Guidance
Chapter Four
The following week played out much the same. Cali and I would astral project in the afternoon, but only for a while—though, it was hard to tell how much time you spent projecting. No sense of exhaustion, no sense of time, and I honestly doubt a wristwatch would help. Then again, we could always head into a house or something and check the clock… But it wasn't worth the effort. Sometimes, Cali and I would tour all around the forests, enjoying the sights. We would also practice making ourselves solid, visible, permeable, whatever you want to call it… A couple of times, we chased after the wolves Cali loved so much—I had to admit, they were cute, as cute as wolves could be. Once, when I was looking around by myself, I saw a person in the woods. They were pale, and they were running with incredible speed. But I never really hung around to see where they go or what they do. I felt a sense of danger around them, for some reason.
School was the same. It was the last week of classes; the school at La Push gets out before the one in Forks, I'm told, so there wouldn't be as many kids from up there at the beach until summer officially began for them. School, for the most part, was boring. Sure, we joked and laughed and hung out in class—we being Kim and I and the guys—but we were still stuck in class. I mostly read, for the most part, or endured little teases from the guys. I would send back a few quips of my own, though, so no foul.
When Saturday came, Cali's room was done. She was going to sleep there from now on; it was just across the hall, so it wasn't too far. She was absolutely ecstatic to have her own room. There was a low bed with pink sheets and a fluffy comforter, a bookshelf, a squishy pouf of a chair, and a circular pink rug. I almost rolled my eyes at the amount of pink. Almost. And, of course, Cali loved it, so she thanked Emily and Sam with big, little-kid kisses, as well as choke-hold hugs.
Emily was making lunch later on when she asked me about a bonfire. "So, Jani, would you and Cali like to come to a bonfire tomorrow? I'm not sure if you'd like to, but it would definitely be fun. Sam and I are going, and so are the rest of the boys, as well as others, like the Elders of the tribe."
"That sounds great, Emily," I replied. "Kimmy already asked me two weeks ago, but I forgot. What time are we going?"
"Oh, around five or six."
"What should I wear?" I felt myself grinning, and I was getting excited. Emily beamed as she caught my hyper vibe.
"I'll help you pick out an outfit tomorrow if you like," she offered. I took her hands and started dancing and jumping around, and Emily laughed as she joined in. "We can do your hair and makeup, too."
"Whoa, Emily! No way!" I laughed. "This is not some fancy-schmancy thing, is it? And it's not a date, either, nor is it prom!"
"Are you sure there's no one you want to impress?" I rolled my eyes, but registered the faint blush on my cheeks. There was one person who came to mind, but I'd rather not admit that aloud.
"Come on! Happy dance! I'm hyper," I giggled. Emily rolled her eyes and smiled good-naturedly as we pranced around the living room and kitchen.
"Why so hyper?" Emily questioned.
"I dunno. Maybe Cali's rubbing off on me. Either her or Seth and Quil, the little turds."
"Jani," Emily chided.
"Tarts, my bad," I corrected halfheartedly. We stopped bouncing in place and just crashed on the couch and armchair. "Seth and Quil are little tarts. Better?" Emily mumbled something that sounded like 'meh.'
"Tarts? Did I hear right?" a loud, obnoxious voice sounded. I groaned as Quil came bursting through the room and ran to pounce on me—obviously not landing on me, because then I'd be a pancake. He stuck out his tongue at me. "That's not very nice, Jani."
"`Ey, Quil," Seth called, walking in. "You know… Embry's not gonna be very happy if he sees you like that."
"Point made." He practically fled to the opposite side of the room, and I sat up on the couch.
"What's Embry got to do with it?" I muttered, feeling heat creep up my neck. For some reason, recently, I've been getting butterflies whenever Embry is mentioned—when I actually see him, it's ten times worse. I laid out on the couch, crossing my arm behind my head and crossing my legs. "Hi, by the way."
"Hey, Jani," Seth greeted giving me a smile. I opened my arms in his direction. Seth raised an eyebrow with a smirk.
"Huggy!" I squeaked. "I haven't gotten a hug from a guy in a long time… I'm deprived! It's almost a crime!"
"Hey, why ask Seth and not me?" Quil pouted, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. I rolled my eyes at his childishness.
"You had your chance, bub," I grumbled. Seth relented and came over to give me a hug. He really was like a brother, in more ways than one. I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Seth. You're like a brother, you know that, right?"
Seth, blushing lightly, nodded and grinned. When he turned away, I got up as quietly as I could and jumped on his back.
"Piggyback!" I squealed. "Ah! Seth! Don't drop me, you tart!" I could picture Seth rolling his eyes at that, even if I didn't see it. I wrapped my arms around his neck and Seth, with no choice, grabbed my legs to keep me up. Quil was laughing—almost giggling, I would say—and he came over, looking ready to leap.
"My turn! Mind if I piggyback, Jani? We can make a sandwich!"
That raised a red flag in my mind. "Uh, no thanks, Quil," I said hastily. "No sandwich."
"Bu—"
"Hey, Jani," Seth interrupted, "where's Cali?"
"Bedroom, probably sleeping," I said. Cali was even more tired out from the trips than I was, so I made sure to let her rest.
"Mind if I…?"
I sighed. "Go ahead." He let go and I jumped off. Seth went to check on my sister. At times, I really didn't understand his fascination with her. It was creepy at times, but I could trust Seth, right? He's not a pedophile or something, right? He's just a family friend…
"Jani!" Seth called urgently. I rushed to Cali's room, Quil and Emily trailing behind.
"What is it?" I asked concernedly.
"She's not waking up! I think something happened! Maybe she's—no, what if she's—I couldn't—wh—"
"Seth, shut up!" I demanded. I knelt by my sister's bedside, taking her hand. Was she breathing? She looked dead. I closed my eyes, then opened them, anger filling me. She didn't tell me! She left to go project elsewhere! Oh, she was going to get an earful when she gets back!
"Is she okay?" Seth asked, fidgeting.
"She's fine," I snapped. I inhaled, trying to reign in that temper. It wasn't his fault she didn't listen to me. "Just go. Please."
"But—"
"Go!" I yelled. Seth was shaking, and Quil grabbed his forearms and hauled his out of the room. Emily looked after them, then back at me.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Nothing," I muttered, shaking my head. "I'll tell you later, but, right now, I have to go find Cali."
"Find—?" At this point, she was confused about the whole thing, and I'm sure Quil and Seth were, too.
"Please, Emily, give me an hour or two alone," I interrupted. "If I take longer, or if you come in before then and I don't respond, like Cali, then don't worry. I'm fine, and so is Cali, okay? Now please go." I ushered her out of the bedroom and locked the door. I sat against the wall and took Cali's hand in mine. I closed my eyes, focusing on Cali.
I felt myself lifted away from the bonds of my body, then saw as my hand dropped from Cali's and I slumped against the wall and floor. I grimaced. That would hurt later. I shook my head. I closed my eyes, focusing on Cali. I desired to go where she was. And I felt the space around me rush by, and soon saw Cali at a cliff in First Beach. She jumped off and soared into the water below, then rushed back up to the cliff.
"Cali!" I yelled. She flinched and looked over her shoulder at me. She looked regretful, but rushed over to my side and hung her head guiltily. I almost lost my anger—she did look remorseful—but I couldn't not punish her. "What did I tell you? You have to tell me when you want to go, you have to make sure I go with you! What if something—I don't even know what—happens to you? How am I supposed to explain that? What am I supposed to do without you? Do you realize I had to yell at Seth and Emily just to come get you? Do you know how worried they were? People get scared and people get sad when you do this, Cali. We look like we're dead when we do this, Cali! Do you know how you looked? Do you know how we all felt? And Seth was about ready to wring my neck when I told him to get out!"
I exhaled and pinched the bridge of my nose. It would do no good to argue. She already felt bad enough. I pulled Cali into my arms and settled on the ground. She buried her face in my neck.
"Do you understand?" I asked her, softly. She nodded, sniffling. "Come on, let's get back. Emily should be making lunch, not worrying about us. We need to tell her you were okay, alright?"
"Mm-hmm," she whimpered.
"Alright. You want me to come with you?" She nodded. I took her hand and we stood up. Then we were rushing through trees, through the forest. I sighed, wondering just how we were going to explain this.
We reached the house soon, and Cali went forward and through to her room. I followed and found, with horror, that we weren't there. "Uh-oh," Cali mumbled, eyes wide. I felt my pulse race. Where were we?
"Maybe—" I didn't finish that sentence. I went out to the living room, Cali following. I saw Embry—my breath caught when I saw his agonized expression—on the couch, Emily and Sam beside him. Seth and Quil were on the floor in front of them. I really, really hoped that it wasn't what it looked like. If they were mourning… Oh, no…
"Come on, Jani…" I heard Embry whisper. "Wake up. Please, respond." My heart broke at his tone. Cali was looking at me, eyes wide. Seth was much the same as Embry, carrying Cali in his lap. I looked at her.
"I'll go first…" I said. She nodded. "I'll tell you when to come, just stay in this room, got it?" She nodded again.
"Jani… please…" Embry continued. "You look… Please don't be…"
I felt something stir in me. I felt so guilty, too, worrying them like this. I stood by him and placed a hand on his shoulder, but I knew that trying to make myself visible at this point wouldn't—
Actually, that might be a good way to explain it. I turned back to Cali. "Change of plans," I said. "Go back, now. I'll join in a minute." Cali, confused, nodded and headed for her body. I saw her figure zoom away in a snap, and saw her return to her body. She gasped lightly, and Seth's eyes widened.
"Cali?" Seth asked tentatively.
Cali grinned sheepishly up at him. "Sethy!" She flung her arms around his neck as he gave her a tight hug, clinging to her as if he didn't want to imagine her life being taken away ever again. "I'm so, so sorry! I didn't mean to—"
"What do you mean, Cali? You couldn't have…" I inhaled deeply, then focused on making myself visible, solid. It was still so hard. I tried. When I thought I was, I spoke.
"Embry?"
Embry's head snapped up, and he looked at me, shocked. Everyone looked at me. Cali smiled.
"You finally did it, Jani!" Cali chirped. I frowned.
"Now's not the time for congratulations," I muttered dryly.
Embry, looking down at the me on his lap and myself now, looking disoriented. "What's going on?" Sam demanded.
"Well, if you all just give my body some space so I can get back, I'd explain," I told them. Embry's eyes went wide.
"Y-your body? You mean—"
"I'm alive, don't worry your pretty head about that," I teased. His expression told me it wasn't time for teasing, though. "Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a knot. Just give me some breathing space, geez." Emily and Sam moved away, and I walked over to myself, a small smile on my face. "Wow, I'm actually kinda pretty. Hmm." I grabbed my hand and closed my eyes, then felt the snap as I once again claimed my body.
Everyone in the room, except for Cali, was pretty much lost, confused, shocked, and had expressions that just screamed What the hell! I chuckled sheepishly and sat up—and I noticed, I was in Embry's lap. I would've blushed if I wasn't so nervous about what they would all say.
"Well… Uh… Sorry for…worrying you?" I stuttered. "But, really, how would I be dead? What would I have died from?" These questions went unanswered.
"It's all my fault!" Cali bawled. "I'm so sorry, Jani! I'll never do that again without telling you!"
"Yeah, I'm sure that promise will live," I muttered under my breath.
"What's going on?" Emily asked.
"And what's with the freaky doppelganger thing?" Quil added.
"Sorry, sorry," I said quickly. "I'm sorry for how I acted, Emily, Seth, but I really did need to find Cali. She was by the cliffs." Seeing their even more confused expressions, I held a hand up to silence them. "Let me explain, then you can ask questions. First off, Cali and I are half-Navajo. Navajos have legends, as I'm sure every other tribe has, which stem from truth. My tribe has a legend—more like a tradition, really—that some of us can…project. What Cali and I do is called astral projection. It's kind of like leaving the body behind, moving forward with your spirit, but not exactly. It's like a different field—like an astral plane—like a different realm, almost. We can't affect things very much unless we practice and try to make ourselves able to affect them, like when I appeared to you guys as an astral projection."
It was silent for a moment as everyone absorbed that. "So it's like the Quileute's, our, legend of the Spirit Warriors," Sam stated.
"Uh… Not exactly," I said. "I vaguely remember being told that legend… I'm not really sure about it, though, but I know there's a distinction."
"Well, you can listen to the legend tomorrow at the bonfire," Emily added. "Then you can tell us whether it's the same or not."
"I doubt it's the same," I said indignantly. It's Navajo…not Quileute… It can't be the same. I felt a bit angry that they would even suggest that… It felt like a mockery to the Navajo culture.
"She didn't mean it was the same," Embry said, and, for the first time in a short while, I was completely aware of the fact that I was on his lap and he was running a hair through my hair. I leaned back against the arm of the couch and looked back up at him expectantly. "Emily and Sam meant that there are some similarities, I'm sure. It's not the same. It's unique to the Navajos. They just wanted to understand it more, and they would understand it more if it related to their tribe more."
I pondered this for a second, then gave a ghost of a smile. "Okay," I said. "Sorry, Emily. Sorry, Sam."
"No, no," Emily said quickly. "We're sorry. We shouldn't have done that…" I waved my hand noncommittally. Emily gave a slight smile. "Well, I better go finish lunch, then." She left for the kitchen, Sam trailing behind her after giving me a rare smile.
"Well," Quil blurted, eyes wide as saucers. "That's something you don't see everyday."
"So… Astral projection, was it?" Seth asked. I nodded. He glanced at Cali, who was nodding off in his arms. I feel a twinge of guilt.
"Cali's sleepy," I mumbled. "Astral projection exhausts us sometimes, especially her because she's so young. When we're projecting, we have no concept of exhaustion, or even time… I need to set her down for a nap." I made to get up but Embry kept me down.
"Seth will take her," Embry whispered. It was true—Seth was already out of the room. I frowned.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow—maybe later—bye, Jani!" Quil chirped, then fled the house, or at least the room. That left me with Embry, in what was slowly becoming an awkward situation as I was still draped over his lap. It didn't help that he was, I just noticed, only wearing cutoffs. The entire shirtlessness issue was lessening, though, thankfully. I closed my eyes and tried to slow the frantic beating of my heart—believe me, I had no idea how to, and I'm sure it was loud enough for Embry to hear and fast enough to beat a hummingbird's.
Embry was so warm. The random thought just occurred to me. So warm. I felt safe, too. Safe and lo—cared for. I could hear his breathing, calm and steady. I yawned slightly, covering my mouth. Without thinking, I leaned against Embry and my eyelids fluttered closed. I felt like I was in my own bubble, like nothing could hurt me and I would never be alone…
…My eyes flew open as the scent of food hit my nose. I was starving. My stomach growled, and I blushed as I both heard and felt Embry laugh. I frowned and made to get up, but, yet again, he held me back.
"Are you sure you're okay to walk?" Embry asked, looking me in the eyes as if trying to find the truth there. "Are you sure you're okay?"
I offered a smile that felt so natural on my face that I wondered why it was ever off. "I'm okay. Thanks for the concern, though." Before I did something I would regret, I shuffled off his lap, and he took my elbow gently and helped me up. I immediately missed the warmth when he let go and we were standing a couple feet apart. I headed to the kitchen, sniffing the air.
"Food…" I mumbled, shaking my head. I swear I heard Embry chuckle behind me. "Emily, Emily, food, please?"
Emily, in the kitchen, smiled up at me. She reached into the microwave and brought out a plate of mashed potatoes, beef, and melted cheese on the aforementioned mashed potatoes. I grinned gratefully.
"There's some white cheddar popcorn in a bag in the cupboard, if you'd like," Emily said. "I don't think the boys discovered it yet." I almost tore open the cupboard doors and almost drooled when I saw the familiar black bag—looking like a bag of chips, really—with white cheddar popcorn. I ripped it openly as neatly as I could and ran to the living room with it, and my plate of food, too. I was too hungry to register Embry's amused chuckles. I scarfed down my food voraciously before Embry even arrived in the living room with his load of victuals. When I got to the popcorn, I was more civilized and had my wits about me. I plucked popcorn by popcorn out of the bag, popping them into my mouth and savoring the white cheddar taste that was to die for. I was distracted only by Embry groaning.
"No sharing, Jani?" he teased. I sent him a fake glare, jutting my lower lip out for added effect. Embry only grinned cheekily. I flicked popcorn over to him and it hit him in the face. I smiled evilly and began flicking more popcorn over at him. Embry began trying to catch them in his mouth and swallow them before the next one came—and, darn it, once he decided to do that, I couldn't hit him in the face with the popcorn anymore. But it was amusing.
The next day, Emily was busy preparing the food. Cali rested—the astral projection had taken its toll on her—and I helped make the food. It was like we were feeding an army. Then again, with how I've seen the boys eat, I wasn't surprised. We spent so much time making food—hot dogs, burgers, mashed potatoes, rice, chicken, pork, and so much more in such large quantities that I almost thought we were feeding a third-world country. In fact, by the time we were finished—or by the time Emily was satisfied with how much we'd made—it was time to get dressed.
I was rummaging through my clothes, wondering what to wear. Emily had said it would be only a little chilly, that I'd definitely be warmed up at any rate, and that I should dress up—she had given me an almost knowing smile, which I just couldn't for the life of me figure out why. I'd settled on comfort clothes; a pair of black Capri jeans, a white t-shirt, and an indigo spaghetti-strap midriff on top of that. I had a love for layering clothes. It definitely helped in this chilly place. I brushed through my hair a couple times until Emily and I had to start loading the food into the truck with Sam's help. Cali was already at the beach—Seth was babysitting her, for some reason, and they'd already gone.
When we finally arrived at the beach, the sun was setting and a huge bonfire had already been started. Some of the guys lingered around the fire, and others stood chatting or something. I noticed the Elders were there—apparently, from what Emily told me, they were Billy Black, Sue Clearwater, and Old Quil, and even Sam was considered one.
"They're going to tell the legends," Emily informed me as we set the food on the tables. Kim came striding over to help up, and I gave her a warm hug.
"Great to see you, Kimmy-cake," I teased, having heard Jared call her that once. Kim blushed. She playfully hit my arm.
"Hey," she said, "I'm going to laugh whenever you get a boyfriend and he calls you pet names." I laughed.
"If I ever a get a boyfriend, that is," I replied. Kim raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you will," she said knowingly. My brows furrowed in confusion. Kim flounced around to the truck and helped Emily set up even more food.
"Uh… Yeah, well," I muttered awkwardly. "I'm just gonna go say hi to some of the guys…" Before she could respond, I skipped away towards a group of guys. One of them turned, noticing me, and grinned.
"Hey, it's Jani," said Jared.
"Hey, Jare-Bear," I sang with a grin, giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek. I noticed Paul standing nearby, so I ambushed him in a hug. "Hi, Polly Pocket."
"Hey, Squirt," Paul greeted, somewhat lazily. I pecked him on the cheek, too. Paul, being Paul, gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
"Ew," I muttered, wiping the slobber from my cheek. "You're like a big puppy, aren't you? A puppy with a bad temper…" Paul rolled his eyes.
"Did you bring any food?"
"Of course…that's what you care about… My bad, I thought humans were higher on the list…"
"So did you?"
"Yes," I deadpanned. Who else was in this little group?
"Jani!" the childish voice of Quil yelped. I felt myself immediately enveloped in a scorching hug and being swung around. "I missed you!"
"I—missed—you—too!" I choked out as Quil spun me in the air. I was getting dizzy when I felt myself being pried from Quil's grasp. I almost fell to my knees, but someone held me up. I looked up at my savior and almost fell to my knees again. But I managed a smile. "Always the savior. Hey, Embry."
Embry smiled down at me, his teeth gleaming. "Hi, Jani," he said softly.
"Uh… You can let go of me, now," I said. "I'm okay. Just a bit dizzy." I shot a glare at a sheepish Quil.
"Mm…Nah."
"What?" I blurted, looking back up at Embry. He was wearing a mischievous smirk.
"I don't think I'll let you go," Embry clarified. "They might wanna spin you around again." He held me tighter against him, and I almost blushed. I rolled my eyes to play it off.
"Oh, really?" I looked back at the guys. "Paul! Save me!" I felt Embry tighten his grip, though it definitely wasn't uncomfortable. Paul just grinned, a devious glint in his eyes.
"Don't even think about it," Embry warned Paul, who was coming over. Before I knew what was going on, I was stolen away from Embry and thrown over Paul's shoulder. I squeaked as he ran away from Embry, laughing. Embry growled and chased after us, and the rest of the guys laughed.
"Paul!" I complained. "This is so uncomfortable." Paul huffed and, I could tell, rolled his eyes. He dropped me slightly, adjusting his hold on me, still laughing as he looked behind at Embry. I wrapped my arms around Paul's neck and my legs around his waist so I wouldn't fall off. "You'd better not drop me!"
Paul barked out another laugh. "What makes you think that?"
"Paul!"
"Kidding, Squirt."
Embry caught up to us in that moment and grabbed Paul's shirt, efficiently yanking him back. I was about to crash and fall on top of Paul when Embry caught me, stuck his tongue out at the fallen Paul, and ran away. I laughed as Paul ran after Embry and I.
"What is this?" I asked incredulously. "Keep-Away-Jani?" Embry grinned. He was carrying me bridal-style, which was a bit more uncomfortable. I frowned. "Can we head back, Embry?"
I slung my arms around his neck and, with all the strength I could muster, pulled myself up and wrapped my legs around his waist, like I'd done to Paul. The difference between then and now were the reactions. Paul didn't care—I was just like a sister to him. Embry, however, tensed slightly. I blushed, though it was dark and he probably couldn't see. I wasn't even thinking about it when I did that—it was just something I'd do with anyone. However, pressed as close to Embry as I was now, I could feel his every muscle, feel the heat rolling off of him in waves. Embry still rushed to the bonfire, though, Paul running after us. I laughed.
"Well, what's this?" Quil teased as Embry carried me to the bonfire. I buried my face in Embry's neck, my eyes closed.
"I'm sleepy," I muttered. It was true, too; the adrenaline rush from the Keep-Away game was quickly leaving me. Embry was just too warm and comfortable. I could feel Embry adjusting me so I was sitting in his lap as he sat down against a log. I could already no longer distinguish between the voices of those around me. The only thing I heard was Embry's heartbeat, lulling into a sense of security and comfort. I felt my lips curl just the slightest, and I buried my face into his neck even more, my hands clutching the thin fabric of his t-shirt. I allowed myself a soft smile when I felt Embry kiss the top of my head.
It all hit me at once. I heard the waves lapping at the shore, the fire crackling, the people laughing and talking in groups. The last thing to register was the warmth all around me, the quick beating of a heart, the secure embrace around me. When I did remember where I was and what I was doing there, I felt like a million butterflies were released in the bottom of my stomach. My face was heating up, and I knew that I didn't look calm and asleep anymore. That was my first mistake. I brought my hands to my face, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I moved away from Embry. I didn't want to see his face or the faces of everyone around me. I just wanted to disintegrate, right there. The crisp, cold air against my skin woke me up. I reluctantly pulled my hands from my face and ran them through my hair. I looked up at Embry, who was leaning against a log behind us with his arms crossed behind his head; the picture of ease. I made to get up from his lap when two muscular arms wrapped around my waist and brought me back.
"Where are you going?" Embry whispered in my ear. I almost shivered.
"Getting away from my stalker," I joked. I felt Embry frown into my neck. I laughed and tried to move. "Or warden. Same principle."
"Ha, ha. Very funny."
"Meh." I pouted childishly and gave up trying to get away; it was no use, at any rate. "How long was I asleep?"
"You were asleep for about half an hour," answered Embry. "Good thing you got here early. Oh, and Jake brought a friend, by the way… She came a few minutes ago. Actually, I'm surprised you didn't wake up." My brows furrowed.
"Should I have?"
"Well… We all greeted her a bit loudly, that's all. Just surprised you didn't wake up from the noise."
I grinned and decided to go out on a limb. "Nah. I was too comfortable asleep."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Mm…nope."
"Aw, you wound me," Embry said dramatically. My grin grew.
"Let me go so I can greet the new girl," I told him.
"How do you know Jacob brought a girl?"
"I guessed. You said 'she' before, anyway. And why would he bring a guy? There's enough testosterone here as is." I patted his arm. "Release, Em, release." Embry chuckled and I felt his hold on me loosen. I broke free and got to my feet, sticking my tongue out at him victoriously as I made my way to the tables of food.
"Ah, there you are!" Emily said. "You know, you'd better get your food now before we let the guys loose."
"Of course." I grinned and headed for a disposable plate. "And who's this new girl? Jacob's girlfriend?"
"Have you met her?" Emily asked.
"No," I replied. "I just guessed. I haven't even seen her, to tell you the truth. Sleeping, remember?"
"Oh, right."
"And what a nice nap it was," I sighed dramatically. Emily giggled, looking at me quizzically.
"I definitely saw you and Embry getting cozy," she teased.
"Well, I don't know about that." I felt my face heat up, but the huge grin didn't leave my face. "So where's this new toy?"
Emily gave an unamused smirk and tutted. "Her name is Bella, and she's not a toy."
"Oh, of course, of course," I said, not even trying to sound like I was sorry. I glanced over at the group of guys who were watching the table of food with hunger. I noticed Jacob come from behind them, pulling a girl by the hand towards the table. "That her?"
Emily nodded. The girl—Bella, was it?—was unimpressive. For all the hype I've heard about this girl, I didn't expect such an average person. Brown hair, pale ivory skin, short, and looking awkward and clumsy. I guess it's true that people find others more attractive the more average they are. I'd heard this girl had both Jacob and another guy's heart, without even lifting a finger. It was almost ridiculous.
"Are you okay?" Emily asked with a frown, looking at my displeased expression. I imagine I resembled Leah.
"Yeah, peachy," I replied offhandedly. I really didn't care for people who messed with others' hearts. Bella was not in my good books. Then again, I haven't met her. Still, I didn't really care too much for her. I looked around and saw Leah sitting against a log, alone, her eyes closed. She looked—now that I really saw her—sad. I headed over to her and stood a few feet away.
"What do you want?" Leah muttered, not even bothering to open her eyes.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" I asked.
"Why not?" she mumbled somewhat sarcastically. I felt someone's eyes on me and ignored it as I sat down besides her.
"Are you okay, Leah?" Her eyes opened and focused on me. They were cold and wary, but at least they weren't filled with hatred.
"What's it to you?"
"Leah… Why are you sad?" Leah winced slightly, though her expression remained hard and bitter. She didn't answer me. "Leah… I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" she barked. "What for?" She still sounded bitter.
"I… I guess I don't know. I'm sorry for whatever life's done to you… Life sucks, I know. I mean, my parents were…just a few weeks ago…" I paused to inhale deeply, shaking off the tears that threatened to fall. "I guess I understand that something must've happened to you…"
Leah was unusually quiet. She looked bitter, still—it would take a lot of work for her to lose the acidity she held—but she had softened somehow.
"And…anyway…I'm here if you want to talk," I said quietly. "I just…wanted to let you know." I got up and left Leah, heading for one of the logs where no one was. I felt a sense of disappointment as I sat down against the log. What was I hoping for? For Leah to call me back, tell me all her troubles, and hope we'd become the best of friends? Right. I picked at my food, finishing it slowly. When I set the empty plate down, I heard movement nearby. I looked up to see the girl named Bella standing by awkwardly.
"Do you mind—?" she asked softly. I shook my head.
"Go ahead." She nodded and sat down nearby, picking at her food. "I'm Jani, by the way."
She offered a shy smile. "Bella."
"So I've heard," I said with a slight smirk. She blushed.
"Oh." Bella went back to picking at her food.
"So what's the deal with you and Jacob?"
"We're just friends." She said it firmly, as if she was reassuring herself instead of me. "And I have a boyfriend," Bella tacked on as an afterthought. I grinned cheekily.
"Sure you do." Bella looked over at me as if unsure whether that was an insult or not. I grinned to myself. I felt like messing with this girl. "Does your boyfriend know you're here?" I asked innocently.
Bella nodded. "Yes. Yes, he does."
"I have to wonder, Bella," I commented as naively as I could. "Is your boyfriend as"—I almost choked through this part—"gorgeous as Jacob?" Inside, I was dying of laughter for having said those words—it wasn't that he wasn't, well, gorgeous; he just couldn't hold a candle to…er…never mind.
Bella, though, was blushing so furiously that I almost mistook her for a tomato. She wasn't looking at me, and she seemed to be avoiding looking at something else. I looked across the fire and saw Jacob watching us. I grinned and stuck out my tongue playfully at him. He rolled his eyes, but there was the ghost of an amused smile on his features. I also saw, now that I'd looked over, Embry standing a little away from Jacob, looking a bit pissed off. He was shooting Jacob glares. I wondered what Jacob must have done to make him angry, but shrugged it off and turned back to Bella.
"So, Bella, what was that?" I prodded. Bella frowned. I was cracking up internally. I decided to save her from her misery. "Well, never mind. Tell me, is this your first time at a bonfire?"
Bella nodded. "Jake wanted me to come hear the legends."
"It's my first time, too," I said. Bella looked over at me, then at something past the bonfire, a knowing look in her eyes.
"So you don't know—?" She trailed off, letting the question hang.
"Know what?" I asked, my brows furrowing.
"About—you know—"
"Bella!" Jacob called, suddenly joining us. "Uh, Bella, we, uh, Emily wanted to see you. Come on."
"Wait, Jake, but—"
"Come on," he repeated, taking her hand and leading her away. He sounded rushed, like he was hurried or something. But what was that about?
"Jani?" I looked up, behind me, smiling when I saw Embry.
"Hey, Em," I greeted. He gave a crooked smile and sat down on the log.
"So…" I looked up at him.
"So?" He laughed. "What?"
"Nothing, nothing," he replied. "It's just funny."
"What's funny?"
"The situation." I smiled.
"I don't see the humor, but okay," I said, laughing. Embry slid off the log and landed besides me. I almost choked on my laughter at how close he was. I managed to play it off by joking. "Well, hello, there." Embry's grin broadened. He opened his mouth to say something when I noticed that everyone had gathered around the bonfire in a circle, either sitting against the logs or on top of them. I saw Bella and Jacob across the fire, and I noticed the Elders sitting together, facing the rest of us. I looked across at the people gathered. I saw Cali dozing off in Seth's lap and I noted, with a twinge of regret and shame, that I'd all but forgotten the existence of my little sister. I looked around again and noticed Paul was sitting nearby me. I wondered how I didn't notice that before, but shrugged it off as I saw Jacob put his arm around Bella. She looked comfortable, and not at all bothered by it. I seethed with anger when I thought about what she would do to Jacob—she accepted his advances without knowing it, even after she had a boyfriend.
"Time for the stories," Embry whispered to me, sitting up. I turned my head a fraction, looking at him out of the corner of my eyes.
"Stories? You mean the legends?" I whispered back. I straightened and trained my eyes on the Elders. I'd remembered tidbits, pieces of legends about the Quileutes from what my father used to tell me when I was little, but I really had no idea. I knew there was something about Spirit Warriors, which Emily and Sam had compared my astral projecting to.
The fire crackled, and everyone seemed to suddenly focus intensely on the Elders, waiting with bated breath. I allowed a small smile to grace my lips as Billy cleared his throat.
"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning. And we are a small people still, but we have never disappeared. This is because there has always been magic in our blood. It wasn't always the magic of shape-shifting—that came later. First, we were spirit warriors…"
I listened to Billy's voice, hardly noticing when my eyes closed. I felt as if I was really there, experiencing what he spoke of. I could relate. I felt as if I was there, in the time of the Quileute Spirit Warriors. I could picture it, feel it. First Beach was gone—it was no longer a bonfire, and there were no longer any of these people. It was the tribe, the ship builders, the fishermen, the wives—it was these people I saw. I felt the anger and fear they felt when a larger tribe moved against us. I felt the worry the wives felt when their husbands took their spirits to wreak havoc on the enemy and fight back. I felt the anger of the spirit army, felt the pride when they drove off their enemies.
I delved even deeper into the story when he spoke of Taha Aki. It felt so real, so odd. I felt myself slipping away, almost. I was angered and worried when I heard of Utlapa taking over Taha Aki's body, leaving Taha Aki to roam the spirit world eternally. I shuddered, thinking about how horrible that would be and wondering, somewhat morbidly, if the same could happen to me.
I listened, enchanted, when Billy spoke of how the first shape-shifters came to be. It was an interesting thought and, again, I wondered if I could possibly do the same. I was amazed when they spoke of how Taha Aki turned to human from wolf, and how his children later did the same. I was brought out of my reverie, though, when I heard Quil mutter something.
"So that's why Sam is all black. Black heart, black fur." My brows furrowed. What? Sam? I opened my eyes, almost surprised to see I was back at the bonfire.
"And your chocolate fur reflects what?" I heard Sam whisper back. "How sweet you are?" I closed my eyes immediately, somewhat shocked. What did this mean? They were shape-shifters? Like Taha Aki? I snorted under my breath, then regretted it as I felt someone's gaze on me. Of course. It was stupid of me to assume my legends would be true, but theirs wouldn't. Still, I felt a little hypocritical when I had trouble believing it.
Billy finished the story, ignoring Sam and Quil. I felt a few eyes on me, but I kept my eyes closed. I heard Old Quil begin a new legend—of the third wife's sacrifice. This one introduced beings called Cold Ones. At this, I wasn't sure what to say. But when I heard the next words—"They called it The Cold One, the Blood Drinker"—I knew. Vampires. It was a little hard not to be skeptical, I found, of a legend that I hadn't lived. But I tried to ponder the possibility.
And it hit me right when I remembered about Cali's astral projection—she'd been there when our parents died, watching. She was there when—I now realized—vampires drank their blood. I kept my breathing normal, trying to tune back into the legend, acting like nothing happened.
When they finished the story, I was nearly certain that these boys I'd met over the past couple of weeks—this pack—were shape-shifters. And even if I wasn't, Quil's statement would have definitely affirmed my belief.
"Burden," he scoffed lowly at what his grandfather said. "I think it's cool." I opened my eyes to see him pout and noticed Seth nodding.
"So you are shape-shifters?" I asked quietly.
I almost regretted doing so whenever everyone's gazes turned to me. Apparently, because even Bella looked like she already knew this by the way she barely noted the question, I was the only one left out on the secret. I clenched my jaw. She wasn't even Quileute—it wasn't hard to tell with her albino pale skin and the fact that she looked like she knew she didn't belong here. Nobody answered me. I think they were all a bit wary, awaiting this reaction. I looked over at Sam, almost hurt.
"And my parents really were killed by vampires, weren't they?"
Yeah, this chapter was originally (but not for long) 10k words. Now it's around seven, almost eight, thousand. I wanted to keep around seven thousand for each chapter, so, yeah. This wasn't the way it was going to end, but I guess the first ending to this chapter will be in the middle of the next chapter. It's a whole new kinda cliffy, one that doesn't make sense. Whatever.
Please review, and enjoy(:
-HunnyABee