Saturday, June 11, 2005
(Mike)
When I pulled up in front of Charlie Swan's house, Leah sat in the passenger seat, one knee pulled up slightly, fingers drumming against the door in a restless rhythm that told me she was alert but not tense. Calm, but watching. She always got like that around Forks, not nervous, exactly, just… aware.
Charlie's cruiser wasn't in the driveway.
"Guess Charlie is at work," I said, easing the car to a stop.
Bella's front door opened almost immediately, like she'd been waiting right behind it. She stepped out with that familiar awkward half-hesitation, half-determination, wearing a light jacket and clutching her bag a little too tightly.
I got out to open the back door for her before she could trip over her own feet trying to do it herself.
"Hey," I said, smiling. "Ready?"
"Yeah," she replied quickly, then glanced past me, straight at Leah.
And there it was.
That tiny hitch. The half-second where Bella froze before remembering how to breathe.
It had been months since they'd last seen each other. Back when we went as a group to La Push, back before everything changed.
Leah turned fully in her seat, already smiling, warm and easy like she always was when she chose to be.
"Hey, Bella," she said. "It's been a while."
Bella blinked, then smiled back, a little stiff but genuine. "Yeah. Hi, Leah. You, um… you look good with short hair."
Leah laughed softly and touched her shoulder-length hair. "I had no choice but to cut it after I phased, it gets uncomfortable having such long hair in wolf form. Can't say I miss the long hair."
Bella looked surprised, I hadn't told her about Leah also being a wolf, so it came as a surprise to her. "Uh, oh, I didn't know you were a wolf as well… it must be nice." There was a hint of envy in her voice.
Leah seemed to notice but didn't point it out, "well, it has its pros and cons, and I see Forks still hasn't convinced you to move away yet."
Bella slid into the backseat, carefully buckling in like the seat might attack her if she didn't do it just right. "It keeps trying."
I closed the door and got back behind the wheel, starting the engine before the silence could stretch any further.
As I pulled away from the curb, I caught Bella's reflection in the rearview mirror. She sat very straight, hands folded in her lap, eyes flicking between Leah and the window like she was afraid of staring too long at either.
Awkward didn't even begin to cover it.
"So," I said, mostly to break the tension. "Port Angeles sound good?"
"Yes," Bella said immediately.
Leah nodded. "Movies, right?"
"Yeah," Bella replied, then added quickly, "If that's okay. I mean, if you're in the mood for that."
Leah glanced at me, one eyebrow lifting just a fraction, then looked back at Bella. "I'm good with it. It beats staying at home doing nothing."
Bella let out a small, nervous laugh. "Yeah."
The road stretched out ahead of us, trees blurring past as Forks slowly gave way to something brighter, drier. I focused on driving, but I could feel it, the weird, delicate balance forming in the car.
Bella stealing glances at Leah when she thought neither of us noticed.
Leah pretending not to notice while noticing everything.
And me, right in the middle, wondering when exactly things had gotten so complicated without me realizing it.
Still… no one was uncomfortable enough to ask to go home.
Which I figured counted as a win.
I pressed the gas a little more, the town fading behind us as Port Angeles waited ahead, and whatever this afternoon was about to turn into.
…
Port Angeles was already buzzing when we pulled into the parking lot.
Weekend crowd. Neon lights reflecting off windshields, people clustering near the entrance, laughter and voices mixing with the hum of traffic. I killed the engine and stepped out, stretching a little as the ocean air hit me.
Bella climbed out of the backseat a second later, glancing around like she was bracing herself for something. Leah, meanwhile, shut her door and immediately looked at ease, hands in her jacket pockets, eyes scanning the street with quiet confidence.
Yeah. That contrast wasn't subtle.
We headed inside together, the smell of popcorn hitting us the moment the doors opened. The lobby was bright and loud, movie posters plastered everywhere, lines snaking toward the ticket counters.
Bella hovered a little closer to me, not quite hiding it. Leah noticed, and instead of reacting badly, she just smiled faintly, unbothered.
That helped. A lot.
I scanned the listings above the counters, already narrowing things down in my head. Honestly, I'd seen most of them before. Perks of having lived once already.
I pointed up at the board. "Alright, I'll narrow it down so we don't stand here all night."
Leah arched an eyebrow, amused. Bella looked relieved.
"Option one," I continued, nodding at one side of the board, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Action, explosions, married people trying to kill each other. Very healthy relationship dynamics."
Bella snorted before she could stop herself.
"And option two," I said, pointing the other way, "The Longest Yard. Comedy, prison, and football."
Leah tilted her head thoughtfully. "Those are… very different vibes."
"Yep." I spread my hands. "Action or comedy. You girls pick."
Then I smirked. "Though, full disclosure, my bet's on Adam Sandler. He hasn't disappointed me thus far."
Bella glanced at Leah, clearly unsure if she should answer first.
Leah noticed, and deliberately stepped back half a pace, giving Bella the opening. "You invited us," she said easily. "You decide first."
Bella hesitated, then smiled, small but genuine. "Uh… comedy sounds nice."
Leah nodded. "Yeah. I could go for something dumb and fun."
I grinned. "Democracy wins."
I turned toward the ticket counter. "Alright then. The Longest Yard it is."
As I stepped forward to buy the tickets, I couldn't help noticing the tension ease just a little behind me.
Good start.
…
Tickets secured, we drifted toward the concession stand, which was somehow even louder than the lobby. The smell of sugar, butter, and salt hit me like a wall.
Leah didn't even hesitate.
"I want giant caramel," she said, already pointing.
"Four," I added immediately.
The teenager behind the counter blinked. "Uh… four giant buckets?"
"Yes," Leah and I said in perfect unison.
Bella stared at us like we'd just announced plans to eat the building.
While Leah and I waited for our sugar mountain, Bella stepped forward and ordered a medium butter popcorn and a small Coke. She hesitated for half a second, then nodded like she'd committed to a life-altering decision.
I leaned over as she paid. "Good choice on the Coke."
She blinked. "Really?"
"Absolutely," I said seriously. "Objectively superior soda."
Leah, balancing one of the massive caramel buckets against her hip and holding a Pepsi in her other hand, rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."
I grinned. "You say that, but you're still drinking Pepsi."
She opened her mouth, paused, then huffed. "I'm choosing peace today."
We each took our popcorn, Leah and I with one giant caramel popcorn on each arm, soda held awkwardly, and started toward our auditorium. The hallway dimmed as we moved away from the main lobby, the noise fading until it was just us and the muffled sound of movies playing through walls.
Once we were far enough that no one else was hovering nearby, Bella finally spoke up.
"Um," she said, glancing between our buckets and then back at her own popcorn. "Are you… actually going to finish all that?"
Leah smirked. "Perks of being a starving wolf."
I nodded solemnly. "It's basically a biological necessity."
"And," Leah added, popping a handful into her mouth, "you don't have to worry about getting fat."
Bella's eyes widened just a little.
"…Lucky," she muttered, staring down at her popcorn like it had personally betrayed her.
Leah's smirk softened into something warmer. "Trust me," she said, bumping Bella lightly with her elbow, "we pay for it in other ways, it's difficult to reach the end of the month when almost all your budget goes into food."
Bella winced, "I see how that might be a problem."
I glanced at them as we reached the auditorium doors, something in my chest easing.
Yeah.
This might actually work.
…
(Bella)
We found our seats a few rows in, close enough to the screen that I'd probably regret it later, but far enough from the front to avoid craning my neck the whole time.
I slid in first, then Mike took the seat to my left while Leah claimed the next one. The armrests barely stood a chance between us.
What did steal my attention, though, was the popcorn situation.
Mike and Leah both had those absurdly large buckets, and for a moment it looked like they were going to lose the battle before the movie even started. Mike frowned at the armrests like he was solving a puzzle, then, clearly drawing from experience, went into action.
He set his soda neatly into the cupholder, wedged one bucket securely between his knees, and cradled the other against his chest like it belonged there.
Leah stared at him for a second.
Then she copied him almost exactly.
I couldn't help it, I laughed softly.
They looked… ridiculously in sync. Like they'd done this a hundred times before. Comfortable. Effortless. Cute.
The thought made something twist in my chest, but I pushed it down immediately.
Mike glanced over at me. "You good there, Bella?"
For no reason at all, my stomach fluttered, but I chose to ignore it.
"Yeah," I said quickly, smiling. "I'm good."
The lights dimmed before I could overthink it, and the screen flickered to life. Conversation faded, the previews rolled, and the theater settled into that shared quiet that always felt a little unreal to me, dozens of strangers breathing in sync for a couple of hours.
I tried to focus.
I really did.
Then a particularly funny scene hit and Mike reacted instantly.
He lit up like a kid, laughter bursting out of him, loud, genuine, completely unrestrained. It echoed just enough that heads turned in our direction.
My instinct kicked in before I could stop it. I shrank back slightly, shoulders tucking in, wishing I could disappear into my seat.
Leah, on the other hand, did the opposite.
"What are you all looking at?" she snapped loudly, turning her head toward the rows behind us. "Never seen someone laugh before?"
A few people looked away, embarrassed. Someone cleared their throat. The tension faded as quickly as it had appeared.
Mike turned toward Leah and, without a word, reached for her hand.
She squeezed back.
Just like that, she relaxed, leaning into him again like nothing had happened.
I watched their fingers intertwined for half a second too long before forcing my eyes back to the screen.
They fit.
That was the thought I couldn't seem to shake.
They really, really fit.
I swallowed, adjusted in my seat, and told myself, again, that everything was fine even though I couldn't stop feeling like a third wheel.
…
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