Chapter Two
We always had bonfires, all of us who were descended from the local celebrities in La Push. The Blacks, the Atearas, the Calls, the Clearwaters, the Proudfoots, the Uleys, and the Attwaters always got together at least once a week. Of course most of us were together sporadically between the bonfires, but those were the one time that you could always count on us all being there. Every Saturday night we would practically take over First Beach and have our own private little (or not so little when you really thought about it) party. I lived for those Saturday nights were everyone knew everyone and we could just be together. Usually Dad was making jokes and grinning that grin of his as we drove to the bonfire, but tonight a silence lay between us, thick and tense. I wanted to ask him what had gone on that made him like this, but he wouldn't answer me. Frowning to myself, I put my feet up on the dashboard watching the familiar landscape unfold before us. Five more minutes of nothing but the hum of the engine (I wasn't in the mood for music) and we were there. I don't think I'd ever been that anxious to get away from Dad before in my life.
As I jumped out of the passenger's seat little Shiloh came running up to me shouting "Sadie! Sadie!" Only he pronounced it more like Saddy than anything else. But I didn't mind so much, instead I opened up my arms and caught him in them as he hugged me. It was safe to assume that Quil and Claire were already here then. It was funny, Claire was only about four years older than me and yet she already had a two year old son and a one year old daughter. Quil was quite a bit older than her, but their love was as pure as any, as pure as Sam and Emily's or as Jared and Kim's or any other couple that I'd ever been exposed to here on the Rez. Relinquishing my hold on little Shiloh I gave him one of my fingers that he wrapped his entire tiny hand around and we headed towards the fire they were already working on. I watched as my Dad went to join Quil and Claire in getting the fire lit as Norah, their daughter, came giggling and squealing and babbling incoherent baby talk over to Shiloh and me.
The next family to arrive were the Calls, Embry, his wife, Evelyn, and their son, one of my best friends, Owen. Embry immediately went over to Quil and my Dad reuniting the trio that had been together since they were younger than Owen and I were now. Owen immediately came over to help me keep the two little ones in check scooping up Norah in his arms and causing her to giggle some more. It wasn't long before another car pulled up, this one belonging to the Clearwaters. Out came Seth and Katherine along with Harrison, their fifteen year old son, and Jane, their thirteen year old daughter. Of course with them came Leah, Seth's older sister, still looking as bitter as ever. Now the cars were arriving at close intervals as the fire started to blaze against the early evening sky. Next were the Attwaters, Paul and Anna and Paul Jr. who was just about the spitting image of his father at seventeen. Then came the Proudfoots who were comprised of Jared, Kim, and their two offspring, Caleb and Miranda. Caleb came over to hang out with me and Owen while Miranda attached herself to Harrison and Jane being in the middle of two and also because Kelsey, her best friend, wasn't here yet.
The Uleys were the last to come which already was a bit off because Sam and Emily were usually one of the first here every time. Finally they pulled up in their pickup truck and out came Sam, Emily and their two daughters, Sammi (Samantha if you wanted to be more correct) and Kelsey. Somebody was missing though. Confused I turned my brown gaze on Owen and Caleb, quietly asking, "Where's Josh?"
The two of them glanced up from Shiloh and Norah to glance around for Josh, but there was no one in the truck and he wasn't by the fire or anywhere else. We exchanged confused looks for a moment and then Claire came over, taking Norah in her arms and grabbing Shiloh with her free hand. Then I heard Quil shouting that it was time for the food and we all grinned at one another knowing exactly what it meant. In a few seconds we were racing towards the fire careful not to run into anyone else. Within a few seconds we were shoving hot dogs on the rods used specifically for this purpose and we were using them to fence one another. We got chastising glances from the women as the hot dog fell from Caleb's stick and landed in the dirt. They weren't found of wasting. So apologetically we gathered around the fire jostling for a spot to stick our hotdogs into the fire from. The mystery of Joshua Uley's whereabouts was forgotten as we enjoyed one another's company.
Author's note: Alright, just wanted to clarify that Sadie's not Bella's daughter. Her mother's name is Madison. But don't worry, you'll get to know more about Bella and Madison later. I'm proud right now though, this is the fastest, I've ever written anything of this sort. Usually I try to write fanfiction and don't get very far. Hopefully this'll be different. Hope I didn't confuse you too much with all those characters either.