Meet Me at the Borderline // Jacob X Edward

1: X Marks the Spot

But then again, it was Sam. He could take care of himself. Sam was eighteen, for Christs' sake! That's like a whole-ass legal adult. He would be fine. It was getting late anyway, and he still had his homework to finish-Jacob groaning at the thought. He would just let his Dad know what happened and that he at least tried to find him.

And so, Jacob got up off the log with a tired sigh, the moss staining the blue denim of his jeans green, and headed back for the den. But then he saw it, just a few feet away from him, suddenly catching his eye like a glint of something shiny. A footprint! Or rather...a pawprint?

He inched closer to it cautiously, bearing in mind that the animal could still be close by. He crept up to the print engraved into the dirt as if it would somehow disappear from the earth if he made any sudden movements. He crouched down to take a closer look, but the closer he got, the print size started to make him nervous. It was huge. Much bigger than the size of a large human hand. Though, it didn't look right. Four circular toes surround a triangular paw pad. It even had the smaller divots above the toes to signify giant claws seeped into the dirt. Was it a dog's? It couldn't be; no dog is big enough to make that. It had to be a bear. 'Oh fuck...' He thought to himself.

"What are you doing here?"

"AGHH!!!" Jacob yelled in terror at the sudden voice catching him off guard. He stumbled back and landed on his backside with a loud thud.

"You shouldn't be here. What are you doing this far out of the Rez?" a stern yet melodious voice questioned above him. Jacob looked up to meet the voice before him.

'Pretty.'

A pale ivory, confused face stared back at him. Squinted eyes glowing a rich, supernatural amber. Brassy brown hair dishevelled in a mess.

'A Cullen?' Was Jacob actually in Cullen territory? Crap, he's going to be in so much trouble.

"Oh! Uh...I-I'm sorry. I...I didn't realise..." Jacob stood himself up and brushed himself off, regaining his composure. He looked about at his surroundings; he definitely was not on the Rez. "I was looking for my friend, he ran off somewhere, and I can't find him...Don't suppose you've seen him?" Jacob asked with a hopeful tone and pained expression. Maybe the Cullen kid could help him out?

"No...I haven't," The boy answered simply, earning a dejected sigh from Jacob.

Well, there goes that idea.

The longer Jacob examined the stranger, the more he noticed. He looked older, possibly Sam's age. His scruffed-up shirt fit snugly around his tall and noticeably lean body. Was that...red lipstick smeared at the corner of his mouth?

The older boy must have noticed Jacob staring at his mouth when he wiped the corner of his lips with his delicate snow-white hand. Removing all traces of the red smear from his face.

"Well...What are you doing out here?"

"...Hiking..." the older boy answered as if he was trying to convince himself more than Jacob.

"...Hiking?...Alone? This far out?...After school?"

He put the pieces together. 'Was he...? Was he making out with someone?!... Or even-' Jacob visibly cringed at the grotesque thought but was quickly cut short by the other's response.

"It's better scenery out here. Look, you should go home."

"Right...Yeah-no, I was just about to, but I uhh..." Jacob shifted uncomfortably before turning to look down at the pawprint that thankfully remained beneath him. "This pawprint...Is it a bear's? Doesn't really...look like one, big enough to be one, though..." He stepped aside to let the Cullen come closer and inspect it. They both looked down at it perplexedly. "If it's still around, then I really don't want to leave Sam out here."