AN: This was a quickly written story, so I apologize any spelling or grammar errors. I thought this was good, short story, maybe the best I've written. I don't know. I guess I'm just saying that because I wrote it, but I hope you enjoy. Review, and I don't own Paul or the wolves, wish I did, but I don't
(CHAPTER 1)
"Outta my way, hoquat!" I heard before I was pushed to the linoleum tile. My binder and books fell to the ground and slid across the floor. I huffed, crawled around to pick them up, and walked a few more feet to my locker. I looked at my AP Chem, AP English, AP US History, and Pre-Calculus books. I pulled the English, History, and Calculus books out and put them in my backpack, and grabbed my binders for each in my hands before closing my locker.
I walked out to the student parking, threw my binders and backpack into the passenger seat of '67 Camaro, and climbed into the driver seat. My car had been my dad's and he had trusted me with it to drive as my own. I started it up, and pulled out, seeing the 'La Push Gang' hanging out by Paul Lahote and Jared Thail's cars, all seeming to be watching me as I drove past them.
Once I got home, I started on my English homework, then went to Calculus, and finished with History before going to my laptop and logging onto my online classes, Forensic Science and Government and Economics. I wanted to go into Criminology once I graduated, so I decided to join an online class to get started on learning everything.
I spent two hours working on that stuff, lecture notes, 'class' work, and homework. Once I finished, I saw it was almost seven and my shift at the diner on the reservation started soon. I changed shirts, grabbed a bite to eat, my purse, and my apron and name tag before I walked outside and drove the couple miles to the diner. I pulled around back, put my apron on, and walked around to the front.
I looked at the clock and saw it was exactly seven and hurried to clock-in. "LeAnn! I didn't think you worked tonight." I turned my head and saw Seth Clearwater, he being obligated to come in and work, for free no less, since his mom owned the diner. "Ya, I do. Must have the days mixed up, Mr. Clearwater." I answered, smiling as I went around and started clearing and wiping down tables.
At eight, I was standing behind the counter, holding back a yawn, which managed to slip out. "You okay?" I saw Seth walking out from the kitchen. "Just tired." I replied, ringing up a customer. "Thanks, have a nice night." I said, handing them their receipt and change. "How much are you pushing yourself, Lee?" He asked. "I'm not pushing myself, Seth! I'm perfectly fine." I replied, ringing up another customer.
"I saw you with all those books. Were they all homework?" He asked. "Ya, that's expected with AP classes Seth." I replied, wiping down the counter and pouring one person more coffee. "Lee, that's three AP classes, your Pre-Cal class. Are you still taking that class on the internet too?" He asked, stopping me from working. "Yes, I am. And you can't stop me. Seth, you can't worry about everything, you can't take care of everyone. If I want to do this, then I'm gonna do it. I'm working like this so I don't have to work so hard when I leave for college. The AP classes, taking a class online to get ready for my actual classes. I'm doing this, because it's my life." I said, pushing past him to fill orders once I saw a waitress clock-out.
I grabbed an order pad and looked at the new people at a table. My life sucks, officially of now. Paul, Jared, Embry, and Jacob were sitting at a booth with their girlfriends. The girlfriends who push me around, pick on me, and call me names all the time. I huffed, knew I had to deal so I got my pay check, and walked over.
"What can I get you?" I asked kindly. Paul's girlfriend flipped her badly dyed blonde hair over her shoulder. "A new waitress. I already have to see you at school, why would I want to when I'm wanting to eat something and not puke." She answered, her three friends laughing. I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, only two people are on the clock, me and Seth, and he's the one cooking the food right now." I replied, smiling. "Now what can I get you?" I asked again, and little snippy this time.
As the girls looked at the menus I saw the guys trying to keep from laughing. What at, I don't know and don't really care or want to know. "What has no fat, calories, or sugar?" Jared's girlfriend asked. I pretended to think for a minute. "A plate, cup. Course you'd probably considered those a starch. Either that or water." I replied, like they asked a stupid question.
"We'll have a diet coke and a salad." Jake's girlfriend said, sliding her menu away from her. I assume so I 'didn't come too close to touching her.' I wrote down their orders, then moved to the guys. "What about you guys?" I asked. "Just tell Seth the regular for us." Jacob replied kindly, handing me the menus off the table. "Thanks. I'll be right back with the drinks." I replied before walking away.
"Seth, need four salads, and a regular for Jacob, Paul, Embry, and Jared. What do they get to drink?" I asked him after telling the orders. "Coke. But keep it coming." He answered before starting on the salads first. I grabbed a tray, got four diet cokes, and four regular cokes. I balanced the tray on my hand and walked over to the table.
"Four diet cokes, and four regular cokes." I said as I placed the drink in front of the right person. I walked back behind the counter as my phone rang. "Hello?" I asked as I moved back out to clear off empty tables. "Hi, sweetie. You still on your shift?" My mom asked. "Ya, I have about," I looked up at the clock. "Another half an hour. It's 'til ten tonight." I replied, moving to the next table.
"Well, I was calling to say that I found something in the mail for you." "I never checked it. I wanted to get finished with my homework and other classes." I replied as I carried the dirty dishes to the back and then went back and wiped the tables down. "It's a few things actually. They're from Johns Hopkins, Salem State, and Yale." She told me.
I stopped wiping the tables and stood up straight. "Open them, do, JH, SS, then Yale." I explained, standing still as I heard paper tearing and sliding out.
"Johns Hopkins, accepted!" She read, keeping from squealing like I was. "Salem State, accepted!" Happier than the first. "And Yale." She said seeming almost scared all of a sudden. My mind started racing. I didn't get in. I wouldn't be able to go to the same college as my dad, like I always wanted. All the work I'd done hadn't gotten me into the one college I'd wanted the most. "We hereby inform you that…..honey! You got accepted! Sweetheart, this is amazing!" My mom screamed in the phone. I dropped my hand away from my ear, not able to process this. I got in. I was accepted. I got into Yale. I was accepted to Yale University! "Mom, I'll see you when I get home. I have to finish my shift." I said, feeling tears of happiness pricking my eyes.
I hung up the phone before she could reply. I finished wiping down the tables just in time for all the food to be ready. I wiped my eyes and grabbed a tray, filled it with plates, and walked with Seth to the only filled table in the diner. "Okay, four salads. Four steaks with mashed potatoes, two with carrots, one with green beans, and one with beans." I said as I handed out the salads and Seth handled the guy's plates.
I wiped my eyes and turned. "Lee, you okay?" I heard Seth ask. I sniffed and turned back around. "Fine, everything is perfect." I answered, smiling. "I heard you talking to your mom, what'd she say?" He asked again. "I, aah, got my acceptance letters in the mail. I never checked earlier before I left." I replied. "And?" He asked, obviously wanting to know what the letters said.
"I got into Johns Hopkins and Salem State." I said. "Lee…" Seth said, knowing I had been talking about Yale for months. I smiled before finishing. "And Yale." I said, laughing. "Lee, that's amazing!" He said, hugging me. "Why are you getting acceptance letters now? You still have another year of high school." Embry's girlfriend said like everything I was saying was wrong. "I'm graduating a year early." I replied, knowing practically half the school knew since the beginning of the year.
"Ease up on the cramming though. I'm surprised you haven't quit because you were exhausted." Seth told me. I rolled my eyes. "I'm gonna have to. Because if I get the scores I want on my AP tests, I won't have any freshman classes." I replied, smiling happily. "I forgot about that." Seth said, remembering why I was taking the AP classes in the first place. "Duh." I said, laughing before walking and picking up the empty coffee cup and the money the guy left for his drinks. I put the cash in the register, then wiped the counters down one last time, not being able to stop smiling the whole time.
I pulled my phone out and started playing the Burlesque soundtrack and Express started playing through my earbuds.. "It's a cold and crazy world that's ragin' outside; Well baby me and all my girls are bringin' on the fire; Show a little leg, gotta shimmy your chest; It's a life, it's a style, it's a need, it's Burlesque." I started singing as I wiped down the tables, made sure the coffee maker was ready for in the morning, checked the money in the register, and checked salt, pepper, and sugar shakers.
*Across the diner*
"Seth, what's her story?" Jake asked the youngest pack member. "Aah, moved here when she was fourteen. Her dad died about a year ago and ever since she's pushed herself into the AP classes, working here, I think even a couple classes online. Everyday she's here at five when my mom opens and goes to school. Comes home, and then comes here in the evening for her shift." Seth replied.
Paul, discreetly, looked over Lee. He noticed under the tank top and jeans…..she was hot! He saw three holes in each ear, and one in her cartilage, several bracelets on her arm and a couple rings on her fingers. As she carried the shakers back to the tables, he noticed ink on her shoulder blade. As she walked back to the counter, he saw tags hanging from around her neck.
"That's crazy. Does she ever take a break? Have any fun at all?" Embry asked as the song changed again. "I have no idea, but I don't think so." Seth answered. "Why do you guys care? She's a nobody. So what if her dad died?" Paul's girlfriend said loud enough for Lee to hear.
She stopped working and turned her head before stomping over to the table, leaning on her hands across from Paul's girlfriend. "You think my father dying is nothing?" Lee asked the girl across from her. Paul's girlfriend gave her an 'obviously' look. "We'll look at these." Lee said, holding out the tags around her neck. "My father served three times. To protect your selfish and insecure ass. He served once, went to college, couldn't get a job, served again. Came home from the time I was eight until I was sixteen. Four months after my birthday, he gets shipped out again. Three months later, after we got a letter from him for my mom's birthday, we're told he was killed. Ever since then, me and my mom have worked our asses off just to stay in our house, for me to go to school. What have you had to deal with? Screwing up a dye job, breaking a nail, not getting laid by a guy. Which one of us is more selfish?" Lee told the girl sitting next to Paul, who was shocked by what Lee had said to her.
Lee stood up and as she untied her apron, she told Seth, "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Seth." Before walking into the back, clocking out, and walking back with her purse. She walked out the door and disappeared around back. The guys in the pack heard a car start up, and pull around front before they saw the tail lights of Lee's car, before pulling out onto the road.
"Damn." Jared said, grinning at the sight of the reservation hoquat defending herself to possibly the most popular girl on the reservation.
*Lee*
The next morning, I get to the diner at five thirty to make sure everything is ready to open at six. I walked back to the kitchen and saw some dishes were left dirty and set to cleaning them before opening. I plugged my ear buds in and was singing while I worked on the dirty plates and cups.
Paul and Seth walked into the diner and heard someone singing in the kitchen. Seth looked into the back and saw Lee finishing the last of the dishes from last night. "You've gotta talk to her sometime Paul. You heard her last night. She only has another six months before she's gone for good." Seth told the older pack brother. "I know! I just don't think she'd want to talk to me. Because, I kinda instigated all the shit people give her at school." Paul replied, hanging his head. "Dude, you've got to at least try!" Seth yelled at him.
As I finished the last of the dishes, something was telling me someone was here. I finished the last plate, dried my hands, and pulled my ear buds out as I walked out to the front. I was right. "Hay, Seth." I said when I saw him. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked when I saw Paul with him. "Hiding." Seth replied, smiling. "From who?" I asked again. "Jessica. Ended it with her, things were getting old." Paul replied with a huff. "Now who are you going to the dance with? You couldn't wait until tonight after the dance?" I asked him. "I'm just goin' stag." He replied, waving the second question off.
"You still going, Lee?" Seth asked me as I turned the machines on and switched the coffee maker on to start the coffee. "Ya, have to. Yearbook." I replied, making sure the napkins dispensers and salt, pepper, and sugar shakers were full.
"When'd you get the tattoo?" I heard Paul ask as I was walking around the diner. "Birthday present to myself." I replied vaguely. "What it is?" He asked again, pushing. I sighed and walked over and let him see my shoulder. I had it memorized before I even got it tattooed there.
Love you, coming home soon,
Dad
It was on the letter my dad sent with the one for my mom's birthday. The last thing I heard from him. I opened my eyes without realizing I had closed them, feeling tears pricking the corners. "I have to go." I said before I left the diner and sped off in my car.
'I promise I'll be home as soon as possible. Tell your mom I love her. And I love you too, Lee.' Dad said, smiling at me through the video chat. 'I will, love you too. I'll talk to you soon.' I replied, waving before the connection was cut off.
I slammed the brakes on and the car skidded to stop, the tires screeching. That had been the last time I saw my father before we got the letter, and then were informed he had been killed. I looked out at the road in front of me, tears blurring my vision. I was suddenly angry, and slammed my fists against the steering wheel.