Tension

Today was the first time I could ever recall being more confused and on edge than I had been before I'd gone to see Jacob...the onslaught of new thoughts and feelings that came up after our talk was enough to send me reeling, so much so I didn't stick around after he'd finished installing the starter into his Volkswagen. I came up with the excuse that I'd forgotten about an important project I needed to finish for Spanish before escaping the suddenly suffocating garage, just barely aware of Jacob calling after me as I went. I apologized for cutting our visit short but promised I would be able to spend more time with him on Saturday at the beach as I got into my car. When I looked at my rearview mirror as I drove away, I could see Jacob standing where my car had been parked, staring after me with furrowed brows that cast a shadow over his usually warm eyes, tightening the vice around my heart. I would have to make this up to him the next time we hung out, once I'd composed myself and reined my turbulent feelings in...it wasn't fair to my best friend if I was getting upset when he needed me to help sort through his feelings for my stepsister. I couldn't be selfish when someone I cared about needed me...I just hoped I would be able to recollect myself by Saturday so I could be there for Jacob when he met Bella again...there was nothing worse than an incompetent wingman...woman...whatever... 

Luck was again on my side when I got home; even though I knew the middle school had already let out by now, I also knew Geoffrey had an important student council meeting he couldn't miss and Henry was hanging out at a friend's house this afternoon; Charlie, meanwhile, wouldn't be home from the station for a while yet. Bella's truck was the only other car in sight when I pulled into our drive, and I wondered vaguely where mama could have gone as I pulled into my usual spot. 

(I wonder if she left a note...or sent me a text to let me know where she went?) I frowned to myself as I climbed out of my Camry, reaching into the backseat for my bag before I headed inside. When I checked my phone, I realized I did have a text message, but it wasn't from mama; one of my brows quirked when I realized it was from Edward. 

Whenever you get the chance to peel yourself away from your boyfriend, Dawn, please be sure to check in on Bella for me, will you? I'm afraid today's Biology lab did not sit well with her. 

Ears burning, I shook my head as I climbed the front steps and let myself into the house, doing my best to ignore the way the word 'boyfriend' made my stomach feel fluttery all of the sudden. Now was not the time for that...I could have a mental breakdown once I was sure Bella was okay...which I should have been sure to do earlier, considering what had gone down in Biology today... 

How could I have possibly forgotten Bella's aversion to blood like that...? Sure, the blood lab was dangerous for the Cullens and I, considering it was a huge part of our diet, but that didn't mean it didn't affect humans either. Some people, like Bella, had a weak enough constitution that just the sight, and sometimes in her case, the scent, of blood was enough to make her faint. During her summers here she would get dizzy every time our brothers or I got ourselves a scrap from climbing the trees outside. You would think with how...uncoordinated she was that Bella would be used to the sight of blood...I should've remembered to warn her about the lab before I'd left for La Push, but I guess I'd been so eager to see Jacob I hadn't been thinking of much else...geeze, I hoped I wasn't turning into one of those cliche school girls whose whole world revolved around their crush or boyfriend...I had way too much to worry about without getting wrapped up in all that girly preening and prepping...I don't have time to worry about fashion or doing my hair up with ribbons and bows. Not with what was going on with Bella and everything that goes along with introducing my stepsister to the supernatural world. 

First things first, I had to be sure she'd actually survived the blood lab... 

After putting my shoes and jacket where they belonged, I made a pit stop in the kitchen to figure out if my mother had left a note pertaining to her whereabouts. Sure enough, as I walked through the door, I spotted mama's neat cursive on the small pad of paper we kept hung up on the fridge, announcing she had left to pay Esme a short visit. I smiled to myself, again glad mama had another woman she could relate to outside our family; sure, she had friends at work just as I did at school, but it was always good to have someone who understood our situation, so we always had a friend we could turn to when we needed them. 

(Well, it says she'll be back by 5, at least...) I glanced up at the clock over the sink, which read 4:45 PM. (I forgot to text her earlier while I was still at Jacob's...ah well, I got home before her, so it shouldn't be that big a deal...) I sighed, tossing the note out before grabbing a water bottle from the fridge and stepping into the pantry. It only took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkness as I closed the door behind me and crossed to the back corner, reaching up to about stomach level to slip my fingers into a small, nearly unnoticeable hole in the faded brick. With a quick jerk of my fingers, the wall popped out of place, swinging away to reveal an old wooden staircase leading upward and to the right. Stepping into the open doorway, I pulled the wall closed behind me and followed the familiar winding stairs. 

Like most old houses, this one had been built with more than its fair share of secrets; after discovering this staircase by accident while we were still in elementary school, Jacob and I had spent the better half of our childhood/pre-adolescence searching through every nook and cranny of this place to find all the secrets it held. As far as we knew, with the inclusion of this staircase here, there were at least half a dozen, including some that connected floors and rooms we hadn't known existed. In the case of these stairs, they led right up to the storage closet in the attic. Kind of a cliche, considering the attic had originally been a library, but they were incredibly useful, especially when I needed a shortcut downstairs when and if I was running late in the morning. More than likely this staircase had been built as an alternate escape route should we get trapped upstairs during a break-in or something, even though I was sure we could handle any normal burglars that tried to rob us. A burglar would have to be just plain stupid to try and rob the town's police chief, let alone our family. Well...at least we would have places for Charlie and Bella to hide should we be attacked by hostile supernaturals. I shuddered to think what could happen to either of them if they were to get in the middle of a fight while mama, the boys, and I were trying to protect them. 

Shaking these thoughts away as I stepped out of the closet, I paused to readjust to the change in lighting, blinking in the weak sunlight that flooded in through the row of windows on the northeast wall before I glanced up toward Bella's room. My ears inclined toward it, listening for movement when the bathroom door slid open across the room and I turned, spotting my stepsister at the same second, she noticed me. She frowned and made a beeline directly for me as I closed the closet door. 

"And where have you been?" She demanded as soon as she reached me, lips pursed disapprovingly; I quirked a brow, eerily reminded of mama whenever she was upset or disappointed. 

"Went up to see Jacob in La Push, is that okay with you, mom?" I walked past her to set my messenger bag on the couch and sit down so I could take off my socks. She huffed, following me over, "I never took you as someone who ditched class to go make out with her boyfriend." 

"First off, he's just a friend, you know that." I sighed as I propped my feet up on the coffee table, wiggling my toes happily while I took a pull from my water bottle, "Second, everyone needs a mental break every once in a while. Ditching is healthy now and again." 

Bella's eyebrows rose, as though I'd said something she'd heard before, "...you and Edward could share a brain..." 

"We share more than that, trust me." I set the water bottle down and reclined back into the couch, groaning quietly while I stretched, "Sorry about not warning you about the lab today, Bells...should've told Edward about your aversion to blood." 

"So, you did skip to avoid the lab..." Bella's eyebrows pinched, causing a crease over the bridge of her nose as she eyed me, "But you've never had an aversion to blood...none that I noticed anyway..." 

"Hm, it's not an aversion per say...let's just say the smell gets to me, too." I shrugged, resting my arms on the back of the couch, "Especially when there's a lot of it in a confined space. But, enough about me, how're you feeling, Bells? Edward text me asking that I check in with you when I got home." 

Bella flushed at the mention of the vampire, and she huffed, plopping down on the couch next to me with her arms crossed; I had to suppress my laughter at how she'd gone from looking like a worried mother to a little kid throwing a tantrum, "Look, I'm fine, okay? Once I got out of the classroom and got some fresh air, I was fine...there's no need to fuss." 

"Seems like it, if Edward wanted me to check in on you when I got back." I eyed her, noting how much paler she'd been when I'd first arrived, "You still look a little pale, sis -" 

"I'm FINE!" Bella insisted in a tone that said that was final and she was done talking about it. I held up my hands to show I surrendered and took another sip from my water bottle as she huffed stubbornly, nodded, once, as though that settled the matter, and then eyed me thoughtfully. I peered at her out of the corner of my eye. 

"What is it?" 

Bella pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling the soft flesh with her teeth, like she was warranted to do when she was unsure or nervous, "Um...that supernatural book of yours'...that one you're always reading...do you think I could...borrow it?" 

I quirked an eyebrow, feigning surprise while internally I was rejoicing that she'd finally asked. It'd taken her long enough...maybe talking to Edward today had helped pique her interest enough she was ready to give the book a chance. 

"Of course, Bells, I thought you'd never ask." I chuckled, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible as I unzipped my bag and dug said book out; her brows furrowed again as I handed it over, eyeing me once more, "Do you always have this thing with you?" 

I shrug, "Of course, it's my favorite book, it gives me something to read whenever I have a free moment. Plus, it gives me inspiration when I want to draw." 

"I noticed." Bella had flipped the book open to a page I'd bookmarked with one of my drawings. It was one of my favorite sections on shapeshifters, since it'd helped me develop my skills in drawing animals. Growing up with this book had taught me both how to read and how to draw; I'd spend hours as a child copying the illustrations and developing my own art style along the way until I'd started drawing my own pictures. I still liked to come back to this book and look at the illustrations whenever I was having a mental block or needed inspiration, although I'd often leave my pictures in it when I couldn't finish them in one sitting. I gently took the unfinished drawing of Jacob she'd pulled out, took my sketchbook from my bag, and tucked the drawing safely within its pages instead, "Should I keep an eye out for any more impromptu bookmark drawings in here?" 

I hum in thought before shaking my head, "Nah, I think I have all of them in here." I indicated my sketchbook as I put it back in my bag and reclined back into the couch, sighing with my head leaned back into the cushions, "So, how'd things go with Edward today?" 

Bella froze in the middle of flipping absentmindedly through the book, clearing her throat slowly as her face flushed once more, unable to meet my gaze, "It was...interesting. A bit confusing, though...he never really got straight to the point." Her eyebrows furrowed, as though she was trying to figure something out before she turned to me again, "Is he always so cryptic?" 

I couldn't help chuckling at the question, not entirely surprised considering the fine line Edward was walking nowadays, "He can be when he wants to." I sip my water and tap my foot against the coffee table in thought, "He's just...nervous. If you hadn't noticed before, he doesn't exactly interact with a lot of people outside his family." 

The furrow in her brow deepened, but she nodded slowly in agreement, pursing her lips once more, "Well...I certainly know a little more than I did before, but I don't know a lot..." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, frustrated, "I feel like I'm trying to put together one of those huge thousand-piece puzzles...trying to make sure I have all the pieces and figure out where they go..." 

I couldn't help but laugh faintly at the analogy, smiling reassuringly at my stepsister, "Isn't that the same as trying to get to know any other person on this planet? Not everyone is open or willing to share their life story with someone else right off the bat." 

"Not everyone hides huge secrets about themselves." She argued and I nodded slowly in agreement, "True, they don't. But don't you think walking up to someone you're interested in and blurting out your big secret on your first date wouldn't be jumping the gun? I'd want to at least make it through a meal first. And -" I held up a finger as Bella opened her mouth again, "Yes, you did make it through a meal with Edward, but the school cafeteria is not the ideal place to delve into the intimate details of someone's life. Maybe try an actual date with him first, preferably somewhere you two won't be interrupted by other jealous suiters." 

Her face scrunched at the reminder, and she sighed, nodding, "Fine...I'm going to see him the weekend I was planning on going to Seattle, anyway.... 

"Well, there you go, get to know him more than. I'll make myself scarce." I nodded, inwardly relieved things were finally progressing; like Alice, I'd been getting impatient when things seemed to stagnant. Bella cocked her head, as though quietly asking if I was sure, which pulled a chuckle from my throat, "I'm a big girl, Bells, I can find something to do that weekend, you know that." 

Bella nodded slowly, then sighed as she got up, "Well, I'm going to go back upstairs and try to finish my homework before your mom gets back to start dinner. Thanks for letting me borrow this." She indicated my supernatural book as she walked around the couch. I gave her a two-finger salute, "No problem, Bells, just be sure you don't lose it." I teased, earning a glare from over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs to her room. I chuckled to myself once more, watching her go before I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, settling in. Now that the book was in Bella's hands it was up to her to do the research and utilize it to figure out the mystery that was Edward Cullen. Finding out my, mama, and the boys' secret wasn't as important at this second, considering this was probably going to the man she spent eternity with, meaning she would have plenty of time to figure out what the rest of us were along the way. I just had to let her figure one thing out at a time instead of overwhelming her with too much at once. Although, I was quite looking forward to seeing her reaction when she realized about two thirds of her family were humanoid dogs; that was going to be hilarious. Maybe I should tease her and ask for head scratches or act like an overexcited puppy sometime, just to see the look on her face. 

(I'd consider including Henry in on the joke, but he's not someone you'd associate with subtility...) I scratched the inside of my ear with my pinkie nail, humming to myself, (He and Emmett can be like a couple bulls in a China shop when they want to be, lug heads.) Shaking my head with an affectionate smile, I crossed my legs, trying to focus on the movie I'd picked, deciding to just let things play out for the next couple of days while Bella tried to get her head on straight and figure things out. Patience was a virtue after all, and she would need to focus if she wanted to finish this puzzle of hers'. Besides, it would probably be best not to push her tomorrow, especially since I knew Edward wouldn't be in school since he and Emmett would be off on a hunting trip. More than likely Bella would be distracted enough by his absence that most of the jokes I could make would go right over her head, so it would really be a moot point. And there was nothing worse than trying to talk to a brick wall if she decided to ignore me completely. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Friday wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although there were some low points; as expected, there were comments about Bella's fainting episode the previous day, most of which she took in stride, though I was sure to shut down any nasty comments aimed her way, especially from Jessica, who seemed to get the biggest kick out of Bella's aversion to blood. Thankfully, she backed off as soon as I brought up the episode she'd had back in elementary school when one of the boys had put an earthworm in her hair during recess. Her hair was so curly, the earthworm had almost immediately burrowed in, and she'd had to be sent to the nurse to get it removed while she bawled and had a meltdown, like she was being put through the worst possible torture imaginable. Of course, Jessica gave me the dirtiest look possible, but let the matter drop and instead began drilling Bella about what had happened between her and Edward at lunch yesterday, particularly as we were making our way to the cafeteria. Bella gave her vague answers, not unlike the ones she'd given me last night. This irritated Jessica to no end as she pried for more information, which, I was quite impressed to see, my stepsister was unwilling to divulge. Sorry Jess, no new rumors for you to spread today. 

Bella did her usual sweep of the cafeteria as we walked through the doors, her shoulders slumping when she spotted Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper at their usual table, their heads bent close together so they could talk in hushed voices among themselves. I raised my hand to wave, indicating I'd be there in a minute before I got sucked into the conversation Mike had initiated about tomorrow's beach trip, which carried over to his, Jessica, and Bella's table and had spread through the rest of the group. Mike seemed to have regained his enthusiasm, excited at the prospect of his plans coming to fluxion as he talked animatedly about the weather report from that morning, his faith in the local weatherman palpable in every syllable. I watched as he gestured energetically with his hands, practically crowing with happiness while I shook my head in amusement, trusting his judgement, especially considering it was close to sixty today. The air was warm, comfortable, a temperature that didn't seem to be dissipating anytime soon from what I could sense, meaning the trip would at least be enjoyable. We'd probably still have to worry about some rain, but at least we wouldn't be freezing. 

"You'll be joining in tomorrow, won't you, Dawn?" Tyler looked up and I cocked my head toward him, sipping my water with a nod, "Yeah, my co-worker, Annie, owed me a favor and promised to pick up my shift tomorrow so I'm free." 

Tyler beamed at this news and out of the corner of my eye I noticed Lauren shift her glare from Bella to me. My ears folded back against my head angrily and I whipped my head around to return her glare, narrowing my eyes; okay, I could understand being jealous since I knew she had a crush on Tylor, but this kind of attitude was not unusual for Lauren. She'd always been one of the popular crowd, one of those mean girl types of people, kinda like Rosalie, just...well, honestly worse. Naturally, of course, that meant Lauren and I did not get along; she'd always picked on me for looking different as a kid, due mostly in part to the highlights in my hair and I'd fight back when she'd piss me off. As we got older, my responses got more intelligent than physical, although there were a couple instances where she'd push my buttons in just the right way to make me lash out...I'd broken her nose at least once and given her a couple of black eyes, which eventually made her back off, although she would still shoot me nasty looks, obviously still miffed. 

Well, that was fine by me, so long as miss queen bee left my sister and I alone, we wouldn't have a damn problem. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

When Bella told our parents about our plans to spend Saturday at First Beach, they were thrilled, especially since they hoped this meant Bella had made some friends among our classmates. It helped they knew all the students and parents, so they knew we would be going with a relatively good group. I was careful not to bring up the trip to Seattle again and Bella's plans to ride with Edward, though; she could deal with that on her own time, if she ever planned to tell our parents. That was her choice, though, not mine. 

"Hey, uh, dad, Elizabeth, do either of you know about a place called Goat Rocks or something?" Bella looked between mama and Charlie as they looked up at her question, raising their eyebrows quizzically, "It's someplace south of Mount Rainier, I think." 

"Course we do, it's a great hunting spot when it's in season." Mama cocked her head, "Why do you ask?" 

Bella shrugged, "Just thought I heard some kids talking about camping up there." 

"Not the best camping spot, that place." Charlie gruffed around a mouthful of lasagna. "It's a common spot for bears." 

"Oh." Bella lowered her gaze to her plate, missing the look mama and I exchanged, knowing she'd probably heard about the place from Edward. While it wasn't the ideal place for humans to camp, it was perfect for vampires on the hunt in a pinch, "Maybe I heard the name wrong." 

I hummed quietly into my milk, deciding to keep the truth about that spot to myself for now. Bella had only just asked to borrow my supernatural book yesterday, so I doubted she'd had much time to read through it thoroughly, let alone figure out what she needed to. If she asked later maybe I'd tell her but, for now, it was best not to say anything. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

I rose with the sun the following morning and was surprised to find a clear cyan sky waiting for me when I opened my bedroom curtains; blinking in the warm morning light, I allowed my gaze to run along the mountains that made up the horizon, ringed by thin, wispy gray clouds. Wow, it was going to be gorgeous today, which was no surprise; those rare times we had a day without clouds were always gorgeous. I would have to start watching that weatherman Mike had been talking up the last couple of days. 

Enthusiastic at the prospect of a beautiful, sunny beach day, I pulled on a pair of cut off jean shorts and a sky-blue tank top, packed a couple of extra-large towels in a duffle for Bella and I, a couple of water bottles, a book to read, my sketchbook, and a pencil pouch to draw, just in case, though I had the feeling Jacob, Embry, and Quil were going to be keeping me busy enough today they likely wouldn't be needed. Ah well, I liked having my sketchbook and a pencil on me, regardless. 

When Bella and I left for Newtons' Olympic Outfitters, just north of town, we drove over in separate cars just in case an extra vehicle was needed since I'd heard a good number of people had jumped at the chance for a beach trip. Mama and I knew the store and had gone in a couple of times with Henry and Geoffrey to get fishing gear for Charlie for his birthday and Christmas, so we knew Mr. And Mrs. Newton well, at least. As we pulled into the parking lot, I spotted Mike's Suburban and a light blue minivan parked separately from where the rest of the group's cars were around the side of the building and I pulled up alongside Mike while Bella went to put her truck with the vehicles that would be staying behind. Tyler was beaming at me as I got out of my Camry and I raised a hand in a half-hearted wave as he walked toward me, leaving Eric behind with a couple of other boys, Ben and Connor, from my Spanish class. Jessica was already there, of course, flanked by Angela and Lauren, as well as three other girls from school. One of them, who I recognized shared gym class with Bella, gave my stepsister a dirty look as she walked around my car to join us before the girl turned to whisper something to Lauren. The blond shook out her long curtain of hair and gave Bella a scornful look while I furrowed my brows and turned to Bella quizzically, wondering what she could have possibly done to piss the girl off. Bella sighed, as though she was bearing the weight of the world on her shoulders. 

"I accidentally fell over that girl in Gym on Friday during basketball..." She clarified, which made me blink and frown before turning to glance at them again. The girl, Sarah, along with Lauren, were still glaring disdainfully in Bella's direction, their arms crossed, as though they were trying to intimidate her. I bristled at the sight and flashed my eyes at the girls, stiffening my back as a way of a challenge, silently telling them to back the hell off. I could get being irritated being tripped over, but get the hell over it, it was an accident. The teacher shouldn't have had Bella playing in the first place if she was going to be tripping all over herself. Sarah, another one of the more popular girls and one of my childhood bullies, flinched at my sharp glare, remembering what I'd done to Lauren in middle school, and immediately turned away, but Lauren narrowed her eyes as though to tell me this wasn't over as she turned her back deliberately on us to resume her conversation with Jessica. My ears laid flat and I lashed my tail, irritated, feeling some of my good mood evaporate at the knowledge we would have to deal with those two for the remainder of the day. 

"You made it." I looked up at Tyler's voice, smiling faintly as Bella's attention was drawn away by Mike, and shrugged, "Eh, I said I would. No way was I going to miss a gorgeous day at the beach." 

"Yeah, anyone would have to be crazy to miss out on this." Tyler glanced up at the bright sky overhead, shielding his eyes against the sun before he turned back to me, "I was gonna invite you to sit next to me in Mike's car, but I'm guessing you're going to be taking your Camry, huh?" 

I grinned, "No one else is allowed to drive my car except me, and especially not you." I teased, poking him in the chest, which shook with laughter as he glared at me playfully, "Hey, that was an accident, okay? My Sentra is still in one piece." 

"Only 'cause your mom threatened to ground you until you were forty if you didn't take care of it." 

Tyler's smile was close to splitting his face in half, causing laugh wrinkles around the corners of his eyes, "True, very true, but, hey, do you think I could ride along with you?" 

I could feel Lauren's glare from across the parking lot again, but I didn't turn to acknowledge her as I shrugged again, "Sure, you can have shotgun if you want it." I looked around at the rest of the group, humming thoughtfully, "Everyone here yet?" 

"We're just waiting on Lee and Samantha...unless you or Bella invited anyone?" I glanced up at Tyler then as he stared at me, his head cocked, reminding me, again, of a dog. I continued to hum and scratched behind a faux ear, "Hm, I dunno about Bella, but I invited some friends of mine from up in La Push. They'll be meeting us at the beach later, so we don't really need to wait for them." 

"Oh, you mean those three guys from the reservation you hang out with?" Tyler smiled and I nodded, "Cool, I always wanted to meet them, they seem like cool dudes." 

"They really are." I chuckled, nodding, my good mood returning at the thought of seeing Jacob again, though a small part of me warned I would have to share him with Bella soon. I ignored the uncomfortably tight feeling in my chest at the thought and cleared my throat, deciding to push them aside for now as I turned to find Bella again, "Hey Bells, you wanna ride with Tyler and I? There's room for three more people in my Camry." 

Bella smiled, looking as though I'd just saved her from the lions' den, "Sure, I'll hop in with you guys, I wouldn't want to crowd the other cars." She gave Mike an apologetic look as his face fell at the news, "Maybe Jess can take shotgun in the Suburban." 

Unappeased, Mike grumbled his agreement and turned to ask Jessica if she wanted to ride shotgun in his car, which she immediately accepted, the glower she'd been directing at Bella fading instantly from her face. I rolled my eyes, wondering just how much like a damn drama this was going to turn out to be as Lee and Samantha arrived with two extra people, which made the need for all three cars all the more necessary. 

"We're riding with you." I stiffened at the rude, nasal voice that came from behind me as I unlocked my Camry, giving Bella and Tyler the chance to get in. Straightening slowly, I turned to face the temperamental blond behind me, her arms still crossed while her pale fishy green eyes were narrowed, as though she challenged me to object. Angela stood a couple of feet behind her, her head ducked apologetically. Furrowing my brows, I turned back to Lauren with a frown, knowing the only possible reason she would ever want to be caught dead in a car with me was so she could get close to Tyler. Not having the patience today to argue, I did, however, give Lauren a hard look to warn her to watch herself before I jerked my head toward the back and climbed into the drivers' seat without a word. I heard Lauren 'hmph' as I closed my door and buckled myself in, watching Angela slide into the middle seat behind me while Lauren climbed in on her left and Bella occupied the seat on her right. Tyler hummed as he buckled himself in, although it wasn't long before Lauren had occupied his attention, leaving the rest of us to ride in silence. 

Switching on the radio, I did my best to drown out Lauren and Tyler's conversation as I focused on the road, taking up the rear of the caravan for the fifteen miles it took to get from Forks to La Push. The beautiful, towering trees bordering each side of the road reached up toward the clear sky overhead while sunlight shone down on us from above, bringing a comfortable warmth along with it as my gaze swept over the sparkling waves of the Quillayute River that wound its way through the dense forest. 

I'd been around the beaches of La Push for most of my life, having often come here with my family and, more often in recent years, Jacob, Quil, and Embry when we wanted to get out of the house and do something outdoors, so I knew the mile-long crescent shape of First Beach like the back of my hand. When we arrived and had reached the end of the trail leading from the parking lot to the actual beach, I paused to inhale the comforting scent of salt and seaweed, the breeze wafting up off the dark gray waves brushing pleasantly over my cheeks and blowing stray strands of hair back out of my face while I watched the white capped swells roll onto the rocky shore. Out in the bay, islands rose up out of the rolling waters to form sheer cliff sides that reached uneven heights, each adorned with austere, bellowing firs that loomed tall and proud against the expanse of the sky. 

There was a very thin strip of actual sand along the water's edge, bordered on its' other side by millions of large, smooth stones that separated it from the trail. Although mistakenly appearing gray from a distance, the stones that littered the ground before us were multicolored, painted in every shade of color in existence, from terra-cotta to a dull golden yellow that could almost rival the sun. Huge, bleached driftwood trees littered the tide line, some piled together along the forest edge while others were scattered throughout, just out of reach of the waves. 

Picking our way down to the sand, I made a beeline for the ring of driftwood logs placed around a shallow fire pit full of black ash from the last party that had come through and dropped my duffle onto one of the logs before clearing the pit for fresh kindling. Sitting back as Eric and Ben approached with what they could collect from the driftwood piles nearby, I helped arrange the wood into a teepee-shape and sat back, dusting my hands off once we were finished. 

"Ever saw a driftwood fire before, Bella?" Mike asked as she took a seat on the tree next to my bag, cocking her head while the other girls went on to gossip about something going on at school. Mike knelt by the teepee we had made, already lighting one of the smaller sticks with a lighter. 

"No, Dawn never showed me before." Bella shot me a teasing glare and I grinned back at her, shrugging, before turning to acknowledge Tyler as he asked if I wanted to help set up chairs. I nodded and got up to help, ignoring Lauren's glare as I moved past her. I was determined not to let her jealousy ruin such a great day and I fell into easy conversation with Tyler as we set the chairs out around the fire. 

A half hour after we settled in, most of the boys started talking about hiking up to the tide pools nearby and asked around the circle to see who else wanted to go. Although I loved the tide pools as much as I loved the sea itself, I knew it would be too tempting to use my powers while there and decided to opt out of that adventure, even when Lauren decided to stay behind, too. Bella frowned as most of the other girls opted to stay as well while Angela and Jessica wanted to go, cocking her head since she knew I loved the tide pools just as much as she did. I chuckled, recognizing the question in her eyes even before she'd opened her mouth. 

"Go on and enjoy yourself, Bells, I won't stop you. Just be careful, okay? Don't fall into one of the pools." I teased, reminding her of the times she'd done so when Charlie would bring us to the tide pools as kids. Bella's cheeks flamed at the memory, but she nodded her head in agreement before she hurried after the hiking group as it slipped into the shadow of the trees. Chuckling to myself, I grabbed my duffle from the bench and pulled out a towel to spread out on the sand by the fire; I flopped down with a groan, arching my back in a nice stretch before laying back, my head pillowed by my bag. 

"Comfortable, Dawn?" Tyler chuckled from above me, smiling from his seat on the driftwood log to my right. I hummed, settling down with my hands folded over my stomach, "hmm, very..." 

"Don't fall asleep now." He teased and I smiled lazily up at him in reply before his attention was captured again by Lauren, who was occupied with the CD player one of the others had thought to bring along. I sighed to myself and took out my iPod, deciding to listen to my music while everyone else was doing their own thing, figuring Jacob and the others would be arriving a little later since it was still early. 

Popping my headphones on and turning on one of my favorites, I nestled my iPod on the towel next to me and closed my eyes, intent on losing myself in the music while enjoying the serenity of my current environment. The combined warmth of the sun overhead and the driftwood fire washed over me, reminding me of that feeling of sinking into a nice warm bath after a hard day, chasing away the chill of the cool breeze that drifted up from the waves, yet leaving the lingering scent of the sea behind, an infusion of salt and wet wood that was familiar and comforting. The beat of the music drowned out the natural sounds of the beach, although they continued to sneak in between songs, the crash of the waves against the rocky shore accompanying the scent of salt water, underlaid by the shriek of the gulls that rode the updrifts toward the awaiting sky. I sighed quietly to myself, sinking into the soft material of my beach towel as I relaxed. 

I was starting to doze when the sunlight warming my face suddenly dimmed, as though something had moved in front of the sun. Furrowing my brows, that comfortable, drowsy feeling fading now, I cracked an eye open to find the disturbance, squinting up at the figure silhouetted against the sky above me. They cocked their head, and I reached up to pull my headphones off, sensing they were trying to tell me something, my heart kicking against my ribs at the familiar, husky voice I could finally hear over the music. 

"Comfy, D?" 

Sitting up, I paused the music and stretched my arms over my head as Jacob stepped back to give me room, chuckling, "Did I wake you?" 

"Nah, I'm just enjoying the beach." I hummed, cracking my neck, "I thought you guys wouldn't show up until later?" Grabbing my iPod, I was surprised to find it was already getting close to lunchtime. Jacob shrugged, snagging Bella's beach towel from my duffle and settling down on the ground next to me, "We didn't know how long you guys would be here since it's supposed to start raining again later, so we thought we'd just come over now." 

Nodding, I glanced around to find Quil and Embry, who, I was happy to see, had struck up a conversation with some of my classmates; further on, near the waves, though, I spotted more people from the reservation, three more young men and a couple of young women. Although I didn't recognize the women, I knew the three men: two of them, Paul Lahote and Jared Cameron, were in the same year as Bella and I, and the last man, the eldest of the group at 19, was Sam Uley. I'd met each of the boys at one point or another during my visits up to La Push, although I hadn't spent a lot of time around them. The most I knew about any of them was that Paul had a temper and Jared was a playful flirt. He'd always joke and flirt with me whenever we saw one another but nothing ever escalated past that. As for Sam, I'd talked with him a couple of times since our mothers knew each other and he was close to Uncle Billy, but other than that, we led completely different lives. 

"So...what was all that about Thursday?" I returned my attention to Jacob, who was watching me with one eyebrow quirked quizzically. My ears burned at the memory of practically bolting from his garage not two days before and I glanced away, unable to meet his eye, "Sorry, Jake, I didn't mean to leave so abruptly like that...I just remembered I really needed to get something done for Spanish..." I sighed, shaking my head, "Projects like that make up about half our grade and I didn't want to lose any points if I turned it in late." 

"'s not like you to forget stuff like that..." Jacob furrowed his brow and I chuckled dryly, "Well, it can happen sometimes if a person is stressed. I guess with everything that's been going on at home, it just slipped my mind." 

"Dawn...are you sure nothing else is bothering you...?" My heart jumped when his hand enveloped mine and I turned to look at him again, feeling the hair on the back of my neck rise at the intense look in his smoldering eyes as they bore deep into mine, probing, inquisitive, for what I could be hiding. I swallowed, surprised at the onslaught of emotions and hormones that bombarded me all at once, and I had to take a second to recollect myself before I smiled reassuringly, turning my hand over in his to squeeze it gently, staring determinately back, "I'm sure, Jacob. And, even if there was, I would tell you. I tell you everything, anyway." Well...almost everything... 

His frown deepened, just a little, as though he wasn't quite sure if he believed me as he searched my eyes for another moment before he sighed slowly and nodded, "All right...but, you know, if something comes up -" 

"You'll be the first to know." I chuckled and threw an arm around him, squeezing gently, "Now, let's stop worrying about me, all right? I've still got to reintroduce you to Bella. Ah, here she comes now." I raised a hand to wave as she and Angela made their way toward us. The boys in the group hurried to claim a share of the food now being passed around and I snagged a couple of sandwiches and sodas for Jacob and I, crossing my legs so Jacob could move over to share my towel while Bella and Angela took hers. They each took a sandwich and soda for themselves as well, Bella smiling quietly in gratitude to Mike as she settled down while Eric introduced our group and Sam reciprocated by rattling off the names of his. I caught the names of the two women with them, Jessica and Kim, before returning my attention to our small group to introduce Jacob to Bella and Angela. 

Angela smiled shyly in hello while Bella cocked her head, curious, and Jacob pointed out she'd bought his dad's truck. Recognition ignited in her eyes as she shook his hand and the two fell into easy conversation. Bella asked about Jacob's older sisters, Rachel and Rebecca, who were about a year older than we were, and glanced around to see if she could spot them around the reservation girls when Jacob pointed out they weren't there; Rachel was off in Washington State on a scholarship and Rebecca had moved to Hawaii to live with her husband, who was a Samoan surfer. Of course, she would remember them since Charlie and Billy had tried to get them to be friends during Bella's visits here, although they'd all been too shy to make much progress in that department...and, of course, it didn't help that Bella had been prone to kicking up tantrums that often ended our get togethers fairly quickly. I smiled quietly as their conversation moved onto her truck and turned away to give them some privacy, glancing up at the sky. 

Clouds were beginning to advance across the once clear blanket of blue, sliding slowly across the sun and casting a familiar shadow over the beach. I sighed, leaning back into my duffle as I listened absentmindedly to the conversations of the group around me, content with sitting here with Jacob, Bella, and Angela, the latter of whom seemed just as content to sit in silence as I was. It was one thing I liked most about Angela, aside from her kindness and gentle nature, I never had to worry about forcing a conversation with her, we could sit in silence and be perfectly fine. Probably one reason why she was one of the few humans in school I liked being around. 

People were starting to split off into groups of twos and threes by the time everyone finished eating; some wandered off down by the waves to skip rocks off the rolling water while a second expedition to the tide pools was being planned. Our Jessica followed Mike back to the cars to make a stop at one of the shops in the village, followed by several of the local kids while a few others decided to go on the hike. I got up to stretch as Angela went with the group headed back for the tide pools, groaning in appreciation and sighing quietly. Tyler and Lauren were the only other people left around the fire aside from Jacob, Bella, and I, as they had returned their attention to the CD player. I was just wondering if I should go for a walk by the waves myself when something Jacob and Bella said caught Lauren's attention, making her turn her pale eyes on them. 

"You two know each other, huh?" She quirked a brow from across the first, attempting a surprised tone. I rolled my eyes. 

"We ALL know each other, Lauren, we have since we were kids." I crossed my arms as she glared at me, her silent way of telling me she wasn't talking to me, her lip curling, "How nice. Anyway, Bella," She returned her attention to my stepsister. "Tyler and I were just saying how sad it was that none of the Cullens could come out with us today. I guess no one thought to invite them." She cocked her head, trying to appear concerned, though it wasn't very convincing. 

"Are you referring to Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" Sam spoke up from the edge of the fire, making me jump, since I hadn't noticed he was still there, although I couldn't bring myself to be mad when I saw how irritated Lauren became at the interruption. I suppressed a smirk as she grit her jaw and turned slowly to face him again. 

"Yes." She answered condescendingly, which made me bristle again, "Do you know them?" 

"The Cullens don't come here." He answered firmly, ignoring Lauren's question as he peered sideways at me; I pursed my lips, picking up on the secretive undertone to his voice. Lauren frowned, still obviously irritated, although the look Sam and I exchanged didn't escape her notice. 

"You two know one another, do you?" She looked between us, eyeing me critically. I sighed inwardly, suppressing the urge to rub my temples, "Yes, we know people outside school, it's a real shocker, I know. Now how about you pay a little more attention to your own life instead of someone else's, then maybe you'd get somewhere with your crush." 

Lauren's eyes widened and flashed toward Tyler, who had frozen in his seat and was staring at her in shock before she turned to glower at me once more. I rolled my eyes, so far beyond caring that I turned away from her, noticing for the first time that I was now alone. Scanning the beach, I spotted Bella and Jacob headed in the direction of the driftwood seawall to the north. From here, I could see Bella making a, somewhat successful, attempt at flirting with Jacob, fluttering her eyelashes much in the way girls did on TV; for his part, he blushed, reaching a hand back to rub his neck, acting like she'd said something that either embarrassed or flattered him. My chest tightened at the sight and my ears folded back at seeing just how elated Jacob seemed as the two walked away, although I tried to stamp these feelings down along with the sudden urge I had to run over there and get between them. I'd promised Jacob I would help him talk to Bella and get to know her and that's what I'd done...it would be unfair of me to go back on my promise and interfere now...besides, it would be good for Bella to have friends outside the Cullens and myself, actual human friends she could hang out with instead of supernaturals all the time. Even if it made him jealous, I'm sure Edward would agree with me on that. 

Suddenly feeling restless just sitting around stewing in my own thoughts, I got to my feet and headed south up the beach, shoving my hands into the pockets of my shorts to keep my fingers warm; the clouds that had encroached around the edges of the horizon had finally encapsulated the sky, closing ranks over the sun once more and turning the seat into a black, heaving mass as the temperature slowly began to dip. A cold breeze blew up from the waves and swept my hair out of my face as I stared out over the waves, reminding myself that this was what Jacob wanted and that it wouldn't be right to interfere further, even though there was something pulling at me, screaming that I needed to go after them and stop this from progressing further. They couldn't be together like that...not like that... 

"Dawn." The sudden voice made me jump, jerking me back from my thoughts. I whipped around and frowned when I noticed Sam had followed me down to the edge of the water and was watching with a quirked brow. Warmth crept up my neck and I cleared my throat slowly, trying to recollect myself. 

"What's up, Sam?" 

Sam eyed me, frowning silently before he let out a low hum and crossed his arms, "Your stepsister knows the Cullens." 

I quirked a brow, "I'm pretty sure everyone knows the Cullens, this town isn't all that big." 

He narrowed his eyes, "You know what I mean, Dawn...she's getting close to them, just as you have." My ears flattened further against my head at his tone, like he was trying to make me feel guilty about my friendship with the Cullens. Although Sam and I hadn't interacted much, there was another aspect to our relationship that most of my classmates wouldn't understand. He had a secret, just like the Cullens and I, "Does Bella know? About our word." 

My frown deepens and I shake my head, "No, not yet...but we're trying to get her to figure it out herself...just like with Charlie." 

"So, she can be with one of the Cullens." It wasn't a question. 

"Kinda hard for them to have a relationship if they're not honest with each other, isn't it?" My brows furrow when Sam shakes his head, disapprovingly, "She's still only human, it isn't going to end well if she's going to be with him and we both know it. You know our treaty - " 

"Which states they cannot come onto your land nor bite and/or turn a human unless they want to start a war. There is nothing that says they cannot have a relationship with a human." I pointed out, "The Cullens haven't forgotten the treaty they made with your tribe nor has my family. Edward just wants to try things with her." 

"He cannot possibly believe he can be with Bella for the rest of her natural life. She wouldn't survive." 

"Charlie's survived being with my mother for fifteen years." 

"Elizabeth is a demon, not a leech." Sam growled, his voice deepening in warning. I recognized the tone of his voice; mama used a similar tone whenever my brothers or I were getting out of line. It was an alpha's voice, a show of power and control, particularly when members of a pack had stepped out of line. I raised my chin defiantly to show I was not going to submit even though I was not of a high status yet myself, knowing I could do so since I was not a part of the Quileute pack and, therefore, outside Sam's command. My family had been mediators between the Quileutes and the Cullens since the coven had first come to this land, allies to both groups, but that didn't mean either had command over us. Sam was a member of the newest generation of the pack, but he knew that as well as any of the elders. 

"Everyone deserves happiness, Sam, and Edward is no different." I met his gaze evenly, "Every creature on this earth has their own strengths and weaknesses, you more than anyone should understand that." 

Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I looked past Sam, toward the driftwood circle; most of my classmates had returned and were starting to pack up as the glowering sky overhead began to weep. I caught Angela's eye as she looked around for me and I raised a hand to tell her I was coming before turning back to Sam. 

"I'll be keeping a close eye on their relationship, but I can assure you, Edward has no intention to change Bella. We'll contact you if that changes." 

Sam was silent as I headed back toward the circle and smiled gratefully at Angela as she held out my duffle bag, which she'd packed up for me while I'd been preoccupied. Heaving the strap over my shoulder, I looked around as Mike and Jessica rejoined us with Bella and Jacob in tow, feeling that ache return at seeing how much closer the latter two seemed after their talk. Forcing that ache back, I smiled and chuckled as Mike hurried Bella away, as though eager to separate her from Jacob. 

"Have fun?" I quirked a brow, bemused, at my best friend as we fell in step alongside one another on the way back to the parking lot. Jacob chuckled and nodded, smiling gratefully, "Yeah, we did. Thanks for reintroducing us, Dawn." I shrugged, like it was no big deal, "Eh, you asked me to, what was I gonna do, let the two of you sit in awkward silence?" Jacob chuckled, "What'd you guys talk about, anyway?" 

"Told her some of the old Quileute folklore." Jacob hummed; I glanced up at him, "You mean those old ghost stories Billy used to tell us when we were kids?" He nodded and I laughed, knowing he didn't believe in those stories since he didn't know the truth behind them, "Oooh, you're gonna be in trouble, those were supposed to be secrets." 

"Only if you say something to our dads." Jacob grinned and I snorted, shaking my head, "Nah, I won't say anything about it. Charlie's still miffed about you guys not going to the hospital anymore after Carlisle started working there." 

Jacob chuckled faintly once more and smiled as I unlocked my Camry, stuffing my duffle into the trunk, "You think we'll be able to hang out again soon, D?" 

I smiled up at him as I closed the hatch, "We should be able to, things have calmed down at home, so I should have more free time soon. Maybe one of these days I can come pick you up and we can hang out at my place, maybe play some video games. You'd get to see Bella more, too." 

Jacob beamed at the thought and whooped excitedly, "Heh, then I'd get to impress her with my mad Mario Kart skills. " 

"Oh yeah, your mad skills at losing to me." I smirked; he wrinkled his nose in return, grinning, "Getting a bit cocky, D?" 

I chuckled, "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not, we're gonna have to find out during our next gaming sess, won't we? I'll call you with the date and time, Jake." 

Jacob hummed as I climbed into the drivers' seat, "I look forward to it." I smiled at him as he pushed the door closed behind me while the engine purred to life, "So do I."