It was hellaciously cold outside; my breath crackled and frosted against the window pane upon immediate contact. The thick, fuzzy blanket my mom had given me as a going-away present did nothing to stop the chills, and my teeth had begun to chatter loudly a while ago. I was curled up on the window seat, clad in my comfiest leisure suit and fluffy socks, with my blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders.

I'd been in Forks since Friday and it was now Sunday evening and I was still enjoying the serenity the small town had to offer. The moon shone brightly above the tree tops, not a cloud in sight and I was mesmerised. It got

darker a lot earlier here than it did in Phoenix. The stars, unhindered by pollution, twinkled merrily against their navy backdrop. It had been a long while since I'd seen such a stunning sight. Phoenix couldn't compare to the natural, earthly beauty of Forks.

The rusty radiator beside me began to splutter to life, about an hour too late, and I sighed in relief at the very thought of warmth. My body, still used to the hot, dry climate of Arizona was having a hard time adjusting to the constant chill and smattering of rain that Washington offered. With my blanket firmly around my shoulders, I stood. The excess fabric trailed behind me like a cape as I wondered off in search for my twin sister.

I found Bella in the kitchen, rummaging through the bare cupboards and making a list of what we needed to get on our trip to the supermarket after school tomorrow. Bella, like me, was bundled in her warmest attire. She looked up as I shuffled in, amusement in the warm brown eyes all us Swans seemed to share. "Cold getting to you too, huh?"

"Global warming, man." I shook my head dramatically as I sat down at one of the mismatched dining chairs. "I swear, the last time we were here it was like ten degrees warmer." Bella laughed, shutting the cupboard she'd been looking through and grabbing the notepad before sitting across from me.

"Anything special you need tomorrow? Ch-dad, has almost nothing of substance so it's going to be a big shop. The only spices he has are salt and pepper." She sounded exasperated but I honestly don't know what she expected. Every time we visited dad, we either went out to eat at 'Carver' the local diner, or we ordered in. The only things the man knew how to cook involved coal and a barbecue.

"I could do with loading up on chocolate. Got to have my shark week stash at the ready." I played absently with a loose thread on my sweatpants as I looked around the kitchen. Unsurprisingly, Dad hadn't redecorated since Mom left. The cupboards were still painted the cheery yellow, Mom's effort in trying to liven the place up. The paint was chipped in places, and had dulled over the years. None of the dining chairs matched, Dad had picked them up at various yard sales. His philosophy was, 'it may be old but if it functions, then it's golden.' He rarely bought anything brand new.

"Chocolate it is." Bella interrupted my musings, scribbling on the notepad quickly before setting the pen on the table beside it. "Dad should be home in..." She glanced up at the clock hanging on the wall behind me, "an hour or so, we should probably get started on dinner."

I heaved myself from the chair with an exaggerated groan and shrugged the blanket off my shoulders, letting it fall onto the chair. "Aye, aye captain. What're we making?"

Bella stood and walked over to the refrigerator and pulling it open. She pulled out a carton of eggs, half an onion, a bell pepper and some bacon. "Omelettes it is."

"Something smells good," Dad said, sniffing the air experimentally as he walked in. He's already shucked his jacket, belt, and boots off by the front door. He looked cautiously optimistic at the thought of food. I couldn't blame him, the last time he had a home cooked meal it had been prepared by Mom and she was know for her experimental ways it the kitchen. Not all of those people experiments were edible.

"It'd smell ten times better if you actually went grocery shopping once in a while." I said playfully from where I leant against the counter, arms crossed jokingly over my chest as I mock glared at him.

He looked sheepish, pale skin turning a shade of pink that reminded me of Bella. The two of us got our lacklustre social skills from him and Bella inherited his pale skin which made for quite a sight when the two of them were embarrassed. They looked like very ripe tomatoes. Thankfully, my complexion allowed for maximum UV absorption and the past fifteen of so years in Phoenix had turned my flesh a warm golden.

"Sit down, dad." Bella said, plating portions of the omelette on plates for each of us. Dad did as instructed and I immediately took the seat beside him, stomach rumbling in anticipation. I loved food, and while Bella may not be the greatest chef in the world, her simple meals always turned out delicious.

The three of us tucked in immediately once Bella had sat herself across from me and we ate in silence. It wasn't stifling like it might have been had it been Mom we were eating with. Mom hated silence and if she was quiet, it usually meant she was mad at one of us, or Phil. This silence was comfortable. There was no need to make small talk. The three of us were similar; kindred spirits. Whilst our similar personalities made for some awkward conversations thanks to our inability to make it through the most basic social situations-even with each other-without stumbling over our words, at times like this our similarity came in handy.

"Thanks for that, girls." Dad said as he gathered our empty plates and began to wash them in the sink. Bella made to protest but Dad said since we cooked, he would clean. An ideal compromise in my opinion. I loved making mess, but I loathed cleaning it up. "The best meal I've had in a long while." He smiled, mouth crinkling beneath his bushy moustache.

Bella flushed her signature red, stumbling through her thank you and I giggled quietly to myself. "So are you all set for tomorrow?" Said Dad as the dripping dishes were place on the drying rack, water pooling below them instantly.

I groaned loudly, head thumping against the table as I let it drop carelessly. Bella patted my shoulder in sympathy. She was no more excited for school than I was, she just dealt with it better. And by better I mean she moaned to me when Dad wasn't around. I complained to anyone who would listen.

"Don't remind me," I sobbed dramatically. Dad laughed, patting my back heartily and nearly knocking the wind out of me. "It's the middle of the semester, can't we just wait till the next one?" It was a fruitless question. There was absolutely no way to convince Dad to let us miss so much of our schooling. Even if we were ahead of our entire year thanks to the more advanced courses back in Phoenix.

"Buck up, kid. Life gets a lot worse after school."