Circus ▷ Jacob Black

ONE

─────────

ONE; FIRST MEETING

     IMOGEN KNEW HER strengths and she knew her weaknesses. Meeting new people was definitely a weakness, for embarrassing herself was high on the list of possibilities she could perform. However, Imogen knew her strength was to be a social butterfly. She was always afraid of being left alone, and therefore, to challenge that fear, she decided that she would make as many friends as possible.

One of those friends was Angela, who she immediately dialed after her phone conversation with Bella. She carried the phone into her room, making up some random excuse to her parents that she needed to speak with Angela about homework.

"I've never even heard of Jacob Black, but apparently, I'm meeting him tomorrow," Imogen said breathlessly, collapsing on her bed. "It's odd, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Angela responded warily. "Maybe she just wants to hang out."

"At a total stranger's house? I can think of a million other ways to hang out with her."

"It's progress, Im. Bella wants to start being herself again, and you're the first friend she's reached out to."

There was a yell down the hallway. "Imogen! I need the number of Chief Swan so I can check with him about you and Bella hanging out tomorrow!" Her mother called.

"I'll talk to you later, Ang. I'll update you when I get back," she mumbled. She clicked the red button on the home phone and skipped back to the kitchen.

She wrote down Bella's home phone number on a piece of paper before passing it to her mother. "There you go. I don't understand why you need it. Most parents of teenagers just tell them to go out and have fun."

Her father chuckled from his spot on the couch. "You're not most teenagers, Imogen. Ivy barely went out during her high school years and look at where she is now."

Imogen rolled her eyes at the mention of her sister. She couldn't remember a day when there wasn't constant praise coming from both of her parents' mouths. Her eyes darted down to the kitchen island as she spoke glumly.

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about with Bella. We'll be fine."

Boy, was she wrong. When Bella swung by to pick Imogen up the next morning, the Vietnamese girl didn't realize that there would be two motorcycles thrown in the back of Bella's old truck. She immediately climbed into the passenger seat in fear that her parents would see what Bella was hiding. They had deep feelings about the use of motorcycles and if they caught Imogen on one of them, she would never hear the end of it.

Bella pulled out of the driveway and made her way down to La Push. Imogen tried to start the conversation.

"So, who is Jacob? I don't think I've ever heard you mention him before."

"An old family friend."

Imogen glanced back again. Bella could tell the girl was becoming uneasy. Imogen liked to avoid anything that would get her into complicated situations with her parents. She played the role of the good daughter who diverted from danger at all costs.