It was one thing to feel at home while bantering with Paul and reuniting with Embry. But I did not feel at all at home at my own 'homecoming bonfire'. It wasn't at all what I had expected. It wasn't until then I realised how much things really had changed in La Push.

Embry arrived early with arms full of wood to construct the bonfire in the back garden, interrupting my retort to Paul. It really was going to be witty! Once I thought of it that was… It wasn't particularly Embry that surprised me, coming through the door. He seemed to be very at home in Paul's house. It was the woman who followed through the door after him.

She was blowing her hair out of her eyes, her arms too full of Tupperware's to be of any help. She looked like she was struggling under the weight of them, but Paul- being an oblivious male- was of absolutely no help. I dashed off of the couch and grabbed the top three boxes. Giving the girl a sympathetic smile. She returned it with one of gratitude. She really was beautiful. She had soft features, bright blue eyes that were ringed with eye liner and a set of thick black eye lashes. She had pouty pink lips and the peaches and cream completion of a paleface that I had longed for when she had first moved to New York. She had a figure that most women would kill for. She was by no means a super model. No in the eyes of runway models this girl would probably have been considered obese. But she wasn't. No she had a womanly figure, ample bosom that was equalled out by the swelling of her hips, rounding her into an hour glass figure.

She really wasn't a skinny girl, she would never be mistaken for a little girl; she was a goddess. Her hair fell down her back in soft curls that were far too perfect to be natural. Her dress was figure hugging and travelled the length of her leg down to her calves and. It was a dark red, almost burgundy colour, and had a pair of gorgeous heeled sandals to match.

All in all, I felt a little intimidated by this girl. She looked as though she was dressed for a night on the town. I was wearing my comfy clothes and hadn't even bothered to do my hair. I wouldn't normally care, but this girl. She made me feel so undeniably….New York. She was the girl that I wanted to be when I was thirteen years old and I hadn't quite worked out that being me was enough, yet. That didn't come until I turned fifteen and got asked on my first date. By a boy who was just as native as I was. And I thought that he was the most beautiful boy in the world. And he was what made me into what I was. Broken. But it wasn't something that I wanted to think about now.

I was home, and there were people coming to see me. And I knew them, maybe not the grown up them, or the them that they've tried on for the day, but the them that they were when they were ten years old and my best friends. And I liked to think that, like me, they were still the same.

"Thanks for your help." The brunette beauty before me smiled. "Embry," She said his name a little louder than necessary to make it clear to the boy that she was talking about him. "Is a bit hopeless at actually helping the tiny little females in his life carry the mountains of food that he likes to eat."

"Sorry, babe!" Embry's disembodied voice called through from the back garden where he and Paul were sorting out the wood.

I chuckled. "He's still exactly like he was when he was ten then. Thinks that everyone is just as strong as he is?" I quirked an eye brow and smirked. The woman chuckled as she sorted through the food before her.

"I think I'll like you," The girl chuckled. "I'm Evie." She held out her hand.

"Aria." I replied. "And I'm sorry to say that Embry has not mentioned you!" I couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't. "In the three seconds that I've seen him since I got back, that is. But its Embry, I would have thought he'd be very quick to brag about finally having a girlfriend." I couldn't help but smirk at my small dig.

I heard the boy yell out in protest from the back garden. He could deal with it. He would always be the chubby short kid in my head. And no one would have believed that the same little Embry would have been able to get with a beautiful girl like Evie.

Evie smiled at me. "Ah, I'm not surprised he didn't mention me. He's too bone headed to think of anything that's happening at that very moment. He was probably too caught up in seeing you again." She told me, tossing a salad from the Tupperware into one of Pauls bowls. She knew her way around the kitchen. Something told me that she wasn't just some 'latest squeeze' she was a permanent fixture in Embry's life. Something, that I could realise I wasn't. Not really. I wouldn't be passing judgement on these people tonight. They were coming here to pass judgement on me. Even the ones who I had known up until I left LaPush, they wouldn't really know me anymore. As much as I already knew this, the girl before made that glaringly clear. She knew everyone better than I did.

And that terrified me. I was on my way in to a party where realistically I didn't know anyone. I had once, but I didn't now. I pushed down my nerves and helped in dishing up the various dishes Evie had prepared. "It looks like he hasn't changed since childhood then." I smiled at her.

She looked me over once, a strong motherly vibe oozing from her. "I think I'm going to like you." Evie stated. "Don't worry, I'll protect you tonight. I won't let Paul throw you to the wolves." She smirked.

I chuckled. "You have no idea how good it feels to know I have someone on my side." I told her. "This party is supposedly my 'homecoming' I have no idea who Paul has invited. But I don't really know anyone in LaPush other than him, Embry and my cousin Quil. I lost contact with everyone else."

She nodded sympathetically. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fit right in. Everyone is nice really. They can just be a bit intimidating all that once. When Embry and I first got together, he brought me to a Bonfire, similar to this one. It was terrifying." She smiled, somewhat fondly. "I punched Paul in the face that night because I caught him looking down my top. We've been fast friends ever since."

I couldn't help but gape at her. I couldn't believe that she just said it in good humour. Paul creeped on her, she hit him. All ancient history. All funny stories. All things that, for some unfathomable reason, I felt like I shouldn't have missed. Evie carried two bowls out to the table that was set up in the garden. I followed, picking up a couple of my own.

"That's is? He creeped, you punched and the three of you have been friends ever since?" I asked, incredulity creeping into my tone.

"What can I say, Arrie? I'm irresistible," Paul creeped up behind me, causing me to jump out of my skin. He was lucky that I had already placed down my bowls otherwise he would be covered in potato salad and cous cous. I slapped him on the chest, and I could feel the rumble of his chuckle. Dick.

Evie rolled her eyes and kissed Embry on the cheek. "You willing to bet that these two will be getting it on by the end of the month?" Embry asked his girlfriend. I felt my face turn bright red. I hadn't come home for this. I hadn't come back for Paul or Embry or anyone. But I knew the reason that my face was turning red wasn't because I wanted to splutter my objections. But because I could feel the attraction between Paul and me. And the fact that they could feel it too was embarrassing to me. It made me feel like a little girl. I couldn't get my words right. I couldn't gather them together enough to make myself coherent, I needed a good retort but my brain wasn't working fast enough.

"Don't you remember, Embry?" Paul asked, a smirk on his face, his hand snaking around my waist. "I don't need that month. Arrie's already my girlfriend. Has been for…" He looked down at me, a smile playing on his features. "What is it Aria? Eleven years?"

There it was, that quick retort, it just didn't come from me this time.

"Almost tweleve by my count," I smirked, loving the gormless look on Embry's face. "I do recall Quil being pissed off at our 'relationship' for quite a while before being whisked away to New York."

Paul kissed my hair, a gesture so intimate that it caught me off guard. "Well so long as you don't leave again I guess that I can forgive you and keep you as my girlfriend." Paul told me.

I stared up at him, in complete shock, no longer able to tell if he was kidding or not. But feeling completely out of my comfort zone. Terror flooding through my system. I wasn't ready for anything, not really. Not even something as old and familiar as Paul. But I was saved from saying this by the hoard of people who were pouring into Paul's garden.

Let the games begin.

A/N Hello to those of you who are still with me, and thank you for all your wonderful reviews! This chapter did not end up how I thought it would. I planned on actually having the bonfire in it, but Evie and Aria had some other plans. That Aria chick likes tangents! Please let me know what you think about the chapter, if you leave me a nice review I tend to update faster, its motivation! All writers need it! I love you and thank you for sticking by me! I'll update again soon, and I promise you'll get more characters when I do! Please review! Much love!