Just Friends?

As I drove home, I was lost in thoughts. Whatever was wrong with Paul mus have been really serious, because he always complained about how he couldn’t stand Sam Uley and his gang of friends who seemed to be on steroids. They always walk around without any shoes or a shirt, and they all have the same tattoo on their right arm.
I pulled into my driveway, and walked up to my room in a daze. When I finally snapped out of it I looked at the clock and noticed that it was already 6:45 a.m. I decided just to go ahead and hop in the shower because there was no use in trying to go back to sleep now.
I got dressed in a pair of ripped skinny jeans, and a black HIM shirt with a heartagram on it. Then I put on some Black high top Chuck Taylor Converse.
I blow dried and straightened my hair, and put on some makeup. Which consisted of a little bit of powder and some eyeliner and mascara. Because Paul always said that I had natural beauty and didn’t need any help.
After I was done getting ready, I walked into my mothers room and told her that I was leaving for work at the hair salon.
Since I was only eighteen and still a senior in high school, I hadn’t been to cosmotology school, so I couldn’t really cut or style peoples hair yet. So I just entered data into computers, and cleaned the mirrors and swept the hair up, etc.
I knew that I was acting out of it all day, and im pretty sure that my friend Amy , who was a stylist, noticed that I was being quiter than usual, because she kept giving me sympathetic smiles and asking if I was ok.
Work ended at about 6:30 p.m. and I decided to stop by Paul’s house and see if he was okay.
I parked my car in the driveway, and walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the door, hoping that someone would be home.
After a few minutes, his mom answered the door with a big smile on her face , “Hey honey, what can I do for you?” She asked and I was surprised that she was in such a good mood considering her son was so sick.
“I was just wondering if Paul was home.” I said and I could see a gaurded expression go across her features.
“He is staying over at Sam Uley’s house for the next couple of days and they aren’t allowing visitors.”
“Is he okay?” I asked, and you could see the concern evident in my voice.
“At the moment he is very sick, and since there isn’t a hospital in La Push, he is staying with Sam, because Sam’s wife Emily has trained to become a nurse.” She said, but I could tell that she was either lying to me or just not telling me the whole truth.
“Do you know what he has wrong with him?”
She thought for a minure and then said, “Oh..Um…Swine Flu, and they are not allowing visitors because he is highly contagious.” She started to talk again like she was going to say something else, but then she closed her mouth and looked at me to see if I was going to say something else.
“Ok well thanx for the help, when you see Paul can you have him call me?”
“Sure Dear.”
2 weeks later
I haven’t seen or talked to Paul in two weeks, he’s been ignoring my calls and text messages, and everytime I stop by his house, his mom says he’s not home.
Lately I’ve been so depressed I have pretty much shut everyone out of my life. One thing is for sure, the next meeting I have with Paul isn’t going to be a very good one.
Today was my day off of work and my mom wanted me to go buy some groceries while she was at work.
I was dressed in a blood red t-shirt a pair of ripped jeans and my black converse. My hair was straightened and hanging loosely to the sides.
I walked into the grocery store, and began getting the things on my list, and putting them into my shopping cart.
In the next Aisle, I head what seemed to be Pauls voice. I walked over and noticed that it was Paul, and he was arguing with a boy who seemed to be Embry Call.
Paul had always had muscles, but now he was completely ripped. All he had on was a pair of cut off jeans and some tennis shoes.
He also had the tattoo on his right shoulder that everyone in Sam’s group of friends had.
I walked over and tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around and noticed it was me. He started to say something, but then he stopped and just stared at me.
“Why are you staring.” I asked feeling self concious.
Instead of answering he smiled really widely and grabbed my hand and led me to an alley behing the store.
“Paul, what the hell is going on?” I yelled trying to get him to talk to me because as of now he hadn’t said a word.
“Umm..” He said scratching behind his head, “I have a huge secret, and if I tell you, you can’t tell anyone, I can only tell yo because I imprinted on you.”
“Imprinted? As in the same thing they talk about at the bonfires?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you have to be a werewolf or something before you can imprint?”
He nodded his head, “Please don’t be afraid of me.” He said, wlking overa nd grabbing my hands in his.
“I could never be afraid of you, you’re my best friend.” I said looking up into his eyes.
What I saw in his eyes shocked me, there were somany emotions in them that I was shocked. Behind the confusion of what was going on, and the happiness of the fact that I now knew what was going on, was a new emotion. Love. The shocking thing was, I think I loved him too.