the grudge , e. call

four; moonlit forest

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Maliah had barely woken up in time for school on Monday morning and if Embry hadn't brought her a piping hot cup of coffee (mostly cream with a few drops of coffee) she would most definitely have skipped after second period.

She and Embry walked down the hall of La Push High School together hand in hand, Embry and Quil flanking them on either side like they were posing for a Mean Girls promotional photo-op. In homeroom, their teachers had announced the theme for the upcoming prom and since they were the only couple in their friend group, Embry and Maliah were the only ones adequately excited.

"Moonlit Forest is going to be such a pretty theme," Maliah gushed. Her friend, Kim, was on the prom committee (and was coincidentally the only person outside of Sam and Paul that Jared interacted with), so she'd told her the theme long before it was announced. "Quil, has Abby emailed you any pictures of her dress?" Maliah asked him, poking fun at him for taking their cousin.

He reached over and pushed her, only succeeding in pushing her closer to Embry's side. "Shut up, Maliah."

"I think the theme is kind of stupid," Jacob interjected. "If I wanted to see a moonlit forest, I'd just go outside and walk around for a little bit. Thirty dollars for a ticket to a dance I don't have a date for is ridiculous."

Embry shouldered him. "Ask your girl friend," he said, pausing between the words girl and friend. "I think she likes you," Embry teased.

Jacob was punching his arm as Maliah stood on her tiptoes to kiss him before they split apart to go to class. "I'll see you later. Love you!"

"Love you more!" Embry said and Quil gagged loudly.

Maliah walked the rest of the way to class and sat next to Kim in Algebra Two. "Hey, how's your boyfriend?"

She had started asking Kim how Jared was as a joke and it was what turned their acquaintanceship into friendship. Maliah thought it was weird that Jared suddenly ghosted everyone and then out of the blue started talking to Kim Jenkins. After two weeks of them talking and having a friendship, Kim and Jared had decided to start dating. Maliah thought it was fast, but then her and Embry said "I love you" a week into their relationship. Granted they had been friends for ten years, but still.

"Pretty good," Kim answered with a laugh. "How's yours?"

She smiled. "He's good."

Kim pulled out a folder and put it on her desk. "Hey, did you do the homework?"

Maliah's face fell. "We had homework?"

She passed the worksheet to Maliah. "Here, copy it down quick. When are you going to Port Angeles to look for dresses?"

"Probably later this week," Maliah whispered, scribbling the answers down on her own paper. "What about you? When are you going?"

Kim shrugged. "The same, probably. We should go together," she suggested. "Like a girls trip."

"That's a good idea," Maliah agreed. "Are you driving?"

She laughed and nodded. "Sure, I'll drive. Just let Ilene know so she doesn't think I'm kidnapping you and sends the police after me. Chief Swan can be a little terrifying."