Oh, and there we were all in one place

A generation lost in space

With no time left to start again.

American Pie, Don McLean

The next morning is eerily quiet as I wake up from my deep sleep. I always sleep hard after my patrol days. The exhaustion doesn't seem to register in my body until my head makes contact with my pillow. This is no different for the other wolves. It's a hard knock life for us.

My parents are in the kitchen, a few rooms away from mine. With my sensitive wolf hearing, it's simple to eavesdrop on their conversation. They are speaking of Jared Cameron's son, who left a little over a year ago to Brazil. He's back now, I guess. It's strange that I never met this boy because we are the same age and we both have lived in La Push for many years. Apparently, this boy doesn't phase, according to my father. The voices are muffled, but I catch the gist of the conversation.

"Jacob told me that Jared's kid is coming back from Brazil," my father tells my dispirited mother in attempt to cheer her up.

"That's good news."

"Yeah. Alex is really smart. Foreign exchange student. It'll be good for Jared to have Alex back, though. I know how he misses his kids. They're his pride and joy."

I hear my mother begin to respond, and since I know my father will be immersed in each and every word that leaves her mouth, I take this as my chance to bolt. I escape the house, sneaking out through the back door of my room. Before I leave my backyard, I take precautions. If I am to prevent imprinting, I have to make sure the area is safe. I sniff the surrounding air and only detect one human's scent, which must belong to my mother.

With the fight less than one month away, I cannot afford to slip up and spot my soul mate. Alice will be cheering on and probably interfering to cause my downfall, but I won't let my guard down. Luckily it is summer vacation and school's out, so if it's any La Push girls, I won't be forced to see them involuntarily at school. I thank my few lucky stars for this incidental occurrence.

A walk along the edge of the forest is serene this fresh morning. The sun is hiding behind the clouds, but around noon it should show its bright and shining face again. I ponder the fate of the tribe as I stroll past several little houses of my neighbors. Will they be dead in three weeks? Will they be alive? Will they be missing a family member?

I stop thinking about where I'm heading and just let my feet take my somewhere. They lead me faithfully to an empty parking lot by First Beach. No one is out at the beach today. Their families must be holding them, tight and safe, at home. Until this Volturi danger is cleared up, I don't think the La Push beaches will see much action this summer.

Sitting down on the gravelly parking lot ground, I shuffle my feet around in the gray dirt. In the distance, I hear a few wolves snarling and practicing their fighting techniques. I won't have to tweak too many things about my brawl techniques. As long as I remember to keep my back covered at all times and not lose focus while battling an opponent equal in strength and—

"Hey!" a shrill, distinctly feminine voice rings out behind me. "You there! Do you know why no one's at the beach today? It's so nice out."

Don't turn around, Andy. It's her.

I feel the bond. It's tugging on me, screaming at me to turn around and face the girl behind me. But that little bit of defiant will power inside of me whispers for me to fight against the bond. It's not fate. It's not fate.

My voice is caught in my voice. I can't get a single word out. Instead, I fight every feeling in my body as I command my limbs to stand up. My legs shakily obey, and before I give myself the chance to go weak, I run away as fast as my legs will carry me. And with each stride, pain shoots through me. I'm running away from her. Why am I running away from her?

Because, the will power whispers again, it's the best for both of you.

I don't completely believe that. Well, it's too late to go back now. I've run away from her and now she'll never forget the first moment we met was a sour one. She'll never forget how incredibly terrible I am for running away. And if she ever found out the whole truth, she'd think I was a coward and a monster. This is the most wretched I have ever felt. The burning feeling never subsides. In fact, it grows worse.

At least I didn't imprint. I didn't see one glimpse of the girl, so I know I didn't forever bind my soul to hers. It's only a mere want to see her. I don't need her like a drug. Yet.

I do the only thing I can think of. I run straight for the forest to phase. Once my wolf takes over, I force myself to stop thinking about the girl I just ran away from. When that proves impossible, I just push her to the back of my mind and distract myself with the pack mind. This works a little better, but not much.

What's up, Andy? At least Elliot is cheerful this morning. His youthful optimism is refreshing from my depressing mood. I enter the clearing they are in and see him sitting on his haunches, watching two other wolves brawl.

Not much, little buddy. It hurts even more to lie about her, but the pack doesn't seem to notice my horrid lying. What's going on here?

Training, Molly grunts with the effort of thinking to me while mock-battling her little brother. Within seconds, Lucas is whimpering on his back. Molly reels with triumph, resting her paws on her little brother's furry belly. She releases him eventually and then joins me in the spectators' circle while Seth teaches Elliot and Lucas different techniques. It's a good thing he still remembers them from his training many years ago.

Jacob won't join us today, Molly tells me. He has business to attend to with Johnny Uley and the other pack. Plus your dad is nowhere in sight.

So it's just Seth, us, and the newbies?

Yup. Her gray tail swishes in boredom. I would challenge you to a brawl, but I get the drift that you would rather not.

Thanks, I nod my big head. Today's been kinda rough for me.

I can tell. Then Molly does the forbidden thing. She searches my mind. We all have the ability since we are all a part of the pack mind, but since our individual brains hold seemingly endless storage of memories, happiness, and pain, we tend not to search each other's minds. It is a tedious thing.

I pull away from her and the others, whimpering. It's uncomfortable to host another in my mind. No one enjoys mind searching. It's worse than mind reading. At least mind reading doesn't cause physically upheaval. If someone searches your mind, you feel it. You feel the presence of another's mind in yours and it is a terribly claustrophobic and invading feeling.

Cut it out! I skitter away a couple of steps, but distance makes no difference. At long last, the she-wolf pulls away, out of my mind, and I can hear the other voices chattering away at what Molly revealed to them.

You imprinted?! They practically chorus together in unison. Normally, I'd think that was creepy, but right now, it is completely and utterly irritating.

What the hell, Molly? I'm going to make you regret that. Snarling ferociously and springing forward, I leap forward and attack the she-wolf, tumbling with her. Eventually, she gives up and lets me pin her to the forest floor, knocking down a tree in the process.

A deep growl forms in the pit of my stomach and without thinking, the angered wolf inside of me elicits a deadly roar, ear-splitting like thunder. Each wolf, including the veteran Seth, takes a step back automatically. Molly's eyes bug-out and she whimpers under my menacing glare.

You're lucky I don't rip your cold heart out right here and now, I snarl, releasing the scared wolf out of my grasp. She trots off, fear still evident in her gaze and shock stroke her heart. She doesn't go far, just to the edge of the clearing to wait for me to cool off. By the reactions of the rest of the pack, no one else seemed to expect laid-back and friendly Andy to take a serious approach to anything.

Seth takes a cautious step forward, but from his thoughts, I can tell he's only here to help. Andy, this isn't you.

I don't answer. I just try to empty my thoughts. All that happens is I end up crumpling to the ground in anguish.

I didn't actually imprint. If you bimbos had actually used something called a brain, you would have figured out that I didn't imprint. I just heard her voice.

Then what? Damn you, Lucas, for always being the extremely sweet and curious one. Sorry.

I didn't mean it literally.

So what happened?

She called out to me, and I felt the bond pulling me to her. But I can't imprint now, not with the fight on the way. It would hurt her too much if I died and if she got hurt, I would never forgive myself. So when she called out to me, I ran away.

Their shock is silent, but I know they are all thinking the same thing. Only Molly has the guts to say it.

You're a douchebag.

I sink even lower to the ground, my snout touching the dirt and inhaling some of it. I deserve to be lower than this. I know. And in those two words, they know. They know everything. They know that even though I didn't imprint, I am still inadvertently and irreversibly attached to this girl.

It's okay, kid, Seth tells me encouragingly. We'll get through this together, because that's what packs do.

Thanks, Seth.

Molly waltzes over and swishes her tail again, a telltale sign that she's bored. You know what bothers me?

How many guesses do we get? Her little brother teases.

Shut up, Luke, and let me finish. What bothers me is that Alice told you that you'd imprint, right?

I nod. She didn't say much more than that.

Exactly! I understand her point of view, on keeping it a surprise, but the vamp could have at least told you it would happen so quickly! You didn't get one more day of freedom before you sold your soul to this mystery girl.

The thing is I don't really care. And when she's explaining this, I realize that I truly don't care.

Seth chuckles nostalgically. I remember a time when Alice Cullen couldn't foresee the wolves' futures. She couldn't see Nessie's either, or any other hybrid breed for that matter. The times, they are a-changing. Then he chuckles again.

Oh, please. You aren't that old, Seth. Bob Dylan was even before your time.

Shut up, Luke.

And then we all share a laugh. We can all tell that mine is strained, but no one comments. And for that, I'm grateful.