1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

26

Bambi pulls off her shirt and turns to Jacob who digs in a draw from a shirt for her to sleep in.

"Maybe you should just give me a draw" she teases. He chuckles and stands turning to her, noting her lack of clothing he sighs.
"You have to stop taking your clothes off" he tells her holding out the shirt, she frowns taking it from him.

"Why?" she asks. "It's never bothered you before" she cocks her head.

"That was before" he tells her, motioning to the shirt, she sighs and pulls it on.

"You only just realising that I am girl?" she asks, he sighs and shrugs. She smirks. "Okay, Jacob...I won't take my clothes off around you again" she turns away and he curses himself, that is not at all what he wanted, okay, he wants to see Bambi naked, that's not what he meant either...he just..... "Jacob?" she asks crawling into his bed, he smiles and her and joins her. They've been friends forever, he reminds himself, she doesn't think of him that way.

................

The sun has come out and so has the skin. Kids are in shorts though it's still barely sixty degrees. Everyone eats lunch outdoors. Bella searches the crowd for Connor.

"He's not here" Bella looks down to find Jessica sitting on the grass. "Whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear"

"They just... ditch?" Bella asks.

"No, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen yank 'em out for hiking and camping and stuff. I tried the idea out on my parents. Not even close." Bella registers this as Angela suddenly jumps on them, Bambi chuckles as she approaches, having been walking with Angela.

"I'm going to the prom with Eric! I just asked him, I took control!" Angela tells them.

"It was magnificent" Bambi teases sitting next to her sister. Angela hugs Bella.

"Are you sure you two have to go out of town?" she asks looking to Bambi.

"It's a family thing"

"Oh my God, we need to hit the stores in Port Angeles before the dresses get cleaned out" Jessica tells them.

"Port Angeles?.." Bella asks, a plan forming in her mind. "Can I go with you guys?"

"Thank God" Angela answers and looks to Bella. "We need your opinion"

"Oh" Bambi states. "Guess I'm going too" she mumbles shooting Bella a look, she hates Jessica and would rather not spend more time with her, Bella shrugs back at her.

......................

Bella sits next to Bambi antsy and distracted, as Jessica and Angela try on dresses. Bambi sighs and rolls her eyes, she hates this, she loves shopping but this is just...she sighs and leans back against the window and closes her eyes, think of something that makes her happy, she smiles, of course the first thing that comes to mind is Edward. She doesn't have to worry about 'reading his mind' and he doesn't seem to care that she's weird and yeah he's cute when he smiles and not her usual type, and she finally has someone that can keep up with her, musically. Bella pulls a Mapquest print-out from her purse -- it reads, "Thunderbird and Whale Book Store." Jessica flounces out of the changing room, posing provocatively.

"I think this halter makes my boobs look big. What do you think, Bella?" Outside the window, a group of rowdy frat boys head toward a bar. Two of them stare at Jessica in her low-cut dress. Bambi smacks the window.

"Hey! Move on, it's not a spectator sport" she tells them, Jessica embarrassed, she turns back to Bella.

"Bella?"

"It looks great"

"You said that about the last five dresses" Jessica points out.

"You're not very good at this, are you?" Angela offers.

"Maybe I should just go check out the book store and meet you at the restaurant later" Bella offers.

"You sure?" Angela asks, Bella nods, heads out. Bambi watches her go. Jessica's looks in the mirror again.

"She was right about this halter, though. It does look great" Jessica points out, Bambi jumps up and follows Bella.

...................

Bambi looks to Bella who thumbs through the books, she's determined and looking for something.

"If you tell me what you're looking for, I could help" Bambi teases, Bella looks to her.

"I just....I'm not sure yet" Bella tells her. "I'll tell you everything...when I'm sure...." Bambi sighs softly and kisses Bella's cheek.

"I know you will" Bambi tells her. "Do you mind if I go to the music store down the street then?" Bella smiles at her. "And I'll meet you at the restaurant in a bit?"

"Sounds great" Bella tells her, Bambi smiles and squeezes her hand before leaving.

..................

It's nightfall by the time Bambi leaves the music store, she always gets carried away, she shakes her head to herself and heads down the sidewalk, but then hears footsteps behind her. She turns, doesn't see anyone. She puts the plastic bag of her bought goods into her shoulder bag and continues. Someone's following her. She looks around, changing course to cut across a parking lot. Isolated. Bambi, breath short, scared, turns around just as two men emerge from the shadows, the Frat Boys, really wasted now.

"Wanna beer?" She looks to her left; the other two guys are there. She's cornered. She takes her purse from around her shoulder.

"Look, just take my bag" she tells them.

"We don't want your bag" She takes a defensive stance. They chortle derisively. But when Frat Boy #1 comes near, she kicks upwards, hits him in the groin. Her enhanced strength doubles him over. The other three laugh, and start to close in. Bambi frowns and looks to her hand as she feels a tingling in her palm, she's felt it once before, and she remembers what comes after it, she closes her eyes and turns her head away, holding her hand up towards the men, a bright light erupts from her palm and throws the four men away from her just as a volvo screeches around the corner and skids to a stop, Bambi stares at the four men, laying unconscious on the asphalt. She wavers where she stands, her eyes flutter.

"Bambi?" Edward asks as he climbs out of the car looking around, she looks to him and then passes out, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, Edward catches her just before she hits the ground, he brushes her hair back and looks over her worried. "Bambi" he whispers and lifts her up.