"Did you know that Sam and Leah broke up?" Tori entered my bedroom with one hand clasping a packet of chocolate chip cookies, and the other holding a carton of milk.
"What! No way! When? Well I hope she dumped him, he is a freak now." I said sitting up on my bed, playfully snatching the cookies from her hand.
"Hey!" She protested with a huff before taking a seat beside me on the bed. "And turns out he dumped her around the time he went all weird."
It had been three months since the Cullens had left. The cold, wet Washington winter had returned and most of our time was spent indoors. I hadn't seen Bella properly since the morning after the Cullens had left and I stayed the night. It was like a part of her had died and she hadn't been the same since. At school she didn't sit with her friends, she just moped around and sat alone at the Cullens' old table. I'd try and join her some days but she wouldn't talk to me. Once she realised I had no clue where they had gone she ignored me.
I'd heard from Dad that she'd been having nightmares every night for the past three months, waking Charlie every night. I'd been keeping a close eye on her, keeping my promise of ensuring that she's safe and that she didn't do anything reckless. She couldn't really in her emotionless zombie state anyway.
"You can't be serious?" I was completely shocked, how could he do that to her when he's already caused enough damage to the tribe and now he's dumped one of the elder's daughters.
"It gets worse." She revealed after taking a swig of milk straight from the carton.
"How?" I was scared to ask.
"He dumped her for Seth and Leah's cousin Emily Young, you know from the Makah Tribe." She concluded with a sigh and I slowly felt the anger begin to boil inside me. What a disgusting human being.
"Noooooo! Ergh, he's vile." I spat, shoving another cookie into my mouth. I hated Sam, he had corrupted my brother and Paul into some weird cult loving freaks. They thought they owned everything in La Push, us normal, young people called them hall monitors on steroids.
"I know right. Completely out of order, Leah is devastated. I also can't believe that Emily actually got with him knowing how upset Leah is." Tori added shaking her head at the new couple's foolishness.
"I agree. Poor Leah." I contemplated on whether I should go visit her to see if she was okay but something inside me was telling me not to, especially with the hate her father and mother have for me.
Nothing vampire related had changed about me except for the slight brightening of my eyes, the deep, blood red colour was now a very dark orange. I was still wearing my contacts everyday so no one knew but me. Just like Alice had said, I was receiving monthly packages of contacts to keep me stocked up, it was hard to keep it hidden from the family.
I've been spending most of my time with Jake, Quil and Embry. His 18th birthday was a few days ago, we had a small get together at his house with our parents considering the other half of our group didn't want to spend any time with us.
The boys' company was something that kept my mind off of the Cullens and Bella. But I was worried, they were changing a lot. Jake was now at six foot five, his muscles were continuing to grow making him look hotter than ever. Much to my liking.
Embry and Quil were the same though, Embry looked like he stopped growing height wise last month staying at six foot four, the same for Quil at six foot two. Their temperaments had stayed the same although they could be angered easily. I hoped they wouldn't turn out like Jesse. Their happy nature gave me reassurance that they wouldn't.
Mom returned over the Christmas period and for New Years. I ended up staying with her over the two weeks she was home as well as Tori, Jesse didn't stay with her but he was happy to see her. Her reaction to seeing him though was priceless.
Everyone was home considering it was mid-morning. Dad was watching TV, Tori and I were in the kitchen eating breakfast and Jesse was asleep after being out all night doing god knows what. He didn't have a job so I definitely knew he wasn't working. There was a knock at the front door, and knowing Dad would answer it as we continued to eat.
"Lily?" Dad's voice rang through the house. Tori and I froze, my spoon halfway to my mouth. "When did you get back?"
"This morning, thought I'd come straight round here to see you guys." Mom. She was home. I haven't seen her in what felt like forever.
Me and Tori scrambled up from our seats and ran to the front door, me obviously at human pace. "Mom!" We called as she stepped in through the front door, Dad closing it behind her to keep the snow from coming in and to stop the heat from going out.
"My girls." She beamed her arms open wide as we fell into them hugging her tightly. "You've grown so much." She then hugged us both individually whilst Dad murmured about going to wake Jesse.
Mom looked at me carefully, taking in my appearance. "I can't get over how beautiful you look. Did you do something different?" She began to play with the ends of my hair brushing it out of my face.
"I've been using different skin care products." I said trying to throw her off. And she nodded her head accepting that as to why I looked slightly different.
"That must be it then." She said just as Jesse began to walk down the stairs.
"Mom don't freak out." Tori said watching the stairs as Jesse's feet became visible.
"Why would I freak out- oh my god!" Tori chuckled as I looked at my brother. This would be the longest we've been in a room together since he found out about me. After Bella was found he went back to forgetting I existed.
"Hey Mom." He smiled and she just stared at him in shock.
"What in the hell happened to you? You're like six foot five. Where did these muscles come from? Your beautiful long hair... You got a tattoo! Robert how can you let him do this!" Mom said staring at him.
"Come on Mom, I'm 19." He said hugging her.
"Have you seen the size of him? You expect me to control that?" Dad said pointing at Jesse, he was only teasing but I guess there was some truth to it.
When she left, Tori and I went back to Dad's and back to living with Jesse. He spoke to Tori but never to me. Mom still had until the end of February to decide whether she was moving or not and she sat all three of us down to help her decide. We told her that she should go, she loves her job and this is just something that she has to do. She said she's going to think about it for a bit longer.
Jesse had told me a few days after Bella's disappearance that he couldn't be seen speaking with me, that it wasn't right to be so friendly with me. I knew Sam had put him up to it, it was obvious. They all follow him around so he had obviously told them to stay away from me. I was glad Jared was away from me but I needed my brother and I missed Paul as well.
* * *
I was currently on my way to Jake's with Embry and Quil to ask if he wanted to hang out. He'd been with Bella a lot recently, blowing us off because he was hanging out with her so we were hoping she wasn't going to be there today. I was selfish and jealous on both parts, he was my best friend that I had a huge crush on and wanted to be around all the time, not to mention the fact he had a crush on her. Jake had also been helping to cheer Bella up, I just wished she had come to me instead.
"So how's the Ryan thing going." Quil asked, nudging my shoulder as we walked.
"Meh. He's annoying me a little at the moment." I groaned ribbing my temples.
"How so?" Embry asked looking down at me, tucking his long hair behind his ears.
"Like he doesn't like me worrying about Bella. He actually had a go at me in front of all our friends for sitting with Bella instead of them." I rolled my eyes at the memory, he's so full of himself sometimes but other times he can be a real sweetheart.
"Wow what a great guy you got there." Quil said sarcastically just as a huge gust of wind swept across Jake's yard. I breathed in and Bella's scent filled my nose, great. "What are you groaning about now?" Oops, didn't realise I had.
"Bella's here." I said all too quickly realising my mistake.
"How do you know?" Embry asked as we walked past Jake's house.
"Erm, just reckon she is." I hoped that was a good enough excuse.
"Yo, Jake you in there?" Embry called as we got to his garage door.
"No it's okay, it's just my boys... And Aria." Jake said obviously talking to Bella.
"Hey Jake." Quil grinned as I walked in behind them and straight over to Jake, who already had his arms open wide for me to walk into.
"Hey." He greeted, smiling down at me for a fraction of a second. "Guys this is Bella. Bella that's Quil and Embry." Jake introduced and Quil and Embry shot their gazes to me, I just winked at them playfully, no harm in freaking them out a little.
"I'm Quil Ateara." Quil said, as if Bella was going to be phased by knowing his last name. I scoffed turning my face into Jake's chest muffling my laughter as Quil put on his flirting voice. I glanced at Bella and saw her looking at Jake and I for help. "So the bike building story is true," he added as I stepped out of Jake's arms. What bike building story? I realised they had been hanging a lot but not building bikes.
"Oh yeah, I taught him everything he knows." Bella joked with a smirk.
"What about the part where you're his girlfriend?" Quil asked and my gaze shot to Embry and he looked back at me, a sympathetic gaze in his eyes and I felt my heart sink.
What? Girlfriend? My heart constricted and I felt like I was going to collapse until Bella answered.
"Err... We're friends." She looked confused as she watched Jake whose face contorted with panic and embarrassment and I tried to hide the pain on mine. I shouldn't feel this way.
"Ooh burn!" Embry remarked whilst he and Quil laughed.
"Actually remember I said she's a girl and a friend." He said pointing at Bella trying to save himself from the embarrassment. Jake side glanced me, his face still showing his panic and I quickly looked down at the floor knowing that if I looked at him my sadness would show.
"Embry, do you remember him making that distinction?" Quil retorted.
"Nope." Embry confirmed.
"So you guys have girlfriends? That's awesome." Bella commented and I could help but let out a little laugh along with Jake.
"Yeah right." I mocked laughing at how Embry and Quil's faces dropped.
"Quil actually took his cousin to prom." Jake said and all of us laughed expect for Quil. He was the easiest target to tease, he only had himself to blame he got himself into these situations.
"Yeah well is still alright." Quil said attempting to back himself up whilst Jake continued to laugh. "You want funny Black I'll give you funny!" Quil said before running at him.
I rolled my eyes as they began to wrestle, stepping out of the way as they rolled past me. "I got five bucks on Quil." Embry said to Bella as I stood on the side of the room. I didn't know if she wanted to be around me knowing how much pain had been caused.
"You're on." She agreed as they continued to fight.
"I'll take that bet, Quil to win." I said loudly, knowing Jake would hear. I wanted to mess with him a bit.
Jake's face shot round to look at me, his eyes piercing at me evilly as the smile spread across my face. He quickly slammed Quil's body down onto the dusty, garage floor, Quil wheezing at the sudden contact, and ran at me. I flung myself out of the garage door, sprinting at a human pace away from him, my erratic giggles escaping my body.
"You would bet on Quil instead of me!" He yelled after me, his seriousness not convincing as he finished with a laugh.
"I take it back!" I shrieked just as he scooped me up into his arms and hurled me over his shoulder. It was weird to think that I could probably carry him like this too now.
"That's what I thought." I could just picture the huge grin on his face as he marched me back to the garage. As he placed me back on my feet I was met with a very awkward looking Bella.
"Aria, could... Could I err... Speak to you?" Bella asked once everyone had calmed down.
"Yeah sure, let's go outside." I said as she stood from her stool.
We wandered silently away from the garage and across the field towards the tree line. She kept her head down, occasionally brushing the hair out of her face.
"Did they tell you they were leaving?" She asked, looking up at me now.
"Yes."
"Did you know before I did?" She kept her eyes on me as if making sure I was telling the truth.
"Yes." I answered again.
"Have you spoken to them?" Her voice shook as she spoke.
"No. They didn't tell me where they were going either." I told her honestly and she nodded at my response.
"I'm sorry for ignoring you these past few months. I've been..." She began, her gaze falling from me again.
"I know, I understand. It wasn't easy for you but I promised to take care of you and you wanting distance was a way of helping you." I explained truthfully.
"I'm still sorry, I don't want to lose you either. You're my reminder that it was all real and I can't lose that because if I do, I lose him as well." She said pulling me into a hug. "I'm sorry that's selfish."
"No, you knowing about this allows me to have someone to confide in. My family, some of the tribe, they know what I am. They resent me for it. They believe I'm a threat. I can't even talk to my own brother now." I admitted painfully my eyes tearing up slightly.
"You have me don't worry." She pulled back to look at me. "Do you still have red in your eyes?" She asked as she looked at me intensely.
"Its brightened slightly but yeah. I'm already tired of having to change my contacts every few hours." I smiled enjoying her company for the first time in months. "So are we good now?" I asked hopefully and her smile widened.
"Yeah, we're good." She confirmed happily pulling in me in for another hug.
"So you've been hanging around with Jacob?" I asked as we began a slow walk back to the guys.
"Yeah, he's kinda been helping me. Takes my mind off things." She explained, her eyes trained on the grassy ground.
"He's good at that." I couldn't help the small smile that crossed my lips. "And where did the bikes come from?" Now this really did intrigue me. Bella on a motorcycle was destined to be a disaster.
"Some guy from school was selling them, again, I thought it would be another good distraction. Jake was the only mechanic guy I knew." Bella calling Jake Jake dug at me. I knew that everyone called him Jake but he was my best friend. I didn't want her to take him away from me with all the time they've been spending together.
"Oh cool. Just be careful. Your clumsiness and bikes will not mix well." I warned her with a joke and she laughed lightly, a slight falseness to it but I shrugged it off. There was no point digging for answers when Bella wasn't the type to reveal a lot.
* * *
A week had passed since Bella and I's reunion, she began to talk to me at school again and I was able to talk to her in the evenings over the phone. Her nightmares had also stopped since we made up which helped her over night. It also came as a relief to Uncle Charlie too.
Jake had been edgy these past few days, Quil included, as Embry had missed some school and no one had heard from him. Dad had said he was okay and I was not to worry. But I was. I told myself not to think about it but I couldn't help but wonder if he had taken the same path as Sam, Jesse, Paul and Jared. Dad was the same when Jesse and Paul disappeared...
My phone began to ring and when I saw that the caller ID was Embry I answered immediately. "Oh my god, Embry! Are you okay? Jake said you haven't been to school-" He cut me off sharply.
"I need to speak with you. Are you home alone?" His voice was emotionless, pure monotone.
"My dad and Tori are home. Why do you need to speak with me?" It wasn't like Embry to be like this, all agitated and uncomfortable.
"Meet me where the trails link up." He said before hanging up.
I removed the phone from my ear and stared at the screen, the picture that was Embry's ID, a photo of me and him when we were about four playing in mud, our arms and legs covered. I couldn't stand the thought of losing him too, not with Jesse and Paul already gone. I didn't care for Jared or Sam.
I told Dad I was going out for a walk and I left. These past few months my freedom had increased drastically. Dad didn't question me going out anymore, it was like he was scared about what I'd do if he said no. Other than that he had been fairly normal, but he did regularly ask if I was hungry.
It didn't take long to get to where he wanted to meet but he wasn't there yet so I took a seat on a nearby fallen log. I just repeated the words over and over in my head:
He couldn't of changed. He wouldn't of changed.
"Aria?" His voice sounded from behind me so I stood and turned round to look at him, only to regret it. His hair. The tattoo. He looked just like them.
"No! No, no, no! Embry." My bottom lip was starting to wobble so I bit it. My eyes filling with tears as I watched him look at me, nothing but sympathy in his eyes. "Please tell me this is a joke. I can't lose you too" I pleaded and he slowly shook his head and I let out a loud sob. I felt like I was going to be sick.
"I can't be friends with you anymore." My breathing stopped altogether. I was definitely going to be sick.
"What?" I whispered not believing it.
"I said I can't be friends with you anymore. I don't want to see or talk to you anymore. You can't be a part of my life." He kept his eyes on me, his jaw locked. He tried to hide the guilt in his voice but I could see through it.
"You know what I am don't you? Sam told you to stay away from me didn't he?" His face hardened and I knew I was right.
"Don't blame Sam; I could never be friends with a leech, whether you are half human or not." He said firmly his eyes squeezing shut when he finished. I knew he wasn't telling the truth. This was forced.
"You're lying! Embry I'm still me, I didn't want this. I was being followed, she was going to kill me." I pleaded and he shook his head.
"Goodbye Aria." He said, turning to go back the way he came from, the beach trail.
"No Embry, listen to me." I said speeding over to him so I was suddenly in front of him. He looked taken back to begin with but then quickly returned to his hard stature.
"No. Goodbye." He then ran, off the trail and into the foliage, leaving me standing there in a mess of tears.
I needed Jake.
I took off, heading towards Jake's house but this time away from the trail, avoiding being seen by any humans. When I reached the forest line by his house I checked the area for Bella's scent, she wasn't here.
"Jake!" I shouted as I began to sprint, human speed, towards his garage knowing he'd be in there.
"Blue?" He emerged from his garage and confused look on his face.
"Jake." I whimpered and as soon as I was close enough I fell into his arms. He wrapped his own around me tightly, falling to the ground and pulling me into his lap as he rocked us both. "Embry..."
"I know, he came to see me too." He stroked my hair softly, pressing his lips to my forehead in order to soothe me. Sam was a horrible person, how could he tear people away from their loved ones without a proper explanation?
"Please, please don't ever do that to me. I'd rather die than lose you Jake I wouldn't be able to cope." I said turning up to look at him only to see him already looking down at me.
"Don't say thinks like that! Aria, I will never do that to you. I promise you. You are everything to me I could never hurt you like that." His words reassured me as he used his thumb to wipe away my tears.
We sat like that until it began to rain and Jake offered to take me home. We drove in his Rabbit in silence, my feet up on the chair as I hugged my knees. The tears had stopped but the hurt hadn't disappeared. It's just that even though Jake calmed me, he couldn't get Embry back.
"Do you want me to come in?" He asked. I didn't even realise we were at my house. I nodded before climbing out the car. The rain still pouring down as Jake met me by the front door, taking my smaller hand in his as I unlocked it.
It was getting late but I hadn't eaten, I wasn't hungry but I knew Jake would be. I told Jake to wait upstairs whilst I grabbed food. Finding a pizza box on the table, I opened it to see how much was left revealing only three quarters so I grabbed it.
I walked into my room to find Jake in only a pair of sweats that he had left here, his wet clothes now drying on the radiator. I handed him the pizza box as he handed me one of his shirts he had left here as well, I didn't even realise it was in his hand. I felt numb. Everyone's leaving one by one.
I turned away from him, and began to remove my jacket, and then my shirt and pulled his spare over my head. My converse were next, followed by my jeans. I walked over to my draws and pulled out some material shorts that I sleep in and pulled them up my legs. I gathered my wet clothes and set them out beside Jacob's.
He was sat up in my bed, the pizza box on his lap as he had already devoured about half of what was left. I climbed in beside him, snuggling into his side as he offered me a slice. "I'm not hungry." I mumbled and he nodded.
He finished what he wanted before placing the box on the floor and pulling me into his side. "Go to sleep Ari, things will get better. Even if they have to get worse just before." He said quietly before kissing the top of my head.
I allowed my eyes to close but I could help but think over his words. Did he mean that the worse is over? Or that things are going to get even harder for me before I can actually be happy again.