01 - SERENE PEACEFUL SUMMER - 01

"Emily," Leah chokes on her tears, and I clutch the receiver more tightly to my ear. "Sam's disappeared. I-I don't kn-kn-know where he is and… he's been missing for three days now…"

My name is Emily Young, and I never once had to question my morals.

Right was right, and wrong was wrong, and that was really all there was to it. That's what I had been taught growing up and that's all I knew. I've always believed that a bad person is as a bad person does. And I tried so hard to do good things, therefore, I was not a bad person.

I knew Sam Uley growing up. Actually, I didn't really know him, but I had seen him around. He was the good kid with the quiet disposition and the good grades and the sickly mother. Also, not a bad person. He didn't have many friends, as he was almost always in the house with her. And later on, always in the hospital. If he ever poked his head out, he didn't say much.

My cousin, Leah, knew him, too. Better than I did because they went to the same schools. But she didn't think much of him. Neither one of us did. In La Push, everyone just knew everyone. It was small like that.

And I didn't even live in La Push. I lived in Seattle with my mom, my dad, and my older brother until he moved out. Since my parents were such big travelers, and I was a homebody, I came to spend every summer with Leah. It was a tradition, and still is.

So, knowing all that I did about Sam Uley, it was somewhat of a surprise that one summer after sophomore year in high school when I went to visit Leah and found her in a lip-lock with none other than the mysterious boy himself. They had gotten together. And I was happy for them. Pleased even.

Though, I spent most of that summer by myself, or pathetically tagging along after Seth, my younger cousin and Leah's little brother.

Because of Leah, though, I heard a lot about Sam. More than I ever wanted to know.

I heard that his father had taken off before he had ever started kindergarten.

I heard that his mom died during his senior year of high school.

I heard that he decided to stay in La Push, taking over ownership of his mom's house, and worked like mad to save up for university.

I heard that he asked Leah to move in with him after she graduated high school and that she accepted, though she hadn't graduated yet.

I heard that he later asked her to marry him, and she said yes to that, too.

"E-Emily? You there?"

"Leah," I breathe. "I'm so sorry. I…I have another week and a half of school before I graduate. Do you want me to try to come down there? Earlier, I mean?"

And I heard about this.

"No," she responds, but I can barely make it out through her tear-clogged voice. "I'll call you when they find him." She hangs up.

So I finished my senior year of high school, unscathed.

"Emily? They found him! He's alive… and - oh my God, he's alive. I… I was so scared. I have to go. See you soon, Em - " She hangs up.

Then I went to La Push.

My name is Emily Young, and I never once had to question my morals. But that summer… I questioned everything.

"It's the smell," I murmur, as I step out of the car.

"Hm?" Aunt Sue says absently, as she opens the trunk.

I take a deep breath, and smile as the woodsy scent wafts through my nostrils. I put my arms up and stretch, reveling in how wonderful it feels after the bus, and consequential car ride all the way from Seattle.

"It's the smell," I repeat, my voice clouded by a yawn. I make my way to the trunk and hold out my hand for my bag, but she 'tsk-tsks', and refuses to let me carry it. "I love this place. The way it smells. It makes me feel rich coming here."

Aunt Sue crinkles her nose. "The leather seats in the car were peeling, so I finally got them redone. It does sort of give it that 'new car' scent."

I laugh, and gesture towards the sky, where it has started to drizzle lightly. "No, I meant out here. The smell of La Push. I know I don't live here, but sometimes it feels like when I'm at home, I'm on vacation, and when I get here, I'm really home."

She smiles. "That's because you are. Your roots are here. Come in before we get soaked." She opens the door, and enters the house, but I don't follow her immediately. Instead, I lean against the porch railing and take in the familiar surroundings.

It would probably seem weird to anyone else who has lived in the city for all of his or her life, but I love La Push. I always have. I envy Aunt Sue, Uncle Harry, and Seth and Leah, my cousins, for getting to live here year-round. It's a beautiful place, which I'm aware is an odd thing to say for such a rainy climate, but it is. I've always felt so serene here, like someone out of a novel where wonderful and/or magical things could happen at any moment. The story would take place at First Beach, or in the woods, or up high on the cliffs…

I shake my head to clear the images, and smile to myself. That's another thing about this place. In Seattle, everything is loud and in your face and impossible to ignore. But here? Nothing feels real, and my imagination is allowed to run wild.

Whenever I bring up something like this with Leah, she says she'd be glad to trade places with me. I could stay here, and she would go live with my parents at the end of the summer. I only wish.

"Emily?" Aunt Sue pokes her head out of the door. "Do me a favor and call Jo-Anne, would you? She left you a message on our answering machine."

I raise my eyebrows, disbelievingly. "I just talked to her when I got off the bus."

Aunt Sue rolls her eyes. "You know how she worries."

Jo-Anne is my mother, but Aunt Sue is actually her first cousin, making Aunt Sue my cousin, too, and Leah and Seth, my second cousins. Even though she's not my real aunt, I've been told to call her that since I was old enough to talk. It's just as well. I wouldn't feel right calling her Sue without some kind of title in front of it. And Cousin Sue sounds weird to say in everyday conversation.

I make my way into the house, only pausing briefly to note how absolutely nothing has changed since I was here last. The entire house screams 'cozy' from the dainty, white lace curtains in the living room to the small, wooden, round table with its four matching wooden chairs in the kitchen. It reminds me of my room back home, an oasis in the chaos. Our styles are very much the same.

I grab the cordless phone off the kitchen wall, and sit down gingerly in one of the chairs. I always feel as if they'll break if I put too much weight on them, but in the back of my mind, I know they won't. The chairs are very much like Aunt Sue, I've always thought - small, pretty, and frail-looking, but undeniably supportive and able to withstand more than you'd think.

I dial my mother's number, hoping that she'll keep it short. Even though Aunt Sue and Uncle Harry never complain, I know we probably owe them close to half a million dollars by now for the phone bills every summer. I'm not exaggerating. My mother calls that often. And not just me. My brother, Matthew, will call my dad sometimes and beg him to get Mom to stop calling him and his girlfriend constantly.

I think my mother just needs a hobby, or something.

"Emily, you okay? You made it there fine?" I can feel her nervous energy coming through the phone lines.

"I'm fine, Mom. I promise," I say, in what I hope is a calming, reassuring voice.

"Oh good," she replies, relieved. "How is everyone? How are Seth and Leah? And Harry?"

"I haven't seen them yet, though I'm pretty sure Seth and Leah are still in school. It's early, only one," I say.

"Oh, that's right. And Harry is probably at the store this time of day," she says.

My Uncle Harry owns a store full of quality fishing goods and supplies. It's actually called: Quality Fishing Goods and Supplies, and it's full of everything anyone would ever need to go fishing. It's his pride and joy, and apparently, it's been in the family for generations.

Since tagging along after Seth that one summer Leah and Sam began dating quickly grew old, I sometimes help Uncle Harry out when he needs an extra pair of hands. He jokes that maybe he'll defy his family's tradition and pass the business along to me, since his own kids never show any interest. I joke right back, half serious, that he should because it would give me a reason to stay.

My mom continues to talk to me about everything she can think of until I convince her to hang up, so that I can eat lunch. Unfortunately, I think the only reason she does hang up is so she can call my brother - for the third time today - and check on his girlfriend. Megan's pregnant for the second time, and I'm sure she doesn't want to be bothered, but that's my mother for you.

I scarf down a quick lunch and then tell Aunt Sue that I'm heading over to the store to see Uncle Harry. I don't want to start working right away, but I have that feeling similar to little kids who go to the same camp every summer. It's the need to check out that old cabin, and make sure that nothing vital has changed, that their initials are still carved into the soft wood by the foot of a certain bunk bed, and that leaving and coming back hasn't ruined the magic of the place.

I walk quickly to the store, and my walk turns into a jog, which transforms into a sprint. I make it to Harry's store in record-breaking time, and I push open the door.

Immediately, familiarity crashes over me like a wave, comforting and warm. I am aware that a small smile rests upon my face, as I look around, taking in everything. The store is basically a square, with a second story, accessible only from one set of stairs. From the counter, I can see everything, except corner diagonal to me, and furthest away. The entrance is all the way down to my left, and the Employees Only door is straight ahead.

No one else appears to be in the store, and I shake my head, having warned Uncle Harry about this just last year. I tell him he should never leave the store unattended, and he just shakes his head and responds that if someone is that desperate to fish that they have to rob the store, then he hopes they land a big one.

I hear a loud clunking, which can only be someone coming down the rickety stairs behind that door. A pang of excitement shoots through me, and I do something entirely befitting of a 10-year-old. I duck behind the sales counter. I hear the door creak open, and I hold my breath.

" - do you know that?" I hear Uncle Harry say in his 'smoker voice'. He's never smoked a day in his life that I know of, but there's really no other way to describe how raspy his voice has always been.

"I heard the door open, and the bell jingle. Whoever it was is still here," a second voice says. It's familiar, but I'm unable to place it.

"Your hearing is getting better and better," Uncle Harry says, with a note of pride in his voice. "But I'm afraid you might be wrong this time." I hear his footsteps carry him further away, back towards the Employees Only door. "No one's here."

I grin to myself, and raise myself slowly to peek over the countertop. The owner of the second voice is leaning against it, his back in my direction. I stifle a gasp, wondering how he got over here so quickly, and without me hearing him. I start to lower myself back down behind the counter quietly, before he sees me and blows my surprise.

"It's too late. I already know you're there," he says, gruffly, without turning around. My mouth drops open. "It's not right to sneak up on people. If you're here to shoplift, I suggest you leave. Now. Before I alert the owner."

I stand up slowly, somewhat annoyed that he still hasn't turned to face me.

"So much for a good surprise," I mutter under my breath.

"Is that what they call it now?" he snorts. "Surprise, your store has been robbed."

Offended, I stare at the back of his head. "Look, you obviously don't know who I am and - "

"And I don't care," he interrupts, finally turning around. "All I care about is you leaving this store within five sec - "

We make eye contact, and I see something like recognition alight in his eyes. I'm glad he recognizes me because I still haven't placed who he is and I thought I knew everyone in this town. But it seems that Uncle Harry decided to hire extra security or something. It's about time, honestly. Though, I wonder if hiring such a huge guy is sending out the right message. It's one thing to intimidate people, it's another entirely to scare them from coming into the store at all.

This guy is clearly Quileute, and he is easily twice as big as I am, all muscle, not an ounce of fat on his body. Hard and lean, stern and mean. With an exotic-looking tattoo on his right arm. And he's tall. He isn't exceptionally tall, but he is definitely taller than my 5'6" frame, and I don't consider myself short. I feel an expected wave of lust crash over me as I continue to stare at him, and my blush comes on strongly enough to startle me into breaking eye contact first.

"Sorry," I murmur, not quite sure what I am apologizing for. I have just as much a right to be in this store as he does, if not more so.

I hold out my hand, positive that he will crush it in his enormous one.

My movement seems to startle him into movement of his own. His eyes dart down to my outstretched hand, and then back to my eyes. A confused expression settles itself upon his features.

"I'm Em - " I start to say, but he interrupts me.

"I know who you are," he says, his teeth clenched. Awkwardly, I let my hand drop. I am not sure how to handle this gigantic Quileute man, and I wish Uncle Harry would come back out from the storage floor.

"Who are you?" I ask, my voice reduced to a whisper. I can feel the shame creeping up over me for allowing myself to be intimidated by someone in my cousin's store.

For a split second, I swear I can see hurt shining through his hard demeanor. Then, his eyes blacken once again and all I can see is anger.

He closes his eyes, and I feel shut off, disappointed, for no logical reason whatsoever. "Tell Harry I'm going," he commands. Then, he turns and leaves swiftly through the door.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Emily? Not in town for more than a day, and behind the counter already?" I swivel around to see Harry coming at me from the Employees Only door. He smiles, his arms outstretched.

I blink, too startled by my encounter to smile back or move to hug him or anything. Seeing this, his own smile falters and his arms drop.

"Sorry," I say for the second time, still not quite sure what I am apologizing for.

"Are you alright?" he asks. "I thought I heard you talking to Sam. Where'd he go?"

"Sam?" I ask, startled. "As in, Sam Uley? Leah's Sam?" His eyes tighten at my last question, but I don't have time to wonder at that.

Uncle Harry chuckles, but it seems a bit strained. "Yes, that growth spurt. At his age, too. Everyone's talking about it."

"I'll bet," I say, shaking my head.

"Did he say where he went?" Uncle Harry asks quickly. I wonder why he suddenly wants to change the subject, but I don't question it. I'm still reeling over the fact that that was Sam Uley. And I'm ashamed of the fact that I was so attracted to him, not to mention embarrassed that I didn't recognize him.

"No. He just said to tell you he was going," I say, struggling to regain control over myself.

A look of concern passes over Uncle Harry's face. "Did he seem… upset?" he asks, cautiously.

I nod, embarrassed all over again. "I was kind of hiding behind the counter to surprise you, and he thought I was a shop-lifter. Until he saw me. Then he had to leave, I guess." I shrug, unsure of why it's bothering me as much as it is.

Uncle Harry gives me a long-searching look, and I have to force myself not to look away. To look away first is always an admission of guilt, and I'm still not sure what I did.

"I'll watch the store for you, if you want to go after him," I blurt out, waving a hand in the direction of the door.

Uncle Harry sighs. "No, it's not necessary. We'll see him later tonight, anyhow. He's coming to your 'Welcome Back Dinner.'"

"Oh," I say, faintly. That was going to be interesting -

" - interesting positions on that couch. You're kidding me right? She's way too tall for that thing. She's sleeping in my room," Leah says, rolling her eyes.

Aunt Sue shakes her head. "There's no way both of you can fit on that bed again. It was a squeeze last year, and you've both grown more than you think."

I smile at their banter, and then giggle out loud when Seth stands at the foot of the stairs behind them and makes faces.

"Mom! We can't dump Emily on the couch. That's so rude," Leah argues.

"I don't mind the couch, Lee," I say, in a teasing tone. "It'll be better than putting up with you kicking me all night."

Leah purses her lips. "Fine. But we're talking until midnight every night. No excuses. If us being in the living room keeps anyone awake, it's your fault for not buying me bunk beds like I asked."

Aunt Sue rolls her eyes this time, but Leah ignores her and latches onto my arm. "Come on, we need to talk."

Seth ducks out of the way as Leah barrels past him, pulling me along in her wake.

"Dinner will be ready soon!" Aunt Sue calls after us.

"Okay!" Leah calls back, before closing her bedroom door and locking it. She turns to me, her eyes bright.

"At the end of the summer, I'm moving into Sam's house," she blurts out and from the way she says it, as if she's been bursting to say it, I can tell that I'm the first person she's told. Besides Sam, of course.

For a split second, I am torn about how to react. If I hadn't had my run-in with Sam that morning, I would have been excited for her, I'm sure, but now… I hesitate a second too long, and Leah catches it.

"What's wrong? You don't think it's a good idea?" she asks.

I hesitate again. "It's not that," I finally say. "I'm relieved, actually, that I get to live with you for another summer. I thought you were moving right after graduation."

"We were," she says, and I wait for her to explain, but she doesn't.

"Well, I mean, you guys are engaged. It makes sense for you to live together, right?" I continue.

"Exactly," she says, nodding her agreement. Then, something in her expression shifts and her voice softens. "We were going to move in together right after graduation, but… I don't know. He's different."

I don't know how to respond to this because I don't want to tell her what happened this morning. First of all, it was weird. Second of all, Sam didn't seem to be in his right mind. Not that I know for sure what his right mind is, but with all that I've heard about him from Leah, I can't connect it with the version of him I saw today.

It is obvious he's changed a lot from last summer, but we used to get on fine. There was never anything hostile in his expression when he looked at me before. I shiver at that word: hostile. I'm sure that whatever he was upset about had nothing to do with me and I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"How so?" I ask, hoping my voice doesn't give anything away.

She glances at the locked door, then motions me away from it, closer to her bed clear across the room.

"Remember when I told you he disappeared?" she asks, quietly.

I nod.

"After that, he came back, and he's been… weird. Off. Like… he had a major growth spurt, and okay, that's not extremely unusual, but he's not a teenager anymore, so it kind of is…" She shakes her head. "That's not what I mean, though. His personality is different. He doesn't talk about leaving anymore. I actually said something about taking a trip like in the month before we go off to college - whenever that will be - I decided I'm going to wait for him before I go. I didn't even apply anywhere. But anyway, when I suggested the trip, he got really angry, and was like, 'I have responsibilities here,' and when I tried to get him to tell me what, besides bills and stuff, he closed himself off completely. I thought we told each other everything, but it's like he put up this wall between us. I don't know where it came from and I don't know how to get it down."

"Breathe, Lee," I say, touching her lightly on the arm. I make sure she's calmed down, at least visibly, before I ask my next question. "Do you know where he went? When he disappeared?"

"No," she says, exhaling. "And he won't tell me. But you know what's weird? Ever since then, he's been hanging out a lot with the Elders. I feel like whatever it is that's going on, they know about it. My dad didn't even like him before, just because he's my boyfriend, but now suddenly, they're best friends? He even pays him for working in the store part time, and Sam doesn't like to fish."

I hide a smile at her raving. knowing it will only upset her further. Leah's passionate nature is something I've always adored about her, but I doubt she wants to hear that right now.

"It's not extremely strange. Yes, the growth spurt is, probably, but Leah, people change," I say, simply. "Maybe that's what's happening. Different doesn't have to mean bad."

She shrugs. "It feels - "

But before she can finish, the door slams open to reveal none other than a furious-looking Sam in the doorway. We both stare up at him, astonished and thunderstruck.

"You have no idea what's happened to me, so don't act like you do," he growls, his eyes narrowed and focused on me. My heart is racing a mile a minute.

"Sam," Leah says, looking as shocked as I feel.

He continues to glare at me, and it's all I can do not to look away. I rise from the bed, slowly, and walk towards the doorway, towards him, my heart still hammering.

"Sorry," I say softly, as I brush past him. He hasn't moved and I am so close that I feel him take in a breath, but I don't stop to think about why or what that means. "I didn't mean to offend you."

I continue out of the hallway and am halfway down the stairs before I hear Leah's angry voice. "Did you break my door?"

Half an hour later, we're all sitting at the dinner table, which is really not a dinner table at all. It's a card table pushed up next to the kitchen table with two extra chairs for Sam and me. Since everyone who lives here grabs their usual chairs by habit, it unfortunately means I am sitting directly across from Sam, who is sitting next to Leah.

Fortunately, I am also sitting next to Uncle Harry.

Unfortunately, again, this hasn't stopped Sam from staring daggers at me. More like, it's given him an excuse, especially because the conversation is all about me. At first, I sit there, uncomfortably, praying for two things: that either someone will notice and cause him to stop, or that no one will notice, so that I can be spared the embarrassment and the questions.

"I always thought that was so cute: Matthew and Megan, though I'm sure they get that a lot, huh, Emily?" Aunt Sue is asking.

I smile, nod, and shoot another nervous glance at Sam. He's eating ravenously, but I'm not sure if he's as aware of what he's putting in his mouth, as he is of me. I'm not even sure if he's blinked yet.

I see Leah nudge Sam with her elbow, but he doesn't seem to notice her. Leah has definitely noticed his staring, though. I cringe, inwardly.

"So, Sam," Leah says, loudly. He glances at her briefly, before looking back at me. I look away.

"Now that Emily's here, you don't have to be such a workaholic," she continues. "She works in Dad's store every summer. Maybe we can spend some extra time together."

"Not too much extra time," Uncle Harry speaks up, gruffly. "I don't want any grandchildren anytime soon."

"Dad!" Leah says, clearly mortified. Aunt Sue, Seth, and I laugh. After a moment, Sam also laughs, although it sounds really forced.

Uncle Harry shakes his head. "I don't know if you'll actually get that much extra time, Leah. You'd be surprised at how much business we had this winter. If that was then, and people have more fre time now, we're going to need all the help we can get this summer. That means I'll need both Sam and Emily as often as I can get them."

Leah pouts, causing me to giggle again. I look up to find Sam watching me with a small smile on his face. I am speechless by how much that tiny grin warps his entire face. It's breathtaking, and for a split second, I can almost see what Leah sees in him. Surprised, I blush and look away again, really hoping that no one else is noticing this.

I look down the table, hoping for something to distract me and I spot the bowl of macaroni and cheese in Seth's hand. Food is always a good distraction.

"Hey, Seth, when you're done, can you please pass me - ?" I start to say, but before I can completely get the words out, Sam has gotten up out of his chair. He seizes the bowl from Seth's hand and walks it back to our end of the table. He holds it out.

I stare at him, as well as everyone else. He doesn't seem aware of the intense scrutiny he's receiving.

"Th-thank you," I stammer, and take the outstretched bowl from his hand.

Aunt Sue laughs awkwardly. "We would have passed it, Sam," she says.

He finally looks away from me and shrugs. "Easier."

There is another awkward silence before Leah speaks up. "I'm kind of jealous. I don't think Sam's ever rescued a bowl of macaroni for me before."

The laughter that ensues is fleeting, and again, feels awkward and forced.

"So… I got an A on my history test," Seth speaks up, clearly trying to change the subject.

Aunt Sue jumps on the opportunity, and the conversation quickly turns to school. Sam and I, both being out of school, have nothing to say on the subject, and his eyes flicker back to me.

" - front row seat to my graduation, right Sam?"

"What?" he says, switching his gaze from me to Leah, who is visibly upset. I take it this isn't the first time she's called his name, and I feel the shame creeping up on me again. This time it's as much my fault as anyone's, as I was staring back, and not discouraging him.

Leah's eyes dart back and forth from Sam to me and back to Sam. There is a muscle twitching in her jaw.

"Sam, can we talk? Outside?" she asks, but once again, he gives no sign that he's heard her.

"Sam," I whisper, not sure what makes me say it. At the sound of my voice, he looks startled.

"Yes?" he says, his voice raspy. He raises his eyebrows, and it's clear that he's answering me. And not Leah.

"Sam, I want to talk to you, now. Outside," Leah hisses. She shoves backwards from the table, and heads for the door."No," Uncle Harry interferes, loudly. "I want to speak to Sam." He stands up and heads past a livid Leah. With another indecipherable glance at me, Sam leaves after Uncle Harry.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and Leah hits the table suddenly, causing everyone to jump.

"Leah!" Aunt Sue says, sternly.

Leah shoots a nasty glare at me, and then heads up the stairs. I feel a sinking sensation in my stomach -

- stomach is in butterflies. I have no clue what's going on. Immediately after Leah left the table, I followed her upstairs to explain what I couldn't explain.

"I did not encourage him in any way," I said, a bit desperately. "I know Sam is your boyfriend, Leah. I don't know him. I'm not even attracted to him."

All I got for my efforts was a, "Whatever," and then a more hurtful, "Aren't you sleeping on the couch?"

Sighing, I left for the living room, but naturally, Seth and Sue were watching TV, so I put my stuff down, and said I was going to get fresh air. That was fifteen minutes ago. Now I'm on the back porch sitting, and wondering once again just what is going on.

I can hear the low murmur of voices that probably belong to Uncle Harry and Sam, and I am all of a sudden struck with the desire to hear what they're saying. I know it's eavesdropping, but as I seem to be taking the blame for all of this… whatever it is, I feel I deserve to at least know what it is I'm getting the blame for.

Silently, as stealthily as I can, I head for the front of the house, making sure I keep to the shadows. As soon as their voices come within my hearing range, I stop and conceal myself behind a bush.

" - have to end it with her. You realize that. This is going to be extremely hard for you. And both of them. You have to handle it with the utmost care," Uncle Harry is saying. I wonder if he's talking about me and Leah.

"But I don't know her. I don't want her," Sam replies, frustration evident in his tone.

"Don't you? She's your other half, in every since of the word. That's what being an im - "

"I have to go," he interrupts, abruptly.

"You can't just ignore this, Sam! It won't go away!" Uncle Harry says, heatedly.

"I have to go now, Harry."

The silence that follows then is so deafening that I know without a doubt that he's gone. And he must have moved fast.

The quiet is interrupted by Uncle Harry and a sudden coughing fit. Without thinking about it, I come out of my hiding spot, and go up to him.

"Are you okay?" I ask, making sure that he notices me before I talk.

He nods, his face beet red from the coughing. "How long were you there?" he finally asks. I know it translates to, 'How much did you hear?'

Guiltily I say, "Not long. I'm sorry for eavesdropping. Is everything okay? He seemed really upset."

He looks at me a moment longer than I think is necessary before he replies, carefully, "He is. Maybe… he needs a friend to talk to."

"Seems like he has you," I say, raising my eyebrows. He can't be suggesting what I think he's suggesting.

"He needs someone closer to his own age. Probably someone who doesn't know him that well… someone non-judgmental…" He coughs again.

I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot, and cross my arms over my chest. "I don't know how well that'll go over with Leah."

Uncle Harry grimaces, and again pauses for a lengthy amount of time before he responds. "Leah is my only daughter. And unfortunately, she's extremely spoiled. But, I'm afraid that one day soon she's going to have to learn how to handle disappointment."

"Uncle Harry, Sam and Leah - "

"Goodnight, Emily." He cuts me off, gently, and then turns to head into the house.

I shake my head and contemplate to myself as I follow him in. Even if there was a one and a million chance that Leah would agree to Sam and I becoming friends, he wouldn't want to. He's made it perfectly clear that he can't stand the sight of me. Or something.

I sigh.

So much for a serene, peaceful summer.

- FadingSlowly