ONE. CALL ME ELI

"So, what exactly was Atwood trying to tell us?"

The class was silent, all the students avoiding eye contact with the teacher, who expected just as much. Eli sat at the back of the class in her cotton lilac button up, tapping her pen against her desk. She sighed softly, before raising her hand. "That if we're not careful, our society could easily slip back into the way things were, when women were looked down upon as things, objects, walking wombs. By not defending ourselves from our oppressors and continuously standing up for what we believe in, there's a chance that our country could become in total control of maniacs who think they know what's best; freedom from bad things, but not the freedom to express good things."

The pupils around her had mixed reactions. Some rolled their eyes, others furiously tried to remember what she said, jotting notes down in their books. Ms Matteson, however, was grinning broadly at the return of her favourite student. "It's good to have you back, Elise."

Eli returned the smile slightly just as the bell went, the shrill ringing signifying the end of the day. Everybody was in a rush to get home and out of class, throwing their folders into their bags and seeing who could get to the parking lot first. Eli wasn't too worried, she was happy to walk. She missed being in La Push. While she was there, she despised the smell of sea salt and the people who were so quick to assume things, but when she had been away for so long, she wanted to relish in the atmosphere once more.

"How long are you back this time?" Ms Matteson asked after she finishing wiping down the whiteboard. Eli tucked pieces of hair behind her ears at the question, nibbling on the edge of her lip.

"Not sure yet," she responded with a light shrug. "Depends on how fast mom gets sick of seeing my face."

Her teacher didn't exactly know how to respond, she only watched as the student slung her backpack over her shoulders and walked towards the door. "I'll see you on Monday, Elise."

The teenager paused at the doorway and shoved her hand in her pockets. "Eli's fine, Ms Matteson. Thanks for the class."

The hall was filled with students as she tried to find her way to her new locker. It probably wasn't the best idea, starting school halfway through a Friday, but she was relatively quick at catching up, and she had left a good enough impression on her teachers that she'd have access to notes and resources.

Eli had hardly made it a step out of the doors when she was tackled to the ground. She instinctively tensed up and squeezed her eyes shut as her shoulder hit the grass lawn by the front of the school. Then, she heard the sound of bubbling laughter.

"Oh my God, you should've seen your face!"

Relaxing significantly at the familiar voice, Eli opened her eyes and met the beaming face of Embry Call. He was staring down at her with his usual bright expression, his long hair falling in his face. "What's up, Tiny? We were told you'd be coming back this week."

"You could've given a little warning before throwing me to the ground," she muttered as the boy helped her up to her feet. Before she had a chance to breathe, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. Eli wheezed a little, though a slight chuckle slipped out. "Nice to see you too, Embry."

"Look at you, all pretty and grown up," the voice of Jacob Black entered the conversation, shoving Embry out of the way and poking Eli's cheeks. "Dad was hoping you and Nick were gonna stop by the campfire tonight."

"Oh, really?" Eli quirked an eyebrow, proceeding to look over Jacob's shoulder to smile at Quil Ateara. "Hey, Quil."

"Missed you, Tiny," he grinned, lifting his hand in a wave.

"So, are you coming?" Embry interrupted, swinging his arm around her shoulders and nudging her side. "I'll save you a seat. I think Jared might be coming, maybe Seth and Leah."

Eli perked up a little at Seth's name. Sure, she had missed the boys she had grown up with, but Seth and Leah were two people closest to her heart. "How are they? How's Sue and Harry? They're all shit at answering my calls."

"You call them?" Embry's jaw slacked a little, slightly offended. "Where's my constant communication?"

"There's only so much of you I can take, babe," she patted him on the cheek, then adjusting her bag on her shoulders once more. "I'll catch you guys later."

"Nick picking you up?" Jacob asked as she pulled away from the group, reaching into her pocket for an elastic so she didn't have to worry about her hair flying in her face from the wind. When she shook her head, he quirked an eyebrow. "Eli, it's gonna take you at hour to get home."

"I don't mind," she responded, appreciating the chill her hometown provided her. "I need the fresh air."

Jacob looked back at Quil and Embry, who then exchanged glances, before they all smiled at her broadly. "Looks like we're coming too!"

"It's fine, you guys catch the bus," she waved them off with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah right," Quil retorted, shaking his head ass they caught up with her. "Can't let our little sister walk home on her first day back at school."

"I'm older than all of you," she remarked, though all the guys laughed at her.

"You're shorter though. Besides, you need to catch us up on everything that's been happening in Portland," Embry ruffled her hair, and Eli groaned, knowing she'd now retie it. "Any relationship updates?

"Bold of you to assume I'll ever be in a relationship," Eli said, pulling out a pack of gum from her jacket and taking a stick, before handing them out to her friends who eagerly scrambled to get their hit of strawberry flavoured goodness. Jacob went to toss the pack on the ground before Eli cleared her throat in his direction. The fifteen year old flushed a little, shoving the cardboard in his pocket for when he would find a bin. "What about you guys? I heard about Sam and Leah, that was a shame."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what happened," Quil perked up as they left the school grounds and walked down the steps towards La Push beach. It was a shortcut, after all. By walking practically the whole stretch, they would make it to their houses, which were all in the vicinity of each other. Eli reached down and removed her shoes and socks once they reached the beach, smiling a little as she felt her toes immerse themselves among the pebbles and sand. "One minute they were together, the next they weren't. He's with Emily now, but hardly anyone's seen her since she was attacked by a bear or something."

"I thought it was a mountain lion," Embry muttered, kicking a stone with his shoe. There was a murmur of uncertainty among the boys for a few moments, and Eli relished in it. The best thing about La Push was the strange little family she had. No matter how much her biological family despised each other, she could always turn to the stories she had been told in her youth by Billy Black and Harry Clearwater; about the legends of her mother's tribe, the shapeshifters that once roamed the lands.

★☆

Nick Stutfield didn't even acknowledge Eli as she walked into the house. He was sitting with Sam Uley at the dining room table in a thin tank top and denim shorts, despite the chilly weather outside. The latter offered the girl a polite smile as she entered the main room, before his eyes fell on the trio who followed her.

"Hey, Sam," Eli muttered on her way to her room, stopping by Sam's chair to embrace him. He reached up and ruffled her hair as he always did, which made her chuckle softly. "How's it going?"

"It's good," he replied, though his gaze were still flickering towards Embry, Quil and Jacob. They were clearly intimidated by the man, as they avoided any kind of eye contact and tried to pass the time by talking about the campfire that night. "I'm glad you're back, Tiny. We all missed having you around here."

Nick made a soft 'hmph' sound. Eli glared at him, before continuing on her path to her bedroom. Since the minute she had come back, he'd been incredibly hostile. She didn't know what she'd done, they'd always gotten along pretty well until he turned sixteen. Now, he was twenty and had spoken a total of eight words to her in the past four years. But, instead of bringing up what might have been a sensitive subject with him, she decided to just let him hate her. It wasn't like they had to spend every day together. He had chosen to live with their mother, while she went to Portland with their father. Everything was different, and there was nothing she could do.

Eli entered the spare room, which had originally been hers. All her posters had been moved years ago, all that was left was a bed in plain sheets and a couple of pillows from the couch. The only proof she had ever lived there was a faded sticker of Donatello the Ninja Turtle, which was patchy at the edges from how hard her mother must have tried to take it off.

Throwing her backpack on the bed and moving to her suitcase, Eli began to change into more comfortable clothing. She was heading back to Jacob's to help set up the campfire; anywhere was better than her mother's house.

Once she was ready, Eli lifted her head and caught herself in the small mirror beside the door. Her dark hair was frizzy from the irritating humidity and her eyes were slightly puffy from her lack of sleep. She sighed a little, seeing the image of her dad in her face. Her shoulders deflated a little, her mind flashing to her mother. She knew why she wasn't favoured, because she looked like the man that had broken her heart and ripped her soul in half. But still, it wasn't as if Eli asked for her father's hazel eyes or his kind smile. Well, she saw it as kind, but her mother probably didn't think the same.

"Tiny, you ready to go?" she heard Jacob call, causing her to break eye contact with her reflection, darting out the door with nothing but her grey Motorola phone in the pocket of her sweatshirt.

"Yup," she entered the dining room once more, keeping her head bowed as she passed Nick and Sam. She walked as quick as she could, past Embry so she could get into the kitchen. She opened the cupboards and reached for the block of chocolate she had bought on the way down, unopened and ready to devour. She also grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, before returning to her friends, who were hanging around on the porch rather than standing in the company of the older guys. "Okay, let's go."

Eli spared a glance behind her as she went to shut the front door, making brief eye contact with Nick. He was still frowning at her, like he knew something she didn't. Her heart sunk a little, but she didn't let it show. Instead, she lifted her head high and stared right back.

Ah, to be home again.

★☆