I woke up late.

It was Saturday but the foggy feeling of too much sleep made it hard to be happy for the weekend. There were a couple texts waiting for me and I managed to check that I wasn't in mortal danger before chucking the phone into the blankets without answering. They were mostly small talk from my basketball friends teasing me for ditching the day before.

As I walked down the stairs I wondered if they felt anything like I felt about my sister. Or did they know it had been the 'accident' after the spring dance last year that had thinned me out? I'd talked things out with Jacob even before he knew the truth but I'd been pulling away from them, from things I'd found fun. I thought they understood though- after all, no one had asked my plans for prom and that was a month a-

Prom.

I stepped into the shower considering. Smiling.

I want to go to prom with Jacob.

I want to go to prom with Jacob and there's nothing to stop me.

The foggy feel and my now calculating brain brought me to the breakfast table without any real awareness on my part. I found myself twenty minutes later gnawing on cinnamon sugar toast and staring above my sister's head when she finally snapped me out of it.

"Gen. Please."

I'd managed to get from prom to shopping to earning money to what I'd teach the kids' league team next and the shadowed face of my sister was a little unsettling to come back to.

A sick beat-would I even notice if she changed?

I blinked at the moment of panic and then laughed.

Idiot.

"What, Isabella?"

She slid a new plate in front of me, two fresh slices of toast that burned my fingers when I picked them up to butter them.

"Gen, I need you to understand."

"And when have you ever tried to understand me?" I said with a shrug. There was a pun here. A really bad pun. Something about burning her as she buttered me up... but I was too tired of all the s*** we'd been through to give her much thought.

She stared at me. "That's what I'm trying to do."

"Um..."

"I'm... Edward said..." She started over. "Edward loves me."

"Whoop-de-f***ing-do." I considered. "Jacob imprinted on me."

"What?"

Oh, hey, I never told her.

We're the best sisters ever.

"Yeah, it was... right before you drowned yourself like a dingbat. So I got distracted. I'm dating a werewolf. This is your fault." I considered. "I think that sums it up. What are you trying to do again?"

"You and Jacob? But that's great!" There was actually a bit of warmth in her eyes.

"No one cares," said the young lady who was still fantasizing about making said Jacob show up to prom in a James Bond tux on his motorcycle. "What sh**ty vampire thing are you up to now?"

"Gen, I know we don't have the best-"

"Genevieve." I swept the crust of my devoured toast through the cinnamon that had dripped onto my plate. "Surely your mind-reading boyfriend told you I like 'Genevieve'."

She shook her head. "He doesn't say much about what you think around him."

Right. Dick.

I snickered.

She waited.

I didn't elaborate.

"I've made my decision about my life. But I'm letting the people who... know state their opinion. And we decided you should be allowed to participate."

"It is six am-it's too early for me to have any idea what you're talking about."

A new voice came from the other room, velvet and reluctantly amused.

"It's eleven thirty, Genevieve. And she's asking for a vote."

I scowled over at the dick vampire in my kitchen doorway.

"A vote. I get a vote?"

He smiled tiredly. "I'm hoping she'll listen to you if it helps."

"A vote on what, Cullen?"

Isabella answered.

"On if I'll stay human."

...

In better times I would have argued that Isabella had never been human to begin with but instead I texted Jacob to meet us in the woods behind the house and went upstairs to put on four layers of clothing. I walked down to the bathroom and stared into a mirror and got to see exactly how my face must have looked when I first found out my sister was dating a Cullen.

My nose now stuck in a disgusted wrinkle, I sprinted back upstairs and threw on an outfit that was less 'reassuring in the face of the vampires' and more 'reassuring as you go meet the random rich family that lives outside of town'. Self-denial, yes, but I suddenly wanted to feel like myself more than I wanted to lie to myself about the effect three sweaters would have on my scent. A cute pair of jeans, loose pink blouse, hiking boots, jean jacket over a grey hoodie.

I considered going back to the mirror to deal with my loose, still drying hair but suddenly I didn't have the energy.

I snatched up a backpack and threw some oversized shorts inside in case he arrived as a wolf, then jammed my wet hair into a hat I'd last used for sledding when I was twelve.

I stalked through the kitchen without looking at Dick and my sister, afraid I'd catch them kissing, afraid his eyes were black. I swept out the back door and took quick steps straight into the woods as I heard a howl ringing out. Jacob was near.

I heard the other two following me but I didn't care. I was laughing at the idiot giant puppy that was bounding between the trees to get to me.

The werewolf put himself between me and the vampire but otherwise ignored the company. His eyes were set on my smile and then he jerked forward to playfully bop his cold nose against my face. The movement startled me and I stumbled backward, landing on my butt and laughing again.

"A**," I told him.

The werewolf coughed a laugh in reply and nuzzled the top of my head-he had to reach down to do so.

"He says he missed you," Cullen called over.

We froze.

"He wants to know what's going on," The vampire added.

I wasn't sure how I felt about everyone seeing into my boyfriend's mind so I ignored Cullen and rubbed a hand over the rough brown fur of Jacob's cheek, my sleeve slipping down to reveal my scar. "I'm going with them to try and fix things," I said finally.

"That's not-" Bella started.

"Bella's going to explain when we get there. Yes, you will get pissed at her but hopefully you'll only kill two or three or all of them if you lose control."

The wolf raised an eyebrow and let out a whine.

"Yes, I brought you some pants."

Dickface coughed politely, "That's not what he was saying."

I scowled over and found that he was standing in a similar fashion, his body blocking my sister from the fearsome werewolf. I rolled my eyes and turned to my boyfriend, expecting to see the same expression. Instead, Jake looked puzzled.

Edward was nodding. "Very similar. Gen's mind is somewhere in between that and Bella, though. Their father is as well."

Jacob growled.

"Only a little and only if I concentrate. Though she likes to broadcast her opinion of me sometimes." There was a pause as Cullen listened to the werewolf. "One." Then Cullen turned away, speaking more quietly as Isabella asked him a question.

Jacob snorted and nudged my face with his nose again. A little ways away, my sister was climbing onto Edward's back. I bit my lip and ruffled where human Jake would have had hair, the wolf's tail wagging slightly. Finally, he knelt down in front of me and waited expectantly.

I glanced over my shoulder, into the woods we were about to head to. I knew Jacob had to be freaking out. I was freaking out as well. But compared to what I'd already faced, the Cullens were nothing. I remembered the thoughts I'd had choosing my outfit-the Cullens were nothing but a bunch rich a**holes. That was it. It was going to be fine.

I slid a leg across the werewolf's back and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Okay," I whispered into his ear. He stood slowly and I tightened my hold. "Whenever you're ready, Mr. Black."

He took off then, getting faster as he ducked between the trees. I had the impression that Edward was saying something to Jake, some directions, but Jake growled at him and he shut up. My hat whipped off my head and my hair tumbled down, the wind streaking through it and bringing a thrilled laugh that I couldn't quite hear over the thunder of Jacob's paws.

I had to enjoy what I could.

After all, from now on this was going to be a horrible day.