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springfaaerie · 4 months ago

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'Thunder & Lightning' Chapter One

⋆.˚ ⚡︎ .⭒˚thunderstorm˚⭒. ⚡︎ ˚.⋆

Masterlist Pairing: Paul Lahote x Native Fem!OC Word Count: 1.78k

Warnings: assault, attempted s*xual assault

⋆.˚ ⚡︎ .⭒˚chapter one˚⭒. ⚡︎ ˚.⋆

Crescent Café, nestled snuggly between La Push and Forks, was close to its closing time. There were a few customers that remained, too caught up in their books or laptops to notice that there was only half an hour before they had to leave. The light downpour and occasional thunder helped to set the mood as the lights were dim, for the aesthetic.

"You know, you were born during a thunderstorm."

Tama sighed as she cleaned her last table before returning to the kitchen. "Yeah, mom, you've told me a million times."

Her mother, Mitena, smiled at the memory as she recalled the night she gave birth to her daughter, her only child. It was a miracle that she had even managed to become pregnant, and Mitena never let her forget how special she was to her. "I remember almost falling on my way to the hospital, Sue almost fell herself trying to catch me, poor woman."

While Mitena giggled to herself, giddy "from the moonbeams" as she liked to say, Tama was busying herself with cleaning, ready for bed. She slid from behind the counter, alerting the few remaining customers that they would have to start packing their things up as they'd be closing soon. Reaching the last customer, Tama jumped, a loud bang on the window scaring her. Outside, four men watched her with dark eyes, the teenager trying her best to ignore them.

The men had come around often, trying to ask her out and even making inappropriate comments about her. They had been banned from entering the establishment, but they still hung around, just to taunt her. Tama rushed away from the window, behind the counter, ignoring their comments. Mitena waved them off, not bothered as she had seen her fair share of creeps. "Ignore them, Tama."

Mitena went on about what she wanted to do to the men that tormented her daughter, Tama finally placing a hand on her mother's shoulder to calm her, reminding the older woman that they still had customers. As a curse escaped her mouth, Mitena placed her hand over it, apologizing to the few that remained in her store. "Sorry...sorry."

After closing, Tama sighed in relief after she had finished her nightly chores, grateful she had a day off tomorrow as her body ached from standing all day. It was still summer but school would be starting soon, and Tama couldn't be more excited to see her friends and get herself back on track. Sophomore year she had been distracted, too infatuated. Then, she was heartbroken, all too fast for her liking. Both a recipe for disaster for a teenage girl. Her grades had slipped and she stopped showing the same vigor she had for school her entire life. But, this year would be different. She promised herself and her mother.

Mitena wasn't excited about her daughter's behavior the previous school year but, she couldn't blame her. When she was her daughter's age, she found herself in a similar predicament; infatuated with a boy she was sure she loved more than anything in the world. All she could do was hold her daughter when she cried and bake her favorite sweets for her whenever she came home from school.

She watched her daughter work with a smile, placing a bit of frosting on her nose in an attempt to make her smile as well. Tama scrunched her nose up, wiping the buttercream frosting away. "Here, taste it."

Tama did as she was told, her face brightening in delight as she tried her mother's newest batch of frosting. Mitena smiled at her daughter's reaction, happy that she was getting better at baking. "It's good, huh? Not as good as yours though."

Shaking her head, Tama complimented her mother's work once more before she put the last of the waste into the trash, noticing that it was full. She groaned at the thought of throwing the garbage out on a rainy night and she contemplated leaving it there til morning but she saw her mother watching her out the corner of her eye. "I'm going to bed? You sure you're okay down here?"

Tama nodded, reassuring her mom multiple times that she was more than capable of finishing things up as she had done many times before. Sighing, she took the trash out of the bin, tying it, before making her way towards the back door while her mother retreated up the stairs that led to their apartment. She placed a brick by the door, knowing the cheap industrial made door was known to lock on its own. The alley was dark and her vision was blurred due to all the rain.

An unsettling feeling rose in her stomach and she hurriedly chucked the trash into the garbage bin. The thud that came with the bag hitting the bottom wasn't the only sound that echoed in the once quiet alley. To her horror, she heard the door behind her close, unable to stop it. She heard a laugh and saw one of the men from earlier looking more than happy that she had no way to get back inside. Backing away, she made an attempt to call for her mother but was stopped when a large hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams.

Kicking with all her might, she gained a small victory when her attacker let her go for a brief moment to hold himself. Knowing her mother wouldn't get to her in time, she ran down the alley as fast as she could, praying she could get to safety before she was caught again. Her prayers weren't answered though, because just as she made it to the end of the alley, she was snatched up by a third man, who grabbed her by the arm tightly, another man coming to hold her down so she couldn't get away.

Her screams were muffled by the hand over her mouth and the thunder that seemed to be growing louder and louder by the second. Using all of her strength, she got her legs free and kicked both men, biting down hard on the hand that was over her mouth, blood rushing into her mouth from the puncture. Once she was released, she ran straight to the nearest hiding spot, knowing she wouldn't be able to outrun them on the main road. The forest wasn't the best option in the dark, while it was raining but, she had no other options as she couldn't go back.

She had been in the forest multiple times, since it was only a few feet from their cafe and apartment. However, it was dark now, and raining. Her visibility was low, only able to see when bolts of lighting lit up the sky. Shivering, she tried her best to find a hiding spot as she heard the men draw in near.

"I think she went this way," one of them said, another one following after him as he ventured off opposite of where she was currently hidden.

Tama sighed in relief, sucking in a breath when the other two came her way. One branched off, drunkenly stumbling through the thick grass. Her focus was on him so she didn't notice the fourth man, the one she had bit, was coming closer and closer. Once she had noticed though, it was too late. Deciding to at least buy herself a few more seconds of time, she threw dirt into his eyes before running off in the other direction, cursing when she came before a clearing.

It only took a matter of seconds for him to catch up to her, grabbing her from behind so that they both tumbled into the wet grass, branches and mud sticking to her entire body as she rolled and fought with him. Their tussle came to an abrupt stop when a hand, wet from rain, came across Tama's face quickly, stunning her. There was another, and another, the third and final blow causing her nose to bleed profusely. As her head came crashing down, she felt the back of her skull connect with something, hard and sharp. She screamed out in pain, only to be struck again, this time in the eye.

"Shut up," the man spat, straddling her against her will. He didn't take his eyes off the bruised and beaten teenager, rotten teeth appearing to form a smile that made Tama's skin jump. "Imma teach you a lesson."

Her body ached, her face and head bloody and bruised. She had no more fight left in her. All she could do was cast her gaze upwards to the sky, her tears falling from her face that mixed in with the raindrops fell onto the moist dirt. She pleaded and prayed for a miracle, some sort of help. She begged the spirits to at least give her a painless death.

The sky spirits watched on with sadness, the rain becoming heavy as they littered the earth with their tears. They tried desperately to come up with a solution to help the pure hearted, only coming to one. Within an instant, her destiny had been altered, only slightly, as they came to an agreement.

Her new fate was written.

Tama cried out when she felt a pair of hands wrap around her throat, cutting off her airways. It was even darker and the rain was so heavy she could no longer make out her attacker. "Please...please."

She felt dizzy then, black spots clouding her already terrible vision. Before she could slip completely under though, her eyes saw a miracle. She assumed it would be her death, her undoing, but she was wrong. It seemed like it all happened in slow motion, when in reality, it was only a second. She watched a bolt of lightning come crashing down on her, knowing for sure it'd kill her and her attacker. The man on top of her flew backwards from the impact, his body twitching as he fell yards away from her.

It didn't hurt but, she felt it. The bolt of lighting had pierced her heart, causing her to shoot up from her position and gasp, feeling the air being sucked out of her lungs and then put back in. She breathed heavily, turning and emptying the contents of her stomach. The energy the lightning had given her, seemed to vanish then and she fell onto her back, so weak she could no longer move.

As she felt sleep take over her, she watched the sky, the rain finally letting up. The thunder rolled on and she almost let herself believe that the thunder was speaking to her.

spring speaks: first chapter out, hope you enjoy! let me know if you'd like to be added to my taglist!

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springfaaerie · 4 months ago

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Thunder & Lightning Chapter Two

'bad company'

Pairing: Paul Lahote x Native Fem! OC

warnings: none?

word count: 2.7k

Masterlist

chapter two

When Tama awoke, she felt, different. She couldn't describe it exactly but she just knew she didn't feel the same. Sure, she still felt the stinging pain in her face from being hit so many times. The back of her head and entire face throbbed as she came to but,

"Tama? Tama!"

Her mother cried tears of joy, hugging her daughter as soon as she saw her heart rate pick up for the first time since her arrival hours ago. Tama's eyes fluttered open but shut again, groaning at the harsh overhead lights.

"Can you turn the lights off, please?" Her throat was dry and, it hurt to talk. A lot. She cleared her throat and her mother instantly reached for the water next to her bed, helping her up.

"How do you feel?" Mitena asked gently, holding her daughter up with one hand while she held the plastic cup to her lips while she drank.

Tama coughed, moving the cup away from her mouth before she frowned. "What happened?"

Her hand lifted from under the thin blanket that was lazily thrown over her, gingerly touching her head. She winced upon contact with her still bruised scalp and her mother reached forward, moving her hand away. Just then, the doctor entered, Chief Swan coming in right behind him with a pen and a note pad in his hands.

"Hey kid," he said, a tight lipped smile adorning his face as he looked over the teen he had known since her birth. Seeing her in such a vulnerable position made his blood boil and he gripped his pen tighter. "How you feelin'?"

"Like I got electroshock therapy or something," she admitted, finally finding the strength to lift herself up properly, politely declining her mother's help.

"What do you remember?" The doctor, who she knew as Dr. Cullen, said, at the same time as Chief Swan. They shared an awkward glance before they both returned their gazes to Tama.

The teenager was quiet for a moment, frowning as she struggled to think, racking her brain trying to remember how she landed in the hospital. "I just remember taking out the trash...it was raining. Then I just saw a flash of light and nothing. That's all I can remember."

Dr. Cullen offered her a comforting smile, ignoring the disgusted stare that was being sent to him by Mitena. "It's okay, that's common after the body has suffered immense trauma. You were struck by lightning, right in the heart. It's a miracle that you're alive, Tama."

Chief Swan cleared his throat awkwardly, causing Mitena to glance down at the floor as she frowned deeply, blaming herself. "We also found uh...someone else. A man; Thomas Wells. He was pretty close to where we found you and judging by the scene and the other bruises on your body it's safe to say..."

Tama touched her face, suddenly remembering being struck in the face repeatedly by said man, shivering at the memory. She looked at her mother, who whispered apologies to her daughter over and over, going on about how she should've pressed charges beforehand or how she should've heard her knocking from the shower. "What's going to happen to him?"

The three adults exchanged looks, wondering who was going to be the one to tell her. She was looking directly at Chief Swan though and he sighed. "He died, Tama. He was struck as well but, he wasn't lucky like you."

She nodded, removing her hand from her cheek, not looking at anything in particular as her mind drifted off. "What about the others?" She asked, earning shocked looks from her mother and Chief Swan.

"Others?" he repeated questioningly, stepping forward so that he was standing at the foot of her bed. He offered a quick glance to Mitena and looked away just as fast. "We only found the one, at the scene."

"There were three of them," she said, more memories coming to her the longer she was conscious. Fear was building in her chest, the idea of more of her attackers being out there, possibly waiting to come for her again. Her quickened heartbeat was reflected on the monitor as she placed her hand over her heart.

Mitena placed a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder before she silently pleaded with the Chief of police. "Charlie, you have to find the rest of them. You already know who they are. They'll come for her."

"I won't let that happened," he reassured her quickly, closing his notepad before he looked the two over. "You'll have to close up shop, get away from home for a few days until this thing is solved. We don't want them to come back to your house trying to start anything. You can stay with me until they're caught."

Mitena smiled up at the man she had known for so long, thanking him. He shrugged, assuring her it was the least he could do. Charlie looked over to Tama with a smile. "Bella's coming back soon so, you'll have someone to keep you company while you heal."

Tama nodded, though she was excited by the idea of having a friend during her stay, if she would even call her that. Bella and Tama were close, well as close as they could be with the awkward barrier Bella put between herself and everyone around her. They'd spent countless summers together during her visits, bonding over their social anxiety as well as their love of books. But, it had been a while since Bella had visited, or texted. Tama was hurt but, she didn't take it personally. "That sounds great, Charlie. Thank you."

Dr. Cullen cleared his throat as politely as he could smiling at the pair as they were in their own moment. He proceeded to step forward, Mitena's eyes on him the entire time. The doctor checked Tama, making sure her vitals and reflexes were fine. He frowned, confused. "Hmmm, everything looks fine. A little too fine honestly."

"What do you mean?" Tama asked, her heart rate rising as she glanced up at the abnormally beautiful blond doctor that stood over her.

"It's almost as if nothing has happened," he answered, writing a few things down on her file. "Your vitals aren't matching with your injuries and accident. Besides the bruising, you're perfectly fine."

Tama scrunched her nose up in confusion, sharing a look with her mother, who didn't look like she believed him. "So, what's going to happen?"

The doctor stood a few inches away from her now, continuing to take notes and write additional conclusions on her file. Mitena cleared her throat, causing Carlisle to look up. "Well you have two options. You can continue to stay here and we can monitor you another night to make sure everything is fine or, you can go home and have your mother bring you in tomorrow just so we can see how you're holding up."

The smile that adorned Mitena's face was less than friendly, unusual for the kind woman. "I think we'll choose the latter."

Carlisle looked past her, his amber colored eyes peering into Tama's own, "is that what you want, Tama?" After taking a second to decide, she nodded, throwing her blanket off her body. "Alright then, I'll have one of the nurses come in after I finish with your paperwork to discharge you."

He left before the teenager could thank him, Mitena letting out a sigh of relief. She turned her attention to her daughter, who was watching curiously. "Why don't you like Dr. Cullen?"

Mitena grabbed her daughter's clothes, bringing them back over to the side of the hospital bed, ignoring her question. Charlie awkwardly excused himself, reassuring him that he would be outside waiting while she changed and got discharged. Tama gently refused her mother's help, slowly throwing her legs off of the bed.

She glared at the IV stuck in her arm, resisting the urge to rip it out, feeling her mother staring at her. She took the pair of underwear and dark blue sweatpants her mother had been holding and pulled them on, muttering about how gross it was that they took off her underwear in the first place. She wasn't able to put on a shirt just yet due to the constricting IV that was still connected and she sat impatiently,

Just when she was about to voice her concerns, there was a knock at the door. The nurse smiled at the two, slowly entering the room with a stack of papers and a clipboard with her. She reached for something in the cupboard after passing the clipboard over to Mitena, instructing her to sign it so Tama could be released. Tama held her arm out with a small smile, excited to have the uncomfortable needle out, and sleep in her own bed. The nurse handed over the discharge packet after she had bandaged the teenager's arm carefully, wishing the poor girl well.

"Thank you," Tama said, genuinely, rubbing the now sore spot. The nurse just nodded, her smile still present as she bid her farewell.

Mitena began to walk over to Tama just as the door closed shut. She held up the folded clothes in her hand, "here, let me-"

Tama lifted her hand weakly, stopping her. She took her clothes from her mother's hands, ignoring the sad look on her face. She understood she just wanted to help and was still in shock that she was so close to losing her only child but, she needed to be alone with her own thoughts. "I can do it myself, mom...thanks."

After a few seconds, she nodded understandingly, taking a step back. "I'll wait outside with Charlie, if you need anything just yell I'll be right here."

Once the door was shut, Tama let out a breath, regretting it as her body began to throb. She winced, gripping the side of the hospital bed for support as she regained her composure. "Shit."

Undoing the hospital gown took what seemed like half an hour and she wished she had at least let her mom help put her bra on. She could see the bruises adorning her body as well as the scratches, tears brimming in her eyes. Pushing the foggy memory to the back of her mind, she looked away from her upper bear body, happy to have them out of sight. Her shirt and bra, which were still folded on the uncomfortable bed, taunted her as she contemplated the best way to slip them on without hurting herself further.

Groaning, she looked away from her clothes and caught site of something in the small trash can that stood in the corner of the room. It hadn't been closed properly and there was a glimmer that caught her eye under the harsh hospital lights.

"What..." Tama slowly trailed off as she walked towards it, slowly lifting it up. The contents surprised her and she reached down inside, picking them up before slowly standing back up to her full height, inspecting them.

There were flowers, her favorite. White daisies were enveloped in pink craft paper with a note attached, her free hand opening it up. The shock rippled through the brunette and without thinking, she lost her already weak grip on the flowers, the bouquet falling onto the floor.

Tama,

I know I'm the last person you want flowers or anything from but, I know daisies are your favorite. -Paul

The note was ripped straight from a notebook and had obviously been erased and rewritten multiple times, something that made her laugh before she could even catch herself. Her smile quickly dropped from her face and was replaced with a frown, catching the words "I miss you" that were barely noticeable after having been erased.

She was certain her mother had been the one to throw it away, as she had never been fond of Paul even before the pair had started dating. She felt troubled but, her mind and body wasn't prepared to go through this right now. Sighing, she shoved the note into her pocket, unable to throw it back into the trash. She reached down, plucking one flower from the bunch before throwing the rest away, trying to make it look as though they hadn't been touched.

Walking over to her bag, Tama stared at the flower. "I'm such an idiot," She sighed, angry with herself for not being able to get rid of it. Paul had hurt her, put her through the worst pain of her life -well, it was until this happened- but, still. She couldn't bring herself to get rid of it, get rid of him.

All it took was one single note and a few flowers to get the girl's mind racing. He never had to do much. Before she could think any further, she heard the door knob rattle, startling her. She shoved the flower into her bag on the counter and quickly covered her upper half, which was still nude. "Mom!"

Mitena rolled her eyes, the door already shut behind her as she ignored the blush that had creeped onto her daughter's face. "I changed your diapers, Tama. If you needed help, you could've asked."

Tana mumbled a complaint too low for her to hear as she made her way over to her daughter. She was grateful she hadn't noticed the trash can or the fact that she was hovered over her bag topless and she had to resist the urge to glance over at the tossed sentiment from the ex who broke her heart. They stood in silence, Mitena helping put both her bra and shirt on, Tama ignoring the pain that she felt when her body twisted and turned. She had never been in this much pain before, it was all so new and terrifying for her.

"Thanks mom...I got it," She told her, gently taking the coat that was, thankfully, a zip up. She instructed her daughter to sit on the bed, slipping her tattered brown rain boots on for her over the socks the hospital provided. Tama felt like a child and silently wondered how long this routine would last. Her mother pulled her up slowly, grabbing Tama's belongings before she could and leading her out the door where Charlie was still waiting.

"You girls ready?" He asked, grabbing Tama's bag from her mother and throwing it over his shoulder. Mitena thanked him again for his hospitality, her polite mood shifting when Dr. Cullen came into view again, a stapled stack of papers in his hand a smile on his face.

"You're all set, Tama." He handed the papers to the teenager but Mitena took them before she could even lift her hand. Tama scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest in an act of defiance, immediately hissing in pain and regretting her decision. "Try to take it easy for the next few days, I'll have you follow up with me in a week to see how you're doing."

"She has a doctor," the older woman said, a false smile Tama rarely saw her wear on her face. Tama's eyebrows furrowed, why was she acting this way? "Thank you for your help but we can take it from here."

Dr. Cullen didn't even seemed phased by her rudeness, Tama guessing since he probably deals with people like this constantly, he was used to it. He kept his dazzling smile on his face, one that made the hair on the back of Tama's neck stand up. "Of course. I hope you get better soon, Tama."

She nodded, offering him a polite smile and a wave as her mother beckoned her towards the elevators. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

Mitena quickly pressed the button for the ground floor, sighing heavily as she looked straight forward, not meeting Tama or Charlie's gaze. Tama looked over to her mother, the two the same height since the girl reached freshman year. "What was that all about?"

"The Cullens are not good company to keep," Mitena replied, still not looking at her daughter as the elevator doors closed shut and made their descent.

Tama stayed silent, knowing how her mother and the other elders felt about the Cullens ever since their arrival in town a few years ago. The stories about the cold ones filled her head as she suddenly recalled them, quickly shrugging them off. They were merely stories adults told their children at night to keep them in line, afraid.

Charlie shrugged, still carrying Tama's bag over his shoulder as he stared at nothing in particular. "I don't know...I thought he was pretty nice."

Mitena scoffed, looking up at Charlie who held his hands up in self defense.

"I mean, I hate his guts."

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springfaaerie · 3 months ago

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'Thunder & Lightning' Chapter Four

"fuck off"

pairing: Paul Lahote x Native Fem!OC

warnings: none?

word count: 2.6k

Masterlist

spring speaks: we finally get to see Paul

"I love you Seth, but sometimes I wish I was an only child like Tama."

Seth, who had been openly staring at Tallulah Uley, scoffed from the backseat of Tama's new car. Tallulah hid her laugh behind her hand, though her smile was still noticeable, something that made Seth's face warm up. "What?"

Leah gestured to the car they were currently seated in, the nearly peeling black leather interior contrasting with the cherry red paint on the outside. "These are only child privileges. This is my senior year, I don't see mom and dad rushing to get me a car. I'm just saying, if I was an only sibling..."

"Tama got a car cause she's super smart," Seth shot back from his spot behind Tama, reaching forward to change the radio station for the third time since the siblings had been picked up. "You don't get a car for having a c average."

Leah smacked her brother's shoulder, causing the boy to quickly retreat back to his original spot. Tallulah laughed, though she tried to cheer up Leah. "C's get degrees!"

The older girl smiled, snapping her fingers in agreement. "Exactly! My parents should be praising that."

Tallulah blushed at the acknowledgment, something that made Seth frown. He knew that his crush, unfortunately, had a crush on his sister but, he still held out hope. While he was younger than Tallulah, the girl now a sophomore, she was younger than Leah, and Leah younger than Sam. Plus, Leah and Sam were very much and love and nothing could stop that.

Tama listened to the siblings go back and forth with a smile, happy things were going back to normal. She had fought tooth and nail to go back to school, her mother certain that she wasn't ready for it. Despite being struck by lightning and almost dying because of it, Tama felt she was in her prime. She had never in her life felt this great and she wasn't going to waste it sitting in bed, though she did love the company that Charlie offered. The only way she had gotten her mother to agree was when she pointed out how important junior year was and how crucial missing the first week would be.

It was a lie of course, since the first week of school usually consisted of introductions(as if it wasn't the same community of kids that had known each other since birth) and simple worksheets. But, not only did Mitena relent, she also gifted her daughter a car in light of her most important high school year. The bronco was old but, it worked and it was red, something Tama couldn't resist.

Tallulah piped up from the backseat, the girl understandably more quiet than usual. "Thanks again for giving me a ride Tama!"

Tama smiled at the rear view mirror, catching sight of the girl who Seth looked at lovingly. "Of course Lu, couldn't leave you hanging."

Tallulah sat back in her seat, her smile suddenly dropping as she fiddled with her hands. "Sam usually drives me around but..."

The car went silent then, even the song on the radio coming to the end. Leah looked out the window, some part of her hoping he'd just appear out of thin air. Seth shrugged. "You could've taken his car then. Not like he's here to argue-"

Leah reached over her seat, mustering up her strength and punching her brother as hard as she could in his arm. The boy yelped in pain, gripping the area as if it would fall off at any second. Tama tried her best to keep her eyes on the slippery road ahead of her but sent her best friend a worried glance. The look on her face was deadly, one Tama had never seen before. "God, Seth. How can you be so annoying?"

"What?" Seth whined, still holding his arm carefully. He looked to Tallulah for reassurance, the girl gently caressing the spot while telling him he was okay.

Tama sighed in relief when she finally pulled into the small makeshift parking lot, her car one of the only few there. Most belonged to teachers and staff but a few kids had been lucky like her, gifted hand me downs or used cars for their last few school years. "Finally."

"I can walk with you to your class if you want," Tallulah offered meekly, peering up at Leah through thick eyelashes, praying the girl didn't deny her or find her offer weird.

After a few seconds, Leah nodded, not noticing the girl's nervousness in the slightest, too caught up in her boyfriend's disappearance. She turned to face the street, watching the rain hit the car rhythmically. "Yeah, sure."

Tallulah smiled to herself, resisting the urge to squeal. Seth frowned, also resisting the urge, to swear. He crossed his arms over his chest childishly, staring out the window in an attempt to ignore Tallulah, the act only working for a few seconds before he gave up.

The two siblings rushed out of the car and Tama smiled, turning in her seat and stopping Tallulah. "You know, it's kinda funny watching you pine after your brother's clueless girlfriend."

Tallulah rolled her eyes, lowering her voice so Leah couldn't hear. "I like clueless better. What am I even supposed to say to her? "Hey Leah I know my brother, your boyfriend, is missing but, I'm in love with you"?"

She scoffed, exiting the car before Tama shook her head, mumbling something about the "complexities of teenage love" though she was no stranger to it herself.

Grabbing her bag and hopping down from the lifted truck, another car caught Tama's eye. It was a familiar car, one she had seen against her will many times. It was a Ford like hers, the old mustang a similar red to her own. The owner of said car slid out at the same time she did, the similar letterman jacket making its appearance. Tama knew that jacket more than she knew that car. She had it in her possession for months, wearing it more than she wore all of her other outerwear. That was, before she gave it back. She wanted to look away before he noticed her staring but, she couldn't help herself.

Paul had talked about wanting the old mustang time and time again, seeing him with it made Tama smile a little on the inside. Despite their history, she was happy for him. He caught her staring as soon as he slammed his car door shut, ignoring whatever it was that his friend was telling him.

Tama's breath hitched, leaning up against her car door as she stared at the boy she was head over heels for just a few months ago. He stared back, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut and stay in place. His friend, Isaac, followed his gaze, smiling teasingly when his eyes landed on the black haired girl's cheeks flushed red, her head turning away in embarrassment.

Leah scoffed at the sight, grabbing ahold of her friend and pulling her towards the main school building, muttering about how much she disliked the two. Tama avoided their gazes, trying to focus on anything else but them, finding it close to impossible as her thoughts raced on. Isaac hollered as the group walked by, snickering.

"Aye look, dead girl walking," he teased, smiling at Tama's avoidance of him. "Glad to see you're not dead."

Tama offered a forced smile, "yeah, me too."

Tama had never fit in with Paul's group of friends. As much as he tried to make her feel included, she always found herself never fitting into their circle. She constantly felt like the odd one out whenever she was around them; never liking the same music, the same clothes, even sports. Her having an overbearing mother didn't help either and she found herself ostracized, not only by Paul's friends, but by most kids around her age. So, Isaac's jokes came as no surprise, and Tama took them lightly.

Paul however, did not. He shot his close friend a dark look, Isaac's face immediately void of all humor it once held. He put his head down in shame, mumbling a small apology. He knew that wasn't enough though, and he'd have to deal with Paul's anger once Tama was out of their sight, something no one wanted to face. Even in the midst of their breakup, everyone knew that Tama was still a sore subject for Paul. She was no object, but the girl was still seen as off limits, whether it was jokes at her expense, or even possible suitors.

His gaze softened when he met Tama's eyes, the girl grateful but unable to voice it. She looked away, forcing herself to listen to what her friends were saying, much to Paul's dismay. "Mom's worried but, she's trying not to show it. It's kind of annoying."

Tallulah frowned as she thought of her mother, the woman distraught over the possibility of losing her oldest child and only son. Seth sent her a reassuring smile, the boy wanting nothing more than to hold her close to him. He settled on holding her hand, the action innocent enough that she didn't pull away but enough for him to hold in a smile.

"He'll come home," Tama reassured her younger friend, grabbing hold of Leah's hand and giving it a squeeze. Tallulah offered her a small smile, mumbling a small thanks. "Let's talk about something a little bit more positive. Like the fact that Seth is finally starting high school and Leah's a senior now."

This caused the group to smile as they entered the building, Tama oblivious to the boy that still had his eyes on her as she walked away. Tama whined mockingly, placing her head on Leah's shoulder. "I can't believe you're going to leave me here all alone with these two."

Seth scoffed, "you love me...don't you?" Tama smiled, using her free hand to grasp onto his, causing the boy's spirits to be lifted once more.

"Of course."

Tallulah piped up, catching sight of her best friend, Jacob Black. Seth, who practically worshipped the ground he walked on, waved once they had caught the boy's eye. "We'll catch you guys later!"

They were off without another word or even a spare glance, though the girls didn't mind. "So..."

Tama glanced over, putting in her few items she had brought to redecorate her locker. There had been only few reserved for the upperclassmen and Tama was relieved to finally get hers. "So...what?"

Leah scoffed, the annoyed look on her face sticking. "Don't play coy. I saw you two ogling each other, in the parking lot. Please don't tell me you're-"

It was Tama's turn to scoff and she shot Leah a glare, silently telling the girl to stop. "I'm not even thinking about him in that way, or anyway. I don't have time for any distractions, this is my most important school year."

Leah's shoulders relaxed, her face softening. "Good, you were too good for him anyways." Tama rolled her eyes, playfully shoving her friend.

Hesitating, Leah turned her attention elsewhere while she tried to think of how to say exactly what she wanted to say without hurting her friend. Tama noticed this, nudging her. "What? What is it?"

Her friend sighed, finally relenting as she gave up playing with the strings on her faded jacket. "I just...I just don't want you to get too obsessed with having perfect grades. It's not the end of the world if you don't get straight A's, you know."

Tama avoided her best friend's gaze, gnawing on her bottom lip anxiously. She nodded after a while, though they both know she would still strive for what she and her mother believed were perfection. She and her mother –mostly her mother– had come up with what they thought were the best plan for Tama. She'd graduate and, with a full scholarship, she'd attend Washington State, visiting her mother on the weekends. Far enough that she could make something for herself but, close enough that Mitena didn't have to say goodbye too soon.

Leah was the opposite, the girl already having a full ride scholarship and a plan to elope with Sam and move as far from the gloomy state as she could. She planned to follow after Jacob's older sisters, moving away once she turned eighteen, like the twins Rachel and Rebecca did. The bell rang, pulling them out of their thoughts, Leah sighing. "Just one more year, I'm out of here. You comin' Tams?"

She nodded in response, happy to be saved by the bell and no longer forced to converse about her obsession with perfection. "Yeah, no I just gotta finish up with my locker and I'll be on my way."

It took her a second but Leah eventually gave in, nodding and following after the crowd of people that swarmed the main hallway. Tama didn't watch her leave, facing her locker instead while she took a deep breath in. "This is gonna be my year."

She repeated it a few times before she was satisfied, slamming her locker and jumping in surprise. "Shit."

The boy beside her jumped as well, shocked by her shock. He mumbled a small apology, watching as she clutched her hand over her heart while regaining her breath. "I'm sorry." His words meant more than Tama could understand, the teenager wishing he could say more but knowing it would only hurt her. Tama avoided his gaze, knowing she would have trouble staying focused, staying angry at him, when she looked into his eyes. She always did. "It's fine."

They stayed in an uncomfortable silence, the hallway slowly clearing out with a few lingering by to try and catch a glimpse of the two talking for the first time in months. Paul shifted uncomfortably in his spot next to her, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I'm uh...I'm glad you're okay."

He wanted to face palm. This was the first conversation since he had broken up with her and the first time he was seeing her outside of the hospital, conscious. He had planned it better, in his head, over and over, ruminating over what he'd say to her once he saw her again.

She nodded once, forcing herself not to say anything else. She tried to walk away, turning too fast and causing her open bag to spill a few of its contents, the raven haired teen cursing when she heard them hit the floor. Reaching down to pick up the fallen items, her face suddenly turned red.

Paul had also bent down to help her but stopped, noticing at the same time she did. A small smile appeared on his face as he saw the now-dead daisy lying up against the old tile next to her other items. He had seen Mitena throw them away with his own eyes, which made him even happier. She had found them, and kept them, knowing who they were from. Embarrassing to her, though it gave him hope. Hope that Tama still loved him despite him breaking her heart. He grabbed ahold of the flower before she could snatch it up, slowly offering it to her with a breathtaking smile on his face.

Tama's face felt warm, accidentally looking him in the eyes and getting lost in them, the girl sure she was making a fool of herself. A few seconds passed before she cleared her throat, suddenly regaining her sense when his genuine smile turned into a smug one. She recalled their last conversation and suddenly the butterflies in her stomach dropped and she scowled at him, not even bothering to take the flower before gathering up her things and standing up.

"Fuck off."

spring speaks: hope you enjoyed, tysm for reading and lmk if you want to be added to the taglist

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