Two weeks left. Just two weeks left of the most perfect summer I've ever had. The sun hadn't stopped shining, well for us in La Push it hadn't. Forks and the surrounding areas had the wettest summer ever recorded, of course it rained here sometimes but we actually got sunshine for more than three days in a row. My prayers had been answered, well most of them.
Jesse and I still hardly spoke a word to each other. We still hung out together with our friends but he rarely ever gave me a glance. He was a completely different person, losing his temper a lot more frequently as well, a few weeks ago he even kicked the living room door off of it's hinges.
He wasn't alone in his mannerisms, Paul was the same if not worse. He had always had a temper but it had never been this extreme before, he nearly beat up a tourist on the beach for just looking at him. I hadn't seen Paul around for a while, Jesse hadn't brought him around. Jared had seemed to have slipped away from our group a week before I last saw Paul. Jesse hadn't brought them up so I guess it wasn't a major issue.
However, speaking of major issues, Jesse had been missing for two days. Dad came up with the excuse that he was on a camping trip with Paul and Jared but I knew for a fact that he was lying due to the two of them not being around for a while. Dad tried to remain normal as if nothing was going on but I could tell for a fact he was worried, maybe even scared.
Tori was away with her friend and her family, Dad acted like nothing was going on, I couldn't tell Mom or she'd freak and I couldn't even console in Jake because he was away on a fishing trip with his Dad for the weekend with no cell phone service for three days. He was due back in a few days time.
The second night Jesse didn't come home, I was woken up to Dad's voice coming from down the hall. There was no reciprocating voice so he had to have been on the phone. He sounded frantic but his voice remained hushed as he tried not to disturb me but his efforts failed. I couldn't hear what he was saying but I had a feeling it was about Jesse. No one knew where he was and it was time to stop pretending.
Dad and I argued badly the next morning, Jesse still hadn't shown his face and I complained that he hadn't done anything. He acted like a child and used the excuse that I hadn't either. With that I threatened to go see Uncle Charlie and just as I was about to leave Dad stopped me, saying he would sort it out himself.
It was the third morning since Jesse was last seen. Dad had been out all night and I was still completely alone in the house. How could he just disappear for three days without a trace, how had no one seen him? And why wasn't Dad doing more? Mom still didn't have a clue and if Dad doesn't come back with any information on Jesse I'm telling her.
After pacing around the house for most of the morning, waiting for the return of anyone really, I heard the front door open. "Hello?" I called making my way out the kitchen. "Dad? Where have you-"
"It's not Dad."
"Jesse?" I called back once I reached the hallway but stopped in my tracks at the sight in front of me.
Jesse, Paul and Jared. The three of them shirtless, their long hair was gone and now cropped short, they each had matching tattoos on the same arm. Their muscles large and bulging, bigger than I remembered.
The three of them blocked the light streaming into the hallway, the darkness overshadowing me as I stared at their tall frames. They towered over me, I couldn't believe they cut their hair off and got tattoos... and copied Sam. Why was this even a thing?
"Aria, say something please. It's been like two minutes." He spoke up. Was I really quiet for that long?
"What.... What happened?" My voice was shaking but I didn't entirely know why, I guess I just never pictured my brother changing so drastically only to follow in Sam's deranged footsteps.
"Hey kids!" I didn't even hear the front door open. Dad entered the room not even phased by the guys.
"Dad? Why aren't you freaking out? Look at him! What's happened to them?" Tears began to prick my eyes, confusion getting the better of me as I stared between the guys and Dad.
"Aria, you need to calm down." Dad spoke soothingly as I just shook my head.
"I don't want to calm down! What the hell happened to you guys! Why are you different? Why are you like him?" I spat, everyone knew I was talking about Sam, he hadn't been friends with us since last December.
"Aria." Jesse spoke softly grabbing my wrist gently only for me to flinch away. It was the same wrist he bruised all those months ago.
"I need to go." I muttered pushing past the guys and out of the front door, slamming it shut behind me.
I should have seen this coming with the way they had changed over the past few months. Their muscles and their increasing height. Sam went through the same changes only a few months before them, all I want to know is why?
I found myself walking along the trail towards Jake's house, he would have got back from his fishing trip that very morning. His laughter along with Quil and Embry's coming from inside his garage.
Once I got close enough I slid the door open and their attention turned to me, the smiles dropping from their faces once they realised I wasn't okay.
"Blue, what's wrong?" Jake said jogging over to me and pulling me into his arms.
"They've changed." I said into his chest.
"Ari, whose changed?" He questioned again rubbing my back.
"Jesse, Jared and Paul. They're like Sam now. Their hair is gone. They have tattoos just like Sam's all on their arms. They all walked into the house without shirts on looking like they were from some sort of cult." I explained quietly as their faces fell.
"Why?" Was all Embry said, too shocked to form more words.
"I don't know, they wouldn't tell me anything. Dad came home and didn't even seem bothered by them." It felt like my heart was being constricted. Dad had been lying to me all this time.
"I'm sure there's some type of explanation." Embry attempted to reassure me but I shook my head.
"If there is they won't tell me, they're just too different now." My tears had stopped but I was still upset and confused.
"Don't worry Blue, we're not going anywhere. We won't change." Jake said kissing my forehead.
"Do you promise?" I asked and they nodded.
"Promise." They said in chorus all smiling at me. The smile I returned was only small but I just wasn't up to being happy right now.
"Look why don't we go down to the beach? Maybe it'll help cheer you up, clear your head?" Jake offered, a small smile on his face as he looked down at me. He had lost his friends too, maybe we all needed to clear out heads. We all knew this meant that Jesse and Paul wouldn't acknowledge us anymore. Sam used to hang out with us all the time, but since his transformation he hasn't spoken to us once, he was lucky he still had a girlfriend.
Walking down to the beach it made me realise I missed my mom more than ever. She would know what to say to me right now, she would know how to console me, to get the truth out of Dad and Jesse. I'd be able to go home to her, and pretend that Jesse was still normal. I'd be away from La Push where all my problems seemed to stem from.
We mostly stayed silent during our walk, the occasional bickering from Embry and Quil but other than that, silence. Jake wouldn't stop looking at me, he was worried, I could tell whenever I met his eyes. He had taken note of how Jesse had changed over the past year, how distant he became with me and I just knew that he was scared Sam would somehow get to him.
It was a warmish day so we wasn't surprised to find some of the locals and kids from Forks scattered across the beaches. "Well we made a mistake." Quil huffed as we stopped at the top of one of the sand drifts at the very start of the beach.
"Come on we came here to cheer Aria up, so..." Jake drawled the last word out, his lips turning up in a cheeky smile as eyed me.
"What?" I questioned curiously as I caught him wink at Embry over my head. "What?" I asked again, a hint of panic to my voice as they schemed.
"So," Embry continued, "you better start running." He warned with a mischievous smirk.
"What?" I asked again, completely confused.
"5...4...3...2...1... you lost your chance to escape." Jake sighed in fake irritation before lunging for me.
My eyes widened in panic, like a dear caught in headlights. I tried to make a run for it I really did, but I was stood on a steep slope, made of sand. Before I could even take one step Jake swooped me up into the air and over his shoulder. He half skidded and half ran down the hill, he kept loosing his footing and when I saw Quil chasing after us I knew this would be the end.
Quil got to us quickly, his foot sweeping round to take out Jake's legs, sending us both to the floor. Jake fell flat on his face no doubt getting a mouthful of sand, and I fell backwards, my body flopping onto the sand with a thud.
"Quil! One day I will kill you!" I scrambled up from the floor, shaking the sand out of my hair before running after his retreating body.
The boys' beefing up happened to not go in my favour. Quil was a lot a faster than he used to be and when Jake overtook me after getting up a lot later than me, I knew I had to give up in the chase.
I slowed to a stop and watched as Jake literally jumped on Quil's back, squashing him into the floor. Embry only a few seconds behind them, jumping on top of the both of them, their laughter filling the air. "You know, you do have some strange friends."
I jumped at the sudden voice that appeared from beside me and shot my head to the left to look at who had spoken to me. "Ryan?"
"Yup, I'm home." He beamed at me and I smiled back at him, it may have been slightly forced. He hadn't been home for the whole summer. Straight after prom his parents sent him off to some football camp in preparation for senior year.
We spoke frequently over the last few months but after prom my feelings disappeared just as quickly as they arrived. Well most of the feelings, Jake kind of removed them again.
"Yeah, we all missed you." I knew Robbie and Jason would be happy to have him back. They had complained all summer about being outnumbered.
He stepped closer to me, a hand wrapping around my waist to pull our bodies close together. I felt kind of awkward knowing that the boys were probably watching. "Oh." I laughed lightly, trying to get the thought of Jake watching us out my head.
"I missed you the most." He whispered and before I could stop him he brought his lips down against mine. My eyes fluttered closed at the contact, my hands reaching up and placing themselves on his chest as the dormant Ryan butterflies came to life again.
It was only a short kiss, but it was the kind that left you wanting more, he pulled away smirking. He did it on purpose. I scowled at him playfully before removing my hands from his chest.
Someone coughed, breaking my little trance for a moment, then I realised we weren't alone. I subtly pulled myself from Ryan's hold and turned towards the guys. Embry and Quil looked like they were going to burst into laughter and insults at any moment but when my eyes met Jake's, his face was like thunder.
"Hi boys." Ryan nodded at them, only Quil and Embry returning the greeting as Jake still had that murderous look on his face as he glared at Ryan.
We stood in awkward silence for a few seconds, Jake's expression not helping the situation at all. "Erm, Ryan, if I remember correctly you promised you would do something for me the next time you saw a certain person." Maybe this would ease the tension?
"Oh, right." He smiled down at me and I returned it before he stepped closer to Jake. As the gap between them decreased you could see them both slightly changing their stances to seem bigger. Jake had grown again over summer, now at the height of 6 ft 2, the same height as Ryan now. I could tell Ryan was surprised by this, it put him off slightly and you could tell by the way his face contorted, loosing the confident smile he wore for a split second.
Jake glanced past Ryan and at me for a moment, his eyes seemed sad and it ultimately made me feel bad. He didn't like Ryan and I had kissed him right in front of his eyes. "Jacob I have something I need to say to you." Ryan began as I slowly made my way over to them, Jake's eyes leaving me and focusing on Ryan. His face harsh again.
"What's that?" Jake folded his arm across his chest, his eyes looking Ryan up and down. Muscle wise, Jake was still smaller than Ryan. Lanky even, but there was still some definition.
"I understand that you and Aria are very close, and that you mean a lot to each other. Aria and I have known each other for a very long time as well, we have a history, and us not getting along hurts her." I had joined them at this point, standing beside Quil and Embry as we watched Ryan say his bit. "Aria made it very clear to me that she would always choose you, but I don't want it to come to that. I want us to both be there for her in any way we can." You could see the smug smirk twitching to show on Jake's face at the mentioning of me choosing him.
"So what are you getting at?" Jake's tone was unwilling. He was bored of Ryan already, his strong stance now slightly slouched.
"I just want to apologise for how I acted at prom. It was rude and unfair." It really meant a lot to me that Ryan was doing this. He was willing to make the effort for me, I hid my smile by staring at the ground. "I'm asking if we can be civil with each other? For Aria?" He held his hand out to Jake, with a hopeful smile on his face and I looked to Jake.
He still had his arms folded against his chest as he stared down at Ryan's hand. His eyes then shot up to me and I scowled at him, becoming embarrassed with how long Ryan's hand had been lingering between them for. I begged him with my eyes, flickering from his face to Ryan's hand with urgency.
After ten painful seconds Jake's face softened. He gave in, turning back to Ryan and accepting the offered hand shake. "For Aria." Jake confirmed as they released each other's hands. "And I apologise for how I was at prom too."
I knew this was hard for him to do and I couldn't have been more grateful. He looked back at me again and gave me a half smile. "Thanks man, that's great." I needed Ryan to get over Jake, I needed someone else. I needed something real and not a fantasy I longed for.
I stepped towards Jake quickly and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Thank you." I whispered into his neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"I didn't do it for him you know?" He whispered back holding me tighter. My eyes fluttered closed as his whispers against my neck sent shivers down my spine. How do I feel the same way for two people? Its so frustrating when I know what's right from wrong.
"I know." We ended our embrace with smiles, though both slightly forced.
"Ryan, sweetheart, we are leaving." A faint, older woman's voice called towards our small group and we all turned to look at where the voice came from.
Ryan's grandparents and their dog were waiting for Ryan a little way up the beach, I guess he came with them. "Well I guess I have to go." He shrugged holding up his index finger to his grandma signalling he'll only be a minute. "Hopefully we can catch up? Or maybe I'll see you at school in two weeks." I nodded at him enthusiastically before he placed a kiss against my cheek. "Bye Ari."
"Bye Ryan." He smiled at me, gave me a wink and then turned and jogged towards his grandparents, only turning back to wave.
"Bye Ryan." Embry and Quil said in unison, trying to mimic my voice by making theirs's a higher tone. Their stupid laughter then filled the air, you could almost describe it as squeals as their voices cracked at how hard they were laughing.
"Oh, fuck off!" I groaned in frustration, my eyes searching the ground for a pebble to launch at them.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Jake scolded, grabbing my wrist as I swung my arm back ready to propel it at the imbeciles. "Let's not resort to that extreme amount of violence." He warned, forcing the pebble out of my hand and dropping it back onto the ground.
"But they deserve it!" I whined at Jake chuckled, slinging his arm over my shoulder and turning me away from Embry and Quil. They were seventeen for God's sake not seven!
"Yes, but they aren't worth it. Come on let's get you home." Jake urged, practically forcing my body to walk away from them. Maybe one day they'll grow up.
Jake and I walked back home in an uncomfortable silence, he looked like he was thinking and I didn't second guess it was about Ryan. Embry and Quil caught up a little while later but when the sky began to rumble they took a detour back to their own homes, with Jake offering to walk me home.
We just about reached my back porch when the rain began to fall, he looked like he wanted to talk, I made a mental note to drive him back home after. If I didn't he'd be soaked.
"You okay Jake?" I asked as I placed my hand on his arm comfortingly. He shrugged before moving away from the steps and moved towards the end of the porch and lent against the railing, looking out onto the yard. "Jacob?" I asked again and followed him so I was now standing beside him, my side leant against the rail so I could see the profile of his face.
"I just didn't think you'd get back with him." He sighed, he turned his face to look down at me. He was disappointed.
"I'm not-"
"Yet." Jake cut in, his tone edgy and annoyed.
The silence fell around us again and I huffed. I looked back up at him and his eyes were fixed on the tree line again. He had both of his hands pressed against the railing as he leant on it for support.
"Its not set in stone." I tried to reason with him but he laughed sarcastically at me.
"Seemed pretty solid to me with that whole speech he obviously had planned." It was infuriating me that he wouldn't look at me.
"Yes that's because I told him to apologise to you. Did you not even listen to him? He said that I would always choose you if it came to it, does that mean nothing to you?" I tried to hold back from shouting at him but as I went on my voice began to get louder. I was also fed up with the lack of eye contact so I moved under his arm so I was standing directly in front of him between Jake's body and the railing. I reached up and clasped his face in my hands and lightly forced his head so he'd look at me.
"Of course it means something to me, but who knows how long that would actually last. He's a total dick and I hoped he would never be around you like that again. He hurt you so badly before." My eyes flickered down to the ground as I remembered the heart break he caused for no real reason.
One of Jake's hands moved away from the railing and settled under my chin, titling my face back up to him. "He wasn't my first choice." I admitted honestly, my eyes staring into his as I was about to let out one of my deepest secrets.
Jake's reaction to all this could only mean one thing, right? The jealousy, the hatred for Ryan. It couldn't be just a protective best friend's issues, it had to be more.
"Then who was?" His hand had moved so it was caressing my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed at the contact as I felt his body shift, so that he was closer to me.
I opened my eyes again and they instantly met with his deep brown ones. My heart was hammering inside my chest as I reached up and placed a hand on the back of his neck pulling his head down so it was closer to mine.
I was going to be brave.
I was going to be brave.
Jake seemed to catch on to what I wanted to do, the other hand that was placed on the rail was now on my waist. We both looked over each other's faces first, looking for any sign of uncertainty before we crossed that line. Jake's was nervous, you could see it in his eyes but we he nodded at me I knew he wanted it too.
My eyes closed again as I leant up, our lips brushing together before a loud, high-pitched whistle filled the air and broke us apart. I whipped around instantly, my eyes falling on the tree line to see Sam in all his shirtless glory, standing in the rain along the trees staring at the back of the house.
I gripped tightly onto Jake's arm as the sound of the front door slamming shut echoed around the outside of the house and three more whistles answered Sam's first. Their bodies came into view a few seconds after as they jogged through the rain towards Sam.
"Shit." Jake breathed from behind me as they reached the shelter of the trees, their laughter filling the air as they greeted Sam. Jared let out an excited howl as the others continued to laugh.
"It makes me sick." My nose turned up at them as I no longer felt a sadness in my chest for the loss of my brother and Paul, but a fast growing anger towards Sam. He had done something to my brother and his friends and I was never going to accept that, or understand it for that matter.
As my eyes pierced into the side of Sam's face the other three boys took off, jogging into the darkness of the trees. It was then that Sam noticed us, his own eyes staring back, but not at me at Jake. I became possessive, moving to stand in front of Jake protectively, glaring back at Sam angrily.
He could take Jesse, he had changed long ago. But he would not have Jake. Over my dead body.