Hey. So this is my first stab at a Twilight Fic. It's set sometime after Breaking Dawn (around two years) but the dates are a bit hazy. It doesn't really matter I don't think. I always wanted Seth to imprint on someone nice so, here goes!

Disclaimer: It all belongs to Stephanie Meyer, not me.

Krista Hughes:

I hate Mondays. I mean, you've just had the whole weekend to relax, have fun, chill out then… WHAM. Early morning start for a day packed with lessons. And it's not like you can look forward to much because next weekend is a week away. That's why I love Friday: because the next day is the weekend. But Mondays? No, they truly suck. There's nothing worse than waking up on a Monday morning and thinking: Great. I have to do this for another five days until I get my lie-in. Fabulous.

This Monday was especially bad though: the first day at La Push High School. I'd just transferred since my parents got divorced. Mum and Dad had decided to settle their differences over the summer. Unfortunately, by settle they meant separate; resulting in Dad staying in the UK, and Mum moving half way across the world: to the USA.

You would've thought I'd been excited, but the truth was, leaving the UK, leaving all my friends, my home, my life and my Dad… well, it wasn't such a welcome thing. In fact, I hated the idea. Mum and I argued all the time about it. The number of times I'd gone to bed, listening to her crying in the next room, and I hated myself for it. I'm not a bad kid really, a tad rebellious maybe, but not bad. I don't like upsetting my mother, but I didn't understand how she couldn't get that I was upset about the whole thing. Not about my parents' divorce. Hey, people divorce the whole time. But moving to the other side of the universe? That, I did NOT like.

So anyway: Monday morning, La Push High School, feeling like crap.

Mum tried to cheer me up: pushing past unopened boxes to bring me breakfast in bed. Since we'd moved here I refused to unpack. Unpacking meant that this was permanent. Unpacking meant that we were staying for good, something I just didn't want to accept. I know it's childish, but a tiny part of me hoped that maybe… maybe my parents would forgive and forget and we'd move back. I knew it wouldn't happen, but still I left all the boxes strewn round the room, unopened. The only stuff that had made the journey from boxes to cupboards were my clothes.

"Kiki, baby. I brought you juice." Her simpering voice annoyed me. So what that she had to bring me back to her 'birthplace'? It just made her cringy American accent even more annoying than it had been back in the UK.

"Go away!" I mumbled, pulling my duvet covers over my head. "Leave me alone!"

My mother laughed, placing the tray of juice and hot toast on a cardboard box by my bed, serving as a bedside table. "Sweetheart, you've got half an hour before school, so up you get."

"I'm not going!" I groaned, pulling my covers tighter around me.

"Come on Kiki. I'll be up in ten minutes to check on you." She patted the bump in the covers where I guessed she thought my head was, then left the room, leaving the door open.

I grimaced. I was awake now. See, I've inhabited this annoying trait from my father: once I'm awake, I don't fall back to sleep. With an irritated sigh, I pulled myself upright, blinking at the sunlight glaring at me through curtain-less windows. The smell of marmite toast reached my nose and I breathed in, savouring the smell. If I have one weakness: it's marmite.

You don't get it in the states, much to my annoyance. The one thing, above all else that I missed when I got here was Marmite. It's literally heaven in a jar. After several tearful phone calls to my father, a parcel arrived at the house, completely full of brown jars of the heavenly food. On toast… it's the best.

I took a mouthful. Damn my mother, she knew my weakness. Several bites later, I was wide-awake and in front of my wardrobe.

"Twenty minutes, Kiki!" Came the call from downstairs. I didn't bother replying. I looked into my cupboards. What the hell was I going to wear?

Back in the UK, going to a private school meant disgusting school uniform. You know: chequered skirts, white shirts, blazers and ties. But now, it was free choice. I considered wearing something small and revealing, just for a laugh. But then I remembered that it was my first ever, EVER day and a small lump appeared in my throat.

Ugh! I was going to be the new girl: the one that everyone stared at like they were some kind of freak. I decided, that the only way I was going to be comfortable was just to be myself. So I pulled on a pair of faded jeans, a thick, navy hooded jumper and a pair of UGG boots. Sorted.

Mum looked as if she was going to have a heart attack when I came down the tiny staircase into the kitchen.

"Kiki! Honey!" She crooned. "You're ready!"

"Yeah, yeah." I shrugged, placing the empty tray on top of a pile of papers on the kitchen table. "Look, I'm just going to head off. I know I'm early but…meh" I shrugged, trailing off.

Mum smiled eerily at me. "Sure you don't want to drive you hon?"

"Nah. I'm good. Don't worry." I grabbed the keys to my van from the counter by the front door. The one good thing (and I mean one) about moving to the US, was that I got to drive. In the UK, you can start learning from 17, but for some reason, here they're more relaxed. Literally the moment I arrived in the states, I booked myself into driving school, and spent every second of my time driving. I wrote off Mum's first car (drove into a ditch. Nice.) and she went ape. But then, after a few more weeks, during which I turned seventeen, I passed my test. As a present, mum bought me my very own VW campervan. I knew it was mainly a bribe, because she felt bad and because she knew I hated it here, but I loved it all the same. It's yellow. I like yellow.

"Bye mum." I said, pulling the door to behind me. Seconds later, mum had opened the door and run over to the front window of my van, just as I was placing the key in the ignition.

"Have fun Krista." She said, hey eyes welling with tears. "I know this isn't easy but… I love you. Have a nice time. I'm sure you'll love it."

I rolled my eyes at my pathetic mother, but leaned out the window to kiss her on the cheek. "Love you too mum." Then I turned the key and pulled off.

To be honest, living in Forks meant that I ought to have gone to Forks High School, but for some reason, I was drawn more to the school at La Push. I wanted Mum to move there in the first place, but by the time I'd looked round the area, she'd already bought a place in Forks. It meant that I had around a twenty-minute drive to get to school but, in my new van, I didn't care.

The school itself was pretty small. I drove the van into the parking provided, next to a grubby looking motorbike. I looked longingly at it for a second, before patting the wheel of my van and cooing to it. "Shh now, Vera, no need to get jealous. I'll always love you best."

Alright! I called my van Vera. No comment.

I heaved myself out of the driving seat and onto the wet tarmac, not realising how slippery it was and almost falling over in my struggle to pull my bag out after me. Suddenly, all the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I felt like I was being watched. Turning my head, I saw no one around, but the feeling didn't go away. I was sure someone was staring at me, and it made me blush deeply, without meaning to.

"oof!" My foot skidded in a puddle and a completely lost my balance. Feeling the floor zooming towards me I threw out a hand to try and grab something, anything, to break my fall. Suddenly, I felt two enormous, bulky arms grab hold of my waist and pull me upright. Panicking, I grabbed the arms with my own, freezing hands and pulled them towards me in a desperate attempt to stay upright. I heard a deep throaty chuckle as I clung desperately to the stranger. Finally, finding my feet, I let go and pulled back, out of the person's grip, grabbing the strap of my bag and pulling it out of my van, trying to hide my face from my rescuer seeing as it was so bloody red. Honestly, the moment I get even the tiniest bit embarrassed, I blush like a bloody strawberry.

Staring at my feet, I mumbled a quick thanks, not daring to look up lest the stranger be alarmed by my bright red cheeks. Then I heard that same, deep chuckle. I looked up and gasped.

Standing there, all cool and sophisticated, was possibly the biggest boy I had ever seen. He was tall, with a dark buzz cut and the most defined muscles I had ever come across on a real boy. And to top it all off, he was topless. I stood there with my mouth open, gawping like a complete pillock.

"Hey." The guy said, extending a hand. "Quil." I shook my head disbelievingly.

"Are those real?" I pointed at his chest. He laughed again.

"Most people just say hello back." He pointed out, withdrawing his hand. I shrugged, regaining some of my lost composure.

"Most people don't turn up to school topless."

He chuckled again. It was a nice sound: calming. "Touché." He shook out a white t-shirt he was holding in his other hand and pulled it over his head. "Better?" He asked, once dressed.

"Dunno. I quite liked the view before." I smiled cheekily. He grinned back. "Is there a reason for not being fully dressed on the first day of term?" I cocked my head on one side, hoisting my bag onto my shoulder.

It was the boy's turn to shrug. "Travel better without it." He winked. I shook my head, baffled.

"You're strange." I said simply.

He chuckled once more and I decided that I definitely liked the sound. "Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment." He looked towards the school building, then back at me. "You're new." He said, not posing it as a question.

"Well observed." My voice dripped with sarcasm, a bad habit of mine.

"British?" A question this time.

"Guilty." I nodded. He looked thoughtful.

"Krista Hughes." He said, and then added at my bewildered look. "You're in a couple of my classes."

"Kris." I corrected him, then frowned. "How do you know my name?"

"I got it in the summer mailing." He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "It says it all here."

I took the paper, scanning it. Sure enough, my name was on a couple of his set lists. The paper had been well and truly scribbled on however, in many different sets of handwriting:

English Lit:

Quil Ateara Gayboy is amazing

Charlotte Twian

Seth Clearwater needs a home. Mongrel. Get lost Embry!

Emily Browning dyke.

Tom Browning.

Harriet Walcott

Jonah Flute who?

Francis Peniston HAHA! penis. Mature Embry

Jack Smith

Embry Call IS THE HOTTEST THING ON FOUR LEGS In your dreams Embry. No Quil, in yours. HA!

Krista Hughes newbie.

Lucy Hall

Jacob Black Ugly Go write on your own paper Embry!

I had to stifle a laugh at some of the notes written, though I was a bit miffed at being called 'newbie' already. I hated prejudices.

"This Embry bloke seems… nice."

"Embry? Ha!" Quil lauhed. "He's alright. Immature as hell though. You'll meet him soon enough."

"Will I?"

"Well, yeah." Quil scratched his head. "Why not. He's mates with me and… well… I thought I could, like, show you round."

I could have hugged him, I honestly could. I had been so worried about meeting people and making new friends, I didn't even think for one second I'd meet someone on the first day that I actually got on with, or liked me. And Quil seemed… cool. A little strange perhaps, but I liked him. I resisted the urge to throw my arms around him and instead settled for giving him my best smile.

"Thanks Quil."

He looked a little taken aback. "It's nothing. Really. Just thought you could do with some showing round." He looked at my van. "Nice wheels."

I patted Vera's side affectionately. "A welcoming gift from Mum."

He laughed. "What's funny?" I asked, frowning.

"Your English accent." He admitted. "The way you say things. It'll take getting used to."

"Whatever, yank." I rolled my eyes. He laughed again. He obviously laughed a lot. Seriously, I don't usually make people laugh at all, let alone every minute like Quil was. Maybe my accent was funny. I made a mental note to tone down my RP in company. "We should probably get to classes."

Quil nodded, waiting for me to lock my car. "Right."

We walked over to the front doors and into the main entrance. A large woman sat behind the desk. She beamed at Quil as she saw him enter.

"Quil! How was your summer?" Her three chins wobbled as she spoke. I held back a snicker.

"Fine, thank you Mrs Peacock. This is Krista Hughes: new this semester."

I gave a little wave. "Kris." I corrected again. Quil grinned and rolled his eyes at me. Mrs Peacock handed me a piece of paper, not unlike the one Quil had shown me earlier.

"You have Biology first period dear. Quil will show you the way. Cute accent by the way."

I sighed and mumbled thanks before turning to walk down the corridor.

"Chris?" Muttered Quil. "Isn't that a boys name?"

"Spelt with a K, you pillock." I hissed back.

Quil laughed again. Did that boy find everything funny? "Pillock." He chuckled. "I haven't heard that one before. You're going to have to teach me your British lingo."

"I don't think you could handle it." I teased. "You could never master the" I mimicked the receptionist "cute accent."

Quil smiled. "I still think Kris is a boy's name."

"I still think Quil is something you find on a porcupine's back." I jibed back. Quil held his hands to his chest in mock pain.

"Owch! You got me, Hughes." He stopped as we came to a red door marked Biology Lab 1.

"Nice." I remarked. "Guess we're here." I put my hand forward to push open the door, only to find Quil blocking my path.

"One thing." He said, brow furrowed. "Before you meet my friends, I should probably warn you… Seth. He's a nice kid, and you'll like him, but he's a bit shy…" He trailed off, eyes looking at the floor, shiftily.

I frowned. "That's fine. It's not like I've ever met a shy boy before. I'm more worried about meeting this Embry bloke. I'm guessing he's the one that wrote 'Newbie' next to my name?"

Quil nodded absentmindedly, clearly not really listening. "The thing is with Seth…" He trailed off again, before laughing nervously. Nervously? Why was he suddenly nervous? "He might give you a funny look…"

I laughed, patting Quil on the shoulder like you would a three year old and looking him in the eye seriously. "I'm sure he's fine. Look, can we just get to class."

Quil sighed, seemingly defeated. "I guess." He stepped aside, pushing the door open with his bulky arm. "After you."

I rolled my eyes at him and stepped through the door. The class was pretty full but the teacher obviously hadn't arrived. I scanned the room, stepping back a little at the sight of three enormous boys sitting at the back of the class. They were just as big as Quil, if not bigger, and they were shoving and pushing each other playfully. I stared, not really sure how to react. Were all boys like this here: six foot four with bodies like olympic gods? I shook my head, not sure if it was real.

Suddenly, I got that feeling again: the same one as this morning. Someone was staring at me. I blushed bright red and looked at the three boys. There: on the end, the smallest of the three giants was staring at me. He was positively the most amazing boy I had ever seen: tall, muscular, but not creepily so like Quil or the one I supposed was Embry. His dark hair was long and floppy, and fell over his forehead in an attractive fringe, just above his dark eyes.

Eyes that were transfixed on me.

I had to look away.

"I'm guessing that's Seth?" I hissed at Quil. He scratched his head sheepishly.

"That's him alright."

I sighed. "I see what you mean about the staring." I commented, trying to sound cool and joking when really, my face felt on fire, I was blushing so deeply. Damn my bloody complexion! Why was he staring at me like he owned me or something? It was a mixture of complete shock and… and… desire?

I laughed at myself, causing Quil to look at me strangely. Of course it wasn't desire. Maybe I was freaky looking to him or something. Whatever it was, I found myself completely unsettled. I had half a mind to walk straight out of the lab and back to my van, but somehow the thought of leaving Seth made my stomach tighten. Oh God.

"Come and meet the gang." Quil eventually said, pushing me forward with one hand. I swallowed. Hello sex-gods.

The one I assumed was Embry grinned at me when I approached. "So this is her?" He said. Quil glared at him and Jacob dug him in the ribs with his elbow: two actions that didn't go unnoticed by me. Embry's grin widened. "The new girl."

Quil spoke before I could. "This is Krista Hughes."

"Kris, I corrected for the third time that day. Quil laughed.

"Yeah, sorry. Kris. With a K." He winked at me.

The tallest boy stood up, leaning across the desk to shake hands. "Jacob Black." He said. I took his hand. It was burning hot. As soon as I touched it, I pulled back, out of his grip, staring up at him with raised eyebrows. He grinned at me while Embry snickered from beside him. Obviously there was some inside joke I wasn't getting. I turned to the boy on Jacob's left.

"Embry?" I questioned, knowing that there was no one else it could be.

"Famous already!" Embry didn't offer to shake hands, thankfully. "Obviously Quil's told you all about me."

"I think the word immature came up." I said a little harshly. Jacob exploded with laughter as Embry scowled.

"You'll pay for that Quil." He glared. Quil merely laughed along with Jacob before steering me towards the third member of the group. He was still staring. Did he ever blink?

"Seth Clearwater." Quile said, nudging me forward. I half-smiled at the enormous boy, raising my hand to give him a little wave.

"Hey." I said, uncertainly.

"Hey." He mumbled back. Was it just me, or were the other three holding their breath?

Eventually the tension broke. Quil steered me into the seat next to Jacob as he shot Seth a withering look. As I passed, I distinctly heard Embry hiss "Good one Seth" and the prickling feeling on the back of my neck faded. Seth had stopped staring at me. Instead he was staring at the floor, looking downright miserable. I wanted to hit Embry round his big head for making Seth upset, but I didn't really know why.

"You like biology?" Jacob asked conversationally as I sat down between him and Quil.

"Not really." I admitted. "I'm an arts girl really."

"Art?" Jacob frowned. "You paint?"

I laughed. "No, arts! Like history, philosophy, English lit. That stuff."

Jacob nodded in understanding. "Gotcha." He said before looking over my head and locking eyes with Quil. I had the distinct impression that something was going on that I wasn't part of, but I guessed I'd have to get to know the gang better before they would confide in me.

"You don't hang out with girls much do you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jacob looked offended. "Course I do. My best friend's a girl."

"Then why are all the girls in this class gawping at me like I'm sort of freak?" I looked pointedly at two blonde girls giving me evils from the front row. Quil chuckled.

"It's coz they're jealous you're sitting with such gorgeous guys." Embry pushed his chair back, putting his enormous feet on the desk with a smug expression on his face.

Before I had time to argue, a shrill voice came from the front of the class. "Embry Call get your feet off the table this INSTANT!"

Quil, Jacob and I snickered behind our textbooks. Seth just sat there, staring at his desk. What was wrong with him? Maybe he was just chronically shy! But then, why would Quil and the rest of the gang bother hanging out with him? I made a mental note to make more of an effort to talk to him in the future.

The teacher's dulcet tones wafted over the class and I finally knew that the summer holidays were over. Ah well. I thought. It could've been a worse start to the year.

***

Morning classes went pretty quickly after biology. Quil was in most of my lessons, but even if he wasn't, Jacob was. I found that Jacob and me got on pretty well. Maybe not as well as I did with Quil, but certainly better than with Embry. Embry was a nice guy, but the others were right, he was SO immature. Seth still hadn't spoken to me all morning, but luckily he was only in one other class with me besides Biology, and that was Eng Lit.

The canteen was smaller than at my old school, but then again, most things were here. It was cute though (to quote Mrs Peacock this morning) and the food smelled pretty good.

"Hot or cold?" Quil asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"I beg your pardon?"

Quil laughed. "Food! Hot or cold bar?"

"Oh." I said, understanding as Jacob steered us towards the hot bar.

"Hot food!" He said decisively. "Obviously. Mmmm… fries."

I rolled my eyes, boys were all the same when it came to food. My eyes widened, however, as I saw the sheer amount of food that the boys piled onto their plates. No wonder they were so huge! They ate like bears! Hungry bears! I looked down at my jacket potato and cottage cheese and shook my head, a little bewildered. Quil caught my expression and winked at me. I merely laughed back, a little nervously.

We sat at a table in the far right corner, the boys with their enormous mounds of food and me with my small plateful and juice. Seth still wasn't talking to me, but every now and then, he would sneak a glance to look at me over his plate, then look down, concentrating on his food again. It was rather frustrating. I decided to try in conversation.

"So, Seth. You live in La Push?" I tried to keep my tone conversational, though my heart was pounding, for no apparent reason. There was a moment's silence before he answered.

"Yeah." His voice was melodical, not deep, not high pitched, but pure. It made me want to smile, though I thought I'd look like a bit of a freak if I just randomly smiled to myself. "With my mum and sister."

"You have a sister?" Is she as bulky as you? I silently added.

"Yeah." He said again. "Leah."

"Oh." I searched for another topic of conversation, seeing as he certainly wasn't going to. "You seventeen too?"

"Eighteen." He replied. The rest of the table sniggered as Seth glared at them. I frowned.

"What's funny?"

Quil looked from Jacob to Embry before answering me. "Nothing. Nothing at all. We're just being childish."

My frown grew more pronounced. "Is it because I'm the only seventeen year old here?" I asked angrily. I hated admitting that I was the youngest. I was always the youngest. My birthday was August 20th, making me permanently the baby of every year group.

Quil laughed harder, "No, no. Not at all. We really don't care about that. It's… call it an inside joke."

I groaned. "Ugh. Again? You guys have quite a few!"

Jacob scratched his head, pulling a face. "I guess we do. Don't worry, you'll be let in on them all soon enough." He winked at Seth, who stuck his tongue out back. It was the first normal thing I'd seen the boy do.

I sighed and nibbled at my food, not really hungry, but wishing I knew what they were talking about. From the way they were acting, it was as if Seth had some sort of claim over me. Not that I minded, but these La Push boys were rather strange compared to normal, English ones. Maybe all American boys were like this…

It wasn't until after my philosophy class, when the two blonde girls cornered me in the corridor, that I realised all American boys were NOT like this.

"Hey. You must be Krista." Blondie number one smiled sweetly at me. It made me feel a little bit sick.

"Kris." I corrected her. "No one calls me Krista."

"I'm Pheobe." Blondie one said, extending a hand. I didn't take it. "This is Beth." The other one smiled too. Again, the sick feeling. "We thought we'd introduce ourselves, seeing as you're new here."

I pulled a sarcastic smile and said. "Well thanks." Not really knowing what else to say.

"You just moved here?" Blondie one.

"From the UK, yeah."

"Awww!" Blondie two squealed. It hurt my ears. "You're English!"

"Guess so."

"Cute accent." Blondie one twisted her long hair round a thin finger. I grimaced.

"Anyway," Blondie one continued with a coy smile. "We saw you hanging out with the Quileute kids."

"Yeah, Jacob and his gang." Blondie two added with a dreamy look on her face. Again with the sick feeling! What was it with these two? And since when were Quil and his friends known as the Quileute kids? When I didn't say anything, Blondie one looked at her friend before turning back to me.

"So did you already know Quil Ateara? You seemed to walk in with him today."

"No actually, we just met. Nice guy though." The blonde brigade looked a little taken aback.

"So what, you just met them?" Blondie one looked like she just swallowed her mascara stick.

"Yep." I was enjoying this. "He came said hi and, well, we just clicked, I guess."

The blonde brigade exchanged a glance.

"Well, anyway. We thought, maybe we should all hang out. Y'know: you, us and the Quileute gang."

I feigned surprise. "What, you're not friends with them already?"

Blondie gave me a funny look. "Well, duh! No. They don't talk to anyone else. They just kinda, hang out on their own-"

"-Yeah, we were like SO surprised when you came into class today and sat with them. I mean… you're new." Blondie two let her 'nice' façade drop for a second, and gave me a contemptuous look before recomposing herself. I almost laughed out loud at how transparent they were.

"So anyway, how about it?" Blondie one tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We could all go to the movies tonight?"

"Yeah, and then the three of us could stay over mine. Slumber party. Get to know each other!" Blondie two seemed literally raring to go.

I had to hand it to them, they were trying to be nice, and it wasn't like I didn't appreciate the effort. But it was obvious they just wanted an 'in' to the sex-gods I apparently now hung out with. If I hadn't been seen hanging with Jacob and co, they probably wouldn't have bothered talking to me at all. I suddenly realised they were still waiting for my answer, I had totally zoned out.

"Ummm." I stalled, not sure of the best way to say no. "That's really sweet of you, but I actually have plans tonight." The two looked a little crestfallen. I decided to be truthful. "Plus, I don't really know them that well, you know. I mean, I just met them and they seem nice, but I'm not sure we're on the 'hanging-out-after-school' level yet." I decided to try my luck. "But maybe just the three of us could do something sometime?"

The blonde brigade exchanged another glance, weighing up their choices. "Yeah, maybe." Number one said. "We'll give you a call sometime."

They strutted off before I had the chance to tell them that neither of them had my number.

I felt slightly stupid. Of course they didn't actually want to be friends with me, they just saw me as a way of getting to know the Quileute guys. I was still the new kid, the one no one wanted to talk to. I half-smiled sadly to myself. A hand on my shoulder made me jump and I spun round quickly to face my attacker.

"Quil!" I yelped, placing a hand on my chest. "You scared the living daylights out of me!"

Quil chuckled. "You are funny Kris." He said. "The things you say: pillock; bloody; living daylights…" I blushed. "Saw you were having some trouble with Pheobe and Beth." He nodded at their retreating backs.

"No trouble." I rolled my eyes. "They were asking after you, actually."

Quil laughed again. "Yeah, they don't handle rejection too well." I raised my eyebrows. "They've been trying to ask us out for ages. Don't really understand the meaning of the word 'no'"

"Ohhh." I nodded, understanding. "Well, stands to reason they weren't just being nice to me."

Quil punched me on the arm playfully. It kinda hurt. "Who needs 'em? You've got us!"

I looked at him sceptically. "We just met."

"What? You don't like hanging out with us?" Quil looked a little affronted. I hastily recovered my tracks.

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant. I love hanging out with you guys." I bit my tongue. I was gushing, not like me at all! "I mean, you're the only sane people I've met here."

"Ah." Quil put his arm round my shoulders, steering me down the corridor. "That's only because we're not letting you meet anyone else. Then you'll realise how insane we actually are, and not want to hang out with us any more."

I laughed; highly doubting that would ever happen. I liked Quil, Jacob and even Embry. They were fun to be around and they made me feel welcome. Seth was different. I didn't understand him. Quil warned me about Seth, but I didn't realise how exactly accurate his description of him was: shy and strange. I wished I knew how to act around him. Part me thought whatever. I'll just ignore him and focus on the others. But another massive part of me yearned to speak to him, to get to know him. The way he looked at me… it scared me to death but it also made my stomach do a double back flip. I wanted him around. It was as if, as soon as I saw him, my sole reason for coming here was to be with him.

But that's ridiculous, right?

I dismissed all thoughts of Seth, concentrating instead on the heat that was radiating from the boy beside me. I mean, seriously, he was boiling! The arm draped over my shoulders felt like one of those heated electric blankets.

"By the way, why do people call you the 'Quileute boys'?" I asked, remembering Blondie's name fore them.

Quil looked a tad nervous. "What? Oh. Umm, it's just like a nickname given to us. Jacob's family dates back pretty far in La Push and it's a…. kind of a family history thing." He didn't say anything else on the matter so, like all things, I let it drop.

Quil steered me outside to the front of the school where everyone was streaming out to leave. Jacob waved to me from over beside my truck. I waved back.

"This your beast?" He asked, patting Vera.

"Yeah." I stroked my van lovingly. "That's my baby."

"Strange choice of car." Embry joked, coming with Seth over to meet us. "Yellow?"

"I like yellow." I retorted, haughtily. "She was a present from my mum. I wanted a VW for ages."

Embry snorted. "Each to their own."

"I like it." Seth mumbled from beside Embry. I stared at him and he stared back. I felt my face burning.

"We-ell!" Jacob wrapped an arm around Seth's shoulders, grinning strangely at me. "We best be off, get little Sethykins home."

Seth looked furious. He glared at Jacob as though he was about to tear his head off. That was one fight I never wanted to see: two enormous boys… it was difficult to decide who would win. Seth shrugged Jacob off of him, roughly, staring at the floor with clenched fists.

"We'll see you tomorrow at school Kris." Quil punched me on the arm. Again: ow!

"Yeah, see ya." I gave them a quick wave before getting into my van. I looked on with envy as Jacob started up the engine of the black motorbike beside my truck, pulling on a helmet. The others walked off in the direction of the forest, laughing and punching each other in that typical 'laddish' way. Only Seth looked back over his shoulder at me as they left. He caught my eye and, instead of his usual starey-stare or hurried downward glance, he smiled.

And my world melted.

Oh God. I was in love with Seth Clearwater.

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