CHAPTER FOUR:
GLOW IN THE DARK

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

IT WAS LATE EVENING in Washington and the sun was just beginning to set over the smooth waters of La Push Beach when Kim Conweller's car pulled into an empty parking spot. Mae peered through the window of the passenger seat, eyes roaming over every detail with wonder. The white foam of the waves that crashed against the sand, the bright orange flames of the bonfires lighting up the shore, the groups of laughing and drinking teens who were clustered around them.

Mae was no stranger to parties, despite her previous hesitance to attend this one. Back home in Portland, Mae was the life of the parties her classmates liked to throw, always the first on the dance floor and the last to leave. Even from her place in Kim's car, she could practically feel the buzz of a spiked drink flowing through her veins, the warmth of the flames on her face as they danced with the wind. It had her shifting in her seat with anticipation.

"I knew you'd regret not coming," Kim smirked knowingly at the grin that had taken over Mae's face. From the back seat, Lina scoffed and muttered under her breath but there was no malice to her tone or tension in her eyes at the sight of the cluttered beach and her sister's excitement. "Come on then. Jared's already here."

Kim threw open the door with Mae and a not-so-eager Lina copying her actions. The first thing Mae noticed was the wind, a cool breeze that roared against her hair and the thick materials of her cropped Nirvana t-shirt and parka. Fresh and powerful but for Washington's standards, placid and almost calm. In Mae's not-so-professional opinion, this was the perfect weather for a party on the beach.

The second thing she noticed was the group of boys and one girl who were sitting away from everyone else, preferring the exclusive nature of their own company. Mae immediately recognised them, even from afar. It was Kim's boyfriend, Jared Cameron, and his friends.

His friends that included Embry Call.

He was the first to notice the three girls approaching, his eyes lighting up as they went straight to Mae, then to the girls who stood on either side of her. On instinct, Mae found herself grinning at him, offering up a wave as the others also started to notice their arrival.

"It's about time you three got here," Jared called out, his arms open wide for Kim. She giggled at him dreamily, walking right into his embrace and sighing like she'd just returned home. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show."

"You can blame this one for that," Kim gestured over to Lina. The girl in question was busy staring at the rest of the party's guests, her body half-hidden behind Mae's thin frame. "Are you going to stand there the whole night?"

Eyes narrowed playfully at her new friend, Mae dropped onto the wooden log that Embry and a boy she didn't recognise were occupying, leaving Lina to sit cross-legged on the ground next to Paul and the girl Mae believed was Maggie Sullivan.

As if she'd read Mae's mind, the girl smiled a beautiful smile and leaned out of Paul's embrace to greet them. "Hey, I'm Maggie."

"I'm Mae," she said, glancing down at Lina's silent figure and nudging her with the toe of her boot. "And this antisocial nerd is my sister, Lina."

"It's nice to meet you," Maggie grinned, moving a little closer as the boys and Kim sparked their own conversation, a loud one at that. "So what brings you to La Push?"

"Our mum and dad," Lina finally spoke. The tension in her shoulders eased at Maggie's kindness. Her arms slowly uncrossed to rest at her sides. "Mum's a lawyer in Port Angeles and James is the new History teacher at the middle school."

If Maggie was confused by Lina's use of James' name instead of the term 'dad' she didn't show it. Instead, she gave a hum and a smile — Mae was beginning to think the girl didn't know how to do anything else — as she sipped from a red plastic cup that smelled more of vodka than whatever it was supposed to be mixed with. "My aunt's a teacher too. I think you have her for Math."

"Oh, we do!" Lina nodded eagerly, eyes lighting up at the mention of her new favourite teacher. "Mrs Sullivan's the best."

"She'd be so happy to know you said that," Maggie chuckled. A fond expression twisted her features at the mention of her aunt. "I swear that woman loves her job more than me and my siblings sometimes."

"Can we stop talking about school?" Paul interfered with a groan, reaching for the cup in Maggie's hand as he tossed his now empty one aside. Maggie handed it to him with a sigh, though she didn't seem too phased as she watched him take a long sip. "I'm bored out of my mind here."

"You could always come dance with me," Maggie hinted, sighing when he immediately said no. "Oh, come on. Why not?"

Mae shook her head, lips curling in amusement as Maggie gave a valiant attempt to get Paul to dance. Mae couldn't see her winning the argument, the thought of Paul Lahote — the alleged hothead, if rumours were to be believed — up there dancing to a pop song for everyone to see was far too ridiculous even to imagine. Sure, Mae had only spoken to Paul once and the exchange had been brief but even she knew well enough that it just wouldn't happen.

"They always do this," Embry commented suddenly. He was sipping from his drink when Mae turned to him with a questioning smile.

"Five bucks says she gets him to dance," the boy Mae was yet to learn the name of spoke up, nudging Embry's side with his elbow.

"No way," Embry was quick to rise to the bait. "Five says she ends up dancing with Kim instead."

"You're on," he smirked before his eyes landed on Mae. "You in?"

She blinked at him in surprise but was quick to smother it with a nod. "Alright. I'm with Embry."

Embry grinned with pride while the boy huffed. "Should I even bother asking your sister?"

Glancing down at Lina, who was caught up in a conversation with Kim and Jared, Mae shook her head. "The only thing Lina bets on is my failed Math grade." The boys joined in on her laughter, leaving her with a sense of triumph as she said to the boy, "I'm Mae, by the way. I don't think we've met before."

"Jacob," the boy who Mae now knew was Jacob said back to her.

Just as he finished speaking, Maggie gave a huff of frustration and stood up, pouting down at Paul when he grinned at her teasingly. "Fine, I'll dance with the girls instead."

"Yes!" Embry crowed, drowning out Jacob's echoed groan of disappointment as their friends turned to them in a mix of confusion and amusement. "You owe us five bucks, Jacob Black, each!"

"Yeah yeah," Jacob grumbled, reaching into the pocket of his denim shorts for his wallet. He took out two five dollar bills, slapping them into Embry's waiting palm with a sigh.

Embry turned to Mae, who was giggling as Kim and Maggie tried to drag Lina onto her feet. He handed her one of the notes, asking, "What made you think he'd say no?"

"Just look at him," she scoffed as if the answer was obvious. "Does Paul look like the type who dances at parties?"

Before Embry could answer, Kim caught Mae's attention from where she now stood a few feet away. She and Maggie had managed to drag Lina along with them. Mae's sister looked displeased but not uncomfortable as she stared out at the cluster of drunken teenagers swaying to the music pumping through a set of portable speakers. "Hey, Mae! You coming?"

Mae hesitated with a glance at Embry, finding herself momentarily stunned at the sight of him. She didn't know him beyond the two conversations they'd shared but she couldn't deny the subtle yet attractive appearance Embry Call had going for him. Her heart danced to the rhythm of the music as she soaked in the warmth radiating from his skin, the orange glow of the fire lighting up his warm brown eyes. He smiled, all teeth and dimples, gesturing for her to join the girls if she wanted to.

Yes, she didn't know him, but something in her yearned for the chance. Maybe it was attraction, maybe it was the longing for a friend. Mae wasn't too sure yet.

"Maybe later," she answered when she'd managed to draw her eyes away from him. Kim nodded, a noticeable smirk tugging at her mouth as she turned on her heel and followed Maggie and Lina into the buzzing crowd.

"You didn't want to join them?" Embry asked once he and Mae had watched them go. He had to lean in closer for her to hear him over Paul and Jared's loud laughter.

"I'm good," she shook her head, her eyes catching the empty cup he had in his hands. "I could go for a drink, though."

Embry grinned at that, rising to his feet and offering his hand to help her up. "Then let's find you one."

The rest of the night passed by in a blur of pumping music and glowing flames. Lingering laughter and soft words, the tangy bitterness of alcohol on her tongue. At one point, Mae found herself wishing on the dark sky lit up by stars and tendrils of smoke that the night could go on forever, but soon enough Lina was appearing by her side with tired eyes locked on her watch.

"We should head home, Mae," she insisted through a yawn. "Mum and James are expecting us soon."

Mae sighed but she knew her sister was right. She could feel the alcoholic buzz fading from her system, leaving her eyes wary yet content. Everyone else excluding Kim — the designated driver for Mae and Lina — looked the same way.

"Alright," she groaned, glancing around the circle of people. "Thanks for the good night, guys, but we should get going."

She turned to Embry as Lina and Kim gathered their things, the latter leaning into Jared's embrace so they could share a goodnight kiss. Embry was already looking at Mae, his own eyes bleary but bright with something warm and unfamiliar.

Something new.

"Thanks for entertaining me tonight, Embry. You didn't have to."

"I didn't mind," he insisted. "I had a good night."

"Yeah," Mae nodded with a shy smile. "I did too." Seeing Lina's impatient figure from the corner of her eye, she sighed. "Well, goodbye, I guess."

With one last smile to everyone else, she followed Lina and Kim over to where they'd parked. The cool night air was fresh and biting against their skin without the presence of the warm fire.

"Well, tonight went better than I thought it would be," Lina announced as she hopped into the backseat.

"Yes!" Kim cheered at the admission, switching on the engine and quickly blasting the heater. "I knew you'd have fun." Her eyes caught Mae's then, and her grin turned teasing. "Looks like you had fun too."

"Embry's a nice guy," Mae shrugged. Despite the exhaustion lingering in her system, there was a miniscule flame of warmth.

Something new.

The rest of the car ride was spent in comforting silence. The soft croons of Kim's radio lulled Mae into a faint sleep. She woke up just as the girl stopped in their driveway, headlights illuminating the red brick home. Reaching into the backseat to shake Lina awake, she shot Kim a grateful smile. "Thank you for tonight, Kim. We had a great time."

"You're welcome," Kim said, reaching for the dial on the heater when Mae and Lina opened their doors. "See you on Monday."

Echoing her words, the sisters shut the car doors and stepped back from the vehicle, watching as it reversed down the driveway and disappeared into the night.

"I'm so tired," Lina said with a yawn, resting her head on Mae's shoulder. Her hair tickled Mae's chin but Mae was unbothered as she leant into Lina's side.

"Me too," she agreed. She looped their arms together, the two slowly making their way up to the front door.

Inside, James and Kira were waiting for them in the living room, curled up in front of the fire together. Kira had her legs over James' lap, a woollen blanket keeping them warm as Kira read one of her novels and James mindlessly watched a nature channel on the television. They looked up when the front door creaked, sharing a grin at their daughters' dead expressions.

"Hey," Kira greeted them, closing her book and removing her reading glasses from her face. "Did you have a good night?"

"It was so fun," Mae said as Lina made a noise of agreement, head still resting on her shoulder. "Kim and her friends are really nice."

Embry's really nice, Mae's brain tried to correct. The warm spark returned for an instant before Mae quickly smothered it.

"You look tired," James chuckled, to which they both nodded. "Head to bed. You need a good night's sleep."

"Goodnight," Mae muttered for both of them before leading Lina into the hallway.

Lina's head stayed on her shoulder until they reached their bedroom doors. Here, she slowly peeled herself away from Mae, offering her a sleepy smile as she reached into her room and switched on the light. "Thank you for convincing me to come tonight. I guess you were right for once."

"I'll never let you forget you said that," Mae grinned. Lina rolled her eyes, giving another yawn. "Dad's right, you look exhausted. Go to bed, Lina."

"I will," she sighed. "Night, Mae."

The two sisters parted ways. Mae slowly entered the comforts of her room and switched on her light. Slipping out of her clothes, she found a clean pair of red and black flannel pyjama pants and an oversized grey shirt to sleep in. Then she all but dragged herself over to curl up under the covers of her bed, and she was out like a light.