Chapter 20

After I take the pills that are prescribed, the pain slowly starts to go away and by the day before I go for my third gym practice, the pain is completely gone.

My parents had been worried when I told them why I was late coming home. And the news about my back. But they both supported me in my decision to try the other apparatuses. I'm laying in my bed, with Paul beside me. My parents are having dinner at one of my mom's coworker's house, so it's just the two of us.

I intertwine our fingers, cuddling into his side. "My back doesn't hurt anymore."

He smiles in relief and kisses my lips gently. "That's great. Do you think it will after tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure," I tell him thoughtfully. "I mean, I know I'm okay for floor because that's what I've been doing pretty much so I'm not worried about that. I'm going to try Vault though, and hope that everything goes well. If not, I guess I'll at least have Floor and Beam."

Then I grin up at him. "It's pretty ironic how my two least favourite are the two I'm able to still do."

He chuckles. "Nah, that's just life being shitty."

Giggling, I lean up and start kissing him. For a while, we just kiss but it comes to the point that just kissing isn't enough. I wrap my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in his hair and climbing on top of him.

He's not as reluctant as we have been the last couple weeks and let's his hands roam freely over my body. Groping and rubbing as he pleases. Eventually I pull back, knowing I'm wet. I don't want him to leave, and I don't want to have sex with him, so stopping is my only option.

We lay in silence for awhile, cuddling. "Sometimes I think about it," I admit shyly.

He looks down at me in complete bewilderment. I blush under his gaze, why did I tell him that? I know why, it's because I have been. It all started with a stupid dream I'd had the night after the incident in his truck. At first I'd been appalled.

Why would I think about that? How could I think about it? It's wrong, I'd though. Although the feelings kept coming, I hated them. They made me feel dirty. Until my mom had talked to me about it that is. That's when I finally started to consider it seriously. I realized I wasn't ready.

And I'm still not. I know I'm not. But that doesn't mean I don't think about it.

"You do?"

I shrug. "Sometimes."

He pulls me a little tighter. Before he gets too many ideas, I insist, "But I'm still not ready Paul. I think about it, but I just, I don't think I'm really ready. Does that make any sense?"

Paul chuckles. "Yeah, a little. You realize that when you have sex it won't be a bad thing and you are looking forward to it when it happens. But you don't want it to happen right now."

I nod, smiling at how much he actually gets me. "Exactly. Thanks for understanding."

"Anytime, babe." He kisses my forehead.

o.O

The next day, I got to the gym like normal. Vaults are harder than I remember them being so once I'm stretched and warmed up, I do easy ones. I start out doing vaults into the foam pit before I actually try to land them. I fall a bit, but I always get back up and try again.

After the hour and a half has passed, I don't really want to go but I know I have to. My mom drops me off at Paul's on the way home. Laura took Paige to the park so he invited Kim and Jared to come over. We're going to watch a movie. What movie, I have no idea.

I don't bother knocking when I get there; Paul just laughs at me when I do anyway. "Hey," I call, walking through the front door. Kim's situated on the couch when I walk in so I take a seat next to her. "Where are the guys?"

She laughs, motioning towards the kitchen. "Probably failing at making popcorn."

I roll my eyes. "How can you fail at making popcorn? You press a button!"

"I know! They're hopeless."

"We can hear you," Jared whines from the kitchen. We just laugh more. When they come into the living room with popcorn in hand, Jared has a wicked grin on his face. "Because you guys are so mean to us, we get to choose the movie."

Kim pouts but Jared doesn't fall for it. He sits down beside her, pulling her into his side. Paul walks over to the entertainment centre and pulls out a DVD case. I don't catch the title until the main menu pops up on the screen. Nightmare on Elm Street. Kim groans and I gulp. Horror movies and I don't go well together. At all.

Paul sits down beside me, grinning. I glare at him. "I hate horror movies."

"More reason for you to cuddle up to me." He winks at me.

I roll my eyes, but he ends up being right. I jump at nearly everything in the movie. Luckily, Kim is just as much of a chicken as I am so I'm not the only one making a fool of myself. By the end of it, there's not words to describe how thankful I am.

"I'm never letting you two choose the movie again," Kim complains.

I agree. "I'm never going to be able to sleep again."

Paul smirks. "You can handle there being werewolves and vampires but not some movie that you know isn't real?"

I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him. "Shut up."

He grins down at me before pressing his lips to mine. Normally I would pull away considering Kim and Jared are right here, but I decide not to. I kiss him back for a bit. Pulling back when I remember that Kim and Jared are awkwardly trying to look anywhere but at us. I laugh; at least I'm not the only one who does that.

They eventually have to leave – namely Jared's parents aren't home so they have some things to do. Once they're gone, I lay down on Paul's couch and close my eyes. "I'm just gonna sleep now."

Paul chuckles and sits down in front of the couch. He leans his head back to look at me. "How'd it go at the gym?"

"Good," I reply sleepily.

"So you aren't hurt?" he inquires.

Laughing, I shake my head. "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just tired." Then I open my eyes and smile knowingly at him. "And cold."

He smirks. "Roll over, Little Miss Subtle."

I giggle and make room for him on the couch. I curl up into his chest and before I know it, I'm asleep. I can't be out for long because when I finally open my eyes, Laura and Paige are just getting home. "Ewerwie!" I hear her yell. The sudden noise wakes Paul up making him jump – which knocks me off the couch.

I fall to the floor with a thud making Laura and Paige laugh while Paul gapes in concern. "Are you okay? Oh my God, I'm so sorry!"

I laugh. "I'm fine, meany." As soon as Laura sets Paige down, the toddler waddles over to me. Someone's tired.

"Did Pawl make you faw?" she asks with wide eyes.

I giggle, pulling her onto my lap. "Yeah, he's a meanie."

She glares at him in her toddler way causing him to laugh. He reaches down and plucks her off my lap. "Trying to make my sister hate me, huh? I see how it is."

Smiling, I rest my head back on his knee. "Sure, Paul. That was my intention."

o.O

Over the next week, Embry ends up imprinting so we have another bonfire. The girl's nice, her name's Elena. He doesn't tell her about the wolves but he thought it would be good for her to know the legends. Kim, Jared, Paul and I also have another movie night. We watch A Cinderella Story since it's our turn to pick.

We literally spent all week in Chemistry class trying to think of a movie that we like and they hate. It's hard to find a chick flick that's enjoyable and not too funny. Kim announces that Jared hates A Cinderella Story and I remember Paul saying he hates Hilary Duff so... we conclude that this movie is out best bet since we both like it.

Their reactions to it are ones that we expect. Dread. Displeasure. Sulking. "Serves you right," I tease, focusing on the movie. Even if it is a chick flick, I don't know how anyone can hate this movie. Once it ends, the boys make exaggerated grunts of relief.

Finally, it comes time for my final practice before my doctor's appointment on Thursday. I do floor things. Even though I'll deny it if I'm asked, I keep trying things that will prepare me for the one move I know I shouldn't do. But I have a feeling, if I focus on training for it, I may be able to try the move again. And that's all I really want.

After the hour and a half, I'm dripping with sweat. Either I worked a lot harder than I normally do or I'm just completely out of shape...

"Do you want me to take you to the doctor's on Thursday? I can take the day off work," my mom offers on the drive back to our house.

I nod. "That'd be great, actually. If you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind, sweetie." She stops at the red lights and looks over at me. "Have you been going to the doctor alone?"

"Um, not really. The first time I did but Paul came with me after that."

"You probably shouldn't tell your father that," she laughs. "Who else knows?"

"Just Paul, Kim, and Carly." And the entire wolf pack most likely but I'm not the one who told them so it doesn't really count.

"Oh." She seems surprised. "You still talk to Carly?"

"Oh yeah," I reply. "We text a lot."

"That's good, you two were really close."

"We still are," I amend. Then I pull out my phone.

To: Paul Walker

Text: My mom's cuming with me to the docs 2moro so u don't have to cum if u dont want to.

I slip my phone into my pocket. He's on patrol and probably won't see his phone for awhile.

I wake up the next morning in the late hours of the morning since I don't have to go to school. If I would've told my parents earlier that I was going to see the doctor, I wouldn't have had to go to school those mornings.

I check my phone and see that Paul has texted me back.

New Message

From: Paul Walker

Text: o ok, tell me how it goes :) good luck!

I text him a quick reply before going out for a run. I make it quick. Only about a half hour. When I get home, I eat and then take a shower. There's not much time between when I get out and when we have to leave for the hospital so before I know it we're driving down the high way.

"So how have you been paying for these appointments Everlie?" she asks interestedly.

I shrug, blushing. "My bank account."

She shoots me a disapproving look. "You should've just told us and not used your own money."

I roll my eyes. "It's fine, Mom. I still have more than enough for college." A lot more.

She laughs. "Fine. Speaking of college, do you know what you want to do?"

I ponder over whether I should tell her what I've been considering lately or not to. I decide to. "I … think I want to be a teacher."

"A teacher?" She's completely shocked. "I was expecting gymnastics coach or judge or something."

I chuckle. "Well, I did think about that. I know I would love it but I'd really have to move away for that. And I don't want to leave La Push; I want to stay here."

She nods, smiling knowingly. "That wouldn't be because of a boy now would it?"

Well it's not like I can really leave since Paul can't. I mean, I guess I could but I really don't want to leave him. Plus, being a teacher would be fun. Math teacher specifically. And I can stay in La Push while I go to college so everything will work out. "Being a teacher? No. Staying here? Maybe."

She doesn't scold me like I expect, she just laughs.

When we get into the patient's room, Dr. Cullen doesn't take long to come in and get started. I introduce him to my mom which is pointless because they work together. "I have to admit I was pretty shocked, Carlisle, when I found out my daughter was coming to you and you never told me."

He laughs, shrugging it off as patient-doctor confidentiality.

Everything goes by like usual and when it's time for Dr. Cullen to show me my x-rays and tell me whether he thinks it's safe for me to continue gymnastics, I'm glad my mom's here. Even if I am seventeen, sometimes it's nice to have your mom with you to hold your hand.

"Well," he announces finally, "Congratulations, Everlie. I see no problem with you continuing gymnastics as long as you stay away from the bars." He keeps talking, telling me things that I really should be listening to. But I'm so happy I can't even focus. Eventually he starts telling my mom and I figure she'll tell me later.

Once he's done speaking, all I can say is, "Thank you so much. Really, you have no idea how thankful I am."

He just smiles. "You're very welcome. But remember, any back pain you get that's abnormal or you think is linked to your condition, come see me."

I nod continuously, still grinning. "I will."

Sometimes, things are just really amazing.