LAYLA’S P.O.V
Wow that was awkward.But I felt like such a strange pull towards him.
“So did you get to talk to them for a while?” my mom asked as we were getting into her new black Escalade.
“No but I got Leah’s number she seemed sweet!”
“Well thats good ‘cuz your gonna see them more often.”
“Why is that mom? because this towns’ so small?” I asked smiling at my mom.
“Well that yes but because your father and i were best friends with their parents. Their mother and I both got pregnant too. Except it wasn’t her first child because that was beautiful Leah. My she is so pretty and looks a little like her father....” my mother said sounding so sad.
“Is it a bad thing mom?”
“Oh no! It’s just that their father passed away a couple years ago.”
“From what mom?”
“Uhhh.... heart attack I think.” it sounded like she was trying to hide the whole story from me but me just guessing it was something you just shouldn’t talk about.
“Oh... I’m sorry mom. How’s their mother doing?”
“Well she got re-married to the chief of police here he name is Charlie. Charlie Swan.”
“What was last name before?”
“Sue. Sue Clearwater.”
“That sounds so pretty.”
“Sure does.” she said smiling warmly at me as we were making it to somewhere that doesn’t look like home as we were passing a cliff with people jumping in the water.
“OH MY GOD!”
“Wow I can’t believe they still do that! Huh!”
“Mom where are we?!”
“Oh we’re on the reservation of the Quileute tribe. This is where you father and I lived and where we first met.”
“oh cool! It’s so pretty here! and I strangely feel like it’s... home like I feel really welcomed.”
“Good!”
“So what are we doing here? Just wondering?”
“Well here when we want to celebrate for something we have a bonfire.”
“So what are we celebrating?”
“The retrurn of the Blacksmiths’.” mom answered smiling and I could tell she was glad to be home.
“That sounds so cool! What do we do at this celebration?”
“Well we eat around sundown and then when it gets dark we all sit around the bonfire and the elders tell us stories about out tibe.”
“Mom that sounds so cool!”
“Are you trying to be a smart aleck?”
“No I’m like really proud of my heritage!”
“well thats good to here sweetie.”
“Yeah I was researching about some legends of our tribe and I found out that we use to like... turn into wolves and we had like enemies that we would fight like the ‘cold ones’! “ My mom slowed down to look at me from the corner of her eye.
“W-Were there any pictures of us being ‘wolves’?”
“No.... just drawings.Hey mom where’s dad at ?”
“Oh he is already here see my mom said pointing to dad's 7 series black BMW.
“Okay so what do we eat at these barbeques cuz’ imma ‘bout to get my grub on.” I said laugh while patting my stomach and my mom also laughing at me while she parked her car next to dad’s.
“Hamburgers, hot dogs, sometimes barbeque stuff if you get in line first and let me tell you everyone eats the way we do so good luck!”
“Aww great! they don’t want to see me when I don’t get MY food!”
my mom laughed uncontrollably
“No they don’t! that’s for sure!”
“there’s my two girls!” my father said opening my mom’s door and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey! I’m right here! kinda gross dad!”
“C’mon I want to introduce you to everybody!”
I ran around the car to grab my dad’s hand and he looked so happy to be here and I’m glad! he doesn’t look so stressed anymore he looks...relaxed
“Layla this is Jacob Black,Sam Uley and his wife Emily, Quil Ateara V, Embry Call, Paul LAhote, Jared Cameron and Leah and her brother Seth Clearwater.”
“Hey it’s nice to meet you and welcome!” Said I think Jacob who was pretty cute!
“hey I’m Emily and this is my husband Sammy!” she sounded so excited and I didn’t want to so stare much at her scar but just waved and mouthed hi.
“‘Sup I’m Quil” he said grabbing my arm and smiled at me.
“I’m Embry” he said doing two index fingers like a salute.
“Hi. I’m Paul.” he said grabbing my hand and kissing it they all laughed because of my face was probably red good thing my dad wasn’t here anymore! we were all laughing except Seth which was weird and it made me feel bad like I did something wrong.
“Excuse me.” was all he said while storming off the other way towards the woods
“Was it something I said ?” asked Paul.
“Nah he probably isn’t feeling good let me go check.” said Jacob running after him and caught up to him pretty fast he was so far away you couldn’t even hear what they were saying but it didn’t sound pretty. Jacob grabbed his arm and was pointing at me and asked him something but Seth ignored him and kept walking until Jacob grabbed him by the shoulder to turn him to face him. Seth yelled something at him and Jacob just let him go from what seemed like shock and started to walk towards us trying to pull a smile on his face but Seth just kept running into the woods.
“Is he okay?”
“Yeah he just isn’t feeling good. Sorry I’m Jared and that’s-”
“She knows who I am Seth and I met her and her mom at the store!” Leah said looking at me and winked probably trying to make me feel better. Guess it was obvious on my face.
“Hey uh Jacob?”
“Yeah Layla?” he asked smiling at me and leaning on his friends.
“Is Seth okay?”
“Seth? Oh yeah he’s fine he uh just uh ….”
“Wasn’t feeling good?” I finished knowing it wasn’t true because it had something to do with me.
“Yeah I think he went to go puke! he was looking kinda green!” Paul said laughing wrapping his arm around me feeling a little too comfortable with me.
“But it’s okay who have me!” he said winking at me making me look down and blush feel uncomfortable
“Okay Paul I think that’s enough.” Jacob said warningly
“What we’re just talking! IT’s not like I’m making out with her or something jeez! “ Paul looked like he was about a junior or even a senior.
“Paul!” one of the boys said under their breath
“What me and her are gonna be BFFS! Ain’t that right Lay-Lay!” great nicknames
“sure.” I said they all laughed. I look up to see Leah and seth walking back with her arm wrapped around him talking to him about something he seemed stressed about and he had his hands covering his face. They turned around to see what I was looking at and saw Seth and Leah coming towards us
“Seth has something to say!” she nudged at his arm
“Layla I’m sorry if it seemed like something bad or no that I was trying to avoid you I mean I wasn’t try to I just haven’t been feeling good and.. don’t worry i'm not contagious or anything I just needed some air in the woods! and..and... uh..”
“Seth it’s okay” I said smiling and patting his arm on his shoulder. He looked down to where my arm went and I thought he felt awkward because he felt tense so I pulled away carefully and could feel everyone staring at us. His eyes then turned golden for a quick moment and went back to their dark brown. I couldn’t believe it but maybe I was just hallucinating.
“So Lay-Lay What school are you going to?” asked Paul winking at me and wraping his arm around my waist and looking at Seth as if he was teasing him!
“Oh um I’m going to a private sc-”
“WHAT?!” They all said together some horrified others laughing. Especially Paul. Everyone was laughing except Seth and Sam.
“Are you serious Lay?! P-Private school?! What do you wear?!”
“Well I wear uniforms.”
“Like a schoolgirl?!” Paul was just having fun with this! He wrapped his arm over my shoulder. I moved his arm off me not liking this any more.
“Aww Lay-Lay c’mon don’t be like that!” I walked away looking for my mom
“LAY?!” I heard all them yelling for me to come back.
“Hey there you are baby girl! I saw that you were a little friendly with Paul LAhote.”
“Mom! we’re just friends!”
“Okay whatever you say... So are they being nice?! Don’t let me go over there and find out they were picking on you!”
“Well they took it weirdly that I’m going to a private school so I left plus I wanted to look for you!”
“Okay well don’t worry I’m right here if you need me. Don’t let them treat you that way show some.... dominance.”
“Dominance?! like a lion mom?” I couldn’t help but laugh
“Whatever you want to call it all I’m saying is don’t let them think you're easy to pick on. So go back over there and try it again. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat and here the tribe stories okay?”
“Okay mom. Mom this is so new to me what if I don’t fit in?”
“Trust me you will and it’ll come natural to you.”
“Okay thanks mom I love you!”
“Love you too now go!”
I ran back to them to see they were still where they were at when I left. This time I stood next to Jacob just feeling a little more comfortable with him. Since he was a little taller than me he looked down a little and smiled holding my hand in a friend like manner.
“Lay I’m sorry I teased you do you forgive me?” Paul was walking towards me with his arms open. I turned my head to tease him back and he didn’t think it was funny but I did from the look on his face. I smirked at him and that got him a little more angry.
“Layla.....” Jacob said nudging me closer to Paul and giving me a pointed look to me and Paul.
“Oh fine!” I stomped acting dramatic.
“Come here Pauly” I said opening my arms for him to hug me.
“I will if you never again call me Paully.”
“That’s a deal!”
“good now that you two made up.. we’re all sorry too Layla now. Let’s eat!” they began pushing each other to run to the line except Sam and Emily who where holding hands and smiling at each other.
“I would get in line before thoses boys eat everything Layla!”
“I was warned. Maybe I should follow it because You Do Not want to see me when I’m hungry!” I took off running and heard Sam and Emily laughing at what I said. The poor boys don’t how fast I am so I caught up to them and then some and was in front of all of them.
“Dang your fast I wonder how fast you are in your wol-”
“ Uhh Paul!” Jacob nudged him in the ribs
“OW! What was that for?!”
“He said something to him under his breath that I couldn’t hear but Seth and them did.
“What?!” I asked so annoyed as they were all looking at me in amazement.
“She doesn’t know?” asked Seth.
“no and keep it that way!” Jacob said.
“Know what?!”
“Nothing Layla.” Jacob told me as if an order. To bad he knows I don’t take orders from people I just met.
“If it has something to do with me, I have a right to know.”
“Its. Nothing.” he was getting mad like I was testing his patience.
“Jake calm down..” Seth said to Jacob looking at him warningly
“It’s really nothing Layla trust me.” Seth said smiling at me which made me smile back.
“aww how cute!” PAul said clasping his hands together and titling his head with his hands by his face making dofus expression.
“Shut up Paul.’ I mumble under my breath thinking he didn’t hear me.
“What did you say Lay?” Paul asked pretending to clean his ears
“Nothing Paul...” I answered in an annoying tone
“Nah see I heard you as clear as day tell me to ‘shut up’. Am I right ?” He asked being a completle dofus he is.
“Maybe I said it and maybe I didn’t so what! What are you gonna do about it Pauly?!”
“This!” his tossed me in the air as if I weighed nothing and was flinging me around like a doll.
“Paul put me down!”
“Not until you say sorry!”
“Fine! I’m-I’m sorry now put me down please!”
“Well okay but.. I get to take your spot in line!”he pushed me into Jacob making me bounce off him and luckily he caught me with my arms at meside and my hands blocking my face ready to meet the ground.
“I got ya!” Jacob said pulling me back on my feet.
“Thanks Jake. I mean Jacob!” I couldn’t help but blush
“Layla you can call me Jake if you want to it’s fine with me!”
“oh..” was all I could say.
“Ughh will you ding-a-lings are horsing around I’m gonna eat!” Leah walked around us and was in front of Paul.
“But Leah. We aren’t horses.”
“Oh shut up Paul!” she gave hime a playful push before grabbing her plate and getting her food.
We only had hotdogs or hamburgers but hey better than nothing! We were only allowed 3 of the 2 choices but of course Seth, Paul and Jake didn’t listen and got 2 of both WHile I got 2 hamburgers and 1 hotdog. Well 1 and a half since I took the other half of Paul’s when he wasn’t looking and he didn’t think it was funny at all.Paul tried grabbing the hamburger in my hand but I made a fake growl and that jsut made him laugh.
“What are you doing acting like a dog?” he asked while laughing at me.
“Maybe! So don’t touch my food!”
“Oh you mean like this! He swiftly grabbed my burger in my hand and ate the whole thing. I placed my cup and drink next to Jake and popped my neck before I lunged at him and bite him.
“Ouch!” Paul exclaimed.
“Layla what did you do?” Jacob asked
“Me?! I didn’t do any-”
“She bit me! Like a freaking dog!”
“I warned you Paul.” they all laughed as I sat on the same log with Seth and Jake and finished my food.
“Hey you know what we do at the bonfire right Layla?” Seth asked
“Yeah the ‘elders’ tell the tribes’ stories. why?”
“Oh I was just making sure you knew. Hey do-do you possibly want to sit with me at the bonfire? I mean if you want to you don’t have to or you can sit wherever you want it’s just that...”
“Yes Seth I’ll sit with you if you don’t mind either.”
“Not at all lets go.” he held out his arm for me to hold on to and he led the way.
“So who’s that?”
“Oh that’s Jake’s dad he usually tells the stories. Let me introduce you to him.”
“Billy this is Layla Black-”
“Yes Layla Blacksmith my I remember you when you were a little baby and Jacob would want to carry you and little Seth around!”
“did he now?”
“Oh yeah!”
“Today I’d like to welcome the Blacksmith’s back home where they belong especially Layla the daughter. Now , today’s tribe story is the beginnings. “I smell blood” exclaims a quileute wolf as he struts away in hunt of flesh imagine the surprise when he wanders upon “The Cold Ones” their skin shimmering in the sunshine nearly blinding reflecting the sunlight. Additional wolves come as the pack once more recovers its strength in shear numbers. Undiscouraged by the presence of werewolves the vampires resume feeding upon a freshly killed elk. The wolves surround them and a battle soon ensues. A conflict that’s carried on throughout the ages, and continues still now. It all begins with a wandering transmuter and a wolf. This marks the beginnings.”
“the beginnings of what?” I mumble to myself as he goes on with a different story.
“ two monsters met on occasion in massive battle at the boundary between Elwha and Quileute territory. Equally matched, they devastated a huge area and wounded one another grievously, but neither ever killed the other. After the last such fight, both monsters hobbled home to caves, walled themselves in, and cried over their injuries. The steaming hot tears of both have run off of their dens and amassed to make the Sol Duc and Olympic hot springs. The Quileutes named the monster whose tears make the Sol Duc Hot Springs a’lakil “the monster who cries in the woods”.
The one story that stood out to me was:
“Q’wati, the Transformer, is the guardian of the Quileutes. He is the diety that created the first Quileutefrom a wolf. It is thought that he was so pleased with the first Quileute that he changed all the wolves into Quileutes and that is why no wolves can be found in Washington. He is a teacher and has taught theQuileute how to survive against neighboring Tribes.
Since the 1930′s , it is well known that for decades wolves are rarely found in Washington. There have been many reports of people sighting lone wolves but when the area was searched no wolf-pack has been found. Perhaps, the Quileute Legend is not so far from the truth?
People have been reporting the sightings of wolf-men or werewolves, they report that they are not wolves but more human like with hands vs paws. What if there was some magic still left in Q'wati (aka Qwati, Kweheti, K’wati, Q'wati, K’wa’iti, Qati,Kwati , Kwatee) magic bag?
What if it is true are some of us going to turn into wolves?
