Chapter Thirty Three
So, you are not going to like me after this. And, for the record, I am British so I don't know squat about American university applications – so I made it up really. And the SAT thing is a mystery to me – so I tried to get it as accurate as possible. As far as I'm aware, it's something like 2300 which is the highest score.
Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight but I do own Hetani and anything and anyone else unrecognisable.
Jake, after he made several disgusted comments, did not mention the position he had found his pack brother and little sister in for the whole summer. Rebecca, before she returned to Hawaii, and Rachel had been positively thrilled after I assured them we had used protection (though I was certain they almost searched the trash). Paul, on the other hand, had royally freaked out and almost pummelled Embry. Only Rachel had stopped him and, after delivering some very convincing threats, Paul had stormed out. A week later, he was back to normal although he made very sure to make it clear that he was just being protective over his baby sister.
"Hey," Embry whispered softly as he entered Emily's kitchen. Patrols had returned to their pre-Victoria, pre-Volturi war routines, which meant Embry and I had plenty of time together. When he found me at the kitchen table, I was surrounded by thick prospectuses and applications of varying colours and sizes whilst Emily occasionally gave me some leftover cookie batter to ease my stress. The rest of it was cooking in the oven. I made a noise of greeting, still scanning my nearest application.
"So, Alaska is off the list. I think you should apply for Duke, though." Embry went stiff next to me and I knew why. Duke was in North Carolina – which was beyond the boundaries of tolerance for both Embry and me. As he wouldn't be going to college due to his wolf duties, I had decided to stay close by.
"Why?" I questioned, wondering if Emily was trying to make Embry phase in her kitchen. She looked at me firmly.
"I know you won't go – but I think if you applied and got an acceptance, your confidence would increase." With that in mind, and a confirmation to Embry that I would not be going, Duke went in the 'yes' pile, along with University of Washington – the closest one to La Push, located in Seattle.
"Three more choices," I muttered, scanning through the papers. A few were shifted into 'maybe' and several more into 'no' but there were no more confident 'yes' options.
"Oh, what about Princeton?" Emily cooed and I looked at her like she was insane.
"And just what makes you think I am that smart?" I questioned and she gave me a look that reminded me of a mother scolding her child. Embry, I noticed, was shaking slightly and I knew exactly why. Princeton was in New Jersey – the other side of the country.
"These," Emily answered simply, taking my latest SAT scores out from behind her back. Gasping, I launched myself at her to try and get them back but she ran off, waving them teasingly. We reached the living area and we were running around the couch laughing and throwing playful insults at each other when Sam came in accompanied by Jared, Kim and Rachel.
"Give them back!" I screeched, reaching from them but Emily skittered out of the way.
"No!" she called back, running to hide behind Sam. I glowered and approached, ignoring Sam purposefully. I knew he wasn't angry – confused and amused – but not angry.
"Oh, my God, these are great!" Kim suddenly squealed and I realised that, despite my best efforts over the whole month since I'd received them, my SAT results were finally revealed. I had taken the tests in November and gotten the results upon arriving back at school after Christmas. Jared snatched them quickly and he and Sam looked at them, gaping slightly.
"Nineteen fifty? Holy God," Jared remarked as Embry came to stand beside me. Although he didn't seem surprised, he was oozing pride.
"Will you apply to Princeton now?" Emily said gloatingly. All who hadn't heard the previous conversation looked at me in bewilderment.
"Emily thinks it will improve my confidence if I apply to and receive acceptances from top tier universities. It doesn't mean I'll go," I replied defensively and everyone relaxed.
"You even passed math," Jared commented in surprise and I glared at him. Emily, Kim, Rachel and Embry had all tutored me in math in preparation but it was still my lowest score. I didn't care though – I was definitely proud of the overall results. Emily was still looking at me beseechingly and I cracked.
"Fine! I will apply to Princeton. However, that's it. No Stanford, Yale or Harvard, do you understand?" I agreed and she looked crestfallen.
"Just one?" she pleaded but I shook my head solidly.
"No."
"What about Columbia?"
"Emily!" I wailed pathetically and Embry instantly pulled me into his chest as I breathed heavily. The entire thing was too stressful. I was picked up and led into a wooden chair – likely in the kitchen – and cookie batter was put into my mouth. I relaxed as Embry's warm hands ran over my back and I flushed a bit. Even after my sudden change at his graduation party and making further progress in our relationship (even though it had taken a while for me to be comfortable with sex more than once a week on the basis that I didn't want to change our relationship too much), I couldn't get used to his more attentive touches.
"Better?" he asked gently and I nodded, retreating back from his chest. He moved me into his lap and we both looked at the table.
"OK: University of Washington, Duke, Princeton and Columbia it is," I decided, giving Emily a small smile. She positively glowed in response before pulling the freshly baked cookies out of the oven.
"I'm proud of you," Embry murmured directly into my ear. I shivered and wriggled closer to him.
"Thanks," I breathed against his neck, to which his grip tightened.
"Yeah, break it up you two," Jared complained hypocritically. I let it slide though and cleared up my mess with Embry's help. Emily eventually had to intervene because I refused to move from my boyfriend's lap and we just got in each others' way, ending up a giggling mess. Jared put on an annoyed look but I could see him fighting laughter. Everyone else just looked amused and Emily had an affectionate smile on her face.
XXX
Green. It was my graduation from high school and, unlike the lucky year before me, I got forest green as the chosen colour. A vote, to make things fair, had taken place and Elisha and I had desperately pleaded for the red but NO, it had to be green. As if La Push didn't have enough of that already.
"Well, well, my best friend looks awesome." Elisha announced her presence confidently, entering my room with her robe slung over her arm and her cap in her hand. Her legs were exposed in a bright blue dress that matched her eyes. It was one shouldered, with the left sleeve made of simple chiffon and the skirt ending at her mid thigh. Dangerously high silver stilettos were on her feet yet she looked perfectly comfortable.
"So does mine," I replied, turning away from the mirror where I'd seen her and facing her properly. She nodded approvingly. I had chosen, in protest of the green robes, to where red. It was a strapless dress that clung at the torso and a rumpled looking skirt. There was a strip of sparkly white around the waist and shoes to match, though not as high as Elisha's. My hair was once again straightened whilst Elisha's was curled into a side ponytail over her left shoulder.
"Would you two stop gossiping and get a move on!?" Jake yelled up the stairs and we rolled our eyes in sync. It was like déjà vu of his graduation and he still hadn't grown up much.
"So, do you think our graduation bonfire will end the same way Embry's did?" Elisha whispered teasingly and I nudged her whilst blushing furiously. Of course I had informed her immediately of my activities with Embry and her reaction had consisted of 'SHUT UP!' then various excited squealing noises. After that, though, she teased me mercilessly.
"For me or you?" I replied with a wink. Having finally discovered the identity of her mystery boy during the summer after junior year (she had insisted she wasn't dating him and he was just a friend until then), I decided to return the favour. My results were much desired and I watched in satisfaction as she blushed deeply.
"Shut up," she mumbled quietly as we reached the living room. Feeling nostalgic, I sighed.
"I remember the days of you crushing on my brother," I said whimsically and I noticed Jake cringe, having heard me. Elisha didn't see anything as she was too focused on glaring at me.
"I remember Dennis Wilson kissing you in sixth grade," she countered and I groaned, smacking my head. That had been one of my most repressed memories. It was really more him eating my head than anything else.
"You thought the condom split the first time you and Bradley did the deed," I replied and she snorted, hiding her embarrassment. Bradley was the name of the mystery guy and Elisha had called me the next day after he'd left, having a breakdown over the condom. It turned out to be a false alarm.
"Jake walked in on you and Embry afterwards!"
"You made out with Stacey Anderson at her party last summer!" Elisha looked mortified at the reminder of a drunken mistake (that Bradley was strangely aware of) but opened her mouth to retaliate.
"Alright, both of you stop or I will spill even worse secrets," Jake butted in and we shoved each other playfully.
"Relax, big bro, titch and I were just reminiscing," Elisha joked, nudging me again.
"Do it in the car – we're late." Oh he was really fun. Shaking his head with a wide grin, my dad followed my brother out. Elisha and I looked at each other, burst into giggles, then finally made it out to the car. Elisha's mom, who had to go out of town with Elisha's dad about some kind of will or whatever, had ordered us both to take plenty of pictures and I had given both our cameras to Emily and Kim – who were the only reliable ones to do so. The pack was useless and Embry would be too focused on me to do anything. Rachel and Rebecca would be getting emotional and my dad would be too – but more dignified.
"So, I decided on my university," Elisha stated casually. Like when I received my SAT scores, she had kept her university a secret since she'd applied. Apparently her first choice had accepted her.
"Me too," I replied easily, having kept mine a surprise too. When she had told me she wanted to wait to tell me, I had decided do same so we'd surprise each other.
"Berkeley," she stated and my face fell slightly. Berkeley was in California – two states away. "What about you?" she asked eagerly although I could tell she noticed my discomfort. I didn't know what to say – not because of her university choice but because Jake and dad were extremely close by, being in the front seats and all. Berkeley was looking more upsetting as I drew out my phone and typed my answer on the screen.
Embry POV
I watched with glowing pride as Hetani spoke eagerly with Elisha and various other classmates of hers. I knew it was just nostalgia, like yearbook signing day, but she was so content. Just before the principle took to the stage, she shot up to her seat and I grinned wider. She was my imprint and that forest green robe may not have been to her tastes but I didn't care.
"And now, I yield the floor to this year's valedictorian: Hetani Black." The hall clapped politely whilst everyone in the pack hooted and whistled. Rachel was already crying as the emotion got to her and Paul was trying valiantly not to laugh at her. My blushing girlfriend stepped up to the podium and cleared her throat.
"I had this perfectly written speech – all articulate and well punctuated but now that I'm up here, I've decided to speak from the heart. That's the best way, right? Having heart is something that enables the best of things: love, strength, attempts at bravery. I haven't had the chance to do as much as I really should have through high school and I doubt most people do. But now is the time. We are ready to go out there and do what we've always wanted to do. We have the time to get arrested for drunk and disorderly or get stuck in some place we've never heard of on a night out. There's time for the good, the bad and the outrageously ugly because that's what having heart is – the ability to make the choice. Whether you're going to study law or medicine at a high end university or you're going to wing it and see what happens, that's all you. Just like getting here was all you. And you should be proud of that – I am. So, I conclude my hastily made-up speech in hopes that you will go out there and continue being all you can be – whatever you want that to be. Congratulations!" I smirked as she scarpered back to her seat, blushing even deeper than when she had stood up. She was my little valedictorian.
XXX
"Embry, can I talk to you?" Hetani's quiet voice asked. I immediately nodded to Quil and Paul before joining Hetani further down the beach, much like our first kiss all those years ago. I knew no one would be paying attention enough to listen to us speak, so I took the opportunity to kiss her passionately. As much as I felt her wanting to return the favour, she pulled back grudgingly with her hands cupping my face softly. Her eyes shone with indecision, a bit of pain that made me ache and desperate want.
"What is it, sweetheart?" I asked gently, trying not to scare her off. She was still my delicate Hetani, no matter how much she'd grown up.
"Elisha and I revealed our university choices to each other earlier." Alright, I was confused but let her continue to sate the curiosity building in me. "She chose Berkeley." I knew she would be upset with that being in California, which was two states away from Washington. Realising this, I tightened my grip on her waist comfortingly and she began rubbing my chest, like she was agitated. I began to get worried. "I've been thinking a lot over these past few weeks and you know I want to study English Literature. You know I love you, right?" The worry turned to dread as I nodded numbly. "Embry, I want to study at Duke." I couldn't be entirely sure, with my head swimming dangerously, but I was pretty certain I made a strangled noise. The thought of her being in North Carolina, the other side of the country, brought unimaginable pain to my chest – so much that I thought my heart was being squeezed by fiery claws.
"W-why? What's wrong with U of W?" I asked desperately. It was in Seattle and it was a university, right? Why did she have to go so far away from me to get what she wanted? I was being selfish but I didn't care.
"I was going to go there – until I ditched my valedictorian speech and made one up. I have the ability to make my own choice here and Duke is one of the top universities in America. I could be really happy there." Happy? Without me? What?
"I can't talk about this," I said hastily, feeling tears well in my eyes.
"Embry?" she whispered but I couldn't look at her. The overwhelming thoughts were disarming and I quickly fled to the sanctuary of the woods, hoping for solace. "EMBRY!" she yelled but I ignored her more. I couldn't live without her – but did I have the right to be so selfish?
OK, see you soon! Love Bianca :) x