I Own Nothing
The soft silky sand scraped the tender blisters that coated the bottom of my feet.
My ballet flats dangled uncaringly on the tips of my fingers as I head toward the glowing light of the bonfire the blue flames standing out on the deep plum streaks that smudged the otherwise perfect horizon transforming it into its own brand of beautiful.
The boys hollered as they saw me approach. I offered them a half hearted smile, "Kay!" an enthusiastic Quil swept me off of my feet literally as his excitement got the better of him.
"Hey Quil" I chortled as he sat me down but the moment my feet touched the cool sand which was a happy change from the feverish heat that seemed to radiate from the boys skin.
Somebody picked me right back up spinning me around
"Embry put her down" I heard Paul say jokingly "you're gonna make her dizzy" I twisted my head wanting to see the face of my captor.
"God" I gasped Embry Call the skinny humorous boy that was attached at the hip to Quil had gone through the same change that Quil had. "Nope just me" he grinned setting me down.
He finally relinquished me from his grip and turned still keeping his arm over my shoulder this is Jared and his girlfriend Kim.
I knew Jared in passing but I had never met Kim before, I sized her up covertly under my lashes.
She was pretty but it was the way that Jared looked at her the reverent way he looked at her that made me really look at her and notice the way she looked at me like a sister and the way that the delicate skin around her eyes crinkled when she smiled.
I smiled at them before Paul distracted me.
"Hi"
"Hi"
we seemed to stare at each other for hours when in reality it was only about 30 seconds.
That was before he pulled me into a bone crushing hug.
I was shocked into a statue for a few seconds before returning the hug passionately.
I was content to stay like this for a few minutes and probably would have been content to stay like that for the rest of the night if it wasn't for me noticing we were pretty much the main spectacle for the party.
I released my grip on him and felt him do the same. I simply grinned up at him looking him straight in the eye.
I felt the whole group seem to hold there breath. I saw Paul's face flicker in shock and then almost unnoticeable flash with disappointment.
He recovered quickly though gesturing to a man in the corner who looked older than the rest of the boys by a year of two but he was just a tall and ripped.
"That's Sam and that's his fiancée Emily" he gestured towards a young women I hadn't even noticed before, she was fussing with the heap of dishes somebody had put out on a fold out table.
I quickly rushed to catch a casserole dish as she bumped it turning around upon hearing her name.
"Need a little help there" I chuckled balancing it expertly "thanks" she shot me a dazzlingly smile helping me make room on the table to set the dish down. She sighed wiping her hands on her jeans before turning to face me reveling that part of her face was twisted with scars that ran from her cheekbone to the edge of her lips.
I dismissed those on sight in but it must had been horrible before it had healed.
I felt heat behind me and turned to find Paul come up behind me his large hand coming to rest near the small of my back "hey is it time to eat Em" "yeah I guess we should probably wait for Seth, Brady, Collin, and Jake but you know these boys with their bottomless pits" she joked.
I guess the rest of the boys were listening in because the moment she said that they all whooped and surged for the food spraying everybody else with sand as they jostled for food.
I took a seat near the fire and watched in amazement as they all fought over the food in something that resembled chaos to the untrained eye but after watching dancers for so many years I could tell that they were all in perfect synch.
Slowly the chaos calmed to playful ribbing and they all returned to their seats around the fire.
Paul gave me a plate of food that I dig into gratefully only just realizing how starved I actually was. I stayed quiet for the most part preferring to listen in on their conversations.
"So where's Jacob?" Paul called out to Sam from his position beside me, the mention of Jacob's name had made the temperature drop ten degrees. And the pleasant flow of conversation that seemed as natural and easy as breathing just stopped and everybody waited on baited breath to hear Sam's answer.
Sam cleared his throat addressing everybody at this point "Jakes still kind of broken up about Bella but he should be by here at some point" from my spot tucked under Paul's shoulder I could hear everything perfectly but that didn't mean it didn't confuse me.
Before I could as the burning question on my mind Quil chimed in "he has a good reason for being upset, she married a Cullen and became one of them" the words were like cough syrup drenching everything with its chill, not to mention it was bitter and nasty.
Everybody seemed to be deep in thought but the words had a different effect on me entirely.
I picked up a carton of eggs checking them to make sure they weren't broken before heading to the cash register. I headed out to the car thankful that my mom had let me drive myself for once when a couple at the gas pump caught my eye. The man was a decent height and by all standards handsome and so was the woman accompanying him.
They looked my age or maybe a little older but there was something about them maybe it was the way that the cloudy light reflected off their too pale skin in a nauseating way turning it sludgy grey.
It was the color of my ice cream the time I had mixed vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup in the blender at a sad but delicious attempt at a milkshake. But there was nothing delicious or even slightly appealing about these strangers. The woman turned towards me looking me right in the eye revealing her full beauty to me.
She had a round face with long shiny brown hair that fell in waves down her back. She should have been enthrallingly beautiful but there was something fake and predatory about the entire thing. She held my gaze her expression teetering between annoyance and shock.
It almost looked like she was going to walk towards me but then the man touched her on the shoulder his wedding band gleaming in the cloudy haze. He murmured something in her ear that made them both move to leave.
I didn't move until their car was prowling out of site once they had left the icy rush of fear left and the resulting shot of adrenaline made my head spin.
"Wait" I said coming out of my remembering "are they the really pale ones" my sudden outburst stilled all the conversations that had popped up like pimples in my absence, they all stared at me in shock.
"You've met them?" Quil half asked for once dead serious. I shook my head" I just saw them in passing coming out of the grocery store, they scared the hell out of me".
"Which ones?" Sam's voice was just like his face calm and neutral just like everybody else's but some pulled it off better than others. "ummmm a guy with bronzy hair and a short brunette". His face was troubled but the final sounding "Edward and Bella" prompted the ensuing silence that was disturbed only by the crackle of the fire.
"Hey guys why are you guys so quiet I thought this was a party" a happy voice chirped behind us and I looked up to find Seth Clearwater and a few other people exiting the forest.
I was too old to have really known Seth personally but before I had left I had been best friends with his older sister Leah.
I didn't know who everybody else was but Paul took care of that pretty quick. Steering me towards two of the younger teens who despite their obvious difference in age from the group were pretty up there when it came to size.
"This is Collin and Brady their Seth's friends mostly but there ours to" I shook their hands and they seemed friendly enough but before I could even get any words out I was tapped on the shoulder that then proceeded to spin we around leaving me face to face with my undeniably best friend Leah Clearwater.
After the half a second it took me to recognize her she wrapped be in a bear hug which inevitably left us screaming girly screams and hopping around in excitement "OMG LEAH HOW ARE YOU!" I yelled so excited to see her I didn't even complain when she practically crushed me a hug.
"Better now that you're here" she said throwing an arm around my shoulder and leading back to the fire which by now was starting to crumble a bit.
"uggh its been so boring without my back up here to help me kick some bitch ass" I laughed at this and we continued to catch up until the fire started to burn low. Giving Leah and the guy's one last hug and waving bye to Seth and his friends I turned around right smack dab into somebody's chest knocking me on my butt.
The stranger chuckled pulling me upright with ease "thanks" I said brushing myself off before looking up into the face of my old friend Jacob Black.
Was this what being high felt like? because the weightless feeling was absolute bliss I suddenly pulled backwards into a different hot embrace so abruptly it left me dizzy and out of breath.
Jacob had the same look I probably had, dazed and confused. His eyes where hazy and out of focus and I had the sudden urge to kiss that look right off hi- WHOAH girl! calm down Kayla! I mean how often did you have the urge to kiss somebody you haven't seen in forever.
It must be from this ridiculously potent high I was getting from being around this guy. Paul spun me away from him his face tight with concern and rage?
"Kayla are you listening to me" I nodded "good just go home please" the sudden desperation in his voice was the only thing that kept me from questioning him.
The whole walk home passed in a rushing blur but the moment my head hit the pillow I was suddenly injected with a large enough dose of adrenaline and jitters to knock out a cow.
I paced my room like a person possessed my breathing fast and shaky I almost called the hospital because I thought I was having a panic attack.
I stayed like this for hours my heart twisting, pulse racing until I heard a single lonesome wolf howl so desperately that my heart seized and my vision became blurry and I barely felt anything when my head his the edge of my nightstand and darkness consumed me.