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Chapter 6 Friends
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THE MOTORCYCLES DIDN'T NEED TO BE HIDDEN ANY further than simply placing them inJacob's shed. Billy's wheelchair couldn't maneuver1 the uneven2 ground separating it from the house.

  Jacob started pulling the first bike—the red one, which was destined3 for me—to pieces immediately. Heopened up the passenger door of the Rabbit so I could sit on the seat instead of the ground. While heworked, Jacob chattered4 happily, needing only the lightest of nudges from me to keep the conversationrolling. He updated me on the progress of his sophomore5 year of school, running on about his classes and his two best friends.

  "Quil and Embry?" I interrupted. "Those are unusual names."Jacob chuckled6. "Quil's is a hand-me-down, and I think Embry got named after a soap opera star. I can'tsay anything, though. They fight dirty if you start on their names—they'll tag team you.""Good friends." I raised one eyebrow7.

  "No, they are. Just don't mess with their names."Just then a call echoed in the distance. "Jacob?" someone shouted.

  "Is that Billy?" I asked.

  "No." Jacob ducked his head, and it looked like he was blushing under his brown skin. "Speak of thedevil," he mumbled8, "and the devil shall appear.""Jake? Are you out here?" The shouting voice was closer now.

  "Yeah!" Jacob shouted back, and sighed.

  We waited through the short silence until two tall, dark-skinned boys strolled around the corner into theshed.

  One was slender, and almost as tall as Jacob. His black hair was chin-length and parted down themiddle, one side tucked behind his left ear while the right side swung free. The shorter boy was moreburly. His white T-shirt strained over his well-developed chest, and he seemed gleefully conscious of thatfact. His hair was so short it was almost a buzz.

  Both boys stopped short when they saw me. The thin boy glanced swiftly back and forth9 between Jacoband me, while the brawny10 boy kept his eyes on me, a slow smile spreading across his face.

  "Hey, guys," Jacob greeted them halfheartedly.

  "Hey, Jake," the short one said without looking away from me. I had to smile in response, his grin was soimpish. When I did, he winked11 at me. "Hi, there.""Quil, Embry—this is my friend, Bella."Quil and Embry, I still didn't know which was which, exchanged a loaded look.

  "Charlie's kid, right?" the brawny boy asked me, holding out his hand.

  "That's right," I confirmed, shaking hands with him. His grasp was firm; it looked like he was flexing12 hisbicep.

  "I'm Quil Ateara," he announced grandly before releasing my hand.

  "Nice to meet you, Quil.""Hey, Bella. I'm Embry, Embry Call—you probably already figured that out, though." Embry smiled a shysmile and waved with one hand, which he then shoved in the pocket of his jeans.

  I nodded. "Nice to meet you, too." "So what are you guys doing?" Quil asked, still looking at me.

  "Bella and I are going to fix up these bikes," Jacob explained inaccurately13. But bikes seemed to be themagic word. Both boys went to examine Jacob's project, drilling him with educated questions. Many ofthe words they used were unfamiliar14 to me, and I figured I'd have to have a Y chromosome15 to reallyunderstand the excitement.

  They were still immersed in talk of parts and pieces when I decided16 that I needed to head back homebefore Charlie showed up here. With a sigh, I slid out of the Rabbit.

  Jacob looked up, apologetic. "We're boring you, aren't we?""Naw." And it wasn't a lie. I was enjoying myself—how strange. "I just have to go cook dinner forCharlie.""Oh… well, I'll finish taking these apart tonight and figure out what more we'll need to get startedrebuilding them. When do you want to work on them again?""Could I come back tomorrow?" Sundays were the bane of my existence. There was never enoughhomework to keep me busy.

  Quil nudged Embry's arm and they exchanged grins.

  Jacob smiled in delight. "That would be great!""If you make a list, we can go shop for parts," I suggested.

  Jacob's face fell a little. "I'm still not sure I should let you pay for everything."I shook my head. "No way. I'm bankrolling this party. You just have to supply the labor17 and expertise18."Embry rolled his eyes at Quil.

  "That doesn't seem right," Jacob shook his head.

  "Jake, if I took these to a mechanic, how much would he charge me?" I pointed19 out.

  He smiled. "Okay, you're getting a deal.""Not to mention the riding lessons," I added.

  Quil grinned widely at Embry and whispered something I didn't catch. Jacob's hand flashed out to smackthe back of Quil's head. "That's it, get out," he muttered.

  "No, really, I have to go," I protested, heading for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob."As soon as I was out of sight, I heard Quil and Embry chorus, "Wooooo!"The sound of a brief scuffle followed, interspersed21 with an "ouch" and a "hey!""If either of you set so much as one toe on my land tomorrow…" I heard Jacob threaten. His voice waslost as I walked through the trees.

  I giggled22 quietly. The sound made my eyes widen in wonder. I was laughing, actually laughing, and therewasn't even anyone watching. I felt so weightless that I laughed again, just make the feeling last longer.

   I beat Charlie home. When he walked in I was just taking the fried chicken out of the pan and laying it ona pile of paper towels.

  "Hey, Dad." I flashed him a grin.

  Shock flitted across his face before he pulled his expression together. "Hey, honey," he said, his voiceuncertain. "Did you have fun with Jacob?"I started moving the food to the table. "Yeah, I did.""Well, that's good." He was still cautious. "What did you two do?"Now it was my turn to be cautious. "I hung out in his garage and watched him work. Did you know he'srebuilding a Volkswagen?""Yeah, I think Billy mentioned that."The interrogation had to stop when Charlie began chewing, but he continued to study my face as he ate.

  After dinner, I dithered around, cleaning the kitchen twice, and then did my homework slowly in the frontroom while Charlie watched a hockey game. I waited as long as I could, but finally Charlie mentioned thelate hour. When I didn't respond, he got up, stretched, and then left, turning out the light behind him.

  Reluctantly, I followed.

  As I climbed the stairs, I felt the last of the afternoon's abnormal sense of well-being23 drain from mysystem, replaced by a dull fear at the thought of what I was going to have to live through now.

  I wasn't numb24 anymore. Tonight would, no doubt, be as horrific as last night. I lay down on my bed andcurled into a ball in preparation for the onslaught. I squeezed my eyes shut and… the next thing I next Iknew, it was morning.

  I stared at the pale silver light coming through my window, stunned25.

  For the first time in more than four months, I'd slept without dreaming. Dreaming or screaming. I couldn'ttell which emotion was stronger—the relief or the shock.

  I lay still in my bed for a few minutes, waiting for it to come back. Because something must be coming. Ifnot the pain, then the numbness26. I waited, but nothing happened. I felt more rested than I had in a longtime.

  I didn't trust this to last. It was a slippery, precarious27 edge that I balanced on, and it wouldn't take muchto knock me back down. Just glancing around my room with these suddenly clear eyes—noticing howstrange it looked, too tidy, like I didn't live here at all—was dangerous.

  I pushed that thought from my mind, and concentrated, as I got dressed, on the fact that I was going tosee Jacob again today. The thought made me feel almost… hopeful. Maybe it would be the same asyesterday. Maybe I wouldn't have to remind myself to look interested and to nod or smile at appropriateintervals, the way I had to with everyone else. Maybe… but I wouldn't trust this to last, either. Wouldn'ttrust it to be the same—so easy—as yesterday. I wasn't going to set myself up for disappointment likethat.

  At breakfast, Charlie was being careful, too. He tried to hide his scrutiny28, keeping his eyes on his eggsuntil he thought I wasn't looking.

   "What are you up to today?" he asked, eyeing a loose thread on the edge of his cuff20 like he wasn't payingmuch attention to my answer.

  "I'm going to hang out with Jacob again."He nodded without looking up. "Oh," he said.

  "Do you mind?" I pretended to worry. "I could stay…"He glanced up quickly, a hint of panic in his eyes. "No, no! You go ahead. Harry29 was going to come upto watch the game with me anyway.""Maybe Harry could give Billy a ride up," I suggested. The fewer witnesses the better.

  "That's a great idea."I wasn't sure if the game was just an excuse for kicking me out, but he looked excited enough now. Heheaded to the phone while I donned my rain jacket. I felt self-conscious with the checkbook shoved inmy jacket pocket. It was something I never used.

  Outside, the rain came down like water slopped from a bucket. I had to drive more slowly than I wantedto; I could hardly see a car length in front of the truck. But I finally made it through the muddy lanes toJacob's house. Before I'd killed the engine, the front door opened and Jacob came running out with ahuge black umbrella.

  He held it over my door while I opened it.

  "Charlie called—said you were on your way," Jacob explained with a grin.

  Effortlessly, without a conscious command to the muscles around my lips, my answering smile spreadacross my face. A strange feeling of warmth bubbled up in my throat, despite the icy rain splattering onmy cheeks.

  "Hi, Jacob.""Good call on inviting30 Billy up." He held up his hand for a high five.

  I had to reach so high to slap his hand that he laughed.

  Harry showed up to get Billy just a few minutes later. Jacob took me on a brief tour of his tiny roomwhile we waited to be unsupervised.

  "So where to, Mr. Goodwrench?" I asked as soon as the door closed behind Billy.

  Jacob pulled a folded paper out of his pocket and smoothed it out. "We'll start at the dump first, see ifwe can get lucky. This could get a little expensive," he warned me. "Those bikes are going to need a lotof help before they'll run again." My face didn't look worried enough, so he continued. "I'm talking aboutmaybe more than a hundred dollars here."I pulled my checkbook out, fanned myself with it, and rolled my eyes at his worries. "We're covered."It was a very strange kind of day. I enjoyed myself. Even at the dump, in the slopping rain andankle-deep mud. I wondered at first if it was just the aftershock of losing the numbness, but I didn't thinkthat was enough of an explanation.

   I was beginning to think it was mostly Jacob. It wasn't just that he was always so happy to see me, orthat he didn't watch me out of the corner of his eye, waiting for me to do something that would mark meas crazy or depressed31. It was nothing that related to me at all.

  It was Jacob himself. Jacob was simply a perpetually happy person, and he carried that happiness withhim like an aura, sharing it with whoever was near him. Like an earthbound sun, whenever someone waswithin his gravitational pull, Jacob warmed them. It was natural, a part of who he was. No wonder I wasso eager to see him.

  Even when he commented on the gaping32 hole in my dashboard, it didn't send me into a panic like itshould have.

  "Did the stereo break?" he wondered.

  "Yeah," I lied.

  He poked33 around in the cavity. "Who took it out? There's a lot of damage…""I did," I admitted.

  He laughed. "Maybe you shouldn't touch the motorcycles too much.""No problem."According to Jacob, we did get lucky at the dump. He was very excited about several grease-blackenedpieces of twisted metal that he found; I was just impressed that he could tell what they were supposed tobe.

  From there we went to the Checker Auto34 Parts down in Hoquiam. In my truck, it was more than a twohour drive south on the winding35 freeway, but the time passed easily with Jacob. He chattered about hisfriends and his school, and I found myself asking questions, not even pretending, truly curious to hearwhat he had to say.

  "I'm doing all the talking," he complained after a long story about Quil and the trouble he'd stirred up byasking out a senior's steady girlfriend. "Why don't you take a turn? What's going on in Forks? It has to bemore exciting than La Push.""Wrong," I sighed. "There's really nothing. Your friends are a lot more interesting than mine. I like yourfriends. Quil's funny."He frowned. "I think Quil likes you, too."I laughed. "He's a little young for me."Jacob's frown deepened. "He's not that much younger than you. It's just a year and a few months."I had a feeling we weren't talking about Quil anymore. I kept my voice light, teasing. "Sure, but,considering the difference in maturity36 between guys and girls, don't you have to count that in dog years?

  What does that make me, about twelve years older?"He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Okay, but if you're going to get picky like that, you have to average in size,too. You're so small, I'll have to knock ten years off your total.""Five foot four is perfectly37 average." I sniffed38. "It's not my fault you're a freak." We bantered39 like that till Hoquiam, still arguing over the correct formula to determine age—I lost twomore years because I didn't know how to change a tire, but gained one back for being in charge of thebookkeeping at my house—until we were in Checker, and Jacob had to concentrate again. We foundeverything left on his list, and Jacob felt confident that he could make a lot of progress with our haul.

  By the time we got back to La Push, I was twenty-three and he was thirty—he was definitely weightingskills in his favor.

  I hadn't forgotten the reason for what I was doing. And, even though I was enjoying myself more than I'dthought possible, there was no lessening40 of my original desire. I still wanted to cheat. It was senseless,and I really didn't care. I was going to be as reckless as I could possibly manage in Forks. I would notbe the only keeper of an empty contract. Getting to spend time with Jacob was just a much bigger perkthan I'd expected.

  Billy wasn't back yet, so we didn't have to be sneaky about unloading our day's spoils. As soon as wehad everything laid out on the plastic floor next to Jacob's toolbox, he went right to work, still talking andlaughing while his fingers combed expertly through the metal pieces in front of him.

  Jacob's skill with his hands was fascinating. They looked too big for the delicate tasks they performedwith ease and precision. While he worked, he seemed almost graceful41. Unlike when he was on his feet;there, his height and big feet made him nearly as dangerous as I was.

  Quil and Embry did not show up, so maybe his threat yesterday had been taken seriously.

  The day passed too quickly. It got dark outside the mouth of the garage before I was expecting it, andthen we heard Billy calling for us.

  I jumped up to help Jacob put things away, hesitating because I wasn't sure what I should touch.

  "Just leave it," he said. "I'll work on it later tonight.""Don't forget your schoolwork or anything," I said, feeling a little guilty. I didn't want him to get in trouble.

  That plan was just for me.

  "Bella?"Both our heads snapped up as Charlie's familiar voice wafted42 through the trees, sounding closer than thehouse.

  "Shoot," I muttered. "Coming!" I yelled toward the house.

  "Let's go." Jacob smiled, enjoying the cloak-and-dagger. He snapped the light off, and for a moment Iwas blind. Jacob grabbed my hand and towed me out of the garage and through the trees, his feet findingthe familiar path easily. His hand was rough, and very warm.

  Despite the path, we were both tripping over our feet in the darkness. So we were also both laughingwhen the house came into view. The laughter did not go deep; it was light and superficial, but still nice. Iwas sure he wouldn't notice the faint hint of hysteria. I wasn't used to laughing, and it felt right and alsovery wrong at the same time.

  Charlie was standing43 under the little back porch, and Billy was sitting in the doorway44 behind them.

  "Hey, Dad," we both said at the same time, and that started us laughing again.

   Charlie stared at me with wide eyes that flashed down to note Jacob's hand around mine.

  "Billy invited us for dinner," Charlie said to us in an absentminded tone.

  "My super secret recipe for spaghetti. Handed down for generations," Billy said gravely.

  Jacob snorted. "I don't think Ragu's actually been around that long."The house was crowded. Harry Clearwater was there, too, with his family—his wife, Sue, whom I knewvaguely from my childhood summers in Forks, and his two children. Leah was a senior like me, but ayear older. She was beautiful in an exotic way—perfect copper45 skin, glistening46 black hair, eyelashes likefeather dusters—and preoccupied47. She was on Billy's phone when we got in, and she never let it go.

  Seth was fourteen; he hung on Jacob's every word with idolizing eyes.

  There were too many of us for the kitchen table, so Charlie and Harry brought chairs out to the yard, andwe ate spaghetti off plates on our laps in the dim light from Billy's open door. The men talked about thegame, and Harry and Charlie made fishing plans. Sue teased her husband about his cholesterol48 and tried,unsuccessfully, to shame him into eating something green and leafy. Jacob talked mostly to me and Seth,who interrupted eagerly whenever Jacob seemed in danger of forgetting him. Charlie watched me, tryingto be inconspicuous about it, with pleased but cautious eyes.

  It was loud and sometimes confusing as everyone talked over everyone else, and the laughter from onejoke interrupted the telling of another. I didn't have to speak often, but I smiled a lot, and only because Ifelt like it.

  I didn't want to leave.

  This was Washington, though, and the inevitable49 rain eventually broke up the party; Billy's living roomwas much too small to provide an option for continuing the get-together50. Harry had driven Charlie down,so we rode together in my truck on the way back home. He asked about my day, and I told mostly thetruth—that I'd gone with Jacob to look at parts and then watched him work in his garage.

  "You think you'll visit again anytime soon?" he wondered, trying to be casual about it.

  "Tomorrow after school," I admitted. "I'll take homework, don't worry.""You be sure to do that," he ordered, trying to disguise his satisfaction.

  I was nervous when we got to the house. I didn't want to go upstairs. The warmth of Jacob's presencewas fading and, in its absence, the anxiety grew stronger. I was sure I wouldn't get away with twopeaceful nights of sleep in a row.

  To put bedtime off, I checked my e-mail; there was a new message from Renee.

  She wrote about her day, a new book club that rilled the time slot of the meditation51 classes she'd justquit, her week subbing in the second grade, missing her kindergarteners. She wrote that Phil wasenjoying his new coaching job, and that they were planning a second honeymoon52 trip to Disney World.

  And I noticed that the whole thing read like a journal entry, rather than a letter to someone else. Remorseflooded through me, leaving an uncomfortable sting behind. Some daughter I was.

  I wrote back to her quickly, commenting on each part of her letter, volunteering information of myown—describing the spaghetti party at Billy's and how I felt watching Jacob build useful things out ofsmall pieces of metal—awed and slightly envious53. I made no reference to the change this letter would be from the ones she'd received in the last several months. I could barely remember what I'd written to hereven as recently as last week, but I was sure it wasn't very responsive. The more I thought about it, theguiltier I felt; I really must have worried her.

  I stayed up extra late after that, finishing more homework than strictly54 necessary. But neither sleepdeprivation nor the time spent with Jacob—being almost happy in a shallow kind of way—could keepthe dream away for two nights in a row.

  I woke shuddering55, my scream muffled56 by the pillow.

  As the dim morning light filtered through the fog outside my window, I lay still in bed and tried to shakeoff the dream. There had been a small difference last night, and I concentrated on that.

  Last night I had not been alone in the woods. Sam Uley—the man who had pulled me from the forestfloor that night I couldn't bear to think of consciously—was there. It was an odd, unexpected alteration57.

  The man's dark eyes had been surprisingly unfriendly, filled with some secret he didn't seem inclined toshare. I'd stared at him as often as my frantic58 searching had allowed; it made me uncomfortable, under allthe usual panic, to have him there. Maybe that was because, when I didn't look directly at him, his shapeseemed to shiver and change in my peripheral59 vision. Yet he did nothing but stand and watch. Unlike thetime when we had met in reality, he did not offer me his help.

  Charlie stared at me during breakfast, and I tried to ignore him. I supposed I deserved it. I couldn'texpect him not to worry. It would probably be weeks before he stopped watching for the return of thezombie, and I would just have to try to not let it bother me. After all, I would be watching for the returnof the zombie, too. Two days was hardly long enough to call me cured.

  School was the opposite. Now that I was paying attention, it was clear that no one was watching here.

  I remembered the first day I'd come to Forks High School—how desperately60 I'd wished that I could turngray, fade into the wet concrete of the sidewalk like an oversized chameleon61. It seemed I was getting thatwish answered, a year late.

  It was like I wasn't there. Even my teachers' eyes slid past my seat as if it were empty.

  I listened all through the morning, hearing once again the voices of the people around me. I tried to catchup on what was going on, but the conversations were so disjointed that I gave up.

  Jessica didn't look up when I sat down next to her in Calculus62.

  "Hey, Jess," I said with put-on nonchalance63. "How was the rest of your weekend?"She looked at me with suspicious eyes. Could she still be angry? Or was she just too impatient to dealwith a crazy person?

  "Super," she said, turning back to her book.

  "That's good," I mumbled.

  The figure of speech cold shoulder seemed to have some literal truth to it. I could feel the warm airblowing from the floor vents64, but I was still too cold. I took the jacket off the back of my chair and put iton again.

  My fourth hour class got out late, and the lunch table I always sat at was full by the time I arrived. Mikewas there, Jessica and Angela, Conner, Tyler, Eric and Lauren. Katie Marshall, the redheaded junior who lived around the corner from me, was sitting with Eric, and Austin Marks—older brother to the boywith the motorcycles—was next to her. I wondered how long they'd been sitting here, unable toremember if this was the first day or something that was a regular habit.

  I was beginning to get annoyed with myself. I might as well have been packed in Styrofoam peanutsthrough the last semester.

  No one looked up when I sat down next to Mike, even though the chair squealed65 stridently against thelinoleum as I dragged it back.

  I tried to catch up with the conversation.

  Mike and Conner were talking sports, so I gave up on that one at once.

  "Where's Ben today?" Lauren was asking Angela. I perked66 up, interested. I wondered if that meantAngela and Ben were still together.

  I barely recognized Lauren. She'd cut off all her blond, corn-silk hair—now she had a pixie cut so shortthat the back was shaved like a boy. What an odd thing for her to do. I wished I knew the reason behindit. Did she get gum stuck in it? Did she sell it? Had all the people she was habitually67 nasty to caught herbehind the gym and scalped her? I decided it wasn't fair for me to judge her now by my former opinion.

  For all I knew, she'd turned into a nice person.

  "Ben's got the stomach flu," Angela said in her quiet, calm voice. "Hopefully it's just some twenty-fourhour thing. He was really sick last night."Angela had changed her hair, too. She'd grown out her layers.

  "What did you two do this weekend?" Jessica asked, not sounding as if she cared about the answer. I'dbet that this was just an opener so she could tell her own stories. I wondered if she would talk about PortAngeles with me sitting two seats away? Was I that invisible, that no one would feel uncomfortablediscussing me while I was here?

  "We were going to have a picnic Saturday, actually, but… we changed our minds," Angela said. Therewas an edge to her voice that caught my interest.

  Jess, not so much. "That's too bad," she said, about to launch into her story. But I wasn't the only onewho was paying attention.

  "What happened?" Lauren asked curiously68.

  "Well," Angela said, seeming more hesitant than usual, though she was always reserved, "we drove upnorth, almost to the hot springs—there's a good spot just about a mile up the trail. But, when we werehalfway there… we saw something.""Saw something? What?" Lauren's pale eyebrows69 pulled together. Even Jess seemed to be listening now.

  "I don't know," Angela said. "We think it was a bear. It was black, anyway, but it seemed… too big."Lauren snorted. "Oh, not you, too!" Her eyes turned mocking, and I decided I didn't need to give her thebenefit of the doubt. Obviously her personality had not changed as much as her hair. "Tyler tried to sellme that one last week.""You're not going to see any bears that close to the resort," Jessica said, siding with Lauren.

   "Really," Angela protested in a low voice, looking down at the table. "We did see it."Lauren snickered. Mike was still talking to Conner, not paying attention to the girls.

  "No, she's right," I threw in impatiently. "We had a hiker in just Saturday who saw the bear, too, Angela.

  He said it was huge and black and just outside of town, didn't he, Mike?"There was a moment of silence. Every pair of eyes at the table turned to stare at me in shock. The newgirl, Katie, had her mouth hanging open like she'd just witnessed an explosion. Nobody moved.

  "Mike?" I muttered, mortified70. "Remember the guy with the bear story?""S-sure," Mike stuttered after a second. I didn't know why he was looking at me so strangely. I talked tohim at work, didn't I? Did I? I thought so…Mike recovered. "Yeah, there was a guy who said he saw a huge black bear right at thetrailhead—bigger than a grizzly," he confirmed.

  "Hmph." Lauren turned to Jessica, her shoulders stiff, and changed the subject.

  "Did you hear back from USC?" she asked.

  Everyone else looked away, too, except for Mike and Angela. Angela smiled at me tentatively, and Ihurried to return the smile.

  "So, what did you do this weekend, Bella?" Mike asked, curious, but oddly wary71.

  Everyone but Lauren looked back, waiting for my response.

  "Friday night, Jessica and I went to a movie in Port Angeles. And then I spent Saturday afternoon andmost of Sunday down at La Push."The eyes flickered72 to Jessica and back to me. Jess looked irritated. I wondered if she didn't want anyoneto know she'd gone out with me, or whether she just wanted to be the one to tell the story.

  "What movie did you see?" Mike asked, starting to smile.

  "Dead End—the one with the zombies." I grinned in encouragement. Maybe some of the damage I'ddone in these past zombie months was reparable.

  "I heard that was scary. Did you think so?" Mike was eager to continue the conversation.

  "Bella had to leave at the end, she was so freaked," Jessica inserted with a sly smile.

  I nodded, trying to look embarrassed. "It was pretty scary."Mike didn't stop asking me questions till lunch was over. Gradually, the others were able to start up theirown conversations again, though they still looked at me a lot. Angela talked mostly to Mike and me, and,when I got up to dump my tray, she followed.

  "Thanks," she said in a low voice when we were away from the table.

  "For what?""Speaking up, sticking up for me." "No problem."She looked at me with concern, but not the offensive, maybe-she's-lost-it kind. "Are you okay?"This is why I'd picked Jessica over Angela—though I'd always liked Angela more—for the girls' nightmovie. Angela was too perceptive73.

  "Not completely," I admitted. "But I'm a little bit better.""I'm glad," she said. "I've missed you."Lauren and Jessica strolled by us then, and I heard Lauren whisper loudly, "Oh, joy Bella's back."Angela rolled her eyes at them, and smiled at me in encouragement.

  I sighed It was like I was starting all over again.

  "What's today's date?" I wondered suddenly.

  "It's January nineteenth.""Hmm.""What is it?" Angela asked.

  "It was a year ago yesterday that I had my first day here," I mused74.

  "Nothing's changed much," Angela muttered, looking after Lauren and Jessica.

  "I know, I agreed I was just thinking the same thing."


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 maneuver Q7szu     
n.策略[pl.]演习;v.(巧妙)控制;用策略
参考例句:
  • All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后,所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
  • I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。
2 uneven akwwb     
adj.不平坦的,不规则的,不均匀的
参考例句:
  • The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。
  • The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。
3 destined Dunznz     
adj.命中注定的;(for)以…为目的地的
参考例句:
  • It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
  • The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。
4 chattered 0230d885b9f6d176177681b6eaf4b86f     
(人)喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 ); 唠叨; (牙齿)打战; (机器)震颤
参考例句:
  • They chattered away happily for a while. 他们高兴地闲扯了一会儿。
  • We chattered like two teenagers. 我们聊着天,像两个十多岁的孩子。
5 sophomore PFCz6     
n.大学二年级生;adj.第二年的
参考例句:
  • He is in his sophomore year.他在读二年级。
  • I'm a college sophomore majoring in English.我是一名英语专业的大二学生。
6 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
7 eyebrow vlOxk     
n.眉毛,眉
参考例句:
  • Her eyebrow is well penciled.她的眉毛画得很好。
  • With an eyebrow raised,he seemed divided between surprise and amusement.他一只眉毛扬了扬,似乎既感到吃惊,又觉有趣。
8 mumbled 3855fd60b1f055fa928ebec8bcf3f539     
含糊地说某事,叽咕,咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话,可我没太听清楚。
  • George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。
9 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
10 brawny id7yY     
adj.强壮的
参考例句:
  • The blacksmith has a brawny arm.铁匠有强壮的胳膊。
  • That same afternoon the marshal appeared with two brawny assistants.当天下午,警长带着两名身强力壮的助手来了。
11 winked af6ada503978fa80fce7e5d109333278     
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮
参考例句:
  • He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼,她便知道他的想法和她一样。
  • He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
12 flexing ea85fac2422c3e15400d532b3bfb4d3c     
n.挠曲,可挠性v.屈曲( flex的现在分词 );弯曲;(为准备大干而)显示实力;摩拳擦掌
参考例句:
  • Flexing particular muscles allows snakes to move in several ways. 可弯曲的特殊的肌肉使蛇可以用几种方式移动。 来自电影对白
  • China has become an economic superpower and is flexing its muscles. 中国已经成为了一个经济巨人而且在展示他的肌肉。 来自互联网
13 inaccurately a8227b8b26c38df3fcbc98367e352369     
不精密地,不准确地
参考例句:
  • The money mechanism began to work stiffly and inaccurately. 贷币机构开始周转不灵和不准确了。
  • Court records reveal every day how inaccurately "eyewitnesses'see. 法庭记录每天都显露出“见证人”看得多不准确。
14 unfamiliar uk6w4     
adj.陌生的,不熟悉的
参考例句:
  • I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
  • The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。
15 chromosome 7rUzX     
n.染色体
参考例句:
  • Chromosome material with exhibits of such behaviour is called heterochromatin.表现这种现象的染色体物质叫做异染色质。
  • A segment of the chromosome may become lost,resulting in a deletion.染色体的一个片段可能会丢失,结果产生染色体的缺失。
16 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
17 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
18 expertise fmTx0     
n.专门知识(或技能等),专长
参考例句:
  • We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
  • You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。
19 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
20 cuff 4YUzL     
n.袖口;手铐;护腕;vt.用手铐铐;上袖口
参考例句:
  • She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
  • Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗?
21 interspersed c7b23dadfc0bbd920c645320dfc91f93     
adj.[医]散开的;点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
  • The grass was interspersed with beds of flowers. 草地上点缀着许多花坛。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
22 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
23 well-being Fe3zbn     
n.安康,安乐,幸福
参考例句:
  • He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
  • My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福,却被误解为多管闲事。
24 numb 0RIzK     
adj.麻木的,失去感觉的;v.使麻木
参考例句:
  • His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
  • Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵,催着疲惫的马继续往前走。
25 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
26 numbness BmTzzc     
n.无感觉,麻木,惊呆
参考例句:
  • She was fighting off the numbness of frostbite. 她在竭力摆脱冻僵的感觉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Sometimes they stay dead, causing' only numbness. 有时,它们没有任何反应,只会造成麻木。 来自时文部分
27 precarious Lu5yV     
adj.不安定的,靠不住的;根据不足的
参考例句:
  • Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
  • He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家,他过得是朝不保夕的生活。
28 scrutiny ZDgz6     
n.详细检查,仔细观察
参考例句:
  • His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好,但是经不起仔细检查。
  • Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。
29 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
30 inviting CqIzNp     
adj.诱人的,引人注目的
参考例句:
  • An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
  • The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人,使人感到亲切温馨。
31 depressed xu8zp9     
adj.沮丧的,抑郁的,不景气的,萧条的
参考例句:
  • When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
  • His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。
32 gaping gaping     
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大
参考例句:
  • Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
33 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 );戳出;拨弄;与(某人)性交
参考例句:
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
34 auto ZOnyW     
n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车
参考例句:
  • Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
  • The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。
35 winding Ue7z09     
n.绕,缠,绕组,线圈
参考例句:
  • A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
  • The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。
36 maturity 47nzh     
n.成熟;完成;(支票、债券等)到期
参考例句:
  • These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
  • This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。
37 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
38 sniffed ccb6bd83c4e9592715e6230a90f76b72     
v.以鼻吸气,嗅,闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 );抽鼻子(尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气);抱怨,不以为然地说
参考例句:
  • When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣,吸了吸鼻子,擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
39 bantered 385cd03cd5e1d5eb44a1a058344e9fe9     
v.开玩笑,说笑,逗乐( banter的过去式和过去分词 );(善意地)取笑,逗弄
参考例句:
  • We bantered Nick on the subject of marriage. 我们就婚姻问题取笑尼克。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The rival team members bantered before the game. 双方队员在比赛前互相说笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
40 lessening 7da1cd48564f42a12c5309c3711a7945     
减轻,减少,变小
参考例句:
  • So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少,她花多少,她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。
41 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
42 wafted 67ba6873c287bf9bad4179385ab4d457     
v.吹送,飘送,(使)浮动( waft的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The sound of their voices wafted across the lake. 他们的声音飘过湖面传到了另一边。
  • A delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafted across the garden. 花园中飘过一股刚出炉面包的香味。 来自《简明英汉词典》
43 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
44 doorway 2s0xK     
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径
参考例句:
  • They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
  • Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。
45 copper HZXyU     
n.铜;铜币;铜器;adj.铜(制)的;(紫)铜色的
参考例句:
  • The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
  • Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。
46 glistening glistening     
adj.闪耀的,反光的v.湿物闪耀,闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
  • Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》
47 preoccupied TPBxZ     
adj.全神贯注的,入神的;被抢先占有的;心事重重的v.占据(某人)思想,使对…全神贯注,使专心于( preoccupy的过去式)
参考例句:
  • He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice anything wrong. 他只顾想着心事,没注意到有什么不对。
  • The question of going to the Mount Tai preoccupied his mind. 去游泰山的问题盘踞在他心头。 来自《简明英汉词典》
48 cholesterol qrzzV     
n.(U)胆固醇
参考例句:
  • There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
  • They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。
49 inevitable 5xcyq     
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的
参考例句:
  • Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
  • The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
50 get-together 1sWzOV     
n.(使)聚集;(使)集合
参考例句:
  • Well,Miss Huang,we are planning to have a casual get-together.嗯,黄小姐,我们打算大家小聚一番。
  • Will you help me prepare for the get- together of the old classmates?你能否帮我为这次老同学聚会做好准备工作?
51 meditation yjXyr     
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录
参考例句:
  • This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
  • I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉,我打断了你的沉思。
52 honeymoon ucnxc     
n.蜜月(假期);vi.度蜜月
参考例句:
  • While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
  • The happy pair are leaving for their honeymoon.这幸福的一对就要去度蜜月了。
53 envious n8SyX     
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的
参考例句:
  • I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
  • She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。
54 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
55 shuddering 7cc81262357e0332a505af2c19a03b06     
v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动
参考例句:
  • 'I am afraid of it,'she answered, shuddering. “我害怕,”她发着抖,说。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
  • She drew a deep shuddering breath. 她不由得打了个寒噤,深深吸了口气。 来自飘(部分)
56 muffled fnmzel     
adj.(声音)被隔的;听不太清的;(衣服)裹严的;蒙住的v.压抑,捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 );用厚厚的衣帽包着(自己)
参考例句:
  • muffled voices from the next room 从隔壁房间里传来的沉闷声音
  • There was a muffled explosion somewhere on their right. 在他们的右面什么地方有一声沉闷的爆炸声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
57 alteration rxPzO     
n.变更,改变;蚀变
参考例句:
  • The shirt needs alteration.这件衬衣需要改一改。
  • He easily perceived there was an alteration in my countenance.他立刻看出我的脸色和往常有些不同。
58 frantic Jfyzr     
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的
参考例句:
  • I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
  • He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。
59 peripheral t3Oz5     
adj.周边的,外围的
参考例句:
  • We dealt with the peripheral aspects of a cost reduction program.我们谈到了降低成本计划的一些外围问题。
  • The hotel provides the clerk the service and the peripheral traveling consultation.旅舍提供票务服务和周边旅游咨询。
60 desperately cu7znp     
adv.极度渴望地,绝望地,孤注一掷地
参考例句:
  • He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
  • He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。
61 chameleon YUWy2     
n.变色龙,蜥蜴;善变之人
参考例句:
  • The chameleon changes colour to match its surroundings.变色龙变换颜色以适应环境。
  • The chameleon can take on the colour of its background.变色龙可呈现出与其背景相同的颜色。
62 calculus Is9zM     
n.微积分;结石
参考例句:
  • This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题,微积分一点也用不上。
  • After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后,你们就能够解这些数学题了。
63 nonchalance a0Zys     
n.冷淡,漠不关心
参考例句:
  • She took her situation with much nonchalance.她对这个处境毫不介意。
  • He conceals his worries behind a mask of nonchalance.他装作若无其事,借以掩饰内心的不安。
64 vents 3fd48768f3da3e458d6b73926735d618     
(气体、液体等进出的)孔、口( vent的名词复数 ); (鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的)肛门; 大衣等的)衩口; 开衩
参考例句:
  • He always vents his anger on the dog. 他总是拿狗出气。
  • The Dandelion Patch is the least developed of the four active vents. “蒲公英区”在这四个活裂口中是发育最差的一个。
65 squealed 08be5c82571f6dba9615fa69033e21b0     
v.长声尖叫,用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • He squealed the words out. 他吼叫着说出那些话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The brakes of the car squealed. 汽车的刹车发出吱吱声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
66 perked 6257cbe5d4a830c7288630659113146b     
(使)活跃( perk的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)增值; 使更有趣
参考例句:
  • The recent demand for houses has perked up the prices. 最近对住房的需求使房价上涨了。
  • You've perked up since this morning. 你今天上午精神就好多了。
67 habitually 4rKzgk     
ad.习惯地,通常地
参考例句:
  • The pain of the disease caused him habitually to furrow his brow. 病痛使他习惯性地紧皱眉头。
  • Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair. 我已经习惯于服从约翰,我来到他的椅子跟前。
68 curiously 3v0zIc     
adv.有求知欲地;好问地;奇特地
参考例句:
  • He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
  • He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。
69 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
70 mortified 0270b705ee76206d7730e7559f53ea31     
v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 );伤害(人的感情);克制;抑制(肉体、情感等)
参考例句:
  • She was mortified to realize he had heard every word she said. 她意识到自己的每句话都被他听到了,直羞得无地自容。
  • The knowledge of future evils mortified the present felicities. 对未来苦难的了解压抑了目前的喜悦。 来自《简明英汉词典》
71 wary JMEzk     
adj.谨慎的,机警的,小心的
参考例句:
  • He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
  • Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头,突然警惕起来。
72 flickered 93ec527d68268e88777d6ca26683cc82     
(通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
  • These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。
73 perceptive muuyq     
adj.知觉的,有洞察力的,感知的
参考例句:
  • This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
  • He is very perceptive and nothing can be hidden from him.他耳聪目明,什么事都很难瞒住他。
74 mused 0affe9d5c3a243690cca6d4248d41a85     
v.沉思,冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 );沉思自语说(某事)
参考例句:
  • \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们,”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道:‘我们这是在干什么?” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史


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