JAMES' SIDE.
Runaway.
Never in his life did James McBride ever think he would have to associate that term with his best friend, with Lily Martin.
Standing at the edge of his driveway he looked over at her house. Her father was pacing in the living room. Apparently Mr. Martin had forgotten to draw the blinds and so he watched as the man paced back and forth. James couldn't believe this. Why would Lily run away? Her life here was good. Sure she was down a parent but she still had her father, and she had him, and that crazy big wolf that she had found.
Frowning to himself, James swallowed the lump in his throat and turned away from her house. What could possibly be so bad that she would run away? Lily wasn't the type to fall in to fads. She didn't use drugs, only drank occasionally, and he doubted any form of smoke had ever touched her lips. She wasn't a troubled teen, she was Lily and he missed her already.
Sighing and running a hand through his hair he thought back to the day before last. They had had so much fun. What if they never got to again? The thought scared him. He had never been one to cry but he wanted to. If Lily was here she would tease him for this but just thinking about her made him want to cry even more.
Looking over at his car, the car Lily had riden in a million times, he spotted a note under the wiper and groaned. Really, just what he needed, a stupid fucking flyer fucking up his wipers.
Crossing the ground to his volvo, he noticed his name scrawled across it in very distinctive handwriting. Lily's handwriting.
Completely forgetting his previous car worries, he nearly yanked the wiper off in his rush to get the note and read it. Tearing the envelope open, he quickly read the letter, then reread it twelve more times with a furrowed brow. What didn't he know? Was it drugs? Was she in trouble? She had to be. Why couldn't he tell her dad?
Looking over at the window again, he noticed that Mr. Martin had gone. If she was in trouble, her father would be the first one to want to help but Lily said not to - not to show him. James' heart fought with itself as he stood there, grounded to that exact spot until he could make a decision.
LILY'S SIDE
She was crying. She had been crying for the past twenty minutes as she drove. Her face was pink and puffy, her eyes brimmed red with tears as she tried to focus on the road before her but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
There was no turning back now, if she did, her father would kill her - literally kill her. Now it was just her, her rabbit, and the open road. She didn't know what she would do when she got to Seattle. She'd find a full time job and go from there. Living in her car seemed like the only option but she could deal with it.
Trying to control her emotions by taking deep breaths, she breathed in then out only to wince in pain at the shot that passed through her bruised side. Bad idea.
Turning up the radio, Lily pushed all worries aside and focused at the moment at hand. No worries, right?
LA PUSH
Seth Clearwater was the only werewolf left still in contact with the Cullens. Since Bella had been turned two months ago, Sam and the lot had avoided them at all costs but thankfully, they hadn't attacked. The pack had agreed that the last thing they needed was a full out war between vampires and werewolves. They're concern was keeping the people of Forks and La Push, La Push especially, safe and Bella had chosen this path after all so that was that.
Since then, things were rather peaceful. The constant intrusion of unknown leeches dwindled and lately there hadn't been any. With Bella a vampire now, she wasn't a threat to their kind and with her power of blocking everything, well, those who wanted to fight her feared to. Bella Swan, er, Cullen rather, Bella Cullen; feared woman. The thought was still semi amusing. After all, she had nearly broken her hand when she hit Jake.
Jake.
Seth frowned, looking across the surface of the lake as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Seth missed his pack mate, as did the rest of the wolves. Life without him wasn't the same. He was the humor in their group though, towards the end, he wasn't ever in a joking mood. Seth missed that, missed him. He wondered when he would be coming home. Bella did too. He knew that as she kept calling and calling. Edward even seemed a bit concerned and Seth didn't blame him at all. Edward was a good guy as Seth saw it. Vampire or not.
Turning his head as he heard someone approach, he spotted his sister emerging from the woods with the same stoic expression plastered across her face.
"Hey Leah" Seth called, causing his sister to smile just a bit. "What's up?" he asked, unsure of whether she was in a foul mood or just being herself.
"Nothing, Sam wants you to run an outer sweep of the forest, even though I told him I could do it." she informed her brother with a frown though Seth was absolutely beaming, already pulling his shirt over his head as he dashed into the woods.
"I'M ON IT!"
JAKE'S SIDE
It had almost been a full day, Jake noted, as he watched the sun begin to set. He had stopped a few times over the past 24 hours to rest but ultimately he kept on going. He had to. Her had to see the pack, explain that he had imprinted, and then tell them all about Lily. Of course, the easier route would just be to get them to shift and show him in his mind. Maybe he'd do that if he was too exhausted.
Straining forward, Jake willed himself the last few miles before picking up on a fellow pack mates thoughts which meant that he was closer than he originally thought.
'I knew I was good at this. I even told Leah. See, now they're taking me seriously. Seth Clearwater, werewolf extrodinaire, look out world!'
Seth. Jake couldn't help but laugh quietly in his head, causing Seth's thoughts to immediately stop.
'Embry?' came his friends questioning voice.
Jake grinned, 'Try again' he replied.
'Quil?'
'Not quite, think long lost.' Jake hinted.
'JACOB! WHERE ARE YOU OH MY GOSH I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE BACK! I TOLD THEM YOU WOULD BE!'
Jake laughed and immediately began to run through the past few days of his life with Lily. Seth was stunned, to say the least. 'I'll tell the pack' he said before Jacob felt him moving further and further away until he could hear no more. He would be in La Push soon, no doubt, and by then everyone would be caught up.