chapter twenty-seven

"Bobby I think this might be the dumbest thing you've ever done."

She grunted, her fingers uncurling around the metal keg we were dragging up the driveway. I was panting, hands on my hips I glared at her. "I didn't think it would be this heavy," she admitted to me, staring down at the keg that stood defiantly in between us. "What if we just left it out here? I have an extra bottle of rum and I guess we can just split that and cut our losses."

I looked around at the ridiculous, sleek house around us. It was easily the largest house I had ever seen, and there were several steps leading up to the front step and I thought my arms would fall off before I managed to get a full keg up there. "No," I asserted, "you bought this keg and we dragged it all the way down this stupid, long fucking driveway and we are going to bring it inside and make this stupid party fun if it's the last thing I do. Now grab the other side," I told her, fingers tightening around the metal again. It dug into my skin and I thought it would slice me open. "We're going again."

Bobby sighed, but obliged me. And when we lifted it again, groaning and complaining, we made it a whole five feet before we had to drop it once more. "Alright," Bobby said, waving her arms around, "maybe we could like, construct a pulley system or something."

I kicked the bottom of the keg, hoping it would move at least an inch. It did not. Going to Bella Swan and the Cullen's graduation party was one of the last things I wanted to be doing. I knew, first of all, that it would be lame as hell. And I wasn't interested in being around anyone that wasn't Bear. But Bobby had begged me and since she had stopped asking me questions about Embry and Bear I figured that going to the lame party with lame, un-fun vampires was the least I could do for her. As long as I got drunk. "Why couldn't you get a cooler or something?"

"Are you two trying to sneak a keg into my house?"

Bobby and I jumped at the voice. It was low and booming and belonged to the most meathead looking guy I had ever seen in my life. I knew he was one of them, from the fact that he said this was his house, primarily, but also because of the way he stood, the way his skin looked in the moonlight, and his eyes. He glared, arms crossed as he stood at the top of the steps, looking down at the two of us. "Umm," Bobby started, looking back at me and the keg and trying to come up with something, "Yes?" she eventually settled on, and I rolled my eyes.

And I thought he might kick us out, but he grinned, jumping down from the steps and towards us. I flinched as he approached. "That's hilarious. You need help with that?" he asked, and before we could answer he crouched down, grabbing the keg by its handle and the bottom, lifting it over his head with ease. Bobby and I gaped. "I'm Emmett."

"I like Emmett," Bobby said, leaning in close to me while we followed him into the house. I smirked, watching the way he carried the keg. And I knew that this was the type of strength that I could expect from people like Emmett, but I had never seen it on display like that.

The Cullen house, massive as it was, was packed with people. Forks kids, wearing dresses and khakis from their graduations and suddenly in my thrifted jeans and tank top I felt out of place. I tugged down at the hem of my shirt, aware of how it lifted just enough to reveal just the bottom of my, admittedly, poorly done tattoo. The only lights were provided by the fairy lights strung all over the room and I felt like this was designed to be a cocktail party for boring people in their forties instead of an actual house party. Emmett dropped the keg down on the pine floor and turned to both Bobby and I with a smile, "So whose doing a keg stand?"

I snorted. "Ask me after a couple glasses and maybe a shot or two," I told him, reaching into the depth of my pockets to pull out my vodka nips. I smiled at him and unscrewed it, emptying the contents down my throat.

Emmett grinned, pointing a finger at me. "I'm gonna hold you to that. And don't you dare do one without me," he said, and I watched as he disappeared into the crowd.

And while I was watching Emmett's large silhouette walk out of sight, I noticed him, standing in the other room, looking uncomfortable and eager to leave. I couldn't fathom what Embry fucking Call would be doing at leech central, standing next to Quil and Jacob, of all people, and it made my gut twist. Cause he always told me parties were the last place he wanted to be. He never wanted to go out anywhere with me, and I didn't wanna think about what could've brought him out here.

"Bobby, I'm gonna need you to get that bottle of rum," I told her, eyes fixated on Embry. He hadn't noticed me yet, and I couldn't tell if I wanted him too or not.

"What?" she asked, fixing herself a drink from the keg. "Why?"

"Embry's here."

My words made her head whip around. She scanned the room, scoffing when she saw him. "So? Just ignore him. Don't let him ruin your night."

I nodded. "You're right."

Bobby leaned against the wall. "This party kinda sucks right now," she told me, eyes traveling over the people who were swaying along to the music. The song choice was abysmal, alternative indie music with no swing to it. I nodded in agreement. "Whatever, I'm gonna high jack the playlist and starting handing out nips," she said, patting the purse she carried over her shoulder. I could hear the plastic bottles clank against each other.

"You go do that, and I'm gonna get really drunk," I called after her as she made her way through the crowd, dropping nips in the hands of party goers and on tables and counters. Bobby turned to give me a stunning smile before she faded off into a different from.

I settled on the counter, sitting there with two different plastic cups of beer, observing. Beer wasn't usually my drink of choice. It tasted bitter, made me feel bloated, and it didn't get me drunk nearly as quickly as I wanted. Still, I downed a cup as the Forks kids danced and laughed and talked in front of me. It was like I was invisible to them. I listened to them talk about their problems and wondered how many of them had undead brothers that they thought were dead for a year. I felt like such a dick, sitting there and choking down disgusting beer and thinking about how trivial the problems these peoples were compared to mine.

I thought that this might've been the worst party I had ever been to, and that included the one I left with a crooked nose and busted lip. It felt unnatural and formal and when I thought about it, it made sense that the hosts were an isolated group of hundred-year-olds. I finished the second cup of beer and then went for another nip.

But the mood changed when I assumed Bobby got to whoever's playlist this was, and the beat changed. It suddenly was no longer alternative music people listen to while they write poetry, but low, bouncy beats that made my foot tap. Even the people around me seemed to change the way they stood and moved, awkward stillness now becoming dedicated swaying, singing along to familiar lyrics. Bobby appeared in my line of vision, head bobbing and smile on her face. "Okay, I think I got like, maybe ten people drunk? Some guy in a button-up who looked like a narc asked what I was doing and I told him just having a good time."

I slid off the counter, laughing. "It was probably Bella's fucking narc boyfriend."

"You're probably fucking right. Where's that Emmett kid? I want see you doing a keg stand and I wanna see you doing it now."

I didn't know how long it took for me to be upside down with my lips around the keg, Bobby holding one leg and Emmett holding another, dozens of strangers cheering me on. I didn't last long, only about thirty seconds before I had to tap out. But I came down, blood in my face, laughing, and from there, the party took a different turn. Bobby was handing our nips to as many people who would take them, and I wondered if she had a bottomless bag of booze.

Occasionally, I'd see one of them. One of the smooth and rigid looking Cullen's walking through the throngs of people. None of them seemed as happy about the change in atmosphere as Emmett did, who blended in much better than the rest. I didn't like them. They were so different than Bear and I could see it in the way they moved and the expression they had on their faces.

As Bobby's music played, the people around us loosened up. And I wasn't sure if it was because of the playlist change or the booze Bobby kept pumping them with. I thought I could've finished off half the keg by the time I ended up on the most comfortable couch I had ever been on, sitting with Bobby's legs on my lap while the largest group of drunk white kids I had ever seen danced poorly.

Chewing on my cheek, I looked for Bella. Bella Swan held promise, I thought, and I figured if I found her and got her away from her puffed up red-headed boyfriend, I could probably convince her to have some fun, maybe take a shot or two. But when I found her, she was standing that little trio of werewolves, standing right next to Embry.

And I knew it was irrational, but that heavy, disgusting jealousy filled me up and twisted around until my lip raised in an involuntary snarl. I didn't like that my first instinct was to start a fight with Bella Swan.

"You know what you should do?" Bobby said, eyes following mine and watching the way Embry stood. "You should make him jealous."

I snorted. "That sounds like a bad idea."

"Who cares if it is? Just go flirt with someone, see where it goes."

"I dunno," I said, finger tracing the rim of my cup. "All of these dudes seem like they suck."

Bobby rolled her eyes at me. "Well you don't have to marry them. Just pick one and laugh at his unfunny jokes and touch his arm."

"That'll work?" I asked skeptically. I never really had to flirt with anyone before. And I never really had any interest in flirting. I didn't even have imaginary experience.

"Yes, and you can trust me I've seen heterosexual movies before."

"I feel like I'm a little too..I dunno..." I trailed off, tugging at the bottom of my shirt.

Bobby swung her legs around and put her hands on either side of my face. "Remy, look at me," she said with such intensity it made me sit up a little in my seat. "You are hot. You are hot as fuck. You have cute freckles all over your face and you have the prettiest eyes in the world. Your body looks like it cost you thousands of dollars. And you're so scary, and people are into that. Alright? So. Go rub up on some dude," she said, letting go of my face and giving me a gentle slap on the cheek.

I stumbled through the Cullen house, suddenly too nervous to drink my drink. I abandoned it on some flat surface to knot my hands together while I searched for some dude cute enough to strike up a conversation with. But everyone's face kept blending together and every time I weaved in between a group of people I realized that I was only interested in seeing Embry, and no other guy seemed interesting enough for me to even give them a chance.

The idea of flirting with someone had always somewhat repulsed me. I guessed I had this picture of flirting as dumbing myself down and giggling and it felt so far off from the type of person I was. And that was only part of it; I was always repulsed at the idea of talking to most men.

After a couple laps around the first floor, I gave up. I landed in the kitchen, jumping up to sit on the counter and pout. I was always interested in pouting. And I thought about how stupid it was that I could walk around this dumb fucking house looking for some random person to flirt with just because I saw Bella Swan stand near Embry. I drank another nip.

"You look like you're having fun."

My head shot up. I was getting kind of tired of people sneaking up on me. But it was just a guy. Some random guy, cute enough, dimples and curly hair. There was nothing special about him, but there really wasn't anything wrong with him either. I wouldn't have approached him in a crowd, but I thought he would do. "Well, it is a party," I said, trying to muster up some coy little tone.

He smiled and there was something so off about it and it didn't take me long to realize that I didn't like it because it wasn't Embry's. I wished he was around so I could punch him in the nose for doing this shit to me. "And you're spending the party sitting in the kitchen, sulking?" he asked me.

I tried to think of what Bobby would say if she was in my position. A couple options ran through my head before I settled on, "I just got a little lonely."

"Well," he said, taking a step toward me, "maybe I could keep you company?"

Smiling, I told myself that I thought I kind of deserved this moment. I spent of my time overflowing with stress and anxiety over situations I didn't ask to be a part of and I figured that I was seventeen fucking years old, and that I could just sit down and flirt with someone and have it mean nothing and that was okay. I could do whatever I wanted to, and I wasn't doing anything wrong. I wasn't doing anything wrong. "Do I get to know your name?"

"Eli," he told me. He extended his hand towards me. "May I?"

I put my hand in his and I didn't know why I was expecting it to be as warm as I was used to. It was clammy. "I'm Remy," I told him, feeling like someone other than Remy Cree.

"Remy," he repeated, putting his arm over my shoulder in the same way that Embry always did and I had to remind myself to stop comparing the two. Eli started walking away from the kitchen, dragging me along with him. "Can I get you a drink? Someone absolutely flooded this place with nips."

"Nah," I told him as we headed back towards the room I left Bobby in. "I don't wanna out drink you and have you getting all embarrassed over it."

And in the time that this Eli kid threw his head back to laugh, fingers tight around my arm, my eyes traveled to the darkest corner of the room where Embry Call stood, glaring. I was vaguely aware of Quil standing next to him, shaking his head, but I was more focused on the way Embry glowered. His eyes were tight on mine while Eli spoke and I didn't bother to pay attention to what he said. I watched the way his shoulders rose and fall in his tight black t-shirt, enjoying the way his jaw clenched. I tore my gaze from Embry and looked up at Eli. "I'll take a drink," I told him, smirking.

"I'll be right back," he said, but I wasn't paying attention. I was watching Embry.

The second that kid's arm left my shoulder, Embry was making his way over to me, seething. "Who the hell is that guy?"

"I dunno" I said, crossing my arms. "Just a guy."

Embry leaned in towards me and I felt my heart pick up. I didn't like the way I reacted to him. It was involuntary. There were two different parts to me: the one who wanted nothing to do with Embry and the one who missed spending so much time with him that his scent lingered on my clothes. And when he was standing this close to me I felt like the two started to blur. His eyes were narrowed and there was something uncontrollable radiating off of him. "What are you doing Remy?"

I shrugged, and Eli appeared again, two drinks in his hand and he looked shocked the the appearance of Embry. "Hey dude," he said to Embry, "Remy, who's this?" he asked as I took my cup of beer out of his hand.

Sipping my drink, I watched as Embry turned his attention over towards the poor kid. Embry had more than a few inches on him, and it kinda seemed like Embry was ready to snap him in half. "Stay the fuck away from her, alright?" Embry said, and Eli's eyes flickered over towards me. "No, don't look at her. Look at me," he demanded, snapping the kid's attention back in his direction. "Don't ever talk to her. Walk away."

Poor Eli looked rattled. He didn't look back in my direction when he walked wordlessly away from the two of us. "Thanks for the beer!" I called after him, and turned towards Embry once more. "Well that was rude."

"Were you trying to make me jealous?" Embry asked, tone unreadable.

I snorted. "What, so you can just up and leave and decide you want nothing to so with me, but I can't even talk to other people?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes, ready to step away from him.

"Wait," he said, grabbing onto my hand. "Can I talk to you about everything, please?"

I tapped my foot on the ground. The last thing I wanted to do in the middle of this stupid party that was meant to be nothing more than a distraction from Embry was spend my time arguing with him. "You can only talk to me if you can convince Bobby that you deserve a chance to talk to me," I said.

Embry groaned. "Bobby hates me. Can I convince that asshole instead?"

But I was already looking over his shoulder, grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him to where I last saw Bobby. She was sitting in the same spot, eyes trained on her phone, thumbs moving rapidly over the keyboard. "Bobby!"

She raised her head at my voice, frowning at Embry. "Yes?"

"Embry wants to talk to me but he has to prove himself to your first," I said, never letting go of his wrist.

Bobby turned her attention towards Embry, staring him down critically. "Saw off your fingers."

"No."

"Marry Quil."

"No."

"Saw off Quil's fingers."

"No."

"Marry Emmett."

"No."

"Then I'm sorry but Remy is unavailable," Bobby said, and turned her attention back to her phone.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," Embry snapped suddenly. He looped his hand around my bicep and lead me out the room. And I was stumbling behind him, unable to keep up with him as he rushed out of the room and out the door and into the front yard. He stopped suddenly, when the music couldn't be heard and the only people in sight where the ones stumbling out of the door. And I had to giggle, laughing at the way he dragged me. It made my heart thump in my chest. He made me sweat. "You're torturing me here, Remy," he said.

I rolled my eyes, stumbling backwards just a few steps. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"How drunk are you right now?" Embry asked, putting his hand on my shoulder, steadying me.

"I'm not that drunk," I said, putting my hand on top of his. Half of it was because of the need to stabilize myself, and the other half was because I just wanted to feel the way his skin felt against mine again.

Embry frowned at me. "Why are you doing all this?"

"Doing all what?"

He looked exasperated. "That Remy in there," he said, pointing his finger towards the massive Cullen home, "I don't know that Remy. I don't know who that was. Since when do you even talk to people? Never-mind let them touch you like that?"

"Ever since you started ignoring me."

"You can't hold that over my head forever."

"I can sure as hell try," I told him, voice sharp.

"Remy, listen. I can't do this anymore. I can't," Embry said, sighing. My eyes followed him. He was different than I had ever seen him. I wasn't as drunk as I could've been but looking at him made me feel like I could be. There was always something about him that I thought was beautiful but even though I was still carrying all that rage I felt towards him I kept thinking about it while he clenched his jaw. "I know I fucked up but I was just scared! I know that leaving was a really cowardly thing to do and I'm sorry but I would do anything to make it up to you."

"What are you so afraid of?" I asked, laughing a hollow laugh. "I don't get it! I don't know what you think I'm gonna do to you that you had to ignore me for so long!"

Embry sighed, tangling his finger in his hair and tugging at it. "It's not that you would do something to me. You wouldn't understand."

"Then make me understand! What was it? Explain it to me!" I yelled, throwing my arms behind me. "If you wanna make it up to me than stop being a coward and just tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Remy," he started, sharply inhaling and then dropping his arms by his side in defeat. He looked me in the eyes. "Remy Cree, I am so fucking in love with you. I am so in love with you in ways that you couldn't even understand. And there is nothing more terrifying to me than the idea of loosing you. The thought, it keeps me up at night. And I just, I don't know what to do about it! Because I don't ever want you to feel like I'm weighing you down or that-"

And I didn't care about what the fuck else he was going to say because my arms were around Embry Call's neck and my fingers were tangled the ends of his hair and my lips were pressed against his. And at first he was still against me but then, after a second, he leaned into me. Embry kissed me soft and gentle, and his fingers pressed into my shoulder blades, holding me close and but softly, like he was afraid he would break me. Everything about him was warm and I felt like I had melted into him. My mind was blank and I was on fire and completely enveloped in Embry Call.

it took me a long ass time to get here but finally. the reason i started writing this story. the introduction of my favorite trio: bobby, remy, and emmett. and name ONE twilight fanfiction that has NEARLY this many party scenes

i feel like a monster for what i am about to do to all of u