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     𓏲 ࣪₊♡𓂃 SOPHIE WAS SURE SHE GOT HER LOVE FOR STARGAZING FROM HER MOTHER, Corrine adored sitting out in the garden with a nice warm cup of hot chocolate, staring up at the stars with the most concentrated look possible. That was one of the reasons for why Henry fell in love with her, Corrine was a simple woman, easily pleased, you could make her a hot drink and dance with her into the garden when a full moon is out just to stargaze and she'd love you forever.

Sophie was much like Corrine, she wasn't so charmed by the more materialistic gifts and found more love and care in the smaller gifts, the ones that you put effort and time into — the handmade gifts. Those were the only types of gifts Sophie made for others, she painted, moulded clay, knitted and sewed, she loved putting in the time to make others happy.

It was Embry's sixteenth birthday the next day and Sophie found herself sat in her kitchen, facing the window as she threaded string together, dark red and black string in order to make a bracelet for her best—friend. The house was silent, her father was working and she wasn't sure where her mother was, but when a throat cleared from behind her, she was informed that her mother was in fact at home.

"What a pretty bracelet. You're so talented, honey." Corrine brushed her hand over her daughter's shoulders as she entered the kitchen and a small smile appeared on Sophie's lips, her eyes glued down to the string tangled between her fingers, "The stars look so beautiful tonight." Her mother continued, turning on the faucet as she stared out of the window and Sophie nodded in agreement.

"Much like you." Sophie muttered and Corrine snapped her head over to her daughter, a soapy sponge squished inside of a glass she was washing in her hand and a huge grin on her lips, she was smiling so wide that multiple creases appeared beside her eyes.

"Aw, you're too sweet, Soph." Corrine turned back around to face the sink, continuing to wash out the glass as Sophie chuckled, finishing up the bracelet. After a few moments of silence, the older St. James spoke up again, "How about I make some hot chocolate and we go outside to watch the stars?"

Sophie's eyes lit up at the suggestion and she tied the last knot on her bracelet before pushing herself up from the table, looking over at her mother with a bright smile, "I'll get the blankets." She told her mother and pushed her chair in, heading towards the cupboard under the stairs to grab two grey blankets.

She sat outside in the backyard with a blanket wrapped around herself for a good two minutes before her mother exited the house with two mugs of hot chocolate in her hands, and the older woman approached, handing her daughter a mug as she sat down beside her, "The sky's purple." Sophie pointed out, sniffing the mix of chocolate and cinnamon scented milk, a smile making its way onto her face.

"It is." Corrine grinned, getting comfortable under the blanket with her eyes directed up at the dark purple sky, "I feel like that means something." She expressed and Sophie looked over at the side of her mother's face, her hands wrapped tightly around the warm mug, "I don't know, I've just been seeing purple a lot. By the way, do you have a purple night light?" Corrine met the eyes of her daughter, who scrunched her brows, shaking her head.

"No... Why?" Sophie pouted her bottom lip, ultimately confused.

"I could've sworn I saw a bright purple light emitting from under your door." Corrine shrugged, also bewildered by it all, maybe she was hallucinating or just straight up imagining it but she swore she saw a purple light.

"Uh, I have no idea—" Before Sophie could finish her sentence, leaves brushing caught her attention, it definitely didn't sound like wind, it sounded as if someone had brushed against them and when she looked over, a large animal... a wolf turned around, running away from the forest edge, "Mom..."

"What, honey? What did you see?" Corrine watched with wide eyes as her daughter jumped up, the mug of hot chocolate flying out of her hands. Mrs St. James' eyes snapped over at the trees, her eyebrows knitting together in mystification, worried about Sophie.

"I— We need to go inside, I just saw a massive wolf." Sophie hurriedly grabbed the blankets and held onto her mother's hand, pulling her up in a rushed manner, dragging her towards the back door.

"The one you've been seeing?" Corrine asked, closing the door behind them and Sophie didn't reply, walking over to the sink to splash her face with cold water. She believed she was imagining everything, it was all just a daydream, that was the only explanation for why she was seeing a wolf, a wolf that was impossibly huge.

Corrine watched her daughter with wide eyes before she looked back over at the backyard through the large glass doors, only to see nothing but darkness, "Soph... Are you okay?" When she looked back at her, Sophie was drying her face on a towel.

"I'm fine, I just need some sleep. I'm sorry, mom, I love you." Sophie approached her mother and pressed a kiss to her cheek before grabbing the bracelet off of the table and rushing down the hallway, up the stairs. In her bedroom, Sophie threw the handmade gift onto her desk and switched off her lights, climbing under her duvet.

The only way to stop the hallucinations was to ignore them... right?

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THIS DAY WAS DIFFERENT FROM EVERY OTHER DAY, her friendship group — well, most of them — were much cheerier and it was all thanks to Sophie, somehow her little chat with Bella Swan convinced the older girl to at least try to move on from Edward Cullen, so now Bella was sat in between Angela and Mike, chuckling at Eric's jokes with a carrot stick between her teeth.

"Hey!" Layla clapped her hands, grabbing everyone at the table's attention and they all quietened down, looking towards the blonde that was on her knees on her chair, taller than the rest of them. She smirked, the pencil in between her fingers tapping on her palm, "So, Mike and I are hosting a party tonight at our house, of course. Just, don't bring anyone I don't like. That's my only rule." Layla shrugged, slumping back down into her chair whilst all of her friends cheered, wanting nothing more than to attend a back—to—school party.

Sophie shuffled her chair closer to her best—friend, her brows furrowed, "Didn't your parents come home?" The brunette whispered, ultimately confused, Layla's parents were strict, rich and hardly ever home, yet they still had a list of rules, as if that was okay considering they neglected their children.

"Nope." Layla huffed, popping her 'p' and Sophie let out a heavy sigh, wrapping her arm around her friend as the two watched their friends talk to one another, laughing and smiling from ear—to—ear. Mike didn't seem as disappointed as Layla about their parents, that was something Sophie took into account, but then again, Mike could be hiding his sorrows.

After lunch, Sophie made her way to her locker on her own, her backpack strap clutched tightly between her ring—covered fingers. She approached the locker, un—noticing of Bella at her own locker beside her, she only realised when she heard a cough erupt from beside her, causing her eyes to snap over to where the sound came from, "Hey." Bella greeted, sending the younger girl a tight—lipped smile and Sophie forced a grin, pretending to be as jolly as possible.

"Hi, Bella. How are you?" She asked as she pulled her books from her locker, moving them all around whilst she listened to Bella speak.

"I'm... okay, better than last week. Thanks for that pep talk, it really helped." She smiled, closing her locker and Sophie nodded, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just glad you're not drowning in your tears anymore." Sophie closed her own locker and placed her hand on Bella's shoulder, hoping she was comforting her, "I'll see you tonight, Bella." Sophie grinned before she moved past her, heading down the hallway, no matter how much she felt a brick wall between the two, she didn't want Bella to live miserably just because of a boy, Sophie knew first hand how fucked up that was.

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SOPHIE ALWAYS LOVED WEARING DRESSES, heels and doing herself up, wearing makeup and jewellery. She adored the feeling of beauty, just feeling comfortable in her own skin, something she didn't feel very often but in her purple dress, a purple dress she wore to her parents' anniversary a few years back, definitely didn't cause discomfort whatsoever.

Her combat boots slapped against the wooden floors of the Newton house lightly as she held multiple glasses in her hands, smiling at all of the students all stood scattered around the house, laughing and singing to the music that boomed against every wall. She giggled when someone approached her, taking a drink from her hand and when they thanked her, she continued down the hallway, entering the living room where her drunk best—friend was.

Layla Newton was sat on the couch, or rather sat on Angela Weber, the two making out and Sophie's eyes widened in shock, immediately moving away from the sight. She'd been waiting a long time for the two to finally get together, just not in the way it happened, she didn't expect their first kiss to happen whilst they were both drunk.

She felt an arm sliver over her shoulders and she jumped out of fear, her head snapping over to the culprit to see Embry, a grin on his face towards Layla and Angela, "That was a disaster waiting to happen, huh?" He joked and she nudged his side, shaking her head in disagreement.

"I don't think so, it was a beautiful flower field waiting to bloom in the Spring..." Sophie blew all of the air in her mouth to her cheeks out of slight disappointment, her eyes squeezing shut for just a moment but they snapped back open when Embry choked on his drink, pulling her attention away from her cousin and to the front door.

The door opened and out appeared Bella Swan with Jacob Black hot on her tail, closing the door behind him. They were both wearing casual clothes and Bella had her hands awkwardly stuffed in the back pocket of her jeans and Sophie furrowed her brows in confusion at the pair, not noticing Embry's look of concern towards her.

"Hey, hey." Embry moved in front of her and placed his hand on her cheek, attempting to pull her attention away from the duo but she was still dazed off as if she was still in love with Jacob, as if seeing the sight ripped her heart into two all over again, "Soph, look at me."

Her eyes flicked around for just a moment before they landed on him, all of her blurred senses becoming clear again and his eyes searched hers, clear concern laced in her expression, "I'm fine." Her voice cracked and her shook his head, patting her cheek gently.

"Sure, just don't do anything stupid, all right?" He gave her a serious look and she was silent, she didn't feel like saying anything because she knew it was possible she could do something stupid, anything was possible with alcohol in her system but it wasn't as if she was drunk like Layla... only a little tipsy.

"Okay." Sophie nodded, her voice quiet and he nodded as well, moving away from her only for Bella and Jacob standing close together coming back to her sight. She blinked a few times and glanced down to the drinks in her hands, making the split second decision to down the drinks and shove the glasses into Embry's hands, approaching the two, "Hey, y'all!"

"Oh, hey, Sophie." Bella's brows furrowed for just a second at the sound of Sophie's texan accent, a humorous smile making its way onto her lips whilst Jacob stayed silent, unsure of what to say to the girl he hadn't been civil with for what felt like years. Sophie suddenly wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders and pulled her away from Jacob, who just trailed behind, a little confused.

"So, considering our hosts are both drunk out of their minds..." She gestured towards Layla who was still kissing Angela on the couch, and Bella's brows raised curtly, never expecting those two to be together and Sophie pointed towards Mike, who danced drunkly to Michael Jackson, attempting to do the moonwalk and failing miserably, "Ha!" Sophie laughed loudly when Mike fell on his ass and Bella chuckled awkwardly, still unsure of what to do.

"I'm guessing you've taken over?" Bella stopped them in the large doorway and Sophie nodded with a shrug, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"Basically, me and Embry. Anyway, I hope you guys have fun... Help yourself to drinks, or whatever— The bathroom's upstairs on your first left." Sophie forced a smile and didn't even glance in Jacob's direction as she unlatched her arm from Bella's shoulders, rushing towards Embry and Eric.

Jacob moved up beside Bella, his eyes following the St. James girl until Bella nudged his arm, causing him to look over at her, his long hair falling over his shoulder, "I thought you guys were friends, why was there so much tension?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, I just miss her." Jacob's voice was quiet, broken and he glanced over at Sophie again for just a short—lived moment, a small smile appearing on his lips at the sight of her giggling at something Eric had said. But, he quickly realised he was there with Bella and he shook his head, looking towards the short girl, "But, I missed you more. Come on, let's get a drink."

Little did he know, unconsciously, he was lying to not only Bella, but himself, too.

@amxliewrites — 2024