Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alright I know that it has been an exceedingly long time since I last uploaded and I am really really sorry! I wanted to upload sooner but I was suffering from a serious case of writer's block there were about five different ways it could go and I couldn't decide and trying to incorporate everything was not working but now I have settled on something that I am happy with and I'm sticking to it!

I'm uploading three chapters today and I hope that you enjoy them! (If you can even remember the story and aren't looking blankly at the screen saying when did I ever read this!)

C.P.O.V

Another week had passed by, I was now getting used to my daily routine of going to school each day again after what felt like an eternity of summer. Jane who had at first seemed happy at my lack of complaints about the school, was beginning to get slightly annoyed at my lack of feedback, finding my silence in general to be annoying. But the truth was that there was nothing much to report, I went in each day and went to my classes, the curious glances now having ceased to the occasional glance in my direction when I was asked a question in class. The only highlight to my day was History class, where Ms De Luca, as always would in what seemed liked an effortless manner gain my undivided attention.

Along with my daily school routine, there was another daily occurrence that I was growing accustomed to, the animal outside at night howling behind the house. Every night at two in the morning, you could set your watch to it, the animal would appear at the forest edge, only a silhouette amongst the trees being too far away from the lights of the house, or torch which I had tried on the third night. It was strange the animal seemed highly aware of what was going on, it felt to me as though it was there to see me. I knew that was ridiculous, illogical even, but I couldn't't shake the feeling that the animal came each night to see me. I would move my chair over by the window each night an wrap myself into a blanket, sitting there waiting for it to appear, each time growing more nervous, frightened that it wouldn't't come. It was this fact that surprised me, it had been the night before that I realised that I looked forward to the strange little ritual, it had been late, the animal showing up about 15 minutes late. I could have sworn that it had been in pain, it's usual lithe movements had changed, instead it had limped along the forest edge, earning a gasp from me when I noticed and when it had whimpered in what I assumed was pain. I was worried about it, I wanted to comfort it somehow, but when I went to move out of the room the animal's whining became a little more frantic, I rushed back to the window the sounds instantly ceasing. I sat into the chair and refused to move from the spot, eventually falling asleep there, when I woke up that morning it had been gone as always.

"Claire I was talking to Emily a little earlier and they want us to come over for dinner tonight….to see how your first week at school went.." Jane announced from the living room door, her expression oddly guarded. As usual I jumped not having heard her approach, the odd image of Jane making a great burglar entered my mind, the woman had grace that could easily be compared to stealth that was almost frightening. "Oh…well were you planning on going?" I asked uncertain as to whether or not she was asking me or informing me that I was going there tonight. Jane rolled her eyes at me, "Well I wouldn't bother telling you about it unless I had agreed that we would go…I just wanted to let you know not to eat too much today you now how much Emily cooks.." Jane added a small smile playing on her lips, I smiled too not being able to help myself , Jane's small gesture was one of her rare shows of affection that were becoming more common-place. "Alright then what time are we going over there at?" I asked, looking between her and the T.V, I was watching an old DVD box-set of Doctor Who, I had seen it about a hundred times over at this stage, but it never grew old. "Well we ought to be leaving here at about five I think.." Jane answered biting her lip as she thought it over, looking down at me then surveying my outfit, "Claire please change out of…that.." she finished shuddering in obvious disgust at my outfit. I shrugged non-committaly, I had been wearing lime green jeans and a grey vest top along with a pair of flip flops, hardly my favourite outfit but it was fine for hanging around the house in. Typical Jane, whenever I had a moment where I saw a good side to her she had to go and trample all over it. Turning back to the TV. I turned p the volume one of my favourite episodes had just come on, the Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler, meet Queen Victoria and encountered a werewolf, by far one of the best episodes I owned.

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"Claire!!...you're here it's been so long since we've seen you!" Emily exclaimed greeting her at the door with a bone-crushing hug, knocking the wind right out of her. "Hi aunt Emily…it's good to see you too.." I laughed, at her enthusiasm, it was nice to have someone so eager to see me. "So how was your first week at school then?" she asked dragging me across the room into the kitchen sitting me down nearest to the cooker, where she took over stirring a saucepan that Caleb had been looking after. Caleb smiled at me before moving across the kitchen to slice some vegetables. "It was fine.." I answered truthfully, "nothing special…same old same old, go to class listen, get work ,do work ya da ya da ya da.." I trailed off at the sceptical frown that had appeared on Emily's face. Before she could say anything else though, Hannah appeared out of nowhere, squealing in excitement when she saw me.

"CLAIRE!.." she screamed in my ear as she threw her arms around me, squeezing me around my neck a little too enthusiastically. "Hey.. Hannah…can't…breathe.." I managed to breathe out, tapping her arm to make her let me go. Hannah quickly let me go holding her arms up in the air in a pose of surrender, before sitting down beside me launching into a fast flowing speech about her own first week at school. I on the other hand had to take my inhaler out of my bag taking two fast blasts from it, instantly feeling some relief, my breathing stabilising somewhat. I hated the fact that my asthma was playing up again, it was unfair for it to stop affecting me for a while and then to suddenly reappear again. Hannah continued to talk for a few minutes, ignoring my use of my inhaler as though it were the most natural thing in the world. I saw Emily roll her eyes at Hannah, frowning slightly at her daughters insensitivity, but I didn't mind I knew that she hadn't meant to hurt me. Jane on the other hand watched the scene with a faint hint of amusement, and was to my surprise having some kind of discussion with Caleb, I couldn't really hear what they were talking about, but Caleb had a huge grin on his face, so I assumed that he was enjoying it.

"Well Claire what were they like?" Hannah asked eagerly leaning forward in her chair, expecting an answer from me. My mouth dropped in confusion, I hadn't been paying attention to what she had been saying too distracted by what everyone else was doing. "I'm sorry Hannah what did you say?" I asked politely, smiling at her apologetically. Hannah waved a hand of dismissal, "It's alright Claire...honestly thought where's your head at, I was talking about the boys at your school…." she finished staring at me expectantly, at my clueless expression she sighed and explained herself, "Are they cute or what!…" she exclaimed, "I bet they are…and I suppose the girls are all really pretty too…" she trailed off with a wistful expression. I thought about it for a moment, trying to think of the best way to phrase my answer, "Well…I mean I didn't really look at them to be hounest…I guess that some of them are…I know the girls are really into their labels.." I shrugged not being able to really think of anyone that I had deemed attractive in my mind, only being able to see the expensive school bags that they used. That was one of the problems you get from staring at your feet when you walk as opposed to around you.

Hannah frowned at me with disappointment, something that I was growing accustomed to now, everyone seemed to be doing it lately. "Claire you are something else…you've been there for a week already and you haven't noticed anyone…I mean you were in La Push for a few hours when you met Quill!" Hannah exclaimed waving her arms around dramatically. I froze at this point, seeing Jane stiffen at the mention of Quill's name, Emily looked slightly panicked glaring in Hannah's direction, her face falling in confusion at her mother's expression, for once seeming to know that she ought to stay quiet. Emily laughed with forced cheerfulness, "Hannah leave you cousin alone honestly she's only been here a few minutes and your already harassing her…give her a chance to relax will you…get her a drink will you please?" Emily rushed out, trying to placate Jane who looked as though Hannah had announced her impending decision to strike up a career in prostitution. I knew that Jane had some problem with Quill, but I was surprised by Emily's reaction all the same, Jane was glaring at Emily, and Emily was pointedly attempting to avoid her stare.

Sam walked into the house then, "Evening everyone and how are you all?" smiling around at everyone before quickly greeting Emily with his customary kisses, one for the scars and one on the lips. I saw Jane wince slightly at this display of affection, Hannah and Caleb accustomed to it didn't even seem to notice. "Claire honey how are you?" Sam asked beaming at her, placing an arm on her shoulder in a fatherly gesture, I smiled up at him in response, trying to ignore the earlier tension in the room. "I'm good thanks and you?" I asked politely, as Sam sat down beside me at the table, leaning his chin on his hand that he had propped up on the table, a mannerism that would annoy Jane to death I knew. Sam who grinned over at me, "Really well thanks kid…I was just over at the garage.." he finished from a glance from Emily, "I was dropping off some fuses on my way home, I think that poor Stanley is getting a little carried away with some of the equipment.." Sam trailed off laughing. I smiled back politely, not wanting to think too much about the garage, already having thought about Quill far too much for my liking.

Dinner was awkward, despite the eager attempts by both Emily and Sam to keep things cheerful around the table. Hannah seemed blissfully unaware of what was happening, whilst Caleb looked a little uncomfortable, not knowing what was going on but sensing the tension all the same. Reilly was over at a friends house and wouldn't be back until after dinner, which I regretted, not because I really wanted to see him, but because if anything could distract us from the situation it was Reilly. Jane was continuing to look suspiciously around the table, as though she were suddenly expecting Quill to appear out from the closet or something, Sam and Emily hiding him around the house for when Claire called over. Not that they would, Claire could not imagine any reason for them to do such a thing, especially considering that Quill had a girlfriend. I shuddered in my seat at the thought, Suzette, I had thought over that name so many times in the last number of weeks that I was beginning to imagine I heard it in random mundane sounds. In the drip of a tap or the tick of a clock, sometimes when I was obsessing over the elusive Suzette, the sounds would tease me seemingly calling out her name.

"So what do they teach you at this fancy school of yours then Claire?" Sam asked smiling broadly at me, obviously finding the thought of my private school to be funny. I grinned back at him in response "Nothing that they don't teach in any other school…well unless you count the whole weapons handling class.." I trailed off frowning in disapproval, Sam laughed at my response raising his cup of coffee to his mouth, before stopping and placing the cup back on the table. "Claire…you are kidding right?" he asked uncertainly, I burst out laughing as did Emily, beside him who patted his arm sympathetically kissing him on the cheek and patting his hair down with her hand. Sam blushed slightly, frowning in my direction in mock disapproval, Jane on the other hand looked as though she were fighting the urge to snap at me for mocking the school that she and her father paid so much for her to attend.

Everyone was interrupted by the entrance of Reilly, who as usual made the most simple of events, such as walking into a room dramatic. "Hey cuz what's up?…where's the car or did you get shot of it already?" He asked hopefully, "I knew you'd follow my advice at some stage and get a new car.." he declared loudly, before finally noticing that Jane was at the table too. "Oh.." he began his face falling slightly, "Auntie J I didn't see you there how are you?" he asked beaming in her direction. Jane on the other hand didn't seem to know what to say, either both at her nephews impulsive manner or the fact that he had called her Auntie J, a thoroughly unsuitable name.

"Hello Reilly.." Jane finally forced out, half attempting a smile that appeared to be more of a grimace than anything else. "Hey!" I smiled waving in his direction, grabbing another one of Emily's muffins from the table as I did, hoping that I wouldn't't meet one of Jane's disapproving glances, due to her dieting ways. I noticed Jane turn and throw a suspicious glance at Sam, who didn't't seem to notice anything at all out of the ordinary and was cheerfully talking to Reilly.

The awkward tension didn't't leave for the rest of the evening, Jane being particularly sullen, and seeming to not enjoy herself. I couldn't't understand why she wouldn't't leave myself but I decided not to ask, rather enjoying my cousins company who were all recounting their first weeks back at school, of course Reilly's in particular being quite colourful. Hannah had towards the end of the night, asked me to come upstairs with her, for what I assumed would be some kind of girly ritual or other, once safely in her room sunk into her newly acquired bean bags with the twins playing PS2 down the hall; she dove into an account about her latest crush. This had lasted close to half an hour, she had talked about everything from the colour of his eyes to his shoelaces and what his writing was like, I sat there smiling and nodding politely, not really knowing what I ought to say, this being quite foreign to me. Susan had never come to me about her crushes or boyfriends, talking to her friends about it instead I would sometimes overhear snippets of her conversations when they had stayed over or when she was talking on the phone. Although unlike Hannah who had a shy, innocent enthusiasm about her, Susan spoke with a boastful confident air, the men in her life being conquests more than anything else.

Just when it seemed as though Hannah was about to stop talking I caught the glimmer of remembrance about her, her eyes widened as she rushed to finish off what she was saying before she could launch into her new point. Before she got the chance I quickly stood up, "I think that I heard Jane call me just now…I had better go and see what she wants!" I lied quickly, smiling sympathetically and rolling my eyes in pretend annoyance, when in fact I couldn't't get away from Hannah fast enough. Talking about crushes was not something that I wanted to get into, I was only grateful that Hannah had been too caught up in her own love life to remember ask any questions about mine. "Oh ok…I didn't't hear anything though…" Hannah trailed off dejectedly, obviously disappointed at the loss of her audience, "come back up though if she's staying longer!" she finished smiling hopefully. I nodded and smiled, before quickly leaving the room, I knew that she would be listening for Jane to call again if I waited any longer and when it didn't't come I would no doubt have to sit there and listen to her ramble.

I walked quietly past the twins room, not wanting to gain their attention, their room was right by the staircase so they would definitely have heard Jane if she had called me, there would be no excuses not to stop and talk to them if they saw me. Continuing down the stairs, creeping as opposed to walking, I could hear rushed voices coming from the kitchen, not raised but both sounding serious and tense, as though they were in fact fighting. Moving closer to the partially closed door, I saw that it was Jane and Sam, both of them leaning across the kitchen table, Jane glaring and Sam with a pleading expression, Emily was sitting at the end of the table between them both, holding both Jane and Sam's hands in hers on the table before her her gaze shifting between the two but mostly concentrated on Jane. I leaned as close to the door as possible without being seen to hear them speak better. I almost screamed when someone placed a hand on my shoulder, instead stumbling backwards into them, "Claire are you alright?….what are you doing out here?" he asked suspiciously, I was too confused by what I had just heard to answer him, instead staring at him open mouthed uncertain of what to say. I was glad though that it was Caleb not Reilly that had found me, I knew that with Reilly would come the dramatics which would surely cause me more trouble than was necessary.

Caleb glanced between me and the scene at the table with dawning comprehension and coughed loudly, placing a finger to his lips before walking into the kitchen, with two mugs that I hadn't noticed before in hand. Gathering myself together, I walked into the kitchen after him, everyone at the table stared at me, all with the same panicked expression, I assumed that Caleb had received the same welcome, they were obviously wondering if we had heard anything. But the thing was I hadn't heard anything, all I knew was that they had been arguing about something. Jane moved to stand at the sight of me, Emily still holding on to her hand. "Claire I think that it's about time we leave, we wouldn't want to outstay our welcome.." Jane supplied quickly not surprising me but not making it any easier to figure out what had happened. I glanced around at everyone confused as Jane snatched her hand back from Emily and began walking towards the door, "Thank you for dinner goodnight!" she called over her shoulder. I walked a little more slowly, "Thank you for dinner....it was nice of you to invite us.." I supplied smiling, Emily taking her into a quick hug, before I left. If Jane was going to be rude then let her, but I had no reason to be.

Jane had started the car by the time I got outside, tapping the wheel impatiently I sat into the car watching her expression, it was tight and she seemed to be having some difficulty in accepting something that had been said; the internal conflict more than clear on her face. "Is everything alright?" I asked eventually, not knowing what to expect as an answer probably something dismissive though. Jane glanced over at me though, surprising me with a soft expression, "Yes everything is fine…we were just talking…from now on everything will be the way it ought to be.." Jane supplied, her answer sounding like a decision. "Alright then….glad to hear that everything's fine then …" I replied, staring straight ahead completely confused by her answer, I could only assume that Jane and Emily had settled some past differences or were at least getting there. At least there seemed to be something positive happening for Jane for once, selfishly I couldn't help but wonder when it would be my turn.