AN: Ah, another quickie. Please excuse any mistakes, still point them out of course, I'm pretty sure I'm dying of the plague or something. I lost my voice last night at the movies, bad popcorn, and I've been coughing up some suspicious looking gunk as well. Irony of it all its my birthday week and NO ONE ELSE HAS IT! I'm alone in my suffering. Anywho! I hope you all enjoy this latest installment of my little story, and thank you all for all of the reviews. Almost one hundred and I'm just at chapter ten, AMAZING! Love you all!!!
Chapter Ten
Lets Party
I woke up to doors slamming. Since I wasn't expecting it, I went vertical and stumbled out of bed and into the nearest wall. I stopped and tried to regain some sense of where I was. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was. Once I did I let out a relaxed sigh and flopped back onto the bed. I glanced over at the desk clock to find it was almost nine in the morning. Well, talk about sleeping in. I grabbed the blue cotton dress I had bought yesterday and rushed to the bathroom down the hall.
I showered as quickly as possible and changed into the dress. I was so excited to meet the family I never knew that I hardly bothered to brush my shoulder length hair. Then again, it's so short it hardly ever gets knotted. I bounded down the half set of stairs and to the living room to find it full of people. I recognized Seth, Jacob, Quil, Sam, Nessie and Emily immediately, but I didn't know who the other three men and two women were.
"Finally!" Seth cried out.
"Hey Sleepy-head," Jacob said smiling.
"Good morning," I said sheepishly.
One of the women, the shorter Native woman, looked at me apologetically. "I told you we should have waited." She said, nudging the tall Native man next to her. I recognized him from the pictures my dad had shown me, but I didn't know who he was.
Nessie walked up to me and half hugged me as she introduced the people I didn't know. "Claire, this is Kim and Jared," she said motioning to the woman who just spoke and the man she hit, "Embry and Jolene and Paul." She finished motioning to the man who had boyish features but was still ridiculously tall and muscled and the woman who he had his arm wrapped around, she was taller than me with a fuller body, reddish brown hair and blue-green eyes. The last man, Paul, didn't look much different from the other Quileute giants, but was at least smiling.
"Um, hi," I chirped, waving smally.
"I'm really sorry about bombarding you like this I tried to talk him out of it." Kim said throwing Jared a dangerous look, whole just looked at her guiltily.
"That's okay," I reassured.
My dad came out of the kitchen with an exhausted huff. He looked out at the crowd of people in his living room and shook his head. "Are you all going to let her eat in peace?" He demanded.
"No," Embry said simply.
"Come on, let's leave her alone for an hour." Jacob said shoving Embry and Seth toward the door.
Nessie chuckled and patted my back as everyone else followed Jacob out. "We'll be back soon." She promised and dropped her arm, walking toward the door.
Quil started to follow Nessie out, nodding at me slightly before my dad stopped him. "Quil, why don't you stay for some waffles?" He asked nodding to the dining room table.
Quil looked at Dad and then back to me, his eyes seemed relieved even though his body was still as stiff as a board. "Sure," He said with a genuine smile. I hadn't seen one of those from him, it almost took my breath away from the shock of it all.
Dad nodded and disappeared into the kitchen while me and Quil took our seats at the dining room table across from each other. Dad came out a second later and set down two plates of waffles, mine had two while Quil's had five massive waffles. "Here ya go," he said throwing us both smiles then back away from the table and toward the stairs leading up to the next level. "I'm gonna go check on Willa." He said casually as he retreated up the stairs. I knew there was a reason I was being left alone with Quil, but I wasn't going to press it, at the moment.
"You sleep okay last night?" Quil asked after he chewed through his first waffle.
I nodded. "Yeah, I was pretty tired after a few hours with my dad, I passed out." I answered.
"Any more problems with the cops?" He asked glancing up at me with slightly worried eyes.
"No, I'm pretty sure they believed me and won't be bothering me anymore." I said with a hint of sureness.
Quil nodded awkwardly and stuffed half a waffle in his mouth. Of course the dining room turned into a sick and twisted prison for the pseudo conversation I was trying to have with what appeared to be a half starving man since he had already finished three waffles when I had only a few bites of one.
"So, um, everyone keeps telling me you're the secret keeper." I stumbled as I tossed around a piece of waffle with my fork.
Quil stiffened and clenched his fork with unnecessary strength. I think I hit a nerve, time to back off.
"I don't need to know now, I mean, I'm curious and all, but I'm not going to throw a fit if you don't tell me as soon as possible." I stammered quickly to cover up my screw up.
He snorted a laugh. "You were never this patient as a kid." He muttered almost to himself.
"I guess a lot of things changed as I got older." I mumbled quietly.
He flinched at my words and I almost yelled in frustration. I wish there was a guideline to talking with this guy with out hurting his feelings or to keep him from looking like he's in physical pain!
I had to change the topic quickly. "Can you just promise me that I will know before… lets say, Christmas?" I asked hopefully. It was seven months away, which had to be enough time.
"Sure," He answered noncommittally, staring at the only waffle he had left.
"That's not really comforting." I said with a raised brow.
He sighed but looked me straight in the eye, his dark eyes a pool of complete mystery. "I promise, everything will be explained before Christmas." He said truthfully.
That answer, I can accept. "Okay, I can live with that." I said happily.
He stared at me for moment like I had just grown another head. "There is no way you are Claire Asher." He muttered disbelievingly.
"Asher?" I asked confused.
"Yeah, your real name." He said guiltily. "Claire Marissa Asher," He added quietly.
"Hm, all this time I hated Claire Melody Joyner and it wasn't even my real name." I chuckled dryly.
Quil finished off his last waffle and stood abruptly. "I should get going." He said uncomfortably.
"Oh," I mumbled sadly. I was just starting to figure him out. Well, only a little.
"Don't worry as soon as you are done eating everyone's spidey sense will go off and we'll be back." He reassured me with a playful look in his eye.
I caught onto the joke. "I better take my time then." I said teasingly.
Quil looked to the stairs and smiled quickly. I glanced over my shoulder to see my dad standing on the last step. "Thanks Jeff," He said with a nod and strode for the front door.
"No problem Quil," Dad said quickly before Quil shut the door behind him. He let out a sigh and walked down the last step and sat next to me at the table.
"He's a lot nicer today, a little awkward, but much more social. He actually looked me in the eye more than once." I said triumphantly. Of course, we won't include the times I made him recoil in pain.
"He's a weird one." He noted.
"Something tells me everything is going to be weird here until I understand it all." I said frowning a little.
"Sorry Cupcake, its not my secret to blab, gotta wait." I could tell he wanted to tell me, but he had a point. It wasn't his secret, so he shouldn't be the one to tell me.
"Yes, yes. I'll wait." I sighed impatiently.
"I have to get to work in a few hours, but you'll have everyone around to take you where ever you want to go. If not, you can use Willa's car." He explained with an impish smile.
"Gee Dad, why don't you give her my soul too?" Willa spat as she stomped down the stairs. Today the combat boots were traded in for red patent heels, tiny black shorts and a lacy black top. Her make up matched her purple hair and I couldn't help but wonder how it took her less than an hour to get it all on.
I shook my head. "Uh, no that's okay, I don't drive." I said with a small smile.
"You don't drive?" Willa asked as she looked at me like I was a crazy person.
"No, me and steering wheels are a bad combination. I snapped the axel of our old truck in a parking lot, I do not drive." I said seriously. The disbelieving stares I got back made me think they thought I was joking. "At all." I added firmly.
"Huh, well, that's interesting." Dad murmured with a raised brow.
"How the hell did you manage that?" Willa demanded as she dropped into the chair across from me.
"Curbs look sturdier than they are." I mumbled. It may have been two years ago, but I still feel like an idiot for that. Willa stared at me blankly.
Dad choked on a laugh but gathered himself soon after. "I think you can milk a ride out of anyone on the Rez, I have a list of numbers next to the phone in the kitchen if you need it." He said pointing toward the phone that was bolted the wall next to the fridge.
"Thanks," I said smiling.
Willa was still staring at me only now in disbelief. "What can you do?" She asked slightly disgusted.
"I can hotwire a car in under forty-five seconds." I offered hoping it would make me look like less of a dork. Willa glared at me with jealousy. "Mom is kind of flighty, she forgets her keys a lot." I explained flashing a smile.
"So she taught you how to hotwire cars?" She growled. I take it she would have rather had that bonding experience with our parents.
"No, I got bored when I was twelve, long story." I answered trying to shrug off the conversation.
"Wow, and I thought being homeschooled was worthless." She spat, jumping out of the seat and stomping out the door.
"Always so delightful." I said with mock cheeriness. It is going to take me a long time to get used to her attitude.
"Always," He said sarcastically. I laughed and shook my head. "Finish up, the hounds will be barking soon, they want to take you everywhere, I hope you can do that whole out of body trick." He said with a wink.
"Nope, haven't mastered it yet." I frowned as I turned my attention back to the waffles.
"Sucks for you," He sighed, hauling himself out of the chair to walk toward the kitchen. He was almost knocked to the floor as Willa stormed passed him toward the back door. "Willa!" He yelled before she opened the door.
"What?!" She hissed as she spun to face Dad.
He raised a finger. "Don't leave the county, no felonies for the day, and if you want that new cell phone you've been pining over, you'll make an attempt to not be mean to your sister." He said with dead seriousness.
"Are you trying to bribe me?" She asked incredulously.
"Well, nothing else seems to work." He shot back.
All anger was wiped from her face as she closed the space between them and placed her hand on shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. "It took you a few years, but you're learning my language Dad." She said with some emotion, all of it fake. "I would cry, if I had feelings." She said blankly then turned on her heels and walked out the back door.
"Good to know!" He yelled after her. He tried to close the door but Seth's arm stopped him.
He sighed loudly and opened the door fully and let the much taller man in. Seth looked like an impatient child waiting to open the presents under the Christmas tree.
"Ready?" He asked hopefully.
"Let her finish her food." Dad said firmly, throwing Seth an annoyed look as he grabbed his boots from near the door.
Seth was quiet as Dad got his shoes on and I finished my last waffle. I guzzled down my orange juice, stood and walked over to Dad and Seth and waited.
Dad reached out and pulled me into a brief hug then looked to Seth. "I'll be at work till a little after seven, keep her in one piece." He said tiringly.
Seth perked up instantly. "Will do!"
AN: REVIEW! :D