𝓲𝓲. explanations

written – 12.9.23 |   re-written – 9.5.24

WARNINGS: aludes of suicide

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH

RONI GROANED AS EMILY GENTLY SHOOK her awake, the morning light filtering through the curtains. "Emily, I love you dearly, but please, let me savor these precious moments of slumber," Roni grumbled, her voice muffled as she pulled the soft, warm blanket over her eyes in a futile attempt to block out the day. However, her efforts were swiftly thwarted as Emily, with a mischievous glint in her eye, deftly yanked the comforting shield away from Roni's grasp. "Emily!" The young girl whined, her tone a mixture of exasperation and fondness, eliciting a warm chuckle from her companion.

"You have a visitor, sleepyhead," Emily announced, her voice tinged with amusement. Reluctantly, Roni sat up on the couch, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and peered into the kitchen. There, she spotted Embry, casually seated at the table, savoring what appeared to be a freshly baked muffin. The enticing aroma of baked goods wafted through the air as Emily added, "The muffins are fresh from the oven. I just pulled them out a few minutes ago."

With a resigned sigh, Roni slowly rose from her makeshift bed, paying little heed to her disheveled appearance. Her hair was a wild mess, and her shorts and shirt were hopelessly wrinkled, clinging to her body in odd angles. "Good morning, Embry," Roni managed to articulate through a massive yawn, stretching her arms high above her head in an attempt to shake off the lingering tendrils of sleep. Emily couldn't help but grimace as a resounding pop echoed through the room, a testament to Roni's stiff joints.

"Hey there, Cameron," Embry greeted with a good-natured chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement as Roni shuffled towards the enticing array of muffins.

"It's Roni, always Roni. Never Cameron," Roni insisted, her words slightly muffled as she spoke around a mouthful of the delectable pastry. Her lack of etiquette earned her a swift, reproachful smack on the arm from Emily. "Ow!" Roni exclaimed, setting down her half-eaten muffin to rub her smarting arm. "First, you rudely awaken me from my peaceful slumber, and now you resort to physical violence! What's next on the agenda? Are you planning to kick me out?" Emily and Embry exchanged a brief, meaningful glance before turning their attention back to the indignant girl. Roni's eyes widened in mock horror as she dramatically exclaimed, "Oh, fantastic! You're actually considering kicking me out, aren't you?"

Emily was quick to reassure her, "No one's kicking you out, dear. It's just that Embry wants speak with you, and I have some pressing culinary matters to attend to." She offered a nonchalant shrug, which only served to fuel Roni's playful indignation.

"So, this is all your doing," Roni declared, swiveling to fix Embry with an exaggerated glare. The young man held up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, his lips twitching as he fought to suppress a smile.

"In my defense," Embry began, his tone light and teasing, "I didn't think you'd be sleeping at one in the afternoon." Roni responded with an exaggerated eye roll, while Embry struggled to keep his growing smirk in check. "But I do have something important to talk about with you," he continued, his tone shifting to a more serious note. "It's about the... incident from last night."

Roni's eyebrows shot up in surprise as she took another bite of her muffin. "You want to talk about Paul getting pissed off at you?" she inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Embry's expression grew thoughtful as he replied, "Yes and no. I want to talk about the cause of Paul's reaction. I have a feeling you felt it too." Roni paused mid-chew, her gaze locked on Embry, who had now risen to his feet. "So, you did feel it," Embry murmured, his suspicions confirmed by Roni's reaction.

Roni's eyes narrowed as she swallowed her mouthful of muffin. "If I find out that you did some bullshit witchcraft on me. I'm going to slit your throat and watch as the li–"

"Whoa, hold on!" Embry interjected hastily, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "I assure you, this isn't some kind of witchcraft or magic trick. And please, let's refrain from any threats of bodily harm." He took a deep breath before continuing, "Look, would you be open to taking a walk with me? I can explain everything that happened last night."

Roni's suspicion hadn't fully abated as she began, "I'm warning you, if this turns out to be some sort of supernatural–" Her words were abruptly cut short by Emily's stern intervention.

"Cameron Penelope Lahote!" Emily's voice rang out, causing Roni to turn and face the woman she had come to regard as a mother figure. Despite the reprimand, Roni couldn't help but feel a twinge of warmth at Emily's concern. "Give the poor boy a chance to explain himself."

After a moment of internal debate, Roni relented with a sigh. "Alright, fine. I'll hear him out." She made her way to the door, with Embry following close behind. As Roni slipped on her favorite pair of fuzzy slippers, Embry had to stifle a laugh at the incongruous sight. Once outside, Roni turned to face him, her curiosity finally getting the better of her. "Okay, spill it. What exactly happened last night?"

Embry took a deep breath, steeling himself for the conversation ahead. "Right, I'll get straight to the point," he began, his hands finding their way into his jean pockets as he searched for the right words. "What happened last night is known as imprinting." Roni's brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at the path stretching out before them.

"Imprinting?" Roni echoed, her tone laced with skepticism. "That sounds like some bizarre execution method they'd use on death row."

A burst of laughter escaped Embry at Roni's unexpected comparison. "I promise you, it's quite the opposite," he replied, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Noting Roni's questioning look, he continued, "I'm going to borrow Sam's words here because, honestly, I'm not sure how to explain it myself." Roni nodded, encouraging him to proceed. "Imagine it's like love at first sight, but far more intense and profound. It's as if the very force of gravity shifts suddenly. The world as you once knew it undergoes a dramatic transformation. It's no longer the earth that anchors you here, but her... You become whatever she needs you to be, be it a protector, a lover, or a friend."

Roni halted in her tracks, her mind reeling as she struggled to process this information. "So, what you're telling me is that... you and I are... some kind of cosmically ordained soulmates?" she questioned, her voice barely above a whisper as a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions threatened to overwhelm her.

Embry was quick to clarify, "Not exactly soulmates in the traditional sense. It's more like we're destined to be in each other's lives in some capacity."

"That sounds like the same thing to me!" Roni exclaimed, her voice rising with a mixture of confusion and frustration. Embry winced, recalling Sam's warning that Roni might not take this revelation well. "So, what happens now? Are we just supposed to fall into each other's arms and live happily ever after?" Roni's questions came in rapid succession as her heart rate began to accelerate. "Oh god, this can't be happening," she muttered, her breathing becoming increasingly erratic as panic started to set in.

Sensing her distress, Embry attempted to calm her. "Hey, hey, take it easy. Just try to breathe," he urged, his voice gentle and reassuring.

But his words only seemed to fuel Roni's agitation. "Take it easy? Breathe? You don't get to tell me how to react right now!" she shouted, her feet carrying her forward as she tried to put some distance between them. "You've just dropped this bombshell about us being cosmically linked or whatever, and you seriously expect me to remain calm?"

Realizing his misstep, Embry called out to her retreating form, "Okay, I admit, maybe this wasn't the best way to approach this. But please understand, I had no choice but to tell you!"

Roni spun around, her eyes blazing with a mix of emotions. "And why, pray tell, did you have to inform me of this, Embry?" she demanded, watching as he cautiously approached her.

"Because if I hadn't, we might never have crossed paths again," Embry explained, his voice tinged with urgency. "The imprint bond is unlike anything else. Being apart for extended periods can have serious consequences. We could fall into depression, experience physical pain, become ill, or worst of all, lose the bond entirely – which is said to be the most excruciating pain imaginable."

Roni shook her head in disbelief, struggling to comprehend the gravity of the situation. "What do you mean by 'the most excruciating pain imaginable'? Surely it can't be worse than a typical breakup," she argued, her voice laced with skepticism.

Embry's expression grew somber as he replied, "It's nothing like a regular breakup, Roni. Do you remember Thomas?" After a moment of reflection, Roni nodded slowly. "Well, here's the short version: Thomas imprinted on a girl, but she rejected the bond. He fell into a deep, consuming depression. He locked himself away in his room, and a week later... his parents found him..." Embry's voice faltered, unable to finish the grim tale.

The weight of Embry's words settled heavily upon Roni. She ran a hand down her face, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Look, I need some time to wrap my head around this whole 'imprinting' business. I'm not rejecting this... bond or whatever it is, because I certainly don't want to be responsible for any harm coming to you. But I do need space to process all of this." She paused, considering her next words carefully. "Are you free on Friday?"

Embry blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in direction. "Uh, yeah, I think so. Why?"

"Meet me at the local diner at noon," Roni proposed. "We can discuss this further when I'm not teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack."

"Yeah, okay," Embry agreed, nodding slowly as he watched Roni turn and walk away. As her figure receded into the distance, he found himself standing alone, trying to make sense of the whirlwind conversation. "What in the world just happened?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head in bewilderment as he began the trek back to his own house, his mind racing with thoughts of the impending Friday meeting and the uncertain future that lay ahead.