Raena POV

I woke up to April sleeping sprawled out on the floor beside my bed and throw up on my rug. It smelled so bad, I wanted to throw up, I am not cleaning that up. I glanced to my clock it was about 10. Thank god it's spring break, I got out of bed and showered. I thought back to last night, Embry had been so honest with me and so unnaturally forgiving about what I had done. Maybe that's just a werewolf thing.

Back my room, April was still snoring on the floor but I chose to let her sleep instead of waking her up. I went downstairs and found the house was empty, which was a nice surprise. I didn't really want to see Charlie or Sue, they were just so awkward now that I knew about everything, not that they were great company to begin with. I made some cereal and sat at the table, I thought back to home. I missed Chicago so much, I longed for the crazy drivers, excessive honking, tall buildings and edible pizza. I bet my mom misses me... I miss her. I know I should call her, but then I'd have to tell her about everything. I sighed and pulled out my phone, pausing before calling my mom.

"Hello?," she answered.

"Hey mom," I already felt guilty and my throat caught.

"Oh Raena, baby! Are you okay? What's wrong?," she was worried.

"Mom... I... I..."

I was stuck. I couldn't tell her. No way. What would she do? She would freak out, 100 times worse than me. She's probably let me come back to Chicago though, but what about Charlie? She would never talk to him again! And Embry... I would never see him again.

"Oh, Raena... please no," her voice sounded so hurt and broken.

"Sorry, I've been so busy," I told her. "School here is not as relaxed as I thought they would be."

"Honey... please don't do that."

I was confused," do what?"

"Cover it up, you know I had that."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you've been using. That's why you've been avoiding my calls and texts."

"What? Mom, no!"

"Well, then tell me why? If not for that then there must be a reason. It's been a month, Raena. If that's not why, it better be a damn good excuse."

Oh shit... fuck.

"Well, I... I've been busy."

"Don't lie to me, Raena Llyr."

"I'm not lying!"

She was starting to irritate me.

"So you're trying to tell me you've been to busy to call me? Or answer any of my texts?! Your mother!"

"YES! I've been busy!"

"Oh, please," my mom scoffed, not believing me.

"I call you and you really want to do this? Fight with me?"

"I want to know your not up there doing the same things you did down here!"

"I'm not! Why don't you ever believe me!," I shouted.

There was a pause and my mom sighed," I do believe you... I really do honey."

"No you don't," I felt hurt. "You think I'm using."

"I just don't want you to make the same mistakes, Raena."

"I'm not! I tell you that everytime we talk, it's all you want to know. It seems like you don't care about anything else!"

"I do care! I cared enough to send you there, keep you away from all this mess!"

"And you think I'm such a degenerate that I'm out here trying to score!"

"Raena-"

"No, I'm trying here mom. I'm really trying," my voice cracked," so hard. I just... it's just been so hard."

It had been hard, really hard. I wanted a hit, at least once a day I thought about it. Anytime I had a second to spare in my head, that's were my mind floated. It was constant and persistent, but I hadn't given in. I had been strong and sober for 3 months, which was not my personal record, but it felt way longer after finding out about werewolves. My mom didn't even know why I just dropped her like that. She had no clue what I knew now.

"I know, sweetie. It's been hard and I'm proud of you for being clean, I really am. But you can't block me out. You can't just not answer my calls."

"I know, I'm sorry. I've just been... preoccupied."

"With what? Are you doing some big project?"

"No... just stupid bullshit drama."

"Oh, Raena, stay out of all that."

"I don't want it!," I protested her insinuating voice that it was my fault.

"Well, what's wrong? Are the girls there being mean to you?"

"No, mom."

"What is it then?"

"Just drama," I took another bite of my cereal, but now it was soggy and gross.

"Oh... well, just try to avoid it then," she said unhelpfully.

"Thanks."

"Is there, anything new you want to talk about?"

"No."

I bite my tongue.

"Nothing at all?"

Why is she fighting this?!

"..Because Charlie told me there was a boy."

How they fuck does she know that?!

"I've been waiting for you to bring it up, to not seem so nosy, but you never did. He took you on a date? Do you like him?"

Ew, Jonny.

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I do not like him, mom."

"Okay, okay. I was just asking. Probably for the best, you don't need any... distractions."

I rolled my eyes and put the phone on the table so I couldn't hear her. Every time. Nothing else even exists to her, I ran my hands though my hair and took a deep breath. I picked up the phone and she was still talking.

"...because I know, believe me. The same thing happened, but your education is important."

"Yeah, mom, I know," I acted like I had been listening and stood up from the table, carrying my bowel to the sink.

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"And the transfer is-"

"Let's not talk about it," I interrupted her.

"Right."

I cleaned out the bowl," I love you."

"I love you too, Raena. So so much. I'll call you later."

"Yeah, bye."

I put the phone on the counter and sighed loudly.

"Love already?"

I jumped and saw April standing in the doorway.

"I didn't know you and Embry were that close."

"Fucking christ, April!"

She laughed and sat at the table.

"Don't do that," I scolded her.

"So, are you and Embry really like that? All I love you and stuff? Because if you are that means you lied to me! You've been secretly dating!"

"What? No! I was on the phone with my mom."

April leaned onto the table and closed her eyes," That would probably explain the shouting."

"Yeah, we clash sometimes."

"I'm hungry," April whined.

"Aren't you hungover?"

"Ew, gross. I've never been hungover before."

"You were wasted last night."

"Oh no," she covered her face. "Anything bad?"

"You threw up, but other than that you basically to fucked to do anything."

"Shit," she cursed into her hands and I laughed.

"You need to learn to pace yourself."

She groaned and slammed her head on the table then popped back up.

"But you talked to Embry, right?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"AND? TELL ME?!"

"You forgot?," I chuckled.

"Shut up and tell me."

"It's good. We're good."

"Tell me something real!"

"Well... he likes me," I couldn't stop the smile from my face.

"OH MY GOOOOODDD!," April squealed happily.

Damn, am I hungover? I wanted to plug my ears but even when she stopped my head was ringing.

"So what happened? What did he say?!"

"Well, we basically just said we liked each other... that was it."

"But are you dating? Is he your boyfriend now!?"

"Oh, no. We're not dating."

April slumped in her seat," Ohhhh, why not?!"

"I'm not... I just... it's complicated."

"That's stupid," she grumbled.

I sighed, "You have to look at the bright side then."

"Which is?"

"At least you don't have a hangover," I chuckled.

April cracked a grin," Yeah, and now Jonny is officially on the market."

"That has never been false."