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Entering Bella's vintage truck, Lita clutched her cardigan tightly, shivering as raindrops cascaded down her face. "Sorry, no AC," Bella apologized, casting an apologetic look her way.

"No worries," Lita replied, smiling through the chill.

Bella skillfully navigated the worn roads of Forks, and Lita couldn't help but appreciate the quaint charm of the small town, especially accentuated by the misty rain.

The truck's engine purred characteristic sounds as Bella adeptly started it. Lita chuckled softly, finding amusement in the vehicle's charming quirks. "You and this truck have quite the history, huh?"

Bella grinned. "Yeah, we've been through a lot together."

As they cruised through the town, Bella redirected the conversation to New York. "So, what's life like in the big city?"

Lita sighed, memories of bustling streets and towering skyscrapers flooding back. "It's crowded, like, all the time. Noise, lights, people... it's a lot. But there's always something happening, you know? Never a dull moment."

Bella listened intently, her eyes focused on the road. "Sounds overwhelming."

"It is, but you get used to it. Here, everything feels so quiet."

Bella chuckled. "Yeah, Forks isn't exactly the city that never sleeps."

Lita smiled. "Definitely not."

The conversation shifted to La Push, a place Lita had heard about. "Hey, how do you know about La Push?" Bella inquired, glancing at her with curiosity.

Lita hesitated for a moment, debating how much to reveal. "I, uh, met some guys from there."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Really? Small world. Could it be Jacob?"

Lita chuckled. "Haha, probably." She glanced out the window, lost in her thoughts. "Hey, Bella..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know someone named Paul?" Lita asked, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"I think Jacob's mentioned him a few times, why?"

"No reason..." Lita said, shrugging and returning to gazing out the window, a hidden smile on her face.

Parking the car outside La Push's reservation, the sound of waves hitting the sand played continuously. "At least it's not raining here," Lita remarked, making Bella chuckle.

"Yeah, way better weather over here, at least better than Forks..." Bella trailed off. "C'mon," she said, gesturing her head towards a shed where Lita could hear a loud noise coming from. Bella leaned in the doorway, Lita slowly trailing behind her.

"Hey Jacob," Bella greeted with a smile, giving him a hug. However, Jake pulled back when he noticed Lita standing behind her. His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Lita? Is that you?" he asked, a small smile growing on his face.

"I think so," she replied before he ran forward, throwing himself around her in a hug.

"What are you doing here!?" he said, laughing and releasing her from the hug.

"I'm here for my mom's wedding!"

"Wait, is your mom marrying Charlie?" he asked, slowly putting all the puzzle pieces together.

Lita nodded. "Yep... Bella's my soon-to-be step-sister," Lita said with a smile, looking towards the awkward girl. "Hey, um, where are the other guys?"

"Oh, right! You should come see them. Embry and Quil are hanging at Seth's house."

"Seth?" Lita asked, confused.

"Right, you'll have to meet him."

"Are you gonna come along, Bella?" Lita asked the girl who had been silently listening.

Bella shook her head. "I think I'm gonna go see Edward," Bella said, pointing back to her truck. "Text me if you need a ride," she added, giving Jacob a wave before walking off.

"Her boyfriend's name is Edward?. What is he, an old English man?" Lita said with a laugh but stopped when noticing the look Jacob gave her.

"What? No way, is he actually!?" Lita asked, hurrying to walk beside him in the direction of a house nearby.

Lita walked behind Jacob as they approached a door. Jacob began knocking several times. "Come on losers, open the door!" Jacob yelled, taking a surprised step back when the door opened to reveal an annoyed-looking Quil.

"What—oh my god—Quil!" Embry yelled, looking shocked at Lita's presence. Quil came running to the door, a smaller boy behind him. His eyes widened, and he quickly composed himself, leaning on the door frame.

"Hey...you here for me?"

"No, you dork," Embry said, pushing his arm off the doorframe.

"Yeah, hi, I'm here too," Jacob added.

"Nobody cares, black. Come in, Lita," Quil said, raising his eyebrows at the girl and moving out of the way for her to enter.

The shorter boy stood before Lita, a confused look on his face. "Uh, so... who's this?" he asked his friends.

"Lita," Embry said simply before walking over to the lounge.

"Your Lita? Well, nice to meet you. I'm Seth," the boy said happily, sticking out his hand for her. Quil cheekily pushed it down as he walked past, following Embry, and Jacob rolled his eyes in suit.

Lita shook the boy's hand with a sweet smile, and the pair headed to the lounge. Lita felt comfortable in their presence, the loud chatter and laughter of the boys blurred alongside the video game Seth and Jacob were playing against each other.

But a thought came to Lita's mind. "Where's Paul and Jared?"

The room fell into an uncomfortable hush, tension thickening the air. Lita's innocent question had struck a nerve. Seth exchanged a hesitant glance with Quil, and even Jacob's usually confident demeanor faltered.

After a moment, Seth cleared his throat, attempting to break the awkward silence. "Well, you see, Paul and Jared... they're not around much anymore. They, uh, joined Sam Uley's group."

Lita furrowed her brow, sensing there was more to the story. "Sam Uley's group? What's that?"

Jacob, now visibly uneasy, took a deep breath before responding. "It's not a group, Lita. It's more like a cult, or that's what they say. Sam's got this... power. It changes people, and once you're in, it's like you're not in control anymore."

Seth nodded in agreement, adding, "Yeah, they cut ties with everyone, even us. It's like they're in a different world."

Lita processed this information, her mind racing with questions. "But why would they do that? What's so special about this Sam guy?"

Jacob hesitated, his gaze fixed on some distant point. "It's complicated. Sam's got some supernatural thing going on, and when he changes, everything changes. It's like a pack mentality. You can't resist it."

Quil chimed in, "And once Paul and Jared joined, it was like they were brainwashed. They don't talk to us anymore."

The weight of the revelation settled in the room, and Lita couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and concern. "So, they're still here in La Push?"

Jacob nodded solemnly. "Yeah, but they're not the same guys we used to know. It's like they're different people now."

As the conversation lingered in the heavy atmosphere, Lita couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to discover about Sam Uley and the mysterious changes happening within his "cult."