┏━━━━⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆━━━━┓

I KNOW IT'S FOR THE BETTER

THE MORNING CAME ALL TOO SOON.

Nelly had woke with a miserable feeling coiled in her stomach, like she was experiencing nausea from being on a rocky boat for far too long.

The things she wanted to bring filled two suitcases, and her room still looked like it was untouched. She knew she had her other things awaiting her in Lummi, but the biggest thing she'd be leaving behind was Tate.

And if Mary–Anne happened to notice that her son's stuffed giraffe coincidentally disappeared, Nelly hoped she wouldn't say a word.

(Spoiler alert: she wouldn't).

The minute she left her room that morning was the moment her senses were filled with muffled voices. Voices that were coming from the backyard— ones she knew.

Abandoning her suitcases, she tugged a hoodie on before she was following the sounds. When she yanked back the sliding door, she was met with the sight of her closest friends, gathered among her grandmother and mother.

They were here to say goodbye.

A body collided into hers immediately, the borderline crazed sobs from the girl in her arms was a dead giveaway to who it was.

"This is so unfair," Akira babbled, and Nelly was acutely aware of how the others began approaching the scene. "Whatever happened to compassion, to integrity?!"

Nelly's chin was hooked on the girl's shoulder blade. "Tell me about it," she mumbled bitterly. "You're gonna have to hold down the fort; someone's gotta keep the comedy fresh until I get back."

Akira pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "Duh, you know I will," she responded easily, their pinkies interlocking.

Jared clapped a hand into her shoulder, all but shoving a sticky note into her hand. "Paul wanted me to give you this. Said it's an inside joke, but also said it's definitely not a joke."

She took it but scoffed. "What? Is he too good to say goodbye?" she teased, though his absence was definitely noted.

Kim grimaced, a hand over her lips. "You should've seen him," she said, a small bubble of giggles escaping her. "He was teary eyed; I think he didn't want you to see him when he's not as macho as usual."

Nelly rolled her eyes, because yeah, that certainly checked out. She looked at the sticky note, and let out a genuine laugh at its simple contents.

CALL THE NUMBER BELOW IF YOU WANNA KILL HIS ASS.

XXX – XXX – XXXX

"He's such an idiot," she laughed. "Never thought I'd say it, but I think I'm gonna miss him."

"Hopefully not as much as you're gonna miss me," Kim teased, quickly becoming the second person to throw themselves into her arms. "Shit, Nelly Belly, I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too Kimmy," she whispered back, squeezing the girl tightly. "But I'll be back soon— it's just a couple of weeks, yeah?"

It sounded like she was trying to convince herself of the fact more than she was trying to convince Kim of that fact. Maybe it was something they all needed to hear, especially with Akira's constant sniffling.

Aside from the three friends before her, she looked out into the yard, searching for the two people who promised that they'd be there. Her stomach started to sink before she heard a gruff voice before right behind her.

"I'm not too late, am I?"

Nelly spun, and breathed out a sigh of relief at the sight of Sam standing there. Her relief was clouded but a spurt of annoyance, which she expelled in the best way she knew how.

"Where the fuck were you?" she asked with mock anger, slapping his chest. She turned to the woman beside him, "Hi Emily."

Emily laughed at her outburst. "Hi, honey."

He gestured to the door. "I came through the front door?" he responded, though it was phrased like a question. "I did promise you, didn't I?"

She couldn't help but smile at that, at how sacred promises were to Sam. She instantly pulled him into a hug, one he reciprocated with all his might. Sure, they hadn't had the best start to their friendship, but it developed into something so genuine, so familial, at the end of the day.

"Thank you," she mumbled, clearing her throat only slightly. "For everything, y'know?"

"Anytime, kid," he responded immediately, only pulling away from the embrace once she began to. "Someone's waiting on you inside, by the way."

And based on the knowing glint in his eye, Nelly knew exactly who it was.

˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚

Out of everyone on the reservation, Nelly knew her hardest goodbye was going to be Embry.

He had been the reason she opted to leave the reservation in the first place, with his attempt to push her away with his words that carried an infinite amount of weight to them. He grovelled all summer, and it all seemed so small in the grand scheme of things.

Embry was her first friend, her very best friend, and now she was leaving him behind all over again. Only this time, she didn't want to.

Nelly almost burst into tears at the sight in her foyer, the boy standing there in the middle of the room with a little box in his hands. His eyes were a little red around the edges, puffy like he'd only just stopped crying.

"You're gonna make me cry," she stuttered out, approaching him, "and if you do, I'll punch the shit out of you."

He laughed, giving her an exaggerated eye roll. "Do you really have to threaten me on today of all days?"

"Yes, it's a part of my brand," she replied, before pointing at the thing he was holding. "What's in the box?"

He opened the tiny box, taking out the silver chain from within and placing the box onto the coffee table. He held it out in her direction, and she couldn't stop herself from gasping quietly. The chain itself was nice enough, but a bead displaying a capital E had been welded onto it.

"You're so corny," she smiled, thrusting her wrist forward, "put it on me, please."

Embry shook his head playfully, doing as he was told. "You love my corniness," he said, fastening the chain onto her left wrist.

"I do," she admitted, gaze zeroed in on his fingers that lingered above her pulse point. "Not that I don't love it, but what's the occasion?"

The answer was obvious, rooted in the fact that she was parting ways with them all that morning, but he opted for something else. "I want you to have a piece of me out there," he supplied easily, before a confident smile morphed onto his face. "Plus, if people ask, you'll have to say that I have it to you."

"Have a mentioned that I love you?"

The Call boy stifled a laugh at the sudden, yet very much welcomed declaration. "You've alluded to it, yeah," he shrugged, feigning a sort of nonchalance.

Internally though? He was freaking the fuck out. This was the moment he had hoped for all those months ago, before he'd gone and fucked it all up.

"Well, this is me explicitly tell you then," she said. "I love you, seriously."

"I love you too, Nell," was his easy response, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled down at her. "I think it's been pretty obvious on my end, though."

"Really? I couldn't tell."

Her heart was full of love, it all felt so light in that very moment. Yet, despite this, she knew what was waiting for her in the form of the suitcases sitting in her room.

She bit the inside of her cheek the second she felt the pressure on her eyes build. "I'm really gonna miss you, Emmy."

The boy pulled her forward, wrapping her in solid embrace where his chin rested on top of her head. He whispered out his own response.

"I'm gonna miss you, too."

Yeah, Embry Call would always be her hardest goodbye.

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚⋆

[ wyn's note ]

forty chapters later, and WAITING ROOM has finally come to a close. sad face, teary eyes.

i've put y'all through hell and back throughout this fic, so thanks for sticking with it till the end! don't worry; the epilogue is coming (should be out in the next two days), and it will hopefully give us the happy ending that we all know nelly deserves to have <3

and you know i love me some bonus chapters too ;)

as always, all my love xx