The car ride home was deafeningly silent, as Bella was lost in her own little world and I tried to figure out how to ask her what happened between her and Edward. Eventually, I gave up as her house drew nearer, hoping that she would talk to me when she was ready. Pulling into the driveway, Bella put the truck into park, turned the ignition off, and slumped down in her seat.

"I think Edward hates me," she said quietly. "He didn't talk to me at all. The whole class period, he was either glaring at me or staring at the board. Then he bolted as soon as the bell rang."

"I don't think it has anything to do with you, Bells." I reassured her. "Maybe there's something he's dealing with. Family matter, or something like that. I'm sure he'll come to his senses and realize how rude he was."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, Leaf." A small smile tugged at Bella's lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See ya tomorrow." I headed down the sidewalk before calling over my shoulder. "And don't work yourself up about Cullen!"

Mom's car was parked in the driveway as I approached the house, rummaging in my purse for my house key. A horn beeped behind me and I turned to see Billy and Jacob driving by. Billy gave a small wave, which I returned back with a smile. Jacob had a smile on his face as well, and even from the porch, I could tell his eyes were full of laughter at some inside joke. My cheeks flushing, I turned back to the front door and inserted my key into the deadbolt, quickly stepping inside and shutting the door.

"Mom? I'm home!" I called out as I leaned down to untie my brown booties.

"I'm in the kitchen." She called back.

Setting my booties by the door, I wandered toward the kitchen where Mom was sitting at the island, papers scattered across the countertop.

"What's all this?" I asked, plopping my backpack down in one of the chairs and walking over to the fridge to get a snack.

"This is the paperwork for my new bakery," Mom beamed. "I found a vacant place next to the diner in town."

"Good for you!" I squealed, grinning. "I knew you'd find something. I'm so proud of you, Mom."

"Thanks, baby... oh, and I was wondering if you would like a part-time job." Mom looked at me sheepishly.

"I'd love to come and help you. It'll be just like old times when I was little and we would bake desserts all day."

"I miss those days." A sad smile spread across Mom's face, before she shook her head and focused on me. "How was school today?"

"It was actually okay," I admitted, sitting down next to her. "Bella and I have almost every class together, except two. We played volleyball in gym class, and Bella pelted a guy in the back of the head. Accidentally, of course; she's a bit clumsy. Mike, the guy from gym class, is really nice. And I made three more friends; well, at least two. The one is a total snob, and I think she thinks that Bella has a crush on Mike."

"Does she?"

"No, I don't think so. We saw the Cullens at lunch today, and Bella couldn't stop looking at Edward."

"Oh, Dr. Cullen's adopted kids. Charlie introduced me to the doctor this morning when we went to check out the space. He seems like a good man."

"Well, if his kids are any indication, then he's smart and good-looking."

"They do make a beautiful family. Anyways, I'm glad you're making some friends." Mom reached over and squeezed my hand. "It makes me worry a little less, knowing you have a support group here. Speaking of which, have you heard from any of your friends back home?"

"No," my mood deflated as I pulled out my phone, "I didn't get a text all day from anyone."

"I'm sure they're just busy. Why don't you go get some homework done and then we'll go out for dinner? I checked out the diner earlier and they have a nice menu selection."

"Okay. I guess I could catch up on some reading for class tomorrow."

"That's my girl."

With a smile, Mom smoothed down my hair before letting me get off the chair and head to my room. Finding my copy of The Phantom of the Opera, I curled up on the window seat and flipped to the first page. Within minutes, I lost myself in the world of Christine Daae and Paris's Opera House.

"Autumn... wake up, sweetie..."

The sound of Mom's voice and the gentle shaking of my shoulder stirred me awake. Blinking groggily, I rubbed my eyes and looked around. Mom was sitting next to me, my book in her hand.

"You fell asleep." She spoke softly, knowing I was still trying to adjust from my unexpected nap.

"What time is it?" I yawned as I slowly stretched my body.

"A little after 6:30 pm. I came to get you for dinner."

"Oh. Right. Uh... Give me a second to clean up."

After thoroughly washing off all the drool on my face and patting my skin with a towel, I quickly brushed out my hair, admiring the blonde highlights against the dark-brown waves. I slung my purse over my shoulder and went to meet Mom in the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting in the diner in town, taking in the sight of Forks' townspeople enjoying their evening. The waitress took our orders with a smile before bustling off to the front counter, ringing the tiny bell to alert the cook to a new order before refilling a patron's coffee mug. The bell above the entrance chimed and I looked up, catching the eye of Bella, who had walked in with Charlie. She waved when she saw me, before sitting at the table in the corner. Mom must have noticed my fallen expression because she reached for my hand.

"Just give her a little space. You don't know what she's going through internally."

"I know," I sighed.

Before Mom could say anything else, my phone started to beep, indicating an incoming video call. The name flashed across the screen: Chloe.

"It's Chloe," I informed Mom. "I'll be right back."

As I headed outside, I clicked on the green button. Within seconds, the face of my oldest best friend filled the screen.

"Hey, Leaf!"

"Chloe! What's up?"

"Just checking on how your first day went. I haven't heard from you all day." The tone of her voice was hesitant, almost accusing.

"Just a typical day of high school. It's not so different from home. The boys are just as obnoxious when it comes to one-upping each other." I giggled as I hopped onto the hood of Mom's car, causing her to smile briefly.

"Are they at least cute?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean, they're okay. I guess, if you're into serial killers."

I watched Chloe's expression closely, waiting to see if she had a reaction. When she remained distracted, a gnawing feeling bloomed in the pit of my stomach.

"Earth to Chloe! What's going on, Peaches?"

My question startled her and she didn't quite meet my concerned gaze.

"What do you mean?" Her voice cracked.

"Well, you seem distant and you're not making eye contact. So, something's bothering you. Spill."

"Please don't be mad at me," she whispered, her eyes misting with tears.

"Tell me what's going on." I stared at her, dread settling into my chest.

"Do you remember the girl that Reed hooked up with at Justin's party over Thanksgiving break? That I told you I didn't know anything about?"

"Yeah?"

"I lied. I did know about it, about her. I knew what happened... because... that girl... was me."

"No." The denial fell from my lips like acid, even as I knew she wasn't lying.

"I'm so sorry, Leaf." She whimpered, tears streaming down her face. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I swear, I didn't..."

"Why are you telling me this now?" I barely hissed through gritted teeth.

Her silence was the only answer I received, and a light bulb went off in my head. I glared at the girl whom I thought was my best friend.

"You're pregnant. That's the only reason you called me!" The bubble of anger and disbelief popped inside me. "How dare you! You were supposed to be my best friend, the person I trusted!"

"I know!" Chloe wailed. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Leaf. Please listen to me... it's not what you think!"

"Don't call me that. You're a traitor, Chloe. I can't believe you slept with my boyfriend. I can't... I can't even stand to look at you right now."

I ended the video call and threw my phone into the grass, choking back tears. The world seemed to sway around me and I dropped my head into my hands, pressing my palms into my eyes hard enough to see spots form behind my eyelids.

"Are you okay?" A soft voice called out, causing me to look up. Alice was standing in front of me, my cell phone in her hands. She offered it to me hesitantly.

"I saw you throw it, and the look of pain on your face." She explained. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," I sniffed, accepting the phone. "Thank you, though. I could use a silent friend, if that's okay with you."

I patted the spot next to me and Alice smiled, climbing up on the hood. She sat there quietly as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I lost my best friend over a boy, something we promised each other wouldn't happen the night before freshman year started. After five minutes of failing to see the good side of things, I shook my head and glanced over at Alice. She smiled warmly at me.

"All better?"

"Not exactly, but I'll be okay. Thanks."

"No problem," she hopped down from the car. "I should get going. Carlisle is waiting for me."

With a small wave, Alice skipped away toward the diner, where I assumed Dr. Cullen was waiting for her with Rosalie. They looked at me curiously as Alice came to a stop in front of them, and without another word, the trio left. Sighing, I took a deep breath and went back into the diner to finish eating dinner with Mom. I knew Mom could tell something was wrong, and I was grateful she didn't ask questions. The minute we got back home, I fled to my room and curled onto my bed, allowing the tears to fall freely as my heart shattered into pieces.

* * * * * * * *

The next week flew by, as I buried myself with helping Mom get the bakery set up. I was grateful for the work because it kept my mind off of Reed and Chloe. Bella supported me through the first few days, as the anger and sadness circled through a long-lasting cycle. Her mood seemed to perk up at the same time, and I found out that Edward had apologized after all.

"See? I told you he'd come around," I told her, setting out a cupcake display. She grinned as she wiped down a table.

"I know. You were right." She stuck out her tongue. "Oh, Angela wanted to know if you wanted to go to La Push later. I guess it's going to be her, Jessica, Mike, Eric, and a few other kids."

"Are you going?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think I will."

"Then I'll go too. Besides, I'm not leaving you alone with Jessica. I'm pretty sure she has it out for you." I teased, making Bella laugh.

"She thinks I have a crush on Mike. Which is sort of disturbing. I mean, Mike is nice and everything, but he's not my type."

"You haven't told her about Edward?"

"There's nothing to tell." At the mention of Edward's name, Bella's face turned bright pink. "Besides, he's sort of been avoiding me since I almost got crushed by Tyler's van. Well, other than when I attempted to invite him to La Push."

"What did he say?"

"He declined. I didn't get a good explanation out of him. All he said was that the beach was too crowded," she added. "But at least I asked, right? From the sounds of it, nobody invites the Cullens to do anything."

"Well, I'm proud of you for asking. He seems to have a good interest in you, so I'm sure that he would've come if he could."

"Thanks, Leaf. You're a good friend."

"So are you, Bells."

"I have to go home for a few minutes," Bella glanced at the clock. "We'll just meet you here in an hour?"

"Sure. I'll pack some food."

"Awesome."

An hour later, Angela and Bella were the first ones to the bakery. Bella led Angela inside, where she sniffed the air and sighed dreamily.

"It smells like heaven in here."

"Thank you," Mom beamed as she walked out of the kitchen, holding a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. "Would you like one?"

"Thank you, Ms. Watson." Angela said politely as she took a cookie.

"Please, call me Julie. Or Mom. Ms. Watson seems too formal," Mom laughed, a smile growing on her face.

A horn blared outside and we turned to see Mike and Eric climbing out of a van, Tyler waving from the driver seat. Jessica was the last to arrive, her eyes immediately drawn to Mike.

"Looks like we're all ready to go," Angela said. "Bye, Julie!"

"You girls be careful out there," Mom said, concerned.

"We'll be okay," I kissed her on the cheek. "Love you."

"Love you too. Now go with your friends. Enjoy the beach."

Once at the beach, the guys took off to find wood for a bonfire. Bella and I stayed with Angela and Jessica at the van, snacking on licorice as Angela helped Jessica zip up her wetsuit. As they talked about prom committee ideas, a group of guys approached us. I instantly recognized Jacob and nudged Bella, who smiled when she noticed him.

"Hey Jacob," Bella waved.

"Hey, Bella. Autumn," Jacob shot me a smile. "Are you stalking me now?"

"What? No way," Bella laughed. "You came to us."

"Yeah, but I live here, remember?" Jacob teased back. Angela and Jessica gaped in confusion as Bella and Jacob bantered back and forth.

"They're childhood friends," I explained, and their expressions changed into understanding. "Jacob, this is Angela and Jessica. Our friends from school."

"Nice to meet you," Jacob nodded. "These are my friends, Quil and Embry."

"Pleasure," I said, smiling at them.

"Are you two surfing?" Jacob asked, glancing between Bella and me.

"Definitely not," we said in unison, bursting into laughter.

"You should keep them company," Jessica said teasingly. "Bella's date bailed on her, anyways."

"What date?" Eric asked sharply as he and the others came back with arms full of wood.

"She asked Edward to come."

"To be polite," Bella said, embarrassed.

"I think it was sweet," Angela spoke up. "Nobody ever asks him to hang out."

"Yeah, because Cullen's a freak." Mike added, rolling his eyes.

"You got that right," Embry agreed, slight disgust in his voice.

"You know the Cullens?" I asked curiously.

"The Cullens don't come here." He replied sharply. Jacob shot him a look, giving his head a small shake. Bella noticed it too, and we shared a glance filled with curiosity.

Angela and Jessica changed the subject to a debate on surfing versus whale watching while Quil and Embry both gave them their opinions. Mike and Eric made their way down to the water, surfboards in tow and minds decided. Bella sat there quietly, mulling over something internally as Jacob and I both chewed on licorice sticks. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Jacob as he watched Bella. The look on his face was one of infatuation, and something in my chest dropped. Confused, I gave a mental shake of my head as Bella turned to Jacob.

"You want to go look at tide pools?" She gave him an awkward flirty smile, and he grinned back.

"Sure. Follow me." He held his hand out and helped her up, before turning to me. "Want to come too?"

"Uh, sure." I followed them down a trail to the beach, ignoring the concerned look Angela shot my way.

"What did your friend mean by the Cullens don't come here?" Bella asked once we were out of earshot of the group.

"You caught that, huh?" Jacob looked out to the island, not meeting Bella's gaze. "The Cullens aren't allowed to come onto the reservation."

"Why not?" I asked.

"I'm not technically supposed to say anything..." Jacob's voice trailed off as he debated internally.

"We'll keep your secret," I promised, hoping he'd tell us.

After a few moments of silence, he turned to us. A huge grin broke across his face.

"Do you like scary stories?"

"I love them," Bella grinned.

Beckoning us to follow, Jacob walked over to a fallen tree and sat on the roots as Bella and I sat down on the trunk, both of us eager to hear his story. Taking a deep breath, Jacob began.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from — the

Quileutes, I mean?"

"Not really," we admitted, expressions of guilt scrolling across our faces.

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood — supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark. Another legend claims that we descended from wolves — and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them. Then there are these stories about the cold ones." Jacob lowered his voice, glancing over his shoulder as if to make sure no one was listening.

"The cold ones?" Bella tilted her head in confusion.

"Yeah. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes, almost disbelievingly.

"Your great-grandfather?" This time I asked, scooting closer. Something about Jacob's words pulled at my soul, like a magnetic field had a hold on me.

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf—well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves."

"Werewolves have enemies?"

"Only one."

I glanced at Bella, who looked as intrigued as I felt.

"So you see," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did — they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would promise to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces."

The way he winked at me as he said that caused my mind to go into overdrive. I sat there silently as I processed what he said.

"If they weren't dangerous, then why... ?" Bella asked as she tried not to struggle to understand.

"There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist."

"What do you mean, 'civilized'?"

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

"So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"

"No." He paused dramatically. "They are the same ones."

He must have thought the expression on our faces was fear inspired by his story because he smiled, clearly pleased with himself before continuing.

"There are more of them now, a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same. In my great-grandfather's time, they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived."

"And what are they?" Bella finally asked. "What are the cold ones, exactly?"

Jacob smiled darkly at her question, looking from Bella to me and back.

"Blood drinkers," he replied in a chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires."