Author's Notes: Oh my gosh! I got TEN reviews in one day for that last chapter! Ten! Eeee! Imagine my surprise when I got home from school and found that waiting in my inbox.
Thank you SO so so so so much for reviewing, everyone! (And now I sound like a loser for getting excited over ten reviews. Well)
This chapter might seem a little confusing, so I put an explanation at the end of it. If you're still a little puzzled, though, feel free to send me a message or ask in your review (hint, hint) about it.
Again, thanks for all of the reviews!
And one thing: the musical Guys and Dolls (which is in this chapter) is the best thing ever. I love it. I think you would, too.
Chapter Ten - Maybe Not
I opened my eyes to a very bright light. At first I was confused, not able to remember how I'd gotten here, but then something heavy pounced at the end of my bed and I had no time to think about it.
"Happy birthday!" Seth shouted, grinning at me.
I blinked at him. Birthday? What? It wasn't my birthday. Last night, I'd gone back to La Push and it hadn't been the day before my birthday. It made no sense at all.
"What?" I asked sleepily.
"It's your birthday and we're gonna have a huge party, remember? Oh, it's gonna be so awesome with--"
"But it's not my birthday."
Seth looked surprised. "Of course it is! Look at the calender, it's September the twenty-ninth. You're sixteen."
"Really?" I did not know that.
He looked like he was going to laugh. "You actually forgot about your birthday? Wow. Just wow."
"I had a confusing dream last night, so shut up." I sat up and rubbed my left eye with my palm. Slowly, things were starting to come back to me and make more sense. Everything past Emily and Sam's wedding hadn't happened...or had it?
"When did I move here?" I asked Seth.
"A couple of months ago...June."
So I'd been here for about four months. But hadn't I moved out in July or August or something? I was puzzled. Then I remembered that no, that had all been in my dream. I was still in La Push and staying here.
Or was I?
My head was starting to hurt.
"Where's my mom?"
"I dunno," Seth replied, shrugging. "She wanted to move. And you said no and persuaded her to let you be emancipated. And then she just left...you said you don't know where she went but don't care. And you, your sister, and your little brother still live in your house here. But you spent the night here - at my house, remember? This is my house, Willow, if you're not recognizing the place - for your birthday today."
I gazed at him with blank eyes.
"And you still work at the grocery store and Heather's a librarian. You both pitch in for the bills and stuff. You insisted on helping pay."
...Right.
"What kind of dream did you have, anyway? Or did you get hit over the head with a baseball bat during the night?"
"No, I just...Sam and Emily got married a month ago, didn't they?"
"Yeah."
What a strange dream. In reality, I'd lived in La Push - and known Seth - for four months. And now I lived with Heather and CJ in the house we'd first moved into. Technically, I was in no one's custody...
I hoped I had all of this straightened out.
"Anyway, what're we going to do today?" I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. So did Seth, and instantly his massive size filled the room. God, he was so huge. How in the world did he get so tall? I asked myself this every day and still had yet to get an answer.
"We've got a huge day planned for today, like I was telling you last night. We're going to that musical downtown that you've begged me for forever to see...Guys and Dolls, I think it's called...Then to the museum with all the science crap they opened yesterday...we'll eat lunch at Frankie's, go to the movie theatre, and come back here and have a cook-off or whatever you called it."
I remembered the cook-off. What it actually was was a competition who could go the longest without burning a marshmallow in the campfire and generally a big get-together where people brought and pigged out on food. It was the one thing that had ever existed in La Push that had been my idea.
"Let's get it started, then!" I said enthusiastically, attempting to march out of the room and tripping over a pile of clothes instead. Seth caught me and shook his head.
"Sometimes, you're too entergetic for your own good," he replied.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
I guessed that Leah was still sleeping, as Sue was the only one waiting in the kitchen when we arrived downstairs. There was a cup of coffee sitting on the table that she was ignoring; she was busy trying to cram something in the closet. The second we walked in, she shut it and turned around, one hand still on the doorknob.
"Hi, you two!" she breathed. To me she said, "Happy birthday!"
"Thanks," I said slowly, grinning at her. I had a feeling that the thing in the closet might have been my birthday present. I'd seen this done a million times in cartoons. I couldn't remember ever getting much for my birthday, except a cheap card one year from my great-Aunt Josie. I was surprised that Sue might have gotten me anything at all.
"I'm sorry that there's not much to eat," she said, waving a hand at the pantry. Looking at what lay behind its open doors, I thought that there was enough food to last a good few years. But then again, Sue was probably used to everyone in La Push eating a ton every day. "I did cook pancakes, though," Sue added.
"I love pancakes. They look delicious, Sue." Seth and I sat at the table and started piling the pancakes onto our plates. Seth grabbed about fifteen while I got five. I just stared while he shoved them into his mouth at a crazy speed. Eventually, I turned back to my own pancakes.
"So...your sweet sixteen!" Sue exclaimed, squeezing my shoulders as she passed by. She seemed so happy about the whole thing. I'd never really cared about my birthday, because it was just another day when you got older. It wasn't important. "I guess you're getting your driver's license today, aren't you?"
"Yeah," I said, even though it didn't mean anything right now, as Heather and I didn't have a car.
"Mom," snapped Seth in a suddenly annoyed voice, and Sue and I turned to look at him. "Please."
"What? I was just asking Willow about her birthday."
"Yeah, but - it's just that - you -" Seth was having trouble, clearly, getting out his thoughts. For some reason he kept rolling and unrolling his hands into fists, and occassionally he would close his eyes and open them a little while later. He looked upset over something I couldn't understand, and seemed to be shaking.
Sue went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to whisper something in his ear just as Leah stomped in, looking mad. She plopped herself down on a chair and ignored the plate of pancakes in the middle of the table, glaring at her feet. Meanwhile, all I could catch of Sue and Seth's conversation was "Who?", "Paul", and "Do you know...?" something something. I had no earthly idea of what they were talking about.
"This day is the worst," grumbled Leah. "I hate Saturday now. I wish it would go away."
That surprised me. "I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that they hate Saturday," I said, as I was the only one listening to her.
"Well, I do. Some people are just such fu--"
"Anyway, Willow, what are your plans for today?" asked Sue brightly, leaning away from Seth.
"Well...we're about to go see Guys and Dolls...then go to the museum they opened the other day, eat lunch and then the movies...And have a, as Seth calls it, 'cook-off' tonight. It's more like a big party-type thing on the beach."
"That sounds great! You'll love Guys and Dolls. I saw it a few days ago, and it's wonderful. Though, I must tell you..." She gave Seth's back a pat as she said it, "...that you'll have to wait until tonight at the cook-off to open your presents. The suspense is always better."
"Well, duh, Mom," replied Seth, rolling his eyes. "You didn't have to tell her that. I said she'll open my presents tonight yesterday. She already knows."
"Don't talk to Mom that way!" barked Leah.
"Like you talk to her any better," snapped Seth.
"You shut up, jerk."
"Look who's talking, She Who Won't Shut Her Mouth About--"
"Both of you need to be quiet," scolded Sue. "Now, it's Willow's birthday today, and..."
I didn't hear Leah's snappy response, as Seth had turned his head and was now talking to me. "You should probably get ready for Guys and Dolls, since we don't have much time." I looked at the clock and saw that he was right.
I quickly got dressed and brushed my hair out. By the time I walked outside, Seth was already in the car, engine idling. I climbed in and we drove in an awkward silence after everything that had happened in the kitchen.
"So," began Seth, but that was all he said. He reached for the radio dial and turned it up, flooding the car with some rap song.
"Yeah," I said blankly.
"Sorry about this morning," he apologized, as if I was the one he'd been arguing with.
"It's okay. I -well, used to, I guess- fight with Heather and my mom all the time. It's not a big deal." Seth still looked a bit disturbed, so I added, "Really, Seth, I don't care. I'm used to it."
"Well, I don't want you to think that my family hates each other. Because we don't." I didn't know why he was acting so defensive; I'd never stated such things.
"I don't think anything like that, Seth." And speaking of family... "Where's your dad, anyway? I never see him around." I didn't mean to just blurt it out; it was an accident.
Seth's face remained straight as he stared at the road. "He doesn't live with us."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Hopefully, it hadn't been a very messy divorce. If that was what it had been.
"It's fine."
I had a feeling that the atmosphere had shifted into a somewhat uncomfortable one, and I couldn't figure out why. Maybe I shouldn't have asked him about his dad. Or maybe he was just having a bad day.
I hoped I wasn't the one causing it.
Sometime later, Seth and I were at Frankie's and waiting for our waiter to give us our check. I was just so happy; Guys and Dolls had been fabulous, and I'd loved the museum. But best of all, a brand-new driver's license was sitting in my wallet. I was finally starting to feel like I was actually turning sixteen.
"This day," I declared, "has been the greatest."
Seth chuckled. "Yeah, it's been pretty cool." Then he looked around. "You know, I've always wondered why they keep Italian restraunts so dark."
"So that you won't see them lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on you and shove a dirty rag down your throat," I replied easily.
"You are so strange, Willow."
"Well, actually, it's probably supposed to be all romantic, or whatever. You know, since Italy is all lovey-dovey."
Seth did not have time to respond to this, as just then the waiter swept by and dropped the check on our table. "I hope you two have enjoyed it here," he said happily, beaming, and I realized that this was the same guy who had served us last time, after we were bringing Heather home from the hospital.
"Oh, yeah, it's been great. Thanks." Seth rummaged around in his pockets, and suddenly I knew what he was about to do.
"Seth, I want to pay--"
"No. It's your birthday, and everyone pays for your stuff on your birthday."
"But--"
Seth put a finger to his lips and shook his head. "Be quiet." The waiter came by again, and we stood up to leave.
There came a chorus of, "Thank you, and come back soon!" from employees as we left. On a little table by the door, there was a bowl of peppermints. Seth took a handful and stuffed them in his pocket, and I laughed at him as I got into the car - the driver's seat, now.
"You're only supposed to take one," I said.
"But where's the fun in that?"
It was my first time driving with a license, and needless to say, it felt weird. Seth directed me around, even though I knew the general directions in La Push. Both of us nearly had heart failure when some idiot in an SUV swerved into the lane all of a sudden and nearly ran into us. Seth cussed at him under his breath. This was just Seth for you; he never really got too mad.
"Remind me why we're going back up to your house again?" I asked when we arrived there.
"A few people wanted to come with us to the movies." He gave me a sideways look. "I hope that's okay with you."
A few people turned into several. The thing about La Push was that wherever you went, everyone else trailed along behind you. By the time we were all ready to go in Jared's car, Paul, a few of his friends, Jared's girlfriend (along with Jared himself, of course) and somebody's cousin had joined us. It was so packed that we had to cram into two cars; Jared's and Paul's.
"Hi," said Jared's girlfriend as we drove to the movie theatre, turning to look at me. She was beautiful in a way that showed you she didn't try to be. "I'm Kim. Happy birthday."
"Thanks, Kim," I said, smiling, as I shook her outstretched hand. "I'm Willow."
"I know." She smiled back at me. "Seth told me so."
Well, wasn't that just lovely.
Going to the movies with so many people was crazy. They fought over food and punched each other in the arm and talked with their mouths full and everything you could think of. Embry slapped Jared while one of Paul's friends stole a few dollars out of his pocket and Seth dropped a huge cup of soda, causing a waterfall of Dr. Pepper to spill all over the floor. I felt like I'd already gone nuts by the time we actually arrived in the room, and things just got crazier.
Some annoyed old man tapped Seth on the shoulder and he turned around whiplash-style, hitting Embry, who was on the other side of him, with his shoulder along the way. "Yes?" Seth asked as the previews flew up on the screen.
"Could you stop sitting on your feet, laddie? I can't see."
"But I'm not sitting on my feet."
"Well, move over."
Seth moved to the next seat, and the man was still complaining. "I can't see the screen," he grumbled.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do anything about it."
The old man frowned. I said quietly to Seth, "Just drop it."
"But if he's gonna annoy me like this the whole time..." he whispered back.
"You don't need to be so rude about it," snapped the man.
"I was not being rude."
"And there you go again, talking back to an adult. You teenagers these days are not polite in the least! When I was your age, we treated our seniors with respect like they were the good Lord Himself."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Then you should move. It's not my problem if you're too short to see the screen. Get over it and stop whining."
"Good God, Seth," I groaned.
"And you," said the man, turning to me and pointing one bony finger, "do not need to tell a man what to do. Women in my days were not brainless enough to do such things. They kept their mouths shut and did housework. They don't need to be here. They rightfully belong in the kitchen. You should be ashamed of yourself, missy."
"Excuse me?" I replied, offended.
Embry grabbed my sleeve and pulled me to the side. "All of you need to shut up," he told me. "Just ignore him, Willow. He doesn't know what he's saying."
Well, Embry had a point there, but I was still mad. "C'mon, it's your birthday," he added. "There's no reason to be upset on your special day."
I could see what he meant. I put a hand on the side of Seth's face and turned it to the screen, interrupting whatever argument they were in now. "Stop it. Watch the movie. It's what we came here for."
Seth ignored the man and did as I said, focusing his attention on the movie. Eventually, the old man got up and left.
Even without him, it was hard to focus on the movie. Jared and Kim were kissing passionately in front of us. Paul's friends cracked dirty jokes while Paul pretended to be grossed out (yeah, right. Pervert.) Quil upturned a bucket of popcorn once it was bordering on empty and poured it all over me, claiming, when I glared at him, "People always play pranks on the birthday guy or girl. It's tradition." And Seth, who was the only one watching the movie, kept gasping, sighing, or laughing loudly at all the right spots and was constanly commenting on the terrible acting. I didn't know how the people around us knew what was going on in the movie with so many distractions.
Eventually, it was over, and everyone stepped outside into the soon-to-be sunset. Quil and the cousin (whose name was Jeremy, as I'd learned) said they needed to go to the bathroom and stayed inside. Seth said to me cheerfully while we waited for them to come back, "You'll get to open your presents in a little bit."
"Oh, right." I'd forgotten about that.
"I - well, all of the guys and I - got you something really special. It's pretty cool."
"Really?" I wondered what on Earth it could be. Nothing came to mind. "Thanks."
"Yeah. I think you'll like it."
I couldn't think of a reply to that, so I just stood there and swung my arms back and forth. After a little while, I noticed that Seth was looking at me, so I turned to him. "What?" I asked. "Is there something on my face?"
In the cheesy movies, the guys always said, 'No, honey, it's just that you're beautiful.' But of course, this was not a cheesy movie, and anyway, any sentence directed at me with the words 'honey' or 'beautiful' in it made no sense at all. "Yeah, right here..." Seth traced a spot over his lip to show me where it was. "Some candy or something."
I wiped it off and looked up at the sky. As I watched, a group of billowing clouds smothered the sun in a quick gulp. But the sun still shone through, making the clouds orange and pink. It was lovely, and I turned my head to Seth, who was also watching the sky, to tell him so.
But then the strangest thing happened. Seth turned to me, and for a second we just stood there and looked at each other. Then he reached a hand out and tenderly brushed some hair from my face. I had vague memories of him doing this before, and suddenly I remembered from when: Sam and Emily's wedding.
It was pure instinct, natural, as both of us leaned towards each other. Even though my heart was racing, I felt perfectly calm. It all just felt so right, and everything was going to be perfect. Now we were less than three inches apart and--
"Okay, people, let's go!" yelled Jared, coming around the side of his car and stopping in front of us. We quickly broke away. For a second, no one said anything, and then Jared grinned. "Ooh, la la!" He was so loud that Kim, Embry, and Paul came to look at us. "Willow and Seth are getting sexy over here!"
"Shut up," we said in unison. My cheeks were turning red.
"Sure, whatever you say." Jared wandered away and put his arms around Kim's shoulders, talking a mile a minute to her. I caught my name a few times.
"Idiot," said Seth.
"I know."
We followed them and climbed into Jared's car. I leaned against the seat and closed my eyes. I wondered what I'd gotten for my birthday, but, more importantly, what would have happened if Seth and I had kissed. From the way things had occured, I guessed that both of us had wanted it. Which told me something: that we were probably, at this point, more than friends, whether or not we'd realized it. Life could be so complicated, but I liked Seth. Still in the friend way, but when I asked myself if we really were just friends, I couldn't answer. So, maybe not in the friend way. Not quite.
I looked at Seth. He was singing off-key to the music Jared was playing.
With a contented sigh, I closed my eyes and waited to arrive home. I had quite a party ahead of me.
Author's Notes: Ugh, is it just me, or is this story moving way too fast? But don't listen to me. As Brock Dole says, "As artists, we hate what we create." This is no exception.
By the way, the reason Leah and Seth were in bad moods was because Paul was mad, and you know that if one werewolf feels a certain way, so do all the others.
Anyway, if this chapter confused any of you, let me explain. After Ciara said she wanted to move, Willow got mad because she didn't want to and insisted on staying in La Push. They figured out that the only way this could happen and still be legal was if Willow was emancipated, which she was. She, Heather, and CJ stayed in the house while Ciara went off. Willow fell asleep shortly after this happened and had a long and confusing dream in which she actually did move and, two years later, she'd dropped out of school and Heather had gotten her own house. She was emancipated and Ciara kicked her out. Willow went to La Push because it was the only place she wanted to be.
(And by the way, for anyone who's wondering, Willow never dropped out of school)
Bet you didn't see that coming, did you?
Thanks for reading!