invisible string | s. uley ✓

20 | kill the vibe

While waiting for Mike, the pack messed around, some getting in the water and others — Jared — digging through the cooler of food. Valeria continued to teach Sam how to balance the ball on his nose.

"Stand straight."

"I am."

"Stand straighter."

"What do you want me to do? Iron out my spine?"

"Did you bring an iron?"

Sam chuckled while taking the soccer ball off his nose, which he never succeeded in balancing for more than three seconds. Then he wrapped an arm around Valeria's waist and kissed her forehead.

He placed his thumb under her chin and tilted her head up before holding the ball above her. Valeria grinned before getting in the correct position. She proudly walked around, her hands half out for balance, as she kept the soccer ball on top of her nose.

"She's like a little circus animal," Jacob said, throwing a football back and forth with Leah and Quil.

"This is the only talent I have that matters," she declared, focused entirely on the ball.

"Right, that and not the fact that you're a super-talented artist," Seth said, shaking his head. Then he saw the small smile on Valeria's face, knowing she was happy to be complimented on her art.

"Or that you can solve math problems wicked fast in your head," Embry added.

"Ah, but she can't tell you when the Great Depression started," Jacob teased. "Or how many presidents we've had."

"Pshh, I don't need to know that stuff," she said, waiving it off.

"I mean, you will ten years from now when you're retaking tenth-grade history," Leah muttered.

"Don't remind me," Valeria groaned, hating the thought of one day returning to high school. Despite the fact that she loved being a part of a vegetarian coven, she hated the means they had to go through in order to stay in one place. She didn't know how her siblings had gone to school so many times.

And Sam was no help, who was too old to pass as a high schooler. He simply laughed about the fact that he never had to do homework again. He and Esme had cooked up a plan where she'd design houses with her architecture skills, and Sam would build them while Carlisle was off working and the others were at school.

"At least I'll rack up my first degree before then. I'm thinking Art History — Bestie, over here!" Valeria cut herself off when she spotted Mike across the beach.

"Hey, Bestie!" he greeted, jogging over.

"Looking like a total babe, Newton," Valeria said, grinning at his attire. He was wearing a rather vibrant Hawaiian print shirt that was unbuttoned and some green swim trunks. He also had a pair of blue heart-shaped sunglasses sitting on top of his head — Valeria was wearing the matching pink pair.

Valeria saw Sam pout out of the corner of her eye, who wasn't really jealous of Mike, but he also would rather Valeria call him a babe.

"Aw," she cooed, turning towards Sam. "Want me to objectify you too?"

"That's all I ask," he huffed jokingly.

Valeria placed her hand on his abs — he was wearing an old sweatshirt with the bottom cut off, and Valeria really appreciated how the cropped item gave her ease of access to his toned stomach.

"Trust me, if there was a mind reader here, he'd be disgusted with me right now," Valeria told him, smirking to herself.

Sam chuckled while placing his hand over hers on his stomach and intertwining their fingers. Then he nodded in greeting to Mike. "Hey, Mike. Let's get you introduced to everyone."