✓ | 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐒, 𝘦. 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 [ REWRITING ]

𝓲. accidents

written – 12.9.23  |  re-written – 9.5.24

THURSDAY, AUGUST 3RD

"SHH!" RONI SHUSHED HER BROTHER with an exaggerated gesture, her eyes wide with urgency as they carefully maneuvered out of her bedroom window. Paul shot her a piercing glare, which she pointedly ignored, focusing instead on their precarious escape. "Are you trying to wake him up?" Roni whispered, her voice barely audible but laced with sarcasm. The two Lahote siblings froze in unison, their breath catching in their throats as the unmistakable sound of floorboards creaking echoed through the night air. Roni's heart pounded in her chest as she anxiously peered past Paul, her eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. "Hurry up!" she hissed, her voice trembling with a mixture of excitement and fear.

"I'm trying! I'm not as tiny as you are!" Paul retorted, his frustration evident as he awkwardly squeezed his larger frame through the narrow opening. He rolled his eyes dramatically when Roni muttered an 'obviously' under her breath, the sibling rivalry momentarily overshadowing their shared goal of sneaking out undetected. "Alright, let's go," Paul declared with a hint of triumph as he finally made it through. His momentary smile, however, quickly morphed into an expression of abject horror as the latch on the window suddenly gave way, causing it to slam shut with a resounding bang. "Oh shit!" The siblings exchanged a panicked glance before taking off in a desperate sprint, their feet pounding against the earth as they silently prayed their parents wouldn't investigate Roni's room.

"Nice going, dumbass!" Roni couldn't resist the urge to berate her brother, shoving him forcefully in a moment of frustrated impulse. Her eyes widened in shock as Paul stumbled, tripping over a concealed log and sprawling unceremoniously on the forest floor. Roni's hand flew to her mouth, a mixture of guilt and amusement battling for dominance as she watched Paul slowly turn to face her, his expression unreadable in the dim moonlight.

"Shit- Paul. Let's be civil about thi–" Roni's attempt at diplomacy was cut short as Paul lunged at her with unexpected speed. A scream tore from her throat, equal parts surprise and exhilaration, as she spun on her heel and took off running. The brunette girl pushed herself to her limits, her legs pumping furiously as she raced through the woods, branches whipping past her face. With each labored breath, she silently pleaded to whatever higher power might be listening, hoping against hope that she could reach the safety of the bonfire before Paul caught up to her. As if in answer to her desperate prayers, the warm glow of flames flickered into view through the trees. "Sam! Sam! Help!" Roni's voice rang out, raw and urgent, as she burst from the treeline, causing every head around the bonfire to swivel in her direction.

Sam's face contorted in a mixture of confusion and amusement as he took in the sight of Roni's disheveled appearance. His chuckle, however, quickly turned into a groan of resignation as Paul emerged from the woods mere seconds later, his expression a storm of irritation and determination. Before anyone could react, Roni had launched herself at Sam, clinging to his back like a koala desperately seeking refuge. "He's gonna kill me!" she wailed dramatically, her voice muffled against Sam's shoulder. "Call your dog off!" The absurdity of the situation wasn't lost on the onlookers, several of whom couldn't suppress their laughter at the siblings' antics.

"Get off of Sam." Paul's voice was low and controlled, a stark contrast to the chaos of moments before. His eyes never left his sister as he spoke, noting how she clung even tighter to Sam's broad shoulders. "I'm not going to do anything. I just wanna talk." The words were meant to be reassuring, but the underlying tension in Paul's voice betrayed his true feelings.

"Yeah right!" Roni's retort was swift and disbelieving. "You look like you wanna throw me in the fire!" Her voice rose in pitch and volume, causing Sam to wince at the assault on his sensitive hearing.

"Do you have to be so loud?" Sam's question was tinged with exasperation, though a hint of fondness could be detected beneath it. Roni mumbled a quick 'sorry' into his ear, her grip loosening slightly as the immediate threat seemed to pass. Sam seized the moment to address the root of the problem. "Paul. Leave your sister alone." His tone brooked no argument, the alpha's authority clear in every syllable. Paul responded with a dismissive scoff, but nevertheless retreated, making his way over to where Jared sat and dropping down beside him. With the situation diffused, Sam turned his attention back to his human backpack. "Roni. You can get off now."

"Right. Sorry." Roni's apology was genuine this time as she carefully dismounted from Sam's back. Her eyes darted around the circle, quickly assessing her options before settling on the seat furthest from Paul. As fate would have it, this spot happened to be next to Embry Call, a fact that Roni registered with a mixture of curiosity and mild apprehension.

Roni realized, as she settled into her seat, that she knew surprisingly little about Embry. The basics were there – he was part of the pack, and she vaguely recalled sharing a World History class with him before he'd stopped attending school. Beyond these surface-level facts, however, Embry remained something of a mystery to her.

"What did you do to him?" Embry's question broke through Roni's musings, his voice low and tinged with curiosity as he gazed into the dancing flames before them.

"He was being a dumbass," Roni replied with a hint of lingering irritation, "so I pushed him, which caused him to trip over something." A shared chuckle passed between them, a moment of levity that helped to dispel some of the lingering tension from the earlier chase. Their laughter faded into a comfortable silence as Billy's voice rose, commanding attention as he began to recount the time-honored stories of the Quileute ancestors. Roni settled in, allowing the familiar cadence of the tales to wash over her. This, she reflected, was the rhythm of every bonfire – the same stories told with reverence, followed by the gradual dispersal of the group. Some would head home, others would linger to socialize, but Roni always found herself staying behind. Home held little appeal for her, and there had been more than a few occasions when Emily had discovered her curled up on one of the logs, fast asleep under the stars.

As Billy's storytelling drew to a close, Roni felt the need to stretch, her neck cracking audibly as she worked out the kinks from sitting still for so long. The sound drew Embry's attention, and as their eyes met, something inexplicable happened. It was as if the world around them suddenly muted, the voices and ambient sounds fading into the background. A warmth unlike anything Roni had ever experienced spread through her body, pleasant and all-encompassing. In that moment, it felt as though Embry was the only other person in existence, his gaze holding her captive in a way she couldn't begin to understand.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Paul's voice shattered the moment like a sledgehammer through glass, yanking Roni back to reality with jarring abruptness. She frowned, mourning the loss of that inexplicable feeling as it slipped away. Confusion clouded her features as she tried to make sense of what had just transpired. "Are you kidding me, Call?" Paul's voice rose in volume and anger, his body beginning to tremble ominously.

"Embry, take her to Emily. Paul, let's go. Now!" Sam's command cut through the tension, his tone leaving no room for argument as he swiftly moved to pull Paul away from the group. Roni watched them go, a mixture of emotions swirling within her. She knew there was a reason for Sam's quick action, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something monumental had just occurred between her and Embry, something she couldn't quite grasp.

"Come on." Embry's quiet voice drew her attention back to him. He reached out, his hand gently grasping her arm to guide her. The moment his skin made contact with hers, Roni gasped involuntarily. It felt as though a current of electricity had passed between them, tingles radiating from the point of contact. "Sorry," Embry apologized quickly, misinterpreting her reaction and withdrawing his hand.

"It's fine," Roni murmured, her mind reeling as she began the familiar walk to Sam and Emily's house. After a few steps, she paused, turning back to Embry. "I can find it on my own. Thanks though." She watched as Embry nodded in acknowledgment before making his way towards where Sam had led Paul. As the distance between them grew, Roni was struck by an unexpected wave of sadness, the intensity of which caught her completely off guard. "What the hell?" she whispered to herself, her eyes following Embry's retreating form with a mixture of confusion and longing. Shaking her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, Roni forced herself to resume her journey to the Uley residence, all the while grappling with the strange new feelings that seemed to have taken root within her.