hothead -paul lahote-

three

The next few days, Quil, Embry, and I have hung out the most, every once in a while Jacob would join us. He told me to call him Jake but I like Jacob better, so I'm one of the few people who call him Jacob. "Nicole, when do you start school?" Jacob asks as he tosses the ball to Embry across the beach. I sit beside Quil, my legs over his. "I'm not sure. I'll have to ask Sam." I shrug, looking up at him. "Ah, I was just wondering cause I'm pretty sure Seth is gonna be driving you to and from." While Jacob's distracted with talking to me, Embry pelts him in the face with the ball. I laugh.

Quil stifles his laughter as I hold my stomach, enjoying the look of confusion on Jacob's face when he was hit. "I can't believe you just hit me in the face." He laughs slightly while Embry cackles. As Embry walks over I hold my hand up for a high five. "I loved that!" "It was totally worth it." He states. Quil leans against me, kissing my jaw. "Watch it, Ateara." I smirk, pushing his shoulder. We sit on the beach for a while, even after Embry and Jacob leave. I look up at him, watching him as he speaks. Soon enough he looks down at me. "Are you even listening?" He chuckles, pushing my face away.

"Of course I'm listening, smart one." I smile, not pulling back when he leans closer to me. "Quil." I whisper, carefully pulling away. "Oh, come on, what's it matter?" He questions. "Sam might get angry." I mutter. "Sam can deal with it. I like you, you clearly like me." He smirks, his voice is cocky. "Oh shut it. Let's get home. I'm hungry." I stand, reaching a hand out to him. He grabs it, standing with a huff. Then halfway home we bump into Paul. "How's Ateara and his little girlfriend doing?" He teases, smirking. "I'm not his girlfriend." I grumble, pushing myself away from Quil.

"You sure look like it. Making out on the beach and all." Paul laughs when my face goes red. "We didn't even kiss." "Could've fooled me." I huff, shoving past him and walking toward the house faster. I get home and storm up the stairs, slamming my door behind me. Soon enough someone knocks on my door. "Go away." "Come on, kid. You've gotta eat. Quil says you haven't eaten at all today." I stand, opening my door, staring up at Sam. "Has Paul left?" I ask. "Nope!" Paul calls from downstairs. I growl. "I'll be up here if you need me." I close the door only for it to be stopped by Sam.

"Nope. Go." He motions me out. I sigh, following him down the stairs. I sit beside Quil as I throw my feet into his lap. "What am I, a footrest?" He jokes, shoving my legs down. I replace them, smiling sweetly at him. "Only for me." I smirk when he smiles, setting his hand on my leg. Paul growls under his breath, but I can hear it. "Nicole, quit flirting with people to get what you want." Sam scolds with a laugh. "I just wanna have my feet up." I grumble. "Plus, I'm just a flirty person." I state. "Yeah, like when she and Quil were making out on the beach." Paul laughs. "We were not." I snap.

"We didn't even kiss." I reiterate, turning to Paul with a scowl. "Again, could've fooled me." He smirks. "Oh shut up. You're ridiculous. You're purposely trying to get me and Quil in trouble." "Oh damn, you figured me out. You are one smart cookie, sweetheart." He taps my forehead, laughing even harder now. I smack his hand away, growling at him. "Ass." I snarl, turning to face Quil again as Emily sets a plate in front of me. "Eat then you can go upstairs." She says. Sam sighs, rubbing his temples. "Enough with the fighting. Paul, if she and Quil wanna be together, they can be." He sighs.

"But she's sixteen!" Paul says exasperatedly. "What's it matter?" I snap, starting to eat so I can go upstairs faster. "Dude, we're all eighteen except for Seth. An eighteen-year-old shouldn't be with a sixteen-year-old." He growls. "What's it to you?" I turn to look at him again, dropping my legs off Quil's lap. "It's nothing to me. Drop it." He snaps, glaring at me. "No, I wanna know what your big issue is with me and Quil." "There is no issue." He snarls. "Let it go." I hold my hands up in defense, glaring at the boy. "Be that way." I shove my half-finished plate away, storming upstairs. "God." I groan.