Hey everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update! I have been doing my summer reading to get ready for school. I have a test my first day of class. How stupid is that?

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Chapter 7

I still had my head in my lap a few minutes later when I heard my name. I looked up.

"Embry," I patted the space on the table next to me, making room for my visitor.

I waited as Embry sat down where Jake had been moments before.

"You know, the whole Jake and Bella thing is never gonna happen, right?"

'What? Why would I are about that?"

"You were staring."

Oops. While I had been waiting for him to sit down, my gaze had wondered back towards Jake and all of our friends. I thought I was being subtle. Apparently, I was wrong.

"Well, as much as I appreciate your opinion, I have to disagree."

"Come on, Em, you've been going to Forks High for awhile now. You know better than any of us on the reservation, that Bella and that Edward guy were practically inseparable."

"Embry, Edward has been gone for months now. His family moved. He's not coming back. Jake obviously likes Bella, and she's almost to a place where she can move on as well. Its' only a matter of time."

"Ummm…I believe it was you, not Bella, he was up texting until four in the morning last night."

"You know about that?"

"I was at his house. He kept giving the phone this dopy smile while he was texting. It was kinda funny…and slightly nauseating. I've known Jake for a long time, Em. Believe me when I say, he's different when he's around you. Don't; ask me to explain it, because I can't; he's just, I don't know, different. A good different."

I looked at him closely. What was it about this kid that made me want to confide in him? At first glance, he didn't seem all that special. Longish black hair, deep brown eyes, and tan skin made his general appearance not unlike the other reservation boys, though he was taller and thinner than his friends. He had a small, white scar right above his left eyebrow. The contrast between the scar and the color of his skin was startling when you really looked at it. He had soft, caring eyes. They reminded me of Eric's. He was wearing a simple blue t-shirt and a navy hoodie, jeans, and converse. His appearance was so simple, yet his face wore a look of compassion unlike anything I had seen in long time. I suppose it was his simplicity, the raw emotion on his face that made me feel vulnerable, like he could see right through me. That scared me, but it also drew me to him.

I picked at a fingernail, uncomfortable. Part of me wanted to tell him about what I was feeling towards Jacob, but I held back. I hardly knew this kid. He was looking at me, waiting for a response, so I did the only thing I could do in this position: I changed the subject.

"So, how did you get that scar above your left eye?"

A few weeks had passed since the bonfire. I had been forcing myself to talk to Jacob less and less, although he made it difficult by texting me often. He and Bella seemed to be getting closer, and I refused to get my hopes up.

Embry and I had talked a lot over the past few weeks as well. I had come to see him like a brother. It felt good to have someone to confide in. I had eventually gotten around to venting to him about my Jake/Bella/The Crush dilemma, and it felt good to hear his opinion. I returned the favor, listening and giving him advise when he needed the help. I visited him on the reservation often, and it had become one of my favorite places to be. It felt more like home than Forks did.

Unfortunately, the amount of time I had gotten to spend there had been severely limited the past few weeks. I think the majority of our teachers had some sort of meeting in which they decided to all but drown us in homework. They say junior year is the hardest academic year. I have recently discovered that this is a massive understatement. I didn't really mind it though, as the intense work load kept my mind off of something else…someone else.

Towards the end of February, a pipe burst in Forks High, flooding the first floor of the building, and consequently treating the FHS population to a few "mental health days". Bella and I decided to visit our reservation friends with our newfound freedom, as we hadn't been there in awhile.

The second Bella's old red truck screeched to a stop in front of Jacob's house, I knew something was wrong. Nothing seemed out of place at first glance: Jake's house looked as small and cozy as ever, there were dark cloud threatening rain overhead, and the gravel had crunched beneath the trucks wheels upon out entrance, same as always. But there was one major difference: Quil and Jake were, as usual, messing around in the front yard, but Embry was nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, I hadn't heard from him in over a week. I had been so busy, I had hardly noticed.

I realized Bella had left the truck during my silent recognition, and hurried to catch up. When I reached my friends, Jake and Quil were already filling Bella in on what had happened to Embry. Here's what I got from it: Basically this reservation man, Sam, had been forming some sort of odd gang over the past few years. The boys wanted nothing to do with them. Then, Embry had missed a few days of school, and the next time Jake or Quil had seen him, he had chopped off all of his hair, gotten a tattoo, had randomly sprouted all sorts of muscles, and was suddenly only hanging out with Sam and his gang.

I couldn't believe it. Kind, caring Embry, my best friend, part of some sort of gang? With a tattoo? Something was really off. I had to figure out what it was. I had to talk some sense into him!

I turned on my friends and stalked off in the direction of Embry's house. No one bothered to ask where I was going or what I was doing; they all knew. I honestly think most of them were scared for Embry. They, of all people knew what I would do when my temper got the best of me; Bella was living proof.

I finally reached Embry's tiny house. I marched up the three pathetic steps to the saggy front porch and pounded my fist against the door. When no one answered, I started yelling.

"Embry! I know you're in there! You better open this door right now or so help me I will—"

I was cut off as the door opened to reveal Embry. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from completely dropping to the ground. Jacob and Quil had been right: I hardly recognized this version of the boy who had come to be like a brother to me over the course of a few weeks.

His long hair had indeed been cut short, there was, as Jake had said, a tattoo on his right shoulder, and he was immensely more muscular than I remembered him. It was easy to tell: He was wearing only a pair of worn out jeans. But the biggest change was in his eyes. The formerly kind expression I had come to know and love had been replaced by…resentment? Fear? I couldn't tell.

"Embry…" I gasped, "What happened to you? Why did you do this? How did you do this?" I motioned to his extremely well defined biceps, "What did they do to you?" All my anger was gone. Tears filled my eyes.

"Emma," he reached out and laid a hand on my shoulder, pulling me into a hug. I shuddered. His skin felt like it was on fire. Another change I wasn't too fond of. "You have to understand. This wasn't my choice!"

"What do you mean?" I pulled back, looking him in the eye.

"Believe me, this wasn't what I wanted. I never wanted to be this. But I was destined for it, I guess. There's not much I can do about it now."

"About WHAT? You aren't explaining anything!"

"Emma, I can't tell you. You have no idea how much I want to, I mean, you're like my sister. It would be nice if you knew. But it's not something I can tell you." He paused, deep in thought. "There is a way…we have to look past the obvious…" he muttered, more to himself then to me.

"Embry, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"I told you! I can't explain. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. I got it! Ask Jacob about Quileute legends next time you see him. I know you can put it together. But until you do, I can't see you. We can't be friends anymore, Em. At least for the time being"

My tears finally began to fall. I was so confused, and it seemed like I was losing my best friend for reasons even he couldn't explain.

"Please," he said, as he pulled my into a final hug. Ask Jacob about the legends. Research it. Put it all together. I know you can. Just know, it's not ordinary. You won't believe it at first. Remember, the impossible may just be possible."

With that, my best friend walked into the house and shut the door in my face.

I finally had a better understanding on what Bella felt like when someone she cared about deeply left.

In that moment, all I could think about was getting away, so I spun on my heels, and sprinted into the surrounding woods, not sure exactly where I was going, or where I was going to end up.