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ONE; GRADUATION

     IT WAS WINTER when Leah saw her in a different light.

     Snow in her hair, warm mittens covering her cold hands, and eyes blinking as she tries to get adjusted to the wind flaring in her face. She's staring at Leah with a look of disbelief on her face and arms folded over her chest.

     Leah's never seen her this way before. She's so adoringly gorgeous, especially when she's sneezing so cutely from being out in the cold so long. However, her features don't match the words spewing from her mouth.

     "Seriously, Leah, I don't understand. Sam's your ex-boyfriend! I spent weeks with you sobbing over him and then months with you insulting him like crazy! Did he brainwash you? Is that why you're hanging out with him and his crew all of a sudden?"

     She could see why Sierra was upset. After her father's death and sudden phasing, she completely cut off contact with the rest of the world. Sierra gave Leah the proper amount of time to grieve, but when months passed with no word, she was pounding on Leah's front door and demanding to know why she was acting this way. Leah refused to answer every time the doorbell rang, and almost tackled Seth to the ground when he tried to.

     Eventually, Sue coaxed Leah out of bed and was adamant on her daughter explaining the situation to Sierra. After all, Sierra was already family — enough dinners and holidays spent together proved that to be true.

     Leah was ready to confess everything about her shapeshifting to her best friend, but she wasn't ready to imprint on her.

     Imprinting was a vile idea in Leah's mind anyways. The simple concept is what broke her and Sam up, and caused most of her pack members to fall under the spell of love with no feelings for that person beforehand. She thought it was a joke and something she never wanted. If Leah would fall in love, she would want it to be with someone she trusted and knew, not some stranger she just met who the universe said was her soulmate or lifelong friend.

     Unfortunately, Sierra was all of the things Leah asked for — her friend since birth and a person she trusted wholeheartedly.

     "Hello? Is anyone in there? God, did Sam take away your common sense as well?" Sierra scoffs, waving a mitten-covered hand in front of Leah's face.

     Leah pushes the visions in her mind away. She refuses to believe that this imprint is true. Sierra is her best friend, and will always be. After all, the imprint said that the relationship didn't necessarily have to be a romantic one.

     "I'm sorry for not contacting you in so long, okay?" Leah sighs, gathering the words to say. Her sudden urge to tell Sierra everything about werewolves and vampires disappear.

     "Sorry? Leah, that's not going to cut it. You've been cutting classes and Mr. Ming assigned me with some star athlete who refuses to do any of the work! You know we have to graduate together, right? That's been the dream since day one," Sierra points out, taken aback by Leah's calm demeanor. When Sam had broken up with her, Leah threw all of her anger and frustration into schoolwork. The girl could've graduated with honors if she didn't slip so far behind in class.

     Leah blamed it on Sam. He was the one who made her run patrol at least four times every week, which left her tired enough to not want to go to school the next day.

     "Look, I've been dealing with some issues since my dad's passing. I still hate Sam more than anything but right now, I have to stick with him. I can't tell you why, but I promise I'll try harder in this friendship from now on. Sounds good?"

     Sierra takes a long look at her. The burning gaze has Leah shying away, cheeks red. She wouldn't usually be this bashful in front of her friend, but the damn imprint was already starting to make an annoying appearance.

     "You promise? And I don't want you just working on this friendship, but on yourself. You have to promise me you'll take good care of your mental state," Sierra states sternly.

     Leah's heart swells at Sierra's thoughtfulness and compassion towards her well being. She curses the imprint again.

     "I promise."

     Then, the fight is over. Although, Leah has to face a completely different fight against Sierra now.

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     "He's so handsome, Lee. Have I told you that already?"

     "Yes, actually. Five times today."

     It had been merely hours since Sierra returned from her campus trip. After learning she had been accepted to her number one choice college in April, Sierra had been making frequent visits to get adjusted to the campus. On this last visit, she met a soon-to-be-sophomore who was thrilled to give her a tour of the campus, even though she had already been on so many tours prior.

     Sierra returned to Leah half-in-love with the man. Leah was forced to push all jealousy aside.

     "Am I making you upset? Sorry, I know you want to stay here, but I really think you should get out. Too many memories, you know?" Sierra tilts her head at her best friend, frowning. Leah was way better than La Push, and she didn't understand why the Clearwater girl insisted on staying in the sorry town.

     "I wish I could," Leah murmurs quietly to herself.

     She doesn't know how many nights she's spent begging Sue to let her leave. Sue said that there were too many responsibilities on the reservation, especially since the Cullens were returning. Sam heavily agreed with Sue's decision, and it gave Leah another reason to hate him.

     "Hey, we still have graduation, right? Then we have all summer to spend together before I leave!" Sierra exclaims, jumping off of Leah's bed and rushing over to Leah, who was absentmindedly sitting at her desk. She was privately sulking to herself.

     Sierra was the person keeping her sane during all of this havoc, and she couldn't believe the girl she's known since she was merely months old is leaving her.

     "Yeah," Leah forces a smile, but luckily, Sierra doesn't catch it through all of her giddiness. "Why don't you tell me more about this Prince Charming of yours?"

     She listens with a heavy heart for hours as Sierra explains the nature of this man in explicit detail. Leah knows this man's name is Lewis and he's a computer engineering major. He sounds completely wrong for Sierra, but Leah doesn't know if that's her talking or the imprint.

     She walks into Emily's home with a frown on her face that night.

     After everything that happened with Sierra and the imprint, Leah decided to let bygones be bygones. She made up with Emily and Sam, albeit the apology to Sam was more forced than realistic. Emily was so joyous that she got Leah back into her life, and even more ecstatic when Leah revealed her imprint on Sierra.

     However, the whole pack could agree on one thing — it was idiotic of Leah to keep her imprint and shapeshifting life a secret from Sierra.

     Jared insisted that the imprint would change everything and Leah would regret not telling her sooner, but when he has his arm around Kim, Leah gags silently and deems his opinion unworthy. He was already shadowed by the spell the imprint has put him under.

     Seth was the biggest fan of Leah and Sierra being together as a couple. Sierra was like a sister to the young boy already, and Leah marrying her would just seal the deal. Leah's eyes widened when her brother mentioned the thought of marriage. She had not give any consideration to the future aspect of her and Sierra.

     "Hard night?" Paul asks Leah as she walks in. He's drinking a bottle of beer, but when Emily realizes he's underage drinking in her home, she snatches it away and pours the remaining contents down the drain.

     "Sierra met a guy," was all Leah responded with. She didn't like telling the pack too much about her personal life. They already disapproved of her keeping the imprint a secret, and she didn't need any other stupid opinions clouding her judgment.

     "You know, I still can't believe you imprinted on her."

     "Why? Because she's a girl?" Leah challenges, one eyebrow raised. Emily lays out a plate of chicken in front of her, and Leah dives in.

     Paul scoffs. "Come on, I'm not homophobic. If I was, Emily would never let me back in this place."

     Emily hums in approval. "He's got that right, Leah. So, where did she meet this guy?"

     Leah swallows down a piece of chicken. "At her new college. Ironic, right? She's starting a great new life and I feel like mine is ending."

     "That's not true," a booming voice says down the stairs. Sam walks down and greets Emily with a kiss. Leah rolls her eyes. "You still have a whole life of killing vampires in front of you."

     Paul's grin widens. "He's right!"

     Leah hated vampires like the rest of the pack, but it seemed as if that was the only thing on their minds. She despised the creatures for making her this way, but she had other problems to think about. Killing vampires wasn't really a top priority for her or Seth.

     "Well, congratulations to me," she sings quietly.

     Emily lays a hand on her back. "You'll be fine, Leah. I know you don't want to tell her, but Sierra will come through eventually. Every imprint does." Sam glances down at her lovingly, and Leah diverts her attention back to the chicken she devoured.

     "Imprints can be friends too, you know," she protests in anger. She hates how the pack forgets this simple fact.

     "Yes, but imprints are mainly for carrying on the shapeshifting gene," Sam says.

     "That's a theory," Leah bites back. "Your theory. My theory is that an imprint can be whatever you want it to be. You don't have to let the feelings overtake your mind."

     "I agree," Paul smiles. He had not yet found his imprint but he didn't feel the need to. He loved his life the way it is now.

     "So what are you going to do about Sierra? What if she never comes back to La Push again because she's having too much fun at college?" Emily asks.

     Leah licks her fingers, which are covered in grease. "She'll come back, Em. This is her home and I'm her best friend."

     Everyone nods, wishing to not push Leah's limits any further.

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     "This is our favorite movie! Why are you being so sulky?" Sierra questions Leah as she crosses her legs on the couch.

     The sound of the television echoes throughout Sierra's empty house. Her parents often liked to take trips around the world and they would usually bring their daughter, but this time, Sierra wanted to enjoy her last few months in La Push.

     "We graduate tomorrow," Leah points out obviously.

     "Duh," Sierra chuckles. "My parents are coming for a few hours before leaving again, remember? They'll be so jet lagged I bet you they can barely stay awake for the ceremony."

     "But you're giving the valedictorian speech."

     "That I am," Sierra agrees proudly. She throws a blanket over her and Leah and scoots closer to her, even though Leah is highly protesting against it because she doesn't want to give her imprint instinct any ideas. "I wrote it just last week. Still needs a few touch-ups, but I can easily wing it up there."

     Leah recalls the times when Sierra was too shy to simply introduce herself in front of someone. Now, she's a confident woman who's friends with practically the entire school and is giving a speech tomorrow morning.

     Leah wonders how the time passes by so fast.

     "Now, come on, pay attention! It's our last night as seniors still, and I want to soak up the moment. Four years of research papers and useless projects are finally done!"

     "You know they have that in college too, right?" Leah teases. Sierra pinches her cheek, which causes Leah's whole face to turn a dark red color.

     "Yes, Lee, I know. I meant that all of that hard work with you is finished. Isn't that sad?" Sierra sighs thoughtfully, leaning back on the couch as the movie on the television continues to play. Leah's watched it so many times that she can probably quote it by heart.

     Realization hits Leah then. It truly was the last year that Leah would swing by to pick up Sierra from school. The last year that Sierra would immediately grab her arm when the teacher tells the class that the project requires a partner. The last year that Sierra would be in the same town as her.

     The thought almost makes her cry, but she pushes back the tears for the sake of her dignity.

     "Yeah, it's really sad."

     "See?" Sierra yells. "Everything's changing, Leah!"

     "I know," she whispers in response. She tries to gather the courage to say the next question. Emily's words loom in the back of her head. "You'll still come back to visit, right?"

     Arms are wrapped around her neck and she's taken aback by the sudden flood of warmth. Sierra squeezes her tightly as Leah wraps her arms around her, wanting to savor the moment.

     "I will always come back for you, Leah."

     Leah smiles, hoping the words reign true.

if sav ever reads this she'll be upset with me for hurting her heart

also, this chapter is set the summer before eclipse in case any of you were wondering