Hands on Me (A Twilight Fanfiction written by IndependentIndividuality)

Chapter Twelve: In Which There are Lemons. No, Not That Kind.

HEEELLLLOOOO I DONT own da story.

Chapter Twelve: In Which There are Lemons. No, Not That Kind.

i really wish it was only me and you

i'm jealous of everybody in the room

- blink-182, first date

-

"Remind me again," Jacob told me as he got out of the car, parked directly under the blue and white sign and threw an arm over my shoulder as we began to head inside. "Why, of all the places to shop in California, you decide you want to go here?"

"Because I've never been before," I told him for the second time in as many minutes. I looked around eagerly as we made our way through the parking lot and a middle-aged woman loading a gaggle of children into a minivan shot me a scandalous look when she spotted my bare feet. "I asked Alice to take me once when we were in Port Angeles, but she said no."

"But I still don't understand what's so special about it," he continued, and I was beginning to think he was simply being dense on principle.

"Because it's normal, Jake," I said exasperatedly, still surveying my surroundings like a kid in a candy store. "I've been to high-class boutiques and high-end shopping malls, but I've never been anywhere so normal like this – it's where normal people go."

Jake rolled his eyes, but finally stopped questioning me. We followed the crowd through the electric doors and into Wal-Mart.

I kind of just stood there for a second, looking around, and Jacob had to pull me out of the way so people could continue to come in, since I was blocking the door.

"Oh, cool, Jake, look!" I told him, pointing to the long row of about thirty cash registers lining down the rest of the store to our left. Every single one of them was full of people.

I had never been surrounded by so many people in my life. My throat tickled a little unpleasantly, but nothing to worry about. I'd hunted recently and had too firm a grip on right and wrong to ever give in to that urge. My memory flashed and I suddenly understood the look that passed between Grandpa Carlisle and my parents that day in the living room.

"Yeah, cash registers, Ness. Big whoop," Jake said, but he was trying to keep from smiling.

"I know what they are, stupid, but look how many!" I said, shrugging out from under his heavy arm and taking his hand instead so I could pull him along in the direction I wanted. "And do you know, that they have everything here, in one place? Like clothes and food and furniture and electronics and house appliances and plants and everything all together! You don't even have to go anywhere else! How cool is that?"

Jacob laughed, but submitted easily enough to my tugging as I dragged him to the closest section, which happened to be produce.

"Have you seriously never been to a Wal-Mart before?" He asked. "How is that possible?"

"Alice never let me. She said it was too low class – and besides," I told him as I dragged him through the aisles of produce, studying everything. "You're always with me, you know where I've been and where I haven't."

"I guess you're right," Jake said a second later, after he'd had time to think about it. "I just automatically assumed that everyone's been to a Wal-Mart before . . . more than they'd ever want, really . . ."

"What d'you mean, more than they'd ever want?" I asked incredulously. "How could anybody ever get tired of this place?"

"Because they're here all the time, Ness, and it's crowded. You're just excited because it's new to you. On a similar note, are you planning on wearing that lemon?"