rebel | leah clearwater

07

"What's going on here?" Charlie asks the next morning as both his kids sit in an awkward silence. He looks between them both.

"Nothing dad, he stole my leftovers is all." Bella lies quietly.

Charlie laughs. "Oh cmon guys, I'm sure you can figure this out. Anyways, I'll be back late tonight don't wait up. And don't burn the house down. Oh, and don't kill each other." He points, laughing to himself as he heads out shaking his head. "Kids."

Once the door closes, Arlo pushes away from the table and goes to storm away. "Arlo, cmon, please talk to me!" Bella begs. She was begging all evening.

"Talk? I don't need to talk, I already know everything. Leah told me." He snaps.

"Leah had no right to. You shouldn't believe every word she says, she's not a nice person." Bella says, standing and walking closer.

"Don't. Even." Arlo says slowly. "You don't get a right to say those things about her, you don't know her."

"And you do? Cmon Arlo, it's just a crush. I'm your sister, why won't you listen to me!"

"I'm her imprint. Sorta trumps being my sister, there, and the fact she acrually tells me the truth." He snaps, walking upstairs.

Bella is stunned. "Imprint..." Her mind vaguely recognises that word and it clicks. "She imprinted on you!?" Bella runs after him. "When!!!" She shoves her foot in his door so he can't slam it.

"Go away! And I dunno, the first time I saw her? I have no idea how it works, I'm pretty new to this - unlike you. Your boyfriend is a vampire, Bella! That's creepy as shit!" Arlo snaps, giving up on trying to close the door.

Bella crosses her arms as she stands in the doorway. "I didn't ask for this. It happened and I'm living with it. And back to the comment about the truth, I couldn't tell you. No one is meant to know. You're in danger knowing-"

Arlo laughs coldly. "I'm in danger anyway Bella. Whoever took me was after you - I'm safer with Leah than I am in my own home. You know how that feels?"

"Yeah I do. I'm safer at Edwards with his family than I am here. Charlie and you are safer when I'm not around." She says quietly, looking down guiltily.

Arlo laughs again. "But we ain't! Look what happens even if you aren't around." He holds his hand up. "You have no self awareness, Bella, you think about you and you only. So I'm gonna think about me and me only. And I don't want you near me. So fuck off." He kicks her foot out of the way and slams the door.

Bella stands frozen as the door slams in her face. She slowly walks away, glancing at his closed door before she goes into her room and sits on her bed in silence. Does he really think that? It's not fair for him to assume things, she doesn't know him and he doesn't know her. He doesn't know what she's been through, how can he judge?

"Bella?"

Bella jumps and looks up to see Edward stood in front of the window frowning. "H-hey." She forces a smile.

"Is everything okay?" Edward sits beside her and brushes her hair back, both of them laying back as Bella curls against him.

Bella sighs as she closes her eyes. "I hate that Leah got to Arlo first. He's judging me without knowing what I've been through."

Edward plays with her hair. "That isn't very nice... But do you think maybe you're doing the same to him, love? I think you resent that he's Leahs mate even though he can't control it - as you can't control loving me."

Bella frowns as she chews over his words. "I... I mean, I haven't meant to judge him."

"We don't always do it intentionally." Edward says. "Give him some space, okay? He's thinking through a lot of things right now and his brain can't handle it mentally."

Bella sighs heavily and lays back. "Fine."

Meanwhile, Arlo jumps down from the window, landing on the porch cover before he jumps down onto the driveway. He jogs to the end of it and sees Leah just pulling up, a smile on her face. "Hey handsome."

He climbs in smiling. "Hi love." He kisses her cheek. "What we doing today then?"

"Well, I wanted to pose a quick question to you." She says, glancing at him before she pulls out onto the road.

"Shoot." Arlo shrugs.

"We have to help out Bella. I hate it, but Jacob leant us to the vamps." She says, huffing. "So I have this training thing with them this afternoon and I wanted to know if you'd come."

Arlo frowns. "Ah... I dunno, babe." He says slowly. "I can't stand Bella right now."

"You're not going for her. Come for me? Pleaseeee?" Leah says. "It'll annoy Jacob - that'll annoy Bella more. And it'll annoy Sam." She grins. "Come on, I know that sounds appealing."

"Ahh..." He says slowly. "Fine. But only if I get to ride you. You've ridden me I wanna-"

"Oh my god stop!" Leah shrieks laughing.

-

Leah slows and Arlo takes a shaky breath, sitting up a little. She peaks over her shoulder giving a whine. Arlo rubs her neck fur gently. "I'm okay... Mostly." He chuckles.

She kneels down and he jumps down, walking beside her with his arm against his chest and the other against her. "Still pretty cool that you're a wolf, not gonna lie."

Leah howls gently and nudges him to the ledge; the clearing has a bunch of rocks they're all on while the Vamps stay below. Arlo sits down and leans against her as her pack arrive and find spots. He figures it's Seth who comes and lays beside him.

Bella looks over at her brother as they arrive now. Arlo notices how pale they all are, too perfect looking. "Is he good?" Bella whispers.

"He's judging." Edward says.

"Get out of me head!" Arlo snaps. "Bella has no right knowing everythin about me."

Edward holds a hand up. "I apologise." Arlo flips him off. Leah and Seth laugh.

Carlisle comes over. "Is that him?" He mumbles.

Edward nods once. "Yes. He isn't handling this all very well."

Carlisle nods once and steps up, beginning to talk to the wolves as Edward translates. They soon break into small fights, Jasper showing them all how to defend themselves against the newborns. Its weird for Arlo to see; the inhumane speed is ridiculous, but also the fast reflexes. How did Bella stumble upon this? How did she get tangled in the Web of the supernatural?

How did he?

Seth nudges him with his paw. Arlo looks up. "What?" Seth pokes him again. "Seth, I will beat your a- seth!" Arlo laughs, nudging back.

"Oi you fat lump!" He laughs more as Seth climbs over him and sits on him, flopping his top half against Leah as she growls. "Oh behave, misery guts." Arlo laughs, leaning back on his elbows.

Leah suddenly snaps her head round and growls at Jacob and Sam, Seth looking up to growl too. Seth jumps off Arlo to bite Leah on the neck, holding her back. Arlo frowns, sitting up. "Leah... Whatever it is, leave it."

She yaps at him, not looking over. Arlo looks to Edward who shakes his head once as if to say leave it, but Arlo doesn't want to. He stands, putting a hand on Leahs back. "Leah, drop it. Let's just go." He says.

She growls slowly as she backs up, nudging Arlo to follow. He backs up with her and climbs on, gripping tight as she takes off running. She eventually stops and Arlo climbs down, looking around. They're in the trees beside the house - he should have known all the forests link up somehow.

Leah comes out dressed in her shorts, pushing her hair back from her face. "I hate them!!!" She yells.

Arlo takes her hand and pulls her close. "What happened?"

"They're all ass holes. Ugh! They... They hate you being around. Think you're an outsider. You're not - you're no more of an outsider than Emily or Rachel. Ugh!" She snaps.

Arlo smiles small and strokes her hair back. "Naa, I am a little. I don't come from round ere, I'm weird, new, strange. And I'm not part of the res tribe. I get it."

"Don't defend them!"

"I'm not!" He laughs. "God, let's go get food in you, you're cranky when you're hungry."