Lemon Water // Paul Lahote

three

"Where have you been!" My mom yelled at me as soon as I got into the car, "all I know is that I dropped you ff this morning and then I get a call from the school saying that you're not there! What the hell Serena! And why are you crying?"

"It was Luke's last day here, so I had to say goodbye" I responded between sobs

"That doesn't answer my question of where were you! Now tell me before I ground you longer than I'm already planning on!"

"I-I was at Luke's house. He said that, that you wouldn't find out that I wasn't at school! H-he told me that I would be ok skipping for one day in my life,"

"And what did you do at this Luke's house?"

"W-we went to the grocery store, and ate junk food while watching movies"

"You went to the grocery store?" She roared, slamming on the breaks on a quiet back road near La Push

"I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!"

"We have rules for a reason, Serena! What if somebody saw you! You could be taken away from me! Do you know what you've done!"

"What? What do you mean I could be taken away from you?"

"I didn't say anything about you being taken away from me," mom lied quickly, starting to drive again

"Yes you did, you said that I could be taken away from you!"

"Serena, drop it"

"But-"

"I said drop it!"

"Ok, I will"

"Once we get home you are to go straight to your room and not come out until I tell you you can, do I make myself clear?" Mom said calmly

"Yes" I mumbled, ashamed for what I did today

"What was that? I didn't here you, you know you are supposed to speak up when you're talking to me!"

"Yes mother"

"That's a good girl, but you're still grounded for 2 weeks" mom said, turning the radio up so I wouldn't talk to her.

It's not like I could really be grounded from anything anyway. I already wasn't allowed to go anywhere but home and school, and I don't have any electronics, so they can only really ground me from going to the backyard.

Once we got home I went straight to my room like my mother told me, and started working on a project that I had due next week.

My train of thought broke when my parents started yelling at each other from somewhere in the house. A few minutes later a knock came on my door and my dad stuck his head in, "your mother and I are going out to eat in Port Angeles. You are to stay in this room until we get back. I am locking your door so you can't get out" he said before closing the door.

I heard a click and then footsteps leaving the hallway, meaning my dad left the area. I continued to work on my project, but my mind kept wandering back to a conversation I had with Luke today,

"C'mon, Re, you have to live a little after I leave, you can't just sit locked in your house the rest of your life"

"You know that my parents don't allow me places"

"But your parents go out together and lock you in your room, right? Just go out the window and hop the fence"

"I don't know if I can do that, Luke, I feel like I would chicken out"

"You never know until you try, right Re? Just try it once for me, ok? Then you can tell me about it in a letter"

"Ok, I can try, but I don't know if I can go through with it" the conversation ended after that, but the thought still remained prominent in my head.

Luke was right, I can't just stay cooped up in this house the rest of my life, I have to live a little. "This ones for you Luke" I whispered to myself, standing up.

I put my shoes back on and then listened for any movement in my house. Once I was sure my parents were gone I opened my window and hopped out, avoiding the big rock under it.

I ran over to the fence and hoisted myself over it after a few tries, then ran away from my house. I wandered for about 10 minutes before coming across what I assumed to be a beach.

I walked up to the water and squatted down, putting my hand in it, "wow!" I whispered, amazed at the sight

I heard a laugh behind me and stood and turned around quickly. I was me with the sight of two tan, muscular boys that only had a pair of jean shorts on.

"You haven't been to a beach before, have you?" The one on the left asked. He was slightly taller and bigger than the one next to him and was smiling at me.

"Uh, no," I responded, nervous to be talking to them, "I've never been"

"I've never seen you around here before, are you new?" The one on the right asked

"No, I've lived here my whole life, but my parents don't allow me outside, something about druggies that are bad for me or something" I responded quietly

"Well, its nice to meet you, I'm Jared Cameron, and this guy is Embry Call" the boy, Jared said, holding his hand out to shake

"I'm Serena Hastings" I said, shaking Jared's hand. Embry flinched but quickly recovered, "is something wrong?"

"No, no it's nothing, a grain of sand got in my eye, I'm fine now" Embry replies quietly, shrinking in on himself

"I really have to go now though, my parents can't know that I left. I got grounded for ditching school today because it was my only friends last day"

I left Jared and Embry standing at the beach and rushed back the way I came. I was at the beach way longer than I should have been, for all I know my parents could have changed their minds and went to the diner here and are already back home.

Once I saw my house I wan to the fence and hopped over with minimal struggling, then I climbed through my window just as I heard my garage door opening. I threw my shoes back on my rack then shut and lap led my window, then I went back to working on my project in case my parents walked in.

Embry

"Maybe we should follow her, you know, make sure that she gets home safe?" I asked Jared after Serena left the beach.

"You heard what she said, she's not allowed out of the house, if her parents found out that she brought people home with her they would freak" Jared replied

"I know, but I just git this strange urge to protect her"

"She kinda looks like you, maybe you guys are related or something"

"I don't know, my mom hasn't said anything about having any cousins to me"

"Maybe you imprinted on her, when I imprinted on Kim I got a really strong urge to protect her?"

"I don't think so, I would have known if I did"

"Oh, ok, but let's go back to Emily's, I'm starving"