Twilight Midnight Moon

Chapter 8: Days Like This

Monday mornings at La Push High School were always the same. The bell rang too early, the hallways were crowded with sleepy faces, and everyone was just waiting for the day to be over before it even began.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, making my way toward first period, when Quil caught up to me, looking as groggy as I felt.

"Morning," he muttered, stifling a yawn.

"Morning?" I laughed. "More like 'good luck surviving until lunch.'"

He chuckled. "Right? Embry’s probably still asleep at his desk."

"Wouldn't surprise me," I replied, walking into the classroom where we both sat at the back. Sure enough, Embry was already there, head down on his folded arms.

I dropped into the seat beside him and knocked lightly on the desk. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty. Wake up, man."

Embry groaned, barely lifting his head to glare at me. "You couldn’t just let me sleep through history, could you?"

"You’d miss all the fun," Quil said, flopping into his seat. "And by fun, I mean the usual—Ms. Greene reading straight from the textbook for an hour."

I snorted. It wasn’t far from the truth. La Push High wasn’t exactly known for its thrilling lessons. Most days, it was a lot of zoning out and trying to pass the time without falling asleep. But at least I had Quil and Embry to make it bearable.

Class dragged on like it always did. By the time lunch rolled around, I was more than ready to get outside. The cafeteria was loud and cramped, but it was better than sitting through another lecture. We grabbed our food and found our usual spot at the far end of the room.

Embry was still half-asleep, pushing his food around his tray without much interest. Quil, on the other hand, seemed more awake now, his eyes scanning the room.

“Hey, there’s Anna,” Quil said, nudging Embry. “Go say hi.”

Embry groaned. “Can you not?”

Quil grinned, leaning back in his seat. “Come on, man. You’ve been talking about her for weeks. Now’s your chance.”

I watched as Embry’s face flushed, and he glared at Quil. “I’m not just going to walk over there and—”

“Chicken,” Quil interrupted, grinning wider. “Come on, Jacob, back me up here. He’s got to make a move at some point.”

I shrugged, not wanting to add to Embry’s embarrassment, but it was hard not to enjoy the banter. “Quil’s got a point. You can’t avoid her forever.”

Embry sighed, glancing over at Anna, who was sitting with a group of friends across the room. “Fine, maybe later.”

Quil smirked, clearly pleased with himself. “You’d better, or we’re dragging you over there next time.”

We spent the rest of lunch talking about anything and everything—cars, movies, the usual nonsense. It was easy, being around them. No pressure, no expectations. Just three guys goofing off and trying to make it through high school.

As the afternoon wore on, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of restlessness creeping in. It wasn’t just the monotony of school or the thought of homework piling up. It was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Like there was something in the air, something shifting. I brushed it off, though. It was probably just the change in the weather or the fact that I was itching to get back to working on cars with Dad.

By the time the final bell rang, I was more than ready to head home. Quil and Embry walked with me out to the parking lot, where my Rabbit sat waiting.

“You guys want to hang out later?” I asked, leaning against the car. “Maybe hit the beach or work on the bike.”

“I’m down,” Quil said, tossing his backpack into the bed of his truck. “Anything to avoid homework.”

Embry shrugged. “Yeah, sure. As long as I don’t have to write that English essay tonight.”

“Dude, you’re never gonna write it,” I laughed. “You’ll just end up cramming the night before.”

Embry grinned sheepishly. “You know me too well.”

As we piled into our respective cars, the familiar comfort of La Push settled back over me. Whatever weird feeling I’d had earlier faded, replaced by the normal rhythm of life. Maybe that was all I needed—a good afternoon with my best friends, away from school and everything else.

I rolled down the windows as I drove, the cool breeze from the ocean rushing in. La Push always felt like home, like nothing bad could happen here. As long as I had Quil and Embry, as long as I had my dad and our quiet life, things were good. Simple.

But somewhere in the back of my mind, a tiny voice whispered that it wouldn’t stay that way forever. Something was coming, something that would change everything. And for now, all I could do was enjoy the peace while it lasted.