Secret Scars ▷ Embry Call [1]

TEN

★★★★★

TEN; FLASHBACK

     THE FIRST DAY of high school is always nerve-wracking. For Dahlia, she was stoked to finally leave middle school and play with the big kids. With a helpful reassurance from Blaire that morning, she entered La Push High with her head up and shoulders back. Freshman orientation was consisted of scared eighth graders, clutching onto their best friend's hand to gain confidence. Upperclassmen smirked at their presence and one of them even flicked a small boy's nose as he walked past. He cowered back in fear and swatted his face, afraid that there was something placed there.

     Leah sighed, walking towards the group. The only reason she signed up for the welcoming committee was because Sam joined too, but dropped out last minute to leave town and see his relatives. It was too late to back out and the principal was relying on Leah to make the new students feel welcome.

     "Hi," she introduced. The freshmen grew quiet at her bored tone. "I'm Leah Clearwater. I'll be the junior supervising you all today." Every head turned to face Seth, trying to see if there was a correlation between the two. Dahlia rolled her eyes at how ignorant they all were. It was obvious that Leah and Seth shared similar features. "Don't get lost, stay with the group at all times, and follow my instructions. Got it?"

     They all shook their heads rapidly and Leah turned, checking off the first task on her clipboard. Another junior passed by them, accidentally bumping into a girl who could barely hold herself up. She started to sputter apologies but the guy just laughed, high fiving his best friend. Leah turned the corner and opened up the first classroom. The history teacher's head darted up, shoving the bottle of alcohol into his desk drawer. He tried to sober up before he lost control and said something out of context. "Leah," he cleared his throat. "Are these the freshmen?"

     "Yes," she replied. She motioned for them all to step inside and they obeyed her orders. "Do you mind talking to them about your class?"

     "Of course not," he shook his head, lying. All he wanted to do was get a higher paying job and get the hell out of the school. "Why don't you all take a seat?"

     The small students complied and Dahlia reserved her seat in the front. Leah sat next to her, recognizing the familiar face. Harry and Caleb were good friends, but Leah knew Blaire better than the youngest Thompsen. The teacher opened his mouth, ready to talk about historical events and how they impacted the world today. Everyone immediately zoned out and Leah leaned over to speak with Dahlia. "Hi," she smiled. "You're Dahlia Thompsen, right? I know your sister."

     "Yeah," she nodded. "Your dad and mine are friends." Harry Clearwater would come over often to play cards, along with Billy Black. They would smile when the girls came into the room, remembering how tiny they were when they were children. It made them feel old at how big they were in comparison.

     "Right," Leah confirmed. She looked behind her and saw Seth laughing with a few guys. Sue was so worried that morning that he wasn't going to make any friends, but Leah knew her little brother attracted others like a wildfire. "Do you know my brother, Seth?"

     Dahlia also spun her head around to see him. "I've spoken with him once or twice. Are you and my sister best friends?"

     "More like acquaintances. I think her best friend is Kim or Embry."

     Dahlia smirked at the mention of Embry Call, knowing how much he adored her sister. Leah noticed her smug grin. "What? You also believe they're together?" Everyone in the school knew that Embry would kill any guy who dared to make a move on Blaire. If it was a good day, the most he would give them was a menacing glare.