The Imprint or the Blood Singer

Chapter 3

Quil passed the soccer ball to Embry. Maisie and the guys were kicking a ball down the beach. Jacob kicked the ball a little too far for anyone to reach so they all chased after it. The ball stopped at the edge where the parking lot met the beach. A small van was there and Maisie was pretty sure she recognized it as Tyler's.

She made her way to where the van was and saw her lunch buddies. She smiled a little as they all waved. The boys were happy to see her opening up to someone other than them.

"Hi, Maisie," they all greeted.

"Hi, guys. Um, this is my brother Jacob and our friends. Embry, Quil, and Seth."

"What are you stalking me now?" Bella joked with Jacob.

Jacob smiled, remembering running into her on accident a few days ago. "You're on our turf now baby. La Push is Quileute land."

"You guys should stay and keep Bella company," Jess said, zipping up her wetsuit. "Her date bailed."

"It wasn't a date. I was just trying to be nice."

"Date?" Maisie asked intrigued. Bella hadn't mentioned any boys.

"She invited Edward Cullen. He seems to love talking to her," Jess filled her in.

"I think it's nice she invited him. No one ever does," Angela spoke up.

"Yeah, it's cause the Cullens are freaks," Mike said.

"You got that right," Quil chimed in.

Everyone laughed and maybe a few weeks ago she would've too. But something made Maisie feel bad at Mike's words.

"I was just trying to be nice."

"I'm sure you were, Bells." Maisie gave her friend a reassuring smile.

"Wouldn't have made a difference," Embry said, they knew he was about to say the famous saying.

"The Cullens don't come here."

Maisie walking with Jacob and Bella on the beach. She had gotten bored of the van but didn't want to surf either so they offered to walk with her. Seth, Embry, and Quil had headed back home. Bella was sandwiched in between the two Black siblings.

"What did your friend mean about the Cullens don't come here?" Bella asked.

"It's nothing. Just an old superstition," Jacob started.

Jacob didn't really listen to the older legends. He always brushed over them anytime their dad told them anything. Bella seemed to hang onto his every word like she was searching for truth in them. While Maisie loved the tribe legends, she heard them so many times that Jacob's retelling wasn't very interesting. She only rejoined the conversation when Bella asked if the girl would go prom dress shopping with her. She didn't want to suffer at the hands of Jessica and Angela on a shopping craze alone.

Maisie sat on the bench in the window with Bella. Bella was holding onto Jessica's pile of potential dresses while she was holding onto Angela's. They were about to hand Jessica and Angela a new set of dresses when a bunch of older boys knocked on the window. They catcalled and made rude gestures. Maisie recoiled as they laughed.

"Boys are actually the worst," Jessica said annoyed. "I'm not sold on this yet. I'm gonna keep looking."

"Hey, do you guys mind if I catch you at the restaurant? There's a bookstore I wanted to check out while we were here and it's gonna close soon." Bella picked awkwardly at her shirt sleeve.