This is my first attempt at writing any sort of Fanfiction, be kind folks.

RED ROBIN.

1. Running girl

He was lost. After twenty minutes of driving around the campus grounds, he finally decided to pull over. He'd already retraced his route at least three or four times and was still at a loss to where the block of her dorm room was. This weekend was supposed to have been a surprise for Bella. That had been the original plan… now it looked like he'd have to call her for directions.

He slumped in the driver's seat, resigned, as he pulled into the curb. The cool October air of Washington hit his face as he pushed open the door. His legs unfolded, finally able to stretch after the long, four-hour drive from La Push. Long hair fell over his eyes, he combed it back with a wide fingered hand as he stretched.

As he looked up towards the Quad, he saw Joggers shuffling past and sprinklings of couples making out in hidden corners. Everyone seemed to know which way they were headed. Everyone seemed to belong somewhere, or with someone. Everyone... except him.

Growing up, Jake had been convinced that Bella would someday belong to him... and him to her. In a way they already did. They'd been friends all their lives. Best of friends. They'd been thrust together by their families into the playroom, as cards were dealt and beers were drunk out the back. Playing in his backyard with her, their mothers would watch over as their father's exuberant curse words would be heard across a game of rummy. They'd been inseparable, Jake and Bella, thick as thieves, joined at the hip, until his mother had died, that is, and Bella's mother had left them. Through most of their high school years she had still been a constant in his life. Enough that Jake had always thought they'd end up together. He'd always imagined that the lifelong friendship they shared would become more. He had always clung to the hope of more… that she'd belong to him in all the ways he wanted. That was until He'darrived in their little logging town at the beginning of her senior year.

Edward, had taken ownership, that is. And own her is how it had seemed to Jake, at first. From the first day that guy had asked her out, Jake had felt that Edward monopolized all of her time. But Jacob had learned the value of patience. He'd learned to appreciate Bella's feelings, that she knew her own mind and her own heart. He'd learned the value of true friendship. He'd also learnt how to steal any time with his best friend that he could. Times like this weekend. He was sure Bella was going to be by herself today. Her boyfriend Edward had transferred to Berkeley this term and ever since then, she'd been free— more-or-less— every weekend. Jacob was determined to steal whatever time he could— if he could just find her dorm.

Turning from the view of the Quad, and all the couples making out, Jacob slammed the door of his car and stepped back on to the road.

It happened so quickly, the collision. His shoulder took all of the initial impact, spinning him around until he slammed into the side mirror of his Rabbit. Jake felt that burning sting as the bone on his hip met the metal. His arms came out, instinctively catching, in a twisting mess of arms and hands. It took him a moment to realize he'd been struck not by another car, or a bike, but by a girl. A girl who was running along the road at speeds fast enough to smack a guy into the side of his own car. Her arm was sweaty and warm as his hands wrapped around a firm bicep to help steady them both.

"Oh. Sorry!" she gasped, her hand still pressed against his chest as she corrected herself on her feet. As she stood back, Jake passed his eyes over her. She was one of those swim suit model kind of girls. The kind of girl that most other girls loved to hate. Probably a cheerleader, Jake thought to himself, and the kind that dated the quarterback... or the professor. She smiled a confidant grin, her eyebrow arching. Jake knew this kind of girl; she was the kind that the other guys were too scared to even consider to ask out. A little too perfect, and a little too vacuous.

Her hair was pulled back in to a braid that draped over her shoulder. She had on a pair of short, shorts with long, tanned and lean legs that seemed to go on forever. The V neck of her tank top scooped down just before her cleavage. But Jake could tell there'd be a good amount of cleavage if she'd been jogging in something lower. It was his experience that girls like her generally didn't mind their cleavage out for the boys to see. Not that he cared, he was here to see Bella, not ogle college cheerleaders who weren't looking where they were going. She was really pretty though, for a vapid brunette Barbie.

"No harm, no foul," he smiled politely, rubbing the side of his hip. He could feel the bruise forming already.

"I was a million miles away." She looked down and pressed a button on her bulky sports watch as she mumbled in approval to herself, nodding. "And on track for a good time breakdown."

He interrupted her self-congratulation, it was getting late. He hoped she could help him find Bella's dorm, she seemed to know where she was headed at least, and in a hurry to get there. "Um, sorry, but can you help me find McCarthy? I'm totally lost".

She looked Jake over, biting her lip as she seemed to think for a moment. With arms gesticulating and pointing and her pleasant voice giving Jacob his simple directions to the residence, he couldn't help but be distracted by her articulateness and complete lack of cheerleader giggle. "Clear as mud?" she smirked, the smile brightening what Jake thought was already a very pretty face. His preconceptions of her were being challenged.

"Yep. I'm sure I'll find it." He shrugged, meting her eyes and then looking back up to the road he should have been on. "How hard can it be?" He made his way back to the driver's door, sliding his long hair behind his ear. "Thanks for your help."

She smiled, putting her earphones back in before she started off into her near sprint-jog once again. "No worries."

Jacob started the car and took off driving alongside his tour guide for a few beats. He gave her a wave as he passed by. As he traveled up the road, his eyes flashed up to watch her in the rearview mirror. She held herself very well as she ran; Strength and power combined with a sense of grace and carriage. She had strong square shoulders and the long lean physique of someone who ran quite a lot. His eyes flicked back to the road, then back to the girl in the mirror, her figure receded from view as he rounded a corner. As the last glimpse of her shoulder disappeared, he focused back on the directions she'd given him, she ran this road a lot.

It didn't take long for Jake to find the building he'd been searching for. He scolded himself silently for not asking for directions earlier. He doubled back a few times until he finally ended up stalking some guy all the way to his car, and slotting into the perfect park right out front.

He stood at the base of the steps leading up to the building before he entered. He wiped his sweaty hand on his jeans, sucked in a breath and marched up the steps.

Then he remembered. He didn't even know what floor she lived on, let alone which room.

He came to an abrupt stop just inside the entry foyer. "Shit!" he cussed to himself. A few students walking passed eyed the crazy Indian calling profanities in the middle of the residential hall. For the second time that afternoon, his shoulders slumped and he let his hair hang down across his face. He wished he'd brought a hair tie. Jacob shuffled to the edges of the room and leaned over to the inside wall, gently hitting his forehead into the bricks for a moment, thinking.

Resolved to just call Bella and let her know the surprise of his arrival over the phone, he stood taller and spun around to make his way back out of the building. Jake just laughed and closed his eyes, shaking his head at his own stupidity. Before he had taken a full step though, he felt the collision. She squealed as she rebounded off his chest. His arm reached out, too slow, as the body he'd struck fell to the linoleum. Jake opened his eyes to see long legs, and slender arms splayed out on the floor beneath him.

He felt the mortification well up through him. Twice, in as little as ten minutes, he'd physically ran into a hot college girl. He looked down to the pretty thing sprawled on the floor, her smiling and forgiving eyes looking up at him. The same pretty girl, to be precise. Marathon Brunette Barbie.

She leant back on her elbows, stunned for a moment. Then, from her awkward position on the Lino, she started laughing. "Hey, you're the lost boy with the tiny car! Looks like you found the place. What's the rush?" She sat up and rubbed at the graze on her palm.

"Sorry. Oh God, I'm so sorry!" He bent down, reaching out an arm to help her up. Her long, toned arm stretched up and he held her warm hand as he helped pull her to standing. She wasn't as sweaty as the first time. "Your directions were great. I'm just an idiot who doesn't know my friend's dorm number."

Jacob sighed and put his face into his hands, his shoulders sinking now for a third time, at least his hair was still tucked behind his ear.

She stepped closer and reached a friendly arm up to his. Her hand was warm and electrifying as she brushed against his skin.

"What's your friend's name? I might know him?"

"Ah... he, is a she." Warily, he frowned, looking anywhere but at her understanding eyes. "Her name's Bella. Bella Swan? She's a sophomore but she only just moved to the on-campus dorms this semester."

She paused, looking intently into his eyes. Recognition flashed in her emerald gems, then she grimaced and looked up the stairs before back down to Jake. "You must be Jacob."

He nodded, frowning harder.

"I'm Renesmee," she pointed a finger towards herself. Jake just looked at her, waiting to see if that name was supposed to mean something to him. "Bella's roommate," she added.

Jake was struck suddenly by how much of Bella's current life he was detached from. He didn't know where she lived. He didn't know who she lived with. He wasn't even sure he knew anything about 'College Bella'.

Renesmee's head cocked to the side, as she seemed to think something over. Her lips scrunched to the side and she bit into her thumb nail.

"What?" he asked. Her hesitation both puzzled and worried something deep down in him.

She took a long breath in through her nose, her lips tucked into her mouth. She narrowed her eyes at him, watching him through her thick and long, natural lashes. "Bella doesn't know you're coming, does she?"

Jake shifted on his feet, his chin lifting. "I thought I'd surprise her. I know she'll be on her own this weekend." Then he stood rigid as a worrying thought popped into his mind. "You are in the middle of semester, right?" He felt his heart sink, his minds eyes conjuring an image of Bella currently on his door step back home for term break.

"Oh, No. Yeah, we are." He thought he heard a hint of irritation in her voice. "But, Edward flew in for a visit this week anyway." She said his name like a curse word. "He leaves tomorrow morning, at some ungodly hour, so…" She faded off, waiting for Jacob to fill in the blanks for himself.

Jacob looked at her, his brows raised, his eyes questioning and his head shaking slightly side to side. He saw the pity in her eye.

She pressed her palms together, as she decided how best to break it to the guy. She thought he was intelligent looking enough, but he seemed absolutely clueless on this topic. Bella wasn't the golden child her Chief of Police father thought she was, and judging by the secretly hopeful look in this guy's eye, he had no clue just how out of the running with Bella he truly was.

"So…" she clicked her tongue, still waiting for him to understand her cryptic statement. "They're kind of having a 'private' farewell party." Two fingers motioned in the air to qualify the word 'private'.

"Oh," he clipped, still not understanding.

Then she watched as comprehension washed over him, his face paling. "Ohhhh... man." His eyes lowered and he rubbed a broad hand at the color shading the cheeks of his russet skin. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?" He looked up at Renesmee through his hair as it finally fell back into his eyes.

She gave him a kind tap on the elbow. "You had good intentions. Maybe you just should have phoned first, or something, though." She turned, her cheeks reddening slightly. "Let's go up and see if they're…free."

He followed her, smoothing down his hair as she practically sprinted up the stairs ahead. Renesmee stopped outside a door halfway up the hall, gesturing towards it. "We're in room two-oh-three for future reference."

Jacob looked at the door. It was an old style wood veneer, a simple silver decal signifying the room number was stuck on the wood just at eye level; 203. On the handle was a gold and purple striped scarf, hanging there, teasing him and all his pointless wishing. As the meaning of the scarf washed over him, Jacob felt his heart sink. If there'd been a hole for him to crawl into he'd have been on his hands and knees head first.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" As if to answer him, a soft carnal moan drifted out from the dorm. "Don't answer that," he whispered. His arms hung by his side, he just stood there, fixed, his eyes locked onto the telling scarf. He felt a little sick... and very, very stupid.

Taking pity on him, she quickly linked her arms through his and turned him back to the stairs. "You look kind of fit? Do you do much cardio?" She didn't wait for an answer and just started pulling on his hand, dragging him away from the scarf and the moans coming from behind the door. "Let's go over to Husky stadium. I haven't run stairs for a while and you look like you could burn off some steam." She got no agreement or argument as she tugged him down the stairs and away from the sounds drifting from the door room she shared with the girl he secretly loved.