I didn't sleep for the first week. I kept thinking about my parents, about what they were doing and whether or not they missed me. I'm sure they did, I was almost positive, but there was still some aching part of me that kept saying if that was the case, they would've stayed together-they would've stayed with me and Aldin.
Uncle Adam's huge, booming laugh bled through my window from the front yard, and I figured if there was something funny outside I might as well go and find it before it escaped. I rolled out of my thick, light green sheets and pulled a pair of red cotton shorts out of the white dresser.
After seeing the room YaYa and Adam had decorated for me, I almost felt guilty for not wanting to live with them. The walls were white except for the one opposite the bed, at the south of the room. That focus wall was light green. The walls were covered in built-in bookshelves that matched the color of the sheets, with no shelf left empty. After Adam had spotted my favorite Superman t-shirt, he'd personally gone down to the bookstore and cleared out any Marvel or DC comic known to La Push. A few superhero posters covered the wall, along with an Avatar one. The furniture was all light green, including the Victorian style desk pushed against the focus wall, and the two night stands on either side of the bed. The carpet was shaggy and light green, and stepping on it bare-footed felt like sand. If they'd read my mind during the entire trip here, they probably would've put me in a cardboard box and called it a day.
I ruffled my dark curls a bit before leaving the room. They were still messy, but whenever I'd slept on them, they turned into long, loose waves. My cheeks were a bit red, and my eyes a little sleepy looking, but I trudged down the steps anyway.
The smell of eggs and bacon was wafting through the entire house, and I could hear YaYa singing in the kitchen before I even made it all the way down the steps. I grinned, peeking around the door. She looked like she belonged in a high school movie, with her dark hair piled in a perfectly messy bun on top of her head, dancing along with the radio.
I kept quiet and passed through the hallway, the clean frigid air washing over me as I pulled open the front door. The porch felt like ice underneath my feet. Adam was in the front yard, along with three other men. They were all watching Aldin as he pedaled a new tricycle across the curb, talking and laughing amongst themselves. The tallest one saw me first and turned his head, raising a curious eyebrow.
Adam turned next, grinning at me. My cheeks went hot immediately. I probably looked like an ass, just standing there in Superman pajamas and frizzy hair.
"Morning sunshine," Adam smiled. "Try not to look like you just murdered someone, will ya?"
"Morning." I choked, still feeling awkward. The tallest man shifted a gaze between Adam and I.
"Oh, Oh!" Adam cried, as if it just dawned on him that I was present. "Sam, this is my niece Haley. Haley, this is Sam, and this is Paul and his father Jonathan."
Sam held his hand out and I took it, still somewhat appalled by his appearance. He was huge too, if not bigger, along with Jonathan and Paul.
"Strong handshake for such a small girl," Sam laughed. "Nice to meet you. I live right across the street with my wi-yep, there she is." He grinned, suddenly transfixed by the woman crossing the street.
She was flawless. Well, one half of her face was. The other was marred by three, thick, long gashes that went from her eyebrow to her lip, setting part of her expression in a permanent frown, although she was still beautiful nonetheless. Her long, thick black mane hung in perfect silky strands-she was beautiful enough to make me envious, and even though I could have mulled over how pretty she was for days, I was smart enough not to stare.
"Haley, this is my beautiful wife Emily. Emily, this is Haley. She's staying with YaYa and Adam."
The woman grinned warmly at me and handed me a cookie out of the basket she was carrying.
"Thank you!" I grinned, scarfing it down. Mom never would've let me eaten it, which is why I was savoring the moment. "Holy crap these are perfect, how'd you make these?"
"I'd be happy to share my recipe!" Emily smiled. "Gets kinda lonely in that house sometimes."
"Consider me your new best friend then," I laughed, hoping it wasn't too forward. Where was all this courage coming from? "These things are delicious.
"Haley," Adam said next, clapping another man on the back. "This is Jonathan Lahote, Paul's father."
I smiled and waved at the short but stocky man, taking in his dimples and strong jaw. He looked like he was only in his 20's, but there was no way. Behind the beautiful features you could see worry lines, creases formed in his forehead from furrowing his thick brows far too many times.
"Hey Mr. Lahote."
"Well aren't you pretty!" he grinned, pulling me into a hug. "You're gonna have a case on your hands if you don't keep an eye on these boys, Adam. This girl's something else."
I blushed at the words, but Emily nudged me and flashed me a smile.
"Somethin else is a good thing," she reassured me with a giggle. "No one wants to look at the same thing every day of forever."
"I do." Sam corrected her, staring at her face adoringly. I wanted to gag. Love. Gross. People. Grosser.
"Pardon me if it's rude, but you're not whole Quileute, are you?" Mr. Lahote asked, studying my face. I shook my head, nibbling on my cookie as my massive waves bristled against my cheeks.
"I'm mixed. Half black, half Native American."
"Well, you're something to look at let me tell you, you're beautiful as ever," Mr. Lahote promised again. I decided that maybe he wasn't so bad as I blushed. However, afterwards he confused me. He turned to Adam and Sam. "Perhaps it won't be so bad after all, yeah? Don't they have to be full blooded for it to happen?"
"Who knows," Adam shrugged. "But that's the last thing I wanna worry about right now."
"Worry about what?" I cut in. They all looked at me with nervous grins.
"Don't worry, they gossip like old women." I turned to face the next man, only to find…he wasn't…a man. He was a God. And Angel. Holy, Hell, he was the very definition of beautiful. I stopped mid-bite of my cookie, my face flaming immediately as every muscle in my body became electrified.
He had an oval shaped face with a strong jaw like his father, his thin but soft lips set in a mischievous grin. His short, spikey black hair stuck up in all different directions, but the color matched his eyes, which were rimmed with lashes heavier than my own. He had smooth coppery skin that looked like satin and honey, and he flashed me a set of perfectly white teeth as soon as we locked eyes.
The entire outdoors got quiet, I felt like even a bird miles away had frozen mid-flight just for the moment. Sam flickered his eyes between us curiously, but Adam just looked annoyed. Jonathan started grinning.
"Haley…meet my son Paul."
I stuck my hand out slowly, and for a moment, Paul looked like he might take it. Sam watched him warily, tensing as if he'd have to do something irrational within a split second and for a second I was worried. Sam shifted, and Paul's eyes flickered to him, and then to Emily. The second he saw her, he yanked his hand back, looking at me grudgingly, as if I'd pissed in his Cheerios this morning or something.
"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, my voice coming out weak and frail. Paul shoved off and promptly turned on his heels, jogging back to his house and slamming the door behind him.
Everything was beyond awkward. I stood there for a few seconds, my hand drifting in the air as if it were waiting for him to come back. I didn't even know the kid. Hell, it was the first time I'd ever met him, and it still felt like he'd just curb-stomped my heart or something.
"Don't worry about him," Jonathan said hurriedly. "He's just…."
"Bad news." Adam grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"He doesn't seem so bad to me." I lied.
"He wouldn't." Sam sighed. I raised an eyebrow at him, but Emily waved him off, stepping in front of him.
"The boys around here are a little moody. Ignore them." She dug around in her pocket as I stole another glance at the porch. What had I done that was so awful? I didn't look bad, did I? I mean yeah, I'd just woken up, but-
My thoughts were interrupted by a large tearing sound followed by a howl. I didn't need a mirror to know my eyes were as big as dinner plates. All the men looked at Emily and I before awkwardly pardoning themselves.
"Lots of weird animals around here," Em explained, smiling nervously before flipping open her cellphone. She dialed a quick number before holding it to the side of her face. "Kim, it's Emily. There's somebody you absolutely have to meet."