Sitting is school was torture! I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed my freedom from this place when no one taking attendance. I wish I could do what Jacob was doing and get my GED, but I was still too young to do that and then get accepted into the university that partnered up with our program. The only thing that kept me here was making Raven proud of me. I know that I should be in school for the love of learning and all that crap, but high school really just, sucks.
It doesn't help that I have to run patrols from six to midnight most nights. That leaves me about two hours to eat and get my homework done. I try really hard to stay awake during Civics, but when third period rolls around at 10:00am, I am just tired beyond belief. It's February, though, and I know I can do this for four more months. I got caught up enough to graduate on time. Raven said she would try to make it up here to see it. She said there's a good chance of it, too since she's the one who headed up the new college bound program.
Her mom seems pretty pleased with her work to get kids on the res off to college. At least I heard her bragging about it over Christmas when she was home. I can tell that she still isn't too pleased that Raven and I are stronger than ever, no matter how persistent that Gerry guy is.
"I don't like him," Leah said on the way home from our impromptu visit. She was usually a great judge of character, but she was always negative. So, most of us took her assessments with a grain of salt. I couldn't find anything wrong with the guy. He seemed to be nice and funny and even respectful of my relationship with Raven. And it was true that they spent a lot of time together now. I couldn't let that bother me, too much. I knew how she felt about me and I had to trust that.
Her Christmas break was entirely too short and the separation was like a dull ache in my gut that only eased when she was near. We spent the entire two weeks together when I wasn't on patrol. Jake had given me a very light schedule that coincided when Raven's mom was home so she didn't see us together very often. Together Raven and I enrolled fifteen kids into the college-bound program, three of which were pack members. We visited each individual family explaining that the program was to strengthen the tribe by enriching tribal pride and custom with modern education and technology. There were a few who were hesitant, but a visit from the Blacks stating their endorsement of the program usually cured that.
The program ensured that we were taking the proper college bound courses, sent reminders for application deadlines, tracked enrollee's grades and attendance, and provided seminars and workshops for filling out the appropriate paperwork and applications. They were also planning a visit to the University Washington who, with the help of Bella and the rest of the Cullens, partnered with us ensuring admission if certain academic requirements were met. Bella was able to promise the University of Washington that funds, both federal and private, would be slated to the university for this particular outreach program. Bella was brilliant.
For Christmas, Bella gave Edward a brand new Volvo and this left the problem of what to do with the old Volvo. It was decided, rather quickly one morning over breakfast that I would take if off their hands for them. Who was I to deny the Cullens a favor when they asked for it? Taking gifts like this from the Cullens used to be so difficult for all of us. But the more we lived with them and protected them, the more we realized that it was just part of being in their family. And if you were linked to Jacob, you were considered family. Leah had the hardest time accepting, but she loved to drive my car. She also figured that Bella was the reason I was separated from Raven, so it was the least they could do.
The car made planning visits to Raven much easier and I got to see her almost every two weeks. After that first month, I realized that I could only stand to be away from her for about three weeks at a time…and that really pushed my limit. I'd seen her twice since Christmas break and that was humorous and not just a little awkward. Raven never told her mother I was coming and staying with them. The first time I showed up at the door and Raven let me in and at some point in the evening her mother walked through the living room where we were watching television and noticed I was there. She was polite, but it wasn't too much later that Gerry showed up. He smiled guiltily and apologized. That was fine because I still got to cuddle with Raven. I actually felt bad for the guy if he had other plans that evening.
The second time I showed up I brought Leah hoping that her mother wouldn't think I was up to no good. Ms. Qahla was very pleased to see Leah, so I figured that was a good decision. But again, Gerry was there within an hour looking apologetic as he had been summoned again. Leah hid her dislike of Gerry and offered to go pick up some takeout after Raven's mom left for the evening. That gave Raven and I two breathless hours alone. Leah claimed they got lost and Gerry looked amusedly annoyed. Leah put on the dumb girl act around Gerry and it kind of bothered me.
I was planning a special visit to see Raven on Valentine's Day. She had always called that day SAD Day or Singles Awareness Day and I really wanted to make it special now that we weren't single. Leah and Embry were supposed to ride down with me so it looked like a double date to anyone who cared. Embry was rather excited for the whole experience. Ever since our conversation about being nice to Leah they had become very good friends and everyone could see the changes in Leah. It made the whole pack dynamic change and patrol was no longer an arduous chore.
"Shut up!" Leah thought when I pondered this the other morning on patrol. She finished school right after she phased for the first time so she was in charge the morning patrols and I liked to run to school.
"Lee-Lee, it was a compliment," I thought to her. I showed her a comparison to how I saw her just a few months ago to what she was like now. "I'm just glad to see you…happier. I'm not saying Embry has everything to do with that…I'm just drawing a conclusion."
"Well, it's a dumbass conclusion. It's you, you idiot. You being happy makes me happy. Then happy me gets all chatty and Embry just listens. Then I feel stupid like I'm doing all the talking so I let him talk and he's actually pretty cool. But other than that, there's nothing going on, got it?" She used a few choice words to describe my assumptions, but there was an underlying contentment that no one had felt in her before.
"Yeah, that's because I talked to Sam a few weeks ago," she answered my thought. "I'm better because I let it go." She showed me the feeling of freedom she felt now. "It still hurts like hell, but I think I can finally move on."
"It's only been years." I couldn't hide my sarcasm and I regretted it as soon as I thought it.
"Fuck you, Seth. Now that you're so head over heels for Raven, imagine her imprinting on someone and loving him the way she loves you…but more. How would you feel?" My heart ripped at her words.
"Leah, I know. You've told me this before." I just wanted her to stop because I couldn't think about it and remain sane.
"Yes, but now you understand it. Damn it, Seth! I was feeling better about this!" And I was feeling like shit. I had taken her peace and destroyed my own.
"I'm sorry, Sis." I truly was. "I'm also very proud of you."
"I know you are. Just give me a little bit of credit for what I have done, please," she scolded.
"I do. I have." I felt ashamed. "I'm sorry," I thought again. I don't know if I would have handled it as well.
"I know. And good. Now, let's get plans settled for this trip to Portland on Saturday."
Valentine's Day morning Leah, Embry and I did took the morning patrol and we were going to head out in my new Volvo around noon. I was about to head back to the Cullen's when I caught the scent of an unfamiliar vampire. My ears perked up and I sent a howl out to get either Jacob's attention or Edward's.
"Who is that?" Embry asked trying to discern the scent in my mind.
"It smells vaguely familiar, but I can't place it," Leah chimed in. We all felt Jacob enter.
"Have you found Nessie?" Jacob asked and sounded anxious.
"What do you mean have we found her?" "We didn't know she was missing." "How long has she been gone?" All three of us asked as the same time while Jacob was absorbing our thoughts about the foreign vampire scent. We couldn't hear Edward but he must have been close to Jacob because we could hear his answers as he listened to our questions.
"I can't tell the scent through your memories, but if it is familiar then at least we know it's not an unknown nomad. Where are you Seth? And I'll run towards you," Edward said through Jacob. I looked around me to give Edward a sense of where I was while reviewing my path that got me here.
"We noticed Nessie was gone about thirty minutes ago but we were playing hide and seek. And she masked her scent so now we're rally baffled. We don't even know how she knew to do that." I continued to follow the scent that was growing stronger the closer we got to the meadow. Jacob noticed it too and he was headed in our direction. When we reached the meadow both scents were combined but neither Renesmee nor the unidentified vampire were present.
"Where the hell is she?" I could hear Edward's voice through the meadow. The mixing of the two scents made the very difficult to distinguish them. It was Jacob who recognized Nessie's in the mix. Jacob's anxiety was growing and was almost unbearable to the rest of us. Quill, Sam, and Jared joined the hunt. We searched and searched, but their scents seemed concentrated here. All the Cullens were gathered around the meadow as well and at one point one of them texted Raven and to tell her I wasn't going to able to make it. My unhappiness added to the mix of the rising swirl of emotion that finally made Jacob release a howl that I'm pretty sure was heard all the way to Yellowstone. It was a mixture of pain and longing and dread. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and a tear roll from my eye. It was pure desperation.
As soon as Jacob's howl of agony ended Renesmee and Zafrina were sitting in the middle of the meadow staring at all of us with very confused looks on their faces. After much squealing, loud shouting, and many tears it turns out that Nessie ran into Zafrina while she was playing hide and seek with Edward and Jacob. Zafrina was on her way to surprise the Cullens and to specifically see Nessie. There was never any mal-intent on either part. Nessie got caught up in Zafrina's visions and Zafrina had masked them in case there was any danger around. Nessie was busy projecting what had been happening in her life to her Amazonian friend when she felt Jacob's pain. Confused by her friend's abrupt cessation of her tale, Zafrina dropped the shield.
Edward scolded Renesmee for being so thoughtless towards her family and Rosalie threatened to ground her from shopping trips for three months until Alice asked why she be punished for Nessie's screw-up. I was happy that Nessie was okay that there was no threat from an unknown vampire, but my first Valentine's Day with my girl was ruined. I must have whimpered because Jacob, who had phased back to human, looked over at me.
"Go, Seth. Go to Portland. I need Leah and Embry here, but go take a few days to see Raven and we'll cover you here." Jacob said it aloud. Nessie heard Jacob and her face fell at the realization that I was not half way to Portland. She ran over to me and placed her little palm on my flank and projected how sorry she was. I licked the side of her face letting her know it was okay and that I was glad she was okay.
"Seth!" Leah thought to me. "Go!" Embry chimed in. "Go man!"
"Okay! Okay!" I yelled back at them. Before I knew it I was behind the wheel of the Volvo which was already packed with my overnight bag. I thought about calling her and letting her know we'd have a little bit of time, I wanted to see her face when she opened the door. She had sent me a text telling me how sad she was I couldn't come, but to take care of my business. Alice confirmed that she was at home and I don't know whether that was a vision or checking the GPS on her phone, but I really didn't care, either.
The drive was torture. I only stopped for food and to pee. I drove fast and prayed that I didn't pass a cop that would pull me over and make me even later.
I pulled up to her house I saw the taillights of Gerry's car turn the corner at the other end of the street. My heart dropped a little because he got to spend Valentine's Day with Raven and I running after a non-existant threat. But he was gone and I was happy. I wanted this time alone with her and I could barely stand my excitement. I pulled the flowers I bought her out of the back seat and left my bag there thinking I could come get it later. I walked up to the door and I could hear sobbing. My girl was crying. I knocked on the door. There was no answer. I could hear her in there crying. Why wasn't she moving? My heart stopped and suddenly I could feel her pain. Why could I feel her pain? She was terrified and cold and in physical pain.
"Raven!" I yelled and I pounded on the door. "Raven, let me in! What's wrong?"
"Seth?" Her whimper was all I needed to give me the strength to kick in the door.
A/N: I plan to have the next chapter up sometime tomorrow. Thoughts? Comments? Predictions?
A/N2: I worked hard on this one. There weren't may typos at all. Yay, me!