Edited 05/25/21
Meadow watched her brother and his friends push each other in the water. Luckily, it was a hotter than average day, so they didn't have to get out of the water as fast. La Push usually didn't get warmer than 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so it was a shock to everyone that it was in the 70s. It wasn't raining either, so it was a beautiful day out.
Farther along the beach was a small group of boys kicking a soccer ball around. They were loud and noisy, but that didn't deter Meadow from basking in the sunlight and the warmth. She was sitting on the sand with a book in her hand. Her sandals were partially buried next to her, and she had pulled her shoulder-length, black hair out of its ponytail. Unlike most of the girls on the Reservation, she didn't like to wear her hair long. It took too much time, money, effort, and product to take care of long hair, so she opted for a shorter cut.
She smiled as she watched Quil and Jacob pick Embry up and throw him in the water. It wasn't the safest thing to do, but she let them have their fun. She didn't want to be the fun police all the time, but she knew it was what they needed. Quil's dad, Quil Ateara IV, was a little too old to really watch over Quil, her own dad, Billy, wasn't physically able to watch over Jacob like he used to, and Embry didn't have a father in his life, so he viewed Billy as his own father. Meadow took it upon herself to be a parental figure, of sorts, to them. She wasn't too overbearing with them, but she did try her best to make sure they were on their best behavior.
"Don't hurt yourselves! I don't have time to take you to the hospital!" Meadow yelled out to them. The boys yelled but otherwise gave no notice that they were paying attention to what Meadow was saying. She shook her head in affection and returned to reading her book. She was reading Lord of the Flies. It was interesting to her because she wondered what would happen if she were to be stranded on an island like that. Would she turn against her friends? Would she be able to survive with her personality? She figured she'd be the first person everyone turned against.
The wind picked up, blowing strands of her hair in her face. She brushed them away in time to see a soccer ball fly past her. She flinched back in shock and looked towards the small group of boys down the beach. They were looking her way and they seemed to argue with each other on who should grab the ball. With a small puff of breath, she stood up from her position on the beach and walked over to the ball. She picked it up and was about to throw it over to the group of boys when she unexpectedly bumped into someone.
Her hand accidentally brushed against a warm, bare chest and she instantly recoiled it. Her cheeks warmed and she knew if she were looking in the mirror her face would have a soft red tint to it. The man or boy or whoever was standing too far in her personal space, so she took a step back. She lifted her head and made eye contact with the stranger.
Meadow instantly recognized the male in front of her and her blush intensified. The man had beautiful, russet skin and his black, inky hair was cropped short on his head. He had to be at least six feet tall, allowing him to slightly tower over Meadow's 5-foot 7-inch frame. He was shirtless, flaunting his muscles, and only wore a pair of shorts that cut off just short of his knees. The best part about him was his eyes. They were a deep brown color, and they held an intensity that had never been directed at her before.
It was Paul LaHote, the infamous, temperamental school player. Everyone knew that he slept around with any girl, and he had the patience the size of a pea. He never bullied anyone or went out of his way to pick on someone, but he wasn't the nicest person around. Ever since he chopped off his hair and started following a boy named Sam, though, he toned it down. In fact, Meadow was sure he hadn't been with anyone since then. She wanted to gasp aloud due to the way he looked at her, but she refrained from doing so. She got lost in the dark pools of his eyes and she felt like she couldn't swim out of them. She was drowning in his gaze.
Once upon a time, Meadow had a crush on Paul. He was good-looking and he had an aura around him that made him even more attractive. He was an easy-going guy despite his temper, and he was always smiling. He laid his emotions out on his sleeves and wasn't afraid to tell people how he felt. It was something she was envious of. She shut her fascination with him down quick, though, when the rumors about him sleeping with people started circling the school. Meadow didn't want to seem like another one of Paul's hookups.
She hoped that bumping into him wasn't going to spark her crush up again. The last thing she needed was to waste her time at school admiring him from afar. Although, she wouldn't really have the chance because recently Paul had been skipping school. She also didn't want Jacob to nag her about her feelings. He was always being protective of her, and it was one of the most annoying things in her eyes.
Meadow looked down as she remembered the ball was still in her hand.
"Here," she said quietly. She dropped the ball and watched as Paul caught it without letting go of her eyes. She walked back over to her spot and sat down next to her sandals. She kept her head down as he passed, feeling his eyes on her. Meadow looked over at Jacob and his friends and saw that they were staring at Paul. She sighed and slumped. She knew they were going to ask about her encounter with Paul when they got the chance, and she really didn't want to explain anything to them.
Meadow glanced down the beach at Paul and saw that he was goofing around with his friends again. She smiled unconsciously at their antics and almost let out a laugh when one of them lost their balance and fell in the sand. Seeming to feel eyes on him, Paul turned his head and met Meadow's stare. Instead of backing down, Meadow kept eye contact with him. Seeing the smile on her face, Paul smirked and waved. Meadow finally turned her head and stared out at the sea. She wasn't sure why, but she felt like the dynamics of her and Paul's nonexistent relationship was going to change.
Meadow noticed that the sky was darkening and her pantless legs were getting cold. She stood up and brushed the sand from her body. She scooped up her sandals and made her way down the shore until she was standing by Jacob, Quil, and Embry. She pushed Jacob, causing him to lose his balance and fall in the water. Meadow laughed as Jacob's wet form stood up and scowled at her.
"It's time to go," she informed them.
"C'mon, MeMe. Just a few more minutes," Quil begged.
"It's getting dark and you three still need to do your homework."
"How about you do our homework for us and we'll...,"Quil trailed off as he tried to think of something.
"We'll bake you a cake!" Embry exclaimed. Meadow snorted and laughed.
"I wouldn't even trust you with making my cereal," Meadow said through peals of laughter. When her laughter subsided, she pinched all three of them and gestured for them to walk to the car. Reluctantly, they followed her.
When they got home, Meadow's dad, Billy Black, was in the living room watching TV. Meadow dropped her stuff off in her room and then greeted her dad with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Billy Black was the wisest person on the Reservation. He wore his hair long and straight, like Jacob, and a cowboy hat always adorned his head. He had a smile that could ease anyone's pain and a heart that could cure diseases. He one of the few constants in her life.
"Hi, dad," she greeted.
"How is my beautiful meadow doing today?" he asked her with a twinkle in his eyes.
"As good as I can be watching these three dumb-dumbs," she said. Billy laughed and patted her hand that was laying on his shoulder.
"Yeah, yeah," Jacob said, "We'll be in the garage doing homework."
"I'll be in in a little bit to check on you," Meadow warned as they trampled out of the house.
"Thank you for watching over them, Meadow," her dad said. "I know it isn't always easy keeping them in check."
Meadow smiled smally and said, "Of course, dad. I'm gonna get started on dinner."
She left her dad in the living room and entered the kitchen. She sifted through the cupboards and the fridge until she decided to make spaghetti for dinner. After she got the water to boil, she put the noodles in and started on the meatballs. After she formed them, she popped them in the oven to bake. While she waited on the noodles and the meatballs to be done, she did her own homework. All she really had to do was read a section of Hamlet and analyze it.
She finished her readings by the time everything was ready. She made her dad a plate first and gave it to him. Then, Meadow made plates for the three dorks in the garage and went outside to deliver them. When they saw her with plates in her hands, their eyes lit up.
"Thanks, MeMe," Jacob said as he quickly took a plate out of her hands. He immediately started scarfing the food down, causing sauce to slip down his face. Meadow watched on in amusement.
Quil and Embry took a plate, too, and settled down next to Jacob. Their notebooks and textbooks were scattered all around them, some pages emptier than others.
"How far along are you?" Meadow asked as she gestured towards their homework.
"Almost done," Jacob said with a mouth full of food.
"Sure you are," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And don't talk with your mouth full. You look like an animal," she reprimanded him.
Jacob swallowed his food and gave her an accusatory look.
"How about we stop talking about our faults," Jacob said as he gestured to him and his friends, "and start talking about you."
Meadow gave him a look of incredulity and pursed her lips.
"What about me?" she asked.
"You were talking to Paul Lahote at the beach today," Embry explained.
"All I did was give him his ball back."
"Yeah," Quil said, "but not before ogling him."
"I wasn't-"
"Don't deny it. We all saw it," Jacob stated.
"Look," Meadow said aggressively.
"No, you look," Jacob said as he stood up. "You don't need to be talking to him. He's bad news, Meadow."
"I know that, Jacob. Drop it," she said icily. She didn't need him telling her what to do. He needs to stay in his place, Meadow thought.
"Good," Jacob grumbled. He settled back on the ground and continued eating his food.
Meadow walked out of the garage and back into the house to eat, herself. After she was done eating, she entered her room and fell on her gray bed. She sighed and turned to her side. There is no way I am getting involved with Paul Lahote, she thought. But just as the thought crossed her mind, the thought of Paul followed. Meadow groaned as she realized that, as fast as a finger snapped, she liked Paul again.
A.N.
Paul imprinted on Meadow. uwu
Normally, I don't post chapters this fast, but I wanted you to get a feel for the story.
How do you think Meadow is gonna handle her crush on Paul?
Don't forget to ☆ the chapter and comment what you think.
♡ Stay Awesome ^u^ ♡