October, one month later.

"It's true though! Half baked is better than Cookie dough!" Dallas argued playfully with the Quileute boy beside her, typing away on her laptop while Paul continued fixing his truck. The pair were currently arguing over ben and jerry's, Dallas was defending her and her best friend Embry's favourite flavour, while Paul was defending his.

Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the wrench. "Woman you have no taste. I can't believe you think that." Dallas groaned, closing her laptop and hopping off the bench.

"I hate you."

"No you don't"

It had been a month since the beach incident, and true to their word, the duo's friendship picked back up again like it never left.  With the recent absence of Bella (who had decided to drop every one of her friends, much to the protest of Dallas), and Audrey trying to help her dad keep his sanity, she found her old true friend in Paul. Every so often, she would glance down at the notes scrawled haphazardly in her notebook, as she continued typing her essay.

Dallas groaned, pushing her laptop off her lap and on top of her notebook. "You're so lucky you graduate next year, I'm about done with this shit." Paul laughed as he wiped his hands on the rag beside him.

"Should try being a senior, I have tests and finals coming out of my ass." Dallas laughed, causing Paul to glance up at her and smile. Although the Lahote boy had been firmly against imprinting and even tried to fight the bond during the first week he imprinted, he had realised that it just wasn't possible. Dallas had become his best friend again in such a short amount of time, he couldn't imagine how he possibly even lived when their friendship ended so abruptly. Which is why the whole Bella ignoring Dallas situation bugged him. He understood depression, he had suffered it for years. What he didn't like, was how rude she was being. Dallas went out of her mind worrying for her friend every day, whereas the Swan girl didn't care who she hurt.

Dallas stood beside him, noting the massive size difference between the two and stifling a smirk. While Dallas stood at a little five foot one, Paul towered over the petite girl at a staggering six foot five. "Yeah no thanks, not for a while anyway." Paul glanced down at the cheerleader as he began putting his tools away, smiling at the pretty girl.

Dallas moved over to where her bag was, and began putting her laptop and notebook away as Paul spoke. "You're a junior, right?" He asked, picking up his keys to the working truck of his that was right outside his run down garage. Dallas nodded, smiling up at him as they walked towards the black ford truck.

"Yeah, so you're gonna be a graduate hanging out with a high schooler soon. Loser." She nudged him jokingly, causing a loud laugh to emerge out of the Lahote boys mouth.

He walked her to her side of the truck, helping her in before getting in the truck himself. "Oh god don't say it like that. How embarrassing." He shot her a teasing smile, one she returned as she plugged her phone in the aux of the truck.

Chasing Cars started playing softly through the old speakers, Paul chuckled lightly as he turned out of his street. "Man you're a real sucker for this band aren't you?" Dallas swatted him playfully with one hand, the other typing a quick text message to her estranged friend. 'Hey it's Dallas, can you please at least let me know you're okay?' Paul glanced down absentmindedly and gripped the wheel a little tighter, something that went unnoticed by the blonde sitting beside him.

"Their music is good, what can I say?" Once Dallas sent the text, she glanced at the date and her eyes widened and a small gasp emitted her lips. October 30th.

"Everythin' okay, Dals?" Paul asked his imprint, concern lacing his voice and features. Dallas nodded, turning to face her friend with wide doe eyes.

Paul's heart skipped a beat, before he adverted his eyes back to the road. "Yeah no everything's okay, its just I got invited to this dumb Halloween party tomorrow night. I was meaning to ask but I guess it slipped my mind. Did you... Uh, did you want to come with me?" Paul's eyes widened so much he was honestly shocked they didn't bulge out of his head.

"Of course, uh where is it?" He didn't know why he felt so nervous, he had hung out with the girl almost every day for a month straight. Why was this time any different? Was it because he was going to be meeting her friends? What if they thought he was a steroid junkie-slash-cult member like everyone else? What if Dallas thought that? His thoughts were scrambling into overdrive as Dallas thought the question over for a few seconds.

"In Forks, I was actually really excited to introduce you to some of the team, and some of my Forks friends. It's not every day a Forks girl becomes friends again with supposed cult member." Her tone was playful, but the message was clear. A lot of people in Forks held certain... views over a select few from the reservation.

Not that the James girl cared, she never cared for other people's opinions on her life. Paul and his friends were good people. She hadn't hung around his friends as much as she did Paul, (with the exception of Jared) but from the few times she had she knew they weren't anything like the rumours spread about them. Sure she did find it a little strange that they all had matching tattoos, warmer than average skin and their bodies all looked older physic wise than anyone in Forks, but she chalked it up to a close knit reservation thing. Besides, whenever she asked her mother about it her mother told her that Sam was keeping the boys out of trouble. She couldn't help but respect that.

Not even her mother minded her hanging out with the Lahote man, in fact her mother was quite fond of the boy sitting beside her. The older James woman thought he was a good influence on her daughter. Besides, she remembered quite clearly the friendship they once shared. Or she suspected it might have something to do with her mother being on the council, a spot that belonged to her mother that the older James woman never felt she deserved. She didn't realise how valued she was on the council though, the rest of the members adored her and she contributed significantly.

Paul nodded slowly, turning his truck around another corner and passing a corner store that Jacob Black, Embry Call and Quil Aterea all stood outside of, joking and pushing each other around. Once they noticed Paul's truck, the trio all tensed and gave the driver matching glares, mixed in with confused stares they gave the girl in the passenger seat.

"Alright you text me the time to pick you up and I'll be there, what costume are you wearing?" Dallas and Paul ignored the looks and instead chose to continue their conversation. However, Dallas felt enormous guilt. Between Cheer and rekindling her old friendships with Jared and Paul, trying to find time to hang out with her best friends was proving difficult. She still hung out with them every weekend, Audrey not so much but the group understood that she was trying to help her family, but she was yet to disclose her newly mended friendship with the three boys and the Swan girl. She realised that she was probably going to get a lot of warnings and maybe some anger from them, but she would cross that bridge when it needed to be. She knew they had seen her, but they didn't know what she was doing in the car with him.

Dallas grinned sheepishly and Paul couldn't help the smile that grazed his lips when he saw her out of the corner of his eye. "Well I was thinking, you don't have to if you don't want too!-" She rushed out, playing with the end of her sweater nervously which Paul found absolutely adorable. "-But I was thinking we could like, match? All my Forks friends think its too lame, Audrey is probably gonna be at home trying to force her dad and Bella to eat and none of the boys want to come and hang around a party of pale faces,  but I think they're all lame..." She trailed off, feeling her cheeks heat up. She didn't know why she was so nervous to ask, her and Paul were friends. Paul sent her a quick cheeky smile before turning into Forks.

"What are you thinking?" Dallas's eyes lit up and Paul thought he stopped breathing.

"Negan and Rick from the Walking Dead? I would say Daryl, but the costumes will be easier to do for those two last minute. I mean I can borrow Charlie's uniform, and I think Negan will suit you a lot better." She suggested, her face scrunching in confusion when they missed the turn to her house.

"Uh Paul? You missed the turn off?" Paul simply shrugged, and drove towards the highway.

Turning his head and looking at the smaller girl with a ghost of a smirk, he turned the music up a little louder. "We can't get any good Negan costumes in Forks. We're going to Port Angeles."

:::

The spontaneous trip to Port Angeles turned out to be one of the best days Dallas James had in a very long time. She genuinely enjoyed the older boys company, and he enjoyed hers. There wasn't any awkward silences, no dead end conversations, just two fast friends laughing and bonding even more. They joked around in the costume shop, putting on silly costumes with the intention of making the other one laugh. Dallas had never felt more like herself. Being a cheerleader, she felt like she had to be a certain way. It was never more clear than that afternoon they spent mucking around in that random costume shop with the peeling white wallpaper and the old fluorescent lights that sent a harsh glare to the hardwood floor, that the only person she felt herself around was Paul Lahote.

Nobody had made her laugh as much as she had, she was laughing to the point of her wheezing breaths, clutching stomach and light happy tears trickling out of her hazel eyes. Paul was quickly becoming her best friend, and she was never more grateful to have someone nearly damage her phone.

Unbeknownst to her, Paul felt the same way. With the imprint bond, he expected (or assumed) that you would instantly want to be in a relationship with your imprintee. But that assumption couldn't be further from the truth. Although he saw snippets of his future with the gorgeous blonde sitting beside him in his pick up truck, he also knew that he would be whoever she wanted him to be until she was ready. And right now, he was more than happy to be her friend. He also knew that he was extremely grateful to his ancestors, (who somehow knew he would be the most difficult wolf to accept a mate), that they chose Dallas James to accompany him on this crazy, extraordinary journey.

Dallas was still laughing, face beet red and lightly tanned arms clutched her stomach as she thought of the afternoon they had. "I mean come on! You would so suit a princess outfit." Paul shot her a quick yet playful glare, which only caused her laughter to increase.

Paul shook his head as he turned onto her street. Dallas felt her stomach knot slightly as she realised her time with Paul was coming to an end. Paul felt the same, it was the most fun he had in a long time. "Please, you cant convince me that Mario outfit didn't go hard on you." Dallas snorted, laughing to hard her mouth failing her. Paul had luckily pulled over out the front of her house, if he hadn't he might've crashed because he was laughing far too much.

"Stop! I hate you," The pleading tone Dallas used only caused more laughter to exit the Lahote boys mouth. Dallas finally joined in, the pair laughing until they couldn't breath.

"Thank you for today, Paul. Honestly had so much fun, I'm so excited to see how good we look tomorrow." Dallas smiled wistfully, and Paul found himself doing the same.

"Me too. Hey is your mom working tonight?" Paul asked, noticing the absence of the older James's car. Dallas sighed as she reached for her bags, feeling a pang of disappointment. Her mother was a general surgeon at Forks Hospital, and since Carlisle left she's been doing back to back surgeries. She understood the sacrifices her mother always made regarding work, but she couldn't help but wish her mother stayed home more. Her phone buzzed from the centre console and sighed.

'Dallas what were you doing with Paul?- Em'

Dallas rolled her eyes lightly as she typed out a reply. 'Clearly i was injecting myself with steroids and turning into a cult member.'

'WHAT!?!?!?!?-E'

Dallas stifled a laugh as she glanced at Paul, who was watching carefully from beside her. 'Embry see how easy it is to believe bullshit rumours? I'll call you later ok? Love you x.' She put her phone down sighed.

Why is Embry blowing my phone up saying that you are with Paul? Are yall a thing?- audi

Call you later - dally

Nodding, she turned to face Paul with a small smile on her face that made her dimples stand out. "Yeah, she's been working most nights lately. Nights pay better apparently, so she's switched from Days to nights." Paul felt his worry increase as the thought of the redheaded bloodsucker filled his thoughts. He knew her mother wasn't a supernatural being so she couldn't do much to help Dallas should a leach get in, but he felt extremely uncomfortable knowing his friend was home alone and defenceless.

"Do you ever feel like, scared when you're alone?" He asked gently, turning the keys so the car turned off. Dallas swallowed thickly, more often than not she had felt incredibly uneasy being alone. She always felt as though she was being watched, especially when the sun fully set behind the clouds and the sky went from being grey and overcast, to black with sprinkles of stars littered throughout.

"Yes, it sounds silly I mean I'm sixteen years old! But I just feel super uneasy, like..." She trailed off, playing with the hem of her sweater again as a blush creeped up her neck. Paul looked at her, concern dancing in his deep brown orbs as a sense of worry filled his body.

"Like what, Dals?" He gently pushed, wanting to know what was freaking the younger girl out.

She exhaled deeply, finally meeting his eyes. "Like I'm being watched. Look i know its dumb, and I'm probably just being paranoid but I cant help it. I just feel so uneasy being alone." Paul felt the worry morph into slight anger, and he wondered if the redhead leach was watching her. He felt angry with himself, because he lived in La push and she lived in forks.

He scratched his neck awkwardly as an idea came to mind. "Do you want me to uh, stay? Or you could come to La push if you feel safer? I don't feel right leaving you alone while you already feel so scared." Dallas smiled at the man beside her, her chest swelling with happiness that she had such an understanding friend.

"You'd do that for me?" Paul blinked at her, he couldn't believe how shocked she was that he was doing the bare minimum. Had people just treated her like shit her whole life? A feeling of sadness crept its way into him as he looked at the smaller girl.

"Of course i would, were friends Dals, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

And true to his word, Dallas finally slept through the night feeling the safest she had ever felt as she fell asleep in the James living room, Paul asleep on the couch opposite her. They both slept more peacefully than they had in months, all thanks to the other person.