𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄

eight

When Iris was younger, in middle school, she had had her first and only argument with Scott. It had been about their father, who Iris had visited over the summer as he was in France. Scott hated their father with every fibre of his being, but Iris just wanted his love. Scott couldn't see her side of things, and took to giving her the cold shoulder. Stiles took his side, since the two of them were attached at the hip.

After Scott had left her crying in the school corridor, Jackson had found her. The two developed a sort of friendship, with Jackson understanding how annoying families could be. For the two weeks that Scott and Iris had fought, Jackson had brought her a sunflower to her every morning, to 'bring happiness and good luck'. It was the nicest thing Iris had ever seen Jackson do.

Scott and her had made up eventually, with the three of them (Iris, Scott and Stiles) crying in each others arms. Iris maintained her fickle friendship with Jackson, and every Monday morning he would bring her a sunflower with a wide smile on his face. He helped her see how her father was in the wrong, and how as time went by her father would wilt her just like how the sunflowers wilted.

Highschool rolled around and Jackson sought popularity and quickly became the best in the school at lacrosse. He became infatuated with Lydia and offered Iris the chance to join his friendship group. The offer didn't last long, as Iris quickly became associated with Scott and Stiles whilst also finding her own friends in Brett and Isaac. Her friendship with Jackson was over and had wilted just like all those sunflowers he had brought her those many years ago.

~ present day ~

Iris finished rearranging her bouquet of sunflowers just as Bella knocked and walked into her room. Their was no point in the pale girl knocking as she just barged in anyway, but Iris didn't point that out.

"I'm going hiking," she says gruffly, "If you want to come with me move." Iris immediately scrambled to get ready, throwing on some sweatpants and a big coat.

Bella sweeped past her to leave the house, locking the door before venturing into the woods. Charlie had warned them the day before about the bears that resided their and were killing hikers, so Iris was extra on alert as Bella walked along the muddy path.

Iris, who was usually quite coordinated, was struggling to walk and kept slipping about. The dirt was coming up from beneath her feet, causing her to slip and slide around. The trail seemed to go on for miles, with an awkward silence between the two cousins. Bella didn't seem in the mood to talk and actually seemed very determined to get to wherever jt is she was wanting to go.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, the two girls stumbled out onto a dead meadow, which was filled with weeds and dead grass. Bella let out a sob as she saw it and fell to her knees. She pulled at the grass, whispering one word over and over again.

'Edward'

Iris didn't know how to help or console her cousin, and the walk had taken its toll on her. Bella was slowly killing her, and she didn't realise it. As if the universe noticed Iris's weakened state, a man with blood red eyes exited the forest and headed towards the two girls. Iris froze and pulled Bella behind her, straightening up into a fighting stance.

"Laurent," Bella stuttered, looking almost relieved to see this weird man. Iris wondered whether he had been to a costume shop to acquire red contact lenses.

"Bella," he greeted back, his dreadlocks ruffling slightly in the wind, "I am surprised to see you here. I stopped by the Cullen's house but it was empty. I wondered why they had left you here, weren't you a sort of pet of theirs?" Iris growled lowly at this man talking bad about her cousin but Bella steps around her and offers him a smile.

"Something like that."

"I take it the Cullen's visit often?" Laurent continued, his eyes piercing into Bella.

"Oh yeah, all the time. I'll let them know you stopped by."

Iris couldn't help but send a look to Bella- the Cullens had never been around.

"You see," Laurent presses on, "I owe a favour to Victoria. Think of it as helping a friend out. Edward killed James so Victoria wants to kill you. A mate for a mate. An eye for an eye." Iris turns to Bella, horrified. What had her cousin being getting up to? Forks was supposed to be safe.

"I thought you were in Alaska," Bella managed to stutter out, now choosing to hide behind Iris. Laurent lets out a slow chuckle.

"I found the diet there," he pauses as he seems to search for a word, "Restricting. But don't worry, I'll kill you quickly and painlessly, unlike Victoria. And your friend-"

"Cousin," Bella grounds out, "And I don't care about her. Do what you want." Iris freezes. All the helping of Bella she did. All the times she consoled her. She threw away her life to come help Bella. And her cousin had tossed it aside like it meant nothing.

"Well," Laurent sighs, "I don't think I will kill her. She smells like wet mutt. But you, Bella, you smell irresistible." He moves to make a run for the two girls but he can't. He is stuck in place. Iris smirks, not taking her eyes off of him. He eyes widen and he stares at something behind them in shock.

"It can't be," he murmurs, more to himself than the girls. From behind them come 5 gigantic wolves, so big that they could be bears. They are slightly bigger than Derek, Iris notes. She is particularly drawn to one with sliver fur, who seems to whine when he sees Iris in trouble. The other thing her and Jackson had bonded over was their love for wolves.

"Bella, run," Iris yells and they run past the wolves and away from Laurent. Iris doesn't care about her cousin as she runs home, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't believe Bella would say that. Her cousin was trailing behind her, struggling to keep up with the fast pace that Iris could run at.

Charlie and Harry turn to see the commotion but Iris ignores them and runs upstairs, towards her bed and away from Bella. She throws herself on it, regretting that she had ever come to Forks.

She would never forgive her cousin.Her relationship with Bella was wilted, just like Jackson's sunflowers.

A.N- please leave some feedback ❤️❤️