Jacob Black and Me

Danger

When I got out of the shower, dad was frowning at something on TV, toast hanging sideways out of his mouth, his lips still and frozen mid-bite.

"Hey," I said, in a concerned tone. "Dad, what's up?"

He looked up in surprise, then choked down his toast. "Bear attacks," he murmured, only just coherently. "I don't know how..." he cleared his throat. "I mean, bears? In Forks? You've got to be kidding." He didn't sound amused, though, and my heart skipped a beat as I remembered the werewolves in the forest. Massively tall, formidable and threatening.

"Oh, wow. Really?" I said, trying to imitate a normal tone; but my voice squeaked a little. I coughed.

Dad looked at me fully this time, his eyes turning serious. "I don't want you to run in the woods anymore, Serena, it's not safe. They say..." he seemed reluctant, "they say... that boy from Seattle was mauled by a bear. He was just visiting."

The look on my face turned to one of horror, and my mouth dropped open. "How old was he?" I gasped.

"Sixteen or so. His family were ripped apart by it."

I shivered at the words ripped apart. Or broken like china, in Jane's case. I wasn't sorry she was dead – but now I had bigger things to worry about. These werewolves...

They were murdering people. Vampyres were one thing; I could forgive them for that. But people. Why?

Dad misread the look on my face as I struggled to form a coherent reply. "Look, I'm sorry I upset you. Take the shortcut, like you did this morning. Or run a bit further, guess. I know it's disappointing. But I'd much rather have you disappointed than dead." His voice was low and worried. "Get to school now, Serena. You don't want to be late on your first day."

"Yeah." My voice was shaky and distant. I picked up my rucksack and hauled it onto my back, grimacing at the weight of it.

Dad chuckled with false cheeriness. "Lots of textbooks?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," I replied, a dully, unable to say much else. "See you."

"Have a good one!" my dad called as I climbed into the Suzuki.

I closed the door and turned the key in the ignition. "That's likely," I muttered darkly under my breath.

As a cruised down the road heading to La Push, I turned the heater on high and leaned back in the chair. Normally I'd turn the stereo on, but I doubted that even the loudest rock music would break through my thoughts.

I pulled into the parking lot of the school. It was small, but crowds of teenagers swarmed through the front gate, comparing timetables and catching up for the first time after the summer. I glanced down at my outfit for a fraction of a second. Thick woolly grey top with flecks of silver, the neckline cutting just below my collarbones, and a royal blue maxi skirt that hugged my almost non-existent hips. Add black fingerless gloves and lace-up heeled boots and what do you get?

I actually had no idea. Did I look like a newbie? Probably.

I forced myself out of the car, my rucksack practically dragging me to the ground with its weight. I could already feel the looks I was attracting as students parted for me on my way in; and I heard scattered whispers of 'Is that the new girl?'

As I pushed my way through the thronging crowd, trying desperately to act invisible with the growing panic that was building in my chest, a thick, jabbing finger poked me in the back. I almost stumbled as I whirled around, and came face to face with a guy with greasy blonde hair and a pock-marked face. He leered at me.

"Hey, girl," he drawled, leaning closer to me. "You new here?"

I stumbled backwards. "Um..."

"Course she's new!" another boy hollered from behind him. "I'd know that sweet-ass rack if I'd seen it before."

My eyes darted around, searching for an escape. No-one had seemed to notice the boys – or me, for that matter. Shit. Just when I need attention, I didn't have it?

"Yes, I'm new here," I replied, hoping my voice sounded stronger than my stomach, which was doing loop-the-loops. "Now if you don't mind, I have to get to class."

The blonde boy grinned toothily.

"Sure you can't spare five minutes?" he took a step closer to me, and I noticed with growing alarm that he was now surrounded by a gang of friends, all grinning hungrily.

"I really have to go," I protested, my voice getting higher. My panic was clearly evident to the boys, for they laughed cruelly.

"Aw, come on, don't be shy," the boy complained, his eyes flashing. His friends sniggered, and I felt the overwhelming urge to be sick. "I just wanna get to know you."

Before I could stop them, or do anything at all, the boys had formed a circle around me. The blonde grabbed at my waist, pulling me towards him.

"Get off me!" I cried, pushing against him.

"Hey!" a voice came, and the boy's grip on me relaxed. Stunned, I looked up to see the source of this sudden passiveness.

The source was a six-foot tall tanned, muscular boy, his jaw clenched and his eyes on fire. He looked like he was made of stone, and in a second he was in front of me, shielding me as if from a predator.

"Didn't you hear Serena say she has to get to class, Foster?" he growled. I could see the muscle in his arm tensing, as if prepared for a fight. The blonde boy seemed to shrink back.

"Hey, Jacob, it was just a bit of fun..." he muttered. It was then that I noticed his friends seemed to have disappeared.

"Fun? You call that fun?" he snapped. "You disgust me, Foster."

Foster looked pale, his eyes wide. "I swear, Jacob, it won't happen again..."

"You can bet it won't," Jacob's voice was low and protective. "Because I'll be there."

Foster looked like he could barely breathe. He stumbled away, muttering apologies. It was then that I realized I had been holding my breath, and I let it out in one long gasp. Jacob turned to me, his stony, fiery attitude gone in an instant, replaced with a face full of concern.