Thank you guys so much for reviewing! It's so awesome that I finally got reviews for this story. Well, I have school tomorrow and sadly it's an 8 o'clock class, so I'm just giving one update of this story. Tomorrow, I plan to have another chapter of this out as well as a chapter from Forgetting Franki.

Thank you so much to Mackenzie L., Angel of the Night Watchers, Yaoi-Beloved, and pwndheartx for your reviews. It's so nice to know that people are actually liking this now! This chapter and the next two after it are for you guys because you made me want to keep writing this one again, thank you!

Enjoy!

Chapter Six - Scary Stories

I was bored as I sat in my room. I was supposed to be reading the third act of Macbeth, but I had done costumes and makeup for a performance of it before, forcing me to sit around for hours to listening to their rehearsals, so I didn't really need the refresher. Secretly, as I sat in my room, I was waiting to hear the engine of my truck. I would have thought that even over the sound of the rain, I could have heard it - but when I went to peek out of the curtain - again - it was there all of it's own accord.

I was not looking forward to Friday and it more than lived up to my non-expectations. Of course there were the fainting comments, Jessica particularly seemed to get a kick out of that story. Luckily, Mike had kept his mouth shut and no one seemed ot know about Edward's involvement. She did have a lot of questions about lunch, though.

"So, what did Edward Cullen want yesterday?" Jessica asked me in Trig.

"I don't actually know, he's really bad at getting to the point of things." I answered honestly.

"You looked kind of mad," she fished. I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, did I?"

"You know, I've never seen him sit with anyone but his family before. That was weird." She was trying to fish to see if there was something I wasn't telling her, but to be honest I only paid attention to the actual statement and not it's hidden meaning. I sighed.

"For sure." I agreed. She seemed annoyed that I wasn't one for gossip and flipped her dark curls impatiently - obviously she was upset that I wasn't like all her other friends. She wanted to hear something that would have made a good story to pass on, or to get her attention because she was the only one who knew.

The worst part about Friday was that even though I knew he wasn't going to be there, I still hoped. When I walked into the cafeteria with Jessica and Mike I couldn't even help from just peeking at his table where Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper sat talking, their heads all close together. They looked like they were plotting - which was not the most pleasant thought. Pretty people like that were the ones who got away with murder.

I couldn't stop the gloom that hung over me when I realized I didn't know how long it would be before I saw him again. It was an unpleasant sensation.

At the usual table, everyone was full of our plans for the next day. Mike was animated again, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who had promised for sun. I'd have to see that before I believed it - which I hadn't actually seen yet. But it was noticeably warmer today, maybe around sixty. So maybe the beach wouldn't be as pathetic as I feared. I tried to remind myself I wasn't going for a taste of home I was going for a taste of my roots - my mother grew up on the La Push res. It wouldn't just be sunbathing and surfing to me, to me, this would be history.

I intercepted a few unfriendly glances from Lauren during lunch, which I didn't understand until we were all walking out of the room together. I was right behind her, just a foot from her slick, silver blonde hair but she obviously didn't know that because not even she had the nerve to talk behind my back.

"...don't know why Livi-" an evident sneer came with my name, "doesn't just sit with the Cullen's from now on," I heard her murmuring to Mike. I had never noticed how her voice was so nasal and high pitched, like Janice from friends. I wondered briefly if she had the adjoining donkey laugh. I really didn't know her well at all, which was why I was surprised by the overwhelming malice in her words. I didn't think she knew me enough to dislike me that much.

"She's my friend," Mike said loyally. "She sits with us." It was somewhat territorial and though it was nice to be fought for, I had a feeling it wasn't quite for all the right reasons. Or for my right reasons. This school had an amazing difference between my last one - there, you only had this kind of talk about peoples performances: we didn't like to gossip and name kick this much unless it was jealousy for parts or whom happened to sleep with whoever else in the dressing rooms, but here...well, here it was a constant battle of the uprising. You had to fight to the surface and keep kicking as if you were treading water.

I fell back under the surface, letting Jess and Angela pass me. I didn't want to hear anymore even if I was afraid of the water.

That night at dinner, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning. He wanted me to go find my roots too, or so he said, but I think he was just starting to feel bad leaving me alone on the weekends. He thought I was finally starting to fit in now that I had friends - I secretly hoped he was right.

He knew all the names of the kids going, their parents, Hell - he may have even known their grandparents. He seemed to approve of all the attendants, and I wondered if he would feel the same about me catching a ride to Seattle with Edward Cullen...not that I was going to tell him.

"Dad, do you know a place called Goat Rocks or something like that? It's near Rainier." I asked casually. He hummed his acknowledgement through a mouthful of the dinner I had made. I felt like I had to defend myself. "Oh. I was just wondering. Some kids were talking about camping there."

"It's not a very good place for camping," he sounded surprised, subconsciously worrying about wiping food out of his moustache. "Too many bears. Most people go there during the hunting season."

"Oh. Maybe I got the name wrong." I hope I got the name wrong. Nothing would destroy me more than an Edward Cullen headstone sticking out of the ground. Then again - something told me that if a van couldn't crush him, a bullet from a lousy shotgun couldn't kill him, either.

I meant to sleep in, but the unusual brightness woke me. I groaned. "Katie, close the curtains." I groaned only to open my eyes at the sound of my own voice. I was alone, Katie was not here. I was in Forks. The first thing I noticed was that I must have walked in my sleep again. It was obvious thanks to the fact I was in my pajamas on the floor, leaning up against the legs of the couch. Great. But I was so distracted by the bright light that I ran to the window, not caring or worrying over any bumps and bruises from my comatose walk around the house. The sun was leaking in through my window and right on to my face, I couldn't believe it. I was sure that I owed someone ten bucks. I saw that the sun was in the wrong place in the sky, too low, and it didn't seem as close as I was used to, but it was the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon but there was a nice, big patch of blue right in the middle. I lingered by the window as long as I could, afraid that if I left the blue would disappear again.

The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I had seen it before but I had never stopped in - I was a little too clumsy to go in a store where the walls were lined with fishhooks and other things that could potentially dismember me. In the parking lot, I recognized Mike's Suburban and Tyler's Sentra. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around the front of the Suburban. Eric was there, along with two other boys who I think were Conner and Ben. Angela there flanked by Jessica and Lauren - oh, I'd have to keep my distance from that one. Three other girls stood with them, including one I remember falling over in Gym on Friday. That one gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck and whispered to Lauren who gave me a glare of her own.

Great. It would be one of those days.

I hope they didn't expect me to join in on their little game...for their sakes.

"You came!" Mike called enthusiastically. It was nice for someone to want to see me. "And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?

"I told you I was coming," I reminded him. He nodded.

"We're waiting on Lee and Samantha...unless you invited someone?" Mike added lowly. I saw some eyes flicker over to me and I shook my head, knowing that if I said 'no' I would be lying - and we all know how well that goes over. Mike looked satisfied.

"Will you ride in my car? It's that or Lee's mom's minivan."

"Sure." It was the response that seemed to make him happiest, even if I shouldn't be doing that. I just really didn't know Lee well enough to sit in his van and I didn't know who all would be there. At least if I sat with Mike I knew who I needed to kick away on the flirt scale - when I was with people I didn't know it was like open season on Vivienne's love life.

"You can have shotgun," he promised. I hid my chagrin rather royally for someone as bad as I am at lying. If only it were simple to make Jessica and Mike happy at the same time...

The numbers worked out in favour of that very scenario because Lee ended up bringing two extras, and suddenly every single seat needed to be used. Because he had promised me shotgun, I sat in that seat but I was sure to stick Jessica right in between us. She did not seem to mind the close wedge.

It was only fifteen minutes from La Push from Forks and I was slightly amazed I had yet to make the trip myself, the forest was beautiful and lush as the forest edged the road most of the way to the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I was really happy I had the window seat. We'd rolled them down because it got so stuffy and I was slightly claustrophobic, so sticking my head out the window like a dog suddenly seemed like the least embarrassing action in comparison to a panic attack.

I hadn't been to the beach in a long time, I remembered that it wasn't sandy but rocky. Dad didn't like coming here, he said the swimming was too dangerous for a bad swimmer like me and though he wouldn't say it, I knew it was painful for him. This is where he and my mother met and got married. I'd always said I would get married here too - it was strange to think I didn't even remember the shoreline.

The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven peaks that were crowned with finger-like firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand and it was more gravel than fine sand like Phoenix. After the sand it grew into millions of large, slimy stones that look uniformly gray from a distance but close up they were every shade a stone could be, from terra-cotta, to lavender, to a dull gold. The tide line was strewn with dead driftwood - bleached bone white from the salt and all piled together against the edge of the forest, just out of reach from the waves.

The wind coming off the waves wasn't favourable, but it was one of the things I could remember. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. I kept my eyes on the eagle as long as I could - before my mother married Earl, she had been completely into the idea of spirituality and Eagles had been a good omen to her. I watched it and gave it a smile, which only broadened when I heard it cry immediately after. It circled the clouds in the sky, but for now they did not invade the sun's glare over the water.

We picked our way down the beach, Mike leading the way to a ring of Driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with ashes. Eric and Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forests edge and soon a teepee-shaped construction was atop the old cinders.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Mike asked me, his eyes lighting up. I was sitting on one of the bone-trees, the other girls were clustered and gossiping excitedly on the other side of me. Mike bent over the fire, lighting a smaller stick with a cigarette lighter.

"I grew up here." I answered with a smile as I pulled my knees higher up as he lit the twig against the teepee.

"Oh." He frowned. "Then you'll know about the colours?" He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick up the dry wood and I felt myself smiling, losing my cool and indifferent air that I tried to keep at all times when he was around.

"I missed driftwood fires!" I breathed, watching the blue flames dance as I thought of every blue I had ever seen in my pencil crayons, my paints, my pastels...but nothing I could have painted or drawn would have recreated this, it was too magnificent.

"Pretty, isn't it?" He lit another piece and placed it where the fire hadn't caught before he sat down beside me. Thankfully, Jess had plopped herself on the other side and seemed not to notice this betrayal. She turned to him and claimed his attention quickly - I was glad. I watched the strange blue and green flames crackle towards the sky and briefly wondered how I had not remembered what this looked like. Sure, I remembered the chemical reaction of the salt itself, but it was something completely different to see it in front of you.

After a half an hour of regular chatter that I even immersed myself in - but got too annoyed with some of the glares that Lauren threw me - the boys decided they wanted to check out the tidal pools. That was a dilemma. On one hand I thought that it would be a sight to see, on the other I seemed to remember doing a lot of falling into them as a child. Not a big deal when you're seven and with your dad who can easily lift you out - a bit of a bigger deal when you had specifically made a promise not to fall into the ocean to the man of your dreams...

Ew, Vivienne. Don't romanticize his taunt.

Lauren, however, made the decision for me by not wearing the right shoes to hike. Jess and Angela wanted to stay, too. I waited for Tyler and Eric to say they were going to stay with them before I hopped up with the hikers. Mike gave me a huge smile that made me feel uneasy about being with his group, but the glares from Lauren outweighed his flirtation, so I quickly threw a small one back.

The hike didn't take long, though I hated losing the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter all around me. I had to watch every step I took so I lost some of the scenery and I fell behind, but every time I looked up and appreciated how pretty the foliage was, I tripped. Not good. Eventually I broke through the emerald forest and onto the rocky shore. It was low tide and the tidal river flowed past us on its way into the sea. Along it's pebbled banks, the pools were surging with life.

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the edges of these little ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over rocks and perching on edges...I watched and not so jokingly rooted for them to fall. I found a very stable looking rock on the fringe of one of the larger pools and sat there carefully, spellbound by the natural aquarium under me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones swayed ceaselessly in an invisible current. The twisted shells scurried about the edges, hiding the crabs that lived in them, the starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the brilliant green weeds, just waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my mind that wondered what Edward was doing right now and trying to imagine what information he would be feeding me were he here.

Finally the boys were hungry and I stiffly started moving with them to go back. I tried to keep up this time and naturally fell because I wasn't watching my feet. I got some shallow scrapes on my palms and the knees of my jeans were stained green and the skin probably bruised, but I had done much worse in the past. I considered my shallow injuries a victory of grace.

When we got back to the beach, the group we had left behind had multiplied. When we got closer, I could see the shining straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers: Quileute, like me. They were darker than me though, I was much more pale thanks to Charlie's genetics and their hair was black where mine was just a dark brown - almost auburn in the sunlight, not that anyone cared to notice.

The food was already being passed around and the boys hurried to claim their share while Eric introduced us all. Angela and I were the last to arrive and as Eric said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up to me in interest. I sat down next to her and Mike brought us sandwiches with an array of sodas to choose from. I picked the ginger ale, he wrinkled his nose at my choice. A boy who looked the oldest of the Quileutes rattled off the names of seven people with him, and I caught one girls name that was also Jessica and the boy who I noticed staring at me was named Jacob.

It was relaxing to sit with Angela, she was just that kind of presence. She didn't feel the need to fill each silence with chatter and left me free to think while we ate. I was thinking about how time didn't tend to make sense in Forks, passing in a blur at times, then some snap shots that seemed more significant because of how strongly they stood out of my memories. Then, at other times, every second of a moment were etched harshly into my memory. I knew exactly what, or whom caused the difference - and the fact he had a name disturbed me.

During lunch, the clouds started to advance casting long shadows across the beach and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift off into smaller groups - some walking down to the waves and trying to skip rocks and some going to check out the tidal pools again. Most boys had girls at their sides now so they wanted to go to the tidal pools. Mike led a small group - including Jessica, who was far too eager - to a shop in the village. Lauren and Tyler sat at the other side of the circle listening to a CD player with three other Natives and the spokesperson - I'm so bad with names - sat across from me with the boy named Jacob.

When Angela left with the hikers, Jacob sauntered to take her place beside me. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet coloured, much darker than mine but you could tell they were from the same tint. His cheekbones were even higher than mine and lined his dark eyes that were a different, darker colour of brown than mine - his seemed more lovely. He still had a hint of childish roundness left to his chin. It was a very pretty face. However, my positive opinions on his looks were damaged by the first words out of his mouth.

"You're Vivienne Swan, aren't you?" It was like school. First day. I wondered if he would join Team Lauren, or even worse, Team Mike...

"Liv." I corrected.

"I'm Jacob Black." He held out his hand. "You bought my Dad's truck."

"Oh!" I was relieved and shook his hand. At least there was another reason he knew me beside all the small-town gossip. "Billy's son. I should probably remember you..." But I didn't. Plain and simple. I could have added that but I was sure that he got the idea.

"No, I'm the youngest of the family - you would remember my older sisters."

"Oh...oh! They were the twins right? Rachel and Rebecca?" I wish I recalled stuff like that all the time, I would probably not make the fishy-face as often. Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during their visits with each other, which were for them more so than between the twins and I. By the time I was eleven, the fishing trips stopped. I knew that it was probably a good thing, they weren't much older but I had been a little intimidated by them and when I went in the boat I had an uncanny talent of falling out...

"Are they here?" I examined the edge, wondering if I would be able to recognize them, but knew they weren't. I wouldn't peg it on knowing them, per se, but more that I didn't see any twins.

"No." Jacob shook his head. "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, Rebecca married a Samoan surfer and lives in Hawaii now."

"Married. Wow." I was stunned. The twins weren't much over a year older than me. I couldn't imagine being married that young - I'd feel like I would be missing so much of life.

"So, how do you like the truck?

"I admire it. Runs pretty great considering how old he is."

"He?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. I shrugged, trying to hide my blush. He caught my embarrassment quickly. "I always thought it'd be a she." I looked up at him gratefully, liking the kid already.

"He runs great, but really slow," he laughed as he continued. "I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. My Dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a 'perfectly good' vehicle right there."

"Hey, don't hate the truck. It's not that slow."

"Have you ever tried going over sixty?" I shook my head, I'd had no reason to. "Good. Don't."

He grinned at me and I couldn't help but grin back. "It does great in a collison," I offered in the trucks defense. He seemed to laugh harder, thinking that me getting into a car accident was funny.

"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster," he agreed with another laugh.

"So, you build cars, huh?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"When I have free time and parts. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get a cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" He added jokingly. His pleasant, husky voice made me want to keep smiling.

"Sorry," I sighed. "I usually have one in my back pocket, but I wore the wrong jeans!" He laughed with me. "Seriously though, a Rabbit? That's impressive. They were really sturdy, if a bit awkward. The '86 was a good model - the round lights look better than the square ones."

He was making the fishy face! I was glad I wasn't the only one to do it. "You-know-cars." It was a statement and each word was stung with emphasis to something I didn't understand. I blushed.

"Mostly body work, not so much how to actually do the mechanics. I could name you the parts of a car and sometimes what they do, but I couldn't rebuild one or anything."

"Still..." He smiled. "You could help me paint it when it's done!" He flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in a way I was learning to recognize. I wasn't the only one to see it.

"You know Livi, Jacob?" Lauren spit. He seemed to notice the malice in her voice too and instantly became defensive of me.

"We've known each other since we were born, actually." He smiled at me.

"How nice." She didn't sound like she thought it was nice at all and her cold eyes narrowed. "Livi, I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?" Her expression of concern was unconvincing and I felt myself blush, thinking of how I had. I wanted to spit off how he was camping and told me had wished he could come - but was interrupted.

"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" The tall, older boy asked. Lauren seemed irritated at the...well, he was closer to being a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep.

"Yes, do you know them?" She asked condescendingly, turning half way towards him.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring her question. Tyler got back her attention easily and I saw that maybe there was a reason for all that malice.

I looked back suspiciously to the man-boy across from me, but he was staring off into the forest. He had said that the Cullens didn't come here, but he had obviously meant that they weren't allowed. It was like when I talked to Edward and he made it very clear some of his more silent remarks meant something else. His manner left a strange, nagging expression on me and I tried to ignore it without success.

Jacob, luckily, stopped my train wrecked mind from going to far. "So is Forks driving you insane yet?"

"Understatement of the century." I grimaced. He grinned in understanding. We fell ingo a short silence again as I fought with my mind to understand the statement of the Cullens, but suddenly I had inspiration. But was I that cruel? Was I really desperate enough to hope that young Jacob - probably still inexperienced around girls - wouldn't notice me completely using him so that he wouldn't see through my really underused talents of flirting?

For Edward? Yes, I guess I was.

"Do you wanna walk the beach with me? I'd dig the barefoot style were I not a walking, global disaster." Okay, maybe I didn't know how to flirt. He seemed to think that my attempt with flirting was something, however, and he willing jumped up to leave.

I shoved my hands deep into my jacket as we walked and I was suddenly nervous and cold. The clouds had finally taken over the sky and had caused the sea to darken and the temperature to drop. I closed my eyes, thinking of all the techniques that Edward seemed to use to allure me - it was easy to pinpoint, but something told me it would not be so easy to duplicate.

"So how old are you? Sixteen?" I asked, trying not to look like an idiot as I looked up from my eyelashes like he had done. He seemed to blush a bit, flattered.

"I just turned fifteen," he admitted.

"For real?" I asked, my face full of false surprise. I had guessed around fourteen or fifteen. "I would have thought you were older..." than twelve, I added. These were the techniques I had to use to lie.

"I'm tall for my age." I looked - ah, he kind of was.

"Do you come up to Forks much?" I asked archly as if I were hoping for a yes - which wasn't exactly a lie. He seemed like a cool guy and I wouldn't mind another friend, one who wouldn't talk behind my back or use me for gossip. I really hoped he wouldn't call me on the only part of my act that wasn't fraud. He didn't seem to.

"Not too much," he frowned. "I like the res. But when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want - after I get my license."

"I like the res too. It's cool to look at my history."

"I was wondering if you were Quileute!" He said it almost victoriously. I smiled.

"Yup. Only a quarter, though. My Mom didn't really end up keeping with tradition or anything." I smiled. "I'm more of a pale face than a Native."

"Your face looks pretty great, to me." He blushed. I decided it was time to change the subject very quickly. And looked back towards the group we had left to feign inspiration.

"Who was that boy that Lauren was talking to? He seemed a bit old to be hanging around with us." I grouped myself with him to make him think that I liked spending time with him more than people our own age, the guy probably wasn't that much older than me - maybe just four, five years?

"That's Sam - he's nineteen," he informed me. Huh, only two? He looked older for some reason.

"Oh. What was that he was saying about the doctors family?" I asked innocently. "Seemed pretty passionate about it."

"The Cullens? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." He looked away towards James Island, a little formation of rocks far out into the water. So I was right - they were forbidden. Maybe I was good with reading people, myself.

"Why not?" I asked, trying not to seem to enthusiastic.

"Oops." He bit his lip. "I'm not supposed to say anything about that."

"Oh. I wouldn't tell or anything, I'm just curious. Was it like when you're kicked out of a mall?" I teased, trying to lighten the load and make him less nervous. "But you don't have to tell me..." I smiled, hoping I wasn't laying it on too thick, but he seemed to accept it as he smiled back. It was almost like he actually looked allured as he lifted an eyebrow, his voice more husky than before.

"Do you like scary stories?" he asked ominously.

"I love them," I enthused, using the unheard of L-word for emphasis. I did like scary stories, but that was because they were fake - and who knows, what if this...story wasn't fake at all?

Jacob strolled to a nearby driftwood tree and sat on it, ushering me to do the same. He was trying to make this good, trying to put the scary-story mood in the air. It was working, whether it be because I might actually get a clue into the being of Edward Cullen or the fact that I liked scary stories and Jacob was obviously about to tell a good one - I didn't know.

"Well, tan-face," I smirked. "Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from - the Quileutes, I mean?" he began with a glimmer in his eye.

"Roughly. I haven't heard them since my Mom stopped telling me bedtime stories. I may have heard them once or twice when my siblings were listening to them." I thought about it. "So yeah - roughly, I know a few."

"Well, there are lots of them, some claiming to date back to the Flood - supposedly the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the trees on the tallest mountain to survive because Noah didn't have enough room." He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the stories. "Then there are the ones that say we descended from wolves-"

"That one was my favourite!" I piped in, getting too excited for my own good. He smiled with my excitement and I blushed. "About the wolves, I mean. Between that story and the Lion King, my favourite animals were picked out from birth."

"Well apparently they are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them." I smiled and hoped, quietly, that it was constantly enforced. "Then there are the stories about the cold ones." His voice dropped a little lower and something told me that this was what he had been getting to.

"The cold ones?" I repeated, my intrigue spiked. It could have been because I was so absorbed, but I couldn't remember the story about the cold ones. I remembered my mother referring to them in other stories, but not the actual legend of them. I tried not to wrack my brains too hard while I tried to pay attention.

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to the legends, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes, dramatically. He was trying to seem cool, but I was more than happy to nerd out.

"I miss hearing the legends." I told him quietly, just so he could stop playing it cool. "And they-wait. Your great-grandfather?"

He nodded with a shug, trying to make sure I wouldn't make it a big deal. "He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are natural enemies of the wolf - well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors."

"So...the werewolves. I remember."

"That's what the pale faces call them." He joked. I, like the mature seventeen year old I was, stuck my tongue out at him.

"So..." I started again, embarrassed by my own behaviour. "Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one."

I stared at him earnestly, hoping to encourage him to speak faster, maybe just to say the punch line and then fill in the blanks. He smiled, he seemed to be amused by how enthralled I was.

"So you see," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfathers time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did - they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale faces." He winked at me and I smiled.

"Lucky I'm not a pale face. Does a tan face count?"

"I...guess?" He joked about his own confusion, but it was clear he thought he wasn't supposed to be telling me anything. I wondered briefly what the consequences were if they would find out he had. I wonder if they would be less because technically, I was a member of the tribe, too.

"If they weren't so dangerous, then why?" I prompted.

"Well, there's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist..." his tone had turned into one thick with malice and I wondered if he bought into the story more than he was letting on.

"Civilized?" I questioned, trying to calm him down a little and not thinking about whatever it was that they ate - though I would make him explain that soon.

"They claimed they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals, instead." He rolled his eyes, he apparently really didn't believe that part of his story either.

"So how does that fit in with the Cullens? Are they like...descended from that clan that your great-grandfather met?" I asked casually. He smiled at me, leaning close.

"No." He paused dramatically and I actually was holding my breath. "They're the same ones."

He must have thought that the expression on my face was fear inspired by the story, but by now my head was reeling. He smiled, pleased with himself, as he continued.

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest of the same. In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before the pale faces even arrived." He was fighting a smile.

"But-but what are they?" I finally asked, my heart was thumping so hard against my ribs I thought that it would have to stop because it would be so exhausted later. "What are the cold ones?" He smiled darker.

"Isn't it obvious? They're blood drinkers." he replied in a chilling voice. "You might know them as-"

"Vampires." I breathed as I interrupted. I stared out at the rough ocean, not able to look at him because I wasn't sure what my face was exposing. He let out a booming laugh of delight that successfully distracted me from my rampage of thought.

"You have goose bumps!"

"You're a good story teller," I countered.

"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it?" He asked with a sigh. "No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone." He thought it was embarrassing. He thought that it meant nothing - but maybe it didn't. I mean, I rarely read vampire novels - that was Arie's forte - but they were super strong, weren't they? And fast? And pale...and dead. Well, Edward most certainly wasn't dead. And besides, he could go into the daylight.

"Don't worry, I won't give you away." I said quietly and while I said it to Jacob I also thought about how I was saying it for Edward at the same time. He smiled wryly.

"I guess I kinda just violated the treaty." He muttered. "Don't let my Dad know."

"Well, I'm Quileute, does it count?" He shrugged, unsure. I smiled. "I'll take it to my grave."

"Seriously, though, don't say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital now that Dr. Cullen started working there." I thought about arguing that Dr. Cullen had been a wonderful doctor in my time of need, but thought I should probably stick to sounding like I was on his side.

"Of course not, seriously, stop worrying. I don't really have anyone to tell who would find it as interesting as I did. Besides, I can't tell it as well as you do." I smiled. That was certainly true.

"So, do you think we're a bunch of superstitious nerds or what?" he asked in a playful tone. He also sounded a little worried, so I smiled to sooth his nerves.

"Nah. You're pretty normal. But you tell them really well - look, I still have goose bumps." I showed him the raised skin, he examined it before nodding happily to himself: his grin splitting his face.

"Cool."

The sound of beach rocks clattering against each other made us look behind us to see Mike and Jessica about fifty yards away and walking towards us. Waving his arms over his head, I heard Mike exclaim my name with relief. He must have thought he lost me - probably that I fell in the ocean. It seemed a common fear.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Jacob asked, alerted by how quickly Mike was running towards us. I was surprised that he caught on to the affection from just the one action.

"No, definitely not." I whispered. I was more grateful to Jacob than he could have imagined, but I couldn't let me know it or else he may catch on that I had totally just played him. I threw him a friendly smile, one just for him. He beamed back at my sad excuse for flirting.

"So, when I get my license..." he started slowly. I was touched by how much he did want to see me and there was a large part of me that wanted to see him again. I just felt so bad that he was so young and so clearly not in my books like that.

"You should definitely come see me in Forks. We could hang out." He seemed reassured and nodded, something told me that he seriously would go through with these plans.

Mike had reached us by this point, Jessica still a bit farther back. She obviously hadn't been as excited to find me and burst the Mike-Jessica-having-alone-time bubble. I could see Mike's eyes appraising Jacob, looking satisfied by how young he was and how we had inches between where we were sitting.

"Where have you been?" he asked, though the answer was directly in front of him. I sighed quietly, this jealous, protector thing was getting old quick. I had heard that guys didn't catch hints, but I didn't think they just blatantly ignored them - which was exactly what Mike was doing. And not only that, but he was doing it in front of Jessica.

"We were just going over the tribe legends, talking about La Push. You know I'm part Quileute, right?" I asked as politely as I could. "Getting reacquainted with home. Jacob and I have known each other for...well, decades." I looked at Jacob with a large grin, to which he returned eagerly.

"Well," Mike said, suddenly reassessing the situation slowly. I found that strange - Jacob was still young and I was still easily consumed with all things Edward - he should know my limits. He watched our smiles warily, suddenly not trusting something as futile as age differences. "We're packing up - it looks like it's going to rain soon."

We all looked towards the darkening sky and I let out a groan. He was right.

"Stupid Washington," I growled. "Yeah. I'm coming."

"It was nice to see you again," the light taunt for Mike's expense was very clear and I tried not to laugh and make it too obvious.

"It really was. I'll hound Charlie until he brings me next time he visits Billy."

"That would be cool." It was clear that to him that would be more than cool and I thought back to my flirting worriedly. I hope I wasn't too convincing, normally, I was terrible at it. Like how I was terrible at lying - because most of the time that was around the same idea. Mike and I started walking away but I twirled around to see Jacob staring after me.

"And hey," he nodded to show he was listening. "Thanks."

I pulled up my hood as we jogged across the rocks towards the parking lot - the jog made me fall again and it was inevitable that I finally tore open the left knee of my jeans and felt the scrape without looking. Mike was ahead of me and seemed not to notice so I kept going too, just so I wouldn't draw any more attention or sympathy from him. That was not what I needed. I crawled into the back seat of the Suburban with Angela and Tyler saying that I had already been given shot gun. Angela just stared out the window, watching the nearing storm. Tyler was stolen into Lauren's attention as quickly as she could manage and that left me to lean my head back, close my eyes, and try desperately not to think.

So, what did you think? Did you like it? I introduced Jacob, my favourite! Well, I hope you liked it and I hope you liked the little quirks to her character - being part Quileute, being a little more stubborn, etc. Tell me what you think :)

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Egypt