Seth's POV

It was Tuesday, which just happened to be my favorite day of the week. An early finish, and the start to my two-day weekend. I left the small work bathroom after changing out of my uniform and told my work friends I would see them on Friday, eager to get out and go on with my routine.

She was waiting for me outside, and her eyes brightened when she saw me leave the small restaurant, my backpack slung over my right shoulder.

She stood gracefully from her seat on the arm of the public bench and moved to me a little too quickly, launching herself into my arms as she did every Tuesday at five-past-three.

I chuckled and wrapped my arms around her, lifting her a foot or so off the ground as I returned her hug. "Hey, kid."

"Missed you," she sighed into my shoulder, patting me on the back to indicate she wanted to be lowered to the ground. We were both in short sleeves, the only two among the crowd of people in hooded sweatshirts and jackets. The weather was definitely getting cooler, but we'd always been able to deal with people questioning our decision to not stick to more appropriate clothing for our dreary environment.

"Missed you, too. What's it been, like three days?"

She rolled her eyes at me and began walking to our usual spot, just a block up the road. "Jeez, sorry for the love."

The small coffee shop was relatively busy, as always. The blonde girl at the counter gave us a welcoming grin as we entered, taking our normal seat inside the door at the small, two-person table. She'd been here to take our orders for the past two years, ever since I started working at the restaurant and we'd made this place our local.

We didn't have to place our orders anymore. A coffee and two pastries were brought out to me, a herbal tea sat on the other side of the table. She was quick to wrap her slender fingers around it and bring it to her face, blowing away the steam as she looked up at me silently. A stray bronze curl hung over her eyebrow, which she lifted it in question at my silence.

"How's it going with Jake?"

She sighed and lowered the cup to her saucer again, leaning back into her chair, discouraged. "Weird. Very, very weird."

"Any progress?"

She chuckled quietly, sarcasm just about dripping from her lips. "I doubt I would have gone three days without any contact on the subject if there was something to tell you."

"Ah, Ness."

"How has he been? I know you would never say anything, and I completely trust you to keep things from our chats hidden when you're patrolling together, but has there been anything you've heard that he didn't mean to put out there?"

I hesitated as I thought back to patrol a couple of nights ago. Jake had been getting more and more frustrated when it came to Nessie for years, almost a decade, but after celebrating her sixteenth birthday just a few weeks ago, they were both well and truly over sticking to the friendship phase of their relationship, and everyone knew it. They were also both stubborn idiots, so neither of them were keen on acting out on these feelings which had been hovering since a few years after Nessie had hit full maturity, when she was just ten years old.

"He's…frustrated. As much as ever." I left out the fact Jake had had one particularly detailed dream a month or so back, and his thoughts still slipped up as he tortured himself over the idea, even when we were meant to be focused on keeping the area safe.

Nessie rolled her eyes again and shook her head. "He's so stupid. I know it took me a while to figure myself out with looking like an adult, and I didn't expect anything to happen when I was seven years old, but after he'd come to terms with the fact that I was fully grown, at least!" Her voice rose. We were usually pretty good at speaking quietly to avoid anyone listening in on our conversations, but her frustration was nearing her imprint's at this point and she didn't seem to be able to hold her normally impeccable wits together.

She blew on her tea once more, but didn't take a sip, and I pulled the corner off a Danish and chewed it slowly as I waited for her to finish.

"I think of myself as a very patient person, Seth, but it's just getting beyond ridiculous. I feel like four years ago would have been appropriate, if it had taken that long at all. I was waiting for something to happen. Sixteen is just ridiculous."

"At least everyone else sees you as an adult?" I offered. "Something's bound to progress sooner or later."

"Not if Jacob has anything to say about it, apparently." She scoffed and took a tiny sip of her tea, her mouth twisting at the taste. There were few human consumables Renesmee Cullen actually enjoyed, but she was good at keeping up appearances.

I sighed, agreeing with her. I knew Jake would kill me for this, but Ness was my best friend and I didn't like seeing her like this. The constant conversations were enough to be grating on my mind and my eyes flicked to the door and the street outside, just to be safe, before I leaned toward her slowly.

"Ness," I said gently. "I don't want you to repeat this," her brown eyes were wide as she looked up at me, intrigued. "Jake's…scared," for lack of a better word.

"Scared?" she tested the word on her lips, her eyes holding doubt.

I nodded. "In a way. It's been a long time coming, and I think he's so aware of the fact that once it happens, that's it. Not to mention you guys have forever, literally forever, and your friendship was always just going to last years." I thought on that for a moment. "There was never any reason for Jake to rush things, because he knows there's so much of a chance for you guys to have centuries to experience each other at another level. You only get the firsts once. Once you've experienced them, they're done."

She was quiet for a long moment, her eyes on her fingertips as she traced the mouth of her tea cup. "I know," she said softly. This had obviously been something she'd thought on a lot, too. "But Jake's had his first kiss. I haven't. And I feel like it's never going to happen."

"Yeah," I agreed easily. "I get that. But it will. Everyone's waiting for it. Hell, I bet even your father is getting impatient over something happening!" we both chuckled at the idea of Edward Cullen wanting his little girl in a committed, romantic relationship. "Look, Ness, I know this is going to sound so stupid, but this part it honestly the most delicious part of it all. The what ifs and the whens. It's constant adrenaline. It's why so many humans go through multiple relationships, because at the start, before you really get to know each other physically…it's addictive."

"Well, I can safely say I'm over it."

"But not enough to make the first move?" my expression was accusing, but light, and she grinned at me innocently.

"Oh, I've definitely been throwing him hints."

"Yeah, the entire pack is aware of that."

We were silent for another long moment and she took another tiny sip of her tea. "Okay, no more Nessie and Jacob nonsense," she said decidedly. "What's happening in Seth's life?"

"Ah, same old…" I lowered my eyes to the table and took a long sip of my coffee. "Nothing to report here."

Her eyebrows pulled together when I looked up at her, and I tried to tell myself it wasn't in a pitying way. "Absolutely nothing?"

"Work, patrol, home, repeat. Although, I did watch a great movie on Netflix the other night –"

"What about that new waitress at the restaurant? The one with the brown extensions. She seems interested!"

"Grace," I nodded. "I think she might be, but it's too hard, Ness. You know how I was with Laylah and Ash…it's fine for a while, but after a couple of years there are too many questions I can't answer, and it gets to me. It gets to them. There's no point in having a serious relationship when you can't even be honest about your personal life."

She nodded slowly in agreement. "Well, you could always follow in Embry's footsteps..."

"What, hit it and quit it?" we both laughed, but it died away sadly. "I tried it once before, not for me."

"Yeah, I love that story," she agreed, amused. "But I know. You're too good a person for that stuff. Just make sure you're not leading Grace on, okay? She seems nice."

"She is," I agreed. "But I'm not doing anything that would make her think I'm interested."

We chose to change the subject after that. It was funny, the two of us so far from where we wanted to be relationship wise, but the look of us. We quite often had strangers commenting on what a beautiful couple we were, and we'd stopped correcting them somewhere along the line. It wasn't easy to explain I was technically her step-uncle and she was destined to be with my brother of sorts.

"So I'm guessing you're going to that Halloween party Leah's work friend's throwing?"

"Yep," I was honestly excited for that. I loved Halloween. Leah had started a new job a few years ago and had lightened up enough to become somewhat of a social butterfly. It wasn't hard to get along with our circle of friends, but a girl Leah had started spending time with outside of work had fit in like she'd always been there. She'd invited the majority of us, as well as a large group of people from their office, to a party at her house in just over a week's time. "I have to work during the day, but I'm finishing at three. I'll have a couple of hours after I get home to change and make my way out. I think I'll head to Sam and Emily's and help with anything Em's bringing out, as well."

"What are you going as?"

"Don't know at this stage. I have to say, it's comforting knowing I'll fit into anything from the last ten years or so. I have enough to drag out and go through without having to plan anything." Her eyes were bright, as if she wanted to say something and I grinned back at her. "What are you going as, Ness?"

"Well," she hesitated, her lips pulling back over her bright white teeth as she thought about what to say. "Alice found a pretty incredible leather designer, and she thought it might be helpful to Jacob if I had a Cat Woman type of thing going on."

"You're going to kill him,"

"I know," she giggled happily.

I rolled my eyes when my phone rang, my sister's name popping up on the small screen on my dashboard. I answered it immediately and flicked on my indicator, turning my truck into the small street as I neared my destination.

"I'm on my way Leah, I'm about ten minutes away."

She was already there. The chatter from a group of people and up-beat music came through the phone in the background as she laughed shortly at something someone had said and answered me. "Everyone was asking where you were. I told them you only managed to get out of work an hour ago, but they've decided that's not good enough."

"It was busy," I reasoned helplessly. "Who knew we were going to have a last-minute booking for a work Halloween party?"

"Hm," she didn't seem to be interested as to why I was over an hour late to something they'd had planned for months. "I'm guessing you didn't swing by home to grab anything to wear?"

"I changed after work, I've got a t-shirt and jeans."

"Shoes?"

"Umm…" I looked over my shoulder and found a pair of old sneakers on my backseat. "Yes,"

"It's Halloween, Seth. You love Halloween."

"I'm aware," I chuckled. "Look, I'm sure there'll be a tube of fake blood lying around somewhere. I'll let Nessie have her way with me and she can dirty me up in any way she wants." I just had to bring a relatively new shirt to change into from my uniform today.

Leah scoffed. "She heard that. She said it's not good enough, but she'll try to work her magic." There was a slight pause and she lowered her voice, a little bit of humour in her tone. "Jake also heard that, and you might want to rethink your choice in words next time."

I let out a loud bark of a laugh, throwing my head back for a short second. "Why? She's single, isn't she?" Leah was silent, and I could only imagine Jake's reaction to my words. He was well aware Ness and I were conspiring against him over this whole relationship thing, and while it honestly was none of my business, I was here to help out my best friend any way I could. And that included messing with her boyfriend, even though that could end dangerously for me. "Okay. Well tell everyone to calm down and I'll see you soon."

"Yep," the line went dead and my music continued through the speakers.

The end of the street was full of cars, and the orange and purple balloons tied to the letterbox outside of the house were covered in thick raindrops from the last downpour earlier in the afternoon. The air was misty, but for the moment it wasn't raining, and it looked as though we were going to get lucky with the weather for at least the next few hours.

I bypassed the house and walked straight to the side gate, which was opened into the wide backyard. I grinned and raised my hand in greeting when at least ten of my brothers called out as they saw me, dropping the small plate of cakes I'd swiped from the dessert counter at work onto the fold-out table against the brick exterior of the house.

Nessie was the first to find me, and I answered her hug tightly, not really knowing where to put my hands. She wasn't wrong about the costume. It clung to her like she'd grown it as a second skin, shining in the lights strung up over us to show off her inhumanely perfect body. Her hug lasted longer than necessary, because she put her uncovered hand to my face and replayed Jake's reaction to her casually walking out of her bedroom and asking him if he was ready to leave for the night.

I looked up as I pulled away from her, straight into her imprints eyes, and he shook his head slowly, with a warning. I grinned in return, knowing he wouldn't like my enthusiasm on the subject, but he let it slide. He knew how important I was to Ness, and he would never do anything to upset her, including telling me to put a hold on our conspiring.

"You look great," I told her honestly. "Black looks good on you."

"I can only imagine how good Black would look on me." Her voice was low, just for the two of us, and I couldn't resist a loud laugh at the joke Jacob would not have heard.

"That was a good one," I applauded her. She grabbed my hand and I let her pull me to the small circle where Leah, Jacob and Quil were discussing one very obviously intoxicated blonde that was in a confusing discussion with Embry in the middle of the yard.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" I started, frowning as Quil dressed from head to toe in pink.

He laughed at his joke. "Brady, Collin and I are the three little pigs, and Embry is the big bad wolf." I followed his gaze back to Embry, who seemed to be enjoying his blonde friend, and took in the cheap, faux-fur jacket he had on over his black t-shirt. He'd even donned a pair of ears on a headband for the occasion, and squished his feet into those ridiculous skippers that are shaped like bear paws.

"Have you got the curly tail to match?"

He turned around immediately, showing me he indeed did. I wondered when Claire had gotten him back into her Great Pipe-Cleaner Phase of 2004.

Speak of the devil, a head of thick black hair whipped its way around my side and a pair of gently toned arms were thrown around my shoulders. "Seth!" her voice drawled on my name as she pulled back to look in my eyes. "We thought you weren't coming!"

"Hey, Claire-Bear," I was the only one who could get away with using her old nickname. She seemed to completely disregard it when it came from me. If any of the other guys tried it, especially Quil, they'd get daggers. "Sleeping Beauty?"

"Cinderella," she corrected, fluffing at the tulle on her hips, spilling a little bit of whatever orange drink she had in her cup. "How was work? Where is your costume?"

"Work was work, and I didn't want to be any later than I was already. I was being harassed to get here as it was."

"Sorry," Leah and Nessie both said under their breaths.

"Well," Claire started. The pack had another name for the woman I was speaking to now. 'Drunk Claire', who was an entirely different person to the hot-headed, outspoken girl she was when sober. "I hope you know Annie's holding a costume contest for best dressed, so sorry in advance that you're not going to win!"

"There's always next year," I sighed with hopelessness. Jake chuckled as Claire backed away from me and fell into Quil.

"Hey handsome,"

"Hey honey," he replied gently as he pried the cup from her hands, taking a small sip. "Jesus, Claire, what's the vodka/orange juice ratio in this?!"

She giggled and grabbed his hips, swaying from side-to-side in time with the music as she gazed up at him. He frowned down at her in disapproval and took her hand, dragging her off to get her a cup of water. I watched them go with a weird feeling. Quil, of all people, loved Drunk Claire. She tended to get very handsy and conspicuous in a group of people, with Quil at the centre of her attention. I didn't quite understand the imprint bond like my brothers who had experienced it themselves, but it was interesting to see him at war over loving the fact Claire always made it very obvious that he was hers, and wanting to protect her from getting sick when she'd had that little bit too much.

I turned back to the group, resisting a smirk as I watched Nessie chat, pushing her hip out a certain way as she stood just a little in front of Jake, her back arched unnaturally. He seemed to be torn between frowning and nodding at the conversation at hand, and letting his eyes slip to the shiny leather over her backside. I noticed a drink in Nessie's hand, as well, and wondered if she were perhaps using it as an excuse to act up, or whether she honestly thought she needed the extra courage it could provide. It wasn't easy for us to get intoxicated, whether wolf or vampire-hybrid. Nessie had hit the drinks hard at her twenty-first, awarding herself with her first ever drunk experience. It hadn't lasted long, but she'd had fun before her metabolism had finally decided to kick it.

As the party went on, we mingled more and more outside of our small group. I chatted to each of the guys, some with their imprints or girlfriends, others making talk with girls Annie had invited from work or her outside hobbies. It was nice to see Leah being comfortable with a bunch of people I didn't know. She'd really been enjoying her job and the people she'd met. She was good at keeping a distance when she needed to, keeping her social and pack life separate, but I could tell she was excited to have everyone she loved in one place like this.

The music got louder as the night went on. I'd been chatting to Emily and Sam about their jobs and the small renovations they were making on their house when they dismissed themselves, a very moody Levi telling them repeatedly he wanted to go home. Emily sighed and pushed her son's black hair out of his face.

"I suppose it's a school night," she sighed, looking to Sam who stood immediately, hoisting their gangly little Bianca into his arms and kissing her on the top of her head. She'd fallen asleep against his chest before I'd made my way over.

"I'll see you guys soon," I promised. We'd been organizing fortnightly family dinners for months, and our Thursday night was coming up the following week.

I watched them go, listening to my brothers laughing and chatting in the background. I felt someone approaching me from behind, but I knew from her scent and the overdosed perfume she wasn't someone I personally knew.

"Hey," I turned to face her when she spoke so I wouldn't be rude.

"Hi," I greeted back warmly, lifting my beer to have a quick drink. "I'm Seth."

"Nice to meet you, Seth," she smiled up at me, her features controlled, her lips slightly pouted and her eyebrows arched. "I'm Lacey,"

She was dressed in fishnet stockings and cowboy boots, a small pair of denim jeans and a long-sleeved flannel t-shirt tied at her waist. She had goosebumps on her chest, but she didn't seem to mind if she got to play slutty cowgirl. I'd seen her giggling with a couple of girls earlier in the night, one of them being Embry's blonde friend, who was now hanging off his bicep. "Are you here with anyone?"

"My sister," I pointed Leah out, and she smiled.

"Leah," she took a long sip of her drink and waved when Leah looked up at hearing her name called, though she really shouldn't have been able to hear her.

"Yeah, Leah. Do you work together?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded, swallowing her alcohol. "I started there about six months ago. All the girls are great."

"Yeah, Leah enjoys it," I shifted my weight as she not-so-subtly ran her eyes down my frame.

"That's a weak excuse for a costume, Seth. What's that about?"

I looked down at my now ruined outfit. Nessie had really gone to town with a sachet of fake blood, smearing it all over my face and leaving handprints on my chest, silently asking if Jake was watching as she squeezed me in a way that was downright inappropriate.

"Yeah, I didn't really get to plan it out. I think I'm a vampire who gets very messy at mealtime or something."

"No fangs?"

"Real vampires don't have fangs," I chuckled, eyeing Ness across the yard who turned to me with a very dramatic roll of her eyes, despite being in a deep conversation with her imprint about getting home before dawn.

"So Leah told us at work that you're single," straight to the point. I had to admire her forwardness.

"That would be correct," I couldn't seem to look directly at her, knowing exactly where this is going. Embry was grinning at me over her head, and I asked him with my eyes for some help, but he shook his head, pulling his beer to his lips, turning to the blonde on his arm to answer her latest question with more enthusiasm than was necessary.

"Me too!" she said brightly. "I only moved here about a year ago, it's been hard getting out to meet people."

"Well, people tend to be pretty friendly in Forks. Brady here's a great guy," I grabbed him as he passed, swinging him to face us. He looked confused for a second, then grinned as Lacey gave him a once-over, straightening his shoulders.

I left them at that, making a bee-line for Jared and Kim, who looked about ready to burst through her costume. I greeted them quickly, greeted her stomach with a gentle rub, and fell into an easy conversation about how ready she was to get baby number three out of her and be done with the pregnancy thing for good. We were just getting into how happy Jared was to be retired from pack life when Annie, the host herself, jumped up on a chair and called for everyone's attention.

"Excuse me!" her loud voice called over everyone, who silenced themselves immediately, and she paused to turn down the music so it was easier for everyone to hear. "We're going to have out costume contest now! There is a prize for best dressed, and punishment for worst," she paused to eye me accusingly and Jared chuckled and pushed my shoulder. "Can I get everyone to line up in the cul-de-sac out the front so I can see you all clearly, and we'll get started!"

She lived on the very end of her street, one entire side of it backing onto the forest that was such a big part of Forks. We stood against a section of the tree line, her house jutting out in a cosy way, and lined up as she'd requested so she could walk down the line and scrutinize us.

There were a few people who were definitely more into the whole contest idea than everyone else. Lacey and her two friends were giggling loudly, throwing snide comments about Ness, who was without a doubt the most well-dressed. You could tell she hadn't skimped out on quality, even if it was a bit of a risqué option for a Halloween costume. She didn't seem phased by the entire competition, though, and when she was dragged out to stand with the three intoxicated girls, a couple of guys who had no chance and didn't look hopeful, Claire and a couple of quieter girls from the office, she took part in raising her hand to say the brunette in the way-too-short fairy dress had the best costume. It was handmaid by the girl, and that ought to count.

The fairy won, and Lacey and their other friend cheered loudly, hugging her happily. She grinned widely, the glitter on her forehead and cheeks creasing as she stood beside Annie and was awarded a huge Jack-o-Lantern shaped bag of candy.

"And the worst dressed…" Annie looked straight toward me with a falsely sympathetic smile. "I think he knows who he is. Get out here, Seth,"

I sighed and wandered into the street, wondering what she was going to cook up for my punishment. "Yeah, yeah," I muttered as my brothers booed me from their place on the gutter.

"Well, this is what you get for not taking my party seriously!" Annie laughed and smacked my upper arm. I smiled back at her. Annie was nice, and she'd been a really good friend to my sister. I knew she didn't really have any hard feelings toward me for showing up in a regular outfit.

"Now for your punishment," she turned to the fairy who had whispered something about truth-or-dare in her ear, and grinned as she straightened up. "We're going to have a good, old-fashioned truth-or-dare, and our winner gets to choose the question, or dare."

I hesitated, looking toward my friends. Nessie mouthed the word 'dare', automatically. I wasn't one for lying, and whatever question she wanted to ask could potentially reveal more than what my brothers and I wanted anyone to know, not that I wouldn't keep our secret. Besides, it was a Halloween party, and everyone who could be affected by alcohol was well past wanting a tame experience. So I went along with their little game.

"Dare," I said easily. A few of my brothers let out loud laughs, and I resisted throwing them a filthy look.

"Dare…" the fairy repeated, looking toward her two friends. Lacey nodded at her knowingly, the fairy nodded back, and she looked at me with a wicked smile. "We want you to do a lap of the street," she said, pausing dramatically for effect. "Naked."

Of course. Quil immediately yelled at me to take my clothes off, and Claire nudged him, but she was having fun in all of this too, grinning at me encouragingly. It wasn't like I wasn't used to getting my clothes off. It was a part of day-to-day life when you were a wolf, and I knew the imprints wouldn't look any way in my direction once I'd stripped down. We were like a family, and they wanted to see me naked just as much as Leah, who was miming vomiting down her front at this present moment. And again, it was Halloween. So the other girls here were going to get their show, and I was going to go along with it like someone who would feel the effects of the several beers I'd had more so than the exaggerated confidence it had given me.

I sighed and made my way to the line of trees, stepping behind one of the wider ones and pulled my shirt quickly over my head. It registered that I should feel a few more nerves than I was, but there wasn't any embarrassment seeping into my emotions. Just a group of mostly late twenty-somethings having a laugh at a get-together.

The wolf whistles started when I emerged, leaving my shoes, jeans and t-shirt in a pile beside the tree. How fitting. I covered myself with my hands, resisting the urge to attempt to push Collin over at one of his dirtier jokes, and began jogging at human pace down to the end of the street. This was easy. The street wasn't insanely long, and there were only two street lamps – one over the grouping of people at the end of the cul-de-sac, and another a little more than halfway up. Night had completely set in hours before, and not too much natural light filtered through the thick cloud cover above us. My brothers and Nessie were the only ones I had to worry about really getting a good look, but with working with the guys and hunting for years with Ness and Jake, it wasn't anything new to anyone.

The three giggly girls laughed and called things out the entire time. I ignored them, just over halfway when another small chuckle caught my attention. In my peripheral vision, I made out a figure on one of the small porches in front of a narrow house. I didn't turn to look at them, for a moment feeling embarrassed, finally, that a stranger had caught me in the act. They would have been completely aware of the party going on down the street and known it was all in good fun, but still. Grown men streaking wasn't really going to win any brownie points in anyone's books.

I sped up, just a tiny bit, still trying to maintain the human façade, and reached the end of the street, turning fluidly and making my way back down. I could see my friends waving me on as they cheered and made ridiculous comments, and I grinned despite myself. And then I checked the house with the porch light on.

She was still there. She'd stood from her spot and walked to the end of the porch, to get a better look as I passed, I suppose. I didn't see what the big deal was about, and I was just reaching her house when I looked up properly to throw her a filthy look, but it fell from my face and I came to a complete stop in the middle of the road, turning to face her with no fear.

I was briefly aware that my heart was pounding, way too strongly, though I was able to run a hundred miles without tiring myself. My legs felt as though they were about to give way and a sudden wave of dizziness hit me, though I stayed standing.

The grin slipped off her lips when she realized I had stopped in my game for her, and they parted slightly as she stared back at me. Her eyes were wide, almond-shaped, and the most beautiful color green I'd ever seen. Her eyebrows were thick and gently arched, hovering over her eyes like the wings of a moth, and they rose slightly as she looked in my direction. She didn't blink. Her dark hair fell just below her shoulders, unstyled and thick and completely, utterly perfect.

I had no idea who she was, but I knew without a doubt that she was the most fascinating person I'd ever seen in my life. I was frozen in place as she stared back at me, questioning me with her eyes, and I didn't know how to answer.

"Seth!" I heard my name being called, and somewhere in the back of my mind I registered it as Claire's voice. There was a mumble I couldn't make out, and then Jake's low voice, under his breath. "Shit."

My name being called caught her attention, and she leaned over the low railing to look down the street, seeing the large group of people at the end. She cast one quick, fleeting glance back in my direction before turning and opening the door, slipping inside too quickly. I felt my feet carry me a step toward the now closed door, but I heard Jake calling me and I faltered.

"Seth, come back," there was no joking tone in his voice now, and I followed my Alpha the way I always would, picking up the pace and rejoining the group, the now giddy girls silent as they questioned what had happened.