Settling in.
In all my years, I'd been firm to myself that no-one knew my name. I'd gone through names like a wild fire through brush, from older names, Josephine, to ones that were becoming popular, fast, like Faith.
What surprised me as I waited for the sun to set once more, was that I'd used my middle name. Sure, it wasn't my first name, but it was pretty close. It was a bit late to change it now, though. I could always leave, but the thought turned me cold all over.
It had been a week since I had first moved and I can't get them damn boys out of my house, any time during the night, and it's starting to get difficult to get then out in the day. The didn't seem to mind I had a nocturnal schedule, and they mostly stayed up at night too, apart from the couple that worked in the day. Plus, they are me out if house and home. I couldn't cook good fast enough for them to wolf down, especially that boy, Embry. Food shopping was being a pain, also.
So I've set a rule.
If the boys were eating my food, then they'd damn well go buy some food during the day. Of course, I didn't make then pay all the time. Just most of the time.
From the couple of times I'd talked to Emily, it seems like she was happy to have them out eating other people's food. What I can gather is she is Surrogate Mother 1 and I were New Surrogate Mother 2. I had a desperate compact made with myself that I was going to keep to myself, not make friends, but from the first time they came to my house and I'd witnessed first hand how difficult it was I get them to leave; I'd abandoned the idea.
One thing that was all ways on my mind was Paul. I'd catch him staring at me, and he always wanted to help. What did he want? I had no idea.
The boy always seemed so down and desperate when he had to leave, at the very last moment. But I couldn't let him stay.
I glanced at the clock next to my dead body and saw the sundown was later than it should be. They were going to be over at nine, no earlier, I had been adamant about that, and it was already quarter past eight now.
I was bouncing when I returned to my body, and once again, I thanked the Gods for coffee. Some would be surprised, but being dead left an awful taste in your mouth. I was lucky because I don't just sat down with y coffee when the door flew open and in stumbled Embry and Quil.
"My dear one!" Quil exclaimed and pulled my into a hug. I wrapped my blue hoodie around me closer and yelled at Embry.
"Close the door, you idiot! It's freezing!" Embry rolled his eyes but did as I asked before throwing down a bag of shopping onto the table.
"Come on, baby, food time!" Quil exclaimed, going into the cutlery drawer and pulling out pairs after pairs of knife and forks. I glared at them and they looked saddened.
"Coffee." I said, still glaring at them before getting up to set out some tools I would undoubtedly need, including the spatula, before taking a sip out of my mug.
I spied Embry reaching into the bag an pulling out the bread and ham and as quick as greased lightening I jumped and slapped his hand, hard, with the spatula, fortunately still in my hand. Embry pulled his hand to his forehead and sighed.
"Romeo, Romeo, why are you so mean?" He said in a loud voice I just snorted and waved my spatula under his nose.
"You keep your grubby hands off the food or I'll shove this spatula where the sub don't shine, you hear me?" I growled and I raised an eyebrow. Embry looked shocked.
"Grubby?!" He shrieked. "My hands are not grub-" he got cu off by a girly squeal.
"My boy!" Quil leaped over and landed flat on Embry. He turned to set a hostile look at me. "Don't you touch My boy, young whippersnapper!" I groaned and rolled my eyes.
I'd better make that food. They seemed to go about off the rail when they were hungry. Embry tightened his grip in Quil and exclaimed,
"Oh, Mammy! She's so horrible to me! She starves me, whips me when I speak! She-" I flew my hands down to the table and smacked it.
"I'll make your damn food!" I gulped the last off my coffee and then slammed it into the sink. The food was cooking when I heard the door slam.
"Honey! I'm home!" Sang Seth as he, Jake and Jared walked into my kitchen.
"Be careful, boys, she's in one of them moods, wink wink." I rolled my eyes, my back to them. I can just see Seth out the corner of my eye, nodding his head seriously. The pot suddenly started to boil and I slammed it onto the table.
"Food!" I snapped and they all cheered. I walked to the door way before quickly turning back to them. "Save some for Collin and Brady! I'm not making any more." I stamped out to the stairs and hesitated.
"And Paul!" I screamed, and I heard the booming laughs following it.
The he water beat down onto my back and I sighed in bliss. The only time I could completely relax. I jumped out the shower after five more minutes and wrapped a towel around me body. I'deft them boys too long already. I walked out and then into my room and almost screamed when I saw a hunched shadow on my bed. Flicking the light on, I relaxed when I saw Paul.
And then it hit me , Paul was in my bedroom.
"Paul! Get the hell out of my room!" Paul looked up guiltily but I caught the way his eyes brightened when he saw me. And then he laughed.
"Sorry! Sorry." He muttered but still held back chuckles as he left.
I dressed quickly, rubbed my hair that had darkened under the water and then creaked open the door. It was quiet downstairs and I thought they'd all gone.
But then I saw Paul's shadow on the stairs.
"Come in." I muttered and then sat on my bed. He followed suit. It was quiet for a while before I got impatient.
"What did you want, Paul?" I asked and he jumped, I turned to see him watching me, and I turned away, unnerved by this unknown feeling. He was so-
NO!
I winced at the volume of the Third Thought. What they were up to, I had no idea.
Paul watched me for a while before opening his mouth and then snapping it shut. He looked nervous.
"Well, um," he looked lost and I had to stop my self from reaching over and comforting him. "I was wondering, you like food, yeah? And I like food, and well, maybe we could get food together sometime?" He was so hesitant. I- what- my brain stopped working. Is he asking me on a date?!
"Uh, like a date?" I squeaked. He nodded and I panicked. "Paul, your-your lovely and all, but I- we- you- I can't!" I stopped breathing for a while and then calmed and squeezed my eyes shut.
"You can't?" He his voice was a couple of decibels lower now and shook with anger. "What can't you!" He shouts and I opened one eye to see him shaking. "What's wrong with me, huh? Am I not good enough for you? Is there somebody else? There's somebody else isn't there! I can't believe I'm so stupid. This is all wrong. Sam was wrong!" He squeezed down onto the bed frame and I heard a crack!
I jumped and let out a small shriek. I had to lie now, and that got me mad. He was overreacting.
"I just don't like you!" I said and turned away. You haven't been on a date in over one hundred years, you mean.
I heard a low growl and when I looked up to apologise, I realised my room was empty. Empty? Empty. I couldn't believe the hurt that was actually coursing through my veins at that one small lie. I groaned and stuck my head into my pillows. What a mess.
Over the next two weeks, I saw no one. At all.
They just disappeared.
No one answered the door when I knocked when I went over to Emily and Sam's. Embry never answered his phone.
I had to leave to go to a twenty four hour tiny shop in the middle of no-where with canned food so I could survive the week. As the days went past, I grew more angry.
Leaving me to defend for myself! And completely ignoring me.
Was it because of Paul? He got way more upset then needed.
I decided I needed a plan.
I had mentioned before, I could hold mean grudges. And this was going to be one mean grudge.
One. Mean. Grudge.
I may have an idea.
And there were the Third Thoughts I loved.