Saving Audrey *Seth Clearwater Imprint Story*

Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

After unpacking my clothes in my closet, I stood there, pursing my lips. Before, I had to share a closet with Brooke after my dad took my room and made it into his ‘Dirty room’ with whoever he brought home at night. Now, with my own closet, I realized I only had a few items of clothing, all of which Brooke got for me and weren’t my style. I mean, no offense, but I wasn’t a frilly tank-top, high-waisted short shorts, dressy type of girl. I liked my skinny jeans, ankle boots and a nice, fancy top. Maybe a flannel or two.

I didn’t bring much else with me, so I just took out my toiletries and put them in the bathroom, and then taped money I took from my dad before we left on the top inside of my nightstand. The only things I had left were my dead cell phone, which hasn’t been in service for a couple of months, a few books, my iPod and a picture.

Leaving the stuff in my duffle, I took the picture out. It was of me, Caleb and Brooke when we were little. When our house was clean and pristine. You could see the perfectly white wall behind us as we all stood in our winter stuff, ready to go out for a family dinner. Caleb was chubby, with his red hair and blue eyes, smiling with teeth. Brooke was in the middle, holding a stuffed kitty, her hair its natural curls. Now, she straightened it with the Chi mom bought her the last Christmas we had with her, four years ago. Then there was me. I was smiling with my eyes as well as the closed-lipped fake smile that I was trying to use on my dad for pity. My brown hair was short there, but since had been grown out. We were so happy, so young and innocent. In only a few years’ time, my mother would be gone and my dad would be making our home a living hell.

I didn’t want to think about that right now. This was a new start, no need to think about that.

Placing the photograph on my nightstand, I went down stairs to explore the right hallway.

There were two doors and an archway at the end that led into the living room. One door was the bathroom, the next Brooke’s room. Her room was the biggest, but she didn’t get Caleb’s old gaming system and her own floor. Her room was connected to the bathroom, and had a walk-in closet, a fairly old box TV like mine – but still in perfect working condition- a double bed with pink sheets and tons of space already filled with her clothes and used-up make-up.

“What do you want for dinner?” I asked her, and she looked up at me with a small smile, away from sorting her pink lip glosses from her neutrals.

Trying not to make it awkward, I looked around as she thought, even though I already did. “I was thinking we could go out.”

“But we just got here.” I told her, laughing.

“Yeah… but this reserve is so cute and quaint! There is, like, one street, and it’s right across from the beach like a boardwalk! Everything else is nestled in the trees, and I want to explore! Plus, there is an ice-cream parlor, and since it’s still only six, we have plenty of September hours to enjoy at the beach! Let’s go!”

“Fine, fine! But you’re bringing something back for Caleb. Not my responsibility.” I told her, making sure she understood.

“Yay!” she was about to walk past me when she stopped. “But you need to change.”

…

By six-thirty Brooke had my long brown hair brushed out nicely so it was straight and not in a pony-tail, and me shoved into one of her white bikini’s with strappy sandals and a loose pink sweater over top. She insisted we were going swimming, but I highly doubted we actually would. She was just a little too boy crazy.

Taking a deep breath as I stopped Caleb’s car in the beach parking lot, we ignored the crowd of people at the beach- who seemed to be having a beach party- and walked across the street to the little sidewalk that was lined by about ten stores. The one in the middle was a white building with glass windows all around. The ice cream parlor.

On a normal day, I’d be locked up in my room, soothing Brooke as Caleb fought with our dad. But I was outside, over a hundred miles away, hanging out with my sister like a normal teenager. It made me feel… happy. And normal. Something I haven’t felt since I was ten years-old. It was so easy to forget everything! I just hoped it didn’t all come crashing down on me later.

“Oooooohhh, they have cookie-dough ice cream!” Brooke screamed in excitement, causing some of the people in the parlor to look at us. Rubbing my make-up covered neck, I ignored them, already drooling over the Cookies and Crème tub through the glass.

“I have to clean this glass, sweetheart.”

I looked up to see a guy smirking at me from over the top of the white counter. He was young, probably my age or older, with native-tan skin and messy brown hair that hung just above his ears. His eyes were like two milk chocolate pools that I would love to just swim in all day, and he was huge… like, the most muscular guy I’ve seen in my life. Not overly, body-builder huge though. He was obviously a Quileute… like my mother was.

I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. “Sorry.” I couldn’t help the laugh that rose in my throat as I looked down, using my bandaged hand to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear before placing it on the glass to lean on it. I could hear him laughing, too.

When I looked back up, he was staring at my hand. I cleared my throat, not wanting to make it awkward by moving my hand away. “Can I get some of that?”

He looked away, down to the ice cream. With a smirk, he seemed to find it funny to scoop up a cone of Cookies and Crème and then, just when I was reaching for it, he pulled away. “No magic words?”

I looked at him with an open mouth. “Please?”

He seemed to think about it, but then shook his head. “Actually, I’d rather some magic numbers, hun.”

I rolled my eyes. How many times has he used that one before? Suddenly that thought made me a little jealous. “I don’t have a cell phone,” I told him with a smirk.

“Then a beautiful name? Give me something to work with… your ice cream is looking particularly delicious.” I swear he was going to lick it, but then Brooke spoke up.

“My name’s Brooklyn Voltaire.” Giving the guy a wink, she twirled her long blonde hair around one finger. He looked at her quickly, before turning back to me. Brooke’s mouth was open almost as wide her eyes.

“And yours?” Leaning over the counter, he held the cone right out of my reach.

“Audrey Voltaire, but call me Drew.” I told him, and he handed me the ice cream, which I snatched a little greedily.

“Hmm… how about I call you Babe instead?” With a wink, he walked me over to the cash register. “My name’s Seth Clearwater.”

I had about enough of this hot guy’s flirty attitude. “Anyways,” I said in a clear voice, “I think this ice cream should be free… since this little situation was practically customer abuse.”

Seth laughed at me, a sound that made me smile. In a non-flirty, friendly tone he said, “Its fine, I’ll pay for it.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine, I was kidding.” I told him, pulling a bill from my back pocket.

Seth reached across the counter to stop me. His fingers delicately wrapped themselves around my wrist, and I resisted the urge to flinch at the contact. He looked me in the eyes. “I know you were, but I wasn’t. It’s fine, Drew. Consider it a “Welcome to La Push” present.”

I sighed, putting the money back in my pocket. “Well, thank you.”

He smiled at me and Brooke, “See you around.”

Turning my back on him, I felt Seth watch me leave. For some reason, it made my heart pound.