#jacobblack

it’s jacob black x original female character

"fuck off"

pairing: Paul Lahote x Native Fem!OC

warnings: none?

word count: 2.6k

Masterlist

spring speaks: we finally get to see Paul

"I love you Seth, but sometimes I wish I was an only child like Tama."

Seth, who had been openly staring at Tallulah Uley, scoffed from the backseat of Tama's new car. Tallulah hid her laugh behind her hand, though her smile was still noticeable, something that made Seth's face warm up. "What?"

Leah gestured to the car they were currently seated in, the nearly peeling black leather interior contrasting with the cherry red paint on the outside. "These are only child privileges. This is my senior year, I don't see mom and dad rushing to get me a car. I'm just saying, if I was an only sibling..."

"Tama got a car cause she's super smart," Seth shot back from his spot behind Tama, reaching forward to change the radio station for the third time since the siblings had been picked up. "You don't get a car for having a c average."

Leah smacked her brother's shoulder, causing the boy to quickly retreat back to his original spot. Tallulah laughed, though she tried to cheer up Leah. "C's get degrees!"

The older girl smiled, snapping her fingers in agreement. "Exactly! My parents should be praising that."

Tallulah blushed at the acknowledgment, something that made Seth frown. He knew that his crush, unfortunately, had a crush on his sister but, he still held out hope. While he was younger than Tallulah, the girl now a sophomore, she was younger than Leah, and Leah younger than Sam. Plus, Leah and Sam were very much and love and nothing could stop that. 

Tama listened to the siblings go back and forth with a smile, happy things were going back to normal. She had fought tooth and nail to go back to school, her mother certain that she wasn't ready for it. Despite being struck by lightning and almost dying because of it, Tama felt she was in her prime. She had never in her life felt this great and she wasn't going to waste it sitting in bed, though she did love the company that Charlie offered. The only way she had gotten her mother to agree was when she pointed out how important junior year was and how crucial missing the first week would be. 

It was a lie of course, since the first week of school usually consisted of introductions(as if it wasn't the same community of kids that had known each other since birth) and simple worksheets. But, not only did Mitena relent, she also gifted her daughter a car in light of her most important high school year. The bronco was old but, it worked and it was red, something Tama couldn't resist. 

Tallulah piped up from the backseat, the girl understandably more quiet than usual. "Thanks again for giving me a ride Tama!"

Tama smiled at the rear view mirror, catching sight of the girl who Seth looked at lovingly. "Of course Lu, couldn't leave you hanging."

Tallulah sat back in her seat, her smile suddenly dropping as she fiddled with her hands. "Sam usually drives me around but..."

The car went silent then, even the song on the radio coming to the end. Leah looked out the window, some part of her hoping he'd just appear out of thin air. Seth shrugged. "You could've taken his car then. Not like he's here to argue-"

Leah reached over her seat, mustering up her strength and punching her brother as hard as she could in his arm. The boy yelped in pain, gripping the area as if it would fall off at any second. Tama tried her best to keep her eyes on the slippery road ahead of her but sent her best friend a worried glance. The look on her face was deadly, one Tama had never seen before. "God, Seth. How can you be so annoying?"

"What?" Seth whined, still holding his arm carefully. He looked to Tallulah for reassurance, the girl gently caressing the spot while telling him he was okay. 

Tama sighed in relief when she finally pulled into the small makeshift parking lot, her car one of the only few there. Most belonged to teachers and staff but a few kids had been lucky like her, gifted hand me downs or used cars for their last few school years. "Finally." 

"I can walk with you to your class if you want," Tallulah offered meekly, peering up at Leah through thick eyelashes, praying the girl didn't deny her or find her offer weird. 

After a few seconds, Leah nodded, not noticing the girl's nervousness in the slightest, too caught up in her boyfriend's disappearance. She turned to face the street, watching the rain hit the car rhythmically. "Yeah, sure."

Tallulah smiled to herself, resisting the urge to squeal. Seth frowned, also resisting the urge, to swear. He crossed his arms over his chest childishly, staring out the window in an attempt to ignore Tallulah, the act only working for a few seconds before he gave up.

The two siblings rushed out of the car and Tama smiled, turning in her seat and stopping Tallulah. "You know, it's kinda funny watching you pine after your brother's clueless girlfriend."

Tallulah rolled her eyes, lowering her voice so Leah couldn't hear. "I like clueless better. What am I even supposed to say to her? "Hey Leah I know my brother, your boyfriend, is missing but, I'm in love with you"?"

She scoffed, exiting the car before Tama shook her head, mumbling something about the "complexities of teenage love" though she was no stranger to it herself. 

Grabbing her bag and hopping down from the lifted truck, another car caught Tama's eye. It was a familiar car, one she had seen against her will many times. It was a Ford like hers, the old mustang a similar red to her own. The owner of said car slid out at the same time she did, the similar letterman jacket making its appearance. Tama knew that jacket more than she knew that car. She had it in her possession for months, wearing it more than she wore all of her other outerwear. That was, before she gave it back. She wanted to look away before he noticed her staring but, she couldn't help herself. 

Paul had talked about wanting the old mustang time and time again, seeing him with it made Tama smile a little on the inside. Despite their history, she was happy for him. He caught her staring as soon as he slammed his car door shut, ignoring whatever it was that his friend was telling him. 

Tama's breath hitched, leaning up against her car door as she stared at the boy she was head over heels for just a few months ago. He stared back, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut and stay in place. His friend, Isaac, followed his gaze, smiling teasingly when his eyes landed on the black haired girl's cheeks flushed red, her head turning away in embarrassment.

Leah scoffed at the sight, grabbing ahold of her friend and pulling her towards the main school building, muttering about how much she disliked the two. Tama avoided their gazes, trying to focus on anything else but them, finding it close to impossible as her thoughts raced on. Isaac hollered as the group walked by, snickering. 

"Aye look, dead girl walking," he teased, smiling at Tama's avoidance of him. "Glad to see you're not dead."

Tama offered a forced smile, "yeah, me too."

Tama had never fit in with Paul's group of friends. As much as he tried to make her feel included, she always found herself never fitting into their circle. She constantly felt like the odd one out whenever she was around them; never liking the same music, the same clothes, even sports. Her having an overbearing mother didn't help either and she found herself ostracized, not only by Paul's friends, but by most kids around her age. So, Isaac's jokes came as no surprise, and Tama took them lightly.

Paul however, did not. He shot his close friend a dark look, Isaac's face immediately void of all humor it once held. He put his head down in shame, mumbling a small apology. He knew that wasn't enough though, and he'd have to deal with Paul's anger once Tama was out of their sight, something no one wanted to face. Even in the midst of their breakup, everyone knew that Tama was still a sore subject for Paul. She was no object, but the girl was still seen as off limits, whether it was jokes at her expense, or even possible suitors. 

His gaze softened when he met Tama's eyes, the girl grateful but unable to voice it. She looked away, forcing herself to listen to what her friends were saying, much to Paul's dismay. "Mom's worried but, she's trying not to show it. It's kind of annoying."

Tallulah frowned as she thought of her mother, the woman distraught over the possibility of losing her oldest child and only son. Seth sent her a reassuring smile, the boy wanting nothing more than to hold her close to him. He settled on holding her hand, the action innocent enough that she didn't pull away but enough for him to hold in a smile. 

"He'll come home," Tama reassured her younger friend, grabbing hold of Leah's hand and giving it a squeeze. Tallulah offered her a small smile, mumbling a small thanks. "Let's talk about something a little bit more positive. Like the fact that Seth is finally starting high school and Leah's a senior now."

This caused the group to smile as they entered the building, Tama oblivious to the boy that still had his eyes on her as she walked away. Tama whined mockingly, placing her head on Leah's shoulder. "I can't believe you're going to leave me here all alone with these two."

Seth scoffed, "you love me...don't you?" Tama smiled, using her free hand to grasp onto his, causing the boy's spirits to be lifted once more. 

"Of course."

Tallulah piped up, catching sight of her best friend, Jacob Black. Seth, who practically worshipped the ground he walked on, waved once they had caught the boy's eye. "We'll catch you guys later!"

They were off without another word or even a spare glance, though the girls didn't mind. "So..."

Tama glanced over, putting in her few items she had brought to redecorate her locker. There had been only  few reserved for the upperclassmen and Tama was relieved to finally get hers. "So...what?"

Leah scoffed, the annoyed look on her face sticking. "Don't play coy. I saw you two ogling each other, in the parking lot. Please don't tell me you're-"

It was Tama's turn to scoff and she shot Leah a glare, silently telling the girl to stop. "I'm not even thinking about him in that way, or anyway. I don't have time for any distractions, this is my most important school year."

Leah's shoulders relaxed, her face softening. "Good, you were too good for him anyways." Tama rolled her eyes, playfully shoving her friend. 

Hesitating, Leah turned her attention elsewhere while she tried to think of how to say exactly what she wanted to say without hurting her friend. Tama noticed this, nudging her. "What? What is it?"

Her friend sighed, finally relenting as she gave up playing with the strings on her faded jacket. "I just...I just don't want you to get too obsessed with having perfect grades. It's not the end of the world if you don't get straight A's, you know."

Tama avoided her best friend's gaze, gnawing on her bottom lip anxiously. She nodded after a while, though they both know she would still strive for what she and her mother believed were perfection. She and her mother –mostly her mother– had come up with what they thought were the best plan for Tama. She'd graduate and, with a full scholarship, she'd attend Washington State, visiting her mother on the weekends. Far enough that she could make something for herself but, close enough that Mitena didn't have to say goodbye too soon. 

Leah was the opposite, the girl already having a full ride scholarship and a plan to elope with Sam and move as far from the gloomy state as she could. She planned to follow after Jacob's older sisters, moving away once she turned eighteen, like the twins Rachel and Rebecca did. The bell rang, pulling them out of their thoughts, Leah sighing. "Just one more year, I'm out of here. You comin' Tams?"

She nodded in response, happy to be saved by the bell and no longer forced to converse about her obsession with perfection. "Yeah, no I just gotta finish up with my locker and I'll be on my way."

It took her a second but Leah eventually gave in, nodding and following after the crowd of people that swarmed the main hallway. Tama didn't watch her leave, facing her locker instead while she took a deep breath in. "This is gonna be my year."

She repeated it a few times before she was satisfied, slamming her locker and jumping in surprise. "Shit."

The boy beside her jumped as well, shocked by her shock. He mumbled a small apology, watching as she clutched her hand over her heart while regaining her breath. "I'm sorry." His words meant more than Tama could understand, the teenager wishing he could say more but knowing it would only hurt her. Tama avoided his gaze, knowing she would have trouble staying focused, staying angry at him, when she looked into his eyes. She always did. "It's fine."

They stayed in an uncomfortable silence, the hallway slowly clearing out with a few lingering by to try and catch a glimpse of the two talking for the first time in months. Paul shifted uncomfortably in his spot next to her, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'm uh...I'm glad you're okay."

He wanted to face palm. This was the first conversation since he had broken up with her and the first time he was seeing her outside of the hospital, conscious. He had planned it better, in his head, over and over, ruminating over what he'd say to her once he saw her again. 

She nodded once, forcing herself not to say anything else. She tried to walk away, turning too fast and causing her open bag to spill a few of its contents, the raven haired teen cursing when she heard them hit the floor. Reaching down to pick up the fallen items, her face suddenly turned red. 

Paul had also bent down to help her but stopped, noticing at the same time she did. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw the now-dead daisy lying up against the old tile next to her other items. He had seen Mitena throw them away with his own eyes, which made him even happier. She had found them, and kept them, knowing who they were from. Embarrassing to her, though it gave him hope. Hope that Tama still loved him despite him breaking her heart. He grabbed ahold of the flower before she could snatch it up, slowly offering it to her with a breathtaking smile on his face.

Tama's face felt warm, accidentally looking him in the eyes and getting lost in them, the girl sure she was making a fool of herself. A few seconds passed before she cleared her throat, suddenly regaining her sense when his genuine smile turned into a smug one. She recalled their last conversation and suddenly the butterflies in her stomach dropped and she scowled at him, not even bothering to take the flower before gathering up her things and standing up. 

"Fuck off."

"it's a date"

spring speaks: Seth finally makes an appearance! rejoice

pairing: Seth Clearwater x OC

masterlist

word count: 4.6k

warnings: quil(he's a bit much but I love him sm), very brief mention of su*icide.

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Noa Swan had been in Forks for exactly two weeks. In that time, she had acquired a learners permit and Bella had been teaching her to drive, something she was quite awful at and refused most of the time. Charlie insisted that he and Bella help her practice, telling his niece she'd be much happier with a license and more access to Bella's car, which was only used for her to go to work and back. The idea didn't sound appealing to her at all, and the girl didn't bother hiding her relief when she finally pulled into the now-familiar driveway of the Swan home, noticing that an unfamiliar truck had been parked in front of the house. Bella noticed her confusion, "it's just the Clearwaters." Noa relaxed then, entering the house and greeting her uncle and Harry, pleased to know that it was only them and she didn't have to put up with her aunt Molly and her game of 'let's pinch your cheeks til they turn red'.

"How'd it go?" Charlie asked, lining up his fishing gear by the front door but pausing to spare his niece a worried glance. Harry chuckled to himself, his reddened cheeks pulled back taught as he joked, "hit any cars?" Charlie hid his laugh with a cough, nudging his old friend as his worry was swiped clean from his face, much to Noa's annoyance. 

Noa scoffed at the two, "you said you wouldn't tell anyone; and it only happened twice, I swear." The men shared disbelieving looks before the two were out of the house, loading up Harry's car with their supplies, while Noa took the open seat in the kitchen, returning to her book she was forced to pause in order to partake in her 'mandatory' driving lessons. Bella had retreated to her room which meant she wasn't to be disturbed, something Noa quickly caught onto. She didn't know the parameters of a typical cousin-relationship so she didn't question it, aware of her cousin's depressed state. 

Jacob called frequently, checking in on her whenever he could. With Bella unable to keep Noa the near constant company her uncle thought she needed, Charlie usually forced the two to hang out while he and Billy watched sports, though Noa didn't mind as Jacob was good company and he didn't seem bothered by her presence while he worked on his car. Charlie frowned upon reentry, sending a glance up the stairs to where Bella had ventured off to. The man sighed, leaning onto the staircase before peering over at his niece. "You sure you'll be good on your own here? I could drop you off over with Mitena and Tama if you want, or at the Clearwaters'...I'm sure Sue and the kids won't mind, right Harry?"

The man nodded, picking up the last of his things as he gave Noa a thin lipped smile. "Sue's been dying to see ya again but she doesn't want to push, and I'm sure Seth won't mind a girl round his age at the house," the man chuckled at that and Noa decided that she liked his without a care attitude; she smiled after the man as she watched him carry his belongings to his old truck. Charlie inquired further as the two were about ready to head out, "so, how bout it kid? You staying in or am I dropping you off somewhere?"

Noa thought about it for a moment, sliding her bookmark into place before closing Wuthering Heights and placing it onto the counter next to Charlie's half emptied coffee mug. "Tama's working, I called the number you have for her on the fridge, and I don't want to bother Sue or anybody really, I'll be fine."

"You know, you could always get a job to keep you busy," Charlie suggested, mentioning both Tama and Bella's respective jobs at the local art gallery and Newton's Olympic Outfitters. The man snapped his fingers suddenly and Noa jumped a bit from the sudden action and he quickly apologized. "Come to think of it, hey Harry, isn't Joy looking for help down at her store?" He smiled when Harry nodded in confirmation, his hands thrown up suggestively.

His niece seemed to ponder the idea, her eyebrows coming together in the middle. "I've never had a job before. Where does she work?" Noa asked, seeing Harry roll his eyes while she thought about the possibilities of a job. "She owns a little metaphysical store right near La Push on the main highway, not too far from here."

Harry mumbled on about how the store made a mockery of real natives due to the items being sold by the woman and scoffed, heading off toward his truck. Charlie shrugged, looking back to his niece who nodded after a while. "Yeah, why not? It'll be nice to get out of the house every once in a while, even if it does rain most days." She gathered her bag and book before joining Charlie out in front, a scowl on her face as she felt the first bit of rain drop onto the middle of her head, right where her ebony colored tresses parted.

Charlie nodded in agreement, happy with her enthusiasm instead of the mourning she had been in since her arrival and feeling accomplished that he was at least helping someone, something he had been doing his entire life. He noticed that she talked about Charlotte less and would catch her reading a different book than the one that was currently tucked between her elbow and ribs, one that brought frequent frowns to her face as she did so. He threw an arm over his niece's shoulder, something he did often that she had to get used to considered she wasn't too comfortable with most forms of physical contact yet. "Yeah, it'll let you save up a bit of money. Money, maybe for a car..."

Noa ignored her uncle, slipping into the backseat and attempting to make herself comfortable with the abundance of gear situated next to her. Harry apologized, though she waved him off as they headed towards La Push, an old rock song playing on the radio. The men joked and reminisced on the song, Noa catching word that they listened to it often in their youth which made her smile. They went on like this for a while until the car slowed and veered off the road a bit til it came to a stop, though the engine still idled. Charlie and Harry turned to look at the girl who shrunk a bit under their gazes, hoping they weren't sending her inside alone. "You just go on in there and say your Chief Swan's niece and you heard about the open position, okay?"

The girl didn't nod as she was still a bit afraid, her mind running wild with possibilities as her lips pulled downward to form a frightened frown. "What if the position's already been filled?" Noa asked, her stomach dropping at the possibility of the trip over being futile and being stuck with the woman she had yet to meet until Charlie was done fishing. Harry snorted from in front of the wheel, not bothering to hide his amusement as he chided, "doubt it."

Her uncle urged her again, gentler this time, as if he was convincing a child on their first day of school that everything would be alright. She nodded before thanking Harry for the ride, slipping out of the crowded back seat and onto the gravel where dust picked up on her black boots. She was still hesitant but didn't want to burden the two men with her presence any longer since she knew they were eager to go fishing. The teenager waved them off awkwardly as they drove off towards the marina, mumbling a low, "take me with you" she knew for certain they couldn't hear. Once the car was out of view, Noa sighed, hanging her head before dragging her feet in the direction of the small building only a couple hundred feet away. 

A bell announced her entry and she pulled her hood back to further inspect the place. It seemed Harry was right as the store was filled with stereotypical indigenous items, placed strategically throughout the small space. The rest of the store was filled with rows of books and tarot cards, the walls lined with storage that overflowed with incense, some burning and filling the space with the smell of myrrh. Footsteps caused her to alter her gaze and a woman appeared from behind a once-closed door, obviously surprised but elated at the presence of a possible customer. The woman she assumed to be Joy had a charming smile and was heavy set, clad in jewels of all different shades and sizes, tortoiseshell glasses adorning her beautiful, cheery face. 

Noa waved awkwardly, clutching her bag tighter in an attempt to comfort herself. "Um, hi. I'm Noa, Chief Swan's niece. He told me you were looking for some help around here and-"

"Oh-oh," the woman's shock turned into sadness, sympathy, as she frowned and held her hands out, not waiting for Noa to respond before she pulled her into a hug, her condolences flying out rather quickly and Noa stood wide eyed in her uncomfortable embrace, unsure of what to do or say. She let out a breath once she was finally released, adjusting her clothes and clearing her throat awkwardly. Joy didn't seem to notice her discomfort as she motioned for her to follow.

"Your uncle is right, I do need help. I have all my new shipments in and I want to get them organized since it's the holiday season which means more customers. It'll just be seasonal though so I'll only need you til the end of January and maybe at the start of tourist season late spring...oh and I'll have to pay you under the table. Is that okay?"

Joy clapped when Noa nodded almost robotically, the girl rather afraid to decline the position offered to her, and unable to voice the fact that she didn't know what 'under the table' meant.

The older woman showed her around the store and Noa noticed she walked with a limp, "I'd have my son, Quil do this usually with his friends but they're all too cool to help out during Christmas break." She scoffed, adding, "teenagers."

Joy pointed to a picture hanging near the front of the store where the register was. Noa peered closer and pointed at a familiar face, "Jacob."

She spotted the boy, a bit younger looking, with his arm around another boy's shoulder, both grinning widely. Joy nodded as she stared at the photo fondly, naming her son, Quil, as well as their other childhood friend, Embry Call. 

"Those boys, I'll tell you," Joy smiled as she picked up a box from the floor and placed it onto the counter. She laughed a bit, as if she was remembering something hilarious then. "Always into some trouble, I swear. They're all like my boys though, especially Jacob since he lost his mother so young."

Noa only nodded as she watched her open the box and begin to pull out its contents, books. Joy's smile was wiped from her face and Noa stood up a bit straighter in preparation for her next words. "Now, I need you to organize these alphabetically and put them up on the shelves, alright? Once you're done with that, we'll unload a few more boxes. Sound okay, sweetheart?"

Again, she simply nodded, the teenager still mute as Joy left her to her own devices. She felt like she could breathe easier once she was finally left alone and she took one anxiety reducing glance around the empty store before she turned her attention to her assigned task. Granted, she hadn't been expecting to be put to work this quickly but she figured she didn't have anything better to do, the girl pulling out her iPod and headphones before getting started. 

She had only been working for thirty minutes, not that she had been counting since she hadn't stopped to take a break or even deviate from her playlist she had made the day before -she'd overheard some teenagers in the grocery store talking about a new album from a band called Paramore and decided to give them a listen, and a listen turned to listening to said album on repeat whenever she turned on her iPod - before she was interrupted.

Noa was quite proud of her quick and diligent work and knew Joy would be proud, a smile beginning to form as she started to put up the last few books on their respective shelf. She shrieked suddenly when her shoulder was knocked quite harshly by an unknown force, sending her onto her knees and the last few books splattered onto the floor along with a multitude of others, piled amongst a still rolling soccer ball. 

The teen ripped her headphones out and whipped her head around to find the source of the ball, a quick flash rushing past her muttering apologies. She could hear Joy cursing as she exited her office, arguing with another voice that sounded as though it belonged to a boy. The figure in front of her made quick work at picking up the scattered books along with her, some slipping from his hands at his speed.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't know-"

Their hands reached for the same book at the same time and they both retracted their hands just as quickly before they made eye contact and suddenly Noa forgot about the shooting pain in her shoulder that had been caused by the boy's soccer ball.

Noa had been around the world and her eyes often fell upon people she found attractive but the boy in front of her was so beautiful she felt as though her cheeks would singe from the intensity of her blush, quickly looking away from his stunned gaze as she tried to stack the last remaining books on the ground in front of them but found herself rightfully stuck.

She saw him wave to her from the corner of her eye, "hi."

She finally looked back at him to see a flustered smile replacing a partially opened mouth and she found comfort in the fact that his cheeks were red as well. So comfortable, she sent him a short wave of her own as well as a shy smile, unable to look at him for long but offering a, "hi," in return, widening his smile.

Hearing footsteps, they both turned to see Sue standing at the end of the aisle with a displeased look on her face, the boy's smile quickly dropping. 

"Seth what did Joy tell you and Quil about playing with that ball in here? Look what you did, you almost knocked the poor girl out and half the store too," the older woman chastised her son, quickly going over to help Noa up, inspecting her shoulder before shooting Seth a glare he flinched under, the boy apologizing to both his mother and Joy, who was still chewing out Quil. "Are you alright dear?"

Noa nodded, remembering that she did in fact get hit with a soccer ball while she rubbed the still-sore area, finally able to focus on something other than Seth. She'd heard stories about him, Sue and Harry talked highly of their youngest child and only son but now that she had a face to put to all the stories, she wished she'd paid more attention to them.

They looked at the mess on the floor and Sue waved it off with a comforting smile, one that mirrored her son. "Don't worry about the mess, Seth and Quil will clean it up, won't you?" she reassured her, another boy, Quil, appearing from around the corner with an equally flustered look as he apologized to the girl. Both boys nodded, Sue smiling triumphantly before reassuring the girl next to her that she'd give her a salve for her shoulder to soothe the pain. 

Joy called out for her friend, leaving the three teens alone amidst a pile of books. Quil was the boldest of the two, Noa noticed quickly, as he leaned up against one of the bookshelves in an attempt to appear casual, his eyes on Noa who watched in confusion.

"So..." the boy began, dragging the word out unnecessarily. Before he could say anything further, Joy suddenly appeared next to him, giving her son a bit of a shock as she said, "watch it, she's your cousin."

Quil gagged as she made her departure into her office with Sue in tow, smacking his lips. "Every single time! I hate living on the Rez..." the boy muttered childishly, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to lean on the bookshelf next to him.

He flinched as Seth threw a book his way, the younger boy urging him on, "come on man, help me. You're the one that kicked the ball." Quil looked from his friend to Noa again, offering her an apologetic smile before going over to help Seth. 

Noa bent down to their level, helping them so they finished quicker, pretending as though she couldn't see Seth staring at her every few seconds while doing the same. He looked at her for a bit longer, studying her face and she wish she was bold enough to do the same. "You're Helena, right? Charlie's niece?"

His voice was so endearing, Noa couldn't bring herself to correct him like she usually did on instinct. Instead, she simply nodded like a fool unable to form words. Seth didn't seem to mind though as he smiled at her, unaware that she had been repeating him saying her name over and over in her head.

Quil kissed his teeth, sparing her a glance, "sorry your mom killed herself. Must've been sick traveling so much though." 

Another book hit him square in the chest and he groaned, clutching the area before flipping off Seth. Noa watched them bicker silently, her eyes bouncing back and forth as though she were watching a tennis match. Friendly banter, she assumed.

"Sorry about Quil, he's an idiot," Seth said honestly, narrowing his eyes at the slightly older boy who didn't seem to know why his words were offensive. "Sorry about your mom, too." 

"It's okay," Noa lied, though she thanked the boy in front of her for his condolences. He didn't seem to believe her but had enough sense not to push the subject further, only nodding in response.

Joy and Sue appeared then, the latter snapping her phone shut as she made her way towards them. "Your uncle wanted me to bring you over to our house for dinner. They should be home before sundown, they just made it back to the marina." 

Quil's face lit up, disregarding the books he had piled in front of him. "Uncle Harry's frying fish? Can I come too?" He begged. Noa couldn't blame him, during her short time back in Forks, she also found herself enticed by the older man's cooking skills and counting down to her uncle and Harry's arrival.

Seth meekly offered his hand to help her to her feet and she hesitantly took it with a smile he was ever so happy to return, their hands still entangled despite her being up and steady at his side. 

Joy scoffed as she scanned over the mess that still sprawled across her store floor and Quil's hopeful smile dropped immediately, Noa hearing Seth stifle a laugh from behind her. "You've got a lot of nerve worrying about fish when you've turned my store into this...this!" She exclaimed breathlessly, the woman rightfully upset at the fact that all their work had been undone within a few seconds of her son's arrival. She turned to Noa, "I'll see you here on Monday, alright? That's when the new shipment comes in and you can help me stock up, sound good?"

Noa nodded, noticing Joy's eyes began to trail downward to where her hand was still brushed up against Seth's and she quickly moved it behind her back, though she admittedly missed the warmth he provided that seemed to spread throughout her cheeks when she caught sight of his smile he tried to suppress.

"Thank you, Joy, for the job, I mean. It was nice meeting you," she said politely, hoping she wouldn't be engulfed into another hug by the older woman. Joy only waved her off, Noa coming to realize she didn't like being thanked or having much attention on herself, walking the trio out the front door while Quil stayed behind to clean. 

"So Noa," Sue began after they had driven onto the main highway and away from the small shop Noa now worked at. The girl in the back was quite frazzled, sitting so close to Seth in the crammed backseat of Sue's old sedan, barely catching what she said. "It's nice, isn't it?"

Noa cleared her throat, looking away from the boy she had been secretly admiring whenever he wasn't doing the same to her. Sue noticed but didn't comment, choosing only to reiterate her initial question. "Washington? It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Her eyes followed the coast once it came into view and she admired it for a few moments, the waves crashing in the distance and the crisp, sea salt air that filled her lungs with every breath. The scenery reminded her of the Irish coast and she nodded after a while. "I'm still getting used to the rain as it's been a while since I was anywhere this...wet but, I like it here so far." 

Seth chimed in, happy to have an in to their conversation as he was trying to come up with something to say to her since he opened the car door for her. "Have you been to the beach yet?" he asked, both of them staring down at the tar black beach that held a few people huddled around each other, appearing smaller from their point of view. He continued on when she shook her head, no, "I could take you sometime...if you want! We could go swimming, or surfing, or-"

Noa looked embarrassed to admit it but said, "I'm a bit afraid of the water, I haven't been in it since I was eight." Seth frowned and Noa waited for him, like everyone else, to ask what had caused someone to be afraid of something so revered as the ocean or any large body of water despite it being a common and quite rational fear.

He shrugged after a while, seemingly unbothered as he responded, "there's whale watching too, unless being on a boat sounds too scary, then we can just play soccer on the sand." Noa smiled apologetically, admitting her less than average athletic skills, to which Seth only smiled brightly in response, "that just means I get to teach you." 

He seemed so happy and full of joy that Noa found herself unable to slip into the usual melancholy that followed her around like a vexatious insect flying aimlessly around her person. It was comforting, albeit new and foreign; being around someone so cheerful, it made her chest feel full and warm, like she was sitting in the sun on the first day of spring.

She smiled at him.

They talked throughout the entire car ride, Sue not seeming to mind as she only spoke up when they arrived at the house, Noa catching sight of Harry's truck and Leah's secondhand Honda in the gravel driveway. 

Noa had been to their house before on a few occasions, as Charlie and Harry were quite close and often enjoyed meals and games at their respective houses but, she had yet to meet the youngest Clearwater, until today of course. She recognized Leah immediately upon entry to the house, the girl's long black hair being tossed carelessly over her shoulder as she twirled the phone cord in her hand, both engrossed and annoyed with whatever was being said to her on the other line. The older girl only gave a brief look her way when she made her way into the kitchen with the few groceries they'd picked up on their way, which she preferred, before she went back to her phone call.

Charlie smiled upon seeing his niece, wiping his flour-dusted hands on a nearby hand towel before greeting her with a wave, "bout time you guys got here, I was this close to eating your fish." 

Sue smacked his shoulder playfully before greeting her husband with a kiss, Leah muttering a low, "gross" under her breath that she was chastised for, Noa watching as she rolled her eyes before her attention went back to the phone.

She wondered who was on the other line since, according to Sue, she hadn't had many friends left; the situation was complicated, or so she was told. Her attention was brought elsewhere when Seth nudged her, "you wanna watch tv?"

Noa made a face, shaking her head, "I don't really like tv, my mom always said it rots your brain so I never watched. I usually just read...or write." Sue nodded as she came around the corner, "and she was right, maybe you can teach Seth a thing or two, he's failing English. How? I have no idea, it's literally the only language you speak."

Seth's cheeks came to have a red glow then, the boy glaring at the back of his mother's head as he scoffed. "Mom, please," he practically begged, not wanting to be embarrassed again as he knew she wasn't finished with him just yet. Noa piped up to save him from further embarrassment, "I don't mind, helping you I mean. I'm not well versed on the American school system but, I can help, however I can."

He seemed to think about it, the embarrassment of his mother's mention of his failing class quickly washing over him once he realized he'd get to be alone with Noa, and fairly often if he kept at it long enough. Seth was quick to nod, smiling widely at her while Leah rolled her eyes, having been rushed off the phone by her mother who was busy setting the table.

"Can you come over tomorrow?" He asked before realizing how desperate he sounded, quickly adding on, "it's just cause it's a really important grade and I don't wanna fail or-"

"No, no, it's fine," Noa reassured him, the girl just as excited as he was, though she was fairly nervous about being around a boy for extended periods of time as her mother never allowed it, and most of the teasing she received in passing happened to be from boys. But, Seth had yet to tease her or so much as even look at her with any traces of contempt; in fact, he seemed to do the opposite. She felt odd being met with such kind looks and warm smiles from someone close to her age and she, no matter how foreign it felt, enjoyed it. She liked him. "I'll be here tomorrow, bright and early!"

Her answer seemed to please him as his entire face lit up, causing hers to do the same as his emotions were just too infectious. The boy tried to keep a calm, laid back demeanor, which he failed as he said casually, "cool, it's a date."

He paused, clearing his throat before correcting himself, "well, it's a study date but, not an actual 'date' date. Not that I wouldn't want to go out on a date with you because I would but this is strictly for studying, maybe-"

'the clearwaters' 

pairing: Paul Lahote x Native Fem!OC

warnings: none?

word count: 2.8k

Masterlist

Tama sat in Bella's soon to be bed with her arms crossed, a scowl on her face. She had been stuck in the room for the entirety of last night and a majority of the day. The only time she had been allowed out were for supervised showers and bathroom breaks. She hated it. 

"It's just until you get your strength back," Mitena reassured her daughter. She placed the tray of food on the bed in front of the annoyed teenager, stepping back a few inches. 

Tama examined the food her mother had made, grumbling a small thank you as she remembered her manners, taking a few bites to please her. "How am I supposed to get my strength back if I'm stuck in bed?"

"Girl's got a point," Charlie piped in, appearing in the doorway of the room his daughter would soon inhabit. Tama smiled, happy to know Charlie was almost always on her side when it came to the rare disagreements with her mother.

Mitena sent Charlie an annoyed glance, to which he shrugged. "She's not broken, the girl's just got a few bruises," he reassured her, always the mediator between the two women. 

She finally relented, throwing her hands up in surrender. Both Charlie and Tama smiled, giving each other high fives much to Mitena's annoyance. "We'll start small and simple, I promise. You can hang out with me outside while I clean the boat and get some fresh air, maybe even come fishing with us."

"Us?" Tama raised an eyebrow as she looked over at her mother, knowing she wasn't the "fishing" type whatsoever. In fact, Tama had inherited her non athleticism from her very own mother. They both despised anything active besides swimming and surfing, the latter only a result of Tama being friends with Tallulah Uley, the best surfer in the state. "Since when do you want to go fishing?"

Mitena scoffed while Charlie failed to hold back a laugh, the two old friends sharing a smile at the thought of her being in a boat to fish. The woman turned to her daughter, playfully rolling her eyes at Charlie's teasing. "I'm not going, of course. The Clearwater's are coming over later, they wanted to see you."

"They wanted to come visit in the hospital but," Charlie trailed off, cutting himself short when he saw the look Mitena sent him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting his belt before tilting his head in the direction of the hallway. "Let's get a move on, they should be here soon."

Without skipping a beat and completely missing the unspoken interactionl, Tama went to throw the blankets off of her with a smile, happy to be out of the room that received no direct sunlight for a majority of the day. Her mother stopped her of course, a stern look on her face. The older woman stared down at the half eaten breakfast expectantly. "You have to eat, Tama. You can't get well on an empty stomach."

Tama didn't argue with that, finishing the sandwich in a whopping two bites. "I can walk, mom," Tama told her mother for what seemed like the fifteenth time since being discharged from the local hospital.

Mitena backed off, standing next to her daughter awkwardly as she fiddled with her hands. She and Tama had always been close, as they were always the only two in the apartment and in the shop. Their closeness had been interrupted with the arrival of Paul Lahote into their lives for a brief but entirely blissful moment, for Tama at least. Mitena even hated the boy's name and frowned in disgust whenever it was mentioned. However, she waited somewhat patiently until the inevitable came and welcomed her daughter back with open arms and home-baked sweets when it did. 

Now, the closeness seemed to be fading once more. Tama had always seemed to love when her mother cared for her whenever she had fallen ill. She would jump at the chance to stay home from school when she had the slightest fever and Mitena would jump even higher it seemed, to let her stay in bed and tend to her only child. Now, here she was, refusing her help. It was unlike her and Mitena felt a sense of deja vu; she just hoped she wasn't right this time.

Charlie wrapped his arm around Tama's shoulder once she came to stand in the doorway, offering his help in the most subtle way possible. She was like her mother, stubborn and prone to not asking for help, unless it was from her mother of course. "Let's go kid, boat isn't gonna clean itself."

Mitena followed them, stopping at the doorway and watching as the two descended the stairs, a frown etched upon her face. She contemplated for a moment before sucking her teeth, deciding against it before she too made her way down the creaking steps. 

The trio made their way out front, gathering around the mud and debris covered boat that sat on the side of the Swan residence. With some help, Tama got onto the boat, being tasked with cleaning up all the old beer cans and snack wrappers that were left behind. "I never thought I'd be happy to pick up trash."

Mitena rolled her eyes but smiled, happy to see her daughter happy. She held out a garbage bag for her to toss the trash into, shifting slightly when Charlie nudged her. He sent her an "I told you so" look, also noticing the teen's change in demeanor but was met with a quick middle finger from his old friend. They laughed while Tama paid them no mind, used to their playful banter. 

Their workflow was interrupted when the sound of a car engine filled their ears, turning to follow the noise. The sight of an old, beat up Toyota truck made Tama grin widely, the girl forgetting she was injured and jumping off the boat without help. She sucked in a breath as she remembered mid-jump, waiting for the pain upon impact, confused when it never came. Her once bruised body felt good as new, as though she had never had a brush with death days ago. 

She made eye contact with her mother, who looked just as confused as she did before the older woman quickly looked away, meeting the car as it pulled into the driveway. "You're here early."

Sue Clearwater, one of Mitena's closest and oldest friends, smiled as she exited the passenger seat. In her left hand, her right she used to support herself while getting out, was a bag filled with what Tama could only assume were herbs. Sue was known around the reservation for being a medicine woman, curing anything from a spider bite to a broken leg. When she wasn't taking up extra shifts at the local hospital, the nurse was helping out in her own community. "Blame these two, they practically shoved us into the car."

The two in question, Leah and Seth Clearwater, were out of the car before it could come to a complete stop, the siblings running towards Tama. Leah won, always the fastest of the two siblings, pulling her best friend into a tight hug, careful not to harm her. "I'm so sorry."

Tama said nothing as she allowed herself to be engulfed into a air restricting hug by the Clearwater siblings, grateful for the human contact outside of her mother and Charlie. She offered them smiles once the hug was broken, happy to see them. Seth offered her a small stuffed animal, the words "get well soon" displayed on poorly stitched embroidery written across its chest. Tama laughed, taking the gift happily while thanking the younger boy. 

"We missed you," he told her sincerely, the trio following the adults into the home. They all stood together as though they were connected by the hip, that being somewhat true. Since childhood, they had always been together, along with the Uley siblings, Samuel and Tallulah, the latter of whom Seth had a crush on. In all honesty, this was probably the longest they had been apart. 

The absence of both Samuel and Tallulah didn't go unnoticed however, and neither did the bags beneath Leah's eyes and the sadness that still loomed despite the fact that the two best friends were reunited once more. Tama raised an eyebrow, studying the two. "Where's Sam and Lu?"

The adults ceased talking, turning to look at the teenagers who stood near the doorway of the living room. They exchanged looks before they glanced over to Leah and Seth, almost daring them to say the wrong thing. Seth stayed quiet, the boy was never a good liar and he was proud of it. Instead, he glanced at the floor awkwardly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his worn out denim jeans. Leah cleared her throat, putting on a false smile they both knew was forced. "They had to work but, they both really wanted to be here."

If Tama wasn't so keen on her best friend's behavior, she would've believed her. It was a known fact that both Tallulah and Sam were both forced into adult positions at their young ages. Sam had even taken his GED test in order to graduate earlier and spend more time working, something he was almost always doing. But, Tama could spot out a liar. Especially if she had known said liar since birth. They left the watchful gaze of their elders and made their way into Tama's temporary room, Seth making himself comfortable on the bed after discarding his dirty sneakers. 

Leah fiddled with an old photo of Isabella, a curious look on her face. "It's been so long, do you think she even remembers anything about this place? About us?"

Tama shrugged, bringing her sweater closer to her body in an attempt to get warmer. Seth noticed this and frowned, offering her the small quilt that hung over the foot of the bed. She thanked him with a smile, accepting the handmade item and wrapping it around herself. "Maybe. I haven't talked to her in years though...I can't remember the last time she visited."

"I couldn't imagine not seeing my dad for more than a year, let alone six," Seth frowned, looking between his sister and his friend. 

While Tama was grateful they refrained from talking about the accident, she had a feeling that they had other reasons for keeping quiet, reasons they didn't want her to know about.  Seth noticed her mood and attempted to change the subject. ""Thank god you're finally up, Leah's been forcing me to watch sappy romance movies with her." 

Finally? According to her mother, she had only been unconscious for half a day, joining her mother at Charlie's only two days ago. 

"Oh shut up you loved 'The Notebook',"

"Yeah but it gets kind of boring after watching it fifteen times," he groaned back. "I wish Sam were still here."

"What, did Sam get tired of watching them with you?" Tama asked teasingly, her smile faltering slightly when Leah didn't immediately respond and Seth looked as though he had done the unthinkable. 

Leah cursed, punching her brother in the arm and kicking him out of the small bedroom. Seth held his now-sore arm gingerly, muttering small curses under his breath as he swiftly made his exit, not wanting to face his sister's newly acquired wrath. Leah turned to face her bestfriend, sucking in a breath of air.

"Leah," Tama began nervously, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer to her question that was burning a hole through her throat, "how long have I been unconscious?"

Her friend turned away then, unable to look her in the eyes. She sighed, finally giving up and going against her parents and Mitena, unable to lie to the girl that she thought of as her sister. "They thought it'd be better if you didn't know for some stupid reason but..."

Leah reached for Tama's hands, holding them tightly in an attempt to comfort her. "You've been out for about a week. It took almost two days to find you, Tama. Your heart wasn't beating and...we thought you were gone."

When Tama didn't immediately answer, Leah continued as she struggled to hold back tears. "Sam went missing a few days later, I-I don't know what happened. Everything was fine and then one night he just didn't come home."

Tama, who sat at the head of the bed, shocked at what she had just been told, stayed quiet. Five days. She had been unconscious for five days and alone in the woods for two, dead. How she was resurrected from her premature death she was uncertain and it seemed as though in Leah's state, she wouldn't get an answer. 

"I-I'm sorry," was all she managed to get out, "about Sam I mean. I think he'll come back. He wouldn't leave you, Leah. Especially not right after he proposed."

Leah said nothing, letting her tears fall down her face as she stared at the blanket they sat upon. Her usual bright demeanor was nowhere to be seen, her face dark and void of happiness. Tama wiped her tears and Leah let out a small laugh, drying what tears her best friend hadn't removed. Tama looked at her curiously, tilting her head to the side. 

Rolling her eyes, Leah shook her head, still in disbelief. "You should've seen him, Tama," 

The brunette knew who she was talking about before she even continued, her heart stinging and picking up in pace simultaneously. It was her turn to avoid her friend's gaze, though the older girl continued. "He practically led the whole search, I'm surprised we were able to find you at all with how much they argued."

"He's the one who found you, you know?"

She looked up then, imagining her mother and her ex-boyfriend arguing in the wake of her disappearance and possible death. She pictured him holding her, some part of her wishing she had been awake to feel his touch again. She debated on whether she wanted to tell her about the hospital or not, deciding it was best they didn't keep secrets from each other. They usually never did, no matter what they had been told. "He came to visit me in the hospital."

Leah's eyes went wide but Tama waved her off. "Of course, my mother didn't let him. She didn't tell me–I wouldn't have even known if I hadn't seen the bear and the flowers...and the note."

"Were they daisies?" Leah asked, rolling her eyes when Tama confirmed. "What note?"

"She threw it all away but," Tama stood, slowly walking over to the desk where her small bag sat, as if her mother would walk in on them at any second. Part of her felt embarrassed, full of shame as she pulled out the crumpled note from her ex. She flattened it out poorly before handing the paper to her best friend, hugging her knees to her chest as she waited for her to finish reading it. 

Leah scoffed, throwing it out of her hand. Tama resisted the urge to grab it out of the air but held back, watching it slowly float down onto the plum colored duvet. She stared down at the note while she listened to Leah ramble on. "Who the hell does he even think he is? Honestly! He breaks your heart, on your anniversary mind you, and suddenly he wants back in like nothing ever happened?"

Tama glanced up, meekly peering at her best friend, grateful to have her. Leah met her gaze and sighed, pulling her into a hug without another word, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry, for everything. I tried not to say anything but I just couldn't. I wish I would've been there."

"Then we both would've been in hospital beds," Tama mumbled, holding her friend a bit tighter then. She inhaled, the scent of jasmine and fresh rain filling her nostrils. 

"I could've taken them," Leah shot back, the two giggling like young school girls at that. They fell back into the bed, Leah still holding onto her friend as if she would leave again. "I don't know what I would have done if I would've lost you. I can't even think-"

"You don't have to," Tama cut her off, holding up her pinkie finger. The girls smiled, linking their smallest finger together. "Promise."

Leah looked at their interlocked fingers and frowned, catching sight of the ring that had been placed next to it. Tama took her hand in hers, holding it gently. "Sam's gonna be okay, Leah. We'll find him like you found me."

Like Paul did, she thought. 

Sighing, she looked away from the ring that almost begged for her attention. "I hope you're right."

'bad company'

Pairing: Paul Lahote x Native Fem! OC

warnings: none?

word count: 2.7k

Masterlist

chapter two

When Tama awoke, she felt, different. She couldn't describe it exactly but she just knew she didn't feel the same. Sure, she still felt the stinging pain in her face from being hit so many times. The back of her head and entire face throbbed as she came to but, 

"Tama? Tama!"

Her mother cried tears of joy, hugging her daughter as soon as she saw her heart rate pick up for the first time since her arrival hours ago. Tama's eyes fluttered open but shut again, groaning at the harsh overhead lights. 

"Can you turn the lights off, please?" Her throat was dry and, it hurt to talk. A lot. She cleared her throat and her mother instantly reached for the water next to her bed, helping her up. 

"How do you feel?" Mitena asked gently, holding her daughter up with one hand while she held the plastic cup to her lips while she drank. 

Tama coughed, moving the cup away from her mouth before she frowned. "What happened?"

Her hand lifted from under the thin blanket that was lazily thrown over her, gingerly touching her head. She winced upon contact with her still bruised scalp and her mother reached forward, moving her hand away. Just then, the doctor entered, Chief Swan coming in right behind him with a pen and a note pad in his hands. 

"Hey kid," he said, a tight lipped smile adorning his face as he looked over the teen he had known since her birth. Seeing her in such a vulnerable position made his blood boil and he gripped his pen tighter. "How you feelin'?"

"Like I got electroshock therapy or something," she admitted, finally finding the strength to lift herself up properly, politely declining her mother's help. 

"What do you remember?" The doctor, who she knew as Dr. Cullen, said, at the same time as Chief Swan. They shared an awkward glance before they both returned their gazes to Tama. 

The teenager was quiet for a moment, frowning as she struggled to think, racking her brain trying to remember how she landed in the hospital. "I just remember taking out the trash...it was raining. Then I just saw a flash of light and nothing. That's all I can remember."

Dr. Cullen offered her a comforting smile, ignoring the disgusted stare that was being sent to him by Mitena. "It's okay, that's common after the body has suffered immense trauma. You were struck by lightning, right in the heart. It's a miracle that you're alive, Tama."

Chief Swan cleared his throat awkwardly, causing Mitena to glance down at the floor as she frowned deeply, blaming herself. "We also found uh...someone else. A man; Thomas Wells. He was pretty close to where we found you and judging by the scene and the other bruises on your body it's safe to say..."

Tama touched her face, suddenly remembering being struck in the face repeatedly by said man, shivering at the memory. She looked at her mother, who whispered apologies to her daughter over and over, going on about how she should've pressed charges beforehand or how she should've heard her knocking from the shower. "What's going to happen to him?"

The three adults exchanged looks, wondering who was going to be the one to tell her. She was looking directly at Chief Swan though and he sighed. "He died, Tama. He was struck as well but, he wasn't lucky like you." 

She nodded, removing her hand from her cheek, not looking at anything in particular as her mind drifted off. "What about the others?" She asked, earning shocked looks from her mother and Chief Swan.

"Others?" he repeated questioningly, stepping forward so that he was standing at the foot of her bed. He offered a quick glance to Mitena and looked away just as fast. "We only found the one, at the scene."

"There were three of them," she said, more memories coming to her the longer she was conscious. Fear was building in her chest, the idea of more of her attackers being out there, possibly waiting to come for her again. Her quickened heartbeat was reflected on the monitor as she placed her hand over her heart. 

Mitena placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder before she silently pleaded with the Chief of police. "Charlie, you have to find the rest of them. You already know who they are. They'll come for her."

"I won't let that happened," he reassured her quickly, closing his notepad before he looked the two over. "You'll have to close up shop, get away from home for a few days until this thing is solved. We don't want them to come back to your house trying to start anything. You can stay with me until they're caught."

Mitena smiled up at the man she had known for so long, thanking him. He shrugged, assuring her it was the least he could do. Charlie looked over to Tama with a smile. "Bella's coming back soon so, you'll have someone to keep you company while you heal."

Tama nodded, though she was excited by the idea of having a friend during her stay, if she would even call her that. Bella and Tama were close, well as close as they could be with the awkward barrier Bella put between herself and everyone around her. They'd spent countless summers together during her visits, bonding over their social anxiety as well as their love of books. But, it had been a while since Bella had visited, or texted. Tama was hurt but, she didn't take it personally. "That sounds great, Charlie. Thank you."

Dr. Cullen cleared his throat as politely as he could smiling at the pair as they were in their own moment. He proceeded to step forward, Mitena's eyes on him the entire time. The doctor checked Tama, making sure her vitals and reflexes were fine. He frowned, confused. "Hmmm, everything looks fine. A little too fine honestly."

"What do you mean?" Tama asked, her heart rate rising as she glanced up at the abnormally beautiful blond doctor that stood over her. 

"It's almost as if nothing has happened," he answered, writing a few things down on her file. "Your vitals aren't matching with your injuries and accident. Besides the bruising, you're perfectly fine."

Tama scrunched her nose up in confusion, sharing a look with her mother, who didn't look like she believed him. "So, what's going to happen?"

The doctor stood a few inches away from her now, continuing to take notes and write additional conclusions on her file. Mitena cleared her throat, causing Carlisle to look up. "Well you have two options. You can continue to stay here and we can monitor you another night to make sure everything is fine or, you can go home and have your mother bring you in tomorrow just so we can see how you're holding up."

The smile that adorned Mitena's face was less than friendly, unusual for the kind woman. "I think we'll choose the latter."

Carlisle looked past her, his amber colored eyes peering into Tama's own, "is that what you want, Tama?" After taking a second to decide, she nodded, throwing her blanket off her body. "Alright then, I'll have one of the nurses come in after I finish with your paperwork to discharge you."

He left before the teenager could thank him, Mitena letting out a sigh of relief. She turned her attention to her daughter, who was watching curiously. "Why don't you like Dr. Cullen?"

Mitena grabbed her daughter's clothes, bringing them back over to the side of the hospital bed, ignoring her question. Charlie awkwardly excused himself, reassuring him that he would be outside waiting while she changed and got discharged. Tama gently refused her mother's help, slowly throwing her legs off of the bed.

She glared at the IV stuck in her arm, resisting the urge to rip it out, feeling her mother staring at her. She took the pair of underwear and dark blue sweatpants her mother had been holding and pulled them on, muttering about how gross it was that they took off her underwear in the first place. She wasn't able to put on a shirt just yet due to the constricting IV that was still connected and she sat impatiently,

Just when she was about to voice her concerns, there was a knock at the door. The nurse smiled at the two, slowly entering the room with a stack of papers and a clipboard with her. She reached for something in the cupboard after passing the clipboard over to Mitena, instructing her to sign it so Tama could be released. Tama held her arm out with a small smile, excited to have the uncomfortable needle out, and sleep in her own bed. The nurse handed over the discharge packet after she had bandaged the teenager's arm carefully, wishing the poor girl well. 

"Thank you," Tama said, genuinely, rubbing the now sore spot. The nurse just nodded, her smile still present as she bid her farewell. 

Mitena began to walk over to Tama just as the door closed shut. She held up the folded clothes in her hand, "here, let me-"

Tama lifted her hand weakly, stopping her. She took her clothes from her mother's hands, ignoring the sad look on her face. She understood she just wanted to help and was still in shock that she was so close to losing her only child but, she needed to be alone with her own thoughts. "I can do it myself, mom...thanks."

After a few seconds, she nodded understandingly, taking a step back. "I'll wait outside with Charlie, if you need anything just yell I'll be right here."

Once the door was shut, Tama let out a breath, regretting it as her body began to throb. She winced, gripping the side of the hospital bed for support as she regained her composure. "Shit."

Undoing the hospital gown took what seemed like half an hour and she wished she had at least let her mom help put her bra on. She could see the bruises adorning her body as well as the scratches, tears brimming in her eyes. Pushing the foggy memory to the back of her mind, she looked away from her upper bear body, happy to have them out of sight. Her shirt and bra, which were still folded on the uncomfortable bed, taunted her as she contemplated the best way to slip them on without hurting herself further. 

Groaning, she looked away from her clothes and caught site of something in the small trash can that stood in the corner of the room. It hadn't been closed properly and there was a glimmer that caught her eye under the harsh hospital lights. 

"What..." Tama slowly trailed off as she walked towards it, slowly lifting it up. The contents surprised her and she reached down inside, picking them up before slowly standing back up to her full height, inspecting them. 

There were flowers, her favorite. White daisies were enveloped in pink craft paper with a note attached, her free hand opening it up. The shock rippled through the brunette and without thinking, she lost her already weak grip on the flowers, the bouquet falling onto the floor. 

Tama, 

I know I'm the last person you want flowers or anything from but, I know daisies are your favorite.    -Paul

The note was ripped straight from a notebook and had obviously been erased and rewritten multiple times, something that made her laugh before she could even catch herself. Her smile quickly dropped from her face and was replaced with a frown, catching the words "I miss you" that were barely noticeable after having been erased. 

She was certain her mother had been the one to throw it away, as she had never been fond of Paul even before the pair had started dating. She felt troubled but, her mind and body wasn't prepared to go through this right now. Sighing, she shoved the note into her pocket, unable to throw it back into the trash. She reached down, plucking one flower from the bunch before throwing the rest away, trying to make it look as though they hadn't been touched. 

Walking over to her bag, Tama stared at the flower. "I'm such an idiot," She sighed, angry with herself for not being able to get rid of it. Paul had hurt her, put her through the worst pain of her life -well, it was until this happened- but, still. She couldn't bring herself to get rid of it, get rid of him. 

All it took was one single note and a few flowers to get the girl's mind racing. He never had to do much. Before she could think any further, she heard the door knob rattle, startling her. She shoved the flower into her bag on the counter and quickly covered her upper half, which was still nude. "Mom!"

Mitena rolled her eyes, the door already shut behind her as she ignored the blush that had creeped onto her daughter's face. "I changed your diapers, Tama. If you needed help, you could've asked."

Tana mumbled a complaint too low for her to hear as she made her way over to her daughter. She was grateful she hadn't noticed the trash can or the fact that she was hovered over her bag topless and she had to resist the urge to glance over at the tossed sentiment from the ex who broke her heart. They stood in silence, Mitena helping put both her bra and shirt on, Tama ignoring the pain that she felt when her body twisted and turned. She had never been in this much pain before, it was all so new and terrifying for her. 

"Thanks mom...I got it," She told her, gently taking the coat that was, thankfully, a zip up. She instructed her daughter to sit on the bed, slipping her tattered brown rain boots on for her over the socks the hospital provided. Tama felt like a child and silently wondered how long this routine would last. Her mother pulled her up slowly, grabbing Tama's belongings before she could and leading her out the door where Charlie was still waiting.

"You girls ready?" He asked, grabbing Tama's bag from her mother and throwing it over his shoulder. Mitena thanked him again for his hospitality, her polite mood shifting when Dr. Cullen came into view again, a stapled stack of papers in his hand a smile on his face. 

"You're all set, Tama." He handed the papers to the teenager but Mitena took them before she could even lift her hand. Tama scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest in an act of defiance, immediately hissing in pain and regretting her decision. "Try to take it easy for the next few days, I'll have you follow up with me in a week to see how you're doing."

"She has a doctor," the older woman said, a false smile Tama rarely saw her wear on her face. Tama's eyebrows furrowed, why was she acting this way? "Thank you for your help but we can take it from here."

Dr. Cullen didn't even seemed phased by her rudeness, Tama guessing since he probably deals with people like this constantly, he was used to it. He kept his dazzling smile on his face, one that made the hair on the back of Tama's neck stand up. "Of course. I hope you get better soon, Tama."

She nodded, offering him a polite smile and a wave as her mother beckoned her towards the elevators. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

Mitena quickly pressed the button for the ground floor, sighing heavily as she looked straight forward, not meeting Tama or Charlie's gaze. Tama looked over to her mother, the two the same height since the girl reached freshman year. "What was that all about?"

"The Cullens are not good company to keep," Mitena replied, still not looking at her daughter as the elevator doors closed shut and made their descent. 

Tama stayed silent, knowing how her mother and the other elders felt about the Cullens ever since their arrival in town a few years ago. The stories about the cold ones filled her head as she suddenly recalled them, quickly shrugging them off. They were merely stories adults told their children at night to keep them in line, afraid.

Charlie shrugged, still carrying Tama's bag over his shoulder as he stared at nothing in particular. "I don't know...I thought he was pretty nice."

Mitena scoffed, looking up at Charlie who held his hands up in self defense.