GODS AND MONSTERS ↝ P. LAHOTE

[3]

"Bye, Mom!" Lark called, shutting the front door behind her and spinning the keyring around on her pointer finger as she walked to where the family's Nissan was parked in the driveway.

Now that the Hudsons had been living in Forks for an entire week, and most of what seemed like a never-ending stream of boxes had finally been unpacked, the family had designated a break day. Her father left that morning to go golfing with Charlie and Richie, and her mother decided to spend the day on the couch with a new book she picked up during the girls' road trip, but Lark claimed she needed a change of scenery for the day.

Ducking into the car and turning the key in the ignition, Lark flipped through the radio station, finally settling on an alternative station based out of Seattle, with Green Day filling the airwaves. She put the car in reverse, backing out of the driveway and praying she remembered how to get to La Push Beach without getting lost.

She slowly but surely found her way to the reservation, driving through the winding forested roads. She drove past the diner her father had brought her and her mother to on their second night in town, where he claimed one year he and his friends had gone to watch every single Mariners game the team played that season, with the exception of the one home game they managed to score tickets to. The diner was known for having the best desserts in town, and after trying a piece of their cherry cobbler, she couldn't argue with that statement. As she crossed the reservation line, the beach came into view, and she passed by the Black residence, where Billy and Jacob had thrown the family their welcome home party on their first night in town a week ago.

Lark grabbed her messenger bag and stepped out of the car, locking the doors and throwing the keys in her bag. She slung it over her shoulder, heading down to walk on the sand by the shore. All around her, she could hear kids yelling with glee as they chased each other around, those who dared to go swimming or cliff diving now that summer was approaching and it began to grow warmer, and the sound of a soccer ball being kicked around and the shouts from the players of a pickup game going on further down the beach.

Lark simply walked, staring out at the water beyond the shore and watching the waves, along with the few surfers that were out that afternoon. As she walked closer and the game of soccer came more into view, she recognized the faces that were passing the ball around as Jacob, Quil, Embry, Seth, Leah, Jared, Paul, Alicia, Leonora and the man they had pointed out to be Sam at the party the other night. Alicia looked over, catching her eye and gesturing for her to join them.

"Lark!" she called out, alerting the rest of the group of the girl's presence.

"Long time, no see, Hudson." Embry said. "Come to play?"

"Come to read," she corrected, reaching into her messenger bag and pulling out a book full of Greek mythology. "but I'll watch." she offered, taking a seat on the sand a little ways away from where they played.

"I'll sit out this round." Paul offered to the others. "That way we're not struggling with uneven teams anymore."

"If you're sure," Sam said to him, and Lark looked up from her book, watching the exchange between the two boys.

"I'm sure," Paul said, crossing the sand to where Lark sat. "Lark could probably use some company, right?"

"Sure," she said, patting a spot on the sand next to her. "I don't mind."

Paul took a seat next to Lark as the soccer game resumed, Sam kicking the ball to Leo, who took off running down the beach, twisting and turning her way past Seth and Quil before being intercepted by Leah, who then kicked the ball to Jared, much to Leo's dismay.

"What brings you out here by yourself?" Paul asked.

"Just needed a change of scenery," she said, looking around at the beach beyond them. "I've spent most of last week stuck in the house unpacking boxes."