CHAPTER 29
HOWL AT YOU LATER

JENNY Fowler was a big fan of normality. She liked living in the closed-off, small bubble. She liked working for most of the week, taking care of the wounded and sick. She liked being tired after a long day and having dinner with her niece. She liked living in the sanctuary that was Forks in general, because nothing ever happened there. Everything was utterly normal.

However, when the Cullens moved to town, her bubble had been popped. Jenny decided not to notice this occurrence.

But it suddenly became clear what was in front of her all along when she spoke with Billy Black weeks ago. She wanted to believe that Billy was just playing a big prank on her, but the sincerity within his voice told it all. Regardless, Jenny was in denial. It took all but Jacob shifting outside the house and Jenny watching from the inside to convince her that her niece was dating a fucking wolf boy.

Not only that, but apparently Margo was somehow Jacob Black's imprint, a.k.a. soul mate. That alone sent Jenny over the edge, due to her niece's young age. But Billy insisted – more like, yelled – that what he was saying was all true and that there was nothing they could do to prevent this situation.

By the end of her talk with Billy, Jenny was ready to believe anything that came out of his mouth. However, when Billy mentioned vampires roamed around town, and one of them was Jenny's very own boss, she just about flipped. The aunt began to scream and shout that Billy Black was "crazy to think she'd believe that." (Her actions alone made both Jacob and Margo cringe in the corner of the kitchen.) But when Billy lined up all the evidence, as well Jenny's own experience taking care of patients with similar wounds, Jenny accepted the harsh reality that her bubble had been popped.

Forks simply wasn't what she thought it was.

Jenny didn't want to accept it all. She wanted her innocent life back, with her innocent family, and her innocent job, and her innocent crush on her boss. But Jenny Fowler wasn't cut out for a simple life – apparently. Everything just had to be over-complicated.

But, as always, Jenny Fowler did what she had to do for the good of her family. She believed Billy's words and the reality before her. The safe bubble was completely trashed. It was depressing, honestly.

Margo tended not to talk about her boyfriend being – you know – part wolf a lot. She wanted their conversations to continue being innocent, but it was good knowing that she didn't have to hide her biggest secrets from her aunt anymore. Jenny didn't like it as much, because all she wanted to talk about was that her boss was a fucking vampire and her niece's boyfriend was a fucking werewolf. But she kept these to herself.

On a normal Monday morning, Margo bounded down the stares, earning a glare from her aunt. Margo poured herself a cup of coffee before grabbing a ripe, red apple and biting into it. She turned to Jenny, who flipped her newspaper around mindlessly, and asked, "Did you know that Australia is the only country that is also a continent?"

Jenny looked up from the Washing Inquisitor, lifting a brow. "You've hardly been talking to me in the mornings so I kind of forgot our fact of the days were a thing. I'm glad they're back." She grinned big.

"I've had a lot going on," Margo replied, laying out her hands. "But now, things have calmed down. Everything is fine –"

"Fine is a big understatement, Margo," Jenny snickered. "Things are acceptably abnormal."

Margo shrugged. "I won't fight you on that." She curiously looked down at the page Jenny had left on in the newspaper. Margo peered over her aunt's shoulder, frowning at the headline, MURDERS, DISAPPEARANCES, POSSIBLE WORK OF A SERIAL KILLER. "Serial attacks are raging in Seattle? That's weird ... I guess."

"Yeah, some of the nurses were discussing it at work. Another victim was found in an alley in Georgetown. I think ..." Jenny flipped the page as Margo bit into her apple again. The aunt pointed to a small article in the corner of the page, bouncing on her heels. "Oh, look! They're predicting that there will be an eclipse in the upcoming months!"

Margo furrowed her brow as she sipped her coffee. Her aunt always did whatever she could to get off the subject of their reality, despite her positive acceptance in front of Billy. Margo cleared her throat, ready to reply, when a loud horn blared outside the house.

She walked over to the kitchen window hanging over the sink and squinted outside. The sun almost blinded her, but she still managed to see Jacob in his Rabbit parked outside. He waved his hand outside the window, causing Margo to place her half-empty coffee mug in the sink and grab her backpack sitting on the kitchen table.

Jenny looked up again, eyeing her niece with confusion. Margo pointed her thumb in the direction of outside the house. "Its only Jacob," she said, tugging on her backpack. The half-eaten apple still resided in her blue-sparkle painted nails. "I'll see you later."

As Margo dashed out the door, Jenny exclaimed, "I think you mean, I'll howl at you later!" Margo rolled her eyes as Jenny continued to chuckle loudly from inside the house. Jenny flipped another page in the Washing Inquisitor, mumbling, "I slay myself."

Jacob had become accustomed to driving Margo to school lately. He recently refurbished and buffed up the Rabbit, making it look shiny and new. Margo thought it was because he just wanted to show off his car to people at Forks high school, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. She liked not driving for a change.

Once inside the Rabbit, Margo tossed her backpack at her feet and greeted, "Good morning. Did you just get here?"

Jacob pulled out of her driveway and began to head down the street. "Yeah, I was here a bit early actually. I couldn't sleep last night."

The trees seemed to blow by in a breeze as Jacob drove. They reflected across the window, and Margo kept her eyes trained on them while lacing her fingers with Jacob's. "Why?" She asked after a short moment.

"I don't know," he muttered, seeing Forks high school in the distance. "I felt like something was wrong. But then I realized I was just hungry."

Margo looked over with a big grin. She hit him lightly in the stomach. "You had me thinking something was actually wrong, you dick."

Jacob laughed. "It wasn't a lie! I really did think something was wrong at first!" His smile was bright that morning, even as he pulled into the parking lot of his girlfriend's high school. He sighed as he parked in front of the entrance, earning the usual stares from the students who admired the Rabbit. He waved his hand at the watchful eyes, which caused the people to automatically turn away.

"You really want people to see this car," Margo said, lifted her brow.

"I worked hard on it," he replied and placed a hand on his chest. "I like seeing the normies be jealous. It fuels my ego."

Margo rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she muttered. "I have English this morning, which means that if I'm late, I get detention. I've never had detention in my life, so I'm not starting now."

Margo leaned over and pressed her lips onto his lightly. She was ready to move away when Jacob cupped her face with his large hands, pulling her even closer and deepening the kiss. Margo didn't usually kiss Jacob this way, nor had she kissed anyone this way. Before things could escalate, she quickly leaned back and smiled. "Gotta go," she sighed.

"You gotta go," he repeated with a nod.

Margo grabbed her backpack and hopped out of the Rabbit. She waved to Jacob in the window as she walked to the driver's side. Jacob rolled down the window by himself, seeing as the windows weren't automatic yet. She leaned into the window and grinned. "Try not to be in too much pain while I'm gone."

•••

Margo had been shoving a mouthful of lukewarm lasagna in her mouth when a tray slammed on her lunch table. Both Melinda and her looked up, meeting Bella Swan's controlled stare. Edward Cullen stood behind her with his hands in his pockets. He almost seemed annoyed with Bella's expression in that moment. Margo and Melinda shared a confused stare.

"You seem agitated," Melinda muttered.

Bella threw her bag on the ground as both she and Edward took seats at the table. "I am agitated."

"You're not that mad," Edward said with a roll of his eyes.

Margo nudged the vampire's shoulders. "No lunch today, Eddie?" Her mouth twisted into a smirk. "Keeping up with the mortality facade must be thoroughly exhausting."

Edward grinned, but once the scent of wolf wafted off of Margo's body, he found his nose wrinkling in disgust. Before he could reply, Bella smacked her hands on the table and looked at Margo. "You know Jacob better than anyone right now," she said. "What's going on with him?"

Margo lifted her hands in surrender. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Now that's a shock," Melinda joked. Her laughed sounded like a church bell in the wind, and her bright teeth glowed.

"Jacob has been dodging my calls since I got back from Italy," Bella replied, her voice lowering to a whisper. The calls from the cafeteria couldn't drown her out even if she were talking at a normal volume, but Bella wanted to make sure. "I don't understand why he's ignoring me."

Margo cut a meatball up with her fork and popped it into her mouth. She responded while chewing, "He hasn't said anything to me. Have you gone to see him on the Rez?"

Bella's eyes narrowed as they drifted over to Edward. The vampire hung his head down, looking to his perfectly-manicured hands, which were a complete contrast to Margo's small buds painted with sparkles.

Melinda's stare went from Bella to her boyfriend. She chewed on her bottom lip before asking, "So did Edward ... not let you –"

"Bella's safety is everything to me," Edward replied seriously. "I know Jacob won't hurt her, but the wolves have no control."

"Um, excuse me," Margo interjected, holding up her fork. "You're only partially right. The wolves have problems controlling themselves after their first phasing. Most of them are okay now and completely safe. Don't get your panties in a twist, Eddie –"

Bella smacked her open water bottle on the table, causing the plastic to crackle and water to fall down the sides. "Enough!" She shouted, her eyes growing wide. Bella tsked under her breath, and Edward looked away from his stare-off with Margo. "Hopefully, I can talk to him soon enough. I have until graduation to see him."

Margo's head whipped to Bella's direction. She lifted a brow. "Why?"

Bella frowned and glanced away. She stabbed her fork into a bowl of salad, consisting of wilted lettuce and dark tomatoes. She tried to keep her interest on the salad in front of her.

Margo was still staring at her friend. Her face twisted with confusion, before she finally realized why Bella refused to answer. Edward sat back in his seat, tapping his feet in a suspicious fashion. "No, you're not," Margo whispered.

Melinda leaned forward. "She's not gonna do what?"

"Go on," Margo insisted to Bella. Her eyes could practically see inside Bella's mind. "Melinda knows. I, of course, had to tell her."

"Listen, you don't get it." Bella shook her head. "I've always been an outsider, but I've found someplace where I belong, and that's by Edward's side forever. After graduation, I'll ..." She paused, finding it difficult to look at the two other humans in front of her. "I'll be turned, and Jacob will hate me."

Melinda's mouth dropped, but Margo simply continued to sip her soda through a thin straw. Melinda struggled to come up with a response as Bella bit her lip nervously. "Well," Margo stated, "can't say I'm surprised."

"How are you not surprised?!" Melinda asked loudly.

Margo shrugged, wiping the excess tomato sauce off her mouth with a napkin. "Because Bella is so predictable. You can't say for one second that you didn't consider that Bella was going to become one of them once you found out about vampires." Melinda's eyes were still wide with shock as Margo turned to Bella again. "And for you, Jacob's probably mad at you for choosing to save Edward when he thought you were on his 'side.' I don't get why there are even sides to begin with, but ... you get the picture."

Edward scoffed. "There are sides because –"

"Save it for someone who cares, Cullen," Margo replied with a lifted brow. "And quit wrinkling your nose in disgust when you smell me. Jacob says your scent isn't too kind either."