Chapter Two...enjoy!

The past few days had passed in slow succession. Emily tried to reach out to me constantly, but she never pushed me to into putting a happy face on. My Aunt and Uncle both realized that I didn't want distractions from the grief just yet and left me to my own devices. I spent most of my time sitting on the window sill, my mind flooded with memories and tears streaking my cheeks until the sun sunk behind the mountains and night arrived. I had tried to ignore the memories, tried to fight off the pain that came every time I realized I would never be able to hug her ago, or have her flop on the couch next to me after a tiring day at work. I welcomed each and every memory of my mother. Photo's only captured one moment in a long and rich life time and my memories were so much fuller. I could still hear her laugh echoing through the house, and still see the way smiles cracked across her face.

My eyes drifted over to the bedside table, and I drank in the image of my mother I had placed there. It was that last picture of her that I had ever taken, and Emily had gone out of her way to find the perfect frame for it. I could hear my aunt down the kitchen, bang pots and pans around as she went about making breakfast. The scents of bacon wafted up the stairs, across the hall and beneath the crack at the bottom of my door. I still didn't feel as if this room was my own, even now that my things littered each and every surface, and photos and painting that I had saved from my mother's apartment in Australia hung on the walls.

"Claire!" Emily's voice was muffled by the distance, "Breakfast is ready!" I sighed and slid off the windowsill, glancing quickly in the antique mirror on the wall and shaking my head at the puffy and red eyes that greeted me. There was no way that I could hide the tear streaks that had dried on my face, like salty track marks, and I contemplated washing my face before heading down stairs. I wasn't ashamed of the tears and Emily never made attempts to hid her own red eyes.

The stairs creaked as I made my way towards the kitchen and Emily peaked around the corner, smiling in greeting.

"Morning, did you sleep alright?" she asked. I could see the slight hint of redness in her eyes and I wondered if she had been crying earlier in the morning. I couldn't even begin to imagine how much strain she was under. I knew my mother and Emily had been extremely close before my Mother had moved away. Ever photo that I had ever seen of Emily and My Mother together was a joyous, playful and loving picture. Emily had been the maid of honor at my mother's wedding and her fresh face, that wasn't marred by the scars shone in each and every photo. My mother wasn't the kind of person who got over the loss of a friend, or loved one easily and I was sure Emily was the same.

I nodded my head in response and she busied herself once again with the preparations. My Aunt hummed as she went and though I wanted to help, I could barely toast, bread without burning. I wasn't the kind of person who could sweep around a kitchen and simply whip up a meal at short notice.

"I was thinking Claire. You turn seventeen in two weeks, would you feel up to a party with a few of our neighbors?"

"Uh…" I hesitated. This was exactly the kind of opportunity that my mother would have pushed me to accept. It was the first step to heading back out into the world. I had left all of my friends behind and the thought of starting out at a new school scared me. Sam had brought up the topic of school two nights ago, and though they weren't going to push me to start school for a month or so, my Uncle had let me know that the option was available if I wanted to try and bury myself in something and distract myself with school work. "Alright…" I said, surprising myself with the flicker of excitement that came to my voice.

"That's great, I'll call the Clearwater's tomorrow," I could hear the relief in my Aunt's voice and I was sure she was glad to see that I wasn't trying to shut the world out.

"Thank you for the photo frame did-did you get it in town?" I asked, not sure if I had expressed my gratitude for it just yet.

"I got it at the gift shop. There are quite a few nice places in town, I'll take you with me on Saturday if you're up for -"

I jumped slightly as the front door banged open and a few loud voices suddenly filled the house.

"Mmm, Emily's cooking bacon!" A deep husky voice chortled. There was a grunt of agreement.

"Hey Collin!" another voice called, obviously beckon to a friend, who was still outside, 'Hurry up, I won't save you any this time. The last time you lingered at the lake it got cold. It was depressing."

Emily froze and glanced towards me with wide eyes. I tried to ask what was going on, but she pressed her fingers to her lips and when I tried to lean around the corner to see who had just walked into my Aunt and Uncle's house she grabbed my elbow.

"Stay here." she ordered in a soft whisper, pushing me gentle into the corner. "Hey guys," she called, turning her head over her shoulder, "What are you doing here?" She waited until I nodded at her command and she disappeared into the front room. I stood still and listened. The front door opened again and someone entered.

"Hey Emily," a higher voice said, "Sam's on his way back, he got stuck by the southern border. He wasn't too keen on us coming here. Wouldn't tell us though,"

"Collin," the first voice interjected, "Clearly it's because there's bacon"

"No, I'm sorry you three. I know you must be starving, but Sam was supposed to tell you not to come over this morning." I furrowed my eyebrows and wondered if the three men were workmates of Sam's. My uncle worked extremely odd hours and though I didn't really feel like asking why he would leave just after dinner and return only after the sun had risen. I could figure things out for myself and the idea that he needed two jobs to support him and his wife made me wonder if my presence would be a strain on their finances.

I somehow suspected that their morning breakfast here had been cancelled for my benefit and the utter disappointment that came to one of their voices at her response made me feel slightly guiltily. "I- I don't mind," I said, peaking around the corner, "I don't mind."

The three men barely fit in the entry way and my eyes went wide at the sheer sight one them. They were all tall and muscular; their heads shaved except for one with a shaggy mop that feel to his ears. The three men were all in cut-off jeans and a blush rose to my cheeks when I realized they were all shirtless.

"Hi," one of them waved, eye's narrowing slightly, wondering if he recognized me, "I'm Embry," Emily looked frantically between the three men and me, and I wondered if she was afraid it was too soon.

"Collin," The slightly smallest of the three said, nodding his head in greeting.

"Jacob,"

"Claire," I said in a strong and confident voice. The one called Jacob eyed me from head to toe, before the briefest flash of recognition sparked in his eyes. He glanced towards Emily in disbelief, his eyes darkening though not at me.

"Claire, as in, Claire Young?" he asked.

Yep Jacob is pissed. Oh No! The drama!

Yeah ok. Enough from me, I'm already working on the next chapter.

I've been typing so much recently that my keyboard squeaks.

PJ Butter