23. First Meeting

BPOV

My stomach was full of butterflies as I drove onto the reservation, headed for Jacob's house. I was hoping and praying the day would go well. Our main concern was whether or not close contact with the Cullens would actually trigger the werewolf gene earlier. The last thing we needed was for the three boys to suddenly turn into giant wolves on the Cullens' front lawn. Not a good plan. Still, better their yard than at the mall or in the movie theater, which is why they were waiting anxiously for me to return with the three boys.

As I approached Jacob's house, Jacob stepped outside, along with Quil and Embry. I knew Jacob had recognized the sound of my truck, since the Blacks had owned it first, and it could be heard a mile away even by human ears. I pulled up and they started piling in, Jacob in the passenger seat and the other two in the back. Billy rolled out as they were getting settled.

"Hey, Bella!" he greeted warmly. Obviously, he was still unaware of my plans. "Where are all of you headed?"

"We're meeting up with some of my school friends and going to Port Angeles. We're going to have lunch, catch a movie, and maybe just hang out afterwards to get to know one another better," I enthused, hoping I could feign innocence once the truth of who my friends were became known.

"Sounds like fun! You kids enjoy yourselves. Just be back by nine at the latest. I know it's not a school night, but since it's your first time out, I want to be sure you get home safely. Besides, once you're home, Quil and Embry and Bella all have to return to their homes. That way, they'll be home by ten."

Jacob groaned, embarrassed. "Dad! I'm not a little kid."

Billy smiled. "I know, son. If you were, I wouldn't let you go at all. Now mind your manners with the pale faces," he teased, looking at me. It was a long standing joke between our families, especially since I was so very pale. Quil and Embry gasped, shocked to hear him say something like that in front of me. I just laughed.

"Relax, Quil, Embry. Billy's just jealous because he's never gotten a sunburn before. Not everybody can turn red and blister painfully after merely an hour of direct sunlight. It's a natural talent," I playfully boasted. All four of them burst out laughing.

"Remember the summer you were seven?" Jacob reminisced. "Your poor feet! You couldn't even wear shoes for a week. Sometimes I wondered if that was why your Mom sent you here in the summers. We get a lot less sunshine. I can only imagine the kinds of burns you got in Phoenix."

"Actually, I just slathered on the spf 100 I custom ordered. After two or three coats of that stuff, I wouldn't have a problem. Of course, it would take me an hour a day to put that much on, but it was worth it," I joked. They all looked at me closely to see whether or not I was serious. I couldn't help but giggle at their expressions. They laughed and shook their heads.

"Okay, Billy, I'll bring him home safely, but we need to head out now if we're going to make it in time for the movie," I mentioned, waving goodbye. Billy smiled and nodded. I hurriedly turned around and drove away, the boys waving goodbye until Billy was no longer in sight. I turned to Jacob.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked Jacob in concern, wanting to be sure he wasn't already regretting his choice.

"Are you kidding? I'm pumped! How often do you get to hang out with your tribe's mortal enemies whom your father claims are vampires?" he exclaimed. Then he clapped his hand over his mouth in horror, realizing what he had just said. I just laughed, pretending I thought he was joking. He smiled sheepishly. "You won't say anything about that to them, will you?"

"Tell them your father thinks they are vampires? Well, Billy doesn't make any secret of his animosity toward the Cullens, so I'm sure they already know his feelings on the subject. However, I won't embarrass you by immediately announcing the fact when we get to their house."

"Thanks," he muttered sarcastically. My answer had not really reassured him, since I didn't promise not to say anything ever. I decided it would be a good time to make my feelings clear.

"You know, Jake, I just wanted to say that with knowing each other for so many years and playing together as kids, I consider you part of my family. It's lonely being an only child, so I consider you my brother, as well as one of my friends. I hope you'll treat me like a sister or at least a cousin, as well as a friend. Family is closer than friends."

"Umm, yeah, sure," he answered in a discouraged tone. He thought for a few seconds, straightened his shoulders and grinned at me. "You know, Quil is my cousin, and you're much prettier by far. I think you'll be my favorite cousin."

I grinned back. "Sounds good to me. Cousins it is."

We pulled into the Cullens' driveway and started winding through the woods to their house. The boys were all looking around them eagerly. I knew they likely had never been in this portion of the woods before. We pulled into the yard and the three vampires were waiting for us. I noticed they were all wearing gloves. I realized they didn't want to give away their cold skin to the Quileutes until the boys had a chance to get to know them. Being actually physically cold would definitely raise too many questions in the boys' minds with regards to the legends. One of the purposes of today's trip was to demonstrate how easily the Cullens could interact with humans in public places.

We all exited the truck, and I introduced them to one another. They shook hands amicably. I grinned happily to see it. I had wondered how they would smell to one another before the gene was activated. I watched carefully. Alice took a deep breath and then smiled and winked at me. She had foreseen my question and gave me a thumbs up to indicate they didn't smell like wet dogs yet.

"Hey, guys," I interrupted the small talk. "We need your help with something. It's a matter of honor."

At the mention of honor, all three Quileutes stood straight and tall, completely serious. Honor was very important in their culture.

"Edward and Jasper made a bet and Edward lost. His penalty is that he has to pay for everybody for everything on all outings for the next two months. He has more money than he knows what to do with, so monetary amounts don't really affect him. He is filthy rich, richer than Bill Gates," I explained as their eyes widened. "So the more money this bet costs him, the more it will be a blow to his pride, though his bank account won't suffer. Normally, we would all pay our own way, but for the next two months Jasper wants us to spend as much of Edward's money as we can, to make the penalty of losing the bet worthwhile. So order whatever you want at the restaurant and think about whatever expensive outings you've always wanted to do, so Jasper can have his fair reward."

Edward pretended to be chagrined, while Jasper smirked. Alice was grinning happily at me. I could tell they were all impressed with my idea. Now the boys wouldn't feel at all guilty about Edward picking up the tab.

"Please, guys, I need your help," Jasper interjected. "Last time I lost, he made me dress like a girl and then go into a bar and flirt with the guys. The really scary part was that one of the guys was really interested. He was filled with lust and determined to take me somewhere private. I raced out of there so fast it nearly made my head spin. I had to take a break and puke in the alley before ripping the dress off and stuffing it in the dumpster. I owe Edward big time for that one. So I need everyone's help to restore my honor by emptying his pockets. What do you say?"

Jacob was shocked and appalled. "Disgusting, man. How could he do that to you?"

Edward quickly defended himself. "Because the last time I lost, he made me go into a karaoke bar wearing my underwear outside my pants, get up on stage, and sing 'I'm Too Sexy for My Shirt' while performing a strip tease. The audience fought over my shirt and hat, and some lucky person made off with my underwear. I had to run out bare-chested. It took ten showers before my body felt clean from all those grimy hands pawing my torso."

The three boys started laughing loudly.

Jacob continued chuckling. "I think I get it now. Somehow, I think our lives just got a lot more interesting. It's going to be a fun ride getting to know you guys."

Quil laughingly agreed. "We'll definitely do our part to help Edward feel the sting. It's only fair. I think he was much too easy on you."

Embry looked at me curiously. "What was the bet about?"

"Oh, well, Edward and Jasper were betting on a race between an Aston Martin and a Ducati," I improvised. Sounded good to me. Edward rolled his eyes at me.

"The Ducati," all three boys said at the same time. Hmm. I guess that wasn't such a good bet after all.

Jasper chuckled. "Absolutely," he agreed.

"Let's get this show on the road," Alice squealed excitedly. We all smiled at her. I led the boys over to the Mercedes SUV, while the vampires settled into the Volvo. The boys were excited about the SUV. It still had the new car smell. I got behind the wheel and tried to follow Edward, but I wasn't comfortable driving at his speed. I allowed myself to fall behind. I knew where we were meeting, so I wasn't worried. The boys had fun playing with the entertainment system and exploring all the bells and whistles included in the interior.

I got a text message from Edward: Planning to arrive sometime today?

I just ignored it. I figured they were probably already there. Alice would know when we were close, so they could just entertain themselves somehow until we arrived. We finally pulled up to the restaurant to see the Cullens smugly waiting for us. I rolled my eyes at them. Edward stepped forward to open my door and help me out. We entered the steak restaurant and were immediately seated. I had found out that Washington had a 'no smoking in restaurants' law, so every section was nonsmoking. I was really happy about that, as the smoke usually made me cough and interfered with my enjoyment of my food. I bet the vampires were particularly happy, considering their superior sense of smell.

Jacob and his friends delighted in ordering the filet mignon, toasting Edward with their cokes. Jasper, Alice, and Edward also ordered full meals, in keeping with appearances. When the food arrived, the boys tucked rapidly into theirs, but the vampires didn't even touch their plates. I ate at my normal pace. Eventually, Jacob got full enough to notice that the vampires weren't eating.

"You guys aren't eating?" he asked incredulously. Quil and Embry looked up from their plates.

"Actually, we ate just before you arrived. We figured we'd just save this food for later, unless you guys are still hungry?" Edward replied smoothly. Jacob started to shake his head, but stopped.

"Wow, I'm hungrier than I thought. I think I will take you up on your offer after all," Jacob answered in surprise. He reached over and grabbed Edward's plate. "I'm not usually such a pig."

"You're probably just getting ready for a growth spurt," Alice consoled him. I met her gaze, one eyebrow raised. She shrugged, indicating it was not a vision, but was her opinion. He certainly would be going through a major growth spurt, sooner or later.

Quil and Embry took Jasper's and Alice's plates, gorging on the delicious steak.

"Well, all that protein should help your muscle development," I added, only partially teasing. Everyone else chuckled.

I watched everybody's interactions while I ate, pleased to see the comfort level they each displayed. Jasper spoke with Embry about dirt bikes and motorcycles, Edward talked about cars with Jacob, and Alice and Quil discussed dating tips. There was a definite sense of camaraderie growing as we all enjoyed each other's company. The boys all cheered when Jasper promised we would go to a dirt bike track after the movie and rent dirt bikes for all of us. All five guys started making comments about their riding skills and doing the usual macho competition mumbo jumbo. Alice and I just rolled our eyes at each other, unimpressed with all the big talk.

"So, what movie are we going to see?" I asked the group.

"What movie would you guys like to see?" Edward inquired of the boys.

"How about that new Dracula versus Wolfman flick?" Jacob suggested with a smirk.

Quil and Embry started laughing. "Good one, Jake."

The Cullens looked at them in surprise.

I sighed. "Seriously, Jake."

He grinned. "I am serious. I'd really like to see it. I wonder which one will win."

"It's going to be a stupid grade B horror flick," I protested. "How about a comedy instead."

Alice started laughing. "No, I definitely want to see the stupid horror flick, Bella."

I looked from her to Edward, who was also chuckling. I groaned. Obviously, something amusing and probably embarrassing was going to happen as a result of going to this movie. It was now six against one, in favor of going to the movie. It was useless to protest at this point.

"Fine," I grumped.

"Don't worry, love," Edward teased. "I'll save you from the scary imaginary characters."

I growled and pretended to punch his arm. I knew it would only hurt me if I actually hit him. He rubbed the spot and pouted, pretending to be hurt. Everyone else laughed. Edward paid the bill, leaving a generous tip, and we all walked over to the movie theater, since it was only a few blocks away.

The movie was starting in fifteen minutes. We quickly got our tickets and went inside.

"Hey, Edward," Quil shouted from the snack counter. "We need popcorn, candy, and drinks, dude."

"Yeah!" Jacob and Embry laughed, giving Jasper high fives.

"You just ate two whole dinners each. If you eat any more, you'll explode," I griped.

"You worry too much, Bells," Jacob teased. "Remember, we're growing boys."

"I'll say," I muttered under my breath. The vampires all smiled at my remark.

"Get whatever you want," Edward offered magnanimously. All three of them came away from the counter with their arms full of popcorn, ice cream, and soda. They even had candy stuffed in their pockets. I just shook my head at them. I saw that Edward had bought me a soda and candy. I smiled and gave him a brief thank you kiss. I felt the boys watching us, but I ignored them.

"I'd better take a quick hu- moment to visit the restroom," I murmured quickly, hoping the Quileutes wouldn't notice my slip. Maybe I'd better stop referring to my bathroom breaks as human moments if I'm going to make silly slips in public like that.

"I'll go with you!" Alice immediately added, grabbing my arm. Edward and Jasper snorted. I simply nodded, trying to pretend I hadn't just almost given away the whole thing. We raced quickly for the ladies room, wanting to finish before the movie started. I did my business in record time.

"Why were you laughing earlier, Alice?" I questioned suspiciously, while washing my hands. "What did you see?"

"That's for me to know, and you to find out," she snickered.

I glared at her in extreme annoyance. "Evil little pixie," I muttered grumpily. She just laughed.

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