CHAPTER 3
Discliamer** I am not Stephanie Meyer. I wish I did, but I don't own anyone.
A/N Hey there!! Chapter three!! YAY! I had a shopping trip today and brought an I love Jacob shirt!! I was soooo exctited. I hope I'm doing okay. Let me know!
NEYA POV
I saw Green, dripping forests, multicoloured rocks, tiny wooden houses. La Push. I smelt rain, salt and mouldy wood. I heard waves crashing, seagulls swawking, and a keening, grating screech that told me Jakes car was out of gas. Nessie burst out in her astonishing bell-like laughter at Jakes grunts and sighs as he tried to push his ancient 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit faster. With another metallic groan, the car rolled to a stop. Jake cursed and hit the steering wheel, as Nessie and I strained to control our giggles. Nessie put a hand to Jakes face, as if to comfort him. I didn't see any exchange of words, but Jake opened his door, got to the back of the car, and began to push.
"Neya, you steer. Ness?"
"Yeah Jake?"
"I need you here."Nessie made a face, and climbed out of the car to join Jacob. They exchanged a look, and Nessie reached up to touch his face again. He nodded, and they beagn to push.
"We need some music. Neya, can you find the Paramore Cd for me? Its in on the floor." Jake asked. I looked down, one hand still on the streering wheel.
"Okay, I can not find one Cd in that mess." I reached out and grabbed the first Cd I could touch. Debussy? I always took Jake for a metal kind of guy. I glanced at the road, realising we had stopped.
"Jake? Um, where are we?" I asked, confused. The scenery was completely different, like we'd travelled miles instead of metres.
"La Push, Neya. Duh."
"No, I mean, how far did you guys push?" They exchanged a glance, and Nessie looked over the car.
"Hi Billy!" she yelled. I turned. Billy Black came rolling up to me in his wheelchair. He was starting to look worn out. He waved quicklt at Nessie, then opened his long arms to me.
"Neya Black."
I smiled, running at him. "Uncle Billy!" I hugged him tightly, trying to put all my happiness at being back here in la Push into the embrace. I think he understood. He held me at arms length, looking me over.
"You look so much like your mother." I smiled at him. "So beautiful."
"I'll say." Agreed Jacob.
SETH POV
"Seth…Seth…SETH." Someone was shaking me. It wasn't Leah. I knew she'd never wake me up. I wrenched my eyes open and groaned when I saw Sam's face. I was NOT waking up for Sam, I decided. The hands vanished, only to be replaced by an ice cold pair.
"Seth, son, time to get up." It was Carlisle. Nup, not waking up for him, either, I thought. Someone was shaking me again. Two soft voices filled the room.
"Seth? Sweetheart? Time to get up." It was Esme. Cool. Should I wake up for Esme? Nah.
"Seth? Hun, come on. Open your eyes." It was Emily. She was shaking me gently. Wake up for Emily? Ummmmmm…nah.
"Nothings working. He won't get up." Yeah, that's right.
"Move over everyone. I got an idea." Leah. Aw, crap. I heard a swoosh and felt ice cold water soak me. Including my bed. I opened my, eyes, growling.
Leah saw my look, laughed, and piss bolted downstairs.
"LEAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I bellowed. As I made to jump up to throttle her, I became aware that I was not alone in the room. Carlisle, Esme, Sam, and Emily were standing in the corner, watching. Emily looked like she was fighting giggles. Esme was looking undertstanding. Carlisle looked amused and wary, and Sam looked…calm.
"Uh…hi." I said, crossing my arms. "If its not too rude, may I ask why you four are standing in my bedroom?"
Carlisle was the first to answer. "This morning, when you phased to run here, did you catch any unfamiliar scents?" I thought about it.
"Well, Collin and Jared were on patrol," I said as Sam started nodding, "I was thinking about my Dad, and his fish fry, and that sorta kept me occupied. I wasn't listening to the others thoughts. If I had smelt something it probably wouldn't have registered anyway. Ask the others, they might have caught something on the edge of my mind about a scent."
"We will." I turned away. I was curious as to who's scent it was, but I thought it rude to ask.I wondered why Sam was involved anyway. I mean, he'd given up his wolf a year ago, so he and Emily could try for a baby. No luck yet. They all filed out of the room, and I decided I'd grab a bite to eat, and then run back home to La Push before the bonfire. I didn't really care if I was late tonight. Bonfires were normally the haunt of happy couples. I sped downstairs to the kitchen, where Mom was just putting a plate of spaghetti in front of Charlie and Leah. I snagged it just as Leah was about to spear some.
Mom whacked me round the head and I put it back down.
"Yours is over there, my little piglet." I quickly wolfed down the contents of the plate and ran out the door with barely even a 'See you tonight!'. I thought I heard Leah say something like "Mom, why does he even pay rent with Quil? He eats and sleeps here." Whatever, I thought. I'll get her later.
NEYA POV
We ate Billy's 'super secret' spaghetti for dinner. Aka, Ragu. Whatever, it was good. After dinner I took a quick shower, and Nessie went home. Apparently I would meet her family later in the week. I put on a pair of jeans, a green sweater and my favourite red jacket on top. I ran downstairs to where Billy and Jake were waiting. The front door opened, and in walked Nessie in jeans and a stylish purple jacket. Jake smiled appreciatively.
Seeing as Jacob's car was out of gas, we beagn walking up the beaten dirt road, whistling as we did so. Suddenly I heard shouts and laughter and the crackling of a fire. The view from the clifftop was beautiful. The sunset, peeking out between gray clouds, and the water lapping gently against the rocks hundreds of feet below. I barely had time to enjoy this, however, because the second I stepped into the clearing I was surrounded by dark skinned guys, all smiling happily. I'd say they were tall, but that would be an understatement. They were HUGE.
"Neya!!" was the shout heard everywhere. I named the few I recognised.
"Quil! Embry! Sam! Emily!" I smiled. This was going to be a good night.
************
An hour later, we were all sitting around the campfire, talking and eating, just like old times. The blue and green flames were licking hungrily at the pile of driftwood. It was just like old times. I knew the stories would start soon. But something was missing. No, scratch that, someone. Seth. My best friend Seth. Somehow the fire didn't seem so much like old times with out him. As Nessie and Jake started making out, I thought about Seth and all our good times togther. I smiled into the driftwood as I remembered him holdingmmy hand at the bonfires when I got freaked out by the stories. Even then, he was not only my best friend. He was my figure of safety. But I knew my friendship with Seth had died with my father.
Suddenly Jake and Nessie parted, rather abruptly. I hadn't heard anyone say anything.
"You're right, where's Seth?" he asked worriedly. My mouth opened at mention of his name. Jake stood up.
"I'm gonna go find him before the legends start." He said. Nessie stood too.
"I'll come."
"No, Ness, stay here with Neya. I don't know where Seth is. I'll be back soon." He smiled and disappeared into the darkness. I got to talking with Nessie. Half an hour later, her phone rang. She smiled and pulled out a Purple razor. Cool. She flipped it open without even looking at caller ID, rolling her eyes.
"Hi Daddy." She sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. Why? Whats up?" She paused. "Sure, put on Aunt Alice." She listend to whatever her aunt was saying. "Who?" she asked, playing with her hair. She frowned. "What do you mean she couldn't see? Was it dark, or was it.." She glanced at me. "Um..was it one of the…guys?" She paused. "Both? Oh…" She looked away, listening. I took the time to slowly rise and sneak away, back to the road. Thinking about Seth Clearwater had sparked a memory. A memory of a cave he had shown me when we were ten. I'd slipped down the very path I was searching for in the dark now. I'd slipped, and knocked him over on the beach, Then we'd walked to the cave. That was our hideout, our place, and I just wanted to see it again. I blindy blundered through the wet ferns, and in the light of the moon and the distant bonfire I saw the opening for the track. It was steeper than I remembered. And more slippery. As I struggled to stay upright I heard a crunching of rocks, and a panting behind me. Aw crap. An animal? It sounded big. I turned my head, and in doing so, didn't look where I was going. I stepped on a loose rock, which rolled from underneath me. I lost my footing, and tumbled down the slippery hill. I felt my head collide with something hard, and everything was black.
SETHPOV
I was at home, watching TV, when it suddenly dawned on me that I was supposed to be somewhere. Crap. The bonfire. I leapt up, threw on some shorts (I'd been lounging in my boxers) and ran out the door. But, instead of driving, or phasing, I started walking up the road towards the cliff. When I got just past Billys', I decided I'd walk up the beach, then use the old path up to the bonfire. The scenic route, I called it. When I got halfway up the beach, I glanced up towards the clifftop. Sure enough, the bonfire was blazing, and even from this distance I could hear laughing and food being passed around. I imagined them all sitting there, in pairs. Sam and Emily, Jake and Ness, Paul and Rachel, Sue and Charlie, Jared and Kim. Even the singles would be together. Thinking about the couples got me thinking about how I was lonely, which got me thinking about Neya. Again. Back to square one. Again. I though about all our fun, and how she left, Then I though about how we met, and how we went to the cave, Our special place. Suddenly, I wanted to go there. I walked faster, intent on my destination. But, when I got to the opening in the ferns at the base of the cliff that showed where the path from the bonfire was, I heard three sounds. First, I heard the crunching and rolling of loose stones, and someone trying to walk down them, grabbing at the ferns to stay upright. Next, I heard the panting of..uh..no doubt, a werewolf. I wondered who it was. And then, just as I decided to call out to whoever it was, I heard a large rock rolling loose, a shriek, and the slipping, sliding sound that told me someone was falling down the track. Just before whoever it was became visible, I heard a thump, and the shrieks and yelps cut off. The person had been knocked out. A body rolled slowly from the trees, a few feet from where I was standing. I couldn't see who it was in the light, but I checked their pulse, picked them up and carried them up to the bonfire, where everyone was sitting, chatting as usual.
"Guys!" I yelled. Suddenly everyone was around me, the person was aken from my arms, and was surrouned by the ladies. Before I knew it, in all the confusion, someone was dragging me by the arm into the trees. It was Sam. Jake joined us in a few moments. For some reason, I was yearing to return to the bonfire. They started talking, and asking what happened. I told them the truth, and before I knew it, it was almost morning. I was home, and thinking about why I wanted to keep going back to the person so badly. When Carlisle had come, and taken Jake, Billy, Mom, Charlie, Leah, and Nessie and the person backto Billy's, I had felt a strange tug to go with them. No, I thought. You don't even know this person. But all night, the need to go and see if they were okay pulled at my self. In the misty time between sleeping and dreaming, I thought about that person. Who they were, what had happened in their life, and why fate had pushed them down that slippery hill into my arms.