Forever Moonlight Chapter Six

6. Vanessa

Since Vanessa’s house was really far, I thought it was going to be a long, awkward walk. But it was the total opposite. The whole time we were talking and laughing, as if we have known each other for a long time already. The way she laughed was so adorable. I told her about I built my own car and motorcycle. And she told me about her friends at school and their drama. We talked so much that we ran out of topics, so I improvised. “So…what happened back there with-” “Matt? Ugh, he’s such a pig.” She muttered in disgust. “I met him at the park yesterday and he took me to a restaurant and I had a lot of fun. He was telling me how he was such a sensitive and shy kind of guy. After dinner, he took me to the park near that store back there. We talked for awhile and hung out then, well, I let him…kiss me.” I cringed and so did she. “But it was only because I thought he didn’t have a lot of confidence, so I just wanted to help him out. Suddenly, the jerk gained some kind of confidence today and went overboard. And well, he kind of-” I cringed. “Yeah, I get it.” I said, rudely. “Well, he didn’t do anything- yet. He just made an attempt. He also didn’t do anything because I socked him in the stomach.” I chuckled darkly. She continued with her story. “The worst part was that he planned this and had his friends watch behind some bushes.” I wanted to strangle that repulsive jerk. “How did you find out they were there?” I asked, trying to stay calm. “Because when I punched him, some guy popped out of the bushes and shouted, “Hey! Where’s the action?” “Are you serious?” I said, widening my eyes. “Yes! Anyways, I ran away from him as far as I could. But somehow the freak found me behind that van, and well, you know how it goes from there. I’m just pissed at myself for letting him convince me that he was a nice guy.” I was pissed too, but not at Vanessa, my anger was more focused on Matt. “Vanessa, I’m sorry.” “Jacob, you’re so silly, why are you sorry?” She chuckled quietly. I looked at the ground and my cheeks gained color.

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

Just like I predicted, it started raining. I glanced at Vanessa, she had her arms folded around her body and she was shivering. Kindly, I took of my jacket and wrapped it around her. She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling, and smiled gently. “Thank you, Jacob.” I put my hands in pocket and shrugged. “You could call me Jake…if you want.” She giggled. “Okay…Jake.” I smiled sheepishly. Out of nowhere, a truck drove by and a huge breeze went by us, making both of our hairs fly everywhere. As her hair flew, I noticed Vanessa had a scar, it was a medium-sized scar on the right side of her forehead. “Ugh! Stupid car.” She groaned, taming her hair. Then she saw me look at her scar and quickly pulled her bangs down so that I couldn’t see it. “Oh, sorry.” I apologized, looking away. “It’s okay. But don’t ask me how I got this…” I nodded. I really wanted to know how she got it, but I didn’t want to get personal. We continued walking, but it grew quiet. Then she stopped in front of a yellow house. “Here it is. Thanks again, Jake.” “No problem.” “Bye…” Something inside me didn’t want to let her go. “Will I see you again?” I asked, awkwardly. “I hope so- I can see that you’re really a nice guy.” Her eyes told me she was telling the truth. I smirked. “I can pick you up tomorrow and drive you to school, if you like?” She shrugged and smiled brilliantly. “Sure. Seven-thirty?” “Yeah, see you tomorrow.” “Oh, I forgot. Here’s your jacket.” She mentioned, sliding off one sleeve. I pursed my lips. “You know what? Keep it.” I winked at her. She quickly put her hand through the sleeve again. “Thank you.” Before I could reply, she gave me a quick hug and walked towards her house.

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

I waited for her to go inside the house. She glanced over her shoulder and flashed her beautiful, white teeth. Then I turned around and started walking back home with a satisfying smirk on my face. I could not stop thinking about Vanessa. Just everything about her was fascinating. I felt like I've known her my whole life. I replayed the moment she walked away towards the outdated, yellow house. But as I realized, I never witnessed her entering the house. I was about a block away from her house now, and I suddenly stopped in my tracks and turned, hopeful to see if she was still there. As I concluded, she was gone. But I noticed something glittering on the ground. It was barrette. It was black with red diamonds forming a heart. I figured it was Vanessa’s, so I kept it in my pocket.

On my way back home, I noticed Seth on the beach. He was kicking the sandy rocks around and was whistling. “Seth!” I yelled. He turned around, narrowed his eyes, and smiled. I dashed towards Seth. “Hey, Jake. So what happened with uh…” “Vanessa?” Saying her name was comforting. “Yeah.” “She is unbelievable. She isn’t an ordinary girl. When I talk to her it’s like…I’ve known her my whole entire life.” He raised his eyebrows. “Wow. And you got all of this in one day? You must really like her.” I hesitated. “I do. It’s like I…imprinted on her.” “You’re kidding. You know you can’t imprint twice.” “Right…” “Sorry...” Seth quickly changed the subject. “What did you guys talk about?” Seth probably regretted asking me that because I went on and on and on about what we talked about. Most of it was usual stuff like favorite color, favorite food, and favorite movie. The only thing I didn’t tell him about was what happened between Vanessa and Matt. I just told Seth that I saw her crying and that I went up to her and comforted her. “Man, that is weird.” He shook his head in disbelief. “What are the chances you get the girl that you were stalking just a day ago?” Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

I punched him in the arm. “Shut up! I wasn’t stalking her! I just heard motorcycles and I wanted to see them.” He shrugged. “Then again it is Forks. Talk about small world.” I rolled my eyes. “Why are you out here, anyways?” He slipped his hands into his pockets. “I don’t know. Just thinking.” “About what?” He looked at me and shrugged. He didn’t answer. It was obvious that he was keeping something from me. “Seth,” I complained, “C’mon. Tell me.” “It’s nothing, I swear.” Before I could reply, he changed the subject. “Hey, you should go see Embry. He seems pretty down.” “Why?” “You should ask him.” I knew he was just trying to get rid of me so I wouldn’t bother him. “Fine. See you later.” I said, walking towards Embry’s house. “Later.” When I looked back, he was gone.

I arrived at Embry’s driveway and found Embry lying in his multi-colored hammock. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He looked so lonely and bored. I walked up the patio steps. “What’s up, Embry?” “Hey…” said Embry, sounding depressed. He sat up, slouching. “What’s with you?” I bunched my eyebrows together. I leaned against the wall near the front door. “I heard about you and that girl from the park.” He said, dully.

Wow. News travels fast around here, I thought, bitterly. “Oh?” “How is it that almost everyone I know, already imprinted on someone?” He looked at me as though he was embarrassed. “I know this kind of corny but…is there anyone out there for me? I mean, you met that girl today and had a connection and you have-” He bit his lip.

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

Ignoring the last part, I walked up to Embry and patted his shoulder. “Of course there’s somebody out there for you. That’s how exactly how I felt before. Maybe you should come out of your house more often and go out.” “I feel so stupid, worrying about this. At least I know I’m not the only one with this on my mind.” “What do you mean?” “Seth’s got the case of the loneliness too.” So that’s what he’s hiding. “Eventually, you guys will find someone that you’ll spend your whole life with.” I assured him. “Thanks, Jake.” Suddenly, a smile spread across Embry’s face. “So…is she hot?” I knew what he meant and my face warmed up . “What do you mean?” I lied. “That girl from the park. Is she hot?” He repeated, raising an eyebrow. I hesitated. “Uh…she’s…uh…yes.” Then I blurted, “She’s beautiful.” Embry laughed out loud and asked what she looked like. I told him every detail, like how her hair was long, soft, and wavy. And how her deep, chocolate brown irises twinkled when she laughed. “Wow, she is hot. She’s like a goddess.” He teased, making a curvy body in the air with his hands. “Shut up!” I punched his arm and narrowed my eyes as he rolled his. “Ow! I was joking!” I rolled my eyes at him and then both us started laughing. I looked at Embry and smirked. “You know what? We’re going out this Saturday.” “Why?” “We’re going to try to get you a girl.” He shrugged. “What are you going to do? Put me in a crowd of girls and see which one catches my eye?” “Sure. If that’s what you want.” I laughed. “Alright, I’m in.” He said, grinning widely.

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

The next day I woke up at five-thirty because I had a difficult time sleeping all night. And when I did get some sleep, my dreams would be mixed. I would dream about Vanessa and some other person I couldn’t completely remember. I constantly woke up every ten minutes because I was frustrated. It was a girl but I couldn’t figure who she was. I really wanted to know who this other person was, but at the same time, I wanted her out of my dreams. My Rabbit was back from the shop and I was excited to see Vanessa again. Yesterday, I cleaned out my whole entire car- inside and outside. I placed the barrette in the cup holder, so I wouldn’t forget about it. When I got to the yellow house, Vanessa was already there on the porch steps with an umbrella shielding herself from the light rain. She wore her beautiful smile as I walked up to the steps. She patted the ground next to her, indicating me to sit with her. She had her hair down today, it was long, soft, and wavy. She also didn’t wear make-up today. I observed her outfit, she was wearing a blue plaid skirt and a light blue long sleeve shirt. “Good morning.” She sang. I grinned widely. “Good morning to you, too.” I winked at her. She laughed softly. “Off to school?” I asked. “Sure.” She said with her bright, beautiful voice. When I pulled up onto the parking lot of Forks High, I had the chills. The last time I was here I got kicked off the campus. As Vanessa unbuckled her seatbelt, I remembered the barrette. “Hey, before you go, I found this barrette on the ground yesterday.” I said, holding up the barrette. “And I was wondering if it was yours?” “Oh yeah, it is.” She chuckled, as she took it out of my hand. “It’s not what I usually wearI mean, a designer barrette- but it’s my aunt and I was just trying it out. Thank god you found it, or else I would’ve been in dead and thank you for returning it.” She looked out the window and waved at the two girls that were at the park yesterday. They smiled for a moment, but then when they saw me, they narrowed their eyes. “No problem.” She reached for the handle door. Now! Ask her now, my conscience said. “Are you busy this Friday?” I asked. “Oh, uh...well...” My shoulders slumped. “Well, it's okay maybe another time.” Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

“I didn’t say no, Jake.” She pointed out, her tone playful. “On Friday, I usually hang out with my girlfriends after school…but I guess I can cancel for a day.” She said. “Great!” I said, a bit too loud and enthusiastic. I cleared my throat. “I mean…cool.” She giggled. “Well, I got to go. Thanks for the ride.” She gave me a friendly hug, causing my heart to beat rapidly. She opened the door and stepped out. Before she could close the door, I stopped it by grabbing the door handle. “Wait!” She turned around. “Yes?” She replied, raising an eyebrow. “Uh…can I give you a ride home after school?” I offered nervously, running my fingers through my hair. She smiled. “Sure. That’s really nice of you, Jake.” She added. “Meet me at the parking lot at three, okay?” I nodded my head and closed the door for her. As I backed out of the parking space, I saw her wave to me so I waved back. I watched her two friends crowd her and jump up and down. I drove home with a satisfying smirk on my face. Coming up my driveway, I notice Seth on my doorsteps. He was tracing something on the cement with his finger. When he heard my door shut, his head shot up. “Jake!” I locked the car door. “Yeah?” I replied, still smiling. “Sam needs us now.” That wiped the grin off my face. “Why doesn’t he call the others? We’re not a part of his pack anymore.” “I don’t know. But he just called me an hour ago and asked me to come to his house with you and Leah.” “Well, where’s Leah?” I turned my head around, searching for her. “She didn’t want to wait for you, so she left first.” I rolled my eyes. “Of course.”

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

“Let’s go.” We phased and ran to Sam’s house. We took a shortcut through the forest. We were running faster than usual. A wall of green blurred from the corner of my eye. On the way, I thought about Vanessa.

Do you think it’s going to take long, I asked. I don’t know, why? Just wondering. Oh really? Are you sure it doesn’t have anything to do with you picking up Vanessa after school, Seth snickered. You heard me, huh? Pretty much. So when do you have to pick her up? At three. I’m sure it won’t be that long. It’s still morning, he assured me.

When we got to Sam’s house, we went around the back. Sam and the others had phased also and they were all sitting in a circle. Leah was lying down in the shade in the corner of yard. Paul glanced at me then looked away

Finally! You guys are slow, Leah complained. It’s your fault for leaving early, Seth snapped. Stop bickering, Sam commanded. The others chuckled. What’s going on, I demanded.

Embry and Quil found a footprint and they think it’s a vampire’s, Sam said. I froze for a second.

How can you tell, I asked. Their scent was still there, Paul said, suddenly serious. He sat across from me. I eyed him and he glared at me back, before abruptly looking away.

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

Can you tell how long it’s been since they’ve been here, Seth asked. It’s been awhile. The scent wasn’t as strong, Embry explained. We’ve searched everywhere for the vampires, but we haven’t found any of them yet, Quil said.

So…we asked one of those vampires. You know, theSeth nudged Embry’s shoulder and shot him a look. I already knew what Embry was going to say, but it was nice that Seth stopped him.

Then what happened, I asked. They said they haven’t been near the treaty line at all, Embry said. Ex-treaty line, Leah interrupted. Whatever, Embry growled. Anyways, they suspected a group of vampires called the Volturi. Yeah, they’ve been here before. Maybe it’s from their last visit, Seth said. Three years ago. The scent wouldn’t even be there, Leah interrupted again. Leah, shut up, Seth snapped. Leah growled at him. “Time for lunch, boys!” Emily called. Leah shot Emily a look. “And girl.” Seth and I snickered. I ran into the shade, phased back, and quickly pulled my shorts on. Then I came back out and said, “Lunch already?” “Yup. These boys eat four times a day. But I don’t mind. It keeps me busy.” Emily chirped. Everyone else changed back into a human, except Leah. She went home, because according to her, she “didn’t like hanging around with a bunch losers”- but of course she only meant us guys, not Emily. We went into the dining room and everybody took a seat. Sam and Emily ate in the kitchen. On the table, there were two big plates of steak, two large bowls of seasoned French fries, and one huge bowl of salad. All of them ate a large amount of food, but Paul and Embry ate the fastest. Seth and Quil were the slowest. I didn’t eat as much as them. I ate as much as a normal Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

person would eat. It was uncomfortable, being in the same room with Paul. Once in awhile, Paul would glance at me and then I would glare at Paul, when he wasn’t looking. When everyone finished, Embry and Sam took care of the plates and Paul drove Quil home. I waited in the backyard for Seth. He was talking to Emily inside the house. I thought about how Paul kept looking at me earlier. I wondered what he was thinking. Sometimes, I had a feeling that he felt guilty, but from the look in his eyes, it only aggravation. “You okay?” It was Embry’s voice. “Yeah, why?” I said, coolly. He shrugged. “I noticed you didn’t eat much.” “I guess I’m not hungry.” “And I noticed you kept looking at Paul.” I shrugged. Everyone in Sam’s pack didn’t know about the incident between Paul and I had in the forest. “Is there something you want to talk about?” “No, no. I’m cool. I just need to go somewhere right now and I’m waiting for Seth.” I peered through the glass door and looked at the clock. It was two-fifteen. “Oh yeah, he said to go on without him. He’s going to be staying here for awhile.” “Okay.” As I dashed out of the yard, I heard Embry saying something, but it faded as I got farther away from him. I didn’t bother to phase. I just sprinted through the forest. It was two-thirty five when I arrived home. I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out my car keys. I quickly opened the car door and got inside with a grin on my face. I started the car and backed out the driveway. Then I pressed on the gas and I sped down the highway that led to Forks.

Two-fifty five. I sighed, feeling relieved. Five more minutes until Vanessa, the girl of my dreams, would walk out of that school gate and into my car. The thought of her hanging out with me this Friday made me feel so happy and cheerful inside.

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Brrrrrriiiiing! “Vanessa.” I smiled to myself. Eagerly, I searched for her in the throng of students that poured out of the school. I searched for her brown, luscious, wavy hair. And for her beautiful, flawless, heart-shaped face. Slowly, the crowd began getting smaller and I found Vanessa- with Matt. I clutched my wheel so hard, I thought I heard a snap. A low snarl came out of me. Matt was walking beside her and was holding her wrist. Her hand was curled up into a fist. She didn’t look angry or happy, her expression stayed calm and composed. I rolled down the window so I could hear what they were saying- ever since I saw Vanessa, this spying thing was becoming more frequent than usual. Matt leaned against the hood of a convertible and pulled Vanessa closer to him, but thankfully, she wouldn’t budge. “What do you say?” He asked, holding her hands now. “Give me another chance?” She hesitated. She dropped her head, then lifted her head up again. “No.” She said firmly, slipping her hands out of his grasp. He chuckled, disbelieving her answer. “There’s someone else isn’t there.” He guessed, sounding disgusted. That was my cue. I drove up to them and parked in the space right next to his car, just inches away from his car. “Hey! What’s your problem, jerk? You could’ve trashed my car!” I muscle twitched in my mouth. I stepped out of the car and stood in front of Matt. As I narrowed my eyes, he widened his. I ignored him and gave Vanessa a friendly smile. “Sorry, I’m late.” Her face brightened and she smiled warmly at me. “It’s fine. I was just having a conversation with Matt.” She turned around and shot him a look. So did I. “This is him? You’d rather take that freak instead of me?” Matt grimaced. “I have to say-” “No, you don’t. You don’t have to say anything.” She touched my arm and whispered, “Can we please go?” Usually, her touch would send some kind of spark in my body, but all I could think about was protecting Vanessa. My eyes were still focused on Matt’s. “Yeah. Okay.” I backed away a few steps, my eyes still on Matt, then I turned around and headed towards the car. “She won’t be yours for long.” He hissed. Clenching my teeth, I shut the door and reversed quickly, screeching and leaving skid marks on the road.

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

Vanessa exhaled, dropped her head, and shook her head. I wanted to hold her in my arms and comfort her so badly. “Is there something wrong?” She scoffed and raised her head. Then she rested her elbow on the side of the door and rubbed her right temple. “Mmm-hmm.” She dropped her hand into her lap and looked at me with sincere eyes. Again, I wanted to hold her hand or something and reassure her, but that would be out of line. “Can I ask you something?” “Yeah, anything.” I chirped, keeping my eyes on the road. She pressed her lips together. “Do I seem easy to you?” I turned my head to face her and my eyes widened. I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed that she thought of herself that way. “Absolutely not. Why would you think that about yourself?” “Because Matt only liked me because he thought I was easy. He told me I was just being weird and that we should try again sometime.” She shook her head. I did the same. “Do you believe everything he says?” I asked, puckering my forehead. “No…well, sometimes.” She said, guiltily. I stiffened for a second. “Why would you? Because he told you stuff you wanted to hear? You shouldn’t let those kind of guys get to you.” I said, my voice serious and irritated. Idiot.

Mind as well phase and scare her off. She saw the disappointed expression on my face. “Whatever. Just let it go.” And I did, for Vanessa’s sake. I took a deep breath as we drove into her neighborhood. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and she was staring out the window. To my own surprise, I took her hand and held it tightly. She turned her head around and glanced at our hands then at me. I stopped the car in the middle of the street. “I’m sorry, Vanessa. I shouldn’t have said anything. It wasn’t even my business.” “It’s alright, Jacob. You were just looking out for me.” She said, slowly. She was still a bit stunned from my sudden action. Clearly, she felt awkward, so I loosened my hand and pulled it back. I saw her house two blocks away. I began driving again and she smiled at me. “Thank you, Jake. For helping me get my head on straight.”

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso

I chuckled softly. “Anytime.” I winked at her. I drove up the yellow house’s driveway and shifted into park mode. She gathered her stuff and gave me a hug. Her embrace always gave me a warm feeling inside. “Bye, Jake.” She stepped out of the car and right when she was about to close the door, I stopped it with my hand. “Vanessa.” “Yes?” She responded, sweetly. “Is it okay if this becomes…a regular thing? Like me dropping you off and picking you up…” I said awkwardly, my voice fading as I notice her eyes widened. It was silent for a second before she smiled beautifully and answered, “I’d like that.”

Twilight Inspired Written By: Alyssa Nguyen+Lorena Jasso