I'm so fancy

You already know

I'm in the fast lane

From LA to Tokyo

I was feeling the groove of the music as I flipped the French toast in the pan. It was a little burnt, but, hey, I was trying. The past few weeks have been pretty chill. Eventually, my parents got tired of me jumping out of my bedroom window to sleep at Paul's house and just let me go. We were nesting or something. He was figuring out this whole wolf thing and I was getting us ready to embark on the next leg of our lives. We were happy.

So, after Sam was demoted, Jared stepped in and started to fill in all of the missing information that the Council hadn't told us. That's how we learned about imprinting. The whole Sam-and-Emily thing was the result of Sam's wolf mind deciding that Emily was its soulmate…or something like that. It's still a bit confusing. Jared had done it too on this girl we went to high school with, Kim. I remember her from a couple of classes; she was my science partner freshman year. Even back then, she had a little thing for Jared, but was too shy to admit it. Now they're together and they're so in love.

Jared said imprinting was super rare so Paul and I shouldn't feel bad that it didn't happen to us. I wasn't too worried about it. My mind was five steps ahead at all times; soon, he'd have his wolf under control and we would get to New York and leave all of this drama behind. For now, we were hanging out with Rachel and Rebecca until Bex leaves for Hawaii, reconnecting with Jared and the rest of the pack, and playing house.

I would never admit it out loud, but I kind of liked playing housewife. Paul has to do these things called patrols; they pretty much just run around the perimeter of the Rez for a few hours to make sure vampires stay away from our land. And while he does his patrols, I'll try to cook breakfast or dinner for us—key word: try. Sometimes it came out pretty good, like when I made spaghetti. And other times…not so much. Like when I had to dose a grease fire trying to make my dad's fish fry. Needless to say, I was so close to being completely useless in the kitchen.

"What smells good?" he called, walking through the front door. He was just being nice. I had already burned three pieces of French toast and had the determination of a pit bull. He came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. "Oh, it's you. You're what smells good."

I peered over my shoulder to plant a kiss on his lips. "It's definitely not breakfast," I joked. I took the piece of toast out of the pan and into the garbage. "I'm gonna order waffles from the diner."

"Don't worry about it, baby. I'm too tired to eat," he told me. He pressed his nose to my hair before sighing dreamily. "I've been waiting for this all morning."

I felt my face flush as I relaxed myself into his warm body. "How was it today?" I asked.

"You should have seen me today," he smirked. "I'm strong as hell."

I laughed before spinning around in his arms. His hands always floated to my hips, squeezing them. He was almost giddy with his newfound strength. But he was also tired; his eyes always gave him away. "I bet you were kicking ass all day." I liked to gas him up. I always have this theory that if you continually compliment someone to give them confidence, they'll overcome that thing that seems unconquerable.

This wolf thing felt as unconquerable as anything else in the world. Even more so, actually. It scared me most days, but if he wasn't afraid, I wouldn't show him that I was. "The only thing I was missing was you," he said, ducking his head to meet my lips. I felt myself smile as my stomach fluttered. He grabbed a fistful of my t shirt around my hips and let out a small groan. "You know how good you look in my clothes?"

"I think you look better in them," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"They look best on the floor though," he smirked before planting kisses down my neck. He started to lift the black shirt over my body when I stopped him with a giggle. He furrowed his brows in faux sadness. "What's wrong?"

I started to massage the nape of his neck as I tried to stop myself from falling into his eyes. "Not out here. Rachel and Becca are picking me up in a bit so we can all go shopping," I told him. "It's our last day to spend time together, just the three of us, before Bex leaves us forever. And I don't want her last image of me to be us naked on the kitchen floor."

He chuckled, "'Forever' is a little dramatic."

I gave him a crazy look. "Have you met Rebecca? She's itching to get out of here."

"Sounds like someone else I know," Paul teased before walking to the fridge.

"Two someones," I reminded him. He dug out a few slices of leftover pizza, shoving one in his mouth. "Hey, I thought you were too tired to eat."

"I'm starving, baby, I'm sorry," he said with his mouth full. I rolled my eyes at him. Jared told us that, because the wolves run so hot, their metabolisms are through the roof. So they're always hungry. On those days when Paul isn't exhausted from training, the guys were piling into my parents' house to devour anything that Paul cooks. It was honestly nice to see him connecting with the boys like this. He and Jared were close again now that the big secret wasn't in the way; he never said it out loud, but I could tell that he missed Jared and Jared definitely missed him.

We went into the bedroom to relax until it was time for me to leave with the twins. Paul immediately took me into his arms with a big sigh. We sat quietly for a minute, just enjoying each other's presence. "You know how much I love you?" he asked.

"How much?"

"More than anything in the world."

I looked up and touched our noses together. "The world is pretty big. Are you sure about that?"

He gazed into my eyes and smiled, "Positive."

Even though we had fallen into a groove, I was still working on making sure everything was in place for the move. Almost everything was in place. Except for a place to live. I couldn't seem to make a decision and whenever I asked Paul for his, he would say, "Whatever you want, baby. I'm down with anything." Money was going to be really tight and we both knew that. Which is why I'd been saving every penny that came my way. Every once and a while, I'd sell a piece of art to some random person in Forks or Port Angeles and just tuck away the money and try to forget about it.

"You should just stay in bed with me today," he murmured. His hands slipped over the curve of my ass before he hoisted me until I was straddling him. I gasped a little in surprise as I steadied myself. His face settled into a smirk as he ran his fingers up and down my bare thighs.

Something to know: wolves are also always horny. They're just as horny as they are hungry.

"I can't," I pouted.

"Yes, you can," he rasped, grinding himself against me. I bit my lip as my heart started up a little. He sat up quickly so we were face to face. He captured my lips in a kiss before I could even think. I kissed him back hungrily; I was loving every second of his hands on me.

I know I didn't put up much of a fight. But what can I say? He's hard to resist. I felt myself getting wet as I felt him get hard.

"Get on your knees," he whispered against my lips.

"What?" I breathed.

"Get on your knees," he repeated with a little more force. I nodded as I moved off of him and into the middle of the bed. I could see him looking me up and down from the full length mirror on the opposite wall. I don't know what it was but I felt a little self conscious; I pulled his t shirt down to cover myself. "Don't do that."

Paul settled in behind me. He moved my hair away from my neck before letting his lips whisper along my neck. I shuddered as my eyes closed. Paul lifted my shirt over my head and threw it to the side. "Paul…" I whispered.

"Shhh…" he said quietly. "Can I touch you?"

I swallowed hard as I nodded. "Please…"

It started off slow. Every move careful and deliberate. He rubbed my clit in circles while he pressed himself firm behind me. I let out a quiet moan as my head fell back on his shoulder.

He kept whispering things into my ear as he touched me. With every second, I felt myself getting lost in him more and more. My hand glided down to his to change his rhythm, making him go faster. The pants and moans escaped my mouth before I could quiet myself.

"Goddamn…" he groaned. He stopped and just held me for a second. "Lee?"

"Yes?" I panted.

"Can I try something?" he asked almost shy. "Only if you're ok with it."

I nodded, turning my face into his neck. His hands left my core and settled on my hips, squeezing them. He kissed my forehead before I felt him bend me over at the waist. I tried to contain my shock as I propped myself up on my elbows. He quickly slipped off his shorts and I could feel his eyes taking in the sight of me from behind. But I couldn't help myself and a little giggle started to form in my stomach.

He froze at my laughter. "What's wrong?"

I laughed a little bit more before I managed, "Doggy?" In the mirror, I watched his face go from confused to amusingly embarrassed. I covered my mouth as I laughed again. "The irony is just too good."

"Irony is not sexy, Leah," he chuckled. His head dropped in front of him. "It's stupid, isn't it?"

He plopped onto his butt before falling back onto the bed. I turned around, moving my hair from my face. "Of course it's not stupid, baby. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to laugh."

I crawled until I was on top of him. He covered his face with his muscular arm. "Just forget it," he groaned.

"Why are you so frustrated?" I asked. "You're acting like we've never done this before. And I'm sure you've done doggy with plenty of girls."

He peaked at me. "It's different with you," he said. "And this wolf stuff…it all feels…"

"Different," I finished for him. He nodded. I let him sulk for just a second before I walked my fingers up and across his chest. I kissed all over the area as I gently moved his arm from his face. "Different can be good," I teased. My hand glided down until I made contact.

He groaned as I stroked him slowly. I kissed him as I climbed on top of him. I didn't let go of his dick until I was completely filled with him. "Fuck," he gasped. He looked up at me in surprise before sitting up until we were chest to chest. I wrapped my leg around him as I started to grind myself on him.

I moaned as we moved together. His hands and his mouth were everywhere. His hot body made everything feel more…intense. I could hear him growling under breath, so wild, so fierce.

His strength didn't scare me. I never felt like he was going to hurt me in any way. If anything, I was always craving it. Craving his strong arms around me, the way his muscles flexed and relaxed with every thrust, the way he gets just a little bit rough when he gets excited.

Before I could stop it, a loud gasp escaped my mouth as he thrust himself deeper. Paul covered my mouth and said "Shh…" really quietly. I looked at him, confused. He didn't stop fucking me; he just tapped a finger to his ear.

My ears strained but I could hear voices at the door. Rowdy voices. Then someone started pounding on the front door. "Bro!" one of the boys yelled from outside. It wasn't Jared. Maybe Embry?

Paul rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

"Yo, are you coming or what?" Jared yelled. Ok, so the other one was for sure Embry.

"Jesus Christ…" Paul muttered. He grabbed me by my hips and lifted me off of him and sitting me on the bed. "Hold on," he told me.

But you know that naughty voice in your head? I grabbed Paul's hand as he was about to leave the room. Pulling him back toward the bed, I raised myself until I could crash our lips together again.

"Paul, what the fuck, bro?" Jared yelled. "We know you're not sleeping!"

I broke off our kiss before turning myself until my back was to him. And then I slowly bent over until my face was buried in the blanket. Doggy. "Oh my god…" Paul whispered. His hands slid over my hips and gripped them tight. Paul pushed himself inside me again and I heard that growl come from him again.

My eyes rolled in the back of my head as I tried to keep myself quiet. The blankets balled into my fists as he continued to make love to me.

"Put your dick away! Let's go!" Embry yelled.

"Get the fuck out of here!" Paul shouted backfinally. I tried not to giggle at the frustration in his voice mixed with the mangled moan that was caught in his throat. "For the love of god, I'll be out later," he called out as he gently smacked my ass. With every thrust, I felt myself getting closer and closer to climax.

"You better not take too long, mother fucker!" Embry yelled.

As soon as Paul was sure they were far enough away from the house, he let out a long groan and then he cursed. "Fuck, you're so tight, Lee."

"Don't stop," I moaned. This position was completely new to me. It was so good. He was hitting new spots inside me that I'd never felt before.

"Cum for me," he gritted.

"I-I-oh my god," I gasped as I drew closer. My legs started to shake as my entire body tensed. I called out his name as I orgasmed, feeling my toes curl and my entire body tingled.

He fucked me harder as I came down from the high. "God, I love you," he said under his breath. He flipped me over on my back, lowering himself on top of me. I wrapped both legs around his waist to keep him close as he buried his hands in my hair. He kissed me until he came, moaning against my mouth.

He collapsed on top of me, breathing heavy. I relished in the weight on me before he rolled over. I watched his face for a second before saying, "I love you more."

He shook his head, "Not possible."

XXXXXXXXX

Rebecca was trying to act like she wasn't sad that she was leaving tomorrow. I get it. I still couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that we weren't all going to be together anymore.

Every time Rachel would get a little teary eyed, Bex would immediately jump into a new conversation to avoid the big sad moment. We were walking around the little strip of shops in Port Angeles for the day. I draped my arm across Rach's shoulders as Bex flitted in one of the stores looking at sundresses. Rachel pouted as she looked at me, "I'm going to miss you both so much."

"You won't even have time to miss us," I reassured her. "I'm flying you out to New York as soon as possible."

"Why so far though?" she asked. Then she lightly hit my arm. "And why didn't you tell me?"

I sighed sadly as I thought about her question. And then I felt my heart lurch at the dejected look on her face and realized why. "I wasn't ready for you to look at me like that," I said. Rachel tried to fix her face. "Rachel, it's ok to be sad. I'm sad too; I hate thinking about not having you both with me forever."

"Do we like this dress?" Bex called from the rack on the other side of the store. It was a powder blue sundress with ruffles at the bottom and a white lace trim on the collar. It was everything Rebecca wasn't. Rach and I both shook our heads adamantly; Bex shrugged and ducked her head back into the clothing rack.

Rachel sighed, sadly. "We've been a three-some our whole lives," she pointed out. "The longest we've ever been apart is a weekend."

Bex came over to sit in the window seat with us. "Ok, guys, I have options," she said, flipping through her hangers. She did a double take at her twin who was on the brink of tears and she visibly softened. "Rach, doooon't," she whined.

"I can't help it! I'm sorry!" Rachel exclaimed, letting a tear fall down her cheek. I wiped it away and put my head on her shoulder. "No more bonfires or Saturday mornings at the diner. What am I supposed to do without you two?"

Rebecca sighed sadly as she bounced her foot. Nervous tic. She was trying not to cry; I could tell. Her cheeks and nose were flushing a little bit and she was blinking away tears. "We just need you to hold down the fort for now. We'll be back before you know it."

I looked up at Bex and instantly knew she was just saying that to make Rachel feel better. Every time we talked about leaving La Push, Rebecca made it perfectly clear that she would only come back if somebody died. Other than that, she was keeping this place in the back of her mind.

Rachel was the complete opposite. She never wanted to leave. She wanted to give back to our home; it was commendable. Braver than I could be, that's for sure.

"Just promise me that we'll Skype all the time," Rachel said. She held out her pinky in front of her. I immediately hooked mine with hers and smiled when Bex hooked hers too.

"Lock it," I told the twins. We all kissed our own connected hand before we hugged.

The afternoon was pretty smooth after that. Rachel understood why Rebecca and I needed to go. It was still hard to think about though. Sometimes, it still felt like it wasn't real. I needed to cherish every moment I had while I was at home. It was never going to be like this again.

We had just finished lunch at this little pub. Bex had convinced the day bartender to look the other way when she pulled a flask full of vodka to pour into our soda. It was the perfect day to pause this chapter of our best friendship.

As the three of us strolled through Port Angeles, we were already planning a trip to visit Rebecca in Hawaii as soon as we could. Rebecca passed the half empty flask to me while we enjoyed each other's company. We were passing up a jewelry shop when the three of us stopped dead in our tracks at the sound of a familiar booming laugh from inside.

Not long ago, something like this would have broke me. Just shattered me into a million pieces. But something was just different. As he kept a protective hand on her waist, she was leaning over the jewelry case and pointing to what she liked. She was beaming; they both were.

Watching Sam and Emily through that window made me feel this strange sense of déjà vu maybe? Like in some other version of my life, I would be looking at engagement rings with Sam. What's the word for that?

"Come on, Lee, let's go," Rachel said, pulling my sleeve. Her voice was coated in concern. I put my hand on top of hers to stop her as I watched my cousin put on a nice little ring on a certain finger.

Sam's head looked over at the sound of my name and his skin paled instantly. Emily held up her hand to show him, but soon followed his gaze to see what was distracting him. It was like an out of body experience. I wasn't upset; I was almost relieved.

They both waited for me to storm off in a huff. They expected me to be angry. But I wasn't. Instead, I just lifted the flask to both of them before letting Rachel pull me away. Cheers to them. Or whatever.

XXXXXXXXX

Our last La Push celebration was one for the books. The night before we took Rebecca to the airport and two weeks before Paul and I left for New York. It felt like the entire reservation came out for that final dinner before things changed.

"All hands on deck!" Dad called from the kitchen. I could smell his famous fish fry from all the way upstairs. Everything in my bedroom was mostly packed up; at least, everything I needed for New York. My suitcases were open and overflowed with clothes and shampoo and whatever else. It was strange packing up for whoever knows how long. Mom and I talked about us coming home for Christmas, but that's only if we can afford it.

I jogged downstairs as I watched Seth and his new girlfriend, Alexis, scurry to the kitchen. She was a cute girl and so sweet. Her raven hair was always perfectly pin straight and it framed her round face perfectly. Alexis was teeny tiny, standing at 5'3" on a good day. She looked almost mini next to Seth, who was rapidly growing inches. I had asked Dad if he was going to phase like the other boys and he looked a little sick thinking about his only son turning into a wolf.

Mama was putting food into bowls so we could all get to the bonfire on time. Daddy wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he fried the fish on the stove. I came up behind him and put my chin on his shoulder. Dad patted me on the head. "What's up, kiddo?" he asked.

After everything came out about the wolf pack and Sam and Paul, I was working hard to make sure that everything was back to normal with my family. To me, that meant open communication and respecting the rules. I didn't have much time left with either of them. In hindsight, I regret wasting so much time being angry with them.

I kissed my dad on the cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too, kid," he said. "Now help your mom take the food down to the beach."

"No, no, no, Harry, I've got the food," Mom called. "You can help Leah with the other thing."

"What other thing?" I asked.

"Ah, alright Sue. Are you sure?" Dad asked, ignoring me. Mom nodded before telling Seth and Alexis to walk out the door.

"What thing?" I repeated.

Dad cut off the stove, moving the hot skillet onto a cold burner. He plated the fish fry before wiping his forehead again and washing his hands. He turned to face me, that mischievous glint in his eyes. He set the dish towel on the counter and invited me to sit on the couch. "I'm not going to get mushy, alright? Don't worry."

I smiled as I shrugged, "Even if you did, I wouldn't judge."

Dad chuckled as he sat on the arm of the couch. He took a deep breath before tempering his words, "I'm really proud of you, baby girl. Do you know that?"

"Yes, I do," I beamed at him. Still my favorite man in the whole world. No contest.

"Everything that you've accomplished so far is all I could ever want for you and more. And I know that you'll keep showing us how impressive you are through your college years and every day after that. I can't wait to watch you keep growing, Leah. You make me so proud."

I felt the tears well up in my eyes a little bit. The lump in my throat wouldn't budge as I tried to swallow it down. "You're not supposed to make me cry until the day of," I fake scolded. We both agreed that we wouldn't make things sappy. It just made things a little bit too hard.

Dad reached under the end table for a gift bag. How long had that been there? He placed the "Congrats Grad" bag in his lap and rustled with the tissue paper a little bit. He met my eye before saying, "I want you to promise me something."

I nodded, "Anything."

"Promise me that no matter where you are in life, no matter what you're doing or what you're feeling…you'll keep creating."

Dad handed me the bag without waiting for me to answer. It was a little heavy in my hands. Inside the bag was a box. With a brand-new camera. I gasped as I picked up the Canon 7D Mark II. "Oh my god, Dad," I finally said, feeling the weight of the camera in my hands. I hadn't even thought about a new camera; my Nikon was still working like a dream. But this? This camera was the real deal. It was faster, clearer, and it had more features. It was also a fuck ton of money that I didn't want them to spend on me. "I don't know what to say."

"'I promise' is more than enough."

"I don't think I can accept this," I shook my head as I fiddled with it. "This must have cost you guys a fortune."

"The cost is nothing for you to worry about, kiddo," Dad assured me. "I'm investing in you because I want you to be happy."

I sprang up and hugged him fierce. I felt like I was bursting with love; it was almost too much. Dad hugged me back, squeezing me tight. My biggest cheerleader, my greatest supporter. Never once in my whole life did my father ever discourage me from going after what I want. Even if that meant moving to the other side of the country. He always understood who I wanted to be. And I cherished moments like this because he wouldn't always be available for a hug when I moved to New York. "You make me happy," I told him.

"And I'm the most happy when you're happy," he said. He rubbed my back affectionately before he pulled away. "Come on, we got a party to get to."

We walked to the beach leisurely. Dad just had a glowing energy around him. He was so proud. The sun was setting just behind him, the trees standing tall. And then I had an idea. I stopped walking, "Hey Dad, stop for a sec."

He froze and looked at me, curiously. I told him to keep his face forward as I picked up my new camera and pointed it toward him. He groaned a little bit, "No pictures, Leah."

"Just one," I begged, "pleeeease."

"Fine, but only one," he sighed. He looked straight forward and the image just came together like a masterpiece.

"My first photo on my new camera—" I said as I clicked, "—could only be the man I can't and won't live without."

I didn't bother looking back at it; I knew it was perfect.

When we got to the bonfire, it felt strange. Mostly, it was weird to think that this was the last bonfire I would go to before I leave. The pack was throwing around a football away from the fire while everyone else was enjoying the company of one another, blissfully unaware of how much was changing right here in front of our own eyes.

I needed this moment to slow down for just a second. Let me take it in. It's different when you've been around these same people your entire life so far. But, right now, as it stands, most of us are adults now and it's time for serious decisions to be made. Like moving away or deciding to stay. Everyone has a choice.

The important thing to remember is that those choices don't have to define who we are forever.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

"So what's the secret? Steroids?" Rebecca asked as we all gathered near the pack. The boys all stopped wrestling each other for the football when they heard us approach. "I hope you guys are smarter than that."

"As long as Jacob doesn't do it, I'm willing to look the other way," Rachel said a little concerned. Jacob was hitting a bit of a growth spurt too, to be honest. It felt like all of the boys were falling victim to this family…blessing, I'll say.

It was weird knowing this secret when my best friends didn't. But Dad and Billy Black and Jared made it very clear that they can only know if they're exposed to it in a major way like I was or if one of the wolves imprinted on one of them. So far, nothing. When they asked me what happened at Paul's, the only thing I could say was that Sam and Paul got into a fight…which was true.

"Don't worry, girls, this is all natural," Paul teased, flexing his biceps. "Leah likes it; maybe y'all should get on board."

"Honey, Leah was smitten with you when you looked like a stick bug," Becca pointed out. We all laughed. Paul waved her off before scooping me up into his arms and placing a big kiss on my lips. "Seriously, guys, get a room," Bex laughed.

"Yeah, we won't miss all of the PDA when you guys run off to New York," Jared chimed in.

"I know that's just code for you're going to miss Paul, J; there's no shame in that," I said as I walked up to Jared. I squeezed his face before patting his cheek. "I'll bring him back, don't worry."

"The pack can't live without him," Quil said. Jared, Paul, and Embry all whipped their heads to glare at him.

Bex snorted, "'The pack'? Is that what you guys call yourselves now?"

"It's a little lame," Rach joked.

"She's right; you should workshop that a little bit," I added, trying to die down the heat of any curiosity Quil's big mouth might have drummed up. Embry smacked Quil on the back of the head and called him an idiot. So I quickly changed the subject, "Can you guys gather up so I can take a picture of everyone?"

They all started to bunch together, posing themselves, when Rachel stopped, "Wait, Lee, why aren't you in the picture?"

I shook my head, "It's not about me; I just want to see everyone together one last time."

"Not without you," Jared said firmly.

Bex stood straight up and yelled, "Seth! Get your butt over here!"

When Seth and his girlfriend jogged over, I was fussing with the settings on the camera. "What's up?"

"Tell your sister we'll forget about her if she's not in any pictures," Becca said, her hands stubbornly placed on her hips.

Seth reached his hand out for the camera. "Jump in, Lee. I'll take care of it."

"Drop it and you die," I warned lightly. He rolled his eyes before taking the camera from me. I walked across the soft sand over to my friends and stood in front of Paul and next to Rachel. The flash was bright just like all of our smiles.

Seth captured a few great shots that night. One of me and the twins. One of the guys standing strong, proud, and serious. One of me and Paul. And one of me and Dad.

Toward the end of the night, Seth pulled me aside to give me my camera back. He looked a little troubled. "I'm gonna miss you a lot, sis."

I grabbed my little brother and hugged him for a long beat. Sometimes, I get so caught up with my own friends and other things, I forget to appreciate my little brother while he's still young. "I'm gonna miss you too, Bub, but you'll hear from me all the time. You won't even notice I'm gone."

He sighed. "It'll just be really quiet without you."

"Good, maybe you'll get some peace now," I teased. I bumped him with my shoulder before hooking my arm through his and walking us back to the party.

XXXXXXXXX

Dropping Rebecca off at the airport? Hard. Listening to Rachel's tiny sniffles in the backseat as we drove back to the reservation? Even harder. Watching everyone's face get increasingly sadder as the days passed until Paul and I left? Heartbreaking.

Paul carried one of my three full suitcases down the stairs that morning. Everyone was somber, quiet. The sun was just breaking the horizon and we had a long drive to the airport. That lump in my throat was just a permanent resident, waiting for me to burst into tears at any moment. I smoothed down the covers on my bed as I packed up the last of my carry on. Mama came into the room like a tornado. "Do you have everything?" she asked.

"Yes mama," I answered.

"Driver's license?"

"Check."

"Insurance card?"

"Check."

"Extra money?"

"Check."

"Do you have your camera?"

"Yes mama, I've got it," I said, zipping up my bag.

"What about all of your school supplies? Oh my goodness, it probably costs a fortune out there. I'll put together a care package for you. Don't buy pencils out there, Leah; they probably cost too much," she rambled as she checked my room for anything I could possibly be forgetting.

I turned around, "Mama," I stopped her and held her hands in my hands. "You've given me everything I need."

She let out a big breath before squeezing my hands affectionately. "I just can't believe my baby girl is going off to college," her eyes started to tear up, "and in New York City, no less."

"It'll only be a few months," I reassured her. "We'll be back for Christmas and then in the summer."

She nodded in understanding. She was quiet for a second before she said, "You're just the bravest little girl I've ever known. I have no idea how you came from me," she laughed lightly.

I smiled before hugging her tight, "The only way I'm brave is when you're there to catch me. You taught me how to be brave."

It took some time but we finally got on the road to leave. Dad drove with Paul in the passenger seat and me, Mom, and Seth squished in the back. I kept my head on Mom's shoulder and my hand holding Seth's the whole way.

We got to security to say our goodbyes and it was just brutal. I couldn't stop crying and neither could Mom. Dad just stood there proud. We all hugged before Paul pulled me into the TSA line so we weren't late.

This should be where the story ends. We leave for New York and we accomplish our dreams and live happily ever after. That's where it should end.

We boarded the plane, eyes wide open. Unaware of the world. Unaware of ourselves in the world. What do they call it? The first day of the rest of our lives. This is just the beginning of our story together.

XXXXXXXXX

I wrote like five versions of this damn chapter. None of them canon though to Rachel and Paul, don't worry. That would just be cruel lol