ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴛᴛᴇʀs | Twilight

𝐱.

▏ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ▕

Another couple of days passed, and Hazel was back at the Reserve. She was hanging out with Valentina while Christion was out with Sam Uley and a few other boys. For the last twenty minutes, the two girls had been playing Jenga. So far Hazel had lost once and won twice, and then there was one round where they'd called a draw because Hazel had hit her head on the tower due to a surprisingly vicious sneeze before she could get her block.

"Okay, okay," Valentina whispered. The pair watched the tower they had just rebuilt with great intensity as they moved their hands away. "This time, when I win, I'm going to one of the soccer games you never say anything about." Hazel raised a brow at her over the semi-stable structure.

"And when I win," Hazel slowly pulled out a block, signalling the start of the match, "I'm taking Christian's motorbike out for a spin on whatever weekend I want." She smirked when the tower didn't sway and placed her block on top.

Valentina hesitated as she thought it over, but nodded after a moment. She pulled out the next block carefully, adding it beside Hazel's. They went silent, their focus now strictly on the game. Hazel couldn't lose, she had tried her best to keep her friends from seeing any of her soccer games, and she wanted to take Christian's bike. However, she knew that Valentina also desperately wanted to win, because Hazel knew Valentina would find some way to embarrass her, and she also wanted to keep her relationship.

The Jenga tower was beginning to become more unstable as time went on. It had been almost ten minutes, and the tower was swaying dangerously, threatening to fall with every block that was taken. Hazel could feel her teeth digging into her bottom lip as she slowly placed her next block on top. Valentina studied the tower, then carefully moved her hand to the brick she wanted when--

SLAM!

Christian and Paul Lahote ran into the home, play-fighting each other. Hazel and Valentina went to yell at them to get out, but Christian was pushed into the table where the unstable tower was. The girls swung their heads back to the Jenga construct, crying out as it collapsed. They turned their attention to the boys, who had stopped now, and glared at them.

"Christian!" Valentina cried at the same time Hazel shouted "Paul!"

"What?" They asked in confusion.

"It's just a game of Jenga," Paul spoke, frowning at them.

"But we made a bet on this round," Hazel explained, and Valentina nodded along. "If I won, I would get to borrow your bike, Chris, for whatever weekend I want."

"And if I won I'd get to go to one of Hazel's secretive soccer games," Valentina told the boys. "I would have been the first!"

"True, true," Christian nodded, "but that's no reason to gamble Lolita to this-- this motorcycle destroying monster," Hazel and Christian jokingly glared at each other, but they held a hint of serious annoyance in their eyes. "She's the most precious thing I have, okay? Lolita isn't just some toy you can parade around with."

"Am I not as precious as Lolita?" Valentina asked, a cheeky glint in her eye. Hazel couldn't help but snicker at the girl.

"That's not fair and you know it, Val," Christian pouted.

Hazel and Valentina stood, humoured smiles on their faces. Hazel moved to stand beside Paul as Valentina and Christian shared a sweet moment. The other two shot each other a look of disgust before quietly laughing amongst themselves.

"Good to see you again, Hazel," Paul grinned as he brought up a hand to ruffle the girl's curls.

"Same here, Pauly," Hazel joked. The boy narrowed his eyes at her.

"What did you two come here for, anyway?" Valentina inquired when she pulled away from Christian. "I'm sure it wasn't only to wreck our game?"

"We actually came here to get Hazel," Christian answered, sharing a look with Paul. "Sam wants to speak with her."

"Oh," Hazel muttered. "I guess I better go then. I'll be back ASAP, Valentina." Hazel shot Valentina a competitive grin, which the other girl returned.

Hazel and the two boys left Valentina to clean up the Jenga blocks by herself. The males guided the girl to a place near the woods where Sam Uley and another large boy stood, conversing. As soon as the trio came closer, Sam turned in their direction. The other boy followed suit as Sam waved at Hazel in greeting.

"Man, she even smells like those bloodsuckers," Hazel heard the other boy laugh.

"Shut it, Jared, "Sam ordered, glancing back at the girl. "Hey, Hazel," Sam nodded at the girl, giving her a tight-lipped smile.

"Nice to see you again, Sam," Hazel gave the boy a curt nod of her own, but couldn't help but break out into a grin. "Can I ask what this is about?"

"We saw something -- someone -- in the woods the other day," Sam replied, getting straight to the point. "A woman with red hair, pale skin, and really angry," he described.

Hazel couldn't hide the gasp that left her mouth. "Victoria," she breathed.

"So you do know her?" Sam queried, eyebrow raised in question. Hazel's eyes widened as she sputtered, trying to speak. "We already know about the Cullens. If she's what they are, tell us."

Hazel nibbled her lip as she looked away from the boy. "I--I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered.

"You really are a bad liar." Sam sighed. "We won't kill them or anything, but this vampire--"

"We might," Paul commented under his breath.

"This woman, Victoria, she's probably back to get Bella Swan. Or--or me. We killed her mate last year when he hunted us down."

"That'll do it," Christian whistled.

"Hold--hold on a second. How do you know about vampires?" Hazel raised her hands up as she looked around in confusion. "The only that goes to school with me and the Cullens is Chris, and if he'd figured it out, I'm pretty sure..." Hazel's eyes widened in realisation and Paul and Jared frowned at her, "you--you mentioned it at the prom."

"Did I?" Christian scratched the back of his head as he frowned. "Eh, but I, uh, I've kinda known a lot longer than that."

"Christian!"

How? How the hell could you have known? Hazel knitted her eyebrows together as she looked around at the males. "How?"

"You'll probably find out soon enough," Christian sighed, earning him a glare from Sam. "Come on, I should let you say goodbye to Val, 'cause I think you should head home."