Clearer (J.HALE)

24

I glowered out the window as the trees flashed by, smudging into one long blurry bar of green.

The road was bumpy, each pothole jostling me in my seat and making my joints creak. I felt like the most aged seventeen-year-old to ever exist, with crumbling bones and aching feet, and the baby was sat right on top of my bladder. Neither Meg nor I had spoken since getting in the car, and the silence was near-on chewable.

"Would you stop sulking?" she snapped, finally.

"I'm not sulking!" I bit back. "I'm anxious."

"You are definitely sulking."

"Am not!"

"It's going to get you nowhere."

"I don't care."

"Everything will be fine!"

"You know, everyone keeps telling me that, but it's just not as convincing as everyone thinks it is."

Meg sighed heavily and turned onto Emily's driveway. The boys were peeking out the window as she cut the engine, without shirts and shoving one another out the way, nearly shaking with adrenaline. Emily jogged over to the truck as I hauled myself up and out of the seat, already huffing and puffing at the exertion.

"Hey there," she said, offering me a hand.

"Hi," I grumbled, placing my hands on my lower back and stretching out. It almost looked like I'd shoved a beachball under my shirt, the bump was so cartoonishly large compared to the rest of my body.

"Let me get your bag for you," Emily said, patting me on the arm and practically diving into the back seat.

"Thank you," I breathed.

There was a bit of hustle and bustle in the front room, and advances for embraces of greeting halting when they saw the thunder on my face.

"Whoa," Jared murmured, eyebrows flying up.

I shot him the deathliest glare I could muster.

"Make room, please, boys," Emily said, shooing them left and right so I had a clear path to the couch.

I didn't really want to sit down, because it was never comfortable, but standing up was painful.

"She's being difficult," Meg announced as she entered the room, giving me a pointed look.

"I am not!" I protested, only growing more irritated at the insolent tone of my voice.

Paul wordlessly moved toward the couch and sat down next to me, pulling me into his side for a hug. If it had been anyone else, I would have committed an act of grotesque violence, but I leaned into Paul as if my life depended on it.

"What's going on, Im?" Embry asked, looking at me in mild concern.

I sighed, eyes flickering to Aunt Meg. "I'm sulking."

She looked smug.

"Why?" Jake asked.

"Because..." I grumbled, "you're all going off to fight some baby vampires on steroids, and I constantly have to pee!"

They all blinked at me.

"It's the hormones," I sniffed, leaning my head on Paul's shoulder. "Although if any of you dare say that to me, I'll rip your heads off."