TWO. LOOKS LIKE I'M GOIN FOR A SWIM

Eli tagged behind Embry and Jacob as Quil ran ahead to tackle Seth Clearwater to the ground. Her hand grasped Embry's arm, anxiety soaking through her at the thought of seeing her mother's friends once more. "Maybe I should just turn in for an early night."

"Hell no, Tiny," Jacob scoffed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders so that she couldn't escape. The girl groaned, feeling incredibly tense as she saw the figures of Billy Black, Harry Clearwater and her mother come into view. "This'll be fun. Sam isn't here, neither is your brother."

"Yeah, but my mom is," she muttered, and said woman turned her head, as if having heard her. Eli met her gaze for a moment, discomfort taking over as they drew closer. It was funny how she'd been back at the Rez for almost three days now, and the only conversation she'd had with her mother was 'take your shoes off inside', and 'okay'. There was nothing to be said between the two, which sucked, seeing as part of Eli always wanted a relationship with the woman.

"Elise!" Harry Clearwater guffawed as the teen drew closer with Jacob and Embry. He jumped up from the log he was sat on and made a beeline for her, his arms wide and welcoming. "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm good," she didn't hesitate in accepting his embrace, burying her face into his shoulder, inhaling the familiar smell of bonfire smoke. Out of all the things she missed about her hometown, the Clearwaters were always at the top of her list. Throughout the course of her parents' divorce, she'd found solace in the home of Harry and Sue, becoming an honorary member of their family. "How are you? How's Sue?"

"She's got a bit of a cold right now, what with winter on the way," he chuckled, pulling away only to place his hands on her cheeks. "Gosh, you've grown up so much! Look at you. Beautiful as ever. I remember when you were just a little baby."

"I know, Harry," Eli laughed. "You say that every time."

"Well, it's true," he grinned, before leading her the rest of the way to the fire so that she could greet Billy and her mother.

"Elise, it's great to have you back," Billy reached for the girl's hand, and she stepped forward to kiss him on the cheek. "I see that Portland sun's done some good."

"Any sun is better than the sun around here," she joked, and he chuckled softly in response. Her eyes then drifted over to her mother, who was looking the other way, her jaw clenched. Billy noticed how Eli tensed a little, and he patted her hand.

"Why don't you go and find Jake and the others, it's best to grab some food before it's all gone," he proposed, and Eli thanked him wordlessly for getting her away from her mother. She turned and walked towards the tables with tin trays, where there were sausages and salads, along with a further array of meat and baked goods.

"Eli!" a thirteen year old Seth leapt onto her back to her surprise, and the older girl yelped in shock at the sudden weight difference.

"Easy, kid," she laughed as he jumped off. She turned around and brought him into a hug. "You saw me on Wednesday, and yesterday."

"But we didn't actually get to talk! I missed you so much! How are you? How's Portland? Are you back here long? Are you back at school yet? You went back today, right? Was it good?"

"It was fine," she ruffled his hair. He was almost past her in height now, which sucked, but both Leah and Sue were tall, so it was likely he'd keep up with them before long. "It'd be better with you in all my classes."

Seth grinned, grabbing her arm and tugging her towards the food. "Hey, Paul!"

Ah, Paul. Eli's smiled dropped a little at the sight of him. The majority of those in La Push were humble and kind, except him. She didn't hate him, but she knew that he always got into fights at school and had taken the first kiss of half the girls in their grade.

He looked up at the call for his name, his dark eyes spotting the two teens walking his way. He nodded his head at Seth, before narrowing his gaze on Eli. "Great, you're back."

"And you're still here," she muttered under her breath, reaching for a plate. She chose not to look him in the eye, for she didn't really care for him all that much. "Wonderful."

Paul rolled his eyes and stalked off, heading towards the others. Jared and Sam were nowhere in sight, neither was Leah. She was yet to make an appearance, and that saddened Eli. She piled a couple of plain bread rolls onto her paper plate, not really having an appetite, before considering whether or not to hang around by the campfire. 

She leaned against the outside of Jacob's house, watching all of her childhood friends and mentors running around, teasing each other and having fun. Her heart sunk a little. She wished she still had the will to join them, but she felt completely out of place. There was so much love within the Quileute Tribe, yet she didn't know how to accept any of it seeing as she had gone so long thinking she didn't deserve it. 

Laughter filled the air, but it wasn't hers. Eli straightened her posture and placed her plate back on the table, shoving her hands in her pockets and quietly walking away from the event. If she remembered well enough, she'd find herself back home, or at the beach. Either way, she'd be somewhere she felt safe. 

Her sneakers trudged against the damp ground and a noticeable chill rushed through the air, dancing through her flyaway wisps of hair that curled against her forehead. Eli shivered a little as she entered the woods, the smell of dirt mingling with the sea air leading the way. 

Her phone vibrated in her back pocket, but she ignored it. It was probably Jacob; he was the only one in the group who bothered to have a phone. The others preferred to bound around from place to place and hope to catch someone on the way. It wasn't her mother, that was for sure.

★☆

After almost half an hour of climbing over fallen logs and sticky marsh, Eli found the entryway to First Beach. Two tree trunks that had been twisted in growth marked the hill that had been walked down so many times, step-like erosion had been created in the descent. It was the same journey she'd made when she was smaller; she was surprised she still knew where she was going. Her head felt less tight as she inhaled the salty air, every step closer making a mound of difference. 

She removed her shoes once she touched the sand, just as she had done earlier in the day. It was almost instinctive to do so. It made her feet a little cold now that the sun had gone down, but the sheer amount of comfort it brought her seemed to make it all wash away. A soft sigh left her lips, and she stared out at the water. It was a deep, bottomless black, no telling what lay beyond. She should have been frightened, but the serenity of the moving waves lured her in. 

Eli dropped her jacket and shoes on the sand, then proceeding to tighten her ponytail so that nothing came free. Her jeans came next, but she left her shirt on. She didn't mind a wet top, but soggy denim? Gross. 

She looked towards the shore, something of a smile finally reaching her face. It was a King Tide, following the full moon of the previous night. She knew this because of how the water reached her ankles only a few steps in. She hadn't had contact with seawater in what felt like a lifetime -- the closest thing to a beach in Portland was Columbia River, which was large enough, but not the same. 

With closed eyes, Eli took another step, the cold flow inching to her calves. She was visibly trembling from the cold, but she didn't care. It was cathartic. She felt cleansed. Cleansed from the strange looks she had received from the kids at school; from her friends who hadn't seen her in years; from her mother, whose silence was more torturous than anything else. 

Eli didn't even realise how long she'd been in the water when she started to get tired. The rush of the strong current forced her to tighten her legs so that she'd stay standing. She wasn't concerned, though. She instead found herself staring up at the stars, counting the ones that shone the brightest.  

"Eli! What the hell are you doing?" the voice of someone yelling her name was distant. She didn't turn around, she hardly spared a thought to whoever it was. "Eli!"

Eli felt a patch of seaweed brush against her leg and she glanced down, before taking a deep breath and diving under the water. She didn't open her eyes, fearing the salt would irritate her, so she swam blindly, allowing the comfort of the water to seep into every pore and crevice of her body. She could feel the movement of the waves above her, and her lips curved upwards, appreciating how she began to warm up now that she was entirely submerged in the sea. 

The awkward bubbling in her ears made her twitch a little, having grown unaccustomed to the muffled sounds of being underwater. She pushed herself through the strong, forceful waves, though her arms started to feel numb. Her chest was beginning to feel hot, the stinging sensation from the lack of oxygen getting to her. 

Strangely, she didn't panic. She pushed herself up to the surface, but she couldn't reach. She didn't have the energy. She kicked with her feet, finally opening her eyes. Everything was dark around her. She was just as blind now as she was a few seconds ago. She wanted to inhale but she couldn't. 

Before she could make it any further, she was grabbed by the back of the shirt. Any breath she had left in her dissipated into bubbles before her, and she was finally set into a frenzy, thrashing about with the little strength that remained. 

It was only when the freezing wind hit her in the face did she gasp for breath, her arms rushing to keep the rest of her body afloat. Her eyes stung from the water and she went to rub them, but a hand swatted them away. She squinted through her blurred vision to see one of the boys. She could hardly make out who it was. "Are you crazy?"

Oh. It was Paul. 

"What're you doing?" she asked, her voice croaky. He still had her shirt in his tight grip, which nearly ripped her breath from her anyway. "Let go!"

"You're welcome, Tiny," he muttered, looking across from her. They were by the cliffs. Eli resisted the urge to curse; she didn't realise she had come this far out. "The tide pulled you out. Quil saw you leave so we followed."

Eli pursed her lips, before spitting out a mouthful of sea water. She then exhaled through her nose and began swimming back towards the shore, as much as it physically hurt her. 

As soon as her head dipped under the water again, Paul grabbed her by the arm and helped her back to the beach. She looked back at him, meeting his irritated scowl. "Why the long face, Lahote?"

"Don't pull that shit with me, Stutfield," he muttered once his feet touched the sand. He helped her to her feet, before letting go as soon as her friends ran forward to grab her. 

"Eli!" Embry pulled her into his arms, embracing her tightly. Quil was next, he wrapped her jacket across her shoulders, as well as his own. "What the hell were you doing?"

Eli shivered a little, digging her head into her friend's chest. "Going for a swim."

"You're lucky Paul saw you leaving," Quil added, and Eli furrowed her eyebrows, looking up at the boy. 

"He said you were the one that saw me," she muttered, and he shook his head profusely. She looked up over Embry's shoulder to see Paul pulling on his t-shirt, looking angry and unimpressed like he usually did. 

"Nah," Quil responded. "He's the best swimmer, too. Me or Jake would've gone, but we probably wouldn't have been able to find you."

Embry scoffed at his friend, who doubted his ability to swim well. To be fair he was right, but that didn't make it hurt any less. 

Jacob patted the girl on the head. "Oh, by the way. Your Mom is pissed."

★☆

eli is the most angsty character i've written in a while but like,, it's twilight ya know