and a half…But I'll squeeze!" Teasha giggled again. I laughed with her and pulled out my favorite pair of cowboy boots. They were really the only thing I had left of Texas. I used to get a new pair every year until I moved. There wasn't that much of a heel, which I was thankful for. They were a brownish-reddish color, and went with practically anything.
"Try these on," I said, throwing them at her. Teasha yelped, but caught them.
"Are you trying to kill me?" she asked, exasperated. I smirked and crossed my arms. Teasha scoffed and threw her pajama shirt at me. I threw it back at her, but missed. "Ha!" I just stuck my tongue out at her.
"Anyway…I'm almost positive that those will fit you. I always get them a size bigger than I usually get so…" I trailed off when Teasha slid on the boots without any problem. She put her legs straight out in front of her and kicked them around a little. "Well, look at that! I done did created a miracle!" I joked in a thick Southern accent.
"I reckon you have!" Teasha said in the same way. She stood up and grabbed her bag. Slinging it over her shoulder, she turned to me. "We ready?" she asked. I nodded and unplugged my iPod.
"Let me grab my bag," I said, throwing my iPod in my backpack. It was plain black, and had my name written in different fonts all over it. Kim, Leah, and I had done that a couple of months before.
"Your backpack is cute," Teasha said, pointing to it. We were walking down the stairs now. Then she pointed to the hot pink shiny heart on it. "You really love hearts, don't you?" Teasha asked, clearly amused. "They're on almost everything you own!" I shrugged and threw my backpack on the table.
"They're pretty!" I replied. Dad was downstairs and he set down a container with pancakes inside.
"A good luck back-to-school breakfast," he explained, tightening his favorite Looney Tunes tie; he always wore funny ties to work. He said it helped his clients relax. I was actually surprised he hadn't left for work yet. He was usually long-gone by now.
"I thought you were gone?" I said, handing a plate to Teasha. She put two pancakes on it and then squirted some syrup on top. He walked beside me and into the living room, grabbing his brief case.
"I can't wish my daughter and her friend a good day once in a while?" he asked, chuckling. Then he leaned down and kissed my head. "See ya' later, alligators." He patted Teasha's shoulder, and then grabbed his keys and started walking out the door.
"After a while, crocodile!" Teasha and I called after him in unison. He waved to us again, and then shut the door behind him.
Teasha and I ate and talked until we heard a car honk.
"There's the guys!" I exclaimed, and downed the last of my orange juice. I took Teasha's plate and put it in the sink with mine. Mom came downstairs just as we were getting our bags.
"Got money, honey?" she asked, walking into the kitchen. I nodded and blew her a kiss. "Forever and always!" she signed to me. I signed the same thing back, as Teasha dragged me out the door.
00000000000000000000
Seth's P.o.V.
"Hey, Jazz. Lookin' gorgeous, as always!" I complimented my girlfriend. I turned my camera towards her, and then used my free hand to help her into the back of Quil's truck.
"Helllloooo, Ladies!" Brady exclaimed with a wolf whistle. "Damn, Teasha! You look hot!" I shoved him, but he just rolled his eyes. Teasha blushed and slid in next to Collin.
"Hey, C," she said. Collin grinned at her.
"Hey, T," he replied. I zoomed in on their moment.
"As you can see, the wolf is trying desperately to attract the female, but is failing...Miserably," I said in a British accent. Collin glared at me and grabbed my camera out of my hands.
"Shut up!" he said, and pointed it towards me. Jazmyn yanked my head towards hers.
"Morning kiss?" she asked. I grinned and leaned down to kiss her. The guys groaned in protest.
"Get a room!" Brady exclaimed from the front. Collin tossed me my camera back, and I turned to keep recording. I'd become almost addicted to my camera this past summer, and carried it around with me practically 24/7. Jazmyn leaned into me and listened in on the conversation.
"Says the loser," Quil retorted. The rest of us laughed as Brady growled.
"When are you going to get over that?" he asked. Teasha leaned forward and batted his shoulder.
"Sweet, sweet justice," she said in between her giggles. "We totally told you they'd win. But, noooo! You had to go ahead and ruin the curve," Teasha shook her head. "Tsk, tsk...I honestly expected more out of you, Littlesea." Her comment made all of us laugh harder.
"But...That was like, weeks ago! Can you guys at least stop giving me crap about it?" Collin asked, flailing his arms next to his head.
"Let me think about that..." Jazmyn said. "Thinking...Thinking...Thinking...No!" Everyone laughed again, and this time Brady chuckled with us.
When we pulled up to the school, I turned my camera off and threw it in my backpack. Then I hopped out of t he truck.
"M'lady," I said to Jazmyn, holding out my hand to her. She giggled and took it, jumping out of the car.
"Why, thank you, kind sir," she replied with a wink. We laughed together, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. She turned to Quil, who twirled his keys in his fingers, and then put it in his pocket. "Senior year!" Quil chuckled.
"Yeah. That means you all get to be my personal slaves!" he laughed. Teasha scoffed and nudged him with her shoulders. I was surprised it didn't hurt her; we were as hard as boulders!
"Dang! Why are all of you guys always so freaking hot?" I didn't miss the hesitation before Collin laughed.
"Thanks, Teasha. I do enjoy your compliments," he said, waggling his eyebrows. Teasha rolled her eyes and stopped to let him go ahead of her. Then she jumped on his back.
"You know what I mean, Mister," she giggled. "Now: to the gym, horsey!" I laughed.
"With your outfit, you look like a legit cowgirl," Jazmyn chuckled from beside me.
"Why, shoot. I done left my hat at home!" Teasha said with a thick Southern drawl. We laughed and continued inside.
Walking inside the gym, we all ignored the stares and glares we were getting. We were used to it by now.
Well...Four out of five of us.
Teasha hopped off Collin's back and stood on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. With my heightened hearing, I could hear every word.
"Why does it seem like everyone's staring at us?" she asked. Collin didn't answer, and we found a spot on the 'Sophomore Side' of the gym. Quil waved to us and headed towards the other Seniors. There, he slapped a high five with another one of the seniors, Brandon. For some unknown reason, he was showing signs of phasing. So we were trying to stay as close to him as possible.
"Is that..." someone asked from above us. "Teasha Kidd?"
Oh. Melody. The nasally voice gave it all away.
She and her posse of friends were always flirting with me and the other guys. Jazmyn turned around to glare at Melody and her friends, and I squeezed her shoulder to stop her from doing anything.
"Yeah...It totally is! Oh, my gosh. Since when did she start hanging out with the La Push Gang?" Mariah exclaimed. "They're, like, way too hot for her, like, ya' know?" Collin started to shake slightly, and Brady elbowed him. Jazmyn lost her cool and turned behind her.
"We can, like, totally, like, hear you, like, ya' know!" she hissed, mocking Mariah's speech. Teasha turned around, too.
"You're not very good whisperers. That's actually a disability in some cases. You should really get that looked at!" Mariah and Melody glared at the two. Aecia, another one of their friends, leaned forward.
"And you should totally lose those slutty clothes you got on. Are you trying to get the whole male population in your bed? 'Cause, honey, it sure seems like it. Here's some advice: stop trying so hard. 'Cause, sweetie, it ain't workin'." Teasha's eyes turned into slits, and Collin shook a little harder. Brady whispered fiercely into his ear, and Collin calmed down a bit.
"I've got some advice for you guys, too," Teasha said, and reached into her bag. She pulled out her Gatorade, opened it, and sprayed the contents all over Melody, Mariah, and Aecia. "Wash your clothes before you put them on. People might get ideas." The girls stared down at their shirts and jeans in shock. I snorted a laugh, and Jazmyn gasped, a big smile on her face.
"Better yet, don't dry them. I like it better that way!" she laughed. A couple of kids around us clapped, but Teasha just turned back around and stared ahead.
The rest of the time in the gym, Teasha seemed on edge. Really, not like herself. I kept stealing glances at her and Collin. He had his hand resting on her knee, and she seemed to be leaning in to him. Suddenly, I felt a nudge from Jazmyn. She placed something on my thigh, and I looked down, realizing it was her cell phone. She'd typed something on the screen.
i hope teasha feelz bttr. melody and dem had no rite 2 treat her dat way!
I looked down at Jazz, but she was looking at Mr. Mood, the principle, who was giving his 'Welcome Back to School' speech. I cleared out her message and started typing my own.
i know. bt she seemz rlly weird now. not lik hrslf.
I handed the phone back to Jazmyn, and she nodded. Then she threw the phone back in her backpack, our text conversation temporarily forgotten.
When we got our schedules, we regrouped to compare them. Well...Actually, Jazz and Teasha grouped to compare them. But they snatched our papers out of our hands, too.
"Okay...I have History with Collin...Yea..." Jazmyn said unenthusiastically. "...Spanish with Brady...And...Only one class with my Sethy-poo! Being a sophomore is no fun!" I leaned down and kissed her head.
"Yeah...But we all have lunch together!" Brady said.
"Swag!" Teasha said, holding up her hand for a high-five.
"Let's go!" Brady replied. They slapped their hands together, and then gave each other quick hugs. "I'll see you guys at lunch. Save me a seat!" he waved to us, and then followed a group of students out of the gym.
"I'm gonna' go with him. That's my class, too," Jazmyn said, leaning up to peck my cheek. "See ya' later! Brady! Wait up!" Jazmyn ran after him.
"What do you have first?" Teasha asked me. I looked down at my schedule.
"Uhh...Gym with Martinez," I replied. Collin smiled.
"Me, too, Man. I guess we'll just chill here." We turned to Teasha.
"Literature...I'll see you guys later," she punched my shoulder. Then she turned to Collin and they hugged. She started to walk away, but I stopped her.
"You okay?" I asked. Teasha smiled sadly, and nodded.
"Yeah...I will be." And then she was gone, leaving me and Collin confused.
What does that mean?
She will be?
000000000000000000000
Leah's P.o.V.
"Bye, Carlisle! See you tomorrow," I said to Carlisle, waving at him. He grinned and waved back. Then I walked out of the hospital, on my way to Emily's to pick up Jayah. I'd just started the nursing program that Carlisle had told me about, and it couldn't be any better. I was already learning so much.
After all those beautiful clear days we had this summer, the clouds had come back with a vengeance. It wasn't raining...But it wasn't sunny and happy, either. I climbed into my new Toyota Prius and started it. Well...It wasn't really new. I got it for my birthday, so it's really only a month old. It was one of the best presents that I got...But this one was better.
I held up my hand and admired the ring some more. I did it almost every single second of the day; it was so beautiful.
When I pulled up to Emily's house, she was already outside; watching Claire play on her swing set. I giggled and waved to them, then got out.
"Thanks for watching her!" I told Emily. She stood up, handed Jayah to me, and then handed me her diaper bag.
"Please, she was no trouble at all," Emily said. Then she hugged me. "How're your classes going?" she asked, following me to the car. I put Jayah's diaper bag in the back seat, then started strapping her into her car seat.
"Great! You won't believe how much you can learn in two weeks. Everyone's so nice. And they actually show you how to do everything, so then I'm actually learning how to use materials and tools hands on," I explained to her happily. Emily listened intently as I told about my days at the hospital.
"Well, it sounds really fun," she said. I nodded, then hugged her again.
"I gotta' get heading out to Port Angeles now if I want to be back in time for dinner. You and Sam still coming over? I'm making something special tonight. 'Cause, you know..." I leaned in to whisper playfully in her ear. "...It's Jake's birthday!" Emily's hands flew to her mouth in surprise.
"Oh, my gosh! I totally forgot!" she turned to Claire, swinging happily on her little swing. "Claire! Go inside so we can change out of your play clothes! We're going out today!" Claire nodded obediently and jumped off her swing. Then she went inside. "Mind if we tag along with you? It just totally slipped my mind, and I still need to get a gift!" I nodded and leaned on the car.
"S'okay. We'll be waiting out here." Emily thanked me and ran inside.
About two hours later, we were walking down a busy sidewalk in Port Angeles. I adjusted Jayah's pink sweater, and then started pushing her car seat again.
"Where to first, Boss Lady?" Emily joked. I laughed, and continued walking towards the store I was looking for.
"Well...We can start by heading into Newdays. They've got a grocery store with everything that I'm looking for, and they've got a separate store upstairs. You can look up there for a gift, if you want."
"But what would he want? I don't know him as well as you do," Emily said. I thought for a moment, then got an idea.
"He's always complaining about jeans, and shorts, and stuff. He's down to only two pairs. I think he'd appreciate it if he had new ones."
"Did you do anything else special for him?" Emily asked. I smiled, and looked up dreamily.
"I made him his favorite chocolate chip pancakes. Then after that, we made out for a couple of minutes before he had to leave for work. That was a wonderful start to my morning." Emily laughed.
"I don't think I could top that, but I can still try."
"Try as hard as you want, Emmy, dearest, but nothing will ever compare to his one and only!" As soon as I said this, we walked into my store of choice. Emily headed for the escalator, Claire following her. "Oh, Claire! Come with me, honey. You can help me get food. Let Emily go up there."
"Okay!" Claire turned around and waved to Emily. "We gonna' see you soon, Aunty Emmwy! We gonna' get food!" Emily laughed and waved back, then disappeared up the escalator. I put Jayah's stroller in the 'stroller park', and grabbed her baby carrier out of it. Attaching it to a grocery cart, I turned to Claire.
"Hold onto the side of the cart, Claire-Bear. I don't want you to get lost." Claire did as she was told, and then we headed towards the grocery part of the store. We walked down the aisles, and I made it Claire's personal mission to get all the things on the lower part of the shelves. I got the things that were too high for her to reach. "Okay, Claire. Can you get the sprinkles in the red bottle, please?" I asked her. Claire nodded eagerly, and handed me the 'sprinkles.' It was just a bottle of Mckormick seasoning. But she understood the word 'sprinkles' better. And, emphasizing on the word red made just as easy.
I held out my hand for a high five, which Claire happily slapped. I giggled.
"Yeah, girl power!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah, girl power!" Claire repeated. I laughed again and Claire took her place at the side of the cart. When we turned the corner, I ran smack dab into someone.
"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry!" I said. Jayah started to whimper, but I looked up to make sure the person was alright first.
"Yeah, you better be. Watch where you're going!" the person said. My eyes widened when I saw it was Bella. "Oh, Leah." She looked around, and I assumed to see if Jacob or any of the guys were nearby. Then she turned back to me, looking at the baby carrier. "Don't you have to take care of that...Whatever it is?" she pointed disgustedly at Jayah. I frowned.
She had no right to call my baby an 'it.'
"Can you just move, Bella? I have some errands to run." I tried to move my cart around her, but she stepped in front of it.
"How's Edward? Replacing me with whores?" she asked. I reached down and covered Claire's ears.
"Watch your mouth! I have small children here!"
"Yeah, whatever. Does it look like I could care about the little cockroaches? Anyway...Jake's still dating you, I see. But he's not here. Probably cheating on you right now." She crossed her arms and smiled slyly. I shook my head, and rubbed Jayah's cheek. Her whimpering almost instantly stopped.
"Jake loves me. He'd never do that-"
"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to the texts he's been sending me." I frowned again.
What texts?
"What...texts?" I asked hesitantly. Emily took that moment to show up, and her eyes narrowed into slits. She picked up Claire, but stayed silent. Bella threw her phone at me, but I caught it, no problem. I stared at it, not knowing what to do.
"Don't just stare at it! Aren't you gonna' open it?" she asked. It almost sounded like she wanted me to. Now, I was suspicious. I opened the phone, and looked at the text.
yeah baby. if ur drivin da boat, im guidin da ship. c u 2nite.
I looked at the caller ID.
Jacob.
"See what I'm saying? He's cheating on you," Bella said. My eyes filled with tears and threw the phone at her. She yelped and didn't catch it. It hit the ground and broke. "Oh, my...Leah, you idiot! You broke my phone!" Ignoring her, I moved the cart around her and continued on with my shopping.
There just had to be an explanation to this.
When all of our things were in the car, and Claire and Jayah were settled into their car seats, we started the drive home. It was silent, except for Claire's humming as she colored, and Jayah's occasional baby babbles.
"Leah...Are you okay?" Emily asked hesitantly. My eyes filled tears again, and the road got blurry. I blinked my eyes, and my vision got better. Glancing at Emily, I shook my head slightly.
"I just can't believe...Jake's actually cheating on me...With Bella, of all people," I whispered quietly. Emily frowned.
"Don't listen to Bella! She's probably just...Mad about Jake choosing you over her...And Edward choosing Evangeline." I barely heard a word she said.
How could he do this to me?
When we got to our house, Emily and I worked together to unload the car. I held Jayah's car seat in the crook of my arm, and four bags in my other hand. My werewolf strength was coming back, and I could do so many things now. After setting things in the kitchen, and putting Jayah down on the counter, I went to shut my trunk.
Hmmm...Should I bring the stroller inside...? I thought about it for a few seconds, then shut the trunk anyway. I'd leave it there for now. As I was locking my car, someone snaked their arms around my waist. I smiled, temporarily forgetting my encounter with Bella earlier today.
"Hey, you," Jacob said.
"Hey...You," I replied. Jacob turned me around, and started kissing my forehead, both cheeks, my nose...
I stopped him before he could get to my lips. He looked at me, confused.
"H-how was work?" I asked, taking his hand and heading inside. "You're home early." I said, looking at the clock on the stove. It was only a quarter after four. Jacob smiled.
"Sam let me off. Called it a 'birthday present.'" Jacob winked at me. Walking into the kitchen, I noticed Emily raise her eyebrows at me. I shook my head, and she shrugged.
"Want a snack, Jake?" Emily asked. "I brought these muffins from home. They're not warm, but I'm sure they still taste good." Emily held out her Tupperware full of muffins. Jacob smiled and took one.
"Thanks, Emmy. You're awesome," he took a bite.
"Psh...I know," Emily replied. "Oh! Happy birthday." Emily picked up the gift bag next to her foot. Jake laughed.
"Really, you didn't have to get me anything!"
"But I wanted to. Aren't you going to open it?" she asked. Jacob raised an eyebrow, still grinning like there wasn't a care in the world. When he pulled out all the pairs of jeans, his smile grew wider.
I didn't even know that was possible.
"How'd you know I needed new jeans?" he asked, then turned to me. He chuckled and shook his head. Forcing a smile, I hugged him.
"You caught me red-handed, Jakey. I told her." Jacob leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "Why are you thanking me with kisses? Emily's the one that spent her hard-earned cash on your gift!" I gestured towards Emily, who was taking things out of the grocery bags.
"You're right. Thanks, Emily. I'm gonna' go put these away," Jake said, and jogged up the stairs.
"You're just letting him kiss you with those Bella-poisoned lips of his?" Emily whisper-yelled.
"What else am I going to do? Not let him kiss me? He's already suspicious!" I retorted. Emily cocked her head to the side. "...I wouldn't let him kiss my lips like he usually does when he gets home. You should've seen his face. I just know he knows something's up. I think he knows we're on to him, or something." Emily opened her mouth to say something, but Jacob came back in the kitchen. She shut her mouth and continued unpacking the bags. I glanced at Jake, then headed to the living room to take Jayah out of her car seat. "Look, Jay. Daddy's here." I held Jayah out to her father, and he took her with a huge grin on his face.
"Hey, honey!" Jacob tickled her sides, and Jayah giggled. Ever since the fireworks, she'd been doing that a lot. We went for a checkup with Carlisle a couple of days ago, and he says that she's developing way faster than normal. Would her aging slow down? He says we'd have to wait and see. But Jayah was only three months, but looked and acted like a six month old baby. She could pick things up, sit up on her own, and liked putting things in her mouth. And...
...And I hated it.
She was growing up too fast. Why couldn't she stay a small, helpless baby forever?
I was snapped out of my thoughts when the door banged open.
"Happy birthday, Jakey!" Alice exclaimed, rushing into the room.
"It's his birthday? I didn't know Leah was older than you?" Rosalie said with a smirk. Behind them, the rest of the Cullens came in. Edward and Evangeline came inside, holding hands. It was so great to see Edward with someone that actually made him happy, for a change. When mine and Edward's eyes met, his facial expression softened. I smiled a little, then looked down. Mom came inside and hugged me.
"Hello, Leah," she said. "How's your day been? I haven't heard from you in a while." I laughed.
"Mom...We talked yesterday!" I giggled. Mom pulled away and laughed.
"Yeah, well, it feels like forever." Then she continued on to where everyone else was. The rest of the Pack and imprints came in soon after that.
"How was your first day of school, guys?" Kim asked.
"Oh, my gosh! You should have seen what Teasha did to Melody and her bunch!" Jazmyn started. Teasha shrugged and smiled.
"They were getting on my nerves," she said simply.
"What'd she do?" I asked.
"So, we're sitting down, minding our own business," Brady started.
"And then they just start talking about Teasha like she isn't even there," Jazmyn said. "So..."
"So I sprayed them with Gatorade from my water bottle. No big deal. Let's just say they won't do it again," Teasha finished quickly. I frowned. Teasha didn't seem like herself today. Something seemed off about her.
"In other news...Teasha looks pretty darn sexy!" Emmett exclaimed all of a sudden. Teasha blushed and looked down. "I mean, for real. If you weren't already taken, I'd be-" Rosalie elbowed him, and he grinned sheepishly. "But no one compares to you, Rosebud."
"Yeah, yeah. Tell that to the back of my hand," Rosalie muttered. She walked into the kitchen.
"Rosie! Rosalie, c'mon...!" Emmett pleaded, following her. I went and sat next to Teasha. She was leaning on the arm rest of one of our couches, looking like she was in pain.
"You okay, honey?" I asked, rubbing her leg. She looked at me and smiled sadly. "Is it..."
"What? No!" she yelped, blushing fiercely. "...I just have a bad headache, is all...And some nail-biting body aches. I'll be fine." Collin sat down next to her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. All of a sudden, Quil burst in.
"Qwil! My Qwil is home!" Claire exclaimed, running to him.
"Hey, Squirt," Quil said, ruffling the little girl's hair. Instead of picking her up, Quil ran and whispered something to Sam.
"Okay. We need to go calm him down," Sam said, and he and Collin rushed out the back door.
"What's...Going on?" I asked, standing up.
"We just got a new addition to our Pack," Seth replied. He was laying on Jazmyn's lap and she played with his hair. I cheered and clapped my hands.
"Really? Who?"
"A senior. Brandon," Brady said.
"His parents know all about us. When they saw signs, they went straight to Billy," Seth said.
"I can't wait to meet him!" Kim said. "I hope he's nice."
The Pack buzzed with excitement over their new member. I stood in the kitchen, making dinner, while Esme and Mom worked on a cake. I kept stealing glances at Teasha; she looked really sick. The last time I looked up, I heard her calling her dad.
"...Daddy?" she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears. "Can you pick me up from Jacob and Leah's house? I'm not feeling well...Okay. Thanks. Love you, too." After she hung up, Collin pulled her close again. He looked in just as much pain as she was. I knew it hurt him to see her in pain. Because he knew he couldn't do anything about it.
A couple of minutes later, the back door opened again. I rushed to it with towels in my hands. It had started to pour, and I didn't want them to track water and mud into my newly cleaned house.
"Leah, this is Brandon," Quil explained. He gestured towards the guy behind him. I held out my hand, and he shook it.
"Great! Nice to meet you. Welcome to my...Hectic home," I laughed, leading them to where everyone else was. Brandon just grinned, and looked around. He seemed nice...
"Hi! You must be Brandon. I go to school with you...I'm a sophomore," Jazmyn chattered happily.
"Yeah. I've seen you around," Brandon replied. "...Jazmyn, right?" Jazmyn nodded.
"You are correct!" she said, using her famous game show voice. "We're going to get along nicely!"
"Brandon, you hungry?" I asked. He nodded, and I went to the kitchen to get him a muffin. "Our resident cook, Emily, made them. She's like a gourmet chef!" I handed him the muffin, and he took a bite out of it.
"Okay. I'm hooked. These are good!" he said, and took another bite.
"Thanks," Emily said.
Soon, dinner was ready, and plates were served.
"We made your favorite; sweet and sour chicken," I said to Jacob. "It's your birthday, after all." Jacob took a bite, and smiled.
"You're the best, Lee." I forced a smile, and then went to feed Jayah. After I put the bottle in her mouth, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," I called, rushing to the door. Opening it, I smiled. "Hey, Mr. Kidd!"
"Hi, Leah. Is Teasha here? I came to get her," he said gruffly. I nodded slowly and turned towards the house.
"Teasha! Dad's here!" I yelled. Teasha stood up on shaky legs. They were shaking so bad, I was surprised she didn't fall. She grabbed her messenger bag, and headed towards the door. But not before hugging Collin.
"Get better soon, T," he said. Teasha smiled and left, her dad's hand on her shoulder the whole time. I watched them until their car disappeared down the road. Closing the door, I forced myself to forget about the awkward moment and have a good time.
Which I did.
When I saw Jacob's cake, I almost dropped Jayah; I was laughing so hard. The frosting was regular white, but in loopy red frosting was written:
Happy B-Day!
Still Can't Believe Leah's Older Than You
"Thanks, Rosalie," Jacob chuckled. Rosalie put her hands on his shoulders.
"Any time."
Everyone stayed for a long while after that. After putting Jayah to bed, I suddenly remembered what had happened earlier today. I needed to talk to Jake. But everyone couldn't be here.
"Seth! It's a school night," I told my little brother. He groaned.
"It's only, like, 9:30! Jayah doesn't even go to bed this early!" I rolled my eyes.
"Jayah doesn't have school in the morning," I retorted. Seth rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Mom! C'mon, tell her. I'm not a little kid anymore." Seth gestured to me, looking at Mom. She just smiled and looked at the door. It was closed, but then it opened by itself. "Real nice, Mom. Real nice."
"You'll thank us when you don't fall asleep in class tomorrow!" she said, laughing. "For the record, you'll always be my baby boy!"
"Mom!" he growled, turning red. The rest of us in the house laughed. "I'm just gonna' leave now. Before you embarrass me even more. See you at home." Seth started walking out the house.
"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Jazmyn exclaimed, running after him. She grabbed an umbrella out of the stand. She jumped on Seth's back, and they disappeared down the trail.
"I should get goin', too. My parents are gonna' love hearing about this," Brandon said. The girls all hugged him, and waved 'goodbye.'
"See you tomorrow, Brandon," I said, watching him go. Brady, Collin, and Quil followed him.
"We should all get going, too. I take it you've got something to do...?" Edward said, tugging Evangeline towards the door. I nodded.
"Thanks for the great party, guys," Jake said. "The food, gifts...Everything." Edward nodded and he and the other Cullens left.
"Everybody else come with me! Jake and Leah need some alone time," Emily said. I smiled appreciatively at her. "Good luck," she mouthed to me.
"Thanks," I mouthed back. Finally, when everyone was gone, I sat down on the couch. "Jake, we need to talk." The couch sank down more from Jacob's weight.
"You're scaring me. What's going on?" I took a deep breath, and opened my mouth.
"...I ran into Bella today."
000000000000000000000
Jacob's P.o.V.
"...I ran into Bella today." I groaned.
"What'd she do this time?" I asked, irritated.
"I literally ran into her. She insulted me, asked how Edward was doing...Asked how you were doing...Insulted me some more. And she said...Other stuff, too." I frowned.
"What do you mean, 'other stuff?'"
Leah's eyes filled with tears.
"Like...She said you guys have been texting each other."
What?
"Leah, she's just messing with you. Don't listen to her!" Leah looked doubtful. "W-Wait. You actually believe her? Leah...You know I'd never do that to you!"
"Then...Then let me see your phone."
"What? Why?" I asked standing up. "Leah-"
"Don't...! Give me that crap. If you'd never do that to me, show me the phone. Why are you being so defensive?" I sighed and took my phone out of my pocket. Then I handed it to her...Just as it rang.
"It's a new text..." Leah said. She looked at it, and then threw it at me. "You. Are. A. Liar," she hissed. "Read it. Read it and tell me you're not lying. Tell it to my face." I looked down at the phone.
did u get rid of the thng? i wanna c u 2nite. we r still on rite? ...bella ;)
She. Did. Not.
"Leah! This isn't what it looks like!" I mentally punched myself. Why would she believe me? Bella just made it look like I was cheating on her. Leah gave a humorless laugh.
"Then what? What does it look like, Jacob? Enlighten me." I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to tell her? It's not like she would believe me. "It's not the fact about you cheating with Bella that hurts me," she said, her voice just above a whisper. My head shot back up.
"But I didn't cheat on you! I'd never cheat on you! Bella's just screwing around with your head. 'Cause that's-" Leah held up her hand.
"Say what you want. But...It's the whole idea of you lying to me. That's what hurts the most." A tear slid down her cheek, bringing makeup with it. Leah wiped it away.
"Leah..."
"Don't 'Leah...' me! There's nothing you can do to fix this! Nothing! All the proof is right there!" Leah pointed to the phone that was still in my hands. I put my hands on her shoulders, but she moved them away. "Don't touch me!" she hissed. She turned around and started heading upstairs. I followed her.
"Leah! Just listen to me, please!"
"No, Jake. Just...No." Leah headed towards Jayah's room. I reached out for her shoulder again. "Stop! I'm not messing around with you anymore!" She reached down for Jayah and picked her up. Then she left the room.
"Where are you going?"
"Why do you care? If I leave, you'll still have Bella!" she opened the door and walked out, slamming the door so hard, the whole house shook. I stood there for a few moments, completely in shock.
Did she really...Just leave?
I shook my head and opened the door.
"Leah! LEAH!" I called. I looked toward her car. It was still there. And the Rabbit was still there, too. "Leah!" I groaned.
Why wouldn't she believe me? She and I both know that I'd never do that to her.
Then again, that text really did look real.
"You happy, Bells? See what you did? Now...I don't even know where they are, or if they're safe! Thanks, so much! Without you, my life wouldn't be this disappointing!" I yelled out to the sky.
Great. Now I sound like a lunatic.
I threw off my clothes, wrapping my cutoffs around my leg. Then I phased. Running into the forest, I sniffed around for her scent. Catching it, I started to run faster. I needed to work fast before the rain washed it away.
Please be okay.
"Jake," Embry said.
"No time to talk. I've gotta' find Leah."
"What do you mean 'find Leah?' What the heck did you do?" I mentally sighed, and explained the whole story to him, still running. The rain was starting to wash away her scent, but I knew I was getting close. "Bella..." Embry growled. "What's her problem?" I didn't answer, and kept running.
Now I knew I was close.
"I'm phasing back, Embry. Wish me luck."
"Good luck."
Pulling on my shorts, I walked around.
"Leah!" I called. I listened for her. Turning around, I thought I heard something. Like a faint cry. "Leah..." I walked towards a bush; I was positive that she was behind it. Walking around it, I saw her crouched down, shivering. She held a yellow bundle in her arms, and occasionally rubbed her hands back and forth on it. "Give me the baby, Leah," I whispered. I reached down for Jayah, but Leah snatched her away.
"You don't deserve to hold her," she whispered back, her voice trembling. I sat down beside her.
"What will it take for you to believe me?" I asked. Leah didn't answer. "I didn't-"
"Would you cut it out with that? I heard you the first fifty-gazillion times!"
"Leah, he really didn't!" Embry said, coming out of nowhere.
"Embry! W-where'd you come from?" Leah exclaimed, standing up.
"Doesn't matter. What matters is he didn't cheat on you. He'd never cheat on you. I've seen his thoughts. He's clean. Bella's just being a bitch." Leah shivered some more, and Jayah started to whimper. Leah bounced her up and down, shushing her. I stood up and looked at Leah intently.
"See? I have a witness. Now do you believe me?" Leah looked hesitant.
"Pro...Promise me. Promise me you'll never do anything to hurt me." I wrapped my arms around my imprint and pulled her close. Hugging her tightly, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
"I promise," I whispered. Leah leaned into me more.
"You...Promised."
I still feel really bad for making you guys wait so long for that last chapter! Anyway...
Review...!
~SashaFierce12.0