Chapter 1

Bella

Ten year old Bella Swan was sitting on a bench in the park near her house. It was a Saturday and she liked to visit the place.

The weather was warm but moist. She didn't tie her hair although her mom told her to. That was before. Now she just wanted to be free and take in her surroundings. Her brown eyes took in all the people around her. She saw a family having a picnic yards away from her. Suddenly she felt sick.

How she wished Charlie was with them.

Charlie and her mother had a big argument that caused them to split. Bella didn't like it, but she had to cope with it.

She looked around to search for…what? A friend, maybe?

Her eyes scanned the place. Then they stopped. She thought she saw…gems? She wasn't sure. She strained her neck. Was that what she saw?

Her eyes scanned the park again. There. Standing by the gate were four people. They all wore jackets that reached their wrists. They were under the shade of a tree. Bella was shocked. Jackets on a hot day?

There were three men and a girl. The girl is blond and certainly the prettiest she has ever seen in her life. She had the palest of pale skin and bright eyes. From the distance, she wasn't sure if her eyes were brown or gold. The girl seemed to be talking to the man beside her, who Bella guessed as her partner. The guy had dark hair and the same skin. He seemed to be the strongest of the group, considering his muscles.

Bella watched the couple, fascinated.

The girl smiled at something the boy said. Suddenly she had the urge to name those people. They were definitely interesting enough to earn names from her.

The blond will be Diane. The strongest will be Mike.

She scanned the other two near them. All of them were so pale. One man looked the oldest of them all, though she wasn't sure if "oldest" was the proper word. He looked mature and fatherly, sure. But he looked like a movie star. His smile was kind and caring. Bella wanted a father like that. Adrian. That will be his name.

Her eyes went to the last man. He was lanky and certainly attractive. His head was bowed, which made his features not so recognizable, but Bella was certain he was the most good looking. She could see the outline of his sharp jaw.

Edward. Yes, that will be his name. The name just popped into her mind. She thought she heard an angelic voice…a male voice call the name.

No, that was only her imagination.

She looked at the sky. She realized she had been staring for too long. Perhaps they've discovered that she was staring. They might mistake her for a stalker.

But her eyes just can't let go of them. They're too beautiful.

She looked at Edward. In a very fast motion that she wasn't sure if he had moved at all, Edward brought his face up and his eyes landed on her face.

She was right. Edward was the best looking. His lips were set into a straight line. His eyes were knowing, alert. Bella guessed his age to be seventeen.

Edward narrowed his eyes at her and Bella felt her heartbeat pick up. Her heart was hammering hard in her chest. To her comfort, a cold breeze blew, relieving her of the heat.

Edward brought his face up more. Bella narrowed her eyes at him, curious. After a moment, Edward bowed again. A minute passed then he looked at her, his eyes hard and his smile ravenous. Bella's heart almost stopped. Her stare hardened. She was sure the guy was dangerous.