wild ↣ p. lahote

xxii. in the aeroplane over the sea

"WHAT THE HELL DO THEY want to meet us for?" Liam grumbled, stabbing at his limp hamburger with his fork. "We aren't on their territory and we don't do anything to draw attention to us. I don't see the point."

Liam, Ethan, and Aurora were sat at their table in the lunchroom, picking away at the measly food that the school had provided for their "lunch." Aurora had just told the two about how Sam wanted to meet them, and while Ethan was open to the idea, Liam was not a fan. At all.

"I mean, come on, what can they gain? Nothing! If they want to try to assimilate us or something, I'm going to have some real issues with—"

"They're not going to assimilate you guys," Aurora interrupted Liam's tirade with an eye roll. "They just want to meet you. They're friends of a friend, that's all. You're being melodramatic."

Liam stabbed his burger again, this time more forcefully. "I'm not. It's a stupid idea. Plus, what about the others? I know Kaleb will be pissed if we go to another pack without him."

"Then have them all come back," Aurora suggested. "It's been forever. We should have a reunion, anyways."

"Yeah, that'd be fun. We should do it!" Ethan agreed.

Liam's mouth thinned into a flat line. "Okay, great. Now not just two of us, but the whole pack will be assimilated. Great!"

"So you're in?" Aurora asked, grinning. Liam sighed.

"Whatever."

☽

A few days later, Aurora was on her merry way to the Trainor's house. Her music was turned up louder than it probably should be and despite the chilly October weather, she had her windows cracked. Being able to just drive herself wherever she wanted to go was a freeing feeling.

Kayla, Kaleb, and Josh had all came back from college for a long weekend. The twins' parents were out, as per usual— they went out working on business trips almost as much as her own parents had. So that left their big house empty for them all to have a reunion— and what a reunion they were going to have.

Aurora had brought an umbrella specially to whack them all for not telling her about their lycanthropy.

It was going to be great.

Aurora pulled up and into the Trainor's driveway, once again admiring their modern mansion. The two-floored house was all white stucco with a few light gray slabs of stone appearing in contrast. The tall floor-to-ceiling windows on both floors made the house stand taller and let in tons of natural light. Surrounded on all sides by tall pines, the house seemed extraordinarily out of place, perfectly matching how out of place the Trainors were in Forks.

Aurora parked her car outside the garage and turned off her music. After rolling her windows back up and grabbing her umbrella, she stepped out onto the paved stone driveway and headed up to the front door. Right as she lifted her hand up to knock, the door flung open and Kayla barreled right into her, throwing Aurora back a few feet as she tried to catch her balance.

"Rora Rora Rora!" Kayla exclaimed, hugging Aurora so tight that her eyes began to bulge. "I've missed you so much, girlie pop!"

Aurora grinned excitedly and wrapped her arms back around Kayla and squeezed as hard as she could, and the two girls began jumping up and down and squealing. "I missed you too!" Aurora replied. "But," she suddenly pulled away from Kayla and brought her umbrella back behind her, "you lied to me!" Aurora brought her umbrella down hard on Kayla's arm.

"Hey! I didn't lie!" Kayla exclaimed, hopping backwards as she tried to defend herself, a large grin sweeping across her pale features.

"Yes you did!" Aurora shot back as she kept whapping Kayla's arm. "But I'm smarter than you! I found out!"