Ben and Claire were making their rounds around the funeral home lobby. Everyone gave them hugs and said how much they wished their other sister was there too but of course Sarah was too busy with her fiancée at medical school to bother with their fathers funeral. The lobby was finally starting to slowly enter the main room where the urn of their father was. He never wanted to be buried but instead have his ashes spilt up between the kids. Sarah already said she didn't want that because of the 'bad vibes' so Ben and Claire would just keep him on top of the fireplace. After about an hour Claire gave a light wolf howl before exiting the building. Ben excused himself from a third cousin removed before bolting to the front doors to meet his sister.
"Oh my god, when did this become the Sarah show? I mean, Jesus, you'd think she's the one who died," Ben pulled out a pack of Newport red shorts before lighting one up. Their dad always smoked them so when Ben spent a summer out here with him a few years ago to work on a project he picked up the habit. Claire was leaned up against the brick wall praying the rain would just start coming down on them or maybe the earth could just open up and swallow them all.
"It's always about her you know. Sarah is Miss perfect and Miss Example. Doesn't matter what we do," Claire rolled her eyes before taking her glasses off and pinching the bridge of her nose, something she always does. Claire was a ballerina, performing in this years Nutcracker at the Seattle theatre, something that her mother has been training her for for most of her life. She always said if she could conquer that then she could conquer anything. Ben on the other hand was an amazing artist, could barely paint fast enough for his customers, paint never left his hands no matter how much he scrubbed. But that got overlooked by Sarah. Sarah who was in medical school to become a doctor and who was always perfect. Sarah who mother never corrected her. Sarah who was just perfect for being the older sister because honestly she had nothing special about her. No skills. No talents. Just a kiss ass with a pretty face.
"I'm over it, I mean for fuck sake. I just want to take dad home and call it a day. Also, high tops today? Couldn't wear heels? Or at least a clean pair?" Ben was staring at the scuffed up high tops that were on Claire's feet, she didn't want to admit to him that her feet were killing her and she needed them to heal by practice tomorrow. Ben was always a fashion snob. Today he wore his best black suit and brand new dress shoes. His shoulder length black hair slicked back and his silver angel wing earrings hanging onto his shoulders. He was handsome and any boy would be lucky to have him except that Ben didn't want to date. He just liked to mess around when he felt lonely. Art was his true love.
"They matched better plus the heels couldn't last in the mud around here," she lied smoothly before taking a drag off his cigarette. Her black heels would have matched better with her plain black dress and beige sweater but she knew she'd die if she wore those today. She ran a hair through her long curly hair before tugging it up into a messy bun. She was already over today. She was exhausted, hurting and stressed.
"Excuse me, Claire Young get the cigarette out of your mouth right now! Are you trying to kill yourself?" A woman's voice called from across the parking lot. Aunt Emily. Followed by a group of men and a few females. Including the curly haired man from the beach along with Jacob Black who was grinning because he got to hear Emily scold.
"Shit," Claire let the cigarette fall from her lips before stomping it out. Ben groaned knowing that he didn't get his last hit before the service was about to start. He quickly recovered though before turning and smiling.
"Aunt Emily!" Ben called out before running over to give her a big hug. If the people around them didn't know before they definitely just learned that Ben was gay because of his rainbow suspenders finally showing from his suit jacket flapping behind him. He wore those suspenders for every dressing up event as a good luck item.
"Little Benny Boo," Aunt Emily smiles while giving him a huge hug in which she passed him off to their Uncle Sam. They bothed looked the same, just a little older. Emily's scars were still very present but her beauty was still there despite being in her early forties now. Sam was just as tall as ever but he seemed a bit more relaxed now then he use to. Claire could see Leah and Seth behind Sam. They both looked not a day over twenty five which threw Claire off, they were suppose to be in their early thirties by now right?
"Aunt Emily," Claire reached out to receive the hug that was being offered. She had always hated hugs from her mother but Aunt Emily's hugs were warm and comforting. Totally different then the cold forced ones she was used to.
"My Claire bear. I heard through a little birdie that you are performing at the Seattle theater this weekend," Emily was always her biggest supporter. She'd call and leave voicemails on the house phone telling her good luck, that she could do anything. Unlike her mother who told her she wasn't good enough and to do it better then before.
"Tomorrow is opening night," Claire was unsure of how tomorrow's performance would even go considering she's messed up her feet and her mother texted her this morning to tell her she'd be there.
"Well your dad had gotten himself and all of us tickets to go see you. He was so extremely proud of you," Emily rested her hand on Claire face. Claire flinched at first, not being use to such a loving touch but then leaned into it. She remembered how loving and kind Emily was.
"He use to send flowers to every show I did," Claire whispered, slowing a lump in her throat. She had saw her dad a few years ago, when she first turned eighteen. She told her mom and Ben that she wasn't feeling good that day so when they went out Claire took the car and headed towards La Push.
"Baby!" Maxwell shouted from the porch step, his little girl climbing out of the blue Honda Civic. He was sitting in the kitchen drinking a beer after just getting back from fishing when he saw the car pull in. Mary kept the same car all this time.
"Dad!" Claire jumped out of the car barely remembering to shut the engine off before she took off towards the house. Maxwell was wearing a old flannel shirt and a pair of faded jeans, his black hair was long and his beard was wild. His skin looked worn but his eyes were still the same kind eyes. They embraced in a long hug before they went inside.
"I don't have too long. Took forever to get down here," Claire sat at the kitchen table while her dad got her a glass of water.
"I figured as much. How is everything? How's dancing? How's Ben? You graduated! I sent flowers, did you get them? Your favorites are still daisies right?" Maxwell was ranging but it was the only way to keep from crying. He only saw his children through photos that Emily was able to pull from newspaper articles celebrating their achievements. He was unbelievably proud of them all.
"Dad! Everything is fine. I work in an office during the weekdays until four and then I do rehearsals and practices at night. I hate dancing but it's all I know, ya know? Ben is doing great. He selling paintings faster then we can make them. We're actually about to move into an apartment together so we can live in peace. I get all the flowers dad, daisies are still my favorite and I love them everytime I get them from you," Claire didn't have the heart to tell him she was never allowed to bring them home because the one time she did her mother burned them.
"I'm so proud of you honey but if you don't like dancing then just do something else! Come live with me for a bit! Ben could come too! I have your rooms still how they were before and I know a lot of people who'd be happy to see you again," Maxwell knew it was a fat chance in hell they'd move back but it was worth a shot.
"Dad..." Claire didn't want to break his heart by saying no but she knew by the look on his face that he knew the answer.
"Claire! Earth to Claire!" Ben was shouting in her ear knocking her out of her memory. Emily still was holding her face but now the only people left around them were Sam, Ben, Jacob and the curly haired man. Claire didn't even notice she was crying until Emily wiped her tears away. The curly haired man stepped closer but was held back by Jacobs hand held him in his place. Did he have some sort of savior complex?
"Come on, let's get inside. We can chat later," Emily grabbed hold of Claire's before leading her inside and to her seat up front next to Ben. The chief of the tribe got up and spoke kind words before everyone, the ceremony only took a grand total of a half hour before they were picking up dads urn and carrying him out.
"Claire," a voice called from behind her as she slowly filed out the building. Ben was up front with Emily walking to her car. She turned to see the curly haired man standing still staring at her with those hazel eyes.
"May I help you?" She raised one eyebrow pointedly and crossed her arms, pulling her sweater in close. She just wanted to go sleep before she was up all night practicing again.
"I'm Quil, I was a good friend of your fathers," the man held out his hand. How was this man a friend of her dads? He looked her age.
"Claire. We met this morning. Thanks for coming out," Claire made a gun symbol and clicked her tongue before turning back around.
"We we're actually good friends when you were little," Quil still hadn't moved but he knew she could hear him based on the fact that she stopped walking.
"You were also little," Claire stated the fact but it made the man tense up a little in his stance. If Claire was twenty one and he played with her while she was a child then she doubted he was older then twenty five.
"I just wanted to say...if you ever need anything just let me know. Ya know, when Sam or Emily can't help you or whatever. Your dad had a list of all of our numbers on the fridge," Quil was fumbling over his words like an idiot. Seventeen years to practice and his mouth was failing him.
"Right, I'll do that. Have a good day Quil," Claire raised a peace sign before finally exiting the building and heading towards her car.
"You still do the peace sign?" Quil asked from a few feet behind her sounding amused. Quil couldn't believe that the thing he taught her all those years ago had stuck with her. She was going to tell him to stop stalking her but then she realized he was walking to a red ford truck next to the blue civic that their mother gave them when she upgraded last year.
"I've always done it," Claire shrugged not thinking much of it. She's always done the peace sign at the end of conversations, she couldn't ever remember not doing. She turned back and hurried to the car before Quil could get another word in. This man made her want to say sweet nothings to him and jump in his arms.
"What was that all about?" Ben asked when his twin got in the passenger seat. He pulled out a cigarette ready to light it up but waited until Emily's car was gone from the parking lot.
"I don't know. Said we were friends when I was a kid," Claire leaned back in her seat staring out the window. Her mind racing of trying to place where she had seen that man before. Why did Quil look so familiar?