hey i love hollister too!!!!!!!!!! i like taylor swift all her music rox i like u belong with me,15,white horse and a whole lot of others

sebringobluestreaksgirl on 5/23/2010 9:44:50 PM

HEY U GUYS! Im almost done with another series! It should come out mid-april if your interested in it comment on my page! Its a story of Alice and the books from her point of veiw, also coming out will be a book on Renesnee and It will be sorta of her Journal lay out that Alice and Jasper gave her for her 5th birthday!COMMENT!

annaelizabeth on 4/5/2010 11:43:03 PM

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Chapter One

My name is Aiyana Avalyssa Black. Exotic, I know. I go by Ana. My first name in my dad’s family’s language means eternal blossom. Very fitting seeing as how I’m immortal.

*****

I live in the cold, nearly sunless town of Brunswick, Maine. Population: 22,000. Not small, but not very big either. Towns like these provide the ideal living environment for my family who rely heavily on cloud cover and grey skies. There are nine vampires, three shape shifters and three something else’s in my large and very beautiful family. I fall into the something else category, along with my brothers. The one thing we all have in common? We’re all immortal.

How is immortality possible? Mate one human-vampire hybrid with one human-wolf shape shifter and bam! You get me--a 24-year-old supernatural phenomena. Let me clarify: I have been alive for 24 years but physically, I look like a typical 17-year- old. Well, maybe not typical. Four generations worth of supermodel good looks were passed down to my brothers and me. I have my mom’s full lips and warm, chocolate brown eyes rimmed by thick, dark eyelashes. I get my height from my dad--I’m almost 5’10--and my skin is tan like his but lighter by a few shades. My hair is a glossy caramel color, streaked with gold and bronze highlights. I will look this way forever. Lucky me, I know.

My brothers and I are anomalies. Being born to two hybrids, no one knew what to expect. No one thought it was even possible for my parents to have children, since, as my grandfather Edward puts it, they were crossbreeding. I inherited all my mom’s vampire traits--the strength, speed, sharp mind and impenetrable skin. My thirst for blood is almost non-existent--not that it doesn’t smell enticing, but, I prefer a good old, greasy cheeseburger over a full sized deer any day--medium rare, of course. But, my most distinctive trait is my extra ability.

Like my grandparents, my uncle Jazz and aunt Alice, I have a unique gift. I am a dream walker. It’s way cool. Completely useless against vampires who can’t sleep but it came in handy growing up to torment my brothers. I can walk in and out of the dreams of humans- and half humans- and communicate with the dreamer or change their dreams as I wish. My gift didn’t fully manifest until I was seven. Dad was the first person to experience my power. I was having a bad dream and I called out to him. In an instant, I was standing next to him and I told him I was scared and I needed him to protect me. In the morning when I woke up, I was snuggling next to my dad in his wolf form. He phased back and had no idea how he ended up next to me in the middle of the night. It happened again and again for two weeks, each time, my dad not remembering how he ended up there in the morning.

Mom thought he had a sleep-walking problem. Technically, he did, but I was the root of it. I fessed up to remembering talking to dad in my dreams telling him I was afraid of the dark and couldn’t sleep by myself. My great-grandfather Carlisle is a doctor. He and my Grandpa monitored dad one night to see if he went anywhere else besides my room. Grandpa stayed with me and Carlisle stayed dad. Grandpa can read minds. In mine, he heard me call out to dad who appeared less than a minute later and plopped down next to me on the bed. Carlisle followed him into my room and told Grandpa, that in his sleep, dad muttered, “I’m coming, Ana. Don’t worry.”

They were fascinated. I wanted to do more experiments, reach out to my brothers and my mom. It was a lot of fun for me, not so much for my brothers.

Aiden was six at the time and already twice my size. He picked on me constantly. I saw this as my chance to get back at him. In my dream that night, my brother and I were in my old playroom. I told him that it would be fun if he went into aunt Rosie’s room to play dress-up. In the morning, he woke up back in his bed, with lipstick smeared all over his face and wearing a sundress.

Both of them stopped picking on me after that.

As I got older, my power became greater. With the help of my parents, we think I have mastered control over it. I’ve even learned how to enter daydreams while I’m still awake. My poor brothers are always the guineau pigs when I want to try it out.

**

Aiden and Bryce are shape shifters like my dad. Aiden is 23 and Bryce is 20. Dad was so proud the day they first phased. Mom even cried. I rolled my eyes. My ability is way cooler, in my opinion.

Like dad, they’re giants. Aiden is 6’4 and Bryce is 6’5. They’ve been that tall since they were 17 and 14, respectively. But somehow, they look a lot younger than they actually are. Mom says they get their baby faces from dad. Baby faces? Gag me.

They spend as much time as possible as wolves, running and improving their hunting skills. Unlike dad and myself, Aiden and Bryce like to eat like the rest of my family- they hunt for wildlife in the woods on our 1,000-acre estate. But unlike the rest of my family, with maybe the exception of Uncle Em, my brothers eat like savages. Often times, they’ll come home with their fur caked with blood and dirt. So gross. I got tired of the stench, one day they came home to find personalized gift from me- two oversized doghouses in the back yard. Mom didn’t think it was very nice but dad and aunt Rosie thought it was hilarious.

***

My mom, Renesmee, and my dad, Jacob, have been married for 30 years. He still looks at her like a man in love for the first time in his life. Sometimes, it’s sickening how cute they are together. It’s amazing seeing them together knowing our family’s history. My dad is from the Quileute tribe in La Push, a small reservation near Forks, Washington where my mom was born. The legend of my dad’s people says that they are decedents of wolves and the “Cold Ones,” also known as vampires, are their mortal enemies. The Cullen vampires--my mother’s family--and the Quileute elders had a treaty in place for more than 80 years before my dad became an Alpha. No humans were to be hunted or harmed in Forks. Easy enough for a family of vegetarian vampires. That is until my grandmother, Bella, came along and changed everything.

***
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Chapter Two

Human and vampire relationships never end well. Or so says grandpa, but it worked out well for him. But, until my grandmother became a vampire, their relationship was constantly being tested, filled with danger and heartache.

Dad was in love with Grams, too, before my mom was born. Dad and Grandpa battled each other over her constantly. Weird I know, but there’s nothing normal about my family.

Anyways, Grams and Grandpa were married shortly after her high school graduation. She was pregnant with my mom when she was still human. She was one mean fetus from what I’ve been told. She practically killed Grams during childbirth. Obviously, it’s a sore subject, so no one really talks about it. Grams was changed into a vampire as soon as she gave birth. My dad, confused, saddened and filled with rage over the transformation he allowed, had every intention of killing the “Thing” that killed his beloved Bella--my mom. He went to find my aunt Rosie who took care of her during Grams change and something he never expected happened. The moment he looked at my mom, he was a goner. The Quileute legend says it’s possible for tribes’ members to “imprint” on another person. In layman’s terms, you’ll know instantly when you’ve found the person you’re destined to be with-- your soul mate.

I know what it sounds like. Eww, right? But, It's not what you think. Yes, my mom was just a baby when my dad knew he was going to spend eternity with her but, it wasn't like love at first sight. It was something else, something that I can't really explain. Imprinting is a strange thing to understand. Dad was fiercely loyal and protective of my mom while he waited for her to grow up. He didn’t have the lovey-dovey feelings he has for her now until she became an adult. In her case, that was six years after she was born. Mom was no regular baby. She grew daily, at an alarming rate both physically and mentally. At three months, she was far more intelligent than a human at ten. Mom has a gift too. When she touches someone, she can show them a collection of her memories and thoughts. It’s like being shown a movie. That’s how I know all this. No one wanted to tell me so mom showed me when she thought the time was right.

Once dad imprinted on mom, the treaty between the Quiletes and the Cullens was replaced with something even stronger than an agreement- allegiance and devotion to each other’s families. No member of dad’s pack was to harm my mom. If anything had happened to her, it would have been so devastating and painful for my dad, he’d have to fight his own brothers.

The unity between the two families was strengthened even more when the vampire royal family-the Volturi- came to Forks to kill my mom and her family. There are laws very few laws in our world, but they are absolute. First and most important is that humans cannot know we exist. Second, children are forbidden from being changed. Uncle Jazz told me that long ago, the "Immortal Children" as they were called, ran wild all over the South. The Volturi, who Interfere only when the situation absolutely calls for it, came in and killed all of them. To create an Immortal Child guarantees you a death sentence.

A vampire who held a grudge against Grandpa's family saw my mom and dad hunting in the woods with my grandparents when she was very young. The vampire, Irina, mistook her for an Immortal Child and went to Italy to Inform the Volturi of her existence. Aunt Alice had a vision and saw them coming to Forks with an entire army of gifted and extremely skilled fighters. Their intention was to destroy the "abomination" and the family harboring it. Little did they know, my family gathered an army as well but, only to witness mom's growth and testify on their behalf that no crime was committed.

Any vampire could tell instantly that mom wasn't an Immortal Child. Her heartbeat proved it the moment they saw her. She even showed Aro, the head family member, her birth and her life up to that point. She had him convinced but not the rest of his family. The other Volturi weren't satisfied. Mom's family amassed over 30 vampires to witness, a large majority had extraordinary gifts the Volturi had never seen. Not only were there vampires, but my dad's pack of 16 wolves joined as well. He had to protect my mom. The Volturi were determined to find some reason to attack so that after the battle, the survivors with gifts would join the Volturi Instead of facing execution. They thought they had the war won, but they had no Idea how vulnerable they would be after Grams unleashed her power.

Grams is a shield. Meaning, she can block the attacks and powers of others. What makes her even more powerful is that she is able to shield anyone around her as well, which is exactly what she did when the Volturi guard started to make their move. They were stunned. They had never been at a disadvantage. The fight was stopped immediately, the Volturi were not prepared to have to fight fair. They left Forks, never to return or bother my family.

***

Over the next six years, mom grew up quickly, in peace, surrounded by love and happiness and always under the watchful eye of my dad. At six, she was like a fully matured 15-year old. My grandparents made them wait another three years before getting married. They looked so happy and gorgeous in their wedding photos. They moved out of the Cullen mansion and onto the La Push reservation, where lived there until my mom got pregnant. They moved back in with my grandparent’s family fearful that the Volturi would somehow find out and return. They never did.

My brothers and I had a great childhood. You might say we were sheltered but our family was very close and not one of us felt like we were missing anything. Our family is rich. Really, really rich. We lived on a 1,000-acre estate with six massive houses and woods as far as the eye could see. It was stocked with plenty of wildlife to satiate the thirsts of hungry wolves and vampires. I didn’t hunt unless I was absolutely craving blood-which wasn’t often- and the only other times I spend in the woods are when I would go to my favorite tree to read in peace.

We couldn’t go to school like regular humans so we were home schooled which was perfectly fine with me. My knucklehead brothers never took their studies seriously. Mom says they’re the same as dad- not very big fans of school. They were always watching the clock, counting down to the time when they could get out of the library and go play with Uncle Seth and Aunt Leah.

I on the other hand was an extremely bright and eager student. I had one-on-one lessons, eight hours a day with each member of my mom’s family tutoring me in various subjects. Grams taught English and though most of my family were big readers, her choices influenced me the most. I loved the classics just like her. I was an accomplished pianist thanks to Grandpa. I don’t think I could ever be as good as him seeing as how he’s playing for almost 160 years. Chopin is my favorite composer but I also love his compositions. The lullaby he wrote from Grams is one of my favorites to play.

I learned history with uncle Jazz, world languages with Aunt Alice, Art with my great-grandmother Esme, Science with granddad Carlisle and math with Aunt Rosie. On Saturdays, I played baseball with Uncle Em and on Sundays we lazed around the house watching football.

Uncle Seth, dad’s best friend and most loyal pack member, and his sister, my aunt Leah, taught us Quilete history. It was the only subject that held my brothers’ attentions. We all flew back to Forks with my brothers when they first started phasing. The tribe elders held a naming ceremony for Bryce and Aiden. Aiden was given the name Hakan, the fire dancer and Bryce was Hania, the spirit warrior.

Uncle Seth was perfectly at ease with the vampire side of my family. He and Grandpa were the closest of friends. Aunt Leah was still a bit apprehensive even after all these years but she loved me to death. It’s probably because of my Quilete blood. She kept to herself most of the time unless she was out in the woods with the boys.

I loved school but my favorite times were the ones I got to spend with my dad. Sometimes, I wish I were as close to my mom as she was to Grams but, I’m a total daddy’s girl. I could suck a human dry and he’d probably say “S’okay, sweetheart, just don’t do it again.” I was his “little bloodsucker.” Once a derogatory word now a term of endearment between dad and me. He was the coolest person I knew. It was mostly because he was so different from the rest of my family. In dad’s words, everyone in our house spoke like stuffy, upper-crust, Victorian aristocrats. They were too proper and far too boring. He talked like the people on TV. He cursed and sometimes murdered the English language, but that was what was so endearing about him. He grew up a normal, human teenager with the exception of the shape shifting. Grandpa isn’t very happy with some of the more colorful language I picked up from dad but, as long as I don’t curse, he’s cool with our “silly and ridiculous” slang and street jargon.

***

Tomorrow is my 25th birthday. Mom and dad promised that when I turned 25, I could go to high school and see what it’s like in the human world. My brothers and I weren’t aging anymore, so there was no risk of exposure. Unfortunately, Aiden and Bryce would be coming too, posing as juniors since they were so gigantic. But, that’s better than the alternative- the entire Cullen, Black and Clearwater family attending school all together. No thanks. It would be horrible to go to school with my mind-reading grandpa, intimidating and sometimes scary uncles and dad and devastatingly gorgeous mom, aunts and grandmother. I’d much rather put up with my brothers antics for two years than with 13 members of my family for four. Ugh.

My aunts are throwing me a quarter-of-a-century birthday party tomorrow night. They throw the best parties and I always get awesome gifts. That was definitely one of the plus sides of being in this family. Tomorrow’s going to be amazing, I just know it.

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Chapter Three

“Wake up, kiddo.” Dad tried to find a way through the blanket and sheet cocoon that encapsulated my body. He found the end of the duvet and pulled it out from under me. The early morning light that poured through my windows hurt my eyes and I hid my head under my pillow.

“Five more minutes, pleeeease?” I squeaked in a muffled voice, “I need my beauty sleep.”

“Beauty sleep, Annie?” Only dad was aloud to call me Annie, it made me feel like such a child when everyone else said it, “If you were any more beautiful, sweetheart, I would have to rethink this whole high school thing. Now, come on, I have a surprise for you.”

I shot up in my bed, “A surprise?” Oh, how I loved surprises. Unlike mom and Grams, I had nothing against the lavish gifts my family loved to shower me with. “What kind of surprise, Daddy?”

“Come downstairs, have some breakfast and then I’ll show you. Mom is cooking your favorite, Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. Better get down there before the boys eat it all.” He kissed the top of my forehead and walked out of the room so I could change.

I looked around my room to find my robe. It was a complete disaster. Clothes were strewn all over the room in complete disarray. It looked like a hurricane had come through and the contents of my closet were its unfortunate victims. I would definitely need to clean it sometime this week. My room was my sanctuary. Grammy Esme did all the design work. The walls were a soft lilac color trimmed with a darker, royal purple. The room was furnished with two flat screen TV’s, the best surround sound system money could buy, a small office and sitting area with a computer desk, a couch and two armchairs. Several dressers and an armoire held the rest of my clothing that didn’t fit into my enormous walk-in closet. My favorite piece of furniture was the massive, silver wrought-iron canopy bed with intricate rose designs. It used to be black when it belonged to my grandparents when they first got married. The coolest feature of my room was the upstairs loft that held the piano that was also passed down by my grandparents. I could sit up there and play for hours on end.

“There you are!” I found the pink fleece robe aunt Alice had given me on Valentine’s Day and I threw it on over my shoulders. I looked in the mirror for a moment to fix my unruly hair so I would look somewhat decent. The aroma of freshly baked waffles and sweet strawberries tickled my nose as soon as I opened the door. I jumped over the banister to the first floor, landing by the entranceway to the kitchen- stairs took too long.

Mom’s left eyebrow rose slightly, “Do you really have to do that every time you come downstairs?”

“What? You never say anything when Aiden does it. It’s not like I’m gonna break my ankles, mom.” I stuck my tongue out to my brother who was working on a stack of my waffles and bacon. “Where did Dad and Bryce go?”

“They’re doing something with your present.” She came over and placed a plate of waffles in front of me. Before I could dig in, her pale, slender arms closed around my shoulders and she placed a soft kiss in my hair, “Happy birthday, honey.”

“Thanks, mom.” I would have turned to hug her back but, I was really, really hungry.

“Yuh, hoppy burthday, sis” Aiden muttered, flecks of waffles and bacon landing on the table.

“Eww, gross Deni, don’t talk with your mouth full…but, thanks.” Dad and Bryce walked into the kitchen a few minutes later. Bryce plopped down in the seat next to me and I snarled at him when he tried to steal my bacon.

“Oooh, someone’s grumpy this morning. Is it cause you’re getting old, Annie?”

“Do. Not. Call. Me. Annie.” I quickly jabbed my butter knife into his arm, drawing a tiny bit of blood. He flicked the droplet at me as the small gash closed almost instantly. His blood did not smell nearly as appetizing as the waffles.

“Ana, don’t stab you brother. It’s not nice.” She turned her attention back to the waffle iron as dad walked up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her tight before kissing her cheek, bringing a mile-wide smile to her exquisite face. He whispered something in her ear too low for even my vampire ears to hear. It had to be about my birthday present.

I scarfed down the rest of my food and zipped to my dad’s side before he had a chance to start eating. “Can I see my present now, Daddy?” I hugged him and inhaled his scent. He smelled like fresh cut grass and the damp woods. My favorite. Aunt Rosie is the only one who still teases him about smelling like a wet dog, something I have now picked up and use on my brothers.

“Yeah, I s’pose.” He put me into a light headlock and we walked to the garage. I hope it’s not another car. I like the one I currently have- a tricked-out Mini Cooper that I helped Dad fix up. It’s ancient but you’d never know it. It looks brand new and it goes fast. Really fast. He opened the garage door to show me my gift. Amongst the collection of fancy cars and street motorcycles sat my brand new Yamaha all terrain dirt bike. You could ride it on the freeway and streets too. I’ve been bugging my parents about a bike since Grams taught me how to ride one ten years ago.

“Whoa, dad! This is so cool! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” I rushed over and turned on the ignition. The bike roared as I gave it more gas. “This is so awesome! I love it!”

“ Yeah well, Edward doesn’t want you riding it unless you wear these…” He handed me a helmet, gloves and what looked like a bulletproof jacket. Unecessary accessories for someone with quick reflexes and zero chance of getting hurt.

“Seriously?” I eyed dad questioningly, a smile formed on his lips.

“Yeah, I know, kiddo. But, ease his mind a bit, kay?”

“Sure, pops. Whatever you say.”

“Anyways,” He fastened the helmet strap under my chin, “Happy Birthday, my lil’ bloodsucker. Love you.”

“Love you, too.” I shouted as I pulled out of the garage to take my new bike for a spin.

*******

“Ana, what the…?” I took off my headphones to see Alice picking my clothes from off my floor. “This is a vintage Yves St. Laurent dress and look at this, Christian Dior, probably permanently wrinkled.”

“Oops?” I shrugged my shoulders at the tiny pixie zooming around my room placing my clothes over her extended arm. I tossed my iPod onto the bed and helped her rearrange my closet.

“You’re just as bad as your Grams.”

“Hey, at least I wear this stuff.” I loved everything she bought for me. Alice and Rosie had fantastic taste in clothing. And although I never had anywhere to wear them to, they made sure I stayed up to date on the newest styles and latest trends. Grams and mom had no appreciation for the designer labels that filled their closets. Often times, whenever I raided their closet to find new pieces, I would pull something off the hanger that still had the tags on them. So sad, it was such a waste.

“Yes, that’s true isn’t it? Anyways, I came to give you this.” She handed me the adorable Peter Som dress I had pointed out last week in the latest issue of Vogue. "Wear it to the party. It will look so pretty against your skin."

I held the dress up to my body as I examined myself in the mirror, "Thanks, Alice. It's a great gift."

"Oh, that's not your gift, dear. It's just a dress. You know me better than that!" She grinned before turning and flitted out of my room, humming some lovely tune in her musical, wind chime voice.

***
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Chapter Four

I finished curling my hair, slapped on some lip-gloss and threw on my dress before and looked in the mirror for final adjustments before heading over to Grammy and Granddad's house. Theirs was the largest of our homes. Purple's and pink's now covered every inch of the living room from the table covers to the gift-wrap on the presents. A white birthday cake, almost too pretty to eat, was on the center table, surrounded by fragrant white freesias and purple lilacs. A light breeze flowed through the house and the usually scarce sunlight burst through the open windows causing my vampire relatives' skin to sparkle like diamonds. I was awestruck every time I saw it happen. They were all so excruciatingly beautiful, I couldn’t help but be a little bit envious.

Grandpa was the first person I reached, "You are more beautiful than all of us combined, sweetie." He whispered into my ear in his smooth, velvety voice. He obviously heard what I was thinking.

Grams was next, her angelic face twinkled in the afternoon light, "He's right you know. Happy birthday, my darling."

I was greeted and wished a happy birthday by each member of my family. Everyone looked so happy. It was intoxicating being surrounded by such beauty and unconditional love. Mom and dad barbequed steaks, chicken, corn on the cob and an assortment of other veggies. I was not a fan of vegetables but mom insisted that it wasn’t very healthy living on a diet that consisted entirely of undercooked meat. Dad, Mom, Leah, Seth, Bryce, Aiden and I pigged out on the delicious meal.

"Hey uncle Em?"

"What's up?" He looked up from the game on TV. Rosie looked over as well.

"Do you like seafood?"

"What?"

"See...food!" He opened up his big mouth to show Em the masticated piece of steak, "Get it?" Em let out a booming laugh that echoed through the room.

"You're revolting, you know that?" I rolled my eyes at him in disgust. You would have thought he'd been raised by a pack of wild wolves from the way he ate.

We finished up our lunch and I posed for pictures with my cake and my family. Esme liked to take thousands of pictures every time there was a birthday or celebration. The basement was half full of boxes filled with pictures from our childhood. I cut the cake, handed out the slices and waited for the best part. Presents.

****

"This is from Jazz and I." Alice tossed me one of the large purple boxes. Inside was a black, quilted Chanel messenger bag and matching sunglasses.

"For school." Jazz chimed.

I got a new Apple laptop from Em and Rosie, a Burberry winter coat and scarf set from Grammy and Granddad, some badly needed Bose acoustic headphones from Seth and Leah and a silver locket with our family crest from Grams and Grandpa. It was exactly like mom and Grams.

"So, for my last present…School? Are we gonna talk about it now?" I had to take advantage of the gift-giving mood everyone was in.I saw fear on the faces of my parents and grandparents until Jazz came up behind them. He half smiled and sat next to Alice. I would have to thank my mood-influencing uncle later for that. I sat between Bryce and Aiden on the sofa as Grandpa led the discussion.

"Yes, school. As you know, we all want what is best for you and your brothers. After many discussions, we have decided to enroll you at St. Augustine Academy."

"Ugh. Isn't that the private school?" I elbowed Bryce in the ribs. I think I heard something crack.

"Would you rather stay home, son?" Dad glared at him.

"Noooo." He shut up real fast.

Grandpa quickly got back into the conversation, "St. Augustine has the best curriculum and teachers. Not that you will have any problems academically."

"Nope, none at all." I beamed at my parents. Bryce and Aiden sank into the couch. School was going to be a breeze--for me at least. There wasn’t anything the teachers could teach that I didn’t already know.

"Of course, you know there are a few rules you have to follow. We have waited so long to send you to school for a reason. Exposure is and will always be our main concern. Therefore, we have agreed on the following--

One, you cannot join any sports teams. You would have an unfair advantage because of your strength and speed and as you know, we will not condone cheating. Along those same lines, you will have to hold back during P.E."

"Your Grams is a good resource for advice in that department. Aren't you, Bells?" Emmett chuckled, joined by Jazz. Grams wasn’t amused.

"I don't know what he's talking about." I could tell Grams was embarrassed, she fidgeted her hands whenever she was put on the spot. Fidgeting is not a vampire trait.

"Can we continue, Emmett or are you not finished badgering my wife?" Grandpa stroked the back of Grams' hand reassuringly. He was always so protective of Grams. It was sweet.

"Rule number two," It was dad's turn now, "this is mainly for you boys. Keep your tempers under control. No fighting or bullying or running you big mouths. The last thing we need is for you two to go phasing in front of the entire student body."

"Rule number three." Mom looked at me, "I know you don't like to darling but, you need to hunt. At least once a week for the first month."

"Mom, I've been around humans before."

"Yes, we know. It's just a precaution. You've been around humans but not for eight hours a day. It's different. Sitting next to them for hours on end. We don't know if it'll do anything to your thirst but, why take chances?"

"Ok." I hated hunting. I was terrible at tracking my prey and it always got messy.

"Rule number four." Grandpa's turn again, "Stick to the story." Ah, yes. The story. This was the greatest complication. Obviously, I couldn't have my actual mother and father sign me up for school seeing as how my mom looks to be about 18 at the most and my dad looks about 25. Granddad Carlisle and Grammy Esme would pose as our adoptive parents. Adoptive parents to 13 children. Believable? I think not. But, it's worked for them in the past.

So, according to the "story," Dad, Bryce and Aiden were my blood brothers. Our parents died in an accident with Seth and Leah's parents- who were our cousins. The Cullens adopted us into their family, which already included my mom, grandparents and aunts and uncles. It was a good thing it was just my brothers and I going to school. I wouldn't even know where to begin explaining the relationships between my paired off "siblings."

"Ok, suck at sports, drink blood and lie. Should be easy enough." That got everyone- except mom and my grandparents- laughing.

"Annie! You must take this seriously." Ugh. Annie. Better not piss off Grandpa.

"Yes, Grandpa. I know. I will. I want this more than anything. So, thank you for letting us go."

"It was a tough decision for all of us but, we can't keep you here forever."

"Yes, no matter how much we might want to," Dad sighed deeply before finishing his sentence, "You have to get out there eventually." His warm hands were on my shoulders. I rubbed his hands consolingly.

"I'll be ok, daddy."

"I know, kiddo. I know." Poor Dad, he was having a tougher time with this than he would admit.

"So, tomorrow? What's the plan?"

"Esme and I will take you and your brothers to register for school in the morning. You'll have to get your uniforms afterward- Alice and Rosalie volunteered to take you shopping." Carlisle nodded his head towards my two grinning aunts.

"Surprise, surprise." Jasper's voice was barely audible above the sound of the football game on TV.

"So, when do we start class? Tuesday?" I clasped my hands together in front of my face.

"Yes." Carlisle held my flapping arms down at my side. I could barely contain my excitement at that point. I bounced around the room smothering my family with hugs.

"Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me! I'll be the oldest freshman at St. Augustine's but I don't care. I can't wait for school!"

Dad was the last one I hugged. I made sure to make it an extra strong one. "I've never met anyone so excited to go to school before. Are you sure you're my kid?"

I wanted to thank the following people for adding this story to their favorites:

Annette Cullen, Gotta love Edward, Infinite Freedom, Lady Allana Solo, Annikasmommy, mavargas13122, othforever34 and page of darkness and light

Also, thank you to Chelsea for letting me bounce ideas of of you!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading my story!

As always...please review and let me know if you love it or hate it--all criticism's welcome!

jj =)

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Chapter Five

I couldn’t sleep at all after the party. Butterflies filled my stomach as the anticipation of the upcoming days overwhelmed me. I sat by my open window and listened to the howls of my brothers. I found them oddly soothing. If I had to hunt, I figured now was as better time than any. I found and old Dartmouth sweatshirt I stole from Jazz and laced up my hiking boots. I exited my room through the open window and hit the ground running-- lighting fast to the source of the howls. It had been months since the last time I hunted. I used to go once a month with my dad when I was younger. Not because I was thirsty, but because he turned hunting into a game—see who could catch dinner first. He always won. Big surprise.

I caught Aiden's scent as soon as I reached the tree line. I followed it to the ravine that ran through the middle of the woods. I closed my eyes and tried to focus my hearing, listening for their heavy paws hitting the damp moss. I heard the two sets I was listening for 150 yards to the west. I darted through the trees and darkness, closing in on my brothers. Their scents got stronger as I closed in—twenty yards, almost there. I scurried up the nearest tree, leaping from branch to branch trying to position myself above them.

My eyes finally adjusted to the darkness. Aiden and Bryce had caught an elk each. I dropped down next to them, silently, onto an exposed boulder. Aiden growled at me for interrupting his dinner. "Down, boy." I teased. "Still hungry?" I took off, back to the east where I picked up the scent of a small herd of deer. Aiden and Bryce flanked my sides-- man, they were fast. I slowed to a human pace and hid behind a tree. We had the advantage in the dark. Even with my mediocre hunting skills, this would be an easy kill. I found the largest of the herd—an unsuspecting, adult male—lapping water in a small pool by some rocks. I crouched into attack position and threw all my weight forward, tackling the deer to the ground.

It didn't struggle as my teeth sunk into its neck like a hot knife through butter. Its blood—warm and rich—tasted amazing. When I drained the deer, I tossed its body and ran back to the ravine to wash my face. I was full and finally tired.

“See you boy later.” I patted the top of Bryce’s head. It was time to go home and get some much-needed rest.

****

I tossed and turned in my sleep all night. In my dream, I was at school. I had no friends and everyone thought I was a freak. Girls were mean, talking about me behind my back. It’s like I was living an never-ending episode of Gossip Girl. Is this how it’s going to be? I hope mom was asleep.

“Mom! Mom! Where are you? I need you!”

I looked around the dark room and like and angel surrounded by blinding light, she appeared. “Ana, love, I’m here. What’s wrong, baby?”

“Mom, I’m scared. I don’t know now…if this is such a good idea.”

“Shhhh.” I was in her comforting embrace. She stroked my hair and held me close to her chest. I listened to the rhythm of her beating heart to calm myself. “Don’t be scared, darling. You’ll be okay.”

“Come with me, please?” I looked up into her eyes, I could feel tears streaming down my face, “I don’t want to be by myself.”

“Of course I’ll go with you. I won’t let anything happen to my baby.”

****

"Morning, sunshine. Sleep well?" My mom was perched on the edge of my bed, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper. She looked gorgeous in her purple top and dark jeans.

"Morning to you too, mom. I slept much better after we talked. Thanks for that mom. I love you so much.”

"Love you too, sweetie.”

“So, you comin' to school with me…sis?" I rolled over and draped my arm over her legs.

“Sis. Ha. It’s been many years since I’ve been back to school. Should be fun. Are you hungry? I could fix you up something." she stroked my cheek with her thumb. I was ready to fall back asleep.

"No, not today. I went hunting last night. I'm still full."

"I can tell, your cheeks are flush.” She traced my cheekbone with her finger.

"What time is it?"

"It's 7:15. It's time to get ready. Grammy and Granddad want to leave at 8:00."

"M'kay. Can I sleep for like, ten more minutes?" The excitement of the previous evening seemed non-existent as I laid in my warm, comfortable bed. I’m not a morning person. I wanted at least another two hours of sleep.

"Hmm. And here I thought you’d be the first one up and ready.” My slender mother picked me up out of bed and tossed me over her shoulder as if I weighed only ten pounds. She dropped me on the bathroom counter. “Nope, time to get up sleepy head. Shower and change. You have 40 minutes."

I was half-awake when I stepped into the shower. I turned the knobs and freezing cold water blasted through the showerhead. I was wide-awake after that. My muscles were a but stiff after a night of hunting and the hot, ten-minute shower helped. I looked at the clock—thirty minutes, I better get moving. I threw on my robe and ran back to my room to try to find something to wear. Luck for me, I have an aunt who is always on step ahead. Alice laid out a new outfit on my bed--she even picked out a matching purse and shoes. I combed my hair back into a ponytail and gave myself one last look-over in the mirror. Perfect.

I leaped over the banister and sat down next to dad at the counter who was stuffing his face with mouthfuls of cereal.

“Hey, kiddo. Mom told me about last night. Hungry?”

“Of course she did. And, no. Not hungry.”

“If you’d rather stay home, Annie, that’s fine by me.”

“With Mom there, everything will be ok.”

“Alrighty, whatever you say.” He slurped the remaining milk and put his bowl in the sink, “Come on I’ll walk you to the car. They’re all outside waiting for you.”

***

“Ugh. You guys! This isn’t even the first day of school! We’re just going to register!” I stomped my feet and threw a fit like any teenager who was forced to do something against their will.

“Seriously? Pictures?” Bryce and Aiden asked Grams in unison.

“Yes, pictures. Ok, so yes, technically not your first day. But it is a big day. Once Carlisle and Esme get out here, it’ll be over. Now, stop complaining and hold still.” Grams’ snow-white finger pressed down on the shutter release. She must have taken at least 100 pictures before Grammy and Granddad finally reached the car.

“Love, I think they’re anxious to get going.” Saved by Grandpa. He took the camera from her hands and wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. She turned her face up to kiss him. They’ve been married for 43 years and they still acted like newlyweds. “Have fun. We’ll see you when you get back.” Grams and Grandpa walked back into their house hand-in-hand.

“Boy’s you’re riding with me, girls, you ride with Esme.” Carlisle was leaving straight for work from the school so we had to take two cars. Bryce and Aiden folded their massive bodies into the Mercedes SUV and I followed Mom and Esme to the Rolls.

Alice flitted by my side on the way to the car, “Call me when you’re finished with registration and Rose and I will meet you at the mall for some shopping. ‘Kay?”

“Sure thing, Alice. See you in a bit.” I pressed my lips to her forehead and gave her a kiss. She danced back to Jazz who, with Rosie and Em watched us pull out of the driveway.

Mom held my hand the whole car ride to school. My apprehension from last night had all disappeared knowing she was there with me. It was a 20-minute drive from our property to St. Augustine’s. Enough time for a quick nap. I closed my eyes and rested my head on her shoulder. She hummed Grams’ lullaby very quietly by my ear. After what seem like only five minutes, the car stopped abruptly. Esme parked by Carlisle and we all filed out of the cars. School was already in session so we didn’t have to worry about causing a scene in the parking lot.

Bryce and Aiden followed Esme and Carlisle up the steep steps to the administration building. Mom hung back with me by the car. I breathed in the crisp New England and let out a deep sigh.

“Ready?” Mom stood in front of me and held my face in between her hands, I could see the concern in her eyes.

I took one last deep breath, looped my arm through hers and started up the steps. “Oh yah. I’m ready.”

***********************************************

Chapter Six

"Dr. Cullen, pleasure to meet you. I am Dean Lipton, welcome to St. Augustine." The stout, balding man held open the heavy wooden door and welcomed us into his office.

"The pleasure is ours, Dean Lipton. This is my wife, Esme and these are our children—Renesmee, Aiyana, Bryce and Aiden." He shook our hands giving each of us a quick once over, something mom said would happen often when meeting new humans. They weren't accustomed to seeing such extraordinary beauty—her words, not mine. The Dean’s eyes lingered a little longer on Grammy than the rest of us. I don’t blame him, she’s absolutely gorgeous, like a screen siren from the 30’s or 40’s.

"Hello, pleasure to meet you all. Please, take a seat." He motioned for us to sit on the couch against the wall as Grammy and Granddad sat in the chairs in front of his desk.

"Dean Lipton, I don’t know if your secretary relayed my message this morning but I have a little over an hour to meet. I must get back to the hospital as soon as possible.”

"Don’t worry Dr. Cullen, this is just a quick meet and greet. I hear you have accepted the Chief of Medicine position at Brunswick General? Congratulations."

"Yes, I have, thank you. And please, call me Carlisle.” Granddad shifted in his seat, mimicking Dean Lipton. Stillness was a giveaway of our kind and it made humans uncomfortable. Fidgeting seemed to put them more at ease. “Once Nessie and Ana have graduated and gone off to college, my wife and I are planning to move overseas."

"Sounds lovely. And Mrs. Cullen, what sort of work do you do?"

"Interior design and home restoration. But I have taken some time off to complete our own home." I could tell from the look on his face he was completely enamored with Grammy. Her melodic voice was hypnotizing.

"Lovely, lovely." I couldn't tell but Granddad must have been glaring at Dean Lipton because his posture suddenly straightened and he fussed with his paperwork, "Humph, your paperwork is all in order. Your counselors are waiting in their offices to finalize your schedules. They will take you on a tour of the campus after you worked out your schedules. Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen, I can assure you that your children will be well taken care of here. We pride ourselves on our high standards. They should have no problems fitting in.”

“Thank you, Dean Lipton. That is very good to know. Good day.” Carlisle stuck his hand out for the Dean to shake. When he touched Granddad’s ice-cold hand, I saw him shiver just the slightest.

“No,” Dean Lipton quickly stuck his hand in his pant pocket, “Thank you. Please follow Maggie, she will show you to the counselor’s offices.”

****

Granddad was paged for work earlier than he had expected which left Grammy to look after us. We sat in a large, dimly lit office. It had a renaissance feel to it with its arched entranceway, domed ceilings, decorative moldings and of course, a large crucifix. Our family was not religious by any means. This was a Catholic school but students were not required to attend church, though religious studies was mandatory. One of the many factors our family considered before settling on St. Augustine’s. I didn’t mind having to take religious studies—I found world religions fascinating.

Boys and girls had separate counselors. They also, as I found out through talking to my counselor, had separate campuses. The only co-ed classes were gym and music. Lunch was co-ed as well. I’m fairly certain this was the final selling point—especially to Dad and Grandpa.

Mom and I saw our counselor together. Ms. Shepard looked about 40. Her appearance was very disheveled and her office was a disaster—almost as bad as my room. She smelled funny too—like a cat. We sat in our seats patiently as she rifled through a stack of file folders, in search of something.

“Sorry, my dears. I’m…I’m the only one on staff right now. Two counselors quit the other day leaving me with this mess. I know I look frightful right now, but believe me…I’m not normally like this. Now, where did I put those…”

“Are you looking for these, Ms. Shepard?” Mom handed the flustered counselor our paperwork.

“Ah, yes. Silly me, I forgot I hadn’t even had your files to begin with.” I looked at my mom, wanting to laugh but her expression read don’t even think about it. Ms. Shepard violently typed away on her keyboard, talking to herself all the while. What a weird human. “Ok, let’s start with…Renusmay? Ruh-nesma?” She was completely stumped by the pronunciation of Mom’s name. Her facial expressions and gestures were so amusing to me. I’ve never had a conversation a with full-blooded humans for more than two minutes. I felt like an anthropoligst discovering a new tribe on a National Geographic documentary.

“You can call me Nessie for short, Ms. Shepard. It’s much easier.”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. Mom elbowed me lightly in the side.

“Nessie Cullen, freshman. I have you down for Algebra first period, Biology second period, Into to World Religions third, Social Science fourth and English fifth, Gym sixth. We let our students select their elective class. If you’ll just look over this list and select one, I’ll schedule that for seventh period.”

Mom and I scanned through the list of electives. Advanced Orchestra, I think I’ll take that.

“I’d like to take Art, please.”

“My, what wonderful manners you have. So unlike most of the children at this school. Humph.” She pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, “Ok, art and…done. Next, we have…”

“Ana. Just call me Ana, Ms. Shepard.”

“Ok, Ana. I can put you in all the same classes as your sister, if you like.”

“Yes, please!” Awesome, at least I would know one person and not be a total pariah.

“And the elective you’d like to take?”

“I think I’d like to try out for the Orchestra. I play the piano.”

“She’s quite good.” Mom beamed at me.

“Thanks, sis.” My cheeks were burning. I wasn’t big on compliments.

“Orchestra, perfect. I know they’re in need of a piano player. Ok, you two are all set. Here are your schedules. Your brothers should be just about finished as well. If you’ll take a seat in the reception area, one of the student aides will take you on a tour through the campus. If you need anything, feel free to stop by. Hopefully, I won’t be such a mess next time. Bye, girls.”

“Thanks, Ms. Shepard.” I turned and waved to the odd human as mom pulled me by my belt out the door.

“That will be enough of that, Aiyana.” Ugh. She only used my first name when I was in trouble. “It’s very rude to laugh at others who are having a tough time.” She was definitely in Mom mode.

“Sorry…Mom” I whispered into her ear, so low that no one else could hear. Except for my brothers, that was, who were standing behind me.

“Ohhh, Annie’s in trouble already?” Aiden teased.

“Perfect Annie, getting into trouble. Imagine that. Whatcha do sis?” My other idiot brother joined in.

“Nothing, morons.” I swiped the pieces of paper they held in their hands, “Lemme see your schedules. Hey, we have gym together for sixth. Good, then we’ll be able to keep an eye on you two, make sure you’re not cheating.”

“Whatever. Look, I think that’s our tour guide. See yah back at the car. Bye, Mom.” Bryce patted the top of her head and Aiden followed suit. She hated it when they did that. Bryce and Aiden introduced themselves to Nicholas, a very cute, blonde, football player type. He smiled at me before walking out of the office with my brothers.

“I saw that, Ana.” Grammy said out of nowhere. She had been so silent the entire time, I had forgotten she was even there.

“What? He smiled, I smiled. I was just being nice.”

“Uh huh. Don't worry, I won't tell your mother."

I could feel my cheeks burning again.

****
We had waited in the reception area for about five minutes after my brothers had already left when a pretty girl with long, blonde, curly hair dropped her backpack on a desk and rushed over to us.

“I’m so sorry it took me so long to get back here! I got held up in the newsroom. Sorry! Hi, I’m Chelsea Woodrow. I’m a junior here.” She was very cheerful and bubbly.

Like the Dean, she stuck out her hand for us to shake. Being part human, the difference in our body temperature was undetectable. I shook it without hesitation, “Hi, I’m Ana. This is my mo—my sister, Nessie.” It was a very strange feeling, saying my mother’s name so informally. She shook Mom’s hand too.

“It’s very nice to meet you two. Welcome to St. Auggies. Follow me, I’ll show you around.”

We followed Chelsea around the girl’s campus on the south side of the admin building. All of the buildings were the same—old, large and very Catholic. I wasn’t paying much attention to the tour because Chelsea and I couldn’t stop talking. We got on great from the get-go. Her effervescent personality was contagious. I felt like I made my first human friend.

"Can I see your schedules?" We handed them to her, “Wow, you guys have the exact same schedule. Lucky! Hey, Ana! We have Orchestra together! What instrument do you play?”

“I play the piano.”

“That’s great ‘cause we really need a new piano player!”

“She’s really, really good. You’ll be lucky to have her.” Mom couldn’t help to brag about me whenever she got the chance.

“That’s so cool. I play the cello. I'm the lead chair. Hey, do you two wanna meet up for lunch tomorrow? Oh wait…humph, never mind, I forgot, I have a newspaper deadline and I’ll be in the newsroom all week…well, we’ll have to hang out sometime soon!”

“Yeah, that sounds great. Doesn’t it, Nessie?” I was pleading with my eyes.

“Yes, it does. That sounds…awesome.” Did she just say awesome? Mom never says awesome.

“Great, well, see you tomorrow in class, Ana. I’ll see you later, Nessie. Bye!”

“Kay, bye, Chelsea!” Mom and I met up with Grammy by the car.

“Did you really mean it, Mom? Can I hang out with her?”

“Sure. She’s lovely. I think it’s great—you making friends.” I gave her a huge hug and finally let go when I saw Aiden and Bryce, looking very upset, flying down the staircase.

“Moooother?" Bryce draped his muscular arm around Mom's shoulders.

"Yes, son?" She had a mischievous smile plastered on her face like she knew what he was going to ask next.

"Did you know that boys and girls are separated at this school?”

"You know, now that you mention it, I think I did. Oops, looks like I forgot to tell you. Silly me. I apologize, boys.”

“Perfect. Just perfect. Catholic school. With chicks in Catholic schoolgirl outfits. And here we are. Stuck with a bunch of guys. All day. Thanks, Mom.” Bryce rolled his eyes as he squeezed into the back seat of the car.

“Yeah, mom. What’s the point of going to school if there aren’t any girls to check out?" Aiden asked as he motioned for me to move over to the center seat. I felt claustrophobic sitting between the two of them. Their body heat turned the interior of the car into a sauna. I was dying.

“Hmm, oh, I don't know, education, maybe?” I could barely hear Mom's response to Aiden's question--their big bodies muffled her voice.

“Ugh. Lame. Can we go home now?” Bryce played with the door handle, annoyed.

"Actually, no, we're meeting your aunts at the mall for some shopping. Remember?"

"Ugh. I'd rather be euthanized." Aiden's head dropped back in defeat.

I couldn't take it anymore, the heat was so stifling, I couldn't breath, "That can be arranged, mutt, if you don't open the window!"

****

We pulled up to the enormous mall and left the car with the valet. This was no ordinary mall. We were at The Galleria. It had practically every store known to man and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on everything. Actually, I couldn’t wait to get out of the car. I didn't want to be smothered to death before my first day of school.

Grammy dragged Aiden to Restoration Warehouse to look for light fixtures for the house. Mom, Bryce and I ran into Em and Jazz sitting on a bench outside one of the shops--looking completely miserable--surrounded by loads of bags. It looked like they'd been here for a while already. "In there." Em pointed to the Max Mara boutique. I could barely see Alice's spiky black hair above the racks on the floor.

"Think I'll stay here with Em and Jazz. Whenever you girls are done in there we'll go to the tailor with you. But there's no way I'm being suckered into becoming your bag boy."

"Fine. Stay, doggie. Be a good boy." I scratched behind Bryce's ear like I would a dog.

"You are definitely Rose's niece aren't you?" Em shot back.

****

"Ana!" Alice zoomed by my side, good thing there were no humans in sight. The sales attendant was busy in the back room.

"Hi, Alice. Are you guys almost done here?"

"Yeah, we're almost done." I looked past Alice to the goddess that was my Aunt Rosie, "I'm just waiting on a few pairs of shoes and then we can head over to the tailor. Where's your mom?"

I looked behind me, "Good question. I thought she followed me in. She's probably sitting with Bryce."

The middle-aged sales lady handed Rosie several boxes of shoes. Rosie modeled each pair in the mirror. I observed the sales lady, her mouth slightly agape and envy in her eyes as Rosie twirled in front of the tri-fold mirror, very unnecessarily. Rosie knew she was beautiful and had no qualms letting everyone know as well.

"I'll take them all, thank you."

"Uh, you're welcome?"

My aunts paid for their selections and we all headed for the school's tailor.

“We already went by the tailor to check out your uniform options. They’re not that bad for uniforms. We can definitely do something to add a little personality to them. They’ll fit you now and Jazz and I will pick them up later this afternoon after they’re done being hemmed.” Alice, always on top of things. She and Rosie walked hand-in-hand with their husbands, followed by Mom, Grammy and my brothers.

I stopped to look at a jacket in a shop window and when I turned back around, Bryce and Aiden were there, towering over me. "Uh, hey guys. What's up?"

"Hey, sis. We just wanted to have a little chat with you. Away from everyone else." They folded their arms in unison across their chests. Something our Dad does when its time to get serious. Aiden and Bryce never took anything seriously so, I didn't know whether to be scared or laugh. They suddenly looked two feet taller than usual.

"Uh, ok. What's this about?"

"So, you remember that guy, Nicholas?" Aiden's eyes were boring questionably into mine, "The one who took us on the tour of the campus?"

"Vaguely." I remembered him perfectly. Cute, tall and blonde. I smiled, but quickly wiped it from my face when I looked up at my stone faced brothers.

"Vaguely, huh? Right." Bryce responded sarcastically. "Well, we just wanted to let you know, that there will be none of that going on."

"None of what? Wait…what? What is the hell is going on?" Were they trying to act like my big brothers for once? "Are you telling me that you're going to, what? Beat up boys who try talk to me?"

"Well, sis, lets just say…Dad would approve. We'll leave it at that."

They walked away with an air of confidence I've never seen in them before. I on the other hand was frozen in my position by the window, stunned and talking to myself, "What the hell just happened?"

Finally, I regained control of myself and joined the rest of my family for my uniform fitting.

*******************************************************************************************

Chapter Eight

We were at the tailor’s for nearly two hours mostly because of Aiden and Bryce. They’re so tall for “17-year old’s” that he didn’t have any pants or coats their sizes in stock. We were waiting for a delivery from his other shop—Big&Tall. My fitting was quick, painless and over in about 20 minutes. Alice and Rosie selected at least two-dozen skirts in various colors and plaid schemes and a jacket for every day of the week. I was growing restless and didn’t want to wait any longer, so I asked mom if I could run home.

“Fine. But be careful, sweetie. We’ll see you later.” I kissed her forehead and punched Aiden in his side.

“Later, suckers.”

“Ugh. So unfair.” Bryce slumped in his seat, trying to trip me up as I walked past him.

“Ana, wait.” I kept walking, backwards to face Alice, “Don’t ruin that dress, young lady!”

****

I walked five minutes to the boardwalk at the Androscoggin River and another ten past the lumberyards and sawmills until I reached the woods. Twenty miles of trees and shrubs was all that separated me from a nice hot shower and delicious dinner. My human appetite had returned and I was going to be even hungrier after my run. After I made sure there were no humans around, I walked into the woods.

The trees grew so close together, hardly any light reached the forest floor. After my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I started to make my way through the woods. I flew through the trees, hitting my stride about 200 feet in. My hair whipped in the wind behind me and the cool, moist air felt refreshing on my face. I dodged fallen tree trunks and ducked under low-hanging vines, racing towards the light ahead of me.

Once through the woods, I had to cut across the empty highway to get to our property. I was kinda sweaty—the pitfalls of being human, sweat and body odor, eww—when I reached the state-of-the-art gate that kept out any unwanted solicitors. The entire perimeter of our property was protected by a 15-foot tall electric fence backed by a two-foot thick concrete wall. Overkill, maybe, but we wanted to make sure no humans wandered into our woods at night. You never know who’s out there.

I pressed my palm into the I.D system and waited for the gate to open after my handprint was verified. It was very James Bond-y. Grandpa got the idea for the system after watching one of the movies. The thick metal door slid open, welcoming me home.

****

“Hey, kiddo. Hungry?” Dad was seated on the sofa, watching a baseball game on the TV and eating a big plate of chicken and mashed potatoes. The scent of it made my mouth water. “There’s food on the counter, your Grams made it before she left.”

“Yeah, real hungry. Where did Grams go?”

“Hmm? Oh, uh, she and Edward left for the rest of the week to go hunting. Canada I think. I dunno for sure, sweetheart.” His eyes never left the TV, “Ohhh, strike three.”

“Good game?” I asked from the bottom of the staircase after hanging my jacket.

“What’s that, Annie?”

“Nothin, Dad. I’m gonna get cleaned up. Be back in a jiff.”

“M’kay. Mom called a minute ago. She and the boys should be home soon.”

Like this morning, the hot water felt great. The day’s events washed down the drain along with the grime and dirt I picked up in the woods. Bits of branches and leaves were matted in my hair. It took a good five minutes before I was sure it was all out. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body before I noticed my dress was a complete mess. I was going to have to toss it into the washer immediately before Alice saw the grass stains, which were impossibly unavoidable when you’re running at over 60 miles an hour. Maybe I could just throw it away, it’s not like Alice would notice one missing dress. I owned enough clothing to clothe a small country.

I heard Grammy’s car pull up from the hallway, I ran into my closet, threw on the first sweat suit I could find and sped down to the kitchen to get some dinner before Aiden and Bryce had a chance at it first. I piled my plate high with food and sat down next to Dad on the couch. Mom and my brothers filed in through the door, Aiden and Bryce headed straight for the kitchen—of course. Dad got up to greet Mom, a very toothy smile was now plastered on his face. They never spend more than a couple hours away from each other. It must have been like an eternity for Dad. He swept her up, off the ground into his strong arms and she reached her palm up to his face to give him her own kind of hello and to show him her day. I averted my eyes, turning my attention to the game on TV and stuffing my mouth with mashed potatoes. These exchanges between them were so private and tender I felt like I was intruding on an intimate moment. Not to mention, I even didn’t want to think about what other kind of stuff she showed him through her gift. I could tell it was definitely past PG-13 when she would start giggling and he would pull her close and practically maul her in front of us. I love my parents but, eww, gross. No one wants to see their parents make-out.

Dad sat back down next to me on the couch, draping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to kiss my forehead as Mom went into the kitchen to grab herself some dinner.

“So, did yah like the school?”

“S’kay I guess. It’s old and stuffy. You’d hate it there.”

“Ha. Yeah, pretty sure I would, kiddo.”

“I made a friend. I think. Her name’s Chelsea. She was really nice. Mom liked her too. Didn’t you?”

Mom was seated on the other side of Dad, chewing on some chicken. “Yes, she was very nice.”

“Mom said I could hang out with her sometime.”

“Already making friends and it wasn’t even yer first day. That’s great. I hope yah like it there.” Dad leaned over and bit off a piece of Mom’s chicken. Wolves—they're always hungry.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Before I forget, sweetie,” Mom blurted out between bites, “Alice has two sets of your uniforms, I’ll get them from her after Dad and I get back from hunting tonight. The tailor said the rest should be done by the end of this week.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I tried to smile but I yawned instead. I was so comfortable, my limbs starting to melt into the sofa.

“So, are you excited about tomorrow?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. It probably doesn’t look like it but that’s coz I’m really tired.” My eyelids started to get really heavy as I rested against him. The warmth exuding from his body was lulling me to sleep. “I think… I’m gonna… crash out early tonight.” My eyes were fully closed now. Dad lifted me off the couch and cradled me in his arms. I heard his big feet below me, stomping their way up the staircase. He laid me gently on my bed and pulled the covers over my body. I rolled onto my side, away from him. “Kay, Daddy. Love you.” I mumbled before giving in to my sleepiness.

********************************************************************

Chapter Nine

I was woken up rudely by the sound of a blaring alarm clock. It must have magically appeared overnight because I have never owned an alarm clock my entire life. I looked at the clock's face—6:00. Ugh, I've never been up that early for anything. Ten more minutes, I told myself. Ten more minutes then I would drag myself out of bed and into the shower to get ready for school. The clock had other plans. At 6:02 the alarm went off again, this time louder and for at least two minutes. It probably would have gone on longer had I not dropped my hand onto it so forcefully that I smashed it to pieces. Oops. Sometimes, I don’t know my own strength. Especially at 6:02 in the morning.

I walked through my room, bleary-eyed and groggy, grabbed my uniform that Mom must have laid out sometime during the night, a pair of knee high socks and my beat up Converse shoes and stumbled half asleep through the hallway to the bathroom. I hung my uniform behind the bathroom door and turned on the shower. This whole getting up in the morning for school thing was going to take some getting used to. The ten-minute shower helped wake me up. I felt refreshed and energized when I stepped onto the shower mat. I dried my hair and pulled it up into a high ponytail. I lightly applied some shimmery eyeshadow that made my brown eyes pop and I finished off my look with some pink tinted lip-gloss.

I'm pretty sure Rosie made additional adjustments to my skirt after Alice brought it home—it was much shorter today than it was yesterday during my fitting. I had mentioned to Rosie that I didn't like the length. The skirt accentuated my long and lean legs. Dad is going to flip. I buttoned up my blouse, adjusted my tie and put on my blazer, which was embroidered with our school insignia. The high socks help lessen the shock of the shortness of my skirt. Maybe dad wouldn't freak out after all. I took one last, long look at myself before heading downstairs. I had to admit, I made the uniform look good.

*****

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You are not wearing that to school!" Dad took one look at me as I walked down the stairs and pointed to my room. Mom lowered his hand back down to his side and rubbed his arm consolingly.

"Daaad. It's the only one I have right now."

"That's not appropriate for school. It's a little short don't you think, Aiyana?" Dad never used my full first name. He was definitely upset.

"What's the big deal, dog? It is a school approved uniform." Rosie appeared from the kitchen. I could tell she was trying to push Dad's buttons from the huge, devious grin on her dazzling face.

"This was your doing, wasn't it blondie? Making my daughter look like…that!"

"So maybe it was. There's nothing you can do about it now. Like she said, it's the only one she has."

"Jake," Mom cooed in her sweet, melodic voice, "You're overreacting just a bit, don't you think?' She winked at me when Dad wasn't looking. I could always count on Mom to help me get out of trouble with Dad. He looked from me back to Mom, and hunched over in defeat, his height matching hers. I felt guilty—but only slightly. I hid my smile as I walked past him, letting it spread as walked into the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

****

Mom was going to drive today but Dad insisted on dropping and picking us up. My parents and I took Dad's Tahoe, Aiden and Bryce followed in Emmett's Range Rover. The ride to school was quiet. Mom's hand never left Dad's. It was going to be a very long day for them both—Dad suffered from separation anxiety every time he was apart from her. Dad pulled into the busy parking lot and parked the car. He took a deep breath and sighed. Mom pulled him toward her and gave him a long kiss. That was my signal to get out of the car. Aiden and Bryce were leaning against Dad's door. It was a good thing the windows were darkly tinted. I didn't want to have to explain to anyone so soon, why my "sister" was making out with my "brother".

Mom finally got out of the car and walked around it to stand next to me. She tapped my elbow with her's and nodded towards the school. Time to go.

Before we walked away, Dad rolled down his window, "Annie, just a second."

Aiden and Bryce walked ahead but Mom stayed with me. "Yeah, Dad?" I whispered the last word.

"I just wanted to let you know that if you need me, I plan on taking a very long nap today as soon as I get home."

Poor dad, I could see the pain in his eyes. "Ok, Daddy. If I need you, I'll find you."

"Kay. Love you, kiddo. Have a good day at school." I thought I saw a tear trickle down his cheek but he rolled up the window so fast, I couldn't confirm.

****

We walked through the parking lot and our presence was instantly noticed. I saw Nicholas, the cute, blonde from the previous day and turned my head in the other direction. Aiden and Bryce were behind us and I didn't want to catch any flack from them later. My attention was immediately drawn to a group of three, glamorous looking girls. The one who stood in the center—a brunette with hard, squinted eyes-- was obviously the leader. The two who flanked her sides were leaning in whispering into both ears. With my excellent hearing I could what they were talking about—me. She stared at me probing intensity and flashed a forced and insincere smile my way. She headed for campus with her friends right before the bell rang.

The four of us stood in the parking lot for a quick Mom lecture. "Ok, boys, remember, you are on your own and we are trusting you to behave. Please don't disappoint us."

"Yes, mom." They replied in unison.

"Ok, we'll see you at lunch." She stepped forward, arms extended and stopped when Aiden stepped back.

"Mom, I love you to death but, I can't let anyone see me hugging my sister before class."

"Oh, right. Sister. Ok then. Have a good day, bro." My brother's chuckled and headed up the stairs to the boy's campus.

****

Mom and I walked into first period Algebra and handed our teacher, Mr. Wurth our schedule. He looked at mom, very inappropriately for a teacher and held his breath she spoke. I suppose he was dazzled by her. Vampires had that affect on humans though, I have yet to experience that for myself. "We're new. I'm Renesmee Cullen and this is my sister Aiyana Black. I go by Nessie."

"Ana, for me." I interjected.

"Yes, we were told we'd be getting some new students this week. This is a small school, four new students is a lot for us. Okay, girls, here are your text books and let's see…Nessie why don't you have a seat next to Charlotte over there and, Ana…why don't you take a seat next to Mel in the corner there. Mom gave me a sympathetic look before I took my seat in the last row, closet to the windows. I opened the textbook and skimmed the pages. Graphing quadratic equations, factoring polynomials, function transformations, blah, blah and blah. Boring, boring, boring. Math was my least favorite subject. I've gone over this stuff hundreds of times with Rosie. This class was going to be so easy.

My neighbor made no attempt to talk to me though I saw her glance at me several times. Today's lecture on the Distance formula dragged on and on. I found myself looking up at the clock every five minutes, listening to the ticks counting down to the end of the hour. Mom fidgeted side to side in her seat probably just as miserable as me. Finally, the bell rung and I jumped out of my seat and zoomed out the door slightly faster than a human pace. Mom glared at me when she walked out but didn't mention anything about it. Note to self, slow down next time.

"How horrible was that? Mr. Wurth's monotone voice nearly put me to sleep." Mom sounded very teenager-y. I almost forgot that her 49th birthday was approaching.

"Yeah, totally. It's a good thing I sit in the back."

"Can you imagine how miserable your brothers must be right now?" Her laughter echoed in the hallway, I soon joined in. Girls stared at us and whispered to each other as we walked past them. I stared back, Mom took a more or less diplomatic route and ignored everyone, oblivious to the gossip we were causing.

Mom looped her arm through mine, "Ana, my love," she whispered into my ear, "It's going to be a long school year."

Yeah, I could already tell.

****

************************************************************

Chapter Ten

Biology, World Religions and Social Science were far more interesting classes than Algebra. No one talked to me—again—in second and third period but at least I got to sit next to Mom in Social Science. Fifteen minutes before the lunch bell, an announcement sounded on the loudspeaker.

"Nessie Cullen, please report to the counselors office."

Mom placed her forehead on her hands on top of her desk and let out a long sigh, "I will bet you…" She exhaled another sigh, "A million dollars it's got something to do with your brothers."

Oh, man. If that was true, Aiden and Bryce had it coming. Three hours and 45 minutes into the first day of school and they were already in trouble. I felt sorry for them…sorta.

"I'll see you soon…hopefully." She stormed off leaving me to face the scariest part of the day alone—lunch.

****

I was hoping to run into Chelsea but she said she would be stuck in the newsroom all week. I supposed I could have tried to find the newsroom but eventually decided against it—I was starting to get hungry. I got into the lunch line and grabbed a tray. The not-so-friendly lunch lady spooned an unidentifiable substance onto my plate that I could only assume was macaroni and cheese from its coloring and a rubbery meat patty that smelled kind of like beef. She placed the plate on my tray and I brought it closer to my face to get a better whiff. It smelled absolutely revolting.

"You'd think with the $35,000 a year tuition, we'd get better food."

The lunch lady was not amused, "Next!"

I paid for the food that I probably wouldn't eat and searched the cafeteria for my Mom and brothers. They were nowhere to be found. Great. They must be in trouble. I looked around the room for an empty table or a friendly face. I found one—an empty table, not friendly face—in the center of the room. I waded through the sea of students and took a seat at the table. All around me, students were staring yet no one came to talk to me. I felt very embarrassed and very alone. I was about to get up and leave the cafeteria, but before I had the chance to, Nicholas approached my table.

"Hey, I'm Nick." He was even cuter up close with vibrant blue-green eyes, I was probably admiring him more intensely than intended because he started blushing and his heartbeat sped up, "You're Aiden and Bryce's little sister, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Aiyana. Everyone calls me Ana."

"It's good to meet you, Ana. I'm surprised you're sitting by yourself. Where's the rest of your family?" He pulled out the empty chair next to mine and took a seat. He smelled divine. Sweet and earthy with a hint of my favorite fragrance—grass.

I inhaled his intoxicating scent. I needed to regain my composure before I could look him in the eyes again. His heartbeat sped faster as I smiled at him, trying to form a coherent sentence, "Umm, I think my brothers got into trouble during fourth period. My sister was called to the office."

"That blows. First day. Not a good way to start."

"Humph…no, not at all. But leave it to the twins to get into trouble on their first day." I wanted to steer the conversation away from my brothers. Emmett always told me the way to a guy's heart is to talk about sports—something I was good at. I noticed his letterman jacket, "Nice jacket. What sports do you play?

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Uh, lacrosse and soccer. Oh and football, I'm the captain." That explained the grassy smell.

"Football. Nice. I love watching it on TV. Go Patriots!"

"You like football?"

"Yeah, is that strange?"

"It's just…you don't look like the football type."

I didn’t understand his odd statement. I didn't know there only certain types of people watched football. It made me very curious," And what type would that be?"

"Uhh, well you know…" He seemed to be at a loss for words, I could see a tiny bead of sweat forming on his brow. I think I made him nervous. He looked down at his hands and flashed a shy smile. "Well, hey, if you want to come sit with my group, I can introduce you to some—" the brunette girl I saw in the parking lot interrupted Nick from finishing his sentence.

"Heeey, Nicky. Who's your friend?" His eyes were soft and almost apologetic before he turned away from me to face the brunette and her two friends who were giving me the evil eye.

"Ana Black, this is Annika. These are her friends Brandi and Marina."

"Ana, huh? I used to go by Anna. But that was so last year."

"And what are you going by this year?" I tried not to sound sarcastic but I think I failed that attempt.

"Just Annika. My name is like, really unique. Don't you think?" She flipped her hair and looked to her two silent friends for affirmation.

"Sure. I've never met an Annika before. But then again, I was home schooled my whole life so I don't know a whole lot of people." I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to bully the new kid into a corner. She had no idea who she was messing with. Growing up in a large family, I learned how to roll with the punches.

"Ana's actual name is Aiyana. Cool huh? Haven't heard that one before have you, Annika?" Nick was trying to help me out.

"No. I haven't" She rolled her eyes, and pulled out a chair across from us. Marina and Brandi sat in the two chairs at her side. It looked like they were settling in for an interrogation. "So, Yana—"

I wanted to growl at her but I suppressed the feeling, "It's, Ana, actually. A-N-A. Ana." They say first impressions are the most important. My first impression of Annika? I really wasn't going to like this girl.

"Ok, Ana. Who were the other three with you this morning?"

"My brothers Aiden and Bryce are juniors. My sister, Nessie is a freshman, like me."

"Your brothers look a little old for high schoolers."

"Well, my dad was a giant, just like them."

"Was?"

"Yeah. My parents died a long time ago in a car crash, just after I was born" It made me sick to my stomach to have to lie about my parents but I had no other choice, "We're adopted."

"Wait," Brandi finally spoke up, "Are you one of Dr. Cullens kids?"

"Yes, Dr. Cullen and Esme are my parents. Why?"

"My mom's a nurse at the hospital he works at. She told me that a few of his kids were going to be coming to school here. She says your dad is totally hot." Carlisle was attractive indeed for being over 400 years old.

"You should see my mom…and the rest of my family for that matter."

"She said he's got like, a ton of kids."

"If by a ton you mean 13 then, yes, I suppose that's a lot."

"13? And you all live together?" Nick leaned in closer, I hadn't eaten lunch yet and he smelled…appetizing. Mom was right. Being in such close quarters with humans for an extended period of time reawakened my thirst. There was a dull, burning sensation in my throat. I leaned into my seat, away from him as far as I could.

"Yes, We live on a big property by the 201."

"The one with the electric fence around it?" An unrecognizable voice from behind asked—I didn't realize that I now had an audience. Standing behind Nick and I were a couple of his friends. Everyone was very interested to hear my story.

"Uh, yeah. That one. My mom tore down the barns that used to be there and had a few houses built."

"So you guys are like, rich. Really rich aren't you?"

"Brandi! So rude! Why would you ask that?" Marina's voice sounded appalled. She mouthed "sorry" silently so her friends couldn’t hear. She had kind eyes. I think she was trying to be nice. I wondered how she ended up in Annika's group.

Annika straightened in her seat, knocking her friends elbows off the table and reestablishing a dominant position. She tried to regain control of the conversation, "Whatever. Anyways, how many brothers and sisters do you have?"

Oh, boy. Here we go. Hopefully I can get this right. 'Well, I have three blood brothers…Aiden and Bryce are students here and the oldest, Jacob, is in college. My cousins Leah and Seth were adopted, too. Their parents died with mine in the crash. They're in Washington right now. Then there's my sisters Nessie, Bella, Alice and Rosalie and my brothers Edward, Jasper and Emmett. So yeah, 13 kids."

Just as Annika was about to ask another question, I saw Mom standing at the entranceway waving for me to come to her. Saved by the Mom.

"Uhh, hey guys, it was nice meet you and all but I have to go. My sister is here and she looks like she needs to talk to me."

Nick stood at the same time I did and handed me my bag. His eyes were like the ocean, deep swirls of blues and greens. I had to stop staring at him otherwise Mom was bound to notice. "I'll see you later, Nick."

"Yeah, I…hope so."

I brushed past Annika, trying to get away as fast as humanly possible but she reached for my arm stopping my in her tracks. She stood up next to me and had to look up to talk—I was at least six inches taller. "Ana, just so you know…this is my table. For future references, if you want to sit here, you're gonna have to ask."

Now I was irritated. I was a big believer in pacifism—that was until today I wanted to rip her head of her shoulders. Instead, I mustered the sincerest smile I could. Annika must have been surprised by my reaction because she cowered back to her seat. I walked to my Mom, victoriously.

"Hey, sweetie. Interesting afternoon?" She was looking past me—obviously at Annika and her friends. I turned my head over my shoulder to see Annika staring at the two of us, whispering and laughing with Brandi. "Make any friends?"

Friends? Hardly. I chuckled, "No, not at all."

annaelizabeth on 8/22/2009 8:00:50 PM

YAY!! look at my icon!! it showed up!! Woo Hoo team Jacob!! Anyway. i'm home sick today so yup. i am also kindof nervous about the parts in drama. aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh

renesmee7 on 2/25/2009 10:43:51 AM

Nice Profile Nessy!

Inky

Inky on 12/7/2008 12:34:06 AM