Sea Wolves

You haven't eaten much today.

I looked down at my lap. The sound of a hundred conversations filled the school grounds, but even then it felt as if an awkward silence had settled in around me. "I'm not hungry today," I said unconvincingly.

The blackberry appeared in front of my nose; I was still looking down. You only took two bites of your apple.

"I'm not hungry today," I repeated, eyes still focused on my lap. My cheeks were burning, and if that wasn't enough to embarrass me, I peeked through a gap in my hair to find Trase leaning in so close to me that I jumped a little from surprise. I guessed he had been trying to read my lips.

Why aren't you eating, Meg? Even on a digital screen, I could almost hear the tone of his voice dripping with sarcastic mirth.

"Would you knock it off?" I threw a pinecone at him. "I already told you why. You sound like my mother."

Uh-huh, suuuuure. I scowled, trying not to smile. Trase grinned at me impishly.

"Hey!"

I started at the sound of the perky voice. A girl with curly brown hair had approached us, flashing dazzling white teeth. I immediately recognized her as the flirt who had upset Jared in the cafeteria. She didn't seem to notice my reaction. Trase grinned up at her and started signing. The girl swiftly signed back with one hand. I could only guess they were saying hello.

Trase finally turned to me. Megan, this is Lillian.

"Hi," I said, a bit uncertainly.

The girl's smile widened. "Nice to meet you finally. Sorry I didn't say hi to you earlier. Busy life, I guess." She took a seat between us in the grass and shivered. "It's a little cold out here. Why aren't you guys hanging out inside?"

And where were you born, Lil? I glimpsed the message on the screen as Trase held it up.

Lillian giggled, rolling her eyes. "Hey, you guys are the ones from a different planet. I swear you all walk around here in the dead of winter with nothing on but your boxers." Trase shook his head in objection, but he was smiling. Lillian scrutinized him.

"What happened to your eye, Trase? Get in a fight?" I followed Lillian's gaze to the cut above his eyebrow. It was healing nicely, but the discoloring of the bruises still stood out from his pale skin.

Trase waved his hand as if it wasn't a big deal. I banged into a locker. It's nothing.

"Ouch," Lillian commented, frowning a little. She cast a disapproving look up at the gray clouds, the same frown growing more pronounced on her glossy pink lips. "Aren't you two cold? Let's go in so we can talk where it's warm, Megan. I want to get to know you." She beamed at me.

Get to know me? Me? Okay, who put her up to this? I scrutinized her expression, searching for the ulterior motive of this meeting, but her bright smile seemed genuine. I shot Trace a look. He shrugged his shoulders, raised his hands with a comical expression of 'Why not?' on his face.

"Yeah, sure. It is kind of cold out," I replied. My small smile was out-shined by the perfect pair of pearly whites she flashed at me.

"Oh, good. Let's go, you ginger-haired klutz." She got up from the grass and began tugging playfully on Trase's arm, trying to pull him to his feet. I'm sure if Trase could speak, he would have protested the name she had given him. Such words appeared to form on his lips, but they never came out and instead he laughed, clambering upright while she pulled. I looked on, feeling a twinge of aversion to this girl's flirty habits. Or was it envy? Gritting my teeth behind my lips, I got up and followed behind the two toward the doors.

The cafeteria was considerably warmer as opposed to outside. I shrugged my jacket closer to my shoulders, feeling a chill at the shift in temperature. Amazingly, the three of us were able to grab a table to ourselves. Most of the students - that is, the boys and the girlfriends they had dragged out with them despite their whines and pleading flutters of eyelashes - had migrated outside. A handful of groups finicky about the weather remained indoors, including Jared's. Our eyes met momentarily before I broke the contact and looked away.

"So, Megan," Lillian began exuberantly as the three of us took our seats: Trase and I together while she sat opposite of me, her head perched adorably on her folded hands. "You're from California? What part did you say you were from? Southern?"

"Yeah, San Diego." Great, it was the first day of school all over again.

"Why'd you move here? Can't beat California."

It occurred to me that I had told no one at school the reason why my family and I moved to Washington. I couldn't give Lillian the real reason we were here. She was a stranger, she didn't need to know my best friend had died out there. Hell, Trase didn't even know about it. I shrugged. "A.. change of environment, I guess. New job. Life in Cali was getting old."

She nodded. "It must have been nice there, though. Can't say I've ever been, but maybe I'll get lucky one day. I grew up here, and I've stuck around ever since. This guy grew up here, too." She reached over the table and punched Trase's arm. He only smiled and shoved her hand away.

Grew up in state, you mean. I moved here from Seattle years back. Came down to Forks when it got too crazy up there, he had written on his phone.

There was a pause. "So, uh.. how did you two meet?" I asked.

"He was new in town," Lillian said with a flourish of her hand, as if it weren't any big deal. "Thought I'd say hi. I'm glad I did, too. He's a great big goofball."

"Greeting the new kids must be a common thing for you."

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at the table top, smiling with what I could only guess was embarrassment. Trase spoke next via his blackberry. Lillian's awesome that way. She has a knack for making people feel welcome here. One of her many specialties. When Lillian got a glimpse of the message, she shook her head and her face grew pinker than her blush.

I looked around the room, surprised and a bit flustered to find my eyes had automatically landed on Jared. I nodded in his direction. "That's your brother, right?"

Lillian looked over. "That asshole? Yeah. Did Trase tell you?"

Trase nodded, looking a little more serious than what I considered to be normal for him. Lillian went on. "I could introduce you sometime. Can't say you would like him very much, though. But don't let me sway your mind. He is my brother, after all."

"Oh, we've already met," I said quickly. I wasn't sure why she would say that. Jared had so far been friendly to me, and I did like him.

The bell rang. Lillian gave a great sigh of exasperation. Trase became aware of the commotion a moment later and rolled his eyes. Around us, students began packing their things, and the ones who had been outside shuffled in through the doors.

"Well, I guess I'll see you two around, then?" Lillian grinned at me. "It was great meeting you, Megan. We should go out sometime. They have some cute shops in town." She swung the strap of her brown shoulder bag up and over her arm. "Bye!" An enthusiastic wave before she exited the cafeteria.

Trase was looking at me with an expectant smile and raised eyebrows. I blushed. "She's nice. I like her." It was a simple reply, but it seemed to please him.

You two will get along fantastically.

It was amazing how this boy I had met not long ago was already looking out for me.