Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fanfic. They were all created by the lovely Stephenie Meyer. Although Addison was my own creation, his vampiric abilities and qualities weren't. You get the picture. This applies for all the chapters.
I woke to a typical morning in Phoenix. Sunlight was streaming in through my window, giving the room a cheerful appearance. Slowly, I got up, trying my best not to trip on the clutter scattered about the floor of my room. I fumbled sleepily for the cord to lift up her blinds. Blinking as the full force of the sun shone directly into my eyes, I looked out over the flat, suburban landscape of my hometown.
I sighed and stretched, luxuriating in the warmth of the day. Then, with a sinking feeling, I remembered that rather than being able to relax this weekend, I'd have to work on my research paper for history. Then I would have to supervise Renee as she went to her boyfriend's baseball game. My mother could be very absentminded, and she often needed to be taken care of. I was glad that she had found a man, even if he was younger than she. I thought she would be happier that way.
I dressed in a light green tank top and khaki shorts. Light and comfortable; they were the perfect clothes for Phoenix. I tried to run a brush through my hair, but it was so tangled and knotted that it was impossible. I sighed, and pulled out my ever-useful bottle of hair detangle spray. The label of this small, black bottle was worn off from use. Using quick bursts, I sprayed some into my hair, watching it relax the tiniest bit. Finally, I managed to get the brush through all my knots, but not without loss of some hair.
I had intended to go directly down to eat breakfast, but I stopped one more time in front of the bathroom mirror, examining myself critically. I had always thought of myself as extremely plain compared to other people. What I was most frustrated with, however, was my lack of skin color. I was pale as death, even though I lived in one of the sunniest states in the United States. I'd had this particular thought thousands of times and though I'd never voiced the concern to anyone, it bothered me. I couldn't understand why I was so different from other people. Living in Arizona, I should be tan, blond, and lean. But I was exactly the opposite. I looked like I had never seen the sun before.
Tearing myself away from the mirror, and my personal reflections, I hurried down the stairs, stumbling in my rush to get something for breakfast. I pulled open the pantry, and shifted my weight from foot to foot until I decided to grab a box of cereal. I poured it out, put milk in, and began spooning it into my mouth. Then, something odd struck me. I looked around, and suddenly it became very obvious. Renee. I felt slightly agitated, so I took a deep breath before rushing off to find my mother.
As I entered her messy, yellow room, I found her sitting on a yoga mat. I racked my brains, trying to think of when she had started this new hobby. I drew a blank, which wasn't surprising. Renee had tried all kinds of leisure pursuits, and none of them had ever caught her interest for more than a year. I cleared my throat lightly, hoping that it would catch her attention without startling her. She hadn't appeared to notice my presence yet. I coughed more loudly, and her eyes flew open. She toppled directly over from the meditation position she was in. So much for not startling her.
When she sat back up, her expression was shocked. I had to press my lips together tightly to stifle laughter. "I'm sorry, Mom," I finally managed. "I tried not to startle you." I then remembered my original purpose here, and added, "You forgot that Phil's baseball game is today." Renee's eyes widened at the mention of her boyfriend. She hastily rose, and began to throw on clothes quickly.
I went back down to my breakfast, leaving Renee to get dressed. That was one thing she rarely spaced on. I chewed my cereal, listening for my mother's footsteps on the stairs. When I heard them, I called out, "Mom, don't forget sunscreen and a hat!"
Renee came into view, and said, "Oh, yes. Do you remember where I put my bottle of sunscreen?" She searched the kitchen with her eyes.
"You took it to the pool on Wednesday, remember?" I asked. I walked over to her pool bag and grabbed the small bottle of sunscreen. She took it from me gratefully.
"Thank you," she said, kissing me on the cheek. "I'll call you when the game's over, okay? Are you sure you don't want to come?"
"I'll be fine here, Mom," I assured her. "Do you remember how to get to the ballpark?" Phil played minor league baseball, and I was worried that she might end up at the wrong field.
Renee ran her fingers through her short, dark hair. Her mouth turned up at the corners, bringing the laugh lines around her eyes into prominence. "I'll be fine," she promised me. "If I get lost, I'll call."
I acquiesced with good grace. I realized that I couldn't guide my mother through every step of her life, though sometimes I felt like I needed to. She left for the game, and I finished my breakfast, putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
Since we already had dinner ingredients for that night, I was free to work on my research paper. I started up the computer, and began to take notes off all the websites I could find on my topic.
The hours stretched on as I labored. Eventually, I began to develop a piercing headache from the constant work. I put down my pencil, and stretched, flexing all my cramped muscles. I looked at the clock, and saw that it was late afternoon. The sun wasn't as bright now, and the temperature had cooled minutely.
On an impulse, I decided to go for a walk and take a break from schoolwork. I scrawled a note in my messy handwriting to my mother, just in case she came home while I was gone. I searched out the house key, and put it in my pocket. I walked out onto the still-sweltering street, locking the door behind me.
I began my stroll around the neighborhood, stopping when I saw another person walking directly toward me. I strained my eyes, looking toward the person, not recognizing him or her as a neighbor.
Still slowly, the figure came ever closer down the street. The first thing I could make out about this person was that he was male. That didn't help to narrow down my choices. Then I could see that the man had black hair, and seemed to be pale as chalk. This disturbed me a little, for even though I was pale, I looked almost tan compared to this man. Then, suddenly, I could see every feature of him clearly. I almost fell over in amazement. This man was absolutely flawless, and the most beautiful person I had ever seen. He had prominent cheekbones, and a winning smile playing about his face. However, there was another thing about him that disturbed me even more than his skin. His eyes were a glistening, ruby red. They gave him a sinister look, but his beauty in all other aspects counteracted them.
As he walked- or rather glided, he was so graceful- to a halt in front of me, I felt frozen; completely unable to move. He held out his hand and said with a soft British accent, "Hello. I'm Addison."
AN: Please review! I'll write the next chapter as fast as possible, but reviews make me feel loved. )