It is very awkward to live your life well into your twenties and finally realize, on your twenty-seventh birthday, that you won't be given a happy ending.

It was November 13, I was 27, and I was at a hellish birthday party which consisted about seven people. And most of them hated me. I had been pretty much a bitch since Sam left. I mean, at this point it was more out of habit than because of him. And also I wasn't 27. Not really. I mean, I had lived 27 years. But my body was stuck at 20, where it had been when I phased, thanks to Jake's stupid leech pals.

I sat in the corner of the couch, making myself as small as possible. My mom was talking with Charlie, her fiancée, Jake was doodling about with the halfling, who appeared about 11, while Bella hovered, and Seth was chatting animatedly with Edward about something scientific. I had put my foot down when the entire clan tried to come. Mostly, I was miserable, and I was pretty sure this party was more about them than me.

"Hey. You about ready for cake?" I smelled him coming. He still reeked of vamp.

"Aren't I always?" I said, referencing our insatiable wolf hunger.

They brought it out and sang, in incredibly off-key voices, and it was gone in seconds. I barely managed to wolf down - haha wolf… shut up, Leah- my piece without Seth snatching it from my hands. Everyone cleared out. I couldn't think, so I went for a run. Jake and Seth were doing patrols.

Yo yo big sis. How's it feel to be nearly thirty?

Can it. I'm just passing through.

I love anything to distract me from the Big Alpha.

HEY. I heard that.

No offense bro, but you've been raving about Nessie's multiplication tables for ages.

Well, could YOU do that when YOU were 5 years old?

Isn't she like, 11?

Whatever.

Ok guys later.

Leah?

Jake?

Happy Birthday!

I phased back before responding. "Thanks, asshole." He didn't hear. I had ran to a cliff that looked over the ocean. It was one of my favorite places to think. Seeing the stars and the sea made me feel like destiny was out there, waiting for me.

Then I thought about Mom and Charlie. Emily and Sam. Jared and Kim. Jake and Nessie. Hell, even Bella and her leech. When would my turn for love come? Shit, when would my turn for happiness come? When would people stop dying and leaving and falling in love?

When would I get my happy ending?

But what if your story isn't written with a happy ending? My story wasn't, I realized. My story was abandoned, like the author thought, "Eh. Her life sucks. And so she lived… forever." I was just left to literally run in circles around the same house of leeches for the rest of my life. That was when I realized I had to leave.