CHAPTER 5 ... part 1

(The Night We Met — Lord Huron)

  THE red string theory is the belief that every pinky is connected by an invisible red string, woven into the very universe herself. It connects those who are destined to meet, stretching and tangling – but never breaking.

Embry Call believed that is what brought Alma Uley to him.

Like a bungee cord, despite how far she'd gone, she was pre-destined to spring back up to where he was.

He spent the rest of his shift thinking of her. The way her hair curled at the ends, the way lashes laid on her cheek when she blinked, the small scar on her upper lip from when she fell off a tree. He thought about how the sweet smell of vanilla and orange rolled off of her in waves, a tide that pulled Embry in further and further.

The amount of times he dozed off, how many orders he messed up, CeCe decided it was enough reason to let Embry leave early.

All else faded as thoughts of Alma began to plague his mind. If it was at all possible, Alma Uley definitely got prettier. Despite the large and bulky knee brace that was bolted against her leg and the fact that it was clear shed thrown on what was most convenient (a Duke hoodie paired with sweat shorts) – Alma still shone brighter than anyone in any room.

And her touch – God, when her fingers grazed his own, contact so simple yet so sincere, so intimate. His hands still buzzed from her touch, a pleasant electric shock coursing in his veins. Embry couldn't help the smile that painted his face, eyes sparkling as images of the future flashed against them.

Even before this moment, Embry thought Alma was tragically stunning. In fact, he was always aware of her beauty – but it wasn't until their freshman prom that it became much more than acknowledgement.

They had gone together, far too young and far too dumb to understand the meaning of love. The suit he wore was a few sizes to big, ill-fitting to the point that Embry looked more like a little boy than a teen. Luckily, Tiffany Call was handy with a sewing kit, making the bagginess look far more fashionable than deserved.

When he stood in front of the Uley household, hands gripping a hand-made corsage (of which Tiffany spent hours on), he wasn't expecting the sight in front of him.

Alma was always pretty, but that night? Soft pink blush hung about her like softly spun silks and silhouetted flowers decorated the fabric in pure elegance. Her body, of which Embry wasn't sure when it had gotten to this point, curved with the cinched in the bodice. Her long hair lay loosely curled; pink ribbons braided into the shining locks along with her mother's pearls. Rogue tinged her cheeks in a flushed manner, mascara adding to her doe eyes.

Embry didn't realize he'd gone completely silent until Alma asked: "Is this, okay? I told mom not to go overboard –"

"You look really pretty!" In all his pubescent glory, his voice cracked, blood raising to his cheeks and heat burning against his skin. Alma was in the same boat, wide eyed and short of breath as he continued to stare at her.

"Thanks" She blushed out, finding looking down at the floor was much easier than looking into Embry's starry gaze. "You, uh, you look really good to..." She trailed off, trying to forget her heart pounding against her ribcage.

That may have been the shift for Embry, when the lines between platonic and romantic began to blur. Sure, things were kept the same friendship wise, but all of a sudden, glances lingered longer, small actions meant more, and bright red cheeks weren't only reserved for when they ran underneath the beating sun.

Jacob Black and Quil Ateara became victim to Embry's constant, patented Alma talk. Sure, it wasn't Bella talk bad, but it was enough to make someone want to wring their own neck. Embry Call and Alma Uley, despite knowing everything about each other, were some clueless bastards.

By this point into Embry's train of thought, he'd phased in the forest, eager to tell his pack brother's the news – yeah, Embry seemed to forget that Alma's brother just so happened to be the alpha of said pack.

'Holy shit!' (Quil)

'Little Embry finally imprinted!' (Jared)

'Good job man! Who's the lucky girl?' (Jacob)

Embry couldn't help the images of Alma Uley that flickered to the pack's mind. Her midnight curls bouncing against the wind, her dark eyes golden against the sunlight, a smile so warm, so bright, it could light up the entire world. He let slip how even back then, Embry Call was utterly, and entirely Alma Uley's. How his heart was hers the moment Alma smiled at him.

'...Oh fuck!' (Brady)

'Dude you're dead!' (Quil)

'Yeah! The moment Sam finds out you're screwed Embry!' (Seth)

'The moment Sam finds out what?'

Whenever Sam joined the mind link, there was a feasible shift in the air. Not only did it become tight when the thundering bass of his voice rung against their eardrums and shook their skulls, but every single shapeshifter knew the moment Sam entered their minds, submitting to their proclaimed Alpha. Each and every member (besides the blissfully unaware Embry) was nervous for Sam's reaction to the newest imprint.

And when he delved into the Call boy's mind, he was pissed.

'You imprinted on my sister?!'

Yeah, Embry was absolutely, positively, fucked.

***

Fishing with the tribe elders (plus Charlie Swan) was an experience to say the least. What Alma had expected to be a trip filled with uncomfortable questions and patented 'sam-splaing', was actually a therapeutic outing with three admittedly funny older men. Sure, the trip began with the usual 'how are you' questions, but they (mostly the wheelchair bound Billy Black who understood Alma's predicament far better than most) Knew questions such as those should remain asked once.

Anyone who was anyone knew that despite being old and (arguably) senile old men, knew that everything they did held purpose. They had a reason to tell the legends to the children of the tribe, they had reason to hate the Cullen's who lived remotely in Forks, they even had reason to blindly trust in Sam and his boys.

Now was the mystery of why they wanted to go fishing with Alma.

Even before she injured her knee, Alma absolutely sucked at fishing. Whether that be how she hooks her bait, or how far she cast her fishing line, Alma never seemed to catch anything bigger than micro fish.

"Do ya know how long you'll be stayin' Ally-Lou?" Ally-Lou was a nickname Alma hadn't heard in years, one her mother and the adults of La Push used to call Alma when pink plasters were a fashion statement and trinketed braids were Alma's trademark.

Alma turned to Billy Black briefly, noting how he asked the question without ripping his gaze from the waterfront.

"Coach is hoping I can come back before next season." She spoke, re-hooking some bait as she attempted what could be her 10th attempt. "They're thinking around 5 to 6 months, it all depends on what the doctors say."

He nodded, letting the silence fill the air, only the sounds of the gentle breeze against trees to fill the empty void.

"You know, were holding a bonfire here in about a week if you'd like to come?"

Alma momentarily froze, stiff at the very idea of socializing with the same people who ostracized her during high school. And, noticing her lack of response, Old Quil said;

"No one's expecting you to come, in fact I'd hardly blame ya if you didn't."

This surprised Alma. Old Quil wasn't one to voice his opinion so openly and so honestly. Usually, he would give some cryptic statement that seemed more like a Lord of the Rings prophecy than 'sound advice'. The elder also particularly liked Sam convinced that Sam was 'protecting the lands' (Yeah, for sure. Recreational drug use is totally saving their land!).

"Maybe, it depends on how up for it my knee feels."

And it was left at that. Light hearted conversation restarted and the topic wasn't brought up again.

KOREY SPEAKS !
Let's pretend I didn't take literal eons to write this <3 I literally hate this chapter, but it's whatever.

I unironically know how to fish so luckily I didn't need to do any research for that portion.

Anywhore, how're we feeling about the story so far?

I forgot to add her prom dress, so here you go!!