My name is Coraline, and I have no idea about my family.
When I was three, I was dropped off here at the Seattle Home for Girls. Today, I turn 17, or at least this is the day I celebrated my birthday. I'm moving out of the home after two years of striving to get enough money to scrape by at the pizzeria down the street. Last year I found out that I am one half Quileute and the other English, which I knew. I have an English accent that I don't believe I created as an infant alone. Now seventeen and ready, I am making my way to the nearest Quileute reservation in hopes of finding out, who I am.
Three buses, a taxi, and a mile walk, I found myself tired and on the border of Forks and the reservation. One step and I would be closer to my history, hopefully. I lifted my leg and was about to make the step, until I heard a rustle in the brush. I had always been extremely paranoid and apparently obnoxious; I never thought I was though. One turn to the left, I saw a patch of silver fur that was gone in a second. I'm sad enough to say that even with my infamous paranoia, I hadn't found the time to stop at a cybercafé to see the dangers in this area. Instead of taking a graceful step that was simplistic and a symbol, I ran. I sprinted into the town area and some people looked at me like I was insane. I would've kept going if an older man in a wheelchair hadn't stopped me.
"Hello, miss. May I ask what you're running from?" He was so relaxed and poised; you could tell he was an authority figure.
"Animal, circling, silver fur." I was panting. I must have sounded like an idiot. When he thought I wasn't paying attention he mumbled something about a boy named Paul. I shrugged it off, he must have been talking about his son or someone insignificant at the moment.
"Not to worry about that, dear. The wolf issue is being taken care of in the area. May I ask where you are from?" He was looking at me like he could see into my soul, it scared me a little.
"Not too forward at all, I…uhm…needed some help anyway." Saying something like this must have seemed awkward to most people, but when you grow up in an orphanage you learn to ask for what you want up front or you fade away in the background.
He started rolling away motioning me forward. I walked with him all the way to a little red house with a detached garage. "This is my home, you might here some clinking and loud boys talking in the shed, that would be my son Jake and his friends."
"I'm sorry to intrude like this, but I had few options at this point in my life." I told him about the home and my life. He just nodded and understood. Then he got up and grabbed a fairly new looking album off the shelf and opened up to a page with a group picture. It was a bunch of boys and a girl. They were all laughing and some didn't seem to notice the picture at all. Billy pointed at one of the boys, then.
"This is Embry Call. He does not know his father neither does this boy, Sam Uley."
I was so confused on what he was trying to tell me. "This means…" I was hoping for some sign of information.
He breathed deeply and sighed. "I have always thought about they're families. You see, you have Embry's cheekbones and Sam's eye shape." I took a good look at the picture closely, those two specific features were unique to the two and they were replicated on my face. It was a little terrifying.
"You're the empty piece of the puzzle. I always wondered, but now that you're here." He trailed off. Could I really have two brothers that didn't even know they were brothers? It seemed all too weird.
"Are you trying to tell me that these are my brothers?" I pointed; it felt like I was trapped in a twisted dream.
"I'm not sure, but I have a good feeling about it. My hunches are normally good." He wheeled out of the door and called for his son, Jacob. Jacob was 6ft or so and in shape. He's not skinny and healthy, he's REALLY in shape.
"Sup, pops."
"Jake, this is Coraline." Jake hadn't noticed I was there, I wouldn't blame him. I was so shocked that I hadn't made a sound to show that there was a person sitting in the corner of the room.
"Whoa. Hey. I'm Jake." Jake seemed like a nice kid, I wonder how old he is. Maybe we could even be friends.
"Coraline. Nice to meet you." Cliché, I hated being cliché, but here I was….being cliché.
Billy rolled out of the room with Jacob following, probably to tell his son about his assumption. Everything was spinning out of control, what if they didn't like me? What if they didn't want to be related in the first place? Where was I going to live while I was here, trying to find a job? There were so many questions that I could not answer. While I sat there, pondering my thoughts, Jake came back. He mumbled something about Billy getting the guys. What had I gotten myself into?
"I'm sorry." Familiar words, too familiar.
"Why?" I knew Jake would be too nice for anyone's good.
"I feel like I just started a reign of terror on a happy family."
"Like a homewrecker?"
"Sure, sure."
Jake broke out in laughter, he almost fell to the ground. "If only you knew all the shit we go through, you're actually a good surprise, honestly. Not to mention the fact that you say 'sure,sure'!"
"What does my expression have to do with anything?" I know I sounded a little snobbish, but I was not one to tolerate harassment.
"I say it so much that I'm apparently trademarked for it." He was grinning ear to ear, like he had accepted me, tenfold.
"Ah…" No need in ruining something good.
"So, you're British."
"Very perceptive, yes. I assume so, I've lived in Seattle for thirteen years, always talking like this. Last year I found out that I was half Quileute."
Jake sat down on the ground next to me like he had heard his favorite children's story. "How did you do that exactly?"
"The home had a letter that they were to present to me when I turned fifteen. It was short and merely three or four sentences in length." I liked Jacob, he would become a great friend to me, and I could feel it.
He sat there and processed what I had just sad then he opened his mouth, then closed it and then decided to reopen it with sound this time. "Will you tell me what it said?" He decided to speak with a British accent that time. I laughed, and he seemed to enjoy that I was not offended.
"Of course, let me see. It was something along the lines of, 'Coraline you are a strong person by blood. I am sorry that I could not take care of you and that you're father is a deadbeat, but you should know you are loved. You are a Brit with wit and half Quileute. When you need family, find them. They are a loving people.'" I sat there saying the words like they had no meaning; I did not imagine myself with a family, ever.
"'Brit with wit' that was witty."
"I thought so. She probably couldn't provide a rhyme with Quileute, though."
"Maybe, and that was five sentences."
"Excuse me?" Why was he counting?
"You said three or four, that was five."
"Making up for the perception comment, aren't you?"
He started grinning like an idiot again, "Yes, mate." I smiled as Jacob chuckled. It was good to feel comfortable, I wish I had felt like this more growing up. After that we made small talk until Billy returned, he had brought back the two boys I recognized as Embry and Sam.
"Hello, my name is Coraline." They both stared at me shocked; I naturally assumed Billy had not discussed my accent with the two. As they stood shocked I took into account that they were like Jacob. Both were ridiculously tall and toned. I was happy that I did not have a bad family history, honestly.
"So, you're my little sister!" Embry spoke first; I was so happy that he was easy to charm over as Jake. Nevertheless, Sam just stood there, shaking. After twenty Mississippi's and Jake and Embry glaring at him to calm down, he spoke.
"Welcome to the family. I'm not angry at you. I am royally pissed off by my scumbag of a father."
Jake was glad enough to interject to break the tension, "He's a deadbeat actually."
"What do you know about it, beta?" Sam seemed tensed. I wondered why he had such an interesting nickname for Jacob.
"I told him about my past. I'll tell you if you calm down. You look like you're about to blow up." With that last comment I noticed Billy wasn't there because the boys took up so much space. I also noticed the extraordinary heat and shrugged off my coat. Embry and Jake guffawed at my comment. I don't know why exactly, though.
"My little sister's got nerve!" Embry was amazing for that, he walked over and hugged me. I praised the fact that one out of two brothers was enough for me. I admit it was a little disappointing to admit, until Sam piped up after calming himself down.
"Our little sister, Embry." Huzzah! Two for two!
"Good. Now that we're one happy, dysfunctional family I can tell you about my life before you tell me about yours!" When I sat down on the couch, Jacob said, I should tell my story last so he could get the rest of the guys to meet me. We were to meet at a clearing in half an hour. I was fine with that. I was more than happy to meet the characters in the picture on the coffee table. I found out about Sam's Emily and him being the leader, as well as Embry being named after a soap opera star and being mechanical.
"Brilliant! I can't wait to meet Emily, Sam. I also look forward to bringing out your acting skills from you, Embry." The two of them were beaming; it was marvelous to have a family.
"Coraline, it's time you meet the...gang..., and then you must tell us your story." Sam was very serious, but I was determined to use that for the best. He would be my protecting big brother and Embry would be the fun one. So much for hating clichés.