Moose was still going on about how Leah was gonna go she-wolf on her ass and tear her insides out when we got to Emily's.
"I don't think she really cares that much," I said as we walked up the driveway.
"I hope so," Moose said and I smiled at her just as she sneezed again.
"Stop sneezing, it's getting annoying," I told her and she laughed and rubbed her now bloodshot eyes with the back of ehr hands. Paul opened the door just as I was about to knock and he leant against the doorframe.
"Have you calmed down now?" he asked her in a bored tone, crossing his arms and she glared at him.
"Bite me," she spat but then started laughing, putting her hands up in surrender and taking a few steps backward. "No, actually; don't. I shouldn't really say that to you, should I?"
I started laughing quite loudly at what she was implying but Paul just rolled his eyes, completely unamused. I thought it was quite funny. It was just nice to have someone to laugh about this with.
"Anyway, Emily says come in, as we're still talking about things. Go through to the kitchen," he said and I smiled brightly at him.
"Thanks," he just rolled his eyes and slouched off.
"He really is so grouchy," she murmured and I had to nod in agreement.
"I can hear you!" he called as we walked through to the kitchen.
"Aw, hell. This sucks," she moaned and I smiled again as Brady walked through and wrapped his arms around me, picking my up off of the floor and continuing to walk me through to where Emily was standing, baking, with Kim.
"Hello, you," he said softly as I smiled up at him.
The girls both greeted us and then they started talking to Moose.
I leant up and kissed Brady. "Do you want to come round tonight?" he asked, running his hand over his hair.
"No," I replied and his eyebrows pulled together, a pout forming on his lips. "You're coming round mine and we're going to revise." He pulled a disgusted face at me.
"Who even are you?" he whispered in horror, just as Seth nervously walked in, over to Moose. She turned to him, they both blushed and he stuck his hands in the pockets of his jean cut-offs. I shared excited girly-grins at both Kim and Emily as Moose smiled nervously back up at him and they shared short, awkward but adorable conversations.
I smiled and turned back to Brady. "We do have important tests coming up," I said but he just scrunched his nose up the most adorable way. "They count towards your final grade."
He groaned loudly and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, leaning his head on top of mine. "But that's so boring."
"Yeah, well, it's gotta be done," I said, equally as surprised as he was that I was the one being sensible.
I've been thinking a lot since I spoke with Ava. We have got to start thinking about our future. And we need to start being sensible.
"But I could think of so many better things we could be doing!" he whined and I rolled my eyes as a few of the others came in, picking at the cake mixture but then being swatted away by Emily.
"We'll do physics first. I know it's your favorite," I said, smirking at him and he pulled a sarcastic face.
"And then go on to biology," Quil said as he walked past, leaning against the counter.
"Although you know they won't be doing school work when they got onto the topic of sexual reproduction," Embry quipped and Brady let out a scornful laugh and then went over to punch those two as I shook my head at them. Idiots.
I don't think it even bothers me anymore. At first the comments and glances were a bit… unnerving but eventually you get used to it. Actually, I don't think you get used to it, you just learn how to pretend to ignore it. It's still really embarrassing to know that they know things in that detail. I know Kim still blushes at every little thing, even though I know they haven't had sex.
It's weird that I even know that they haven't had sex.
This is a prime example of why the pack is just so weird to be so closely involved with. Because of the mind reading everything is common knowledge, even the most personal of things. At first I really hated it and I would get kind of annoyed at Brady because I didn't want them knowing things I'd told him if he randomly thought about it while he was phased, but I've learnt that it's really not his fault. Like, I knew deep down it wasn't his fault but I now I understand that there's nothing I can change about it and I shouldn't blame him because it's not as if he wants them to know every little thought about what's going through his mind. He's got it so much worse than I do. I really can't imagine what I'd do if I had to share a mind with someone. Even just with my girlfriends I'd still feel weird about it. Although, I guess a girl's mind and a guy's mind is a bit different. I'm pretty sure the only thing that goes through Paul's head is food, sleep and sex.
Moose sneezed again and Seth looked at her worriedly, stroking her hair out of her face cautiously and asking if she was okay. She waved him off but then it hit me.
I slapped my hands over my mouth as I tried to hold in the laughter. But oh my god it was hard. Brady's head cocked to the side as I almost doubled over from laughing.
"What?" he questioned, a small smile forming on his lips.
"I'm sorry! It's not funny," I spluttered at Seth. "But it's her allergies." Moose's face fell as I let out the loud laugh, and then apologized again, trying to keep a straight face. "She's allergic to dogs."
Seth looked horrified as I tried not to laugh. Because it wasn't funny. But the guys also seemed to be having trouble keeping a straight face.
He backed away from her, holding his breath as he looked down at her. "You're… allergic… to… me?"
"No, no, no!" I said, cutting in, trying not to laugh (and failing). "She's just allergic to your fur when you're changed."
Moose pulled an awkward, apologetic face at him but he continued to just stand there, looking completely dejected. He just stared at the floor with a look that really did kind of sober me up.
"It's usually fine if I take allergy tablets before hand, I just… well, didn't realise. It's not a problem," she said, forcing a smile before letting out another loud sneeze, her eyes sort of watering. I guess it doesn't help that we had a massive cry-fest before we came as well.
"Do you want to go get those tablets?" he asked. She let out a breath and nodded, Seth instantly grabbing her hand and walking them both briskly out of there. As soon as the door shut the guys let out the laughs they'd been holding.
"That is so typical. And so hilarious," Jared said and Kim poked him in the side.
"Don't be mean," she chastised and he stared at her cheekily until she just rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. He kissed her on the head and pulled her under his arm.
"Come on," Brady said, tugging me over to the other room, plonking himself down on the sofa next to Collin. I tried to smile at him but he just either avoided eye contact, or when he couldn't he just glared at me.
Uh oh.
I stayed silent and simply played with Brady's hands as they finished their talk about wolfy business. Sometimes I don't like to think about it. With all the goings on today was one of those days. I won't admit it, but I still think it's weird. Just… weird. Even though I believe it completely, it's still just weird to think that they morph into wolves. It must sound stupid, but I never really think of it like that. I just think of it as some tribal, big guy thing. Not 'his entire body transforms into another being' thing. Because it just doesn't make sense. I'm not the cleverest person in the world, but it just logically can't be real. And I feel sorry for the rest of mankind – they don't know that any of this is real. They don't have a clue. I feel sorry for all of the people like Richard out there. After talking about the Bella/Victoria war with Brady it just amazes me of the scale that this happens. There must be so many people who die because of vampires – and god knows what else there is out there. If La Push has magical creatures, then there must be a lot more out there. It makes me feel really inferior. Especially when the boys talk about this sort of things. I hate that I'm just an imprint. I don't wish to be not a human, but it is kind of scary.
Not a human. That's weird as well. To think that the boys all went form being human to not…
Once I'd thought about it I realised I definitely still think of them as human.
I studied Brady's hand more closed and gently stroked his palm. His fingers gently closed around mine and I looked up at him. He kissed my cheekbone before laughing at something someone had said. He's definitely human to me.
Brady's POV
"Just calm down, you dick," Paul said, pushing me into a tree.
I glared at him, fuming.
"I'm sure nothing's happened, Brady," Jared said as I tried not to panic to bad.
"What would you do if it were Kim?" I retorted and he turned to Sam.
"He has got a point," he said but Sam just shook his head and let out a sigh.
"She's probably just gone out somewhere, shopping or something, and forgot to tell you," he reasoned but I just didn't feel right.
"Then why isn't she answering her cell?"
"Because it ran out of battery? She hasn't got signal? She left it at home?" he offered, not bothered at all. "I honestly don't know, but it's really nothing for you to be worrying about."
"Yeah. If one of her friends has gone too." (I'd done some super ninja research after the first three calls weren't answered and nobody was at Zo's house.) "Then chances are that they've just gone out," Jared said, trying to be reassuring, but I still just didn't feel right.
"I still don't like it," I said as we walked deeper into the woods.
"God," Paul groaned. "You're all so whipped. I really don't want to imprint if you get like this simply because she's gone out for the day and not told you."
I groaned and rubbed my face, trying to get rid of the sick feeling in my stomach. Zo knows I like to know where she is because I panic and overreact, always thinking the worse. She understands. Because I know that if she couldn't get hold of me or any of the pack and noone knew where I was, she'd panic.
Eventually we got back to Jared's because he had food (his mom likes to cook and Emily was down at the Makah res visiting old family), but I couldn't eat. I just sat there, my cell clutched in my hand.
I'm pathetic. I know.
But my stomach just doesn't feel right.
When the cell actually started to ring, it took me a while to even realise. But when I did I flipped it open so hard it flung out of my hand and I had to catch it again before slamming it against the side of my face. I think Sam actually buried his face in his hands in dispair.
"Zoë? Is that you? Are you okay?"
"Hello, sexy!" came the voice on the end of the phone.
"Hello Kat," I replied in a bored tone.
"That is so inappropriate," I heard my beautiful Zoë say, but her voice wasn't close to the phone.
"Oh, loosen up," Kat teased.
"Can I speak to Zoë please?" I asked, trying to be patient, but I really had been fretting.
"That's actually quite rude, Brady," Kat said in a voice told me that she really wasn't that offended. "And, no, Zoë is not in a suitable state to come to the phone."
If I thought I was panicking before, that was nothing. I speaked out a "What?" that was way too high pitched for any male to be making.
Paul flicked me in the side of the head and looked at me with that 'You're such a pussy' look that I seem to get quite a lot.
I glared at him.
"Where are you? What happened? Is she okay?"
Kat seemed to snort at something amusing before responding. "We're on the way back from the hospital."
I think I started to hyperventilate.
How do you breathe?
How the fuck do you breathe?
Paul, Jared and Sam had actually put down their food to stare intently at me as I tried not to die.
Hospital.
No. I can't – they have got to be kidding.
"We only just got out and she wanted to call you, but she's really in no state for that, I mean… she's barely alive – OW! Aww, Zoë, that really hurt!"
There was a ruffling on the phone and then I heard that sweet, sweet voice. "I'm sorry, Brady. She's lying. I'm fine. Perfectly okay, I promise."
"Brady?" she said in a soft, worried voice.
I picked the cell phone up off the floor, realising on then that I actually dropped it, as she repeated my name again.
"Are you there? – You see what you do, Kat? I think he passed out."
"No, no, I'm here," I whispered and she sighed in relief.
"Good. 'Cos I'm fine."
"You haven't been to the hospital?"
"Oh. Umm, well, actually yes. I have. But it's fine now – nothing even hurts."
I ran a hand over my face. "What happened?" I asked, trying to be calm.
Calm, calm, calm. That's me. Mr. Calm. As calm as a turtle. Calmy-calm-calm.
"I fell down the stairs."
"Oh sweet Jesus."
"It's fine, I swear."
"It's not fine!" I exclaimed. "If it was 'fine', you wouldn't be coming back from the hospital."
"It's barely even a fracture," she said in a very quite voice. I banged my head against the table.
"What did you break?" I asked. Although it was more of just a demand for her to tell me.
"It didn't even hurt," she said, ignoring me.
"What. Did. You. Break."
"My leg."
I groaned.
"I haven't let the girls sign the cast, though! I'm letting you be the first person. See? Doesn't that cheer you right up?"
"Yes. Splendid. I'm bouncing off the walls."
She let out a laugh. "I've already done that today and, trust me, it's not fun."
I was hoping she could tell I was glaring at the phone.
"Too soon?" she guessed after a long moments silence.
"I think so."
I pulled at my hair and sighed. "Are you okay? Like, really."
"Yeah. I am, I promise. I don't think it's was even that bad when I fell on it. Breaking bones is so overrated."
Instead of replying, because I knew that was a complete lie to make me feel better, I just groaned and rubbed my face gain.
"Sorry I didn't call," she said, quite obviously trying to change the subject off of her being in pain. "I would of but I was kind of shouting at Dean at the time." I started to speak but she just cut me off. "It's a long story."
"When will you have time to tell me? Or more importantly, when will you be back?"
"Erm, we're like twenty minutes away. Where are you?"
"Jared's. I'll be at yours in fifteen minutes."
"Okie dokie. Anyway, I was shouting at Dean and then we had to come here and it was kind of chaotic and then we had to turn our cells off 'cause we were in the hospital and it was all a bit of a palaver. You were probably best not being here."
Mmm. I'm sure.
"I whish I had been."
"Sorry," she said softly and I knew she meant it.
"It doesn't matter." Even I could tell that I didn't lie very well then.
"I love you?" she offered awkwardly, as if that would magically make feel better.
It did make me feel a bit better. A bit.
"You too."
"Okay, well, I have to hang up now because Kat is… well, that doesn't matter. But I'll see you soon?"
"Alright, yeah," I replied, feeling quite dejected.
"Okay? I'm sorry, I love you!" she said before hanging up. I just let the cell fall out of my phone onto the table and looked up at Sam, whom was, like the rest of the guys, just staring at me with a cringe. Apart from Paul, who didn't really seem to understand what was going on.
"How do you do it?"
Sam cleared his throat uncomfortably at my question, obviously understanding what I meant. "I won't say it's something you get used to, but… I dunno. It doesn't get easier, knowing they're in pain and there's nothing you can do. I guess you just learn that you have to deal with is and that it is obviously going to happen a lot throughout their life."
"Now you understand why Quil was practically bawling his eyes out when Claire grazed her knee," Jared said sombrely.
"It's just a broken leg. People break bones all the time," Paul said confusedly.
I glared at him – which I seem to be doing a lot today. He must be in one of his annoying moods. I hope he imprints. Maybe it will make him less testy.
"You really don't get imprinting, do you?" Jared said, rolling his eyes.
"She's your everything. You don't think that would hurt a little to know that she's hurting when it's your job to protect her?" Sam asked and I stood.
"Real helpful," I said sarcastically. "Right. I should go. Bye."
"Oh, Brady," Paul said, grabbing my hand, looking up at me with loving eyes. "Please don't say 'bye'… it feels so long-term. It breaks my heart to hear you say it."
"Words cannot describe how much I hate you."
They all laughed their asses off as I left, the awkwardness apparently lifted from the room at the dig at me being such a pussy.
Yay.
Today is so not my day.
Anyway, I ran to Zoë's house in like two minutes and then just sat outside, waiting for her with my head in my hands. I heard that her mom had returned during the time I was at Jared's, although her brother was still out, but I didn't really want to speak to anyone. I just wanted to see her.
After a tediously long wait eventually a car came down her road, and I started to feel slightly better when I could hear and smell her.
I stood up and walked to her side as soon as the car had stopped moving, opening the door for her.
She grinned up at me sheepishly as she sat there with this massive cast wrapped around her leg.
"Hi Brady!" Kat said, smiling cheerfully.
Zoë turned to look at her. "I told you; you're not having sex with him."
Kat squinted her eyes at my baby. "Next time you want me to rush you to the hospital, think again!"
Zo just rolled her eyes as I leant down, unbuckling her seatbelt. She smiled up at me thankfully as I then only just managed to lift her out of the car without hitting her leg against anything.
She watched my face intently but I just couldn't look into her eyes.
"Thank you so much for taking me and staying up the hospital," she said softly, bending down from her hips to look into the car, speaking to Kat's parents. They spoke for a while before eventually the said their goodbyes and I pulled her crutches from the car before she shut the door. With waves they drove off and Zoë turned to me.
"Are you okay?" she asked, concern lacing her words and I finally brought my eyes to hers. It felt like someone sucker punched me in the gut. One of the points of imprinting was that they gave you something to fight for – she was yours to protect. I'm not a very good wolf if I can't even protect her from a broken bone.
"Don't ask me that, you're the one with your leg in a cast."
She gave me a half smile before brushing her fingers across my cheek gently.
"Okay, pass me the crutches please," she said with a deep breath and I gave her the look before walking forward, keeping her in my arms.
"I don't think so."
"You know, I used them to get from the hospital to the car. Plus, I need the practise."
"No you don't," I said determinedly, focusing on making sure the was in a comfortable position while keeping her leg straight.
"Guaranteed after a while I'll just want you to carry me, anyway. But I do need the practis, you're not always gonna be around to carry me everywhere. "
"Yes, I will." She quirked an eyebrow up. "I'm not letting you out of my site. And you're not using these things," I said, nodding to the crutches under my arm. "There's not a chance in hell that you won't fall over with them."
"Please don't worry about me," she said before kissing my cheek as I stepped up to her door and opened it, walking in.
"Zoë? Is that you?" a soft voice called.
"Yeah, Brady's here too," she shouted back as her mom walked through, the white stick that I'd never seen her mom use inside the house in her hand.
Zoë's hand clenched into a fist.
"How are you?" Zoë asked as her mom came forward, waving her off with her free hand.
"No, no, don't worry about me, I'm fine. How is your leg?" She didn't sound fine. I put Zo down and carefully guided her to her mom.
"It's broken, in a red cast, because that's the only nice-ish colour they had left." Zoë took her mom's hand and brought it down to the cast so she could feel it. "Personally I think it clashes with my skin tone, but oh well," she said lightly, smiling at her mother in vain. She knew her mom would never see her smile.
"I'm sorry," her mother whispered, cupping her cheek.
Zoë's jaw clenched and I could tell from the look in her eyes she was angry. "You have nothing to be sorry for. He's not here is he?" Sarah shook her head negatively. "Good. We're gonna go to my room, now, okay?"
Sarah nodded and Zoë leant forward, kissing her cheek before stepping around her mom.
"It was nice to see you again, Sarah" I said, and she braved a smile before I hoisted Zoë up into my arms again and carried her up the stairs.
I laid her down on her bed before finding something to prop her leg up with.
"Do you need anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Uncomfortable?" I asked and she gave me the look.
"Sit down," she ordered and I begrudgingly did as she said. She cradled my face in her hands and kissed my lips. And she kept doing so until I eventually responded and started to relax. Which I have to say wasn't that long. Her mouth really is quite distracting.
Unfortunately, after a while she pulled back and simply rested her forehead against mine. "I love you," she whispered and I smiled, playing with a strand of her hair.
"I love you too," I replied. "Are you going to tell me how this happened now, then?"
She huffed a frustrated breath and her anger seemed to come back. "Dean."
"Oh?" I probed.
"He left a jumper on the stairs."
"And you slipped," I finished as I controlled the urge to go find him and punch his face in for hurting my girl.
"Well, no. Mom slipped. We were both going up and I was behind her, she fell, I steadied her but couldn't do the same for myself and ended up falling backwards."
I moved forward and wrapped my arms securely around her, pulling her head to my chest. "You could have broken your neck!"
"Mom could have broken hers!" she said angrily, as if that would have worse. "I want him out of this house. You can't just leave things around the house when someone who can't see lives here! I know that! I've had to live with that. I've had to learn that I can never ever leave anything out of place because she walks around, knowing where to go simply because of memory. But he doesn't – he doesn't even think of anyone else but himself. Leaving clothes on the stairs is stupid anyway, even without someone blind in the house. And now! Now she's using that stick inside her own home! It's not a home if she's scared with every step she takes!"
We stayed in the same position for a while, me simply stroking her as she sat still, sometimes coming out with things that annoy her about her brother.
"Please don't say anything to make me not hate him," she said.
I looked down at her. "I don't think I could, considering you being hurt is the result of his stupidity." She nodded her appreciation at me. "Although, I guess it does take a while to get used to it. He is bound to make some mistakes."
She closed her eyes and dropped her head back to my chest. "Fuck you, Brady. Fuck you."
I laughed and she shook her head. "Trust you."
"Trust you to break your leg walking up the stairs. Normal people do it going down, you know?"
Thank you everyone for reading, I hope you like it. As always, feedback is appreciated.
I swear to god my life is so weird with the amount of coincidences that happen. I wrote this, with Zoe having fallen down the stairs and about twenty minutes later, I was walking down the stairs and I slipped, falling straight down to the bottom. And falling down stairs isn't something I often do! Is that not just the littlest bit weird?
Anyway, I hope you like this chapter :)