Chap 4:

Elise POV

I stared out the window of my new bedroom at Embry's house and puzzled over the fact that even though he had brought me home hours ago, no lights were on in his house. He told me on the treck home that his mom, Miss Lily, worked at the diner in town at night ever since he was a kid when she knew that one of his friends' moms could take care of him, and she had never stopped. For some reason, I believed his crazy story, maybe because I had been feeling odd ever since I met him and after his story everything just clicked.

My dad and I had eaten dinner when I got home, he was too distracted to even ask me about where I had been and who I had been with. I loved him, he had always been there for me especially after my mom had died, but he had recently started to drift away from me, shutting me off from himself so slowly that I hardly noticed. I missed the dad that I could talk to about anything. Even though the whole "Your daughter has a boyfriend" talk was guaranteed to be incredibly awkward.

It had been a long day and going to bed early sounded nice. Braving the La Push High School worried me because, let's face it I'm not that great at making new friends. I had been friends with the same 2 girls since kindergarten and had no issues with their friendship. I missed New Jersey dearly, but maybe going to school with Embry wouldn't be half bad. Even the thought of going to school with Embry, my soul mate couldn't help me to fall asleep. I tossed and turned all night and when I woke up the next morning it felt like I hadn't slept at all.

I threw on jeans and a t-shirt, not even bothering with any make-up. After a quick breakfast by myself, my dad left really early, I stepped outside with my school bag and slips of information and tried to find the bus stop. I have the worst sense of direction you could possibly have and after several wrong turns I noticed a beat-up pick up truck was following me. The truck pulled over and Embry rolled down the window.

"Guess I forgot to tell you I'd be picking you up, huh?" he joked.

I laughed and climbed into the passenger seat, "Why didn't you pull me over right away?"

"It was too much fun watching you try to find the bus stop!" he laughed again.

I stuck my tongue out and looked out my window.

"Hey," he said more gently, pushing my shoulder, "You know I'm not trying to be mean…you were just so cute. Stumbling around, looking in every direction…"

I laughed, glad that Embry had made me laugh this morning, man did I need it! We pulled into the parking lot at the small high school and I hopped out. Embry took my hand and proceeded to lead me through the crowds to the office, where I filled out all the paper work my dad and I hadn't already completed. Then he showed me to my class. I was only 16 years old, but I was taking all junior level honors classes, my teachers at my old high school had me skip my freshman year. Embry was a senior so I didn't really see him all that much during my day.

I did have lunch with him. He waited for me at my locker and then helped me find the cafeteria. All of his friends were sitting at a big table with TONS of food. I couldn't help but notice that Embry was the smallest of all of them and he was at least a foot taller than me. I gulped and I guess Embry heard because he squeezed my hand gently.

"Hey guys!" he said happily as he slapped hands with all of them, "This is Elise!"

He introduced me to them too. The really tall, strong guy with the shaggy hair who looked a little depressed and angry was Jake. The really strong looking guy who seemed incredibly happy at the moment (and who was going on and on about a game of Barbie, if I was hearing correctly) was Quil. Beside him sat the tallest, also the angriest looking guy named Paul. The nonchalant one beside him was Jared, who was sitting with a rather pretty girl named Kim, but after looking at the girl next to her, she looked rather plain. Seth was the hyper and happy sophomore sitting with his pretty older sister Leah (who was also sitting next to Kim). Embry and I sat down and I found myself sitting next to Leah. I smiled at her shyly and glanced away. She nodded to me and began scarfing down her food.

Embry kept his hand in mine even as he began to scarf down more food that I could eat in a day. Kim winked at me and mouthed that they were pigs, getting her a shove from Jared. I really liked everyone, they were so friendly and happy…they even accepted me.

The rest of the day flew by and soon I was again sitting next to Embry in his car. I couldn't help noticing the 80's rock he was playing and made a face.

"What?" he asked not even bothering to turn down the volume.

"How can you listen to this?" I asked him, as I turned down the volume.

"How can you not like it?" he asked in return, turning the volume up.

"I'm making you some CD's!" I shouted over the now unbearable noise. I must've turned really pale because Embry turned it down right away and looked concerned.

"You ok?" he asked, sounding genuinely worried.

I nodded, "That music gives me a headache!" I tried to joke, "Actually, I can't listen to really loud stuff, it makes me sick."

He nodded and turned it up a bit, checking with me to make sure it was ok. I nodded at him, showing that no matter how horrible his choice in music was, the volume was fine. I didn't even notice when we pulled into the diner.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, anxious to start my homework…at home.

"We're going on our first date!" Embry chuckled, "And I'm hungry, can't drive on an empty stomach!" He patted his flat stomach for emphasis.

I laughed as he pulled me from the car and had to run to match his long strides. The door to the diner jingled as we stepped through and the rush of warm air felt good on my red cheeks. I began coughing and couldn't stop for a long time. Embry looked at me, the alarm clearly written on his face as he took me to an empty table. The hostess ran up with a glass of water.

"Honey, are you alright?" the kind woman asked.

I could barely catch my breath so I nodded. Embry pushed the water in front of me.

"Drink," he ordered, concern leaking into his rough tone.

I listened to him and soon found that I felt fine. "I'm good," I told him and the hostess.

"Good, you gave me a scare darlin'!" she told me, "My name's Sue, by the way, Sue Clearwater."

"Well thanks, Ms. Clearwater, I'm Elise."

She laughed, "I know dear, you'd be amazed how fast news travels around here! Now what can I get you kids?"

Embry began ordering everything on the menu and the kitchen sink. I chuckled at the scrawl on Sue's pad as he kept going. Finally he stopped and I ordered some soup. Now I'm not the girl who eats nothing on a date, but the coughing left me tired and my throat was sore. Plus what girl would think she ate a lot while dating a werewolf? I laughed to myself at the joke.

"What?" Embry asked, eager to change the subject from the uncomfortable one of my coughing to the lighter subject that I was laughing about.

"Just thinking about how much you eat!" I teased him.

His laugh boomed around the near empty diner. "Tell me something about you," he pleaded.

"Let's see," I started, "I'm afraid of spiders, blood, any insect and the dark. Now you go."

"Hmm, I live with my mom, I've lived here my whole life. I don't know who my dad is, there's like this unspoken rule in our house not to talk about him," Embry told me his eyes becoming darker, more serious, "Now you tell me, where's your mom?"

I fought back the tears that always came when I even thought about her, "She died, I was really little. Dad says she had some kind of cancer." I tried to laugh, but I just ended up choking, "I really miss her sometimes."

Embry patted my hand gently and told me he understood.

"You're really good at that you know," I told him.

"What am I good at?" he asked, obviously confused.

"Making me feel better," I told him and blushed, "I can't believe I said that!"

He laughed again, "What's your favorite color?"

I had to think a minute, "I've got three pink, purple and yellow…you?"

"Blue," he told me and blushed, "The color of your eyes."

Now it was my turn to blush, "What do you want to do when you graduate?"

"Dunno," he told me, "I never really though much on it, my mom and I were thinking a teacher, but I want to do something I love. I was thinking about being an architect."

Ms. Clearwater came then, interrupting Embry, to put the food on our table. I swore I could hear the table groan.

"You'd be a great architect," I whispered, "I was thinking about being a librarian or a teacher."

Embry looked at me thoughtfully, "But your so smart, why don't you be a lawyer or something high paying?"

I looked at him dubiously, "Could you see me as a lawyer?"

He laughed and grabbed a fry from one of his plates, "No, definitely not a lawyer."

This was a perfect moment, one I would replay over and over when I was too depressed to think about the present or even the future. Which, coincidentally, would be too often.