Embry POV

My homework was done and there was nothing for me to do. I could go and see Quil, I hadn't really seen him much these past weeks. Quil was my best friend and he knew better than anyone that I liked my space when it came to things.

"Embry?," my mom called out.

"Yeah."

"Will you come here for a minute?"

I sighed and left my room to find my mom in living room.

"Come have a seat."

"What's up, mom," I sat down.

"Well, I just wanted to talk. It seems we never really talk anymore."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know? We can start with school, how is it going? Senior year is coming to an end."

"It's okay. I'm ready to be done," I admit.

"I know about that feeling all too well," my mom smiled. "I never really liked high school, but then again, I was never as smart as you are," she cupped my face in her cheek. "Have you applied to any schools yet?"

"Uh, no. I think I'll take a year off."

My mom nodded, I could tell she didn't like the idea.

"What do you want to do on your year off?"

"I'm not sure, just relax, for once, I guess. Get a job or something."

"Yeah, good idea. Well, how are other things going?"

"I never see your friends anymore? Are you fighting with them?"

"What? No, mom. I'm not fighting with anyone."

"Okay... What about that girl? You never go over there anymore."

"Mom!"

"What? I'm just asking."

"Please, just don't."

"Embry... I'm worried about you."

I sighed and sunk into the chair.

"I am. Embry, you only sleep and go to school. I never see you, you don't talk. I don't think I've even seen you smile! I just, I want to know you're okay."

"I'm fine mom."

"Embry, you would tell me if.. if something was wrong, right?"

"Yes."

"Really? You would? Because you've just been so distant."

"Mom!"

"You have. Every since sophomore year, leaving every night, sneaking in. Now, I know you don;t do that anymore, but I'm still worried. You just seem different.."

"Mom, we've already talked about this."

"No we haven't, Embry. You didn't tell me anything!"

"Mom, it's fine. It's over. Can you just let it go?"

She sighed and turned away, I hated to upset her. It broke my heart to lie to her, but I couldn't risk her knowing. I knew it would only cause her to worry about me more.

"Mom?"

She was crying now, I could hear her sniffles and she turned back to me with tear streaks down her face.

"Mom..."

"I know you hate me... because I... I don't talk about your father."

"Mom, I don't hate you."

"Embry... I-I... I just don't want to make things hard for you," she cried into her hands.

I scooted closer to her and placed my hand on her back and she leaned forward and cried.

"Mom, I don't hate you. I promise. I love you."

"I don't w-want him in our l-lives," she cried. "Y-you've done so well without him. You're such a-a strong, m-man."

"I know, mom. I know. I just... I guess I'm just curious. I... I have a right to know who he is at least."

My mom sniffled and sat up, wiping her eyes, "I know. I know you do."

"Then why have you never told me?"

"I just... I wanted to forget him, but I guess... its hard to forget...," she sniffed again. "and now I feel like were so distant when we used to be so close. I mean, Embry, you used to tell me everything and now... I don't know anything about your life. I know you're growing up, but... I miss you."

It broke me all over again to hear her say that. I didn't mean to shut my mom out, I thought I was protecting her, but I see how much it had been hurting her. Growing up, she was all I had and we had been really close. I told her about every pimple I got, every girl I liked, every problem at school, but since joining the pack, I had just kept my whole life a secret.

"I'm sorry, mom. I'm really sorry."

"I just... I want you safe. Safe and happy."

"I know."

"And I want you to know I'm here for you, if you ever need me."

"I know that, mom."

"I love you, Embry," she hugged me tightly.

"I love you too, mom," I hugged her back.

Raena's POV

Tonight, I closed the laptop early, my mind was being pulled a new direction. Embry...

The words Bella told me rang in my head 'I can see that you like Embry' See what? What does she see? A delusion? Embry? I don't like him. I don't like people. Liking someone only gets you hurt. Like Trevor. What does she see? Embry is my friend... or he was, until everything happened. I don't even talk to him anymore... but that's because he's half wolf. A fucking wolf boy...

"Raena!," My uncle charlie called from downstairs.

"Yeah," I called out rubbing my face.

"Can you come down here?"

"Fucking christ," I grunted and got up and went downstairs.

Sue and Charlie were in the living room, it looked familiar. It looked like my intervention, my mom and my counselor... they had been sitting in our living room just like this. Solemn faces and tense anxiety.

"Raena, come on in here," Charlie beckoned me.

Fucking christ... why me?

I sat in the beige recliner while Sue and Charlie sat together on the dingy dark green couch. They were so close, practically melding into one person, holding each other's hands, it seemed so out of place. They didn't seem like this kind of couple, like a worried upper class white parents talking to their daughter about sex for the first time.

"So, we see that you are upset about the new we shared," Sue started.

Wow... what a genius.

"And we want you to know that your mother hasn't sent you here as a punishment," she added.

"You don't know my mother," I said dryly. "That is exactly what this is."

"Now, Raena, you know that's not true," Charlie added.

"You don't know her, either, Charlie."

"Raena, your mom is worried. She told me your aren't answering her calls. Why?"

"That should be obvious. I don't want to talk to her. Or either of you," I looked away from them, lazily. I was already bored with this conversation.

"Raena, this behavior... I don't appreciate it. Sue and I want to help you."

"Then leave me alone," I snapped.

"Enough," Sue's voice was short and cut through the air, silencing me immediately.

"You're uncle has been kind to you. He has opened his home to you, fed you, never raised a hand to you. And this is how you treat him," her eyes were cold and slanted.

My initial shock of her outburst wore off, she was giving me her 'mom' voice.

"Some home this is," I let the words fall out of my mouth.

"Raena!"

"It is not yours to judge," Sue said darkly.

"It's not just this house. It's the whole fucking town! Everyone here is insane!"

"Watch your language," Charlie said sternly.

"And what does that even mean? People here are crazy, huh? Because they live here, in Forks?," Sue argued.

"YES! This whole town is off the rails!," I turned to Charlie. " And you... you know it!"

"What?," Charlie was confused. "Raena, that doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect fucking sense! Do I need to spell it out for you!," I said loudly and Charlie just turned to Sue, unsure what was happening. "Oh my fucking god. Werewolves! Fucking Werewolves!"

Charlie's neck snapped back to me, his mouth open and his eyes wide, he really had not been expecting me to say that. He looked back to Sue, who also looked shocked, but neither of them denied it.

"Exactly! Don't fucking tell me you opened your home up to me, you opened this freak portal into the underworld to me! fucking werewolves, Really, Charlie?! Aren't you a fucking cop! And your living here with werewolves."

"Raena..," Sue had gained her voice back.

"No! No, don't you fucking dare. I know your son is one of them! A fucking werewolf, god, what does that make you?! Are you one too? Oh god, Charlie...," I turned my gaze back to him," What about you? What are you? Some type of... I don't even fucking know," I stood up. "This whole place is fucking crazy. I just want to go home where normal people live, not this freak hillbilly speck on the map."

I stormed back upstairs, neither of them called after me, I think I had stunned them back to silence. I slammed the door and ran my fingers through my hair, more stressed than ever and leaned against the door. What a fucking joke... this... my whole life. A fucking joke.

I felt the sting of tears, I wiped them away before they could fall and felt my lungs go into overdrive. I was breathing quickly, I covered my mouth, trying to cover the sounds as the bubbled up in my throat.

Why? Why is this happening?!

The worst part, I didn't have anyone to talk to. Bella was crazy. Charlie was crazy. Sue was batshit crazy. April had no clue. Jonny didn't give a fuck. And Embry... he... he was just too far. It had been so long, I didn't know how to talk to him... What would I say? He was the only one I wanted to talk to, but it felt like I lost him now, as a friend and as whatever else.