Party
Party
I was starting to get feverish, like there was an orb of fire around me. Suddenly, I had a stupid picture of myself getting warmer and then exploding into a monster whenever I'm this provoked. A laugh escaped from my mouth—I'd definitely turn into a monster very often.
Only a few more steps and I'd be near my house. La Push was picturesque today—blocks of clouds were dyed pink and orange because of twilight, the rays of the setting sun made the sea water sparkle, the sounds of the crashing waves were soothing and the salty sea breeze fanned through my face. They all seemed like they were calling my name.
Emily always tells me that I'm weird because I always do things just because I felt like doing them, and she's right. I felt like walking into the beach, just standing there, all wet. Without sparing a second to doubt, I dropped my guitar and my bag, took my sneakers off and ran to the beach, the sand tickling my feet.
I was there, walking deeper into the ocean, the waves pounding into my body then swimming out toward the shore. I had my clothes on, all wet, cold and clinging to my body. I forgot all about my anger, I just let my body drift to wherever the waves take me, with eyes closed.
"Leah! What the hell?" Emily's voice echoed through the cliffs. From oblivion, I was sucked back into reality. Among my twenty cousins, Emily was my favourite. She's a sister to me although she just stays with me every October. I know her secrets, and she knows mine. If I had a problem, I'd run to her first, and she'd do the same too. We really are like sisters-- we had the same ebony hair, figure, skin tone and many more. She just had wavy, shoulder-length hair, a heart-shaped face and wide eyes, as if she was looking forward to the future with so much hope. Her only flaw was her lips—they were quite thick, dry and chapped; but all in all, Emily was pretty.
"Come back here!"
"Alright!" I shouted. It was easy following where the waves take you, but it was hard fighting it. I made my way out of the beach, but it took some time since I'd be pushed back, wave after wave. Finally, I reached the shore. The uncomfortable feeling my clothes brought sank in.
"You're being a lunatic again, Leah. Please be reminded of that party your dad's throwing tonight." Emily said as she picked my stuff up.
"Bah! I'm just gonna lock myself up. His parties are usually for old people. Besides, I need refreshment. You don't know the hell I've gone through a while ago."
"Try me."
"Well, that stupid air-head Sam Uley nearly harassed me today."
"Sam Uley? You serious?" She gasped. "He looks like a gentleman. Did you see his commercial?"
"What can I say, he's an actor." Emily looked flummoxed. I sipped in a breath of fresh air before I took off and told her the whole story.
"A shirt and jeans?!" My mother's shriek made me drop the novel that I was reading. She looked like her usual self—like an aged me, except that she had short, curly hair and a broad forehead. She was wearing her expensive brown dress tonight, and excellently paired it off with her glossy, yellow high-heels.
"What's wrong?"
"This is a fomal party, Leah!"
"I'm not stupid, ma. I could see your little cocktail dress."
"Then why do you look like you're just going to a mall?"
"Because I hate dresses. I have none, remember?"
"Because you throw tantrums when I buy you one!" I love my mother so much, but I don't know where all that love goes when we argue about how I'm not lady-like.
"Look at Emily. She's wearing a dress. Why can't you?"
"Because I'm Leah!"
"You don't come out unless you change your clothes, Leah!" She swiftly turned around, the black locks of her hair swayed with the hem of her dress, and walked out of the door. I turned to Emily, still calm as she flipped through some of my books. She was used to this.
"I'll just bring you food, okay?"
"Thanks." I said as I reached for the remote. Emily stood from my white couch and headed for the door. There were so many good shows that I didn't know what I'd pick
After two comedy sitcoms, my stomach started to grumble, twist and turn. The wall clock says it's nine o'clock, an hour past my usual dinner time. Where was Emily? She should have been back minutes ago with a plate of chicken, spaghetti and a cup of soda. My stomach would spew lava if I wait for one more minute so I turned the T.V. off and dragged myself downstairs.
Unlike all the other typical La Push houses, ours was different. Like the rest, it was wooden on the outside, but it didn't retain the cottage theme in the interiors. Our wooden floors were varnished, walls covered in dainty wallpapers that had flower patterns, almost every surface were laden with flower vases that held flowers of pastel colours and ceilings decked with little chandeliers that emanated gentle, yellow light. It looked like it was transported from the 50s, and it suited old people parties.
I was overwhelmed when I nearly reached the first floor. The party was not at all how I expected it to be. Dad's parties are usually full of old people talking about mid-life crisis and diabetes, but this party had a
lot of people who were around my age. Seth with his two friends, Collin and Brady, were sitting on the stairs, playing with their robots.
"Excuse me." I muttered as I passed between the muffin-like Collin and the skinny Brady, both with brownish hair. "Eww, kooties!" Brady whined in his young, high-pitched voice.
"Leah has no kooties! She's my sister!" Seth defended. I looked into his tawny eyes, smiled at him and planted a kiss on his rosy cheek.
"Eww!" Collin and Brady's screams trailed off as I headed for the living room.
The Black twins were the first people I saw perched on the blue couch in the living room, pigging out on a bowl of ice cream. I know it's ungrateful of me, but Rachel seems like a blur in the background whenever Emily's around. There was a boy eating a hotdog beside them. He had long hair and was slender, but healthy, though his cheeks were full. His small, black eyes lingered around the house. There were two boys seated on the floor just by his feet. One was bald with small eyes, and he resembled a bulldog. The other looked like the boy beside the Black twins, except that he was taller and had duller features. Gigantic Uncle Billy who I ran away from as a child was just by the door with my dad, talking like long lost brothers.
I proceeded to the dining room. My Aunt Martha, Josephine, Helen, Kate and Uncle Greg were sitting together, talking about how big this guy named Jared got. Perhaps he was the guy at the very end of the table. He was as tall as I am, with brown hair, brown eyes and skin that was fairer than a typical local's. All in all, he was handsome even if he looked uncomfortable in his red vest. The spaghetti wasn't there anymore, so I assumed that it was back in the kitchen.
By the time I set foot there, I saw someone bending over our cooler, rummaging through the ice.
"Here." The guy said as he stood straight, his deep voice scared me. He handed me the glass he was holding. He was taller than me, and very meaty. His hair was shaved, nearly bald. To me, he seemed like a gentle giant.
"Thank you." I smiled at the helpful guy, whoever he was.
"Paul, could you get me a glass of orange soda, please?" Aunt Helen's choppy voice called out from the dining room.
"Coming, mom." The boy replied. I poured the bottle of soda into my glass and got a plate of spaghetti.
"Do you know where the chicken is?" I reluctantly asked him.
"It's in the backyard." He answered with a smile. He had deep dimples, something I'd die for.
There were more people outside, but they were mostly old. My mother was by the buffet table, chatting with Old Man Quil and a group of other grown-ups. Stealthily, I pranced to where the chicken legs lay, snagged two and ran back to my room. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Emily and a guy isolated
on the far right side of the backyard, and thick, hot water started to brew in my heart as I knew who he was.
How the heck did he end up in this part of the world? Why was he here? Why was she there after I told her how pervy and arrogant he was? I gave them my full attention. They looked serious, Samuel looked like he carried the world's problems and Emily looked worried for him. I was too hungry to give a damn, so I erased it from my head for a while and focused on satiating my hunger.
"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" My father blocked the stairs.
"Upstairs. Mom says I can't join in unless I dress up appropriately."
"That's not important now. You eat here with all of us. Just join them." He jerked towards the Black twins and the three boys near them.
"I barely know them, dad."
"That's the point." There was no way anyone could change my dad's mind. He was hard as a rock, and anyone would end up getting into graver consequences if one didn't follow him right away. Although against my will, I changed ways and sat beside Rachel on the couch.
"Hi, Leah!" She sang. Rebecca looked at me for a split-second, then looked away.
"Hello."
"Ohh yeah, this is my brother, Jacob." She pointed at the boy beside Rebecca. "He's in the seventh grade. Jacob, this is Leah."
"Hey, do you remember our religion class a while ago? About the patriarchs?" The cute, bull-dog looking boy asked the one that looked like Jacob.
"What about it?" He replied.
"Jacob's wife's name was Leah. Wow, Jacob, you're meant to be!" The two burst into laughter.
"Shut up!" Jacob exclaimed as he looked away from me.
"Hi, I'm Embry. This is Quil and that's Jacob. He thinks you're pretty."
"Damn you, Embry!"
"No, no. It's okay. Thank you, Jacob." I said to spare him from embarrassment. Embry and Quil looked disappointed.
"Kids, please go to the backyard right now!" Uncle Billy's voice that was booming and full of authority called out. We all dropped carried our eating utensils and walked to the backyard, Quil and Embry pushing Jacob to me after every five seconds.
"Will you kids please form a circle and sit down? Thank you." My mother purred. We followed her. I was sandwiched between Rachel and the Jared guy.
"Good for you." He said out of the blue. I turned to him.
"Huh?"
"You're in casual clothes. I'm stuck in this shit."
"That's okay. I think this will end soon, anyway."
"By the way, I'm Jared Watson. And you are?"
"Leah Clearwater."
"Nice to meet you. I really don't get it. I've never seen any of you people before and my parents nagged me to come to this party. What's the deal?"
"I know, right? It's like they just put random La Push kids together."
"Settle down, children!" Old Man Quil demanded. We all kept quiet. Nothing was heard but the song of the crickets and the crashing of the waves.
"We all know that it is believed that we descended from werewolves." Old Man Quil started off. Before I could give my violent reactions, everyone else in the circle did the honours for me.
Everyone was groaning, shouting and complaining, the loudest being Paul and Jared.
"Your parents tell you those stories too?" I asked him.
"Yeah, just every stinking day of my life. Hey, could you show me where the bathroom is? I can't find it." Our bathroom wasn't in the common hall; it was between my room and Seth's.
"Follow me." I gestured toward the back door. Everyone else stood up too, and went about their normal business. I pitied our parents for a while, but they just have to learn that we're old now. Werewolves don't exist.
"Here." I kicked the bathroom door open when we reached Seth's room and he thanked me with a grin. I went back downstairs and headed back to the backyard as I remembered that I left my food there. Sam and Emily weren't there anymore, just the elders.
"We have to get them to listen, Quil! We can't just give up!"
"Billy, why does it matter so much to you? I'm sure it won't happen again."
"Won't happen again?!" Uncle Bill's outraged scream made my heart skip a beat. "Don't you know?"
"About what?"
"The Cullens. The Cullens are back."