The Consequences {Jacob Black}

Chapter XIII: Jacob's Point of View

I sat in my room, twirling an old football in my hand and stared at the wall. I was a Spirit Warrior, descendent Taha Aki and the others I'd heard so much about and... I was being controlled by a man in a wheelchair. I couldn't believe I was going to say this, but I missed school. I wanted to go back and be with my friends; not sit around and wait for my temper to explode. My patrol wasn't until that afternoon, but I was so bored I could run a double.

I laid myself on the carpet of my floor, my nose wrinkled in disgust. What had died on my floor? God it smelled like sweat and bad food. I pushed myself off the carpet and moved into the kitchen. There was nothing better to do; might as well cook. The smell of salty sea air and mangos swirled around my nose. I followed the smell to the front door, stopping behind it, out of anyone's line of sight. "Hey Billy; I brought Jake's homework." Annie was here? I thought after everything, she would just stay away. I mean, my dad had let her think that she wasn't welcome anymore.

"Ryanne, you can't be here," Dad said. I knew that this was hurting him, too. "Jake can't hang out with you for a while, Ryanne," he said in that dark voice that he didn't ever use.

I guess there were some perks to being part wolf. My hearing was increased, so much so that I could hear Annie's heart speed up, her breath catch as she fought for control of her emotions. I could something salty that was not related to her scent and wanted to look out the window at her. She couldn't be crying, could she? She swallowed hard and said, "I know you don't want Jake to fall behind in school, Billy. I'll just pick up his homework and drop it off. I won't talk to him or anything," she added in a rush. "I promise." But I wanted her to talk to me. This was so unfair. I was losing my best friend and she thought that it was all her fault. It wasn't her fault. I was the leeches' fault. If they hadn't come around, I would still have my best friend. "Or you can ask Quil; whichever is easier." Yeah, Dad should ask Quil. Annie shouldn't have to go through this everyday. It's not fair to her. "Um—here's the truck keys back. I had been planning on giving them to Jake today."

Dad couldn't take the truck from her. How would she get back to Forks? The stubborn girl would probably walk, but that wasn't fair to her either. I heard her heart flutter a little as my dad made some movement.

"Keep them; Jake has no use for the truck for a few months and I can't use it. I'll tell your dad when I need it back." Good; that gave her a way to get to school and back. There was the draw back that she hated driving, but I could always phase and watch her from the forest-line, make sure she got there safely.

"I"m really sorry, Billy," she whispered. I heard quick footsteps on the wood and down the stairs. She rushed through the grass and into the car, the engine roaring to life. And just like that, she was gone.

I backed away from the door as I heard my dad's wheelchair behind it. He thrust the packet of work at me with a grunt. "What's your problem?" I asked.

"I am letting your best friend, the girl I think of as my daughter, believe that I hate her, Jacob," my dad said. "I have already lost Rebecca and Rachel won't come around here. Now, I get to watch Ryanne hate me because she finally stood up for herself." I looked at him with fear. My dad never seemed this torn up about things. Not even my mom's death. At least, not in front of me or the girls. "Ryanne was right when she told Rebecca that she was disappointing your mother. Rebecca refuses to come back until I apologize for siding with her. But Ryanne doesn't know that and she just keep apologizing."

"If I tell her, then we can explain to her that we don't hate her," I tried. It was futile; I knew it. But I just wanted my best friend back.

"Jake, you can't control your temper. What if something were to happen to her? Do you want her to be hurt just because you can't keep yourself from phasing," he said. I snarled under my breath. "You have to think of her first, Jacob. She's always done that for you."