Moonrise | Paul Lahote

14

"Jenna! Jenny! Yo, Jen!"

Jenna rolled down her window. "What??" she hollered.

"Is Jake home??" Quil yelled from his driveway, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"How the hell would I know??"

"Fair point." He tapped his chin. "Are you headed there now? Can you give us a ride?"

"How about... no?"

"Pleaaaase?" Embry clasped his hands dramatically, widening his eyes in a way that reminded her of Paul.

That was enough to make her cave. "Fine, fine," she sighed. "Get in."

The two boys jumped up and down in celebration before dashing off the sidewalk towards her truck. Embry climbed into the passenger seat while Quil threw himself into the back, lying down to face the midday sky.

"So, what do you guys need Jake for?" Jenna asked as she started the car.

"It's a secret."

"I'll kick you out right here."

"Okay, fine! We are... crashing his date!" Embry revealed with a grin.

Jenna gasped in delight. "He has a date??"

"Yup. He had her over yesterday, too. They looked real friendly."

"Oooh, who is she?"

"You know her. She's your friend– Bella Swan."

Jenna slammed on the brakes.

Quil screeched loudly and Embry nearly ate the dashboard. "Jesus Christ!"

"D-did you say Bella Swan?" Jenna spluttered, eyes wide.

"Yeah?" Embry sounded confused, and also a little terrified as he clutched his chest, where a bruise was no doubt forming.

Jenna sat back, looking sheepish. "Sorry. That was... surprising. SORRY, QUIL!"

"S'OK!" Quil croaked, but judging by the way he held his head, that was a lie.

Jenna tried to focus on the road again, but Embry's words swirled in her brain. "Are you sure? That it was her," she bit out eventually.

"That's what she told us," he replied warily.

"What were they doing?"

He shrugged. "Building stuff in the shed. She was sitting in the rabbit– you know he doesn't let just anybody do that."

"He almost killed me last time," Jenna muttered.

"Me too," Embry lamented. "They were just talking, I think. But he was all giggly and shit, and he kept trying to get her attention."

"Of course. He's had a crush on her forever," she said without thinking.

"Really??" Embry said gleefully.

Jenna nodded. "But– how was she acting? Was she, like, smiling?"

"I mean, yeah? She looked pretty into him too."

Jenna almost stopped the car again. "Oh my god. That's..."

"Crazy, right?" Embry agreed. "How can anyone be into that ugly face?"

Jenna chuckled, but her mind was far away. She had the sudden urge to get home as fast as she could to see for her own eyes.

And so that's what she did. Not three minutes later, she was pulling up in her own driveway. A bright red truck sat a little ways down the road, a sight that made her heart beat faster.