A.N: Hey all. So this Sunday I'm posting Interlude 2 for sarah0406 because they were my 25th reviewer :). I know it's super duper late and it's because inspiration was not striking. BUT I got there. It's a small chapter compared to what I've been putting out recently, but I hope it sheds more light on Eve and her relationship with Naima. I hope you enjoy it!

Interlude 2

October 2003

"Can we put on the radio?" Eve asked, as soon as Naima started the ignition. Eve had a big art project to take to school, and usually, her mum would drive her but she'd been feeling really unwell lately, so Eve was getting a ride with Naima.

Naima looked at her and smiled. "Sure," she said. "Anything specific?"

"Capital FM?" she asked.

Naima paused for a moment as she checked her mirrors. She'd only passed her driving test recently, and this was one of the first few times Eve had been in the car with her by themselves.

"That's a bit much for the morning, isn't it?"

Eve felt her insides coil up in annoyance and immediately felt like she had to go on the defensive. "Fine then. Heart?" Eve asked, bite to her tone.

Naima nodded towards the radio as she flicked the indicator to turn out of the flat and onto the high road, on the way to Eve's school. Apparently, Naima was feeling generous because she usually made Eve take the bus to school. It was a whole 30-minute journey where Niama could just drop her on her own way to work.

Still, at least Eve was allowed to choose the music this time. Her sister could be a pain when it came to driving. My car, my rules.

And her rules meant that they would listen to instrumental versions of pop songs. It was cool, but there was only so much that Eve could take before it got boring hearing a violin or a cello in place of actual vocals. And Eve was more of a steady drumbeat kind of girl. She liked a rhythm.

The steady thump of the drums and the bass did something to soothe the anger that felt like it was constantly bubbling at the surface as well.

She'd overheard Naima and their mum talk about it one evening. Naima said it had hurt when Eve looked at her like she was a speck of dirt, and her mum had said that Eve was a teenager. Teenagers had so many hormones that they can't do very much other than lash out. Fourteen was a confusing time.

Yeah, confusing was the right word. She wasn't so sure that it was because of her hormones though.

Eve tried not to, but sometimes it was like her tongue would just lash out at the first person there. More often than not it was her mum, but now that Niama had taken off her hijab, it was her too.

She knew it wasn't fair. Naima was allowed to do what she wanted. But now that her mum and her sister didn't wear a hijab, she looked like the odd one out when they all went out together. Like someone not a part of their family.

Eve hated it.

But Naima seemed to understand what was happening, so she never said anything to Eve to make her feel bad. Somehow that made her feel worse.

She tried to ignore that and focus on the music. Heart wasn't the best station to try and get your mind of anger considering it was a bunch of older songs, and love songs, but at least it was on.

Eve didn't know many of the songs well, but she hummed along to the ones she did. She liked it when it was like this; it was almost like she had her own little secret when she listened to music out loud in the car. Their dad didn't like them listening to music - something about it taking you away from Allah - and most of the time Eve would nod along and play the good girl, but listen to music on her headphones.

She loved listening to music. There were times where she would be able to truly lose herself in it, and when she came out the other end, she would always wonder how something so beautiful could be considered a bad thing.

The one time she'd asked her mum, her mum had put it into a context she'd understood: "Imagine not having ever heard anything but drums and vocals. And then someone comes along with a string instrument that reaches notes not possible for humans. It's easy to see how you can begin focusing all your attention on that beautiful - angelic - sound, isn't it?"

When her mum put it like that, Eve could understand. But then, shouldn't things come in moderation? Even Naima's classical music could make people feel calm and relaxed, and wasn't it easier to worship God when you had something you could appreciate from Him?

The radio hosts bantered back and forth for a little while, and then there were ads. It was the worst part about listening to the radio, but even the repetition helped drown out the noise in her head.

Soon enough, the hosts were back and a song came on that Eve knew and actually liked. Let me love you, and I will love you until you learn to love yourself. She sang along to the words under her breath as the road, cars and shops passed by. It was a sweet song if you didn't listen to the words.

"Hey, Eve?" Naima asked softly.

"What?"

"Do you ever think about who you might end up with?"

What a stupid question. There wasn't any point in thinking about that because, one, she was fourteen and couldn't care less about boys, and two, she didn't want to get married anyway. Why would she want to have to sleep next to someone every night, or have to deal with their annoying habits all the time? Their dad constantly forgot to squeeze the toothpaste towards the entrance of the tube!

Why would she want to deal with that?! No, Eve was going to live by herself and maybe get herself a budgie or something to keep her company.

"No," she said.

"Oh."

Naima went quiet and it seemed like she was waiting for Eve to ask her something. She really didn't want to, but the pressure of silence felt like it was building and building, and she hated having to feel awkward around people.

"Do you?"

"Sometimes. Not who it is specifically, 'cause that would be weird, but the type of person they are."

"Cool." Eve hoped the conversation would be over, but she was never that lucky.

"I was just thinking about the song that came on. I feel like it's better not to be with someone that isn't ready to love themselves - or be working on it a lot."

Eve looked at her sister from the side of her eye. Naima was concentrating hard on the road, the kind of hard that suggested she wasn't really concentrating on the road but trying not to look at Eve. Why was she telling her this?

"I guess so," she said.

"I don't know," Naima said. "I guess I don't really want to end up changing myself for someone else."

Oh. Eve could sort of relate to that. She didn't want to change herself either. "Do you think dad regrets converting for mum?" she asked eventually.

Naima was quiet. The topic wasn't brought up very much in their household. Their mum had been the Muslim and dad had fallen in love with her, so much so, that he had converted. He'd never said it point-blank, but Eve had always wondered if it was something that he'd regretted.

Maybe that was why he'd been so angry when her mum and Naima had taken their hijabs off. Eve could understand feeling bitter about doing something for someone else, and then they turn around and just...disregard the years of commitment you'd made.

Was that why she was so angry at her mum as well?

"I don't know," Naima finally said. "Maybe you should ask him."

"I'm never going to change myself for someone else," Eve said, instead. "It's stupid."

Naima hummed. "I think it's harder to do than to say. People expect so much of you that sometimes it can be like you're drowning in it."

That one she definitely understood. She felt it every time her dad looked between Naima and Eve - like Eve was the last thing he had that made sense.

Or when her mum would stare, exasperated, because Eve was getting angry over "stupid little things."

Or when her friends would coo over how pretty her hair was, and why don't you show it? No one would judge you.

Or when Naima would just look at her like she wanted Eve to understand. But she couldn't understand. She didn't want what Naima did to make sense to her, because if it started making sense, then what would she do?

"I still wouldn't change," she said steadfastly. But still, at the back of her mind, there was a question. Would it be better to change for others, or be yourself and make them angry?

"No," Niama said with an odd tone to her voice. It almost sounded proud and...annoyed. "I guess you wouldn't. I don't think you should ever change yourself for family, either."

"Is that why you did it?"

"Maybe."

They said nothing, and Eve's school gates were fast approaching. When the car stopped, Eve grabbed her backpack and portfolio and rushed out of the car. She didn't bother looking back at Naima and she didn't want to think about the conversation too closely. She didn't like having heart to heart chats with people.

She didn't like feeling uncomfortable. She didn't like not knowing what to do.

September 2006

Jacob giving Bella Swan her address had been the last straw. He'd disregarded her personal privacy, just because a girl he had a crush on had asked him. What did that mean about her? She'd not been so angry at someone in a long time that it had taken a little while to be able to understand what she was actually feeling.

So Eve sat with her thoughts and tried not to punch the pillows on her bed too hard.

The complete lack of thought for her - supposedly someone who was meant to be special to him - was a terrible thing. Even if she wasn't his Imprint - and what did that even mean anyways? - surely it was impolite, at the very least, to give someone's address out. Eve couldn't really put her finger on what made her so angry about it, but she knew it wasn't the real reason why.

Sure it was annoying, but she was well versed in feeling angry. She knew by now that there was always something underneath it that was really what hurt a person.

"What do I do?" she asked when Naima was ready to listen again.

Naima looked at her sadly. "I don't think I can tell you that, Eve. But just because you're his...imprint doesn't mean anything about you."

They were good words to hear. Something about them struck a chord in her gut.

Eve had been someone's something her whole life and she was done with it now. If Jacob I'll-just-give-your-address-out-to-anyone Black wanted to be a pain in the arse and look like an absolute prick while doing it, then he could.

She wasn't going to let some stupid boy determine what her future would and wouldn't be. And she wasn't going to let him off without an apology from him either.

He was a narcissist and a child. He wasn't worth the space in her mind, so Eve sure as shit wasn't going to give it to him anymore.

He'd treated her like dirt, hurt her feelings, ignored her, been an absolute asshole, and all the while she'd let him. Well, she wasn't going to let him anymore.

It wasn't worth making other people comfortable just so they could walk all over you. Eve knew that now. So she would get an apology from him or she wouldn't. But she was so done with having that imbecile be the focus of her mind.

She had things to do; colleges to apply for. She wanted to travel. She wanted to go exploring. Take pictures. Leave home.

There were so many things that she wanted, and Jacob and his opinion or his behaviour didn't factor into any of them.

Eve let out a deep sigh.

It felt like a weight had been lifted. Like she could just...be. Not even herself. Just be. All the things that came with being Eve Wright and the things that didn't come with it.

For the first time in so many years, Eve felt...calm.

A.N: Okay, I won't lie. Part of why this was posted today rather than a Thursday like it usually would be is because I'm struggling immensely with the last chapter. Some of it is written but I feel like it may not be working well with the fic. I've got one more chapter to post before the last one, so I'm going to work on it this week and next, but hopefully it'll be something worth the time you guys have put in to read this.

Hope you have a great rest of your Sunday, and I'll see you guys next week :D