Chapter Fourteen
"Believe me when I tell you that you're the best thing that ever happened to this kid," Amber said and Embry rolled his eyes but agreed. I blushed.
"Thank you," I replied and, for somehow, she had the same amused look as her son. I wondered sometimes why I amused him- now them. I shrugged it off anyways.
Amber is a really nice woman. She was beautiful, I could see where Embry got his eyes and hair from. She was also very welcoming, she made me feel like I was home, not visiting someone. I loved how she could create this cozy atmosphere around the whole place.
Of course, it was the second time I ever go to Embry's house- while he went to mine almost all the time which was quite unfair but I didn't mind that much. But, this time, I could really watch the whole place in details, not surrounded by the awkwardness and worry that surrounded the place last time, when Embry and I got here, just on time, to prevent his Mom from leaving the house. Poor Amber.
The walls were painted in beige, matching with the light brown furniture of the living room, that had a medium-sized TV and about a dozen of magazines on the table. They varied from Cars and Sports to Fashion and Make-up. The kitchen that we were sitting in right now was simple- like Emily's. And, right now, it smelled of apples and cinnamon, bless whoever invented that combination.
The relationship Embry had with his mother was really interesting, I wished I had that kind of relationship with my own mother. Of course, I love her and so but what Embry and Amber had was just so great. He was her everything; son, best friend, brother, father...everything. They both depended on each other very much, a stranger would notice that.
She smiled proudly when she finished pouring the caramel sauce over the pancakes she had made earlier. She looked happy, which instantly cheered me up even more. She was the kind of person that would affect you deeply. Talk about first impressions. She put our dishes in front of us as we sat on the kitchen counter.
"I hope you like apples," she said and I smiled at her.
"I do, actually," I said and grabbed my fork as I started eating. I noticed how Embry was watching me intently. I smiled at him, still chewing the pancakes stuffed with buttery apples and cinnamon. "Hey, there," I whispered after I swallowed, he chuckled.
"Hey, to you, too," he said as his mother went to grab something from the fridge which turned out later to be some Coke.
"This is so delicious," I said, my mouth full, not a very impressive manner but I just had to tell her-" I might actually quit following a diet." She chuckled.
"You don't need it, anyways," they both said and we laughed. Like Mother like son. I blushed a little and wanted to deny it but then decided to drop it; last time Embry and I had a conversation like this we ended up making out, our very first time, not three days ago. So I don't think it would be suitable if we have a similar conversation right now.
"So," Amber started, not eating any of the pancakes herself," What do you want to do when you graduate?" Just when I thought this is not going to end up like a usual parent-meets-son's/daughters-girlfriend/boyfriend. But I guess it runs in their genes. I swallowed my food.
"I was thinking of Med-School," I said honestly. Embry had finished eating by then, he stroked my hair."But then I'm not really sure I can make it." She had a thoughtful look on her face and she glanced at her son once before speaking again.
"Med-school?" she said,"That's pretty great," she mused. I half-smiled.
"That's exactly why I think it might not turn out well for me," I said," I'm the type of person who gets bored pretty easily and I'm not the one to memorize a lot of stuff." They both rolled their eyes.
"You're going to do just fine," Embry said.
"So what else do you have in mind? If not Med-School, I mean," Amber asked. I shrugged.
"I thought maybe graphic design," I said," Mom's a graphic designer and she taught me a lot of stuff." She rested her chin on the back of her hands opposite to us on the counter. I decided to change the subject; I hated it when all the attention was on me." I was thinking the other day..." I said.
"Hmm?" Embry said. I noticed how quiet he was today, or maybe not; only around his mother.
"I was just wondering how you looked when you were little," I said playfully, a hint of a grin on my face."I tried to imagine you...smaller, but I couldn't." Amber laughed while Embry gave me a weird look.
"Well, I do have this album," Amber mused. Embry buried his face in his hands.
"Oh, no. God, no," he mumbled which made me even more curious. I mean, he had seen my photos when I was a baby. I wanted to see his, too.
"Show it to me," I said quickly, suddenly excited. Then remembered to add,"Please." She chuckled and turned on her heels, going upstairs. Embry turned his head to me, his eyes pleading. I shook my head."You saw my photos," I reasoned. He sighed.
"Fine,"he said and managed to kiss me quickly before his Mom came into view, holding a huge, black album in her hands. (A/N: DON'T ask what's up with me and photo albums these days xD)
"Here it is," she handed me it and I opened it immediately. She smiled at us."I'll leave you two alone, then." Embry let out a sigh of relief and she left to go to the living room.
"What?" I whispered. He smiled at me.
"Nothing," he reassured and I looked at the pictures.
He looked so adorable when he was little. The album was arranged according to date.
08/14/1989- Embry Call. 2 days old.
He was sleeping in a blue crib, his eyes closed and a small smile on his face. I could not believe that he could have been that little sometime in his life. He looked so peaceful and so cute. I felt a smile creep on my face as I switched to the second one.
08/12/1989- Embry Laughing. 1 month old.
He looked so adorable laughing widely, showing his dimples as his toothless mouth made one of its first public appearances.
"You look so cute," I said. He smiled and played with my hair as I watched the next ones, only some were very...special, I think.
07/08/1990- Embry taking his first steps! Almost 11 months old.
He was wearing the tiniest jeans you could ever imagine and a red spider man T-shirt, leaning on the leg of the table and another kid behind him, giving us his back.
"I was so tiny," he commented with a laugh, I laughed along with him.
"Yeah," I agreed,"But who's the other kid there?" I asked. He frowned.
"I think that was Quil. He wasn't much taller," he said,"I've known Quil and Jake for quite a long time now, almost 23 years," he added. I nodded.
"That's great, you know," I commented as I flipped the pages again,"To know someone, other than your family, for your whole life," I explained,"I never got that close to anyone. I mean, I'd had my close friends back in Forks but never that close, we rarely speak to each other now," I added bitterly. He kissed my forehead as if in a soothing manner.
Another one was proving me right; Jake, Embry and Quil were always so close.
06/23/1994- Embry with Jake and Quil dressing up for the school's costume party.
Embry's messy brown hair was coming out of his Zoro hat and he was pulling on Jacob's wolf costume, which is quite ironic, by the way, and Quil was laughing his guts out at them, dressed in a formal suit that I didn't know how he got his size of; they were all still tiny compared to now.
"You know," I said,"I always loved Zoro," I commented. He chuckled.
"Well, you have your Zoro now, angel," he said, embracing me."Except that I can morph into a giant wolf," he laughed and I did, too. Did I mention how much I loved my new nickname? And now he has one, too.
"That's even better, Zoro," I said, laughing at the sentence; it just sounded too funny. He kissed my cheek and rested his head on my neck, his breath sending faint shivers down my spine. He flipped the pages for me.
06/03/2003- Embry graduating from Middle School.
06/12/2007- Embry FINALLY graduating High School.
"Finally?" I asked, frowning. He chuckled.
"Yeah," he said,"I repeated my sophomore year," he explained," 'Cause of the wolf thing, everyone was messed up." I felt my mouth form an 'O'.
"Hey!" Amber called from behind, startling me," Look over here," she said with a grin. Embry groaned.
"Mom-" he tried to object but she shook her head at him and settled her camera. He slid his hand on my waist and smiled, leaning on my head. I wrapped my arms around him, earning a proud smile from his Mom. She snapped the shot.
"December 14th, 2011. Embry and Mary," she commented and I grinned. She was about to turn around when she frowned and looked at us again."You know?" she said," You two rhyme."
"So this is okay, right?" I asked Stacey, putting both the sweatshirt (the one that Embry said he liked that day at the mall) and white jacket that were on the holder on my body,"With the jeans and red Converse, right?" She nodded.
"Definitely," she said and grabbed two white caps that had the letters PA written in red and tossed me one. The boys had managed to get us two. They looked great; I loved those two colors together. I put it on after I wore my outfit and fixed my hair in the mirror as she applied her lip gloss."Now we're good to go," she commented, popping her lips to confirm the lip gloss once again. I nodded.
"When are they coming to get us?" I asked, referring to Brad and Matt, who were coming together in Brad's car. Embry, unfortunately, had some Pack wolfy issues to deal with back at La Push to be able to come with us today- he said he would come at 10 to pick me up, though. The game is held in Forks High this time for a change and Jacob had the same issues, apparently so Nessie said she couldn't come. I didn't know why no one of her family came to drive her or attend the game though.
Nessie and I had been really close before Embry. But, after I knew about her "secret", it became harder for me to just act normal around her. I mean, now, I do act kind of normally but not as close. You can call it instinct; my mind told me to trust her but my body couldn't obey or some crap like that. I was working on that, though. I knew she didn't like that, especially when Stacey and I were the first real girlfriends she had ever had, aside from the imprints at La Push, I mean.
The doorbell rang,"That would be now," Stacey said and grabbed her bag. I took mine, too and we came downstairs to find Dr. Brooke with the guys, waiting for us.
The Doc smiled at us when we ran our way down. One thing I liked about him, he acted like a second father to me; he considered me his other little girl. Mrs. Brooke had passed away a couple of years ago so it was only him and Stacey.
His short, black hair contrasted with his blue eyes- that Stacey had inherinted-. He looked as old as he really was; fourty.
"Well, here are the girls," he said and wrapped his arms around our shoulders."Take care of them," he instructed before we all left. Brad and Matt gave him a half-salute, earning chuckles from us.
We went out and settled ourselves in Brad's silver Audi Coupe with Stacey in the front seat beside her boyfriend and I beside my best friend in the backseat. I noticed how Matt kept rubbing his hands together nervously.
"You nervous?" I asked. He nodded.
"It is the Final," he reasoned.
"And we're gonna win!" Brad added confidently from the driver's seat.
"Definitely," an equally excited Stacey added. I smiled at him.
"I agree," I commented,"Getting nervous isn't going to make things any better." He sighed.
"I just have a bad feeling about tonight, I dunno why though," he said.
"Gee, Davis," Brad said,"How optimistic," he added sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.
"I was just saying what I feel," he said and leaned his head back on the seat.
"So how much time before the game?" Stacey asked as Brad finally made it to Forks High. That was a long trip indeed. He shrugged.
"An hour or so," he said. That was the bad side of having one of the players drive you- You're too early. They both, the guys, I mean, turned to us."I think you know where you should go?" Brad asked, speaking to me. I nodded. Yes, I had been here for only a couple of months but I knew the school too well.
"Sure, we'll go now," I said,"Good luck, guys," I said and Matt smiled. Stacey hugged Brad.
"Luck's for losers," Brad commented and turned to Matt,"Come on, the coach is right there," he pointed at him as he waited in the parking lot. We made our way towards the field.
I couldn't believe how much I missed this place- though I haven't been here for long but I always felt that this was my place, that I wasn't the new girl from the other town. I mean, the guys at PA are pretty welcoming; I hadn't had any major problems fitting in 'the crowd'. In fact, I am friends with two of the most popular girls, and two jocks. That was like getting to the top of the popularity list in High School. Pretty much like chick-flicks but not at the same time.
"Oh. My. God!" I heard the familiar voice say from behind."Mary, is that you?" I turned my head to Nancy Williams, my 'former' best friend from Forks.
"Hey!" I said as she hugged me.
"I missed you," she complained and broke away from our hug, she noticed Stacey then.
"Oh," I said,"Nancy, this is Stacey Brooke," I introduced and turned to Stacey,"Stacey this is Nancy Williams," I said.
"Hi," they both said at the same time then Nancy took a good look on my outfit.
"You traitor," she muttered, jokingly though,"You're with the enemies!" I rolled my eyes.
"Well, I do go to their school so they're not practically enemies," I said and she laughed.
"Okay, then," she said,"I'll see ou girls later," she added before she turned and left. Very typical Nancy. I turned to Stacey then.
"Don't ask," I said before she asked any questions. She laughed. That was when my phone rang. Embry.
"Hey," I said, my voice cheerful,"How are you?"
"I'm fine," he said but his mood wasn't that good,"How are you?" he asked.
"I'm good," I said,"We just arrived at Forks High and we're heading towards our seats now," I added.
"Mmhmm," he said,"Okay, then, I'll pick you up at ten, right?"
"Yep," I confirmed,"I'll be waiting," I said.
"Me, too." I sighed. I missed him so much." See you," he said.
"See you," I replied before I ended the call.
The game went well. It was tough but it went well. We won by a last-minute-goal. It was awesome.
"Yay!" Stacey said,"This is so great!"
"Yeah!" I agreed,"I think I'll go check on Matt now; he was pretty nervous before. I bet he's happy, now," I said and Stacey rolled her eyes.
"There was no reason for him to be nervous in the first place," she said,"We're good at what we do!" She smiled,"I'll wait for Brad outside by the car," she said.
"Okay," I answered,"See you."
I walked down and back to inside the school. I kept walking through the halls, searching for them. So, yes, I knew the school but I didn't know where our team would be. I spotted a cheering crowd and knew it was them. I ran my way there but happened to pop into someone in the way.
"Sor-" I was cut off by what I saw in front of me. His green eyes were fixed on mine, probably just as shocked.
I think I stood there frozen for a long while. Dammit, I should've expected that.
Here it is!
So, what do you think of it?
Sorry about the cliffy =P But it's ending soon anyways so I guess it's okay.
Voting for The Sparkle Awards starts tomorrow, October 16th. Rhyme is nominated for The Crooked Smile Award and Rising Sun for The Nessie Award =) I hope you'd vote if you think they deserve it. The link's on my profile.
Oh, and the voting for The Moonlight Awards started yesterday. Rising Sun is nominated there for The Future Award. Link is also on my profile.
AGAIN,
I NEED to know what you thought of it! And what you think would happen ;)
xoxo