AN: This chapter is in my opinion, an interesting one. I think the next chapter will be great. I hope. Anyway, thanks for your reviews. SM owns. Except my stuff. That's MINE.

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Chapter Seven

Grace's POV

Embry called me the next morning and told me he wouldn't be able to see me today. Things were pretty busy in La Push, with the whole car accident thing. Embry sounded tired, and apologetic. I told him it was okay and that I understood.

It had now been two weeks since I had been in Forks and I was still friendless at school. I was getting very lonely and I wasn't happy in Forks. Sure, I was friends with Embry but I had only ever hung out with him three times. Twice last weekend, and yesterday, when I got my car.

So yeah, today I was all alone. With nothing to do but homework. Some of my family were going hunting so the house was pretty lonely too. I ended up doing my homework in the morning and then going out for a drive after lunch. I drove into Forks, ate lunch at a little diner, and then had a walk up the main street. There weren't many shops to choose from so I just bought a DVD. I spent the rest of the afternoon lying on the couch, dozing, while the movie played in the background.

The next day was Monday and I unfortunately had school again. Lucky there was only three weeks until the summer holidays.

That Monday actually turned out to be an alright day. It was in gym when it happened.

The class was throwing tennis balls around when a stray one hit this girl really hard in the head. The coach blew his whistle and everyone stopped.

"Can I have someone to take Miss Thomson up to the nurse's office, please? You'll do. What's your name?" He said, asking me since I was closest to the hurt girl.

"Grace Cullen." I said.

"Okay, Grace."

"Just wait a second. I need to sit down." The girl said, as we walked to the nurse's office.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, thanks. What's your name?"

"Grace Cullen."

"Wait, you're with the other Cullen's? You don't look much... alike."

"Yeah. I'm adopted. What's your name?"

"Shannon Thomson."

"Are you in my drama class?" I asked.

"5th period?"

"Yeah."

"Then yes I am. Hey, do you, like, have a group yet? Coz you're new and everything?"

"No, I've just been sitting with my brothers and sisters." I said.

"Oh. Well, you should come and sit with us at lunch."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Cool. Well, lets get up to the nurses office. I need some ice for this or else I'm gonna get an egg head."

I sat with Shannon and her group of four other friends for the rest of the week. It worked out okay. They were friendly and sort of funny, I guess. I much preferred hanging out with Embry though.

By the time it got to the weekend, I was bored again. School was boring, my school friends weren't the type of people I hung out with outside school anyway and home was extra boring. The thing with all my brothers and sisters is that they're all together. Each person can just sit and look at their partner forever. They spend all their time and energy on one another. And where am I? Good question. Usually alone. Yeah, I've got my mum and dad, but they're... my mum and dad.

So I decide to call Embry.

"Hey." Embry answers his phone.

"Hey. Are you busy today?"

"No."

"Good. Coz I'm bored and I need to get away from Forks. It's driving me insane."

"Sure. Come on down. I'll be at home."

"Alright. See you soon." I hung up.

Then I grabbed my bag and called out, knowing that everyone would hear me.

"I'm going down to La Push to see my friend. I'll be back later."

"Okay honey. Be careful." Mum called back.

I left the house and drove to La Push. I pulled up on the side of the road and went into the store. Embry's mum was behind the counter.

"Hi Miranda," I said, "Is Embry in?"

"Sure. He's just in the house. You can go through the back."

She let me out the back door of the shop and I walked across the small yard and into the house. I found Embry lying on the couch playing video games.

"Hey," I said, picking up a controller, "Move over."

Embry sat up and made room for me on the couch and I started playing the game with him.

We didn't really speak for about 2 two hours, until I beat him at the game and he put his controller down.

"I'm bored of this," He said, "What do you want to do?"

"Uh, I dunno. What do you want to do?"

"We should go to Sam and Emily's."

We walked out to my car and climbed in. As soon as we started driving, Embry started talking.

"So Forks is driving you crazy, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah. I mean there's just nothing there. It's so gloomy. At least down at La Push I have a friend to enjoy the gloominess with. Uh, and my family..."

"What about them?" He asked.

"Well, I know I love them and everything, but seriously, they can be so... private? I can't even think of the word. All they know is themselves. They don't even speak to other people, really. Even me; like, they speak to me, but I feel so excluded coz they're all together, you know?"

"Yeah. That must be hard." He said.

"I was talking to these girls at school the other day." I began.

"Yeah? You made a friend?"

"I wouldn't call them friends, really. More just people I hang around with at lunch." I said.

Embry smiled and looked out the window.

"That's it up there." He said, pointing at the house.

I pulled up outside and we climbed out of the car. As we walked up to the porch, I could hear voices. Lots.

"You didn't tell me other people would be here." I muttered to Embry.

"Relax," He said, "Most of them you've met before."

When we walked inside, only three people I didn't recognise were there. Two guys and a girl. As we greeted every one I knew, (Jared, Paul, Quil, and Emily), I was introduced to the others. A moody looking girl named Leah, a young guy called Seth, and a big man called Sam. Seth and Leah were brother and sister and Sam was Emily's fiancé. Everyone including us just sat around talking.

"Jake's not back yet?" Embry asked.

"No. We still can't get him to calm down." Sam said.

"What about Rebecca? How's she doing?"

"She should be out of hospital sometime this week."

"The problem is," Jared said, "That Jake doesn't believe us that she's going to be just fine. He thinks she's going to die or something."

"Couldn't you just make this Jake guy come back?" I asked, even though I didn't really know anything.

"You can't exactly drag a w- Uh, I mean..." Seth said.

"What he means, is that Jacob refuses to come home." Sam said.

"Oh." I shut up then.

Conversations continued, and from what I gathered Sam was a kind of leader; calm, strong and reassured. Seth was sweet and funny, but Leah was just sulky.

We stayed there at Sam and Emily's for a few hours. Then when Jared decided he was going to see Kim, he invited Embry and I along.

We all watched a movie together at Kim's place, and that was good fun. But at around 6pm my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Edward calling, but I pressed ignore and stayed down at La Push for dinner at Kim's. Kim was great. I liked her a whole lot better than the girls from school, and she was probably up there with Emily in the friendship ranks. We got on really well together and arranged to hang out again sometime. At about 9pm I decided I should get home. I drove Embry home and then headed back to Forks. When I got home, my whole family was waiting for me in the lounge room.

"Where have you been?" Edward demanded, while Mum and my sisters fussed over me.

"I told you I would be in La Push. You knew exactly where. And anyway, if you were so worried, why didn't you come and get me?" I said, my voice rising.

"I... Well, we..." Edward stuttered.

"Yeah, shows how much you care." I said, acidly, and then stalked upstairs to my bedroom. No one followed me. They let me go.

Later in the night, someone knocked on my door.

"Go away." I mumbled, knowing that whoever it was could hear me.

"Come on, sweetie, let me talk to you." Dad said.

I sighed, and then said, "Fine."

He came in and sat on the end of my bed.

"I know you're upset honey, but-" He started but I cut him off.

"Let me guess. It's normal to be feeling these emotions at my age?" I said.

"Well, yes. But I wanted to discuss this with you a little further." Dad reasoned.

"Go on then." I huffed.

"We've all noticed that you're starting to drift apart from the family, Grace. Separate yourself, and become independent."

"And let me guess again; it's a bad thing?"

Dad hesitated and then said, "Well, no. Not in this case. What I'm saying is, our family situation isn't exactly... conventional."

"And?" I said.

"We think it might be good for you to spend some time away from us."

"Edward doesn't seem to think so." I replied.

"We've been discussing this for a while, Grace."

"Well, what are you saying? You're kicking me out?"

"No. Not at all. It's just that... Alice can't see you staying with us for much longer. She doesn't know exactly why you'll leave in the end, but we all just want you to know that if you choose to leave, then that's okay."

"Um, okay?" I said, shocked.

"And we want you to have this. So we can still support you." Dad said, and then he handed me a card. A credit card. A new, shiny, purple credit card. I gasped.

"This is a card for the Cullen family trust fund." He said, "You are and always will be part of our family, Grace, whatever you choose."

"Thankyou Dad." I said, tearing up a little. I moved towards him and hugged him. He soon released me and stood up.

"I'll let you get some sleep." He said, and then left.

I lay on back on my bed, and mulled things over. It felt good, having the knowledge that I could leave whenever I liked and everything would be okay. No matter what, I was looked after. I fell asleep thinking about the conversation my father and I had just shared.

AN: Make me happy, review kay?