Many seventeen year old girls would be extremely nervous to leave their comfortable home in Salt Lake City, Utah for the whole summer and spend it with your twenty year old cousin that lived in dinky old Forks, Washington that they haven't seen in at five years.
Oh, but not me. Not stupid me. I missed Bella. My older cousin, Bella Swan, had gotten married about a year and a half ago and I thought that it would be a good idea if I would drop in with her for the summer. I hadn't even seen a picture of her new family. I talked to her on the phone for many hours on end that spring. She seemed exceptionally happy with her new husband, Edward, which she had adopted a little girl with just a few months ago. I hoped that I wouldn't ruin her fun this summer with Edward and her daughter.
"Kami, come and get your hugs before you leave!" my over-protective mother yelled from the airplane gate doorway. I sighed and put on a smile and trotted towards my wonderful mother. She had always said that she would always love me more than anyone else on this planet ever would. She and my father had gotten married immediately after college and had me four years later. A perfect little family.
Well, up until daddy died last year. He had colon cancer and he wasn't given long to live. He out-lived the expectations but not by long. Not three months after his six month given time, nine months all-together, he passed away in his hospital. He was Charlie's, Bella's father, younger brother. I have to say, I didn't take it very well. I was just now getting over the whole thing. I still missed him too much, but I thought that maybe this visit to Bella would take my mind off this whole mess.
I reached my mother and gave her a heart-warming hug. She sniffled in my hair. She was at least three inches taller than my five two, petite figure. She patted the back of my hair and let go of me. Tears were streaming down her cheek. "Oh, Momma, come on!" I'll call. I will see you in September I promise. I'm not falling off the face f the earth, I swear."
"I know I know. I'll just miss you. I'm all alone at the house except for Briar." Briar was our sluggish, bi-polar bulldog that hadn't moved from his small dog bed in my room since about January.
"He will keep you company. I love you, Mom." I stepped back into line and smiled at her. "See you in a few months." I waved and turned around just in time to see her wave back; wiping her tears with her other hand.
I entered the plane and looked around for a seat. I gripped my Kavu backpack tighter around my shoulders as I trudged down the small pathway to an empty window seat near the middle. I sat down tiredly and looked out the window, shrugging my jacket and backpack off and onto the floor. I'm gonna miss Utah. I sighed and cracked my neck from side to side, wincing when it cracked loudly. I hadn't even noticed the woman sit down next to me.
"Hello, there!" She said jollily. I jumped at the sound of her cheerful voice. I turned to face her. She was a heavy set woman, maybe in her forties, with a huge smile that seemed to never go away. It was almost annoying. I smiled a smile back and said, "Hiya."
"How are you?" She said, taking out her laptop from a large briefcase at her side.
"I'm great. Yourself?" I stared at her Mac Book Pro that she was turning on. That was my number one on my Christmas list I had made for Momma last year. She said she would get it next year. The bills were just piling up from the hospital to the funeral to the burial services. I understood of course.
"Perfect." She said smiling at her computer screen." She noticed me staring after a few minutes. She stuck her hand out in front of us. "I'm Stephenie."
"Kami." I shook her hand and looked at her and she let go and started to type on her computer. Her brown hair fell across her shoulder s in rolling waves. Her chubby cheeks reminded me of babies face. She was wearing a dark red sweatshirt and a pair of black sweat pants. "It's nice to meet you Kami." I gave her one last look and grinned. I turned back the window and leaned my head on it. The "Please Fasten Your Seat Belts" sign lit up, so Stephenie and I pulled our belts on and tightened them. We began to move and I stared out the window. I smiled as we began to pick up speed along the track. I picked up my back pack and pulled out my IPod touch. I watched as the plane finally took off and crawled slowly but surely through the blinding blue sky. I turned on my music and found my favorite band, One Republic. I put their new album on shuffle. The first song was Good Life. I decided not to change it, seeing as it was the most relevant song to this day. I sung the song in my head and watched as the puffy clouds rolled by. I heard Stephenie sigh loudly and then close her laptop.
I closed my eyes and let myself fall asleep. Only 2 more hours...
"Welcome, everyone, to Seattle, Washington. Please exit the plane in an orderly fashion and please enjoy your stay in Seattle. This is Chance Garner, your pilot, signing off." The loudspeaker on the plane made my eyes immediately pop open. I looked over at Stephenie's seat. She had already gotten up. What a shame. I looked to my other side, the window, and saw the darkening, gray sky. It was sprinkling. Ugh. Well, what else was I to expect? Bella had warned me about the daily downpours and constant rain. I said that I would get used to it. Maybe. I got up slowly and stretched my tight and sore muscles. They were throbbing. Ow. I bent down slowly and picked up my backpack and merged with the exiting crowd.
I made it out of the line and onto the airplane ramp. I saw many people waiting to get on the plane I just left. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. Psh, Salt Lake City... They were crazy. I walked on.
Then the nerves hit me. What if Bella decided that I shouldn't stay with her? What if her family and new relatives and friends didn't like me? What if I didnt like it there? What if she forgot to pick me up? I started to breathe deeply as I made my way to the luggage pickup. When I got there, I found where my airplane's baggage was unloading. I swiftly made my way over there. I waited near the rolling line till my luggage rolled out. My brown Samsonite suitcase was a gift from Charlie many years ago. I walked towards it to go pick it.
But, before I could even reach my hand out to get it, a pale white hand gracefully pulled it up from the line. I shook my head and frowned. What just happened? I followed where my luggage went. Before me stood the most beautiful man i had ever seen. His skin was white as snow, almost translucent. His amber hair was tousled perfectly on his head, pulling off the whole just-got-out-of-bed look perfectly. He had on a pair of loose jeans and a black button up, adding to his light complexion.
"Hello." He had a irresistible smile plastered on his face. "I'm Edward Cullen, Bella's husband." Oh thanks Bella. Take the most perfect boy in the universe for yourself. "You're Kameron, correct?"
I sighed. I hated when people used my real name. No need at all. "It's Kami. It's great to finally meet you, Edward." I flashed him a toothy grin. He returned it with a warm, contradicting smile. The warmness didn't match his skin tone. I shivered. I tried to hide my chills on my tan arm.
"No no no. The pleasure is all mine." He set down the suitcase carefully and reached to me and took me a soft hug. I hugged him back surprised. He was freezing. Too cold to even imagine. I wanted to let go and was about to but at that exact moment, he let go.
"Trying to steal my man, Kams?" My old nickname made me smile. I grinned ear to ear and followed the voice behind me to see Bella, my cousin, walking toward Edward and I. Oh. My. God. When did she change so much? She was just as pale as Edward and her eyes were the same shimmer golden-brown. Her old familiar voice was exchanged with a sing-songy ringing voice. Beautiful. Her light brown hair fell in perfect, small waves around her shoulders. She had on tight skinny jeans with black high heels and a frilly, white top. Again, beautiful.
"Belly! I've missed you so much!" I ran to her and hugged her for the first time in many years. "You look so... different!" I smiled and let go of her. "When did you get so cold?" She felt just like Edward did.
"It's a Forks thing." She smirked and stared me up and down. She took in my baggy gray sweat pants and blue school t-shirt. I looked like a freaking hobo next to her. She grinned and hugged me again. "It's so good to see you, Kami. We are going to have so much fun this summer." I nodded and we walked back to Edward. But someone was with him now. Next to Edward, holding his free hand, was a young girl, shy and cherubic, holding a small reddish-brown stuffed wolf with gloved hands. Her hair was bronze, the color of Edwards, which I thought was strange, as she wasn't really their child, and rolled down her head in loose curls. Her deep chocolate eyes poured into mine. Even though her face was completely blank, I could tell that she was smiling on the inside. It seemed as we got closer, Edward tightened his grip on her hand.
"Nessie, come here, girl. I want you to meet someone." Bella sang out to the girl. Edward looked at Bella for a split second, furrowed his eyebrows, and let go of her hand. She stepped forward slowly and gracefully. She held the solf in both hands now, looking straight at Bella as she walked. Bella went to meet her. Bella swiftly and lithely bent over to pick her up. She hopped into Bella's arms just as gracefully as Bella was. "Kami, this is Renesmee, my daughter."
"Hi, Renesmee, I'm Kami, your mother's cousin. How are you?" I tried to be as sweet as possible. I had a bad record when it came to babysitting.
"Fine, thank you." Renesmee's voice was high pitched and dripped with sweetness and happiness. Her voice let me determine her age more easily. She must have been 7 or 8 years old. I took a step closer to her and Bella. She took her lingering gaze from me and to Bella. She nodded a tight nod and let Renesmee hold her hands out to me. I was caught off guard. I noticed that Edward had suddenly came to Bella's side and taken a hold of her arm. Bella ignored it. Renesmee was still reaching for me. I reached back and picked her out of Bella's careful arms. She hugged me tightly and breathed hot air down my neck. It gave me chills. As soon as the hug started, it was over. Edward had snatched Renesmee from my hands and set her back on the ground. I looked at Edward, confused, and to Bella. She was standing erect and staring at Edward.
"It's really late. We must get back to our home. You have to meet my family." Edward's voice calmed the nervous mood in the air. We walked outside, Bella and I chatting about Washington and the shopping and the beach. She recommended we got cliff diving one day. The cool air stung me like a mad hornet. It was freezing! Yet it was in the middle of June. I may never get this place. We got to Edward's silver Volvo and we got into the car, Edward and Bella in the front, Renesmee and I in the back. Edward and I talked about his family for a while, Bella adding a few things here and there.
What I got was that Emmett was the hilarious, huge, big brother with Rosalie, the beautiful, blond as a wife. Edward advised for me to steer clear of her for a while. Jasper was also Edward's brother, a little shy, yet refined. Alice, the pixie-like, friendly sister, was married to him. The masterminds behind all this, Carlisle and Esme, were inviting and loving. I was told to not be worried about being shunned . They were mostly welcoming. I didn't realize that Edward was driving extremely fast until Bella said, "Almost home, Kams." I tried not to show my surprise. I just said, "Wow, that was quick."
Finally, Edward slowed down and pulled into a windy driveway leading into the woods. I looked out the window at the almost completely black woods . I could still see the trees and leaves whizz by in a blur. Every now and then I would see a flash of something yellow in the woods. I disregarded it as an eye trick. We finally pulled up to a huge lit up mansion. It was monstrous yet homey at the same time. As we climbed out of the car and up the steps to the porch, Bella whispered to me to just relax. She could see I was extremely nervous. I lightened up a bit. Edward turned to me and smiled. I tried and failed to return it. I felt a tugging on my sweat pants. I looked down to see Nessie pulling on my sweat pants.
"Don't worry, Kameron. They'll love you." She said quietly to me. I was dumbfounded at her. She sounded so educated and old fashioned. It didn't even bother me that she used my real name instead of my nickname. It sounded so beautiful when she said it. I grinned at her and her lips twitched into a smirk like smile.
"Time to go in." Bella interrupted our moment with the sign to go in. Edward opened the door wide to reveal a beautifully layed out living room and open foyer. I decided that someone must have decorated the house, professionally. A grand piano was placed on a raised stage near the back of the room. The whole back wall was made completely of glass. It overlooked the towering forest and a rippling river. I was awe struck as a trudged slowly and clumsily over to the glass wall to examine the outside better. As I finally got to really look at the forest, someone's odd, singing voice rang out throught out the echoing room.
"They're back, guys! Come on!." I looked up to see a girl, about Edward's age, with cropped, spiky, dark brown hair. Her eyes were also a bright bronzy color. They seemed to be much larger and more defined with longer and softer eyebrows than Edwards. I was beginning to wonder if they all put on contacts for this one occasion. She couldn't possibly any taller than four foot ten, seeing as I was five foot and, as she was prancing down the stairs, almost dancing, she could barely be seen over the railing. She stepped off the stairs and continued to dance to Bella and me. Edward had moved off to the other side of the room with Renesmee to greet his entering family members.
"Hi Kami! I'm Alice Cullen , Edward and Bella's sister." She shook my hand quickly then took me in an embrace. Goodness, this whole coldness thing really was a Forks thing. She smiled up at me. "Here is your house warming gift." She handed me a small velvet box. She popped it open and showed me a small ring with a white pearl in the center.
I gasped. "Oh wow, Alice." I took it from her hands. "Thank you so much." I smiled and hugged her with one arm. I slipped on the ring and examined it. Pearls were my favorite stone ever. I wondered how they knew i wanted pearls...
"That's from all of us." Bella said into my ear, quietly as Alice walked away, meeting a tall man that just finished walking down the stairs. He had on skinny jeans and gray Converses with a light gray sweater. He leaned down to kiss Alice swiftly on the cheek and then the lips. He smiled and looked up at me, smile turning into a hurt expression. I nodded to him and tried to smile at him. He nodded back, tousling his honey blond hair. "That's Jasper." Bella said once again into my ear. She turned around slowly."If he looks like he is in pain, don't take it personal. He has.. a problem."
I heard booming laughter in the next room, which made me flinch. I barely noticed two beautiful adults walking towards us. The male had a firm physique, at least 6 inches taller than the shorter female walking next to him. He also had honey blond hair and, again, golden brown eyes. They both had the same eyes, really and truly. The female hair was a curly caramel-color that reminded me of a supermodels hair. She was a very thin, but not stick thin. She was curvy. Like me. Her welcoming smile brought me into them.
"Hello, Kami. My name is Carlisle and this is my wife, Esme." He shook my hand and flashed a model-like smile, white and wide, to me. Esme did the same as she bent over to hug me. They stepped back and Bellaslipped her arm around my waist to lead me to the edge of the room. "Here comes Emmett." Bella said bluntly. Right at that moment, a hulking man stepped out of the kitchen with a wacky grin on his face.
"There's my Bella!" He bounded over to Bella in two quick steps. He picked up Bella by the waist and hugged her enthusiastically. He set her down and turned to me, scared. "Well, hey there! I'm Emmett. But Bella must've told you all about me, huh?" He winked att me and bent down to hug me. They were all so cold. I was about to ask to go and retrieve my jacket from my suitcase. He let go and stared down at me. His eyes were the same, just as the others. I was afraid that his muscles were going to pop out of his long sleeve t-shirt. He never seemed to lose his silly grin and small dimples. He brushed through his dark, black curls every now and then. Then, as if a silent bell sounded for a dog to come back to his owner, Emmett turned suddenly and ran to the dark side of the room. Out from the shadows, the most beutiful being that I had ever laid eyes on emerged.
Her straight blond hair fell down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were a little darker than the rest of the families but stil had that golden tint. She had on a tweed green jacket with black trousers that made her pale skin even lighter. No sign of friendliness emitted from her, unlike everyone else. She didn't smile at me at all, barely acknowledging me except for a short nod to me when I must have stared for a little too long. She moved closer to Emmett and took his hand tightly in hers and Stared straight at Edward. Edward sucked in a breath of air and exhaled quickly. Emmett's smile was gone for the firsst time since i met him. He looked at me for a few seconds and lead the beautiful girl up the stairs and down a hallway.
"That was Rosalie. She doesn't take new comers too well. Trust me. I know." Bella told me. Everyone was talking amongst themselves. Alice to Jasper. Edward to Esme and Carlisle. Even Renesmee seemed to be in deep conversatio nwith her stuffed wolf. "I think it may be time to go to our cottage." Nessie seemed to have heard that.
"I agree." She said quietly, looking straight at me.
