07 | LA PUSH |

LUNCH WAS WEIRD for Rory.

She and Jasper Hale were in a weird place.

After the bloody biology class, Jess and Rory had entered the cafeteria to find the Cullens already sitting at their designated table. Jasper had lifted his gaze from his untouched tray to look at her as she bought her meal and sat amongst her friends. She tried not to feel so relieved he was present.

He watched her from the table he sat at surrounded by his siblings just as she watched him. Both were conflicted on what to do. She was sure she wouldn't face as much argument from him now if she decided to sit with him. She could even work on mending her stagnant friendship with Alice. Rory suspected their abrupt fall out had something to do with a moody honey haired teenager.

Rory switched her attention back onto her friends who all were excited about something. She was sure they were discussing some trip but Rory honestly zoned out.

"La Push, baby. You in?"

"Should I know what that means?" Bella chocked out a laugh while setting her backpack down next to Rory.

"Sounds like a failing Spanish grade to me," Rory tilted her head while the others laughed.

"La Push beach, down on the Quileute rez." Mike offered an explanation from his perch on the next table with Tyler. "We're all going this weekend. Big swell coming in."

Eric jumped up and posed. "And I don't just surf the internet." Mike jumped on the table he sat on to match Eric's surfer pose before being yanked down by Tyler.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Eric, you stood up once. On a foam board."

"I'm from Texas," Rory narrowed her eyes, "No way in hell I'm gonna surf in that ass-freezing water." She was looking forward to a weekend of playing with her new dog and sleeping in, starting with a fat dog-cuddling nap after school.

"There's whale watching, too," Angela turned to Bella and Rory with a smile. "Come with."

"I think I'll pass," Rory wrinkled her nose. "Cold water, surfing and sitting in the cold...Knowing Forks, it'll probably rain at some point. I think I'll just play with Orion instead."

"La Push, baby," Eric repeated just as extra as he did before. "La Push." He got up in their faces and Rory snickered at Bella's clear discomfort.

"I'll go if you stop saying that," Bella finally relented as she chewed a cucumber slice from Angela's tray. Noticing Rory's silence, Bella prodded her, "and Texas killjoy over here is coming too."

"Bella," Rory said warningly.

"Yeah, Rory, you have to come now!" Jess demanded.

"No."

Her friend's brown eyes were alit with mischief. "What? Are you planning on staying home all day and painting a certain blon—"

Rory automatically looked at Jasper Hale, whose normally impassive face was alit with curiosity and turned towards hers.

"—I'll go! Fucking hell," Rory muttered with hot cheeks while the table erupted into cheers. Bella smiled and walked towards the salad line where Edward had, of course, joined her.

The Cullens really were a weird bunch.

Rory was infinitely glad she had grown close to Bella. While Jess was a really good friend, Bella and Rory understood each other. Bella was the soothing, sensible presence in Rory's erratic and temperamental self. And since both girls were the victims of the confusing messes of Cullen/Hale boys, Rory and Bella relied on each other to stay sane.

Which was why when Bella admitted to Rory that she had indeed invited Edward to their friend group's upcoming planned trip to La Push beach up on the reservation, Rory scolded her.

"Bella, you better not be upset if he doesn't show up," Rory raised her eyebrows at the shame-faced brunette.

Bella groaned and bumped her forehead on the large tan leather wheel of her truck. "I know, I know." She peeked through her curtain of hair at Rory. "Maybe you could invite Jas—"

"No!"

"Please!" Bella begged anxiously. "You said you guys were working on...whatever you two are. Don't tell me you guys weren't holding hands at the greenhouse field trip!"

"Why does that insignificant detail matter so much to everyone?!"

"Because it's the first concrete sign of Jaory!" Bella giggled.

"Ja-what?"

"You know, like Jasper and Rory. Jaory." Bella smiled. "You guys are like perfect together."

"You're really milking all this just to get me to ask him to come with us to La Push so he'll get Edward to come also." Rory crossed her arms  and glanced at Bella, who now looked at her with pursed lips.

"Rory," Bella said seriously, "This isn't just about La Push, anymore. I don't know why you're so insistent on denying whatever you have with Jasper. We both know you don't really have a long-distance relationship with some boy from Texas. It's just your cover and it might be time for you to let someone in. From what Jess told me about the Cullens, you are the only person other than his siblings that has actually had a real conversation with him. He likes you."

"You're projecting, Bella," Rory chimed lightly as the feeling of insecurity overwhelmed her. Rory sighed. "Edward Cullen and Jasper Hale are just not the type of boys we should chase. I don't know how, why or what but they are dangerous. Maybe it's time we thought about that."

"No," the brunette failingly insisted, "you are afraid. You're afraid to accept the fact that you have feelings for him and I'm not going to let you let your happy ending disappear."

Rory shook her head and opened the passenger door. She stepped out and faced Bella once more. "Happy endings don't exist, Bella. It's why they end for a reason."

Bella sighed. Rory was too stubborn for her own good.

In AP US history, the desks were arranged in pairs. According to Mr. Bryce, the arrangement would last until the due date of the project which meant Jasper and Rory would be sitting shoulder to shoulder for the next few weeks. It didn't even make sense because they weren't given any time to work on the presentation in class.

Jasper had been a bit quiet during the week, but still amicable enough to not outrightly ignore Rory. Which was fine because Rory had her own shit to do and she wasn't going to let a minor infatuation with Jasper Hale stop her from living life. That couldn't be said for Bella though, unfortunately. Rory tried to keep Bella from becoming obsessed with Edward Cullen to no avail.

"Are we splitting the work or actually meeting up?" Rory asked at end of class on Friday.

He looked up at her from his curly blond strands. She was standing in front of his desk with a cheshire cat smile. Jasper couldn't stop the small smile from gracing his lips.

"As long as you don't mind meeting up," Jasper said.

Rory flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "Tell me when and where and I'll be there—providing I have a ride, of course."

"The library? After school on Monday?" Jasper offered after some thought.

Rory smirked, leaning on his desk with one manicured hand. "What? Too scared to come over to invite me to yours? Or come over to my house?" She hoped she didn't sound as suggestive as she thought it did.

"I wouldn't want to impose upon my family nor yours," Jasper informed her in his ever gentlemanly ways.

Rory chose not to correct his assumption that her house would be full. Most of the time, she was alone with her mother working as many shifts at the hospital. Jasper didn't know any of that though.

"And you aren't free to meet up this weekend?" Rory asked curiously. Maybe she would take the opportunity to do what Bella had been begging her to all week. Bella so owed her for this. But before she could extend the invitation, Jasper shook his head.

"My brothers and I are going to be hiking in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier this weekend." He smiled tightly and Rory tried not to look so disappointed. "Besides, the library has more credible sources about the civil war than my house." Jasper seemed more amused by the end of his response, as if he had some sort of inside joke.

"Okay. Well, Bella's probably waiting for me. I'll see you Monday." Rory smiled brilliantly at Jasper. His matching grin, lifted adorably more on one side more than the other, sent her insides fluttering.

The next morning, Rory found herself waking up early to go to the beach of all places. She was not a morning person and it didn't help her mood when she had spent half the night tossing and turning over never ending thoughts about Jasper Hale. Rory had a thick blanket pulled over her shoulders (she had no idea where her quilt was, she must've left it in the woods) and she leaned against Tyler's new sedan talking to Angela and Bella, the only two who didn't want to surf.

"I keep thinking Eric's going to ask me to prom, then he just...doesn't," Angela said quietly as they watched their friends zip up.

"You could ask him," Bella offered up am idea. Angela looked down flustered. "Like a second chance at Sadie Hawkins."

"Take control," Rory chimed in encouragingly.

Bella nodded with a smile. "You're a strong, independent woman."

"—who don't need no man." Rory snapped her fingers in a z-formation. Bella looked at her unhelpfully and Rory shrugged. Angela didn't seem to hear Rory's addendum and was mulling over Bella's encouragement.

"I am?"

"Bella!" A male voice called out.

The entire group from Forks look up to see three Quileute boys approaching them. Each had long dark hair and beautiful tan skin which comforted Rory because she sometimes felt weird that her and Tyler Crowley were the most colored in town.

Bella stood and walked up to the guy that knew her. "Guys, this is Jacob." The petite girl hugged the tall Quileute as everyone watched with a modicum of interest. Bella punched Jacob's bicep lightly. "Are you stalking me?"

He looked younger, probably 15 or 16, but he was tall and mature and he, like most boys in Forks, had a thing for Bella Swan. "You're on my rez, remember? You surfing?" Jacob eyed her comfortable apparel jokingly.

"Definitely not." Bella snorted and shook her head.

Jess looked from Bella to Jacob with a mischievous grin. "Keep her company. Her date bailed," she teased. Rory stifled a laugh at how fast Bella turned bright red. Her friend was so easily embarrassed and awkward.

"What date?" Eric piped up almost horrified at the prospect. Tyler and Mike matched the asian's expression.

Jess smirked. "She invited Edward."

Bella looked at her feet in embarrassment, her cheeks hot. "To be polite. Rory was supposed to invite Jasper..." She glanced at Rory with a betrayed look.

At this, no one seemed to be surprised. They all saw Jasper and Rory at the greenhouse. Although most of the school thought the tall blond Hale was intimidating and looked pained 98% of the time, they had all noticed he was certainly different, more open and expressive, the 2% of time he was around Rory Aden. There was just something natural about the pair that were barely friends when they were together. Something balanced.

They weren't even concerned with Rory's supposed boyfriend from Texas, assuming they had broken up or something. In all honesty, most of her Forks High School friends held their doubts about Rory's supposed boyfriend she never spoke about. It wasn't like Rory ever confirmed anything anyways.

Rory shrugged. "And I didn't because I don't like to suffer from disappointment, Bella." She rolled her eyes and shook her head lightly.

"I think it's nice she invited him," Angela defended Bella against the wolves. "No one ever does."

Mike turned around with a huff. "Because the Cullens are freaks."

One of Jacob's friend snorted in agreement. "You got that right."

"Don't be salty, Mike." Rory chimed in disapprovingly with a shake of her head. "And they would have come if one, they weren't hiking in the mountains and two, I actually asked Jasper." Rory looked at Bella, trying to convey her sorriness for the situation.

"I sincerely doubt it," the other guy snorted. "No matter how pretty you might be, the Cullen's know not to dare come here."

Bella wasn't even bothered by their negative comments about the Cullens. She was more curious about the tone Jacob's friend had. As if he knew a lot more reasons about why the Cullens were 'freaks'. "You know them?"

Jacob shot his friend a look, shaking his head, which Bella didn't miss. As everyone began heading out to the water, Bella casually pulled Jacob aside much to Rory's amusement. Rory discreetly spied on them beside Angela.

She offered the boy an awkwardly flirtatious smile and asked him something. She must've realized the Quileute's weak link was Jacob and she could coax what secrets they knew of the Cullens. Rory slapped her palm to her forehead.

Meanwhile, Rory had been left alone at the sedan. The others had gone off to surf and Angela, with a sudden burst of confidence, had followed after Eric.

"You're new," An interested voice stated, interrupting Rory's sketch of the rock-lined beach.

Rory looked up to see one of Jacob's friends staring down at her. She managed a polite smile.

"Bella's new, too," she commented offhandedly. She eyed him warily. He was tall, dark and handsome—and just as arrogant as any other f-boy.

He snorted, taking a forward move to sit next to her in the van. Rory scooted away.

"Please, Bella's the daughter of Chief Swan. She's hardly new, unlike you," he added. "Where are you from, beautiful?"

Ah. There is it was. Boys always had the same goal to score.

"San Antonio," she recited emotionlessly. "Who are you again?" Rory raised an eyebrow sharply.

"I'm your next boyfriend, girlie," he flirted confidently.

"I already have one," she shot back, standing up at once with the intent to join Bella or Angela on the beach.

The guy scowled at her rebuff. "Is it that Cullen they were saying you were meant to invite?"

Rory frowned at his sudden aggression. What the hell was up with the Cullens and the Quileutes? Hopefully, by the way Bella was going with Jacob, she would find out for them.

"No," Rory shook her head. "My boyfriend is from Texas." She couldn't help but remember that Jasper Hale was coincidentally also from Texas. Not that she was talking about Jasper—she was talking about 'Phillip', the fake boyfriend, who remained ever so useful in warding off Washington boys. Obviously.

"Oh," the guy said, not as angrily as before but still a bit sour. He looked up at Rory with a smirk. "If you ever decide you wanna have some fun, I'll be here. I'm Paul."

"Pleasure." Rory turned away and almost sprinted for her friends. Guys like Paul grossly reminded her of her real horror-story of a boyfriend from Texas. She shuddered and willed herself not to panic.

The following Monday at school had surprisingly good weather. For the first time since Rory moved to the rainy town, the sun had decided to come out from the thick cloud bank and even though it was about sixty degrees out, all the Forks kids had broke out the skin. Shorts, dresses, tank tops—Rory horrifically realized this was the warmest it would ever be in Forks.

She was still bundled up in a sweater and jacket.

Rory tried not to be so vexed when Jasper didn't show up for class. Neither did any of his siblings, for that matter.

Well, Rory sighed, looks like their library meet-up was cancelled.

For lunch, Rory sat next to Jess and Bella outside, basking in the sunlight like Jess. The boys tossed a football around and everyone seemed generally happy all due to the good weather. Bella, not having any classes with the Cullens, had no idea they weren't at school for the day as she searched the outside crowd for them.

"He's not here." Bella and Rory turned their attention sharply on Jess. Her eyes were closed in relaxation but Jess had sat up again with the feel of gossip in the air. "Whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear."

"Why am I not surprised?" Rory rolled her eyes.

Bella looked around as if Edward was going to pop out of nowhere. "They just... ditch?"

"No, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen yank 'em out for hiking and camping and stuff. I tried the idea out on my parents. Not even close," Jess huffed lightly, jealous of the Cullens activities in warm weather.

"Jasper told me last Friday him and his brothers were going hiking," Rory cemented Jess's explanation much to Jess and Bella's interest. "They must've extended the trip."

"Nothing's going on between me and Jasper Hale," Jess mocked Rory's statement from the previous week with a roll of her eyes. "Puh-lease. But, yeah, Bella. Don't expect to see The Hair anytime soon. At least until the weather is all bleh and gross again."

Bella nodded slowly, registering the odd information just as Angela suddenly jumped on them.

Her pale face was bright with happiness and elation. "I'm going to the prom with Eric! I just asked him, I took control!"

"Hell yeah!" Rory cheered, high-fiving the girl.

"Are you sure you have to go out of town? Again?" Angela pouted at Bella.

"You aren't coming to prom?" Rory's jaw dropped. "Why didn't you tell me? You didn't think to mention that?" She admonished Bella.

"Sorry, Rory. I thought I did tell you." The brunette looked at everyone apologetically. "It's a family thing."

"It better be because if this is the last prom I go to, I want to dance with all my friends—regardless if you have two left feet Bella," Rory narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the awkward girl.

"Oh my God," Jess burst out, "we need to hit the stores in Port Angeles before the dresses get cleaned out."

"I already have a boutique in mind—I passed it when me and my mom drove here," Rory said excitedly. "We can go Friday right after school. Make an evening out of it, get dinner afterwards."

"Yeah, sounds good," Angela agreed with a thoughtful nod.

At this, Bella straightened up in attention. "Port Angeles?..." she confirmed as the wheels turned in her head. "Can I go with you guys?"

"Duh." Jessica snorted. "We need your opinion."

"Rory," Bella turned to the dark haired girl chewing her burrito while Jess and Angela discussed prom ideas. "I gotta talk to you about the research we've been doing."

Rory swallowed. "Kay. Meet me in the library after school. I was going to go meet with Hale there—"

"—for a lover's rendezvous?" Bella asked mischievously.

Rory eyed her distastefully. "For our APUSH project. But clearly, he isn't here today so that's not gonna happen." Bella chuckled and shrugged while Rory rolled her eyes. Rory reveled in the fact her innermost feelings of disappointment and dejection about Jasper Hale standing her up were well-hidden.

"So," Bella whispered in that conspiratorial tone again as they settled into a quiet corner in the library—Forks was so small, its only library was also the schools. "At La Push, Jacob Black told me the Quileute legends...specifically about the Cold Ones."

Rory raised her brow. "I assume the Cullens are supposed to be the Cold Ones." She glanced around them—almost expecting (and half hoping) for Jasper to pop out of the shadows.

Bella's brows furrowed together. "How'd you know?"

"Based on the unnecessarily aggressive reaction of the Quileute locals when we brought up Edward and Jasper isn't a very hard link to make based on the fact that the Cullens are at a constant temperature of 0 degrees," Rory explained superciliously. Rory leaned back on the chair. "Besides, you and I both damn well know there's something unnatural about the Cullens—besides their obvious beauty. They can't all have an affinity for bizarrely colored eye contacts that gradually change with their moods."

"Yeah, I'm really shocked no one else seems to care about that detail," Bella said, zoned off a bit as she fell into another daydream about Edward Cullen.

"Okay, so what about the Cold Ones?"

Bella shook herself out of her state. "Well, the thing is—Jacob refused to tell me about that part besides that the Cullens came here to Forks a long time ago. They didn't just move here."

"Your flirting skills must be terrible, Bella," Rory shook her head. "I will have to take it upon myself to remedy that. However, I must acknowledge the strong potential—did you get anything outta that puppy-faced boy?"

She hesitated before answering. "Jacob mainly talked about how he and his people are descended from wolves of all things..."

"Like werewolves?" Rory's face twisted in disbelief. What next, mermaids and unicorns?

"Kind of. But he said his ancestors and the Cold Ones are supposedly natural enemies," Bella ruminated on the last bit, twisting a strand of hair thoughtfully.

"Explains all the bitterness," Rory snorted. She folded her hands together expectantly. "So, what next? Are we gonna pester anyone else or check google?"

"There's a bookstore in Port Angeles with a book that might help us," Bella replied with a sheepish shrug. "That's why I'm really coming along."

Rory laughed. "I have to admit, I was a bit suspicious when you voluntarily asked to come along with us. I mean, what happened last time..."

"I do hate shopping," Bella agreed with a wince.

Both girls thought back to the memory of their Seattle expedition a few weeks prior where the Dressing Room Fiasco of 2008 occurred. Some people walk out of stores with brand new fits—others (Bella) with scars and tears.

A.N to make it clear, Rory came to Forks in the middle of March (like Bella did in the movie) but I made Bella arrive in Forks in February (about the time she did in the books). So rn its about beginning of april.