Meetings

Written By : TAYLORandTOBYfreak88
You can read the original here: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4769586/3/Meetings
All Credit goes to the Original author

Prologue

I sat on the plane, earbuds in my ears and music blasting from my iPod. Watching the stewardess approach me, I turned the volume down and took one earbud out. The woman, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, pushed the concession cart down the aisle toward me. She stopped beside my seat and looked down at me with pale grey eyes.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she questioned. I looked at her and smiled politely; after all, I’d been raised to be a polite young lady. “A glass of water, please.” I answered. I watched as she grabbed a glass and picked up the pitcher in front of her. She poured my drink and set it on the try that was folded down in front of me. She smiled politely and then began pushing the cart again.

I put the earbud back in my ear and turned the volume up once more. Turning my attention back to what I’d been doing previously, I typed away on my laptop that was sitting on top of the folded down tray. I was emailing my mother, telling her that I’d be landing in Port Angeles in less than two hours. I’d left New Orleans last night at six o’clock and it was already going on noon, according to my watch. A part of me was excited to be going to Forks; but another part of me was dreading it. I was excited because I hadn’t seen my father, Charlie, in nearly two years; I had been away in France as part of a student exchange program. And I was dreading it because Forks wasn’t known for its sunshine factor; instead it was gloomier than anything.

My mother and I had been living in New Orleans since I was two years old. She and dad had divorced after three years of being married; and dad had moved to Forks after the divorce. Mom had remarried when I was eight. I knew that dad had been upset after they separated, but to help him through the transition, I started spending two weeks there every summer. Of course I wasn’t the only one visiting him during the summer; my older sister by three years, Bella, visited him every summer two weeks before I was supposed to. It was funny to me that I knew about Bella, but I had never really met her; not even when I went to Charlie’s for summer vacation. Maybe she still visited him every summer, and maybe I’d be able to meet her for the first time. One could only hope…

After what seemed like forever, the pilot announced that we were arriving in Port Angeles International Airport. As we landed on the tarmac and passengers began unfastening their belts, I began to feel giddy. I hoped that my father had received my phone calls, letting him know when to pick me up. I grabbed my messenger bag from around my feet, and got out of my seat. I followed the passengers in a single line down the aisle and soon I was standing inside the airport building. Glancing at my cell phone, I realized that I had a voicemail waiting for me. I called my voicemail, putting in my passcode and listening.

“Cristalyn, its dad. Listen, I’ll be a couple minutes late getting to the airport. But I swear I’ll be there to get you. Wait outside for me and if anyone approaches you, go inside and look out the window for me.” I laughed quietly at the message he left and then erased it. I pocketed my phone in my right rear jean pocket and looked around.

I saw an escalator going down and I began walking toward it. I watched as a group of six teenagers walked in front of me, laughing and joking about something. They were all very beautiful as I caught a couple of their facial features. They began to slow their walk as they joked and talked.

“I think Esme will be glad to have us all home. We’ve been gone for a good couple of weeks.” A boy with dark, curly hair and a giant build that would make any body-builder jealous, commented. The others nodded their heads in agreement and made their way to the escalator in front of us. As I kept a good distance behind them, someone knocked into me, making my bag slip off of my shoulder and me fall to the ground.

I turned my attention to the person who ran into me, and who was currently trying to grab my bag and run off with it. “Hey! Let go of my bag!” I exclaimed. The man who had a grip on my bag continued to play tug of war with me to get me to let go. The group of six stopped walking and turned to see what was happening behind them. As I continued to try and wrestle my bag from the man, the three males of the group came over. The massive sized one clamped his glove-covered hand on the man’s wrist. The man looked at him.

“Don’t you know it’s not nice to purse snatch?” he asked, giving a good squeeze to the man’s wrist. The man let out an agonized cry and released my bag strap. The other two males helped me to my feet, and I noticed they were all wearing gloves. Security came over to us moments later, asking if there was a problem. The three females came over to us and all six told the security guards what had happened. The man was immediately dragged off, while the cops were being called. They all looked at me as I pushed a large strand of my auburn hair behind my ear and readjusted my bag over my shoulder.

“Are you okay?” the teen with honey-blonde hair asked in a southern drawl, as the others looked me over. I nodded my head.

The blonde femme fatale who moved to stand beside the bear of a male sighed quite audibly. “We should leave. Esme and Carlisle are expecting us back at any moment.” She told them. They all agreed with her immediately. They seemed to ignore the fact that I was standing with them as they began a quiet conversation.

I pulled out my cell phone and looked at the time. Nearly ten minutes had passed since the previous incident. “Thank you very much.” I bowed, part of my Asian stepfather’s upbringing. It got their attention and they all turned to look at me. “I’ve got to be going myself; my father is waiting for me. But thank you very much once again!” I bowed again and turned and made a mad dash for the escalator. I felt their eyes on me as I descended toward the first floor. Once I got onto the first floor, I saw a familiar police uniform coming toward me.

“Dad!” I ran like crazy toward him, catching his attention. He opened his arms and I ran right into them. “I missed you so much! Sorry about you coming inside, I just got caught up for a moment.”

He smiled at me and shrugged his shoulder. “No big deal,” he spoke. “As soon as I walked in, some of the security guards asked me if I could bring some guy to the police station. Apparently he tried mugging someone, and got caught in the process.”

“That’s why I was caught up! It was me that the guy tried mugging! He tried to take off with my bag right here!” he shook his head and chuckled. He led me to luggage retrieval to get my luggage. As we were exiting the airport, I saw the same six teenagers who had helped me heading to luggage retrieval. I smiled and followed my father outside and to his police cruiser. After my bags were safe inside the trunk, we rode to Forks and to the police station. Charlie dropped the guy off inside, briefly explaining what had happened and then we left.

I sighed as we pulled into the driveway and looked at the house; it still looked the same. I got out of the passenger side and followed Charlie inside and upstairs. Bella and I had to share a room since we both spent summers here, and it looked like the room hadn’t been used in quite some time. I set my messenger bag on the desk near the door as dad set my things on the bed. I smiled at the look of the room, and then remembered the un-used look it had.

Turning to Charlie, I asked him the question: “So, did Bella already visit you this summer?” he turned and looked at me as if I’d sprouted a new head. After a couple of moments, he laughed.

“Lyn, Bella hasn’t stayed the night over here in almost three years.” He answered honestly. I knew I had a bewildered look on my face, because he continued his explanation. “Bella got married about three years ago. She comes and visits from time to time, but she never stays the night. She’s got a family now, you know.”

I wondered how I had not kept in touch with him when all of this was going on. So my sister was married and had a family now. Huh. So much for wanting to meet her; she probably had kids, and they probably took up most of her time now. Oh well, I guess I’d have to endure. After a couple of minutes, Charlie turned and walked out of the room. I looked around, and then my gaze settled on my suitcases. I walked over to them and began to pull the clothes and toiletries out of them. I put the clothes away in the dresser that was against the other wall and opened the closet, which had empty hangers. I hung my casual clothes up and walked to the desk, pulling my laptop out of my bag and setting it up.

I used my wireless access card and surfed the internet for a while and then shut the top of my computer. I got to my feet and walked downstairs, looking for my dad. I found him settled in front of the giant flatscreen TV with an old man in a wheelchair. The floorboards creaked as I stood in the doorway of the living room, making them both turn and look. Dad smiled as I stood there, and the old man nodded at me politely. I waved in greeting and turned to Charlie, who stood up and walked over to me.

“Cristalyn, you remember Billy Black. Right?” I nodded and shook hands with Billy.

“Of course. I remember Jacob, too.” I spoke. “Is he here, too?” I asked, looking around the living room.

Charlie and Billy shared an odd look and then looked back at me. “No. He’s hanging around with a different crowd these days.” Billy spoke, making dad snort. “I think he should be paying me a visit sometime soon. I’ll tell him that you’re looking for him.” he and dad chuckled over that one.

I cringed. “Please, don’t do that. He shoved me into a mud puddle when we were little, and he obviously dislikes me for some strange reason. He never told me why he doesn’t at least try to be friends with me.” I shrugged my shoulders in passing.

“We’re just gonna be watching the game tonight, Lyn. Hope you don’t mind.” I shook my head and turned around, walking into the kitchen. I walked over to the fridge and opened it up; apparently he’d made sure to do groceries before I arrived. I grabbed the cold cuts, bread, and mayo and walked to the counter. I assembled the sandwiches, making some for dad and Billy. I grabbed a bag of chips from the cupboard and put some on my plate and then the rest in a bowl. I carried the bowl and the plate of sandwiches out to the two men, who thanked me gratuitously.

I entered the kitchen, grabbing my plate and a can of Sprite from the counter near the fridge. I walked back upstairs to my bedroom, shutting my door behind me with a silent click. I set my food on the desk and began to sit down. I ate in silence, looking out my window into the darkness. After I was finished eating I took my dishes down to the kitchen, grabbing the plate and bowl from the living room, and going into the kitchen and washing those dishes.

I entered the bathroom and brushed my teeth and went into my room, changing into my PJs. I got into bed, thinking of the people that had helped me in the airport. I remembered that they’d all been wearing gloves; it hadn’t been that cold that they needed them. It was definitely very odd, but as I lay there thinking of them, I fell quickly to sleep.

My first week in Forks seemed to pass by quickly. Billy hadn’t been joking when he’d said that he’d tell his son that I was looking for him. Jacob had come over the next day, and picked on me. He’d told me that he hoped I didn’t last a week in Forks and then turned and left.

Ever since the summer when I was eight and Charlie took me with him to go fishing, Jacob Black and I had never gotten along. We had stayed on the rocks near the river where Charlie, Billy, and Harry Clearwater had fished. The conversation had started off politely enough, talking about kid things; school, friends, favorite cartoons. But somehow, something I said must have offended him or something; because he pushed me face first into a mud puddle we’d been making together. He’d said something about liking Bella better than me and then run off to look at tadpoles in a tiny pool; and I had cried.

I shook myself from that memory as I continued to fold the clothes I’d gotten out of the dryer. Since dad was at work, I was making myself usual around the house once more. Since I’d woken up this morning I’d made breakfast, done dishes, washed clothes (both mine and his), cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, and tidied up the living room. It seemed like I was forcing myself to keep busy, that way I wouldn’t get bored so soon. The phone began ringing and I set the folded shirt I was holding in the laundry basket. I made my way into the kitchen and picked up the phone on the wall.

“Swan residence.” I answered. I heard an exaltation of breath and waited.

A purely feminine voice spoke to me. “Is Charlie there?”

“I’m sorry. He’s at work right now. Can I take a message?” I grabbed the pad and pen that I’d set on the counter.

The person on the other line cleared their throat. “Um… sure you can. But first… did Charlie hire someone to take care of his house while he’s gone?”

“Actually no, he didn’t.” I laughed. I held the pen at the ready. “What can I put down as the message?”

The person on the other line laughed, too. “Um… Just tell him that Bella called, please. Thank you, goodbye.” I scribbled the note down on the pad and hung up the phone. Well, my sister was trying to contact dad; so that had to be a good sign. Maybe she wanted to come visit. I set the pad down on the counter and capped the pen, setting it on top of the pad. I returned to the living room to finish folding clothes, and to occupy myself until Charlie got home.

Chapter 1

Once dad got home from work and we were sitting at the table for dinner, I gave him the piece of notepad that had Bella’s message on it. He set the paper down next to his plate and quietly thanked me. The rest of dinner was that way, too; just filled with idle chatter and questions about each other’s day. When dinner was over, Charlie went to watch TV and I worked on doing the dishes.

When I was finished with the dishes I went upstairs and grabbed my PJs. I walked into the bathroom and turned on the water in the shower. I let the water heat to my liking and then stripped my clothes off. I got into the shower, letting the heat from the water work out the tension from my muscles. I rinsed the soap from my body, and grabbed my bottle of ocean breeze-scented shampoo. I lathered my hair up with the shampoo and rinsed it out, following suit with the same scented conditioner.

After I was finished, I got out and wrapped my towel around me. I went to the mirror and brushed my teeth. As I opened the door and began to walk out into the hallway, I heard dad talking. I crept quietly to the top of the stairs, making sure that I wouldn’t be seen.

“Of course I’d love for you to visit, Bells. It’s just... your sister is here right now. I don’t know if you should visit right now.” I saw a confused look pass over his face. “It’s not that, Bells. Maybe… maybe I can send her out sometime tomorrow afternoon. Then you can come over…” he paused once more. I stood there, wondering why he wouldn’t want me to meet her. “All right. I’ll tell her tomorrow morning that I need her to run into town for some fishing lures. Yea, that’s fine. I don’t mind seeing the others, since I haven’t seen them in so long.”

I listened to him say his goodbyes and I turned and rushed to my bedroom. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it. Why can’t I meet her? She’s my sister! I thought. I went over to my bed and dried off. I got dressed and went over to my computer, disconnecting it from the power cord and took it over to the bed. I sat down and connected to the internet, bringing up my email and sending an email to my mom; telling her about everything that had happened since I’d arrived. I signed out of my email and took my computer back to the desk and plugged it back into the power cord. I shut the lid and went back over to my bed, sat on the edge and opened the window, letting the humid night air in.

A knock sounded on the door and I heard Charlie ask if he could come in. “Come on in.” I called. The door opened and he walked in, stopping right in the door jam. I turned from looking out the window and saw the “what are you doing?” look on his face. “Sorry. I just wanted to get a bit of fresh air. Did you need something?”

I watched him as he looked down at the floor and then back at me. “Tomorrow I was wondering if you could… run into town and pick me up some fishing lures. I haven’t been fishing in a while and I’d like to go the next day I’m off.” If I had known he wasn’t trying to get me away from the house while my sister visited, I would have totally bought that excuse. I nodded my head and watched as he smiled at me. “Thanks, Lyn. All right, well, I’m gonna turn in for the night. Good night.”

“Good night.” Charlie turned and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. I sat on my bed, thinking over all the reasons why he could possibly not want me to meet my sister. Was I not good enough to meet her or something? I shook my head to dispel the way I was thinking and closed the open window. I reached over, shutting the lamp on the bedside table off and setting the alarm clock, and then crawled into bed. As I laid in the darkness, I fell asleep quickly and dreamt of the day when I would get to meet her for myself.

The alarm went off at seven o’clock, waking me from my dreams. I got to my feet and walked over to the closet. I pulled a green v-neck t-shirt off of a hangar and a pair of tan khaki’s off of another. I shut the door to the closet and walked over to my bed, setting the clothes down. I went to the dresser and grabbed a pair of socks out of them, and snatched my pair of tennis shoes from beside the dresser. I walked over to the bed and began to undress, changing into the outfit I’d picked out. I put my socks and tennis shoes on and went downstairs, looking into the kitchen looking for Charlie. Not seeing him, I grabbed a set of keys off of the counter and snuck out of the house. If dad wanted fishing lures, I’d get them; first thing in the morning when the store opened, and when my sister came… I’d be able to meet her.

I got into the rusted Chevy truck and started it up. I put the car in reverse and pulled out of the driveway. I drove into town to Newton’s Outdoor Sports Store and went inside, beginning my search for fishing lures. After some help from the female store clerk, I got what Charlie wanted and paid for them. After acquiring what I came for, I returned to the truck and drove back home.

When I got home there were three cars besides Charlie’s cruiser; a Volvo, a jeep, and a Mercedes. I parked across the street, that way the guests would have space to pull out when they left. I got out of the truck and walked up to the house and entered through the back door (which I’m guessing Charlie added sometime after Bella moved out), and into the kitchen.

“Dad!” I called out. “I’m home! I got the fishing lures like you wanted!” I put the lures on the counter and began walking toward the hallway. I heard some shuffling around in the living room as I walked in there. I was stunned to find that the teenagers from the airport were sitting in the room with him, as were two other people.

Charlie looked over at me from where he sat with one of the females; I recognized her from the airport. “Lyn… I thought you’d be longer.” I stood there thinking to myself that this was a bad idea.

“Um… Well, the cashier made a suggestion when I told her I was looking for fishing lures. I’ve been gone for almost an hour and a half.” I explained. Turning around, I began walking toward the stairs. “I’ll just be up in my room… if you need me.” I began to ascend the stairs, and a quiet voice stopped me while I was entering the bedroom. I turned around and found the girl who was sitting next to dad standing at the top of the stairs.

She looked beautiful; pale skin, brown eyes, and bouncy brown locks that went halfway down her back. “Um… wait! Why don’t you join us? It’s not a problem that you came home too early. I was actually hoping I could meet you…” she spoke in a velvet voice. It took me a moment to put together what she was talking about. “You’re… Bella?” I asked in a small voice. She nodded her head and I felt my stomach do a flip.

“Yes, I’m Bella. I’ve wanted to meet you for a while, but Charlie wouldn’t let me. I’m glad that you just showed up out of the blue.” She admitted. I smiled and felt my cheeks flush with color. She took my hand and led me back to the living room. I followed behind her as she sat me down next to her on the couch with Charlie. I looked around at all the other people in the room and then at the floor.

Charlie cleared his throat, gaining my attention. “Lyn, these are the Cullens.” All of them nodded at me politely and I smiled. Charlie motioned to the two people I hadn’t recognized, “These are Carlisle and Esme.” They said quiet hellos and I nodded.

He motioned to the male with the curly hair and strong build, and the blonde who I’d thought of as a femme fatale. “Those are Emmett and Rose.” The three of us exchanged quick glances and a nod. He kept going with the honey-haired blonde male and the small pixie-like girl. “Alice and Jasper,” he acknowledged. The last male was the bronze-haired boy who had helped me to my feet. “And Edward.” Edward said hello and I replied likewise.

“And, of course, I’m Bella.” My sister introduced, laughing a little. I laughed and soon they began talking about whatever they’d been talking about. I excused myself from the room and went into the kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water.

Meeting my sister was not how I’d dreamt it would be. Since I’d been sitting next to her on the couch, I’d been feeling a bit self-conscious; all of the Cullens were extremely beautiful and I wondered how they had obtained their beauty. Obviously, they had been talking about something completely different when I walked inside, and they had just changed the topic since I was in the room with them. I downed my glass of water and went upstairs and into my room. I closed the door and went to the desk drawer and pulled out a book of poems by Robert Frost. I opened the closet door and found the quilt that had been laying there when I went through it for the first time.

Hearing a knock on my window, I went toward it. I pulled the curtains back and screamed, seeing a hideous face in one of the panes. I fell backwards, losing my balance, and hit my head on the corner of the desk. The person in the window began laughing and tried opening the square. It felt like seconds until there was a whole group of people in the room, and Bella was opening the window for the laughing form of Jacob Black.

Charlie came over to me, taking in me rubbing my head. Carlisle came over to us as Charlie helped me to my feet. I glared at Jacob the entire time Carlisle, who Charlie told me was a doctor, looked at the back of my head that had collided with the desk. “You should be fine. You might want to put some ice there, to reduce the chances of swelling.” I nodded my head as everyone was talking to Jacob. The talking stopped soon enough and they all looked at me to see if I was okay. Jacob began laughing again, and I glared murderously at him. Everyone turned and began to leave the room.

“What’s so funny!? You made me hit my head!” that only seemed to fuel his laughter. Getting angrier than I already was, I marched over to him and shoved him. After I shoved him, I realized that he hadn’t moved an inch. He had a shit-eating grin on his face and I felt my face grow hot. Argh! I hate him! I thought to myself.

I grabbed my book of Robert Frost poems and the quilt from the closet, and maneuvered my way through all the bodies in the room. As I was leaving the room, I threw a threat at Jacob. “If I were you, I would think twice before I tried something like that again!”

I stormed out of the house and into the woods behind it. I stuck my book at the top of my pants and fanned the blanket out. After I got the quilt situated, I grabbed my book out of my pants and laid down on my stomach. I opened my book and began to read the first poem when I heard a branch snap from somewhere in front of me. My head snapped up as my eyes roamed around the small clearing. “Is somebody there?” I questioned. I got up on my knees and looked around the clearing, wondering what was in here with me. “Jacob, if that’s you, knock it off!”

Another branch snapped, this time coming from somewhere off to my left. I let go of my book, letting it close, and got to my feet. I walked in the direction that I heard the branch snap, and pushed past the trees that were blocking my path. The trees in front of me blocked my view of whatever was in here with me. I kept walking further into the forest, ignoring the fact that I was probably going to end up lost. I heard was sounded like footsteps as I kept going further, and I followed the sound.

Is somebody hiking through here or what!? I thought. As I kept walking, I was unaware that the footsteps had stopped. I kept walking, looking around, trying to see if anyone was around me. I stopped in front of a tree that had fallen over, knocking over other some other trees and creating a mini clearing. I put my hand on the tree and looked around; this seemed the perfect place for whatever it was to either show itself… or attack. As I looked around, all I could see was a vast amount of trees and dirt.

Thinking that maybe I had been overreacting, I turned around and began walking back to where my book and the quilt were. I guess being outside in a clearing by myself, my mind was kicking into overdrive. I made sure that I paid attention to everything in front of me as I kept walking. I didn’t want to trip over anything. It took me longer to get back to the clearing, since I kept looking over my shoulder. I was making myself majorly paranoid.

When I got back into the clearing, Jacob was sitting on my quilt, looking through my book of poems. I walked over to him, stopping near the edge of the quilt, and crossed my arms. “Is there a particular reason why you’re on my quilt and looking through my book?” He looked up at me, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

“You know, I’ll give you credit. You lasted a week! Are you going home after this next week, though?”

I looked at him, wondering why he’d want to know something like that. “No, I’m not.” I answered. “I graduated early, and I’m taking a year’s sabbatical from school. I decided that I wanted to visit with dad for a while. I haven’t come to Forks in over two years, because I was overseas in France. Student exchange program.” I explained, keeping my stance.

Jacob scrutinized me intently. “Well… I guess… I’m kind of sorry.” He apologized. My mouth dropped open in shock. Jacob Black was apologizing to me!? Did hell just freeze over? “And I guess I’m sorry that I’ve been mean to you. Especially with the mud puddle!” I pursed my lips together and turned and walked out of the clearing, seeing Bella and the group of teenagers coming toward us. I heard Jacob following behind me, catching up to me in three quick strides.

Bella saw my expression and looked at Jacob. “Jake, what did you do!? If you did anything, so help me…” Jacob cut her off.

“Relax, Bella! I was just apologizing to her!”

All of the Cullen teens looked at me and saw my expression. “Doesn’t look that way to us, Jake! It looks like you insulted her or something.” Bella stated.

“I swear, Bells! I just apologized to her for picking on her… and pushing her in a mud puddle…” he cut off with a smirk on his face. I spun around to face him, angry once more.

“You pushed her in a mud puddle!? Jake, how…”

“When we were eight he pushed me in a mud puddle.” I interrupted her. “I was visiting dad the summer when I was eight. Dad went fishing with Billy and Harry, leaving me near the edge of the river with Jacob. We were talking and for no reason, he pushed me into the mud puddle that we’d been making together.” I glared at Jacob and ended the story. I didn’t think that she needed to know that Jacob had said that he liked her more than me.

“And so I apologized for that, too. I thought that sine she’s staying in Forks for a little while longer… I’d try and get on good terms with her.” Jacob told Bella.

I thought to myself for a couple moments as I turned around. “Fine, apology accepted. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go to my room.” I began walking toward the house, hearing the faint sounds of their voices talking to one another. I wondered what they were talking about, but kept myself going until I was through the kitchen door and in the hallway.

I made my way to my room and shut the door behind me. I went over to my still open window and closed it. I sat down on the bed and looked around the room, feeling tired and overwhelmed; that was when I noticed the small blue book sticking out from underneath a corner of the desk. I got to my feet and walked over to the desk, kneeling down and grabbing the book. There was a weird Indian design on the cover, but I didn’t really care. I opened a drawer of the desk and slid the book inside; I’d read it later if I got bored.

I heard a knock on my door and I called for the person to enter. Bella walked in, closing the door behind you. “Hey.” She greeted. I smiled and she walked over to the desk chair, sitting down in it. “Jacob told us what else happened that day.” When I didn’t answer she kept going. “He admitted to us that he told you he liked me more than you.” My mouth dropped open and I couldn’t think of anything to say to her.

“I’m not… jealous!” I choked out. “I never thought of Jacob like that anyway.” She laughed and had me laughing not long after. Soon we were asking each other questions; what kind of books did we read, what subjects we liked in school. We must have been in my room for hours talking because the pixie-like girl came upstairs telling Bella it was time to go.

The girl, who Bella reminded me was named Alice, stood in the doorway while Bella grabbed her sweater and put it on. She looked at Alice and walked toward her, stopping at the door. “One more question before I go. Who is your favorite music artist?”

I thought to myself, thinking through all the artists that I liked; but only one was my favorite. “I’d have to go with Debussy.” I told her. “I love his music, it’s so heartfelt. Clair de Lune is my favorite track, though.” She smiled and nodded her head, “He’s one of mine, too. I agree, Clair de Lune is a wonderful track. See you sometime soon. Bye.” I watched as she turned, smiled at Alice, and walked out. Alice smiled at me and said goodbye, then shut the door behind her.

I sat there thinking about everything that had happened in the span of one day. I’d gotten Charlie’s fishing lures, met my sister and her new family, gotten picked on by Jacob Black, traipsed through the forest behind the house, gotten apologized to by Jacob, and had a heart-to-heart conversation with my sister who I’d only known for thirteen hours. I looked out my bedroom window and saw the three cars pulling out and speeding off down the road. Now that my sister knew about me, and we’d met… I felt like I was completely whole now. I was beginning to like Forks a whole lot more now.

Chapter 2

After the dishes for dinner were washed, I took a shower and pulled the book out of the desk drawer. I looked at the design on the cover and then opened it; it wasn’t worn, so obviously the book had been left there by accident. I flipped to the start of the first chapter and began reading. Twenty minutes into reading the book, I realized that it was a book of Quileute stories. With every sentence I read, I felt myself getting sucked into it more.

Dad opened the door to my room at around ten-thirty and told me that he was turning in for the night. I was surprised to find that I had read five chapters by the time he came upstairs. I was almost half way through the book, and I stuck a bookmark in it and then shut it, placing it back in the desk drawer. I grabbed my iPod that was sitting on my bedside table and turned it on. I stuck the earbuds in my ears and turned the lamp off. Settling into the bed, I drifted off in the middle of Linkin Park’s “Leave Out All the Rest”.

When I woke up, I couldn’t be sure if it was early morning or sometime around noon. My iPod was lying on the bedside table, so Charlie must have checked on me before he left for work. I was about to roll over when I heard a knock from downstairs in the living room. I pushed the covers off of me, going over to the window and pushing the curtains aside; it was still dark outside, but I noticed that dad’s cruiser wasn’t in the driveway. I heard another thud from downstairs and I spun around. There was somebody downstairs and I was here all by myself!

I crept quietly over to the closet and opened it as far as I could without it creaking, and grabbed the baseball bat that I used for softball. I grabbed the bat with my right hand and quietly shut the door, creeping out of the room and making my way downstairs. I heard whispers from the living room and kept my slow pace; I wouldn’t let them have the chance to hurt me.

When I got downstairs the whispering had stopped. None of the lights were on, but I didn’t care. I saw a solid black mass go by me, I don’t think it even noticed me, and gripped the bat with both hands. When the mass was coming back toward me, I swung the bat as I remembered what I’d learned when I played softball.

“AH! OW!”

I kept swinging, making the mass fall to the floor. A moment later the hallway light was flipped on, and I stopped. I raised my bat and turned around, jumping a foot in the air when I caught sight of Bella and the other Cullens standing there. I looked to the floor behind me and saw Jacob laying there. “Oh, god!” I groaned.

Bella and the others made their way over to where Jacob and I were. Carlisle kneeled down and looked Jacob over while Bella apologized about scaring me. “We’re sorry. We didn’t know that we’d startled you.” I shook my head, telling them that I was normally jumpy when I was home by myself when it was dark.

We turned our attention to Jacob, wondering if he’d be okay. Jacob glared at me from his spot on the floor. “What was that for!?” he demanded. I shrugged my shoulders and answered honestly, “I thought you broke into the house! It was self defense!” he grumbled and got to his feet after Carlisle looked him over.

Wondering what they were all doing here, I had to ask: “What are you guys doing here at…” I paused and looked at the clock on the wall behind Edward. “…at six in the morning? Wait… is that clock right? Is it really six o’clock?” Bella and Edward nodded their heads.

“Yeah. We got here about a couple minutes before Charlie left to go to work. He told us to stay as long as we wanted. Told us he’d be home at eleven, anyway, so we were just gonna stay.” Bella explained.

I nodded my head, looking at Jacob. “Sorry about the bat. I really thought someone was breaking in.” he grumbled and took a seat on the floor against the wall the flatscreen was on. The Cullens all took seats around the room, and Bella flipped the flatscreen on. I noticed that the big muscled guy, Emmett, was eyeing the bat I was still holding onto. “Umm… excuse me while I go put this away.” I spoke.

Running upstairs, I went to the closet and deposited the bat in there and then shut the door. I went back downstairs, going into the kitchen and searching through the cupboards for something quick I could eat. I heard a shuffle of a paper behind me and turned to find Bella standing there. “Oh. Hey, Bella.” I went back to scavenging the cupboards and found a box of granola bars; I grabbed two and turned to her. “Want one?” I offered. She shook her head and quietly declined. Soon Edward joined us in the kitchen with Alice.

“Where did you learn to swing a baseball bat like a professional?” he questioned, his gaze looking amused. I laughed as I opened the first bar.

“I actually played softball throughout high school.” I admitted. “Actually I played a lot of sports throughout high school.” I took a bite of the granola bar and watched as Edward turned to look Alice with a frown on his face. Alice shrugged her shoulders and turned, going back into the living room and sitting beside the honey-haired boy. “Did I say something?”

Bella and Edward laughed. “No, not at all. She hasn’t been feeling well lately.” Edward spoke. Bella nodded her head and I knew they were hiding something. “You said that you played sports throughout high school?” I nodded my head. “Which ones?” he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and put the granola bar down on the counter. “Softball, obviously, but then I played tennis, soccer, and volleyball.” I answered. Bella’s mouth dropped open and Edward smiled and nodded. “We won the championships for softball. For tennis we got to the semi-finals of the high school circuit. Soccer we went to finals, but lost against the second team we went up against. And volleyball we won the championships.” I explained.

Edward looked impressed and Bella stood there with her mouth still hanging open. Noticing my gaze, Edward followed it and upon seeing his wife’s reaction he reached out and pushed it shut. “Sorry. Bella was quite clumsy in high school. She used to trip over her own feet.” She glared at him and I laughed. “I think it surprises her that her sister has more coordination than she does.” Bella glared at him again and then turned, storming into the living room, and watching TV.

Edward chuckled and excused himself. I watched him enter the living room and sit down beside Bella. I saw her look at him and then they started arguing in hushed voices. I looked at my granola bar and picked it up; I went back to the cupboard and put away the second one. I walked back over to the counter, when I noticed the papers Bella must have been looking at. I guess Charlie was hoping that I’d go to college somewhere close to him, because a huge stack of college applications were sitting on the edge of the corner.

Knowing that the paper hadn’t been delivered before Charlie left, I went out the kitchen door to get it. I walked around the house and made my way to the area near the mailbox. As I leant down and grabbed the paper, wiping the early morning dew off of it, I saw a man standing across the street. It took me a moment to realize that he was watching the house; until I saw what looked like a glint in his eye, it was then that I realized he was watching me.

Feeling my stomach doing flips, I turned and made my way back to the kitchen door hastily. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if the man was still watching me; and sure enough, he was. I practically ran to the kitchen door and ran into a solid figure when I got closer, and fell backwards. An arm grabbed mine and pulled me back to my feet. Thinking that this was someone associated with that man across the street, I cried out and tried to break their hold on me.

“It’s just me, Cristalyn! Edward!” I looked up and into the golden eyes of my sister’s husband. Bella was making her way through the back door now with the other Cullens following her. I calmed down and my knees gave out unwillingly, making Edward catch me before I fell down.

Bella and the other Cullens were outside with us now. They rushed over to our sides immediately. “Edward, what happened!?”

“I was coming out here to see if she went outside and she ran into me. She lost her footing and I caught her. Then she started trying to get me to let go.” He explained. Edward kept a good grip on me while I tried to regain my composure. When I nodded my head he slowly released me, making sure if I needed assistance he’d be there for me.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t normally act this way around people.” They all looked at me. “What happened?” Carlisle asked. I looked at the inside of the house.

“Could we bring this inside? I don’t really feel comfortable talking out here.” They nodded their heads and we made our way back inside and into the living room.

Jacob eyed us as we all entered the room. “Where was the fire?” he joked. Bella and Edward glared at him.

I sat in between Bella and Edward on the couch. Looking at Edward, I apologized again for reacting the way I had. “I really am sorry that I acted that way, Edward. It’s not like me at all.” He forgave me and they all looked at me with the same question shining in their eyes: what happened out there? “Okay… so I went outside to get the paper for when Charlie gets home,” Carlisle nodded his head. “I grabbed the paper off the ground and was wiping the condensation off the wrapper, and I noticed this guy across the street.”

Emmett interrupted me after I finished. “Just some guy?”

“What did he look like?” Jasper asked in southern drawl.

Rosalie, the blonde-haired female, for once spoke, “Have you seen him around town?” everyone else in the room was quiet; I guess they didn’t want to ask me questions.

I thought about the answers I would give. Slowly I answered them, “Yes, just some guy. No, I haven’t seen him around town. I couldn’t really see what he looked like; the only thing I noticed was… his eyes…”

Nine pairs of eyes focused on my face quickly. “It’s like, even though it’s dark outside, his eyes looked like they were kind of glowing. All I did was notice him standing across the street, nears the trees. I saw his eyes, and I think he smirked at me, but I’m not really sure.” They all tensed, but didn’t speak. I giggled nervously, a habit of mine when I was uncomfortable. “I think I might need some more sleep.”

In the end, I did fall asleep again; on the couch, sandwiched in between my sister and her husband. I felt a blanket cover me, but I was too far gone to wake myself up. I heard their whispered conversation, but I soon fell into a deeper sleep. My dream was even more uncomfortable than when I had explained what happened outside to my extended family. It was haunted with the mysterious man and his odd-looking eyes.

I heard talking, some distance away from me, but not close; so probably in the kitchen. My torturous nightmare was ending, but not before I dreamt the man was pulling me towards him. My eyes snapped open and I jumped for the second time that day, and landed on the floor. I hit my head and then heard the footsteps as Alice and Jasper walked in. Jasper helped me to my feet, while Alice took a seat on the loveseat. She rested her head in her hands and once I was situated back on the couch, Jasper went to her.

I grabbed the blanket that was still on the floor and I got to my feet. I quietly excused myself and folded the blanket in the hall, and then took it upstairs to put it away. When I got inside the room, I went to the desk and turned my laptop on. I replied to the message from my mother and then I opened the desk drawer, pulling the book out. I opened it to where I had stopped reading and began from that point.

There was a knock on my door and I bookmarked the page, stuffing it inside the desk again. The lid of my laptop was still open so I called for the person to enter and pretended that I had been surfing the internet. Bella and Charlie entered the room, nobody behind them, and shut the door. I turned around in the chair and looked at them, “Hey. What’s wrong?”

Charlie smiled weakly and then turned to look at my sister; she nodded her head and he began to speak to me. “Carlisle and Esme have invited us to spend a couple of days over at their house. It’ll give you a chance to get a good sense of nature, and I could use the change of scenery.” He told me. I looked at Bella and she smiled warmly at me. I looked back at dad and nodded my head, feeling like I wasn’t even the one controlling it. “Well, we’re headed over there tonight. And we’ll probably stay over there for two or three days. So bring enough clothes and if you need to bring anything with you, make sure it’s packed.”

With the conversation over, Charlie and Bella left the room. I just stared at the shut door once they had left. Why were we going to the Cullens’ house? It just didn’t make any sense! Not wanting to argue, though, I grabbed a duffel bag and began to stick clothes in it. I shut my laptop down and then unhooked it from the charger. I took the wireless internet access card out of the side of the laptop and then began to pack it all up. I opened the desk drawer and took out the book I’d been reading. I stored it in the back of my messenger bag and then took my bags downstairs.

Charlie was coming down the stairs with his bag and he set them down near mine. He looked at Carlisle and asked, “Are we gonna head over there now, or wait until later?”

Feeling slightly confused, I looked at the clock behind Charlie’s head and noted that it said it was quarter after two in the afternoon. I heard Carlisle tell dad that we could head over there now if we wanted, and we would all have an authentic Italian meal made by himself, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett.

Esme reminded Carlisle that there were things they still had to talk about before we left; so Charlie asked me if I could find something to do that would keep me out of trouble. I nodded my head and went back up to my room, shutting the door behind me. Everyone was sure acting weird. I went to the closet and opened it up, rummaging through it until I found my sports bag. I pulled it out and went through it until I found my volleyball that I used for solitary practices.

I tossed the ball up in the air and began to bounce the ball on my forearms and then my wrists. A minute later my door opened and Bella, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett walked in. I bounced the ball on my wrists and then caught it. Emmett gave a round of applause and I just smirked. “Don’t let us interrupt. Go back to what you were doing.” I laughed and I started bouncing the ball on my wrists and forearms again. “You have really good coordination.” Alice spoke, shooting a sly glance at Bella.

Bella ignored Alice’s comment and watched what I was doing. Emmett had noticed my sports bag and nudged Jasper, and now the two were going through the bag. They pulled out my tennis racket and the canister of tennis balls I had stored in there, followed by my soccer ball.

“You weren’t kidding when you said that you played lots of sports, were you?” questioned Emmett. I shook my head, keeping my concentration on what I was doing. When I got bored of practicing with my volleyball, I caught it and tossed it to Emmett. He caught it and put away all the stuff he had pulled out. When the bag was zipped closed, I took it back to the closet and stuck it back in there. “So you’re pretty good at most sports.” I shrugged my shoulders, not wanting to gloat.

“I know a thing or two about the four sports that I played. I can’t say that I’m good at most of them.” All four of them laughed and we heard a shout from downstairs. They all walked out of my room and downstairs, with me following them. I noticed that Charlie was shoving his gun belt into his bag. I watched as dad put his jacket on and I grabbed mine.

By the time we left the house, it was going on five o’clock; take into account that it took us almost half an hour to get there, even longer. When we finally arrived at the Cullen house, it was five thirty-six. Jacob ran off into the woods and the rest of us went inside. Bella hung dad and mine’s jackets up and then led us into the living room. Emmett was already sprawled in a chair, the TV on ESPN while a Gators VS Giants game was on. Alice, Bella, and Rosalie talked in hushed voices as I stood in the entrance, looking at the parts of the house I could see. Charlie followed Esme and Carlisle into a different room. Edward and Jasper went into the living room, Edward taking a seat in the other chair across from Emmett and Jasper on the couch. I turned my attention back to my sister and my sister-in-laws; they finished their conversation and Rosalie walked off into the kitchen, exiting through a door on the opposite side.

Alice and Bella walked over to me. I let my eyes wander back around the area I was standing. I noticed the dining room table was strewn with chess boards that were all connected, it looked confusing. My gaze traveled to a cut off where I saw a bunch of computer screens, and then to another room that only had a grand piano sitting on a platform. My sight lingered there for a while before one of them spoke to me. “Do you play the piano?” I turned my gaze to my left and saw Alice looking at me questioningly. I nodded my head slowly.

“My step-father thought that piano lessons would keep me out of trouble.” I told her. Bella led me into the room with the piano and motioned for me to sit down on the seat. I looked at her nervously, this had to have cost a fortune and for someone to just mess with it.

“Go ahead. You won’t break it.” came Edward’s voice. I looked over at the doorway and saw him standing there with his arms crossed. I still sat there, unmoving, and he chuckled. “Really, go ahead. I won’t mind.” By this point, he was making his way toward me and the piano. Bella was sitting with Alice on a chaise diagonal to the seat I was sitting on. I scooted over to make room for Edward to sit beside me. He placed his fingers on the keys and began to play a gentle melody that filled the room and I was pretty sure that Emmett and Jasper could hear it in the living room.

As he continued to play, my mouth dropped open. This song he was playing was beautiful! It definitely wasn’t by any of the musicians I listened to. “Who plays this?” I asked him. I heard Alice answer from beside Bella, “Edward composed this piece.” I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head. Apparently it was a funny expression because I heard Bella and Alice begin giggling. I switched my look from his fingers on the keys to his face. “How did you come up with this!?”

I heard him chuckle as he worked through a bridge. “Bella was the inspiration for this piece. When I finished it, I named it ‘Bella’s Lullaby’.” He answered. Bringing the song to an end, he began to play Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3”. I noticed that he was only playing the same part of the song over and over and I put my hands on the keys, starting to play. In my peripheral vision, I thought I saw Alice and Bella share a smile, but I couldn’t be sure. Edward and I kept playing and everything seemed to disappear.

When I finished playing, I took my hand off the keys and saw Edward looking at me with astonishment in his eyes; it was then I realized that he had stopped playing a couple minutes after I had started playing with him. I looked at Bella and Alice as they began clapping and I felt my face begin to heat up. A wicked thought crossed my mind and I put my fingers over the keys, beginning to play Savage’s “Swing”. After I was finished, Jasper and Emmett had joined us; making my face flush red again.

After playing a couple more songs for them, and playing two with Edward, we got to our feet and walked into the living room as Esme, Carlisle, and Charlie rejoined us. Esme called for Rosalie, and told us that dinner would be ready in about an hour. Emmett told Charlie to enjoy the game, and followed after Rosalie and Esme. Alice and Jasper went up the stairs that flanked the left to the entrance hall. Charlie made himself at home in the chair that Edward had been occupying earlier, while Bella and Edward talked amongst themselves.

“We’ll show you to the room you’ll be staying in.” Bella told me. I nodded my head and walked after them, grabbing my bags off the floor. I followed them up the stairs to the second floor of the house and down the hallway to the right. Edward opened the door, revealing the room I would be staying in. I walked in with them behind me. “This used to be Edward’s room before we moved into our cottage.” She told me.

I put my bags down near the closet door, and turned to face them. “You don’t live here?”

Bella shook her head at me while Edward stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. “We live in a cottage not too far away. It’s right through the woods.” Edward spoke. I nodded my head in understanding when Alice and Jasper joined us.

“Does she like it?” Alice asked. Edward and Bella looked at her and nodded their heads. Alice squealed happily and we laughed. “There are some clothes in the closet. Obviously, Edward isn’t a girl, so their meant for you.” Her and Jasper turned and left the room, joining Charlie downstairs. Edward was frowning and saying something underneath his breath when I looked back to him and Bella. Bella muttered something unintelligible and I wondered what they could be talking about.

I put my duffel bag on the enormous full size bed against the wall, and I noticed the back wall was nothing but glass. I turned to look at Bella and Edward, who had stopped their conversation finally. “Glass? No walls?” Edward shook his head and spoke, “Esme designed the house, and since the house is all wall throughout the front of the house, she thought that it would be okay to make the entire back half glass walls. The window opens out like so…” he walked over to the glass wall and grabbed the handles that were attached to wood panels that I hadn’t noticed. He turned the handle pulled in, and the sections opened up. It looked more like a set of French doors instead of a window; still it was very cool, and I loved it.

“We’ll let you get settled here. Edward and I will be back soon, we’re going to run over to our cottage. We’ll see you in a little while.” I nodded my head and watched as they left, shutting the door behind them. I looked around the room and sat down on the bed.

I wonder why we’re staying here for two or three days. Something must have dad worried or he’d never say something like that! I thought to myself. I didn’t think that something could get him so worried. But he seems to enjoy the Cullens’ company a lot. I wonder if there’s something more to what their letting on.

Shaking my head, I got back to my feet and started taking my clothes out of the duffel. I walked over to the closet and opened it, and I found that the closet was a walk-in one; it reminded me of my closet back at home with mom. I saw the clothes that Alice had been talking about; lots of dresses and blouses, there were even stands with cubby holes and pants were folded neatly and placed in there. I saw a shoe rack and walked over to it, and found what I could only assume were pairs of really expensive high heels or flats and some name brand sneakers. Clothes filled the entire space, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to fit my own in here. Looking up, I saw more casual dresses and nice looking blouses. I ran my hands over the material of the dresses and the blouses that were hung up; they felt like they were all made from either silk or satin. Once again, I was reminded of my closet back home in Louisiana.

I walked back out of the closet and over to my duffel. I stuffed my clothes back in them and walked into the closet once more. I saw a switch near the door on the inside and I switched it up; the closet was immediately filled with a soft glow of light. I giggled happily and shut the door to the closet, and saw my reflection in the full length mirror that was there. I don’t think anybody would suspect that I was in here at the moment. I walked around, looking at the various articles of clothing that was either hung up or folded and placed in the stands.

When I got to the back of the closet, I saw a green Chanel dress. My mouth dropped open and I stared at it longingly; if I wore this dress, I would probably get chewed out by Alice… but the temptation was too great. I began to undress and when I was down to my bra and panties, I took the dress off the hangar and put it on carefully, I didn’t want to tear it. I pulled my shoes and socks off, letting my feet rest on the soft carpet. I turned around and ran toward the mirror to see what I looked like. The reflection in the mirror made my heart skip a beat; I looked beautiful! I let my hair down and messed with it a bit, making a couple strands of the auburn hair curl. The dress really helped bring my eyes out, along with my killer figure.

I heard a knock on the bedroom door and I opened the closet door. “Hold on a minute, please!” I called. I went back into the closet, looking for something to cover up; I knew I was gonna get in trouble for this! I saw a robe hanging nearby and grabbed it, wrapping it around me and tying it shut. I walked out, grabbed the door and shut it quietly. Walking over to the door, I opened it and found Alice standing on the outside. “Alice!” I squeaked out. She lifted one perfect brow and walked inside the room. I shut the door and turned around; I watched as she opened the closet door and walked inside it.

She came back out, shutting the door behind her. I lowered my head, “I’m so sorry, Alice. I’ll take it off and wash it. I won’t touch any more clothes!” she laughed, and I raised my head.

“Cristalyn, it’s all right! Like I told you earlier, those clothes are there for you!” she told me. I looked surprised and she giggled. “It’s all right. You didn’t look like you were comfortable in the “street clothes” you were in when were over at Charlie’s. When we saw you in the airport you were wearing what clothes you’re really suited to.”

I had to make sure my brain was following; she got me these clothes? And all because she knew that I wasn’t comfortable in baggy jeans and over sized t-shirts; and because I was more comfortable wearing the designer clothes that my mother and step-father provided me with when I was in Louisiana? This was an inconvenience to them, and Alice didn’t have to spend her money to get me “fancy clothes” that I usually wore. “Show me which dress or outfit you’re wearing! I’m dying to see!” something in her voice told me she could already imagine what I had chosen.

I looked at the door and locked it, not wanting anybody to walk in. I untied the robe and took it off, showing her the green Chanel dress. Her eyes lit up and she smiles brightly; almost as if she’d seen me wearing this before. She made a motion with her fingers, signaling me to do a circle, and I twirled around. I felt like I had been hiding myself in the horrible clothes that I had to wear at dad’s house. “That dress is beautiful and you look like a princess in it!” she told me, opening the door. She motioned for me to follow her in the closet, and I did. She led me to the back of the closet again, and parted the hangars, showing a giant safe in the wall. She punched in the code, and I watched her, and the safe swung open. She grabbed a pair of earrings and a necklace and helped me put them on. She shut the safe and then I followed her over to the shoes. She picked out a pair of Dolce and Gabbana heels with a rose design made up of emeralds.

Alice led me over to the full length mirror and when I saw my new reflection I thought I would die. Alice really had made me look like a princess! She danced her way out of the closet and then came back a couple minutes later, Jasper by her side. He saw my expression and looked at Alice, a small look of disapproval on his face. Alice only smiled and laughed. After I got over my initial shock at my transformation, the joy of actually being in clothes that I was used to filled me. As I kept looking over myself in the mirror, I saw Jasper sigh and then nod at Alice, a look of relief on his face. I turned my attention back to them

“Esme wanted me to come up here and get you. Dinner is ready and she said to get down there right now.” He told her. She giggled, leaning up on the tips of her toes and pecked him on the lips. She grabbed my hand and we walked out of the closet. Once we were fixing to walk out the door, I had to stop them.

Internally I was freaking out; Charlie had never seen me where clothes like these, mainly because he wouldn’t let me where my “rich people clothes” as he dubbed them. That’s why every summer when I visited him, he had made sure that normal clothes were provided for me; so I would look like a regular teenager. Jasper looked uncomfortable once more, but I didn’t care about that at the moment. Alice looked at me curiously. “Alice, I can’t go downstairs in this!” I told her. Her expression turned to a peeved look. “I love the clothes, Alice! I really, really do! It’s just that Charlie doesn’t like it when I dress like this.” Her mouth formed an ‘o’ and she stepped back in the bedroom with me, Jasper following.

“Why?” she asked me. Jasper looked interested, too.

I sat myself down on the bed, looking at the floor. After a minute I raised my head. “When he and mom divorced, we moved to Louisiana. Mom’s a writer, a really popular one. She gets thousands of dollars every time she sells one of her books. She likes to buy designer clothes, and I don’t blame her.” I explained. “When she had me, her writing career hadn’t picked up and we got by with what little money she got. I didn’t mind not having the clothes that all the popular kids had, that’s just the mentally I have. But once her writing picked up and she started selling more, and she got more income… things changed. She got remarried when I was eight years old, to another writer. So eventually, we accumulated more money. That’s when she started getting into designer clothes. Her and my step-dad love their clothes and pride themselves on their taste in fashion.”

Alice and Jasper didn’t look confused and I kept telling them my story. “They started buying me designer clothes and pretty soon after that, I got addicted to them. Now that we have the money to buy the clothes, I don’t like the generic clothes. Jeans and t-shirts are okay, to a certain point with me. I’d prefer to be able to wear the outfits that I’m used to every once in a while. But…” I looked down at the floor. “Every time I come to visit, Charlie doesn’t want me to let people know that I have “money”. He wants everyone to think that my mother is just like Renee. An ex-wife who does what she has to get by…”

It surprised me that Jasper was the one to comment. “And in the process, you feel like you have to hide yourself up in a shell.” I nodded my head. I noticed that Alice had sat down on the floor and Jasper had leant against the wall. He pushed himself away from it, and Alice got up from the floor. “Well, I think it’s safe to say that you’re in the Cullen household now. Charlie’s call is null in void.” He smirked and went to the door, opening it and walking out. Alice squealed happily and took my hand.

“Jasper’s right, Cristalyn! Charlie has no authority… well, unless he’s on the job,” she laughed. “You can wear all the lovely clothes that you’re used to! We better get downstairs before Esme gets mad and your dinner gets cold.” I laughed with her and we went downstairs.

When we got downstairs, everyone’s jaws dropped open. I saw Charlie do a double-take as I sat down with Jasper holding my chair out for me. I smiled and thanked him as he and Alice sat down next to each other. Esme brought me out a plate of the Eggplant Parmesan and Manicotti that she, Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie had cooked together. “You look beautiful, Cristalyn.” She whispered to me. I blushed and looked at Charlie, who was sitting there with his mouth hanging open.

I let my gaze go around the room quickly, and noticed that nobody else was staring at me except for dad. Immediately, I felt like shouldn’t have let Jasper and Alice talk me into it. I looked down at my food and cut a small piece of the manicotti and watched as dad regained his composure and set his fork and knife down. He wiped his mouth with the napkin beside his arm, and I knew what was coming.

“Lyn, can I see you in the living room, please?” I sighed inaudibly and set my fork and knife down. I stood up from my seat and followed Charlie into the living room, getting ready for the rampage he was fixing to unleash.

As soon as we were in the other room, he exploded. “What are you wearing!?”

I looked at the dress I was wearing, and immediately felt ashamed. “I thought it was nice…” I muttered. I saw his face getting red.

“Cristalyn, I told you before! When you’re here in Forks, you aren’t supposed to wear clothes like those!” I felt tears starting to prick my eyes. I blinked quickly, trying to make sure that they wouldn’t fall. “You know why I don’t want you wearing those! They attract too much attention!”

Unwillingly, a few tears escaped the corners of my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. I felt like I was being denied a part of myself, who I really was; and it wasn’t fair! He was yelling at me because I wore a dress that Alice had provided me with! I knew that Alice and Jasper had told me that what Charlie said didn’t matter; but it did to me. I thought like I was being selfish by wearing this dress. But I shouldn’t have to get yelled at just for being myself! Before I knew it, I exploded on him.

“No! You don’t want me to wear clothes like these because you know it’s who I am! You know that I’m not like most teenagers! I don’t like jeans and t-shirts, I don’t feel normal!” I yelled back at him. “Every time I visit you, I have to wear clothes that you bought from the store or Bella left there! I feel like I have to hide who I really am, because you don’t want others to know that mom has money!”

Charlie was staring at me, shock written on his face. I had never once raised my voice to him; if I had a problem with him, I merely told him so in a calm manner. I guess this happening was unavoidable, so I continued. “It’s like you don’t want me to be myself. We never do anything when I come here; we just sit around the house! You go to work, and I rarely get to leave the house the entire time!” feeling overwhelmed, I turned and ran up the stairs and to the room that was being provided for me.

I slammed the door shut and jerked at the strap of the high heels. When I got the straps loosened, I grabbed the heels and threw them across the room. I launched myself at the bed and landed in the middle of it. I grabbed one of the over sized pillows and put my face into it, giving in to my sobs.