Almost an hour later, Embry and Callas began to leave the dance. The Coach had managed to get majority of the teachers annoyed at him, although that wasn't very difficult. The rest of the boys—minus Jacob, who didn't seem to show up at all—began to make their way to their own cars, mumbling to each other quietly. From across the parking lot, Callas noticed a few of the other students walking along to get to their cars. Some of the girls looked tired, their hair was beginning to lose the curls they had worked so hard on, their makeup was lightly smudged, and their dresses had wrinkled while they held their heels in their hands. A few boys were holding their blazers, their shirts were untucked as they walked to their cars, although one person—who Callas was certain didn't attended La Push high school—was walking away, towards the trees, opposite the school grounds, across the road. His blond hair was pushed up at the front and she could recognise the leather jacket from anywhere, she had seen it often enough. It wasn't exactly him. But it was close. The man slowed down.

     Quil and Seth had already got into their car, still talking about a rematch for the money that Quil had just lost. Embry said goodbye to Jared and Paul as they got into their own cars to drive away. Callas continued to watch the man as his eyes met hers. They were unforgettable. They tormented her long enough to be engrained in her mind forever. Branded to the back of her eyelids so every time she closed her eyes they would stare back at her, glowing the same ochre red as they always had. Although, this time, they didn't glow. His expression was blank as he tilted his head, slowly walking backward, into the shadows, his eyes glared in her direction. Callas jumped as Embry placed his hand on her upper arm, pulling her gaze away from the retreating figure that she knew would be gone the second she went to look for him again—so she didn't. Embry offered her a light smile, slightly confused as to why she was just standing there.

     "You okay?" He asked, his eyebrows drew together slightly—something Callas wouldn't have noticed before if she hadn't forced herself to look out for small details.

     "What?" She blinked. "Oh, yeah." She nodded. "Yeah, it's just been a long day, you know? I've never spent that much time around Coach before until now and I have to say, it's rather suffocating," she joked, hoping that he wouldn't press further on the matter.

     "Trust me, he was worse last year."

     "I somehow don't see that being a possibility."

     Embry shrugged. "Well, you know, it's over now, there's always next year."

     "I'm already having anxiety about next year." She sighed. Embry squeezed her upper arm gently.

     "I've always got your back," he told her before he motioned his head to the truck. "I'll take you home."

     "Thanks," she mumbled, following him to the truck before she walked around to the passenger side.

     Callas turned her head to the window as soon as she got in, locking her seatbelt into place, noticing the storm clouds that began to form. "Ready to go?"

     "I'm ready to sleep for a few years. Maybe I'll catch up on how much sleep I'm meant to have had."

     "So, a coma?"

     "Sounds more comfortable than having my alarm wake me up."

     "You're not going to need your alarm for an entire week," he reminded her.

     "I was talking about Zeus."

     "Ah." Embry nodded, starting the truck up.

     He reversed out of the parking space before slowly turning out onto the main road from the school. Outside the window, the bright light from the moon began to fade as the dark grey clouds began to push in front of it, shielding the road from the natural light—although, granted, it wasn't doing much considering the roads were almost canopied with the tall trees. The trucks headlights were bright, but Embry brightened them ever-so-slightly, but Callas was sure that it wasn't necessary for him—maybe he did it simply for her sake of feeling safer on the road. She slid over to him more, or as much as she could with her seatbelt restricting her while basking in the warm of his body that slowly began to radiate towards her. Embry left the radio off. Callas didn't mind though. The silence allowed her to think. Or, at least push most of her thoughts towards her subconscious while she allowed herself the small fraction of peace that seemed to become a rarity in her life as of late.

     "So, have any plans for tonight?" Callas asked, relaxing into her seat more.

     "Yeah."

     Callas furrowed her eyebrows. "Is that all you're going to tell me?"

     "It involves your arch nemesis."

     "Oh," her face dropped and her expression turned to disgust. "Uley." She shuddered.

     "He's not that bad." He tilted his head, leaning towards her, keeping his eyes on the road. He sounded like he was trying to convince her before he sat back up straighter, keeping both his hands on the wheel.

     "He stole my brother." Callas copied his actions, in the same convincing tone, leaning towards him, a snarky expression left on her face as she sat back up as well.

     "Stole is a strong word."

     "I know. I just hate that Uley won't let me see him."

     "You'll see him tomorrow. Besides, hate is a strong word as well."

     "Which is exactly why I used it in the same sentence as Uley."

     "Harsh."

     "Necessary," she corrected.

     Embry chuckled to himself. "I wish things could have been different. You know?"

     "That's rather vague in my life right now. You're going to need to be specific."

     "I don't know." He sighed. "Everything." Embry shrugged. "Well, not 'everything' everything. Just—"

     "Everything?"

     "Yeah."

     "So do I."

     "Like what?"

     "My parents. Si. Reed."

     "You'll see him," Embry pressed.

     "I know. I know that." Callas cleared her throat. "I just feel like it could have happened... smoother. Less chaotic."

     "What are your plans for tonight?" Embry changed the topic, wanting to lighten up the mood.

     "Most likely reading. Maybe staring at the ceiling. My schedule is wide open. Might re-watch Dirk Gently." She shrugged.

     "That show confused me. I stopped watching after the second episode."

     "Really?"

     "Yeah, I couldn't follow it."

     "I might finish the Maths homework as well."

     "Finish? As in you've already started it?"

     Callas raised an eyebrow, looking over at him. "Yeah?"

     "I've managed to lose my Maths homework already."

     "It hasn't even been a day."

     "You'd be surprised," Embry mumbled as he turned down her road, driving slowly as the trail wasn't lit up with lights like the main road.

     "Thanks. For tonight. Getting me out of the house." Callas breathed out, turning her head to face him.

     "It got me out of washing the dishes, so." Embry shrugged, sending her a smile.

     "So, you used me."

     "You used me." He pointed at her.

     Callas glared lightly, lowering his hand from her face before rolling her eyes. "I will see you and Reed tomorrow," she told him pointedly as she opened the door to the truck. "I mean it." She closed the door, walking over to the front of the house and up the porch steps. Unlocking the front door, she pushed it open, stepping inside. "Honey, I'm home!" She yelled out to Zeus.

     The house was dimly lit from the light upstairs in her room, the downstairs bathroom light had been left on as well from earlier that day before she left to go to the dance. Callas waved goodbye to Embry as she closed the door, catching a glimpse of him turning the truck around to drive back up the road. A yawn escaped her lips as she turned the light off in the bathroom before making her way up the stairs at a largo pace, holding onto the wall. She pushed open her bedroom door, throwing her phone onto her bed, making her way over to the laptop, turning it off. Zeus must have gone downstairs to sleep in Silas and Anya's room for the night, which wasn't unusual. Callas placed her laptop on her desk, walking over to the bathroom to change into her pyjama's. She brushed her teeth and took her hair out its uncomfortable style, tying it up in a ponytail before she walked back out, sitting down on her bed with a sigh.