SIX. MUCH ADO ABOUT PAUL LAHOTE

"You broke the fucking car?" Nick snapped as Eli dropped the keys on the kitchen bench. She shot him a glare before moving to the fridge to grab the bottle of orange juice she'd bought the day before.

"It broke down," she muttered in response, not paying any further attention to him. He was sitting on the couch with Sam Uley and Jared Cameron. They were all shirtless, yet again. She'd decided not to question it, she probably wouldn't get a logical response anyway. She quirked an eyebrow as she went to walk through to get to her room. "Jared, a girl called Kim was asking about you again."

Jared shrugged, shoving a handful of Cheetos into his mouth. He clearly didn't care. "Kay."

"How did you get home if the car broke down?" Sam inquired, seeming to be the only one who cared about the young girl's arrival. He was smiling softly at her, his eyes gentle. Eli appreciated it.

"Um, a girl from town was driving up the road and helped me out, she's real good with cars," Eli responded as she walked through the lounge, stopping by the doorway. "She was cool."

"Did you catch a name?"

"Rosalie," Eli said easily, finally managing to catch the attention of the group. Even her brother tore his eyes away from whatever he was watching and directed his harsh stare to her. Eli shifted uncomfortably, her cheeks tinging red a little. "Rosalie Hale? You guys know her or something?"

"Stay away from her," Sam's voice suddenly grew heavier. Eli tensed slightly, her eyebrows raising curiously. She'd never heard him speak that way, and though it probably should've scared her, she was in no mood to be intimidated that afternoon. "She's no good, Eli, you understand?"

"Not really," Eli shrugged, taking a swig from her bottle and exhaling. Sam was slightly taken aback by the response, likely expecting a passive 'okay'. It was a shame Eli only allowed her brother and mother to speak to her like she was a piece of shit; she'd much rather stand on her own two feet otherwise. "I didn't have any problems, she was actually pretty nice."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about," Nick scoffed rudely. Eli began chewing the inside of her lip, trying her best not to let anger bubble inside her. "You've got no business with her family."

"Who's her family?"

"The Cullens," Jared piped up, tossing a Cheeto in the air and catching it in his mouth.

"But her last name's Hale," Eli responded with furrowed brows. "She's not related to those guys, right?"

"Sure, whatever you say," Nick grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just don't talk to her again. She's not worth your time. And take a shower or something, you smell like shit."

Eli was silent for a moment, only wincing when she suddenly tasted the metallic flavour of blood spill onto her tongue. Sam sat up a little straighter, but didn't make any move to stand up, just watching as she spun around on her heel and stalked down the hallway.

★☆

"He's not here again?" Ms Matteson already knew the answer before she asked. Eli was sat at the back of the class, alone yet again. The Shakespeare project she was working on was almost completely finished, with no help whatsoever from her partner.

Paul's seat was empty, yet again. It was no longer a surprise to Eli, though that didn't mean her irritation with the boy flickered. She hadn't heard from him in weeks now; he hadn't bothered showing up anywhere, it was as if he were purposely avoiding everyone. When she'd stopped by his house, his father had said he was out of town, sick, or both. Needless to say, she'd given up on trying to reach him. She had seen this coming, and as much as it hurt to be let down, she wasn't prepared to sacrifice her grade for the idiot who only gave her a hard time.

The 1993 film of Much Ado About Nothing played on the small box television at the front of the class for those who were interested, but Eli had already seen it several times. Her dad was a Keanu Reeves fan, which meant she'd seen the majority of his filmography as a kid. She knew Much Ado almost by the back of her hand, having been her favourite when she was younger. The haters to lovers story between Benedick and Beatrice filling her with joy and frustration, the innocence of Hero and Claudio, and the hilarity of Dogberry and Conrade. She loved it, but now, she was beginning to despise the very mention of the play.

"I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me."

Eli smiled a little. At least Beatrice's strength never got old.

★☆

After school, Eli turned up at Newton's Olympic Outfitters. As she entered, she caught sight of Mike glaring at the back of someone's head. Said head was covered in shiny bronze hair, one that seemed very well conditioned. Eli shoved one hand in her pocket and used the other to knock on the counter, smiling awkwardly as Mike spun around with wide eyes. "Hey, man. You said there was a contract to sign?"

Mike appeared relieved to have some more company. Eli's gaze flickered behind him to see the boy looking at her, beside a dark haired girl with a polite smile on her face. "Hey, Eli. Uh, yeah, it's just in the office. I can start your induction as well if you wanted, I printed everything out last night."

"Eli Stutfield?" the dark haired girl inquired, her voice husky yet inquisitive. Eli and Mike turned to stare at her. She shuffled awkwardly, her eyes darting between them and the boy beside her. "Hey, I'm Bella. This is Edward."

"Nice to meet you," Eli nodded warmly. Ah, the two she'd heard so much about. She wasn't entirely sure what to think of them, everyone she'd met had mixed opinions on the couple. She glanced over at Edward, who stared back at her with familiar golden eyes. 

Golden eyes. 

Rosalie had golden eyes too. 

Pursing her lips, Eli turned away and followed Mike into the backroom, offering a wave towards the couple. They seemed nice enough, though Edward was a little off-putting. Did he have to just stand there like a neoclassical statue? At least Rosalie spoke to her. 

"You got your license with you?" Mike asked, grabbing a pen from the desk in the office. He scrawled a few things on a post it note as well as the folder of information, before handing it over. "I just need to photocopy it while you sign all this bullshit."

Eli chuckled softly, handing the little plastic card over in return for everything else. "So, that's Edward and Bella? Could you make your distaste any more obvious?"

Mike's cheeks flushed, so he turned away from her to face the copier. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Uh-huh," Eli hummed, quirking her eyebrows as her gaze wandered the small text on the agreement. Her father had always taught her that even if you didn't care what was in a contract it was good to at least appear like you were reading it over; that was your superior could see that you had an idea of what you were doing. "Sure thing."

"Is it that obvious?" Mike sighed, and Eli smiled a little, not bothering to look up. She nodded a couple of times, and he groaned, running his hands down his face. "Damn it."

"I thought you were with Jessica?" Eli continued, scribbling her signature on the required pages. "She seems pretty into you."

Mike seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Yeah, I guess. It's just...the Cullens are...weird. They have more money than they know what to do with, they're all dating each other, and they're all so good looking. How does that even work? Do Dr and Mrs Cullen just go into orphanages and find the kids with the best genes? That's so not fair."

"Sounds like you're a tad bit jealous, Newton."

Mike huffed, but didn't respond. Eli smirked slightly, before handing back the contract. 

"Seems like that family isn't so popular around here," she continued, her eyes travelling to the doorway, where she found Edward talking softly to Bella. She watched him for a moment, curiosity getting the best of her. It seemed he sensed her staring, because he looked up and met her gaze. She pursed her lips, but didn't break eye contact. "My brother gave me shit the other day cause I got talking to Rosalie Hale. She seemed nice enough, I don't know what their problem was."

Mike shrugged, before pausing where he stood. He then looked back at her with knitted brows. "You live in the Reservation, right? Your family is Quileute?"

"Yeah?" Eli couldn't tear her eyes away from Edward. He didn't seem to be able to blink. He was just standing there, watching. Bella's attention had been caught, too, and she was curiously trying to see what was happening. "Well, my mom's side, anyway."

"That's probably why," Mike muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against the desk. "The Cullens don't go anywhere near the tribal land. Bella invited Edward to La Push one time and he never showed, some of the local kids said that it was something about an old law. I dunno, I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask about that sorta thing. You'd have more luck with Bella, or some of your pals at the Rez."

"Nobody tells me shit," Eli murmured, finally looking away from Edward and down at her hands. It was true. The only way she could learn anything was by figuring it out herself. She was a trustworthy person, but it seemed no one else bothered to look close enough to see it. "Maybe I'll run into Rosalie again, she was cool."

"I can't believe you got a word outta that chick," Mike shook his head, handing back her license and flipping through the paperwork. "I've never heard her say anything before. You must be damn special."

Eli snuck a quick look back out in to the shop, her eyes meeting Edward's once more. He had an amused smile on his face. 

What the hell is your deal? She thought to herself, tilting her head. He tilted his in response, and she furrowed her brows. Damn, it's almost as if you can hear me.

Edward looked away, though his smile never dropped. Eli felt her stomach tighten, but she elected to ignore it. It was just a coincidence, shit like that didn't exist. 

★☆