"No, sir, I assure you that all of the sheets are made from all organic cotton," Leah spoke into the front desk's phone, twirling the cord around her finger. Her free hand doodled on the piece of paper as she spoke.
Truthfully, Leah had no idea whether or not the sheets were made from all organic cotton. If she had to guess, she would say they probably weren't, but she wasn't sure how that information would help the angry man on the phone. The resort, despite its name, was no Hilton or even Holiday Inn. The man continued his spiel about how he could tell the difference between organic cotton and how La Push Resort and Spa was only using the cheap stuff.
As the man continued his spiel about how he could tell the difference between organic cotton and regular cotton and how La Push Resort and Spa was only using the cheap stuff, Leah glanced at the clock. 11:43. Seventeen minutes till her shift was over. Seventeen minutes till she could go home and nap.
Leah took a deep calming breath before answering, "I'd be happy to patch you through to the head of housekeeping, if you'd like to speak with them."
She had her finger on the transfer button before the man even confirmed that he'd like to speak with a manager, "I'll transfer you now, sir."
In hindsight, she probably shouldn't be working in customer service. Jacob had gotten quite the laugh when she told him she'd gotten a job at the resort. He didn't believe anyone would be stupid enough to hire her for a customer service job, although she had worked at the general store back in high school with no problems. Of course, that was before her boyfriend left her for her cousin and she'd exploded into a giant wolf, causing the death of her father. But it seemed that Amy was more or less the one in charge of hiring for the front desk, and neither Amy nor the general manager bothered to give her an interview. La Push was the only place in the world that the Clearwater name came with any type of status.
Sue couldn't be more pleased that Leah had gone out and gotten a job, and since it was at a tribe-owned business, if something came up and she had to go battle vampires or whatever evil, twisted thing that came their way, both Billy and her mom assured her that they would, as Elders, put a lot of pressure on the manager, Mr. Keyo, not to fire her.
11:51. Only nine more minutes now. It would take Leah approximately eighteen minutes to walk home if she walked at a brisk, but still human, speed. So only twenty-seven minutes till she would be home. All she needed was for nobody else to come in.
Of course, that wouldn't be her luck. The automatic doors swung open as soon as she started to grab her bag from where she had stuffed it under the desk.
"Hello, Leah," Billy was rolling into the lobby as Leah began to pick up her stuff. She didn't bother hiding what she was doing; she knew Billy wouldn't care that she was eager to get out of there.
"Hey, Billy," Leah greeted him, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm meeting Old Quil for lunch. I bet him lunch at our last poker game, and he lost," Billy grinned as he rolled closer to the front desk, "Your shift almost over?"
"Seven more minutes."
"You liking working here?" Billy asked, gesturing around at the empty lobby.
"Yeah, it's good. I mean, this is only my third shift but so far it's been good." It wasn't even a lie. Leah mostly worked alone and had the early morning shift where people were less likely to ask her stupid questions. It was close to home and paid slightly more than minimum wage. Not a bad gig, overall.
"Good," Billy nodded, starting to roll away towards the restaurant on the other side of the lobby. He suddenly turned back, though, and looked at Leah, "Have you heard from Jake lately? He didn't come home last night."
"He didn't?"
Jake had taken off as soon as Bella had tried to pet him, but Leah had stayed around to make sure Bella didn't go after Seth. But Bella was surprisingly well controlled for a leech, and Seth made it home alive with no scratches and no trauma. The only person Bella had tried to assault was Emmett after she realized that he'd come up with the nickname Nessie. Served her right for disgracing her daughter with such a horrendous name. Emmett made the right call on that one.
"If he did he was gone when I woke up 5:30." Both of them knew that there was no circumstance in this universe under which Jacob would wake up that early.
"I haven't gotten the chance to speak with him since last night," Leah frowned slightly, "He was still running when Seth and I went home."
"Canada again?" Billy sounded tired.
"California, this time, actually," Leah told him, "I'm sure he'll come back soon."
"Did he see her yesterday?" Billy asked, "Bella?"
"Yeah, he did. It wasn't great."
"No, I'd imagine not. It's hard enough to see the body of someone you love after they've died." Billy looked around the lobby, and seeing it was empty, continued quietly, "I imagine that a reanimation of that corpse could only hurt even more. For her to go through with something so unnatural, so wicked… it's truly a horrible fate."
Leah just nodded, unsure of what to say. Bella was always going to do whatever she wanted to do; she'd always have picked the bloodsucker path. Was it stupid? Hell yeah. But it was also her choice. Leah didn't see the point in mourning someone who made a choice, even if it was an unfathomable one.
Mr. Keyo came in from the back office then, at the same time Old Quil came pattering through the front door; all three men greeted each other enthusiastically. Billy rolled over to the restaurant and Mr. Keyo followed after assuring Leah that she could leave the desk empty for a few minutes, and he'd be there right after he spoke with the other men.
The walk to the Clearwater's house was short, but it went past most of the businesses on the reservation. The Ateara's small store, the Cameron's restaurant, the Sierra's gas station, all of the three little businesses that catered both to tourists and residents of the reservation. The only one it missed was the tiny souvenir shop on First Beach.
Leah made it home in good time, unlocking the front door and letting it slam behind her with a sigh. There was a faint hint of that sickly sweet scent that she was sure she'd never fully escape now.
"Leah? Is that you?" Sue called from upstairs.
"No, Mom, it's Seth," Leah rolled her eyes. It was just after noon on a Thursday. Who else would it be? "Yes, it's me!"
"What now, Leah?"
"I was just saying that it was me," Leah muttered as Sue appeared from down the stairs, dressed in her scrubs and her tennis shoes.
"How was work?"
"It was fine." Leah couldn't escape her mother's troubled eyes, "You don't have to worry about me, Mom. I didn't yell at anyone and I didn't beat anyone up."
"I'm your mom. It's my job to worry about you. But I'm glad to hear you didn't yell at anyone or beat anyone up." Sue smiled at her, looking marginally more relaxed. Leah was pretty sure that her mother considered every day that Leah kept her job and didn't lose her temper a success.
"I doubt you'll be able to say the same after your shift today," Leah muttered under her breath.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
The Clearwater's ringing phone didn't stop Sue from swatting at her daughter. They both knew it was true. Sue Clearwater was the type of no-nonsense nurse they put on patients who were refusing to take their drugs or keep trying to unplug themselves, not the type of nurse they assign to patients who are on their deathbeds.
"I'll get it, it's probably Charlie again," Sue sighed, "Hello?"
The surprised look on Sue's face told Leah that it wasn't Charlie on the phone, "Oh, hello, Emily? How are you doing? Wedding preparations going well?"
Straining to listen, Leah could hear every word her cousin said. She happily told Sue about the wedding and some recipe or another that she'd tried, and for several minutes, the two conversed pleasantly. To an outsider, it would sound like a perfectly normal conversation between aunt and niece. And then Emily asked about Leah and if she was around.
Leah shook her head and made face, making it clear that she didn't want to speak with Emily. But Sue made a face and spoke anyways "Leah's right here, Emily. I'll put you on. It was great to speak with you!"
"Hi, Emily," she choked out the words after Sue pushed the phone at her.
"Hi, Leah!" Emily's voice was chipper as ever, "How are you doing?"
"Ah, you know, I'm doing alright. How about you?" Leah struggled to keep her tone civil and even, but she managed it, mostly. It only sounded a little forced.
"I'm doing well, thanks for asking!" Emily paused for a second, "So I know your life is a little crazy right now but I didn't know if maybe you had time today or tomorrow to go bridesmaid dress shopping?"
Leah was free for the rest of the day, although she worked tomorrow. She had planned on napping and maybe running around while Jake and Seth were at school and unable to invade her mental solitude.
As her mind struggled for an excuse, Emily spoke again, "And if you're not free today or tomorrow, then maybe next week?"
"No, today will work," Leah admitted reluctantly. It was clear that there would be no escaping this.
"Great!" Leah could hear the excitement in Emily's voice, "I can pick you up in an hour or so?"
Leah glanced over at the clock. She still wanted to shower and maybe even nap and eat lunch, "Make it two hours?"
"Whatever works! I'll see you then, Leah!"
"See you," Leah muttered, hitting the end call button as quickly as she could and turning to her mother, "Really, Mom?"
"You and Emily need to work on your relationship," Sue shrugged, "She's family. And you were right there. I wasn't going to lie to her."
Leah narrowed her eyes, "She was always your favorite child."
"I don't have a favorite child. And Emily is not my child," Sue smiled at her, "I love you and Seth equally. You know that. Now I have to go to work. Please be nice to your cousin."
"Sure, sure."
As Sue walked by and grabbed her purse, she kissed Leah on the forehead, "I love you, Leah. You'll always be my favorite daughter."
Emily was too polite to honk her horn, but Leah could hear her footsteps coming up the driveway long before she made it to the door. Desperate to avoid getting trapped into inviting Emily in, Leah sprinted down the stairs, grabbed her bag, and made it out the front door just before Emily reached the door.
"Leah!" Emily squealed, reaching out for a hug.
"Hi, Emily." Leah sidestepped the hug and continued walking towards Emily's car, "Are we going to Port Angeles?"
"Yeah, Port Angeles," Emily hurried to catch up with her, "We're meeting Kim there, after her class."
They climbed into the car wordlessly, and Emily began to drive the familiar route to Port Angeles. Leah knew Emily well enough to know that she was struggling with the awkwardness that had settled between them. Emily, naturally cheery, had never done well with silence.
"So did you see the new episode of Grey's Anatomy?" Emily asked suddenly.
"Yes." Leah pursed her lips.
"And?" Emily prompted, "What did you think?"
"He should have left Addison a while ago. And I didn't like Denny so I don't care that he died and Izzy is a whiny little bitch," Leah said it all in one breath, desperate to get it all out. Even scary female werewolves were allowed guilty pleasures, and Grey's Anatomy was Leah's.
"Thank you!" Emily cried out, waving her hands wildly, "That's exactly what I was saying! I don't know why everyone liked Izzy so much – so what that she's leaving?"
"Exactly! Stupid blonde bitch."
Jacob and Seth would absolutely destroy her if they knew she spent her time watching Grey's Anatomy. Well, Jacob would. Seth would probably not, but he'd still tease her about it at every opportunity he got. Leah had never seen Sue operate the TV in her life, and therefore, she had nobody to discuss Grey's Anatomy or any other television show with. And Emily had lots of thoughts on it, some that Leah agreed with, and some that she did not, so it made for an easy, safe topic of discussion between the two.
Unfortunately, Emily's cheery nature simply made her a hard person to hate, and spending time with her only reminded Leah of all the reasons she had once considered Emily her best friend. Her cheerful attitude was contagious, and Emily was careful and considerate enough to steer the conversation away from Sam.
The conversation flowed between them much more easily than Leah had expected, even after they moved away from Meredith and McDreamy. They gossiped about their older cousins – Candace was getting a divorce, despite only being married for six months – and their lives outside of the res. It felt almost like old times. Almost. Sam could never stop hanging over them, forever a shadow on their relationship, the perennial elephant in the room.
With Grey's Anatomy and the gossip about family members back in Makah, the drive flew by. Before Leah knew it, Emily was slowing her old hatchback down and turning into the narrow streets of Port Angeles.
Emily parked a few blocks away from the store and Leah followed her wordlessly through the streets. They made a conspicuous pair, the two of them. Between Emily's scarred face and Leah's height, everyone they passed seemed to give them room.
They stopped in front of the boutique, only down the road the yoga studio that Leah had already given up on. Emily plopped herself down on one of the wooden benches lining the street and Leah followed her lead.
"What color dress are you thinking of?" Leah asked. It was the first time all day either of them had mentioned the reason for their meeting.
"Black," Emily replied, "I think it should go well with everyone. And that way people can reuse the dress if they want."
Leah half expected Emily to pick some hideous shade of orange or yellow just to screw all the bridesmaids over. But black was sensible, practical. Like Emily herself.
"There's Kim!" Emily called, waving at the dark-skinned girl who had just appeared across the corner. Kim waved back and hurried across the street, barely making it before the light changed. Leah lingered on the bench as Emily shot up, not eager to see Jared's imprint.
"Hi, Emily," Kim gave Emily a short hug before turning to Leah, and saying much more shyly, "Hi, Leah."
"Hi, Kim."
"Are we ready?" Emily was positively buzzing with excitement, "Let's go!"
She pushed her way through the doors, dashing to the front reception desk. Kim and Leah followed, neither with even an ounce of the excitement that Emily had. As Emily explained what she wanted and why she was there, Leah and Kim stayed back.
"How was class, Kim?" Leah's voice was oddly formal, even to her. Like she was talking to a stranger or a long-forgotten acquaintance.
"Oh, it was good, very interesting. I'm taking a nutrition class this semester. It's very informative. I like it a lot." Kim's shy smile matched her pleasant manner.
"And what are you majoring in?" Leah asked politely, her tone still stiff and unfamiliar. She didn't really care what Kim was studying, but the silence was just too awkward.
"I'm not sure yet. I'm just taking some prereqs right now, just general education type classes. Then maybe in a few years Jared and I can go away somewhere," Kim beamed at Leah, the same stupid content look all imprints had, "How are you liking working on at the resort? Amy told me you were hired there."
"So far, so good."
"I think Amy's glad to have you, to have a coworker her age," Kim told Leah, "She got lonely when it was just the teenage girls this summer. They were all friends and still in high school. Amy was the only one who had graduated."
"Are you girls ready?" Emily called to them, motioning them to follow her and the saleswomen. They were led through the store, with rows of dresses on either side. Leah and Kim both introduced themselves to the saleswomen as she sat them down on a plush couch. This place looked expensive. Did Emily think Leah had cash to spare on her stupid wedding?
"So you're looking for black dresses?" the saleswomen asked.
Emily nodded, "Yes. Sam – my fiancé – is going to wear a grey tux so it should go well together, I think."
Leah felt her stomach drop at the mention of Sam's name.
"Great!" The saleswoman launched into a spiel about the various dress types, and Emily told her more about the bridal party. The saleswomen went to go get some samples and bring them some ideas, but Leah barely registered the conversation, her mind still spinning from the mention of Sam's name. It was like the mention of Sam's name it had snapped it all into place, and it had all become real. A familiar shiver overtook Leah's body.
"I… I can't do this," Leah said suddenly, "I'm sorry Emily, but I can't do this."
Emily spun around, looking at her cousin carefully. Leah could feel her eyes appraising her, getting slightly wider at the noticeable tremble in her hands.
"You don't really need me, you have Kim." Emily hadn't asked and Leah didn't know why she said it.
"Yes, but Leah - " Emily started.
"Let her go, Emily," Kim said in her quiet voice. Leah could feel Kim's eyes on her, having noticed the shaking long before Emily, "We can figure out whatever we need to do."
Emily nodded slowly, her eyes still on Leah's shaking hands, "I'm sorry, Leah. I shouldn't have asked you to come."
"It's fine." It clearly wasn't, but it seemed like the thing to say.
"I'll see you soon?" Emily asked hopefully.
"I'll see you later," Leah muttered, grabbing her bag and stalking out. It was everything she could do to keep from running, to keep her pace human and not look like she was storming out. She wanted to leave peacefully, to make it seem like she was mature enough to handle all this crap like an adult and not some whiny bitch that the pack knew her to be. Sure, she knew Emily and Kim had probably both heard how horrible she could be from Sam and Jared, but she had wanted to at least act nicely around them and prove them wrong. But like so much in her life lately, it didn't work out.
She had been fine. She really had been. Earlier this morning and yesterday and really ever since she left Sam's pack, she'd mostly avoided thinking about Sam, except when Jacob dragged her along to go meet with him. But then Emily had been so happy, so exuberant and even though Leah had never once thought she'd be the type of girl to force her friends into fancy dresses for her wedding, jealousy raged through her system.
Even worse, now she could never be that girl who was overly obsessed with her own wedding. She'd never find anyone to marry with her stupid short hair and her incapacity to stay calm enough to have a rational discussion and her tendency disappear at all hours of the night for some stupid job she'd never be able to fully explain and her inability to have children. Before her life imploded and she joined the ranks of some stupidly secret society, she had thought she'd eventually meet someone and do all those things, even though he wouldn't be Sam. But now, there was no chance for that.
Without actively thinking about it, her feet had led her to the edge of the forest that ran all the way to La Push. So for the second time that week, she'd run as a wolf back home. Leah was shaking hard now, making it difficult to slip off her clothes and save her last cute dress from a certain death.
She felt the rush of air around her as her front paws hit the dirt with a thud.
Leah? Jacob questioned as soon as she phased in, Are you okay?
Leave me alone, Leah snarled. She tried to hide her watering eyes – not that it was very effective but it was something – from Jacob.
I'm somewhere in Oregon, Leah. Remember our agreement? We'd stay out of each other's heads. Jacob was calmer than Leah expected him to be, though she wasn't stupid enough to assume he'd stay like that.
Fine. Of course, the bond didn't fully work like that. Not when Leah's emotions were running so high. They could more or less stay out when they both were calm and able to let go of things, but not while one of them was ruminating. And while Jacob was peaceful enough to let his thoughts wander without overwhelming Leah, Leah was ruminating. She tried focusing her energy on the store and the ride with Emily, trying to keep the worst of it out of her head. No privacy in the bond meant her thoughts had to be actively somewhere else unless she wanted Jacob to know all her secrets. And she didn't need him knowing about her despair at her love life. She didn't want him to know that it went beyond just wanting Sam.
You went dress shopping with Emily? Jacob's words cut through Leah's thoughts, interrupting her memory of the dress store and Emily's happy face. Do you like to live a life of pain or something?
I thought we agreed to keep to ourselves.
Sorry, Jacob was apologetic, but Leah could feel his curiosity creeping in. He was genuinely sorry, but he was also desperate to know what had possessed Leah to go dress shopping.
Why are you off in Oregon anyways? Leah deflected, changing her focus to her shift at the resort earlier that day, You know I saw your dad today. He's worried about you. Would it kill you to spend a few days at home? Just a few? You'd feel better about your life if you didn't spend all your time moping around in the forest. And there's no point in running away over a dead girl who never loved you anyway. Might as well get on with your life. Leah couldn't help herself. Her words were biting and she could feel Jake recoil in the bond.
It's complicated, Leah. There was no kindness or curiosity in his tone now.
It's not complicated, Jacob. Just go home and live your fucking life and see your fucking dad while you still have one!
I have a dead parent, too, you know, Jacob seethed. The anger that Jacob had kept at bay came flooding in, overwhelming their group mind.
Sarah Black was dead and had been dead for much longer than Harry Clearwater. Leah wasn't sure how she'd managed to forget that one while she was chiding Jacob. The glaring omission caused both her and Jacob to shut up. Images began cycling through the link in rapid succession. She could see the image of his mother's coffin in his mind, while she was thinking of Harry's shocked face, the very first thing she saw after she phased. The horror of realizing that there was something seriously wrong with Harry; that the shock had caused him to have a heart attack. Charlie squatting down to Jacob's level to tell him that his mom wasn't coming home. Sam sympathetically telling her that she'd missed the funeral. It was all a mess.
I'll phase out. Jacob announced. His voice was diplomatic but resigned. Leah could feel him taking purposeful breaths, working to calm himself and she knew he'd seen every image that she had just pictured, seen every thought she'd just had. I'll phase out and give you enough time to run home in peace.
She didn't respond before he left, leaving the bond with the stark emptiness. Leah started running at full speed, all the way back to La Push. Humans didn't know how lucky they were to live their lives without others constantly barging in.
An incessant knocking woke Leah from a slumber deep enough that she had convinced herself it was all part of a dream. Yet, when the sound didn't end despite opening the front door and letting a scarless Emily in to talk to Sarah Black, Leah knew it was real life. She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her eyes to find Jacob sitting on the edge of the roof, tapping against her window.
"What the fuck, Jacob?" Leah swore as she unlocked the window.
"Can I come in?" He was already halfway through the window, right foot lounging on her bed.
"Do I have the option to deny you, oh fearless leader?" she fumed, "It's the middle of the night. What the fuck is this about?"
"Quil and Embry want to join the pack," Jacob said as he shut the window behind him. His tone made it sound like he was discussing something as simple as the weather at a reasonable hour of the day, "When I went back to school – just like you told me to – they found me and told me they've discussed it and they want to join our pack."
"And you decided you need to talk to me about it?" Leah grumbled and glanced at her clock, "At three in the morning?"
"Couldn't sleep," Jake shrugged, "And Seth would just tell me to let them in. But I'm not sure."
Apparently, they were doing this, having this discussion. Right now. At three o'clock in the morning. Leah groaned but sat up and flicked her tableside light on.
"They're your best friends, Jake. What are you not sure about?" She wasn't entirely sure why she was humoring him. Maybe the exhaustion had finally gotten to her. The wolf thing had finally driven her insane, and now she was allowing sixteen-year-old boys to climb through the window at all hours of the night.
"I didn't want a pack, Leah, I just wanted to run away."
"Well that's too freaking bad, isn't it? You got a pack now."
"I was planning on forcing Seth back to Sam's pack, you know? And you promised you wouldn't bug me," he reminded her.
"You were also planning on running away from all your problems. And this is what? Like the fourth night this week you've spent on the reservation," Leah pointed out icily, "So maybe it's time to admit that your plans didn't turn out. Plans rarely do. Mine didn't."
"Enough with the self-pity. Both our lives suck."
Jacob's remarks were sharp enough that it scared them both into silence for several minutes. Jake made no move to leave though, so Leah sat back and mentally prepared herself for a long night. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Do not kill the Alpha wolf, even if he deserved it.
"So should I let them in or not?" Jacob asked her suddenly after several minutes had passed.
"I don't know, Jake. Why are you asking me this?"
"I don't want to run a dictatorship. This feels like an important decision that I should consult the other members of the pack about."
"So you're going to wake up Seth, too? This is just great. A slumber party with my brother and his friend."
"We both know that Seth would let them in without a second thought. So it's just you and me," Jacob sighed, ignoring her harsh tone, "And you're the Beta, so you should definitely get a say."
"I'm the Beta?" Leah didn't manage to hide the surprise in her voice, all animosity gone.
"I mean you met Sam and Jared with me. And talked to the Elders. And Jared is Sam's Beta, so I guess that makes you mine. You've been doing all the work for it," Jacob shrugged, "Seth's a good kid, but he's just that, a kid. And he's too biased towards the damn vamps."
"And what about if you let Quil and Embry in? Am I just Beta until Quil and Embry join?" She didn't dare get her hopes up.
"Does that impact your thoughts on whether or not they should join?" His voice was friendly.
"Well, yes, actually," Leah's tone was light, but she was only half-joking. If she was going to be at the bottom of the hierarchy in a pack with four teenagers, she needed to know, "I can't give up the only power I've had in months."
"Nah, you'll still be Beta whether or not they join." It was clear to Leah that Jake had thought this through, considered this very scenario. The confidence in his voice left no room for doubt, "They were too chicken to leave Sam's pack till they knew it would be safe. No loyalty whatsoever."
"I didn't leave Sam's pack out of loyalty to you," Leah reminded him.
"I know that," Jake grumbled, "But you still left. You've been here longer. You've still been doing the work. You can stay Beta even if we let them in. The three of them can all fight to be third."
"Just let them join, Jake." It hadn't really been anything Leah had to consider, especially not after Jacob said that she'd still be Beta. The fewer people under Sam's influence the better. And if Quil and Embry joined, there would be more people to run patrols and less work for her to do, "They're your best friends."
Leah's friendships had mostly dissipated in the aftermath of her life imploding. They had either escaped the reservation and the horrors of supernatural life through marriage (Rebecca) or through college (Lizzie) or they'd been sucked into the supernatural fold through imprinting (Rachel and Emily), which seemed to take the choice away just as much as exploding into a wolf did. But Jacob didn't have to meet the same fate. Sure, all of his friends might be werewolves, but they could still be his friends.
Jake nodded, seemingly in agreement, "Yeah, I guess I'll let them in."
A few moments passed in silence, but Jacob made no move to leave. Finally, Leah spoke, "Did you go home and see Billy?"
"See, you're already nagging me. You'll be a great Beta." Jacob smiled at her. He'd always had a nice smile, a pleasant one. She just hadn't seen it in so long.
Leah rolled her eyes at him, "Did you?"
"Yes, Leah, I did. I went home and had dinner with Billy and Rachel. Paul even stopped by and I didn't even kill him."
"Wow, I'm so proud of you!"
"Did you kill Emily?" he asked derisively.
"I think you would have heard if I killed that asshole's precious imprint."
"True." Jacob paused for a second, "I think you'd cause a war if you did that. Please don't kill Emily, Leah."
"Well, there goes my plans for tomorrow…" Leah sighed. It had been nearly thirty minutes since Jacob had woken her up, and she had work tomorrow – today, really – at six. Long nights on patrol had meant that she'd gotten used to operating with very little sleep, but it didn't mean she had to enjoy it. "Did you want anything else, oh fearless leader? Or can I go back to sleep yet?"
Jacob smiled up at her, "Well, loyal Beta, I need you to write my English paper for me. It's due on Friday."
"Very funny."
"If we're being serious, then, no, I don't need anything else," Jacob admitted.
"Great. Jake?"
"Yeah, Leah?"
"Get out of my room!"
A/N: First of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has left reviews. They really mean the world to me and they make so ridiculously happy. I tried to reach out to everyone individually too, but just in case I missed someone or whatever, I wanted to say thank you. So thank you so much, it's really a wonderful feeling to get those review emails.
So, for this chapter, I had to Google both popular TV shows in 2006 and I couldn't believe that Grey's Anatomy came on that long ago because it was still a thing like last year I swear? I don't know but anyways I only watched that show once and it was probably like a good five years ago now so if some of Leah's analysis didn't make sense, that's on me and not Leah because I had to look up what happened and try to remember it, and I may have missed the mark.
The scene with Emily took me a lot of writing and re-writing but I think I finally got it to where I wanted it (well I posted it, so I guess it is what it is now). Stephanie Meyer doesn't give us a lot to go on based other than Jacob's line: "she's putting on a brave face. She's going to be a bridesmaid" but obviously Leah would be in a lot of pain so it took a while for me to get the dynamic that I wanted between the two of them. Always interested to hear any feedback!
Also, I have read seven, yes seven, more pages of Midnight Sun since I posted last week. So that's my feelings on it, really. Whiny Edward is just not the quarantine vibe I'm going for. I did, however, watch New Moon since it's on the free Roku channel this week.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter! I tend to write long author notes because I'm a rambler and I like reading rambling author's notes but please don't ever feel obligated to read these as I will almost never say anything important in them. May my rambling be my biggest character flaw (it's definitely not).
