┏━━━━⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆━━━━┓

I'M SO BLUE ALL THE TIME

NELLY SEQUOIA HADN'T BEEN TO MANY FUNERALS BEFORE.

The first one she could remember had been that of her paternal grandmother whom she never really knew that well. Despite having just moved to the Quileute reservation, Mary–Anne shuttled them back to Lummi just to pay their respects. The sick woman wasn't a familiar face by any means, but she was still family nonetheless.

Nelly could also remember the day her family went to Mrs Black's funeral, her tragic departure from this world shook the entire reservation and the family of four she left behind.

Both of her paternal grandfathers died long before she was even born, her father's brother following suit when she was a few weeks old, and there was an old family dog that passed when she was a kid. So, the list of funerals she attended in her lifetime was short and concise, and until now, had never consisted of people she was close to.

Nelly used to have this thought growing up that she'd be dead long before Tate ever would be. She knew she'd never be able to stomach it, to stomach watching her brother's life fade when she was still around, so she'd gladly opt out first. It was selfish, perhaps, but it was to cover her own heart.

That had been when she thought they'd have decades upon decades left until such a decision could be made; now, the universe was making her eat her very words by robbing her of him. And suddenly, there she was attending the funeral of the boy who she was closest to in every way, shape, and form.

The Quileutes had their own versions of funerary services, as it typically involved a ceremony that honoured the dead with prayer, song, and the inevitable burial of their body below the earth's surface. There were countless people in attendance, dressed in black among the outdoors, all in order to honour Tate Sequoia.

Nelly sat through the entire thing bracketed by her mother and grandmother, and the girl didn't cry once.

Her lip never wobbled, her waterline never welled up, and her breath didn't hitch. Her eyes were trained on the buried lump in front of her, and each breath felt more forced than the next. It wasn't until the tribe's healer, an old man who was leading the ceremony, called up Nelly to say some words.

It took a second for his request to fully register in her mind, and she instinctually looked to her mother who'd just spoke merely minutes before. Mary–Anne gave the girl a wet smile that was paired with a nod, and Nelly knew she had to say something.

Stepping forward, she approached the place where the man had been standing before the crowd, just beside the place where her brother now was. She promptly avoided the dozens of people surrounding the site, the trees in the small clearing stock still, mimicking Nelly's own stiff body language.

"Everyone knows that Tate is a special kid," she started, hands curling at her sides when she felt her stomach stir with nausea. "He likes old cars that look like they have a lot of safety hazards, he hates contact sports but always makes an exception for football, and he's the only kid I know who actually prefers math over gym class."

There was something stuck in her throat, and she desperately tried to clear it. Willing her eyes to look at those around her, she continued. "Tate's a good boy, and based on the turnout here, everyone already knows that. His energy's light, like a cloud, never invasive even though he knew how to get on my nerves." Everything was rushing out, so she paused to breathe. "I've never had someone the way I have Tate. And now that—"

Her sentence hung when her eyes settled on a face she'd yet to see that day. Standing amongst his family was little Brady Fuller, silent tears rushing down his face. The shake of his shoulders and the white-knuckle grip he had on his sister's hand sent a violent rattle through Nelly's body.

Just seeing her brother's best friend made this situation so terrifyingly real.

Nelly's heart started to race the longer she looked at the distraught boy, her nails digging crescents into her palms as she tried to formulate something, but nothing was coming out. Her once assured stance faltered, her feet already retreating.

"I'm sorry— I can't do this, I can't—"

Nelly was gone from the scene before anyone could stop her, her body darting into the nearby forest with unprecedented speed.

˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

Embry Call knew something was up the moment he and his mother arrived to the service.

Nelly Sequoia had always worn her heart on her sleeve; she always showed her emotions and used them like a damn battering ram. Having grown up with her, Embry knew this, because even before he Imprinted on her, he was always looking at her. Maybe that should've been the first sign, huh?

In hindsight, of course something would be up with Nelly because her brother had just died two days ago, but the shell of a girl stood before them all was something he hadn't expected. He expected anger, frustrated tears even; not this complete lack of emotional response. Every exchange was tight lipped, forced, too calm.

The pack had been on edge ever since Tate passed, because the signs he exhibited early on were present in the eldest Sequoia child too. Paul could attest to her anger when they interacted at the Littleseas store, and everyone saw what happened the night of the bonfire.

And like Tate, Nelly had gotten sick with a fever before she bounced back. Before the boy got sick a second time, they thought both siblings would phase one another the other, but Tate's death casted a tense energy over not just the reservation, but the pack too. 

There was a shared worry that Nelly would follow suit, get sick a second time, and have an outcome similar to her brother's. It was a waiting game now, one that Embry especially was not interested in playing whatsoever.

When she'd ran off into the woods that surrounded the burial clearing, Embry's eyes immediately went to Sam's. There was an unspoken question he was asking, a plea to go and find her, and the man thankfully understood.

The second he nodded, Embry shot off like a bullet in the direction she went in. From her peripheral as he left, he saw Sam walk over to the two women, telling them that she'd be fine— that Embry would bring her back.

And you bet your ass he would, because despite Nelly absolutely hating his guts for what he did, she meant the world to him.

He'd never let her suffer alone.

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆

[ wyn's note ]

the way she was talking about him in present tense.... ugh my poor girl :( nelly's fate is up in the air amongst the pack, and they're waiting for the other shoe to drop.

and next chap? oh it deffo will.

LOVE YOU GUYS HAHA!