"I take back what I said the first time we met. I never could have been more wrong."
"Oh, and what would that be?"
"Every thing about you - every thing you do, or say, or even when you scrunch your nose when you don't really like something - just ma...
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THE REST OF THE SUMMER was gone in the blink of an eye. I had fallen into quite the routine for myself. I hadan't been able to break the habit of early mornings (thanks Art) so I found myself disappointed when I was awake by 5:30 every morning. Although, I always seemed to make the most of it. Koda and I would be out of the house by 6:00, running through the forest trails for almost two hours. Sometimes, we would get caught up with little stuff--like the miscellanous flowers that bloomed. We just had to admire them and allow them to flourish just a little more than normal. Koda demanded it, the little scoundrel.
My diet hadn't changed that much either, as eating too many processed foods made me feel like shit (again, thanks Art. You took away my ability to eat Fruit Gushers). So I had started my own garden just inside the forest. There, no one would see me making plants appear that shouldn't be. I spent most days with Casey, Rose, and the others, or with Jake and his friends.
Sunday night dinner at Billy's became tradition, though I typically turned up for multiple days a week. I hadn't wanted them eating out six times a week. Billy and I talked about Art; it was clear to see that Billy had looked up to him tremendously when he was younger, and I could see why. It was nice, too, to have someone that knew where I was mentally. I had someone to confide in with Billy in more ways than one. He was a second parent to me: my other Dad.
It was the last night of summer, both for Forks High and La Push, and the families were celebrating. Dad and I made our way in, Bella trailing behind with a bowl of garden salad with fresh vegetables. I juggled a variety of things that Harry had asked for, including a second bowl with coleslaw in it. I could smell the fresh fish as soon as we all stepped out into the fleeting summer air. "There they are!" Harry yelled, leaving the grill for a moment and coming over to hug us. "And you brought the goods!" he cheers, grabbing the beers from Dad. "Girls, why don't you bring all of that over to Sue and she'll help you find a place to put it."
"Gotcha," I wink, giving him another side hug before jogging over to Sue happily. I see Isabella greet him awkwardly before making her way over as well.
"JO!" Sue exclaims. "We were starting to worry you wouldn't be showing up!"
"And miss Harry's fish fry? Never," I grin before greeting little Seth. Seth had tackled me in a hug, almost knocking me from my feet as I let out an "Oof. Hey there little guy!" Seth pouts at that.
"Hey! Pale Face!" A voice calls, forcing me to turn and see Leah. She was a beautiful girl with sharp, defined features, and a straight-cut bob that only she could pull off. Her simple enagement ring glittered simply in the light from the bonfire 20 feet away, and she had a careless smirk on her face.
"Hey there, Jawline," I taunt right back, making her smirk more prominent. "What's good?"
"Same old, same ole," she shrugs. Leah was a greatly misunderstood person. We had never been all too close, but we were close enough for me to know that she enjoyed my company. Leah was a very blunt person, but that was what was so refreshing. She was brief, to the point, and didn't care to spend time thinking about you if you were irrelevant to her. She knew what she wanted, and if she didn't vibe with it, she didn't care to think of it. "My cousin Emily is visiting soon from the Makah tribe nearby. You should come by and meet her."
"Love to," I grin, seeing Sam, Leah's fiance, swoop in and peck her cheek. "What's up Sam?"
"How you doing, Little Swan?" he responds, wrapping an arm around Leah's waist. For a moment, Leah's stoic exterior softened as she melted into his arms, a content look flooding her features.
"You really know everyone around here, don't you?" Isabella asks, coming around from her conversation with Sue. I just shrug, not really knowing how to reply.
"I guess," I offer. "It's a small reservation, and I lived here for almost a month--you get to know the faces pretty quick." Bella nods and bites her lip. The two of us fell into awkward silences pretty frequently, although we typically found our way out of them quick. It was okay though; hell, it was nice even. We didn't have to be best friends, but we were sister afterall.
Jake came over and spared us from what I had hardly notice to be a prolonged silence. Recently, I'd been getting stuck in my head for longer than I would realize, losing track of time. I'd become vastly more introspective, not only for thinking about what I do or say before I've done it, but how much I should or do value things. "I was wondering if you two rascals were ever gonna come find me. Then I just realized you're both just blind and hadn't seen me yet."
"You are being surprisingly low profile," I note. "Where are Quil and Embry?"
"On their way."
"Then that's why," I tease. "There's no immature shennanigans, yet."
"If you want immaturity, just look over there," Jake notes with a slight roll of his eyes. I follow his pointed finger anyways, finding the big frame of a familar body rather quickly. Paul Lahote had grown since the last time I had seen him. He had gotten taller, broader, bulkier. He had never said anything in reply to my farewell, and I hadn't thought much of it. I knew where Paul and I stood: bed buddies. I hadn't even known why I had sent him that text. I just felt like I had owed it to him. What was even more bizzare, was that I hadn't even realized how badly I needed to see him until I did.
My feet finally felt the ground. It became an ever present feeling that gravity pressed onto my shoulders. I could hear the sound of the wind better, and I could feel its light kisses that it left on every inch of skin. I could feel the content of the crickets that chirped miles within the forest. I felt whole; there was an odd sense of completeness that filled my bones. It felt like nothing I had ever felt before.
"Have you heard of an anchor, Josephine?"
"No?"
"When you first came in with little Koda, I had thought that Koda was," Art had begun to explain. "An anchor can be anything, especially for such a powerful Elemental like you." I flushed lightly at Art's compliment. "Many don't find them until it's too late, when they're past the point of control."
"Okay?"
"An anchor is something that connects you to everything. An anchor grounds you to the earth, and has the ability to bring you out of whatever state you're in. It, or they, can keep you sane and calm in even the worst situations. It guides you, and you, in a sense, guide it. I've only ever seen a comprable connection to an Elemental and an anchor once, and it;'s been a loong time since I had the privelidge to witness it. Your connection with your anchor will only grow stronger as time goes on, and as you develop your control and power better. You're tied to your anchor, forever. It's an imposible force that exceeds all reasoning and rationality. And I think you've already found it, Josephine."
"Hey, Jo, you okay?" Bella asks, bringing me back to the bonfire. My eyes still hadn't left Paul's hulking frame, only now, he was looking right back at me.
