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CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE MIGHTY FUCK-UP
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EMBRY CALL WAS THE newest member of Sam Uley's so-called cult. The news had spread like wildfire when the boy in question returned to school with short-cropped hair and a spiral tattoo laid bare on his broad shoulder. He looked so different, and yet he was the same Embry Call that Maggie knew.
According to Hayden, who had watched on in shock with Quil and Jacob as the boy walked past them flanked by Paul and Jared, Embry had gotten sick with mono the same day that Jacob blew up at Maggie for wanting to spend time with Paul. (From the get-go, Maggie was suspicious of this. Embry Call was not the type of boy who went around kissing girls. Him having mono disease out of nowhere didn't make any sense, at least not to her it didn't.) Regardless, he went M.I.A after running out on his mum and now he was back out of the blue, seemingly in full health but avoiding his old friends for dear life.
This only worsened Jacob's sour mood. After seeing Embry laughing with Paul and Jared like they were his friends since diapers, he stormed off without a word with steam practically flying out of his ears. Maggie watched him go with a sigh before turning around to face Hayden and Quil. Hayden had her hand in his, squeezing in comfort as he frowned at Embry with saddened eyes. Quil Ateara wasn't the type to get angry. No, where Jacob spoke first and thought later, Quil kept in his emotions like they were something he was forbidden from talking about.
"Are you okay?" she asked despite knowing the type of answer she'd receive.
As expected, he shrugged his hand out of Hayden's and nodded half-heartedly at Maggie before hauling his bag further up his shoulder in preparation to leave. "I'm fine."
With that, he was following after Jacob, head down as Embry finally turned to stare in their direction. For a second, Maggie thought he looked just as upset as his old friends, but then he was smiling widely at something Jared said to him and the expression was gone. A mere trick of the light.
"I can't believe him," Hayden muttered incredulously, glaring at the side of his face like that would change anything. "How could he do that to his friends?"
Maggie sighed. "We don't know the full story, though."
But Hayden just shook her head, unimpressed. "For once, I don't think I want to know it."
The bell rang which forced them to separate for their first period classes. Fortunately (or unfortunately, she wasn't sure just yet) she had her first class with Jacob and Embry. The former was already inside when she entered the room, bent over his desk and clutching the edges in an attempt to not knock Embry on his ass. As for Embry, he'd moved into the seat beside Maggie on the opposite side of the room. Normally, he'd sit behind Jacob and the two would talk so much they rarely ever got the work done, but something told everyone that if Embry had even breathed in Jacob's direction, he'd have eaten a fist. Maggie didn't mind having Embry beside her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with him now.
