Loca

I can do this…I can do this…I can’t do this.

I paused right outside the door.

Troy and her dad were home, and Bella, but the bloodsucker wasn’t. I had been standing for about thirty seconds, debating what to do.

What if Troy didn’t want to see me? What if Bella answered and told me to leave? What if Charlie answered and hovered nearby the whole time so I couldn’t tell Troy anything? There was only one way to find out.

I knocked.

Troy answered, wearing a hoodie and blue jeans with Uggs. Her hair was straight, and her eyes held no emotion when they met mine, although her lips puckered into a frown.

I wanted to kiss it away, but restrained myself.

“Troy,” I greeted, my stomach tightening the slightest bit. She stared me down.

“Do you need something?” she asked quietly, without a greeting. Her voice shook in the wrong place and she scowled to herself before getting her composure back.

“Can I talk to you?” I countered to answer her question. She rolled her eyes, and it would’ve been adorable had I not been so scared right now of what she would say.

“We are talking,” she said in a ‘duh’ tone of voice.

I tried to smile, but I felt it mangle on my face. “You know what I mean,” I utter softly, causing another pout to come across her face while she shuts the door lightly behind her.

I can hear her dad eavesdropping and just barely see him peeking out the front window but I pretend not to notice as Troy walks down the drive and leans up against my car without meeting my eyes.

It’s quiet for a while.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered when I couldn’t take it anymore. Troy looked at me, hearing the sincerity of my words, but this time I didn’t look at her.

“I really am; I didn’t mean to snap at you. Your right, Bella can make her own choices-” and her own mistakes, I add mentally.

“-It’s none of my business,” I finish, when Troy says nothing. I looked up to see her eyes filled to the brim with some unknown emotion, and then a recognizable one.

Troy’s POV

Jacob frowned at the ground once he was finished his little apology.

He looked really upset, like he’d committed a crime, adn when he finally lifted his eyes to mine, I lifted the corner of his mouth, which had curled into a frown, so my finger forced a smile.

He searched my face, and I smiled a small thing. “Forget it,” I say softly, causing his eyes to light up. He’s surprised, I can tell, and he remains tongue tied for a while.

From the corner of my eye I saw my dad through the window, and I whispered very quietly to Jacob, “He’s going to have his nose pressed up against the glass soon.”

Jacob seemed surprised, but chuckled, which soon turned into a laugh as he smiled at me brightly. I grinned in return and stood up.

“So I’m forgiven then?” he asked, a bright look in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes, pretending like I was upset about it.

“Yes, you’re forgiven,” I grumbled and before i could comprehend it, Jacob yanked me into his arms and off the ground, spinning me around some.

I yelped in surprise, before laughing and pounding lightly on his back. “JACOB! Put me down!” I giggled. He smirked and placed me delicately on the ground, his hand staying on my waist for only a second too long before he dropped it and beamed at me.

Since yesterday, I hadn’t really been doing anything but burying myself in Ben and Jerry’s and moping. I really needed Jacob back. Staying mad at him was just too much work.

And for him to apparently.

“So, do you think your dad will put a gun to my head if I stay for dinner after this?” he asked, referring to his surprise hug a second ago.

I snorted and gestured for him to follow me. “I’d like to see him try,” I said rolling my eyes. Jacob chuckled behind me and I smiled at the sound.

I realized just how much I needed to hear him laugh, or see him smile. It’d been barely a day and I was too pathetic to even get out of bed this morning. (That’s something you’ll never hear me say again by the way.)

I needed him.

He wasn’t an option. Jacob was a necessity.

“So how was school,” I said shaking my head to rid myself of my thoughts. Jacob smirked, and I walked up to my door beside me; I could feel the heat radiating off of him and it made me blush some.

“Well, Ms. Andres was nice, but the math teacher was psycho, and I suck at Spanish.” He said chuckling. I smirked at that, just imagining what kind of trouble he’d be getting in with Senor Gravari.

“I bet,” I said casually, and he chuckled.

It was like nothing had happened. We went right back to normal just like that, no awkwardness or long pauses whatsoever.

“How was gym?” I asked walking in, ignoring my dad and Bella, who was cooking before sitting on the couch.

“Edward was there, on my team,” he said with a frown, and I laughed. “Bella was apposing wasn’t she?” I asked; he nodded.

He fell down beside me, and my dad remained quiet in the love seat, pretending to read an old paper again. He really needed to work on his discreetness.

“Did you know the gym teacher said that I and Edward aren’t allowed to be on the same team?” I asked and he chuckled as we fell into a familiar pattern of conversation.

“No, why, you two way too much completion?” he teased and I stuck my tongue at him as Bella charged the door with the sound of Edward’s approach.

“Yeah,” I said quietly, wondering if my dad would turn his attention to the bloodsucker now. He did, and I let it go, talking with my best friend and catching up on everything that had happened in our short separation.

Jake certainly wasted no time in apologizing for himself, and I just hoped that we wouldn’t have any more arguments like that. Ignoring him wasn’t something I wasn't willing to get used to anytime soon.

XxX

I was so impatient for Wednesday to come.

I wasn’t looking forward to school though; I wanted to see Jacob. As usual.

Waking up Wednesday morning, I was relieved that my suspension was over.

I could see Antoine, and see if he and Austin had gotten themselves out of turning in their book report. I could ask Natalia and Chelsea what their plans were, since there was always something, and I caught up on everything socially that I’d missed.

Jacob would have to introduce me to his pack too, which I wasn’t looking forward too.

I mean, my own pack was awesome, but I’d known them forever, and I also had no idea what Jacob had told his friends about me.

I thought randomly about that while I ate a bagel and Bella washed her bowl from breakfast. We were running late, and I didn’t know why she bothered but she was kind of a neat freak, and I had to talk with the principle a bit before I could go to class anyways. Yay, not.

XxX

The talk was long.

Mr. Green seemed determined to make me want to kill myself by the time the lecture was over. I missed Ms. Andres’ class and Mr. Salvonie’s, but I couldn’t care about the latter.

I made my way to Gym with a simple drive; I was going to see my friends, pretend like nothing happened and set straight anyone who tried to play otherwise.

Jacob’s POV

C’mon, c’mon…where is she?

My eyes scanned the parking lot for the millionth time today, looking for Troy and Bella. Well, looking for Troy, who would be riding with Bella either way. I hoped the truck would tip me off with the noise, but I wasn’t having any luck so far.

“Dude, who’s that with Bella?” Quil asks suddenly, causing my head to snap up.

My heart swells when I see Troy walking beside Bella with her hair falling in waves down her back and her expression holding an irritated look.

I don’t know how I missed them before, they were parked maybe three cars down from Cullen and were talking quietly while they walked.

Troy looked around wearily, pausing in her convo with her sister, and I knew she was searching for me, but before she spotted me Bella dragged her off again. I frowned at the sight of the two of them talking to the pixie before Troy walked off to the office alone.

“She’s hot,” Paul said smirking, and I could see the thoughts running through his head as if he had said them out loud. Having him think that way about my imprint made something stir inside of me, and I wanted to growl at him so badly it nearly killed me.

“Is that Trinity?” Kim asked, squinting so she could get a better look at her. I shook my head at her, “She prefers to be called Troy actually,” I mumble.

The guys all look at me funny and I feel self-conscious. “What?” I ask, and they all shake their heads at me simultaneously, like they rehearsed it. They were making judgments, I could see it in their eyes.

“Is she wearing your jacket?” Embry asks at last, I smirk when I realize what he’s saying and shrug innocently, deciding that I have nothing to hide.

“Yeah, what of it?” I say tauntingly, while the guys continue to look at me weird. Kim just smiled though.

“She looks just like Bella,” she says, her eyebrow quirking. I try to smile at that, but I can’t find a reason too. To me, Troy was nothing like Bella; she was better.

“I don’t think so,” I say, my eyes taking in every detail of her retreating form.

White skinny jeans hugged her flawless long legs that led up to her perfect backside, hidden by my jacket and a dark t-shirt that draped over her hourglass waist. Her hair was longer, darker, and far more beautifully exotic than Bella’s. And her eyes held their own.

Compared to Troy, Bella was plain and average. So predictable.

“You imprinted,” Jared says suddenly, causing my head to whip towards him. I hadn’t expected the guys to make that jump so soon, but as soon as it was said at loud, everyone seemed to make the connection.

My face burned, “Yes, but don’t tell her that,” I mumbled embarrassed. I took evasive action as I heard the bell ring and all-but sprinted to class.