An hour and a half later, Bella and Leah were climbing back into the car, unable to stop fussing over each other. It had surprised Bella when they stopped at a salon. She immediately expected Leah would only get a trim. Instead, Bella watched wide-eyed, nearly tearing up as all of Leah's long, beautiful black hair got braided to be donated and then chopped. Honey-blonde highlights followed before the stylist cut it into a short, modern style, shaving the sides and underneath while leaving the top half of her hair longer but neatly slicked back. Despite the startlingly different yet fresh look, it suited her, inspiring Bella to want something different for herself.

Leah cheered her on in solidarity as Bella's long curls got chopped above her shoulders and dyed black. Leah pooh-poohed the stylist for huffing over applying the color to Bella's entirely dye-free, healthy mahogany hair, warning her that black could be hard to remove if she wanted to dye it back.

Bella took another glance at Leah's bold, fresh cut and insisted. She could be brave, like Leah. Her hair grew out quickly, anyway. Most of the black would fade out before Bella cared enough to worry about the color difference, she was sure.

By the time everything finished, it was nearly five o'clock. Bella found herself happily, carelessly, paying for both new hairstyles and leaving the stylist a generous tip. Fuck the Cullens and their money.

"I can't believe we just did that," Leah said as she pulled on her seatbelt. "But you look so good!"

"You too," Bella said, blushing. "I loved your long hair, but this cut… brings out your face shape and makes your eyes look even bigger." Before losing her nerve, she gushed, "You look hot, Leah."

"You look paler," Leah teased. "But it's good. It matches the dark eyeshadow. It makes your eyes look bigger, too. Your eyes are perfect for that smokey look. You might look cute with bangs, too." As Leah pulled out of the parking lot, she added, "Now, we need food."

Bella's stomach grumbled at the mere mention of food, and Leah laughed as she cheered, "That's the spirit. Let's go kill some Chinese food, Bells."

Bella couldn't help but laugh with her, feeling more carefree than she had in weeks. She joked, "Listen, that food better be dead and cooked already, or I'm not eating it."

"Hmmm," Leah teased, and the sound shot straight through Bella like a spark. "Avoid the Sushi bar."

Bella laughed again as she looked away and adjusted her sitting position.

"You should call Quil, probably," Leah reminded her through laughter.

Bella frowned as she remembered Quil and how miserable he'd been two days before. "Right," she said as she reached for her cell.

Leah gave her a reassuring grin as Bella called the Ateara's house phone. Joy answered on the first ring, sounding out of breath as if she'd run to answer the phone. "Quil Ateara, that better be you…"

"Nope," Bella said awkwardly. "Just Bella. I wanted to talk to Quil, but I'm guessing he's not home?"

Joy sighed. She sounded exhausted. "No, honey. He's not. He came home earlier, upset about Embry. We got into a little tiff about it. He told me off pretty soundly and left. It's been about an hour…"

"Oh," Bella said, unsure of what else to say. "I'm sure he didn't mean it if he said something… mean. He never does."

Joy sighed again. "I know it, and honestly, I deserved a little of it. It's difficult, you know… trying to let go of certain expectations for your child. I'm sure you'll understand one day."

Bella wasn't so sure about that. She wasn't sure she wanted children at all. Sometimes, the idea of it felt promising. When she considered the fact that everyone abandoned her, she couldn't help but wonder if it meant raising a child like herself one day - in a broken home with an absent parent and too many responsibilities for their young age.

Breaking the brief silence, Joy said, "I'll tell him to call you when he comes home. Is everything alright?"

That reminded Bella of why she called, and she said, "Yeah. An acquaintance of mine is having a little get-together Friday night. I planned to ask if he wanted to come with Leah and me. Should I expect him to be grounded or?"

Joy chuckled. "For you? No. He can go with you. I trust you, kid. Honestly, he could probably use a little fun. All this Embry nonsense has had him wound up like a top for weeks."

"I know. We had a little heart-to-heart about it on Sunday," Bella said. "I'm worried about him."

"Me too," Joy admitted sadly. "I'm glad he's got a good friend like you."

"I'm glad I have Quil, too."

Joy said, "It's nice to see you two get closer. Your dads were best friends, you know?"

"Yeah. It's good to have some close family. Hey, can he just spend the night Friday night? I can bring him home in the morning. It's better than driving so late."

"Im sure that's fine, Bella."

Bella glanced up as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot, ignoring Leah as she side-eyed Bella, smirking. "Um, Joy? I gotta get going. Just tell Quil to call me."

"I sure will, Honey. Bye, now." The phone hung up before Bella could say goodbye. She tossed her cell into her backpack and reached for her wallet.

"Leave it," Leah said. "You paid for my hair. Supper is on me."

Bella grinned as she looked at Leah, letting the change in her friend's appearance wash over her again. She watched Leah's lithe, graceful form climb out of the car, noting every curve and exposed patch of perfect, unblemished skin. Once Leah's back turned and the car door shut, Bella let out a slow, calming breath and hoped her cheeks weren't beet red as heat flushed her face.

Leah teased, "Come on, Bells. The food ain't getting any warmer."

Bella carefully shut the passenger door and followed Leah into the restaurant.

Somehow, Bella ate more in one sitting than she'd eaten at once, ever. Leah spurred her on, as she managed nearly double that. She didn't seem uncomfortable whatsoever. Bella, on the other hand, had to unbutton her jeans, leaving Leah cackling as they walked back to the car.

"I don't know how you all do it," Bella prattled as she situated herself in the passenger seat. "That was more than I usually eat over a couple of days."

"But great, right?"

"Yeah. Maybe better than my favorite place back in Arizona." She glanced down at her belly and said, "I have a food baby."

Leah laughed and patted Bella's tummy above her unbuttoned jeans. "Aw, look. I'm a Daddy."

Bella's cheeks tingled as she blushed, laughing. It had been the briefest touch, but Leah's hand was warm against her exposed skin, low enough to send a wave of desire through her. Bella's heart jumped, suddenly racing in her chest, wishing Leah would put her hand back on her skin rather than moving to the steering wheel.

Bella shook her head, wondering how to deal with this budding attraction toward her friend. It wasn't the simple fact that Leah was female that made her nervous. It was the risk of possibly chasing her away. Then there was the issue of Jacob. Bella had only just decided that she wanted to explore what they had. Too much had happened too fast, and the uncertainty she tiptoed around was innately familiar. Clearly, beginning something with Jacob was twisting into a disaster. She could almost feel his impending abandonment. Only a few days ago, she'd been entirely sure of the exact opposite. Just the thought of it sent an ache through her chest reminiscent of the pain that Edward had left Bella wallowing in.

Stupid fucking Sam Uley. Bella was pretty sure she hated him. One thing was absolutely certain - Leah would not abandon their friendship to join up with Sam's crew. Not after all he'd done. As Bella's mind trailed back to Leah, she couldn't help but look over at her. Somehow, this lively, beautiful girl managed to make everything else Bella worried about stop. It was as if, when Leah was near, her happiness suddenly became a priority. One that Bella desperately wanted to fulfill.

And what was it with Sam Uley, anyway? Ever since the day he'd found her in the woods, it seemed he was increasingly nearby. Sam appeared out of thin air on the beach when she went with the boys more than once. He hovered and stared, looking suspicious of them all while never saying a word. Bella had spotted him in Forks a few times, though he'd never approached her before Embry switched sides. The worst part of Sam's sudden involvement in Bella's social life was that Bella had no clue why Sam seemed to hate her so much. What could she have possibly done for him to want to keep her away from Embry and now Jacob? Had he said something that made Billy treat her so coldly and ignore her call? The way Sam talked to Bella made it seem as though he enjoyed her misery. He made her feel like dirt.

Bella nervously dug her teeth into her bottom lip before remembering to find her phone and check it for missed calls. Quil had called her back while they were eating and left her a voicemail. Both girls laughed as Bella played it, hearing the blatant excitement in Quil's voice at the prospect of doing something fun for a change.

"Well, I guess that solidifies our plans for Friday," Bella said as she tossed her cell back into her backpack.

"Hell, yes. I get off work at seven. Do you think maybe I could get a shower and dress at your place? Would save us an extra forty minutes of travel time."

"Sure," Bella said. "I can probably run to pick up Quil around six-thirty. I'll let Charlie know what's going on in case he's home when you get there. Otherwise, the spare key is hidden over the front door frame. You can just let yourself in again."

"Perfect!" Leah reached over to turn up the radio somewhat. "What are you gonna wear, anyway?"

Bella thought about it for a second and sighed. "I don't have a clue. Probably jeans. I still don't want Mike getting the wrong idea."

"We should probably discuss our designated driver situation," Leah said, frowning.

"Tyler only lives like four blocks from me," Bella said. "We can just walk there. It might be safer for all of us. I'm assuming there will be drinking. Probably a little weed, knowing Tyler. It's not my thing, but I'm sure it will be there. Quil seems to sober up quickly, and he'd be more than capable of carrying one of us back to the house if we got too drunk. I doubt I have more than a drink or two, though. I just don't trust anyone I go to school with."

"Well, I, for one, hope there is someone cute enough to flirt with there, at least," Leah said. Her eyes widened as she realized something, and her mouth dropped open in surprise. "Oh, my god. Everyone will be younger than me, huh?"

Bella cackled. "Only by a year or two. Everyone should be legal. It's fine."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Leah warned her and chuckled.

"I certainly know at least two that would be more than happy to oblige you," Bella teased. "Mike and Tyler looked pretty excited that you're coming with me."

Leah frowned. "Threaten me like that again, and I'll just end up making out with you."

Bella laughed again as she tried to ignore the heat coursing through her limbs at the mental image of Leah Clearwater's lips pressed against her own and the immediate pooling heat between her thighs. She's just teasing, Bella. For fuck's sake.

Leah glanced toward her and cackled. "Oh my god, Bells. You're so innocent, I swear." She reached over and affectionately squeezed Bella's hand. "What are we going to do with you, girl?"

Bella shook her head in response. What, indeed?