Edited 05/25/21
Meadow sat on the beach by herself, basking in the few rays of sun that escaped the big, white puffy clouds in the sky. A jacket was thrown across her shoulders to cover herself from the wind. It wasn't cold, but every time the wind picked up its speed, a slight chill crawled down her spine. She was reading a book while occasionally sneaking glances at her surroundings. She was waiting. She knew her dad meant well, but she wasn't going to listen to him this one time. Seeing the warning swimming in her father's eyes as he told her not to seek out Sam, Jared, and Paul did nothing to deter her away from her goal.
Meadow turned a page in her book, completely immersing herself. She'd already been there for two hours. She didn't want to waste her time by doing nothing. The beach was the only place, other than Sue's diner, that she had seen the group hanging out. She wasn't going to make a scene at the diner, and the beach was more open and allowed her for an easier escape if things went south. She hummed a tune her mother used to sing to her and flipped another page. She was halfway through the song when she heard the rowdy boys enter the beach area. Her heart started racing in her chest and her palms started sweating. She wasn't ready. She was scared. Facing one guy bigger than you was already nerve-wracking. Facing three guys bigger than you was like a death wish!
She stole a glance in their direction and quickly looked away when she saw that Paul was already looking at her. And worse, they were shirtless! Now her heart felt as if it were about to burst! She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself before she confronted them. She went over what she was going to say to them in her head. She needed a game plan if she was that nervous. She tended to fumble her words when she confronted people. She wasn't someone who liked confronting people, but when it came to Jake, Quil, and Embry, well, she would do anything for them.
She snapped her book shut and stood up, dusting off the particles of sand that clung to her clothes and skin. She tilted her chin up and held her head high as she walked over to them. They watched as she made her way over to them, causing her to become even more nervous. She had no idea how that was possible, but it was. She paused her walking when she was a few feet away from them and crossed her arms. It helped to calm her nerves. Her arms were like fences protecting her from the unknown. She gave them her fiercest glare and asked, "Where's Embry?"
Jared and Paul glanced at Sam while Sam steadily stared at Meadow. Meadow met his stare albeit a little reluctantly. She didn't want to have a stare down with a guy who was almost a foot taller than her. Sam told her that Embry was fine and that he was at home. Meadow didn't believe it. If Embry were home, he would have talked to Jake or Quil already. They hadn't spoken to him since the diner incident, and he wasn't answering his phone.
"Bullshit," Meadow spit out. If lying was a trait the group held, then she wanted nothing to do with them. She could see why Jake didn't like them much. They held this air of superiority, whether intentional or not, and it was a bit narcissistic in Meadow's opinion.
"Hey, Meadow," Paul softly said, interrupting the whole conversation. "I wanted to talk to you again."
"I won't ask again," Meadow said without batting an eyelash. Even though hearing her name come from Paul's lips made her feel all fluttery inside, but she couldn't be distracted from her goal.
"I told you. He's at his house," Sam said without wavering.
"Why did you threaten Jacob and Quil yesterday?" she asked. She knew she wasn't going to get the truth from Sam's tight-lipped form, so she moved the conversation elsewhere. She would figure out what happened to Embry as soon as she was done with the conversation. Jared laughed at her question while Paul's face twisted into confusion.
"We didn't threaten your little brother and his friend," Jared said through escaped chuckles.
"I was given a different story."
"Listen," Jared started. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but he immediately dropped it when a growling sound came from Paul's chest. It was almost inaudible, but Meadow still heard it. She looked at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. Why was he so angry so suddenly?
"All we told them was to mind their business. They shouldn't be sticking their noses in things they don't understand. And neither should you," he finished.
"So subtle threats are your thing then," Meadow mused with a blank face. Jared let out an exasperated sigh and backed away from her. He looked over at Paul, causing Meadow to do the same. His hands were clenched, and his eyes were downturned and unfocused. Meadow was finished with the conversation. Her nerves were shot, and she was ready to bolt at any moment. So, to end it, she said, "Stay away from Jacob, Quil, and Embry. The last thing they need is to be around you three. Threaten them again and I'll send you to the land of our ancestors."
She turned around but stopped when Paul called out to her. He asked her to talk with him again. It sounded like there was a small plea in his voice, like he was pleading her to give him the time of day. But Meadow was ready to go. Besides, he apparently wasn't articulate enough to express his thoughts. Meadow knew how it felt to not be able to get anything out, but at least she knew when to stop.
"If all you're going to do is make incoherent sentences and expect me to understand what the hell you're saying, then I'm leaving. Regardless, I'm leaving," she said as she walked away. She silently hoped she didn't hurt his feelings too much. It was inevitable, but she couldn't help but feel like she should be nicer to him. He wants to talk to me, Meadow giddily thought to herself. She pondered if she should give the guy a chance but shook it from her head when she realized there was somewhere she was supposed to be going. Making a sharp turn, she headed towards a familiar path in the woods to get to Embry's house.
"Where are you going?" she heard Paul yell to her. Instead of answering him, she continued her trek through the woods. It was relatively quiet, and Meadow basked in it. She didn't get much quiet time, what with Jake, Quil, and Embry always hanging out at the house. And the house itself wasn't big, so she could hear everything from her room. Birds were chirping and the few stray rays of sunlight able to reach the forest floor left a magical feeling. Meadow exited the trees and made her way up to the back door of Embry's house. She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer the door. His mother did.
"Is Embry home?" she asked his mom. His mom shook her head and said that he was out at the moment. Meadow asked her when he would be back, but his mom didn't know. After giving Embry's mom a 'thank you', Meadow left with a frown on her face. So, not only did they lie to her, but Embry was avoiding her. And Jacob and Quil.
Meadow took a shortcut to her house. She was tired. It wasn't even dinnertime yet and she was already ready to fall asleep on her bed. When her house was in view, she groaned aloud. She didn't want to talk to him! Why couldn't he get that through his thick skull?! Paul was leaning against the house with his hands stuffed in his jean shorts' pockets. Meadow kept her head towards the ground and hoped that it would make her invisible. Feeling a hand on her lower arm, dangerously close to her hand, reminded her that that was impossible.
She looked up at Paul and gave him an unimpressed look. Hopefully, he understood body language better than he could talk. He recoiled from her, like he was burned by a hot stove. Meadow was satisfied that he took the hint. She allowed a small smile to grace her features for her small victory and continued her journey to the front door. She opened the front door and stepped through the doorway. She turned so she was facing outside. With a hand on the edge of the door and a hand on her hip, she faltered seeing his broken expression. Her hand dropped from her hip and a frown marred her face. She wondered why he felt so down, why he went through so much trouble to talk to her. It would be better for him to leave her alone. She didn't have time to waste to deal with whatever came with him. His baggage.
But as she continued to stare at him, she couldn't help but wonder what could go so wrong with talking to him. She could at least be his friend, right? She didn't really have friends. She didn't count Jacob, Quil, or Embry as her friends. They were more like annoying little brothers. It wasn't like she could confide in them with any of her problems. She couldn't really let herself slip in front of them. She wasn't comfortable enough to do so. Friends confided in each other, though, right? They bared their hearts out to each other like people in relationships did. Friendships were relationships without the sexual tension and stuff, right? So, this distinction confused her and her musings. Could she be Paul's friend? She never imagined she would be comfortable enough to confide in him. By her definition of a friend, Paul would never fit it.
So, should he be labelled more as an acquaintance? The problem with that, though, was that it seemed like he wanted to get to know her better. Acquaintances didn't do that. They didn't want that much familiarity. They wanted to make small talk as they passed each other, exchange greetings, talk to someone when they knew no one else, those sorts of things. It wasn't important to get to know them because you didn't need to. You only needed enough to say a few sentences. Meadow thought back on all the people she knew and wondered if any of them were acquaintances. She figured there were many, seeing as how her dad was the chief.
Meadow didn't want to hurt his feelings. Sure, she could be a blunt person when she needed to be, and sure, her behavior gave her a stand-offish vibe, but that was who she was. That was how everyone saw her. She wasn't mean. And when she was it was for a good cause. Like with the situation with Paul and his friends. For some reason, seeing how bent out of shape he was that she wouldn't talk to him made her want to cry. She was drowning in air as dense as ocean water. It was suffocating.
Meadow sighed and gazed longingly in the direction of her room. Oh, how she wished she had no problems in the world. When she turned back to Paul, he was walking away. His shoulders were slightly slouched, though strangely tense, and his hands were balled into fists. She wondered if she should just ignore the feeling in her chest and go lie down. Maybe laying down could fix it. She knew better. So, with a small, tired voice, Meadow wished her words got to him and said, "Come find me at lunch tomorrow."
She watched as he completely stilled. Maybe he was shocked she was talking to him or maybe he was shocked she was giving him a chance. Meadow couldn't fathom which one it was. She didn't really care. Seeing him twist his body towards her and give her a charming smile made up for it. The uneasiness in her chest went away and her heart was elated. Paul nodded his head with a determined look on his face and happily ran off. Meadow closed the door with a smile and silently wondered if she made the right choice.
A.N.
I have a cold -_- and I have an exam, a Midterm, a paper, and I have to start on another paper, so I thought I'd post this early and get it out of the way. There wont be another update until next week if I dont her down with my assignments early. If I get them done, however, expect an update on either Friday or Saturday ^u^
Meadow is definitely a little off-putting, but she has her reasons! I think we all have moments where we just don't want to talk or deal with stuff, so I use those moments as inspiration.
This story will progress slowly, but not too slow. My other Twilight story is 50 (give or take) chapters long, and I definitely don't want this story that long. That being said, this won't be too short of a story.
Don't forget to☆ and comment what you think.
♡ Stay Awesome ^u^ ♡