Wow. It's been a tough two weeks on my end, guys. I finally found out that I don't have the stomach flu, and after numerous, drugged out visits to the ER, we discovered I have a very painful tract infection in my stomach. Nothing a little antibiotics and nausea meds won't fix though :))
That explains my absence though…and if the feedback sounds a bit detached, or the writing for that matter, it's because I'm just exhausted and recovering.
By the way…three notes. One, I changed up my bio! So go check that out and let me know what you guys think :)) and two, for those of you that I've been PMing, I apologize if my PMs keep getting sent twice. I'm not a stalker freak or whatever, they just randomly send like that. I don't know how to fix it…so I just wanted you guys to know. :)) and lastly, I'm looking for a beta! I'm too lazy to check for grammatical errors and stuff when I'm done...so...any takers? :))
FOF TIMEEE
Paragirl92riot: awww if we could ship immune systems, I would definitely ask for yours! I make you swoon? Shucks, I'm sure you're just talking about my writing lol. Oh, and I think Spanish is sexy ;))
Ryoko05: Don't be worried; it's coming along! Thanks for reading :))
Esc15: awwww I'm glad to see you liked the whole chapter that much! I hope this one doesn't disappoint :)) and thanks for the good vibes!
Tbplrbear1: I love your long reviews. The thesaurus words made me smile, which I haven't done much of lately, so thank you. You're infinitely sweet.
Me4son: Thanks! Glad to see you're enjoying the story!
NOTxINx2Xlabels: Thanks!!! :))
somethgIlike2do: I love Yellowstone! It's gorgeous there. Your smile must be gorgeous too :)) To answer your question, yes, I do have a wonderful idea for Breaking Dawn.
LipstickLullabies: Texting, creepy Spanish teachers, etc. It's my life too, so you're not alone :)) Shucks, you think I'm sweet? You might just be one of the sweetest people I've ever…met. Even though we've never actually met but uhm…yeah I sound retarded so I'm going to stop now… :))
Areareader97: :)))))))
Xcherryxcrushx: You don't suck at reviewing. Your reviews make me giggle :)) I'm so glad you liked your chapter! Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but considering I read that on a day when I was throwing everything up, the image of flaming pancakes made me laugh and made me nauseous at the same time! Killing two birds with one stone, right? :))
This chapter is dedicated to SeakingMyIsabellaSwan for being not only my newest reviewer, but my 100th reviewer! Thanks so much for reviewing this story! If we were to meet in real life, I'd give you an Ashley hug. Not an Aiden one because…well, eww haha :)) Enjoy your chapter!
Okay, my author's notes are always wayyyyyy too long! Onward with the story :))
Chapter 8: Emergency—Paramore
***
So let's recap. Kelly was still out there, ravenous and spiteful, hunting me. Graduation was less than two months away, and while every student at King High was jittery at the prospect of impending freedom, I was both dreading it and willing it to come faster.
Panicking was inevitable.
With graduation came my excitement, but not actually joyous because high school would be over. No, I was jubilated for a completely different reason.
The night of my graduation was the night the Davies were supposed to change me.
To be perfectly honest, I really didn't feel safe being human at the moment. All weak, powerless, and supposedly delicious-smelling…
Well, according to my lovely girlfriend.
I was a sitting duck; a target. I was asking for trouble; I might as well situate myself on a plate, and have a neon sign plastered to my forehead that reads "Free Dinner."
However, none of the Davies, Ashley included, seemed to notice the rapidly approaching danger.
"Spencer, I'm imploring you to please relax," Raife requested gently as he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "If we don't stick to our primary course of action, not only will Kelly immediately sense the change, but your father may also become a target. Besides, Kyla will be able to warn us way ahead of time."
Ashley sat next to me, glancing half-heartedly at the glowing plasma screen TV with a bored expression as she rubbed soothing circles into the back of my palm.
It was really hard to be frightened when she was inflicting that sort of pleasure on me.
"You know you're absolutely safe with us," Christine told me, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind my ear. My eyes fluttered closed at the soft touch.
Christine really was the mother I never had.
Really. Never.
"Personally, I'm ecstatic that you're still alive. I'm sure Ashley would agree that everything is so much more fun when you're around," Glen snickered from the opposite couch. Ashley shot him a hard, menacing glare as Madison slapped his brawny shoulder in annoyance.
Kyla entered the living room and rolled her eyes, stopping in front of me with her hip thrown out. "Spencer, please. Don't you trust us?"
"Of course I do," I muttered, a blush spreading across my face as I felt six pairs of amber eyes on mine. "I suppose I'm just a bit—"
"Apprehensive?" Ashley's teasing musical voice cut smoothly through the atmosphere as she turned her perfect face to mine, a warm smile directed at me. "You know I would never dream of putting you in harm's way, sweetheart."
My heart beat erratically out of control as the affectionate name echoed in my head.
I'm her sweetheart.
Take that Aiden.
My stomach clenched painfully at the thought of my tall, dark-haired best friend, and I attempted to push the offending thoughts away as Ashley slung a leather-clad arm over my shoulders. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, carefully taking my time to inhale the delectable scent that her porcelain skin emitted.
Never mind that the rest of the Davies clan was in the room.
Screw PDA embarrassment.
Then, all of a sudden, the tension and worry that hung about the room like an oversized curtain dissipated. I felt Ashley breathe a content sigh of relief as her cold fingertips ghosted along my bare arm. My eyes flickered once to Jake, who was staring straight ahead.
Sometimes, I almost wish I had the power to control my own emotional thermometer like he did.
When Ashley tugged me out of the house by our laced hands, I tried desperately to hold on to the disintegrating artificial calm that Jake had created.
Useless.
I think I'm going to get an ulcer from stress.
As Ashley drove her sleek Porsche to Arthurs, our hands joined over the stick shift of the car, the silence was golden. Neither of us felt the need to speak.
Presence was simply everything in this moment.
The quiet stayed like that until we were up in my room, snuggled beneath my duvet. Ashley's strong arms encircled my waist, tracing unknown patterns on my back as I breathed hot air against the exposed skin of her neck.
God, she's flawless.
"Ash?"
"Yes?" Her soft, velvet voice answered.
"I can't wait to be a vampire," I confided mindlessly, not really caring what came out of my mouth if I was this close to Ashley. When she didn't answer, I waited with bated breath.
Maybe that wasn't the right thing to say.
"The circumstances of that situation are still between you and Raife," she spoke slowly, carefully, her hands never halting their trail along my back, making me shiver a bit. "However, you understand my contentions if you wish to transfer the responsibilities of that duty."
Oh I knew her condition alright.
Marriage.
Union. Wives.
I pushed the thought away just as I had done with the memory of Aiden, not wanting to think about such terrifying, yet exhilarating contemplations such as consortiums.
Did that even make sense?
I think I'm picking up some of Ashley's vocabulary.
"I'm going hunting at dawn," Ashley reminded my quietly, her cool breath against my blonde hair. My stomach flipped a little, but I tried to ignore it. I knew how Ashley got when she didn't hunt, and I didn't particularly favor that side of her. The issue was that whenever she was away, I experienced some of the same, reluctant feelings of abandonment that consumed me last summer. If I even hinted that I was unhappy with her leaving me for a necessary day, she would automatically stay. I couldn't look into her black eyes and see the suffering of hunger she endured with every passing minute if I kept her behind.
So, I all but pushed her away when the opportunity for a hunting excursion presented itself.
"That should be fun," I mumbled against her neck. "Try not to hurt the rabbits; some of them are really cute." Ashley's body shook with muffled laughter as she pulled me infinitely closer.
I tried to steady my heartbeat considering it had just skyrocketed.
I'm pathetic.
"You have such a fascination with rabbits," Ashley remarked thoughtfully.
"Hey, they remind of me of Thumper," I looked up at her defensively, referring to my childhood pet. I loved that furry creature…if only it hadn't been eaten by an eagle.
Weird, I know. It happened though, and I was distraught with mourning for about a month.
Ashley's nose crinkled into a smile that lit up her ever-darkening eyes, and she pressed a lingering kiss to my forehead. "I love you so much, Spencer. Sometimes I feel like I can't say it enough."
A colony of butterflies had just decided they discovered the New World, like Christopher Columbus, in my stomach.
What is it with my weird similes tonight?
"I love you too, Ash," I replied, a goofy smile plastered to my face. "You're…you're amazing."
"And you're beautiful," she countered as I nuzzled back into the crook of her neck and yawned. "Sleep, my love."
I didn't need to be told twice.
***
When I awoke, I almost cried.
The spot next to me was cold and empty, and I immediately longed for the comfort of Ashley's crushing embrace. In her place was a neatly folded piece of crisp stationary.
I couldn't help but think back to the numerous soap operas Paula used to watch late at night after her shifts in the hospital. The latest boyfriend would leave behind a note the morning after for the estranged wife of a husband who was hardly ever around.
That was nowhere near related to me and Ashley, but the note just reminded me of that.
I really should probably start sleeping earlier.
I cautiously unfolded the note, surprised to find that my hands were shaking a bit. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Ashley's picturesque calligraphy scrawled out across the page.
I'll be back so soon that it will appear as if I've never left. Keep my heart safe—although, that's a pointless request. You always do.
I sighed sweetly, pressing my nose to the stationary. To anyone else, I probably looked like a freak, but I could actually smell Ashley on the note.
I already missed her.
I dressed in dark blue skinny jeans, and converse high tops. After surveying the weather, I selected a baggy gray v-neck sweater, and threw my blonde hair into a messy bun. I still looked presentable, but considering the only person I wanted to think I was pretty wasn't around today, I wasn't exactly dressed to impress.
Whatever.
I methodically ate my Cheerios, one at a time, then brushed my teeth. I basically breezed through my morning routine like a ghost.
I felt strangely lost in the absence of Ashley.
That scared me a bit.
I exited the empty house, and clambered into my truck. Shoving the key into the ignition, I waited hastily for the defroster to heat up. I realized as I looked around the interior of my orange behemoth of a vehicle that I hadn't driven it in a few months.
Ashley always drove me everywhere in her Porsche.
God, I want to cry. I miss her way too much.
Then, I noticed the neon orange paper thrown across my windshield. I jumped down from the driver's seat, extracted the flyer from the window, and scurried back into the warmth. My eyes widened when I took in the information. A large black wolf was howling, his expression grief, his stark green eyes sad.
The caption?
SAVE THE LA PUSH WOLVES
Aiden.
Oh no.
I tossed the flyer into the backseat, threw the car in drive, and roared out of the driveway in the direction of La Push. Subconsciously, I knew Ashley would be extremely upset with me. Kyla would know immediately where I was going because I would disappear from her line of sight, and Ashley would be alerted as soon as the knowledge was clear.
I only had so much time.
"Come on, baby," I coaxed the large truck as I barreled down the wet highway. The engine groaned as I passed the invisible boundary line of the Davies' family and the Dennison's pack. As I passed the first few huts of the La Push reservation, I tried futilely to fabricate an explanation for Kyla. On the off-chance, the extremely slight off-chance, that she would confront me before she notified my girlfriend, I wanted to be able to tell her where I was.
Kind of.
But every thought flew from my mind as my truck groaned to a wheezing stop outside the homely, brick house that I had spent so much time inside last summer. I took a few deep breaths, attempting to collect myself, and trying to rid my mind of the guilt I was feeling.
"Spencer?" I looked over the passenger seat through the window and saw Aiden standing on the porch. He was dressed in baggy black sweats, flip flop, and a tight black t-shirt, despite the lousy weather.
Typical Aiden.
"Hey Aid!" I called cheerfully as I jumped down out of my truck, slamming the door. As I rounded the front of the vehicle, his large, muscled form was still rooted to the spot. I chuckled inwardly; his expression was a mask of clear shock.
"Spencer!" Aiden shouted throatily as he finally came to. He bounded forward, and his mouth stretched into a gleaming white smile so wide, I thought his face would surely crack. He enveloped me in a hug, wrapping his long, toned arms around my tiny waist. I crushed my face against his burning, sloped chest, and reveled in the fact that I still had him.
My own personal sun.
"How did you get out here without your—" Aiden paused for a moment as I glared up at him pointedly, "Without her knowing?"
"Ashley," I emphasized the two syllables of her name so he would understand that she did indeed bear a title, "is out hunting today. I snuck out."
Before Aiden could reply with a surely scathing remark, Matt rolled himself out from the house. His normally black, cold eyes were light and merry as he smiled at me.
Knowing his dislike for Ashley, he was probably satisfied to see me sans my girlfriend.
"Howdy, Miss Carlin," he greeted me, tipping his hat. I giggled inwardly, feeling suddenly giddy.
This felt familiar.
"Hey, Matt. How have you—" I was cut off mid-sentence when Aiden swept me up into the tightest hug of my life, lifting me off the ground and jumping around like a five-year-old.
I couldn't feel my lungs, but I found it entertaining.
Aiden nearly reminded me of a little kid who had just received news that dinosaurs actually do exist.
"Damn, I can't believe this!" he barked triumphantly. I briefly wondered what was going through his mind at the moment.
Was I giving him the wrong impression again?
"Aid…need…air," I gasped, trying to free myself from my constraints.
Ashley was much gentler. I missed her embrace.
Aiden's laugh was doglike as he set me down. His green eyes twinkled playfully, and he pushed his black bangs away from his forehead.
"I've missed you, Spence," he admitted quietly, looking down at me with admiration. "Welcome back."
I rubbed the back of my neck, and then froze as I let his words sink in.
The way he said welcome back sounded more like welcome home.
Oh, boy.
***
R&R pleeeease :))
SPASHLEYFOREVER&&EVER.