Mimic | Jacob Black

7. Dangerous Reunion

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Bella and Edward still got so many stares when they walked into school together. Some looked on with jealousy, others astonishment. River could tell Mike still wasn't particularly happy about it. He didn't know why the guy wouldn't just move on, she clearly wasn't interested in him even before Edward.

Later that afternoon, River and Bella walked into the diner, passing Mike and several of his basketball teammates.

"Hey Arizona. So... You and Cullen," he said, no hint of amusement in his usually joking voice.

Bella shrugged, but couldn't fully hide the smile on her face as she opened the door and went inside. Charlie and Julie were at the same booth down the back.

"Sorry we're late. Biology project," River said as they sat down.

"Ordered you the seafood combo," Charlie said.

"Should have gotten that for yourself," Bella joked. "You should cut back on the steak."

"Hey, I'm as healthy as a horse," Charlie defended himself.

"I ordered you the usual, River," Julie said.

"Thanks Mum," River said.

The waitress came over and hunched down slightly, a concerned look on her face. "Say Chief, the boys want to know if you found anything down by Queets river today?"

Some guys from a nearby booth were clearly listening in, and Charlie looked from them back to the waitress. "Yeah, we found a bare human footprint. But it looks like whoever it is, is headed east, so the Kitsap County Sheriff is gonna take over from here."

"Okay," the waitress said. "I just hope they catch 'em fast."

River and Bella looked at each other with concern as the waitress walked off. Knowing that it was vampires made everything a whole lot scarier.

"Looks like your friends are flagging you," Charlie said. River and Bella looked out the window to see Mike and his guys horsing around, straws in their noses, making faces at them.

"It's okay if you two want to join them. Charlie was going to turn in early today, anyway," Julie offered.

"Yeah, me too," Bella said.

"Me three," River added.

"Come on, kids. It's a Friday night. Go out. The Newton boy's got a big smile for you Bella. Nice family, the Newtons," Charlie said.

River stifled a laugh while Bella said, "He's just a friend."

"None of the boys in town interest you?"

"We're not really gonna talk about boys, are we?" Bella asked, clearly not wanting her father to have this conversation.

"Well, what about you, River? Any girls caught your eye?" Julie asked.

"Nope."

Charlie sighed. "I get that you two have been close for what, nearly nine years? But you only seem to spend time with each other, you should be around other people."

River frowned at that. They were around new people. They had made other friends at school. Or did Charlie specifically mean for them to stop hanging out with each other so much? Why? He didn't see the point in that.

"Really guys, I'm fine. We're fine," Bella said. River nodded in agreement.

"Couldn't be better."

Charlie's words did linger in River's mind after that, though. All the way home, and when it got dark. River walked into Bella's room later that night. "Hey, Bells?"