A/N - Thanks for the support guys! Your comments have really been motivationg for me. I know this chapter is boring, but the next one should have a little more drama.

Chapter 6

I had nightmares that night. Really horrible nightmares.

They started off with Embry shaking like he did last night, and then all of a sudden losing control and leaping on me. Then all of a sudden Embry turned into Bella. Except she didn't look like Bella. She started advancing onto me, getting closer, and her sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight. I woke up hyperventilating, to the sound of a wolf howling outside my house, from the woods beyond.

So really, it's no wonder I was feeling jittery this morning.

"What's wrong, Cheryl?" Mom asked me at the breakfast table. "That's the third time you nearly spilled the milk this morning. Are you all right?"

"Of course Mom." I insisted. "I'm perfectly fine."

"Well, what are you planning to do today?" she asked, referring to the fact that it was Saturday. She wanted to know whether I would be at Jake, Quil or Embry's house or if I was going out anywhere with any of them.

"I don't know mom." I said. "We haven't made any plans yet."

I wasn't too sure what I should do. I didn't really want to visit Jake that much, and Embry wasn't really on top of my list after last night. I wasn't too sure exactly what had happened, and somehow I wanted to keep it that way, but I was worried about him. I wanted to make sure he was all right, so I gathered up my courage and walked to his house.

"Oh, hello Cheryl dear." Mrs. Call greeted me at the door. "It's quite early, isn't it?"

"Sorry, Mrs. Call." I said with an apologetic smile. "I just wanted to see Embry. He seemed a little weird last night, and I just wanted to know if he was all right."

"Oh, he's fine dear, nothing out of the ordinary, but you've just missed him. He left for the beach a few minutes ago, with some friends." Mrs. Call informed me.

"His friends?" I asked, slightly confused. "You mean Jake and Quil?" That was weird; I didn't think that the 3 of them would go to the beach without inviting me too.

"I suppose so…. I'm not entirely sure." She said, looking distracted now. "Now, if you'll excuse me dear. I've really got a lot to do."

I nodded, and left. I didn't believe her. Mrs. Call was always so busy with her work that she had practically no time for her son. I wouldn't be surprised if Embry hadn't even turned up at home last night, and she hadn't noticed.

I walked to the beach. It was a pleasant day outside, and I enjoyed the walk, but I couldn't help this nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, telling me that something was terribly wrong.

I couldn't see anyone there, on an early Saturday morning, and I sat down near the water, keeping an eye out for Embry, Jake and Quil. The wind blew my hair around my face, and I was having trouble stopping it form flapping around everywhere. I heard footsteps a distance from me, and turned around to see a group of about 4 tall, tanned, muscular boys, 1 of them a man, standing a little way away from me. I recognized two of them as Paul and Jared, but the other two were completely unfamiliar to me.

I turned away, trying to ignore them, but I could tell that all of them were staring at me. I turned around, gave them a small glare, and got up and left quickly. I didn't want to be there with them around, who knew what sort of ideas they were getting.

"Cherry?" Quil asked into the phone.

"Oh hey Quil," I said, sticking the phone to my ear and pressing my shoulder to it so that it didn't fall down while I used both hands to stir the bowl of batter in my arms. "What's up?"

"Listen, Cherry… I'm kind of worried. Have you seen Embry today?" he asked me.

I nearly dropped the bowl.

"What? Wasn't he with you guys this morning? That's what his mom told me, that he went out with some friends." I cried.

"Well, if he did, it wasn't with us. I didn't even get up till afternoon, and Jake went down to Forks with Billy today." Quil said. "I called round at Embry's place, but no one was there."

'That's….. What? Quil, I don't understand. Where would Embry go without telling us?" I asked.

"I don't know. Cherry, I'm kind of worried about him. He's been looking awful for a few days… like he hasn't got any sleep. And then there's the whole matter of those guys from school staring at him. He wouldn't even tell me what they said when he went up to them."

"You think this has something to do with that?" I asked remembering those guys from the beach today. "Quil, how many people do they have in their gang?"

"Umm… what do you mean? As far as I know, there's just Paul, Jared and Sam Uley." Quil replied, sounding confused.

"Quil, I went to the beach this morning looking for Embry and I saw them there. There were four of them." I said slowly.

"Cherry, you don't think…."

"No, of course not! I would have recognized Embry wouldn't I?" I insisted. "He definitely wasn't there. They were all way too tall and muscular…. Creepy looking actually, you know how they are!"

"Yeah, of course…. You know, I think we're just overreacting." Quil said. "He'll probably turn up and give us a perfectly good explanation of where he went."

"Of course he will." I said, though I wasn't as sure. Quil didn't know how Embry had behaved last night, but I wasn't about to tell him. "He'll turn up. He has to."