Stir-Crazy

Lainey,
I’m out at the doctor’s today, so can you pick up these groceries for me?

I had just opened my bedroom door, ready to start the day.

It was my last Sunday before school, and I was finally going to spend the day at the beach. Apparently, I had other plans.

I grabbed the note off my bedroom door, and stuffed the grocery list attached to the small yellow paper into my pocket. Changing into jeans and a t-shirt, I grabbed fifty bucks off my dresser and headed out the door.

I was forced to use John’s car today, as my mother had taken hers to the clinic and John was still sleeping. I slid into the car, examining the cool leather interior.

Sweet.

I drove to the grocery store, following my mother’s directions scrawled at the bottom of the list. It was easy to find—it was a small reservation after all. The Sal’s Mini-Mart sign was also a good help.

But seriously, who would name their child Sal?

Was it short for Salmon?

Or Salvestor?

I cut the ignition and walked inside, taking a trolley and collecting the items on the list, one by one. Aisle by aisle.

Finally after heading to the cashier, and paying, I headed out and began loading my groceries into John’s car. Turning around to grab the next bag out of the trolley, I accidentally pushed the trolley forward, sending it rolling forward and crashing into a woman, making her drop all her groceries.

“Shit.” I cursed, before running towards the woman, who was fumbling to get the groceries back into the bags. “Let me help you…” I managed to scoop up most of the fruit and glanced at the woman.

I gasped loudly.

She was beautiful, you could tell that right away. She had the same copper skin and silky black hair as Cora, though her smile was kind.

What really made me gasp was the scars. She had three long gashes from her hairline to her chin, on the right side of her face, bringing down part of her mouth into a permanent frown.

“It’s okay.” She smiled slightly, ignoring my gasp. “I’m Emily.”

“I’m Lainey. Lainey Peters.”

“Wait—you’re Lainey Peters?”

“Um…yes?”

“As in Cora’s new step-sister?”

”Yes.”

”Oh.” Her mouth turned into a complete frown.

”And let me tell you, she’s been driving me crazy since I got here.”

I grinned and she chuckled nervously, taking the bags and stuffing them in the trunk of her car—a faded green Honda.

“I didn’t want to say anything, but she isn’t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.” This made me snort.

After the groceries were safely put away, I waved goodbye to Emily, apologizing to her again before heading to my car. My stomach rumbled loudly. Emily must have heard, because her musical laughter filled the air.

“Someone’s hungry.” she teased. I nodded helplessly. “Would you like to come to my house for some lunch? I have to feed my fiancé and his friends anyway, and they eat quite a lot.”

I contemplated this for a moment. Usually, I wasn’t supposed to accept rides from strangers, yet alone eat their food, but Emily seemed nice enough and she didn’t look like a rapist or murderer. Plus, I could always just follow her to her house, and keep the groceries in the car. I hadn’t bought any meat anyway.

“Sure.” I shrugged and we agreed that I would follow her.

I returned to John’s car and followed her through the bumpy roads of the reservation to a small house.

It was cozy, and looked like many other houses of the reservation, but it had a nice feel to it, that somehow reminded me of Emily even though I’d known her for five minutes. I parked behind her car, and headed inside.

It was nice on the inside too. The front room was mostly kitchen, just like our house. The living room radiated a family environment, with soft worn sofas decorating most of the area.

She led me to the kitchen, and I stood awkwardly to the side as she began taking out ingredients for hot dogs.

“You’re not a vegetarian right?” she asked, waving around the meat. I shook my head and nodded as she began to cook them.

“Do you need help?” I asked, feeling as though I was useless.

“Um…” Emily’s eyes riveted around the room, before landing on the condiments of the hot dogs. “Open the buns and when I hand you the hot dog, put all the condiments on.”

“Okay.” I nodded and grabbed the ketchup and mustard bottles.

We worked in silence for about half an hour, her cooking the hot dogs and me squirting them with every condiment possible. In the end, we got about thirty five hot dogs piled on five large plastic plates.

“Seriously, how many people are coming over?!” I asked incredulously.

“About ten, plus you.”

“And they eat that much?”

“Have you seen how tall the boys around here are?”

“Touché.” Emily laughed and set up the hot dogs.

We made our way to the couch, and watched the football game on the TV as we waited for the others.

“The guys should be here soon.” She commented.

”If you don’t mind me asking, what happened you your face?” She stared at me for a few moments before smiling weakly. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s okay. You’re bluntly honest. I like that” She chuckled. “I got mauled by a bear.”

”Are you serious?!” Sadness was evident in her eyes, and she nodded slowly.

“It was a big brown thing. I was walking in the forest with Sam…” I didn’t bother asking who Sam was, I just let her relax.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

We sat in silence for a minute, neither of us sure what to say. All of a sudden, the front door burst open, and the sounds of footsteps were heard before a large group of half-naked men appeared in only cut-off jeans.

I tried not to pointedly stare at their toned chests, but I found it very difficult. Their eyes first landed on the hot dogs in front of them, before landing on me. Their expressions changed—confused, excited, curious.

“Sam!” Emily greeted cheerfully, the sadness completely vanishing from her eyes.

“Emily!” A man I assumed what Sam stepped forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. This was probably her fiancée. “Hello there.” He turned his attention to me.

“Hi. I’m Lainey.” I sat awkwardly, feeling as though I intruded on their moment. “Um…Emily invited me for lunch.” Sam smiled warmly.

“Of course, Emily. Add another one for lunch, if there’s any left for her!” His chuckle was throaty and I smiled.

“Well, Lainey here helped me with making the food, so I think she deserves some.” Emily glanced at the rest of the group who seemed to be inching closer to food by the minute. “And I think we better eat before the boys starve.”

A chorus of laughter erupted through the air, and everyone took a seat around the table. Emily and Sam remained on the couch, and since there were only six dining chairs, several of the boys made their way to the couch.

I got up once everyone had a hot dog and made my way to the plate. I grabbed a hot dog, and headed back to the empty space on the couch.

“Boys!” Emily said suddenly, dropping her hot dog on the plate. They stared at her confused, condiments smeared all over their mouths.

“You didn’t introduce yourselves!” They all turned back to me, and I blushed slightly with the sudden attention. They just stared at me.

“So?” One of them mumbled, his mouth full of hot dog. The boy next to him hit him in the back of his head earning a groan from the other boy.

“Anyway,” Emily grinned, ignoring the banter that had begun. “That’s Quil, Embry, Jared, Paul, Collin, Brady, Jacob, Seth and Sam.”

My eyes immediately stopped on Jacob, and the corners of his mouth twitched upward slightly. This caused me to let out an involuntary smile.

“Nice to meet you.” I looked down a my hot dog, hoping to take my mind of Jacob.

“So Lainey,” The one known as Embry said smoothly, “tell us about yourself.”

”Well, I’m seventeen and I was born and lived in Chicago before I moved here. My parents divorced so I moved in with my mom and my step-family. I’m going to La Push high in a few days. I like listening to music, reading and the color orange. I hate cabbage and one-piece swimsuits.”

”So does that mean I can see you in your bikini often?” Embry wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

For some reason, I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed.

“Perv.” I muttered under my breath, though apparently I wasn't quiet enough because every laughed. I groaned in response.

“You’re blonde.” Quil pointed out. I touched my honey-blonde hair absentmindedly.

“I suppose.”

“A blonde and a brunette are jumping out of an airplane. Who hits the ground first?”

”Quil, after I push him off?” He ignores this.

”The brunette because the blonde has to ask for directions.” I rolled my eyes.

“Get some new jokes.” I scoffed.

“Says the girl who sticks out her tongue.”

”Touché.”

“You know, you’re saying that wrong.”

I stuck out my tongue at him once again. He laughed and went back for another hot dog.

And as I looked around the living room, watching as Emily and Sam snuggled together and the boys laughed and joked around, I couldn’t help but feel at home.