Chapter 1: First Glimpse
Disclaimer: This story is mainly based on twilight (my version) with some OC, OCC and differences; still I do not own twilight. This is Stephanie Meyer's work.
AN: This is my first fanfic and not sure how this works but bare with me and my ideas
BPOV
My mother drove my fraternal twin sister and I to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a perfect cloudless blue. I was wearing my favourite shirt-sleeveless, white eyelet lace; I was wearing it as a farewell gesture. My carry on was a parka. My younger sister Jessica was at the back, staring out the window in a black trance. She herself was wearing an animated shirt, featuring Little Miss Trouble from The Mr Men Show.
The thing is about my little sister is that you can say she is troubled. When mom gave birth to us there were complications involved, whilst I came into the world crying; my sister had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. I heard she almost didn't make it and was diagnosed with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. The doctors explained to mom and my dad, Charlie, that she may have developed it because of the lack of oxygen or a chromosomal disorder. Jessica had a hard time talking to and making friends; she had fits about the minuscule of things and if weren't for the snippets of words that she would say to mom and I, people would've thought she was mute. However she had good points. She always smiled; a huge daydreamer; great in art and was a stupendous listener. I loved her.
We were heading toward the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington state, a small town named Forks exists under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains on this inconsequential town more than any other place in the United States of America. It was from this town and its gloomy, omnipresent shade that our mother escaped with us when we were only a few moths year old. It was in this town that we'd be compelled to spend a moth every summer until we were fourteen. Not that Jessica minded as long she was with me. That was the year I finally put my foot down; these past three summers, our dad vacationed with us in California for two weeks instead. It was to Forks that I now exiled both my sister and I to-an action that only I took in great horror. I detested Forks.
I loved Phoenix. I love the sun and the blistering heat. I loved the vigorous, sprawling city.
"Bella," mom said to me-the last thousand times- before we got onto the plane. "You don't have to do this, neither do you Jess."
My mom looks like me, except with short hair and laugh lines. I felt a spasm as I stared at her wide, childlike eyes; much like my sister's to the T. How could I leave our loving, hairbrained mother to fend for herself? Of course she had Phil now, who was terrific with Jess, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the refrigerator, gas in the car, and someone to call when she got loss, but still…
"We want to go don't we Jess," I lied. Jess nodded agreeing with me before blanking out in another daydream. I've always been a bad liar, but I'd been saying this lie so frequently lately that is sounded almost convincing now.
"Tell Charlie I said hi."
"I will."
"I'll see you guys soon," she insisted. "You can come home whenever you want-I'll come right back as soon as you girls need me."
But I could see the sacrifice in her eyes behind the promise.
"Don't worry about us," I urged. "It'll be great. We love you mom."
She hugged both Jess and I tightly for a minute, and then holding Jess's hand I got on the plane, and she was gone.
It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane up to Port Angeles, and then another hour drive back to Forks. Flying didn't bother me; the hour in the car with Charlie, though, I was a little worried about. Charlie had really been fairly nice about the whole thing He was also genuinely pleased that Jess and I was coming to live with him for the first time with any degree of permanence. He'd already gotten us registered for high school for high school and was going to help me get a car.
But it was sure awkward with Charlie. Neither of us was what you call verbose, and I didn't know what there was to say regardless. I knew he was more than a little confused by my decision, as Jess was fine with anything I do-and like my mother before, I hadn't made it a secret of my distaste for Forks. At least Jess will make it bearable.
When we landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. I didn't see it as an omen-just unavoidable. I'd already said my goodbyes to the sun. Charlie was waiting for us with the cruise. This I expecting, too. Charlie is Police Chief Swan to the good people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refused to be driven around town in a car with red and blue light on top. Much to the delight of my little sister. Nothing slows downs traffic like a cop.
Charlie gave me an awkward, onesided hug when I stumbled off the plane. He then stumbled and blushed when Jess launched into his arms for a hug; something he and I had in common, we were uncomfortable with physical affection.
"Good to see you Bells, you too Jess," he said, smiling as he steadied himself and fetching Jess's bags. "You guys haven't changed much. How's Renee?"
"Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face.
I had only a few bags. Most of my Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. My mom and I had pooled in our resources to supplement Jess's winter wardrobe, and mine but it was still scanty. It all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.
"I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in.
"What kind of car?" I was suspicious of the way he said "good car for you" as opposed to just "good car".
"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy."
"Where did you find it?"
"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Indian reservation on the coast.
"No."
"He used to go fishing with us during the summer," Charlie prompted.
That would explained why I didn't remember him. I do a good job at blocking painful, unnecessary things from my memory.
"He's in a wheelchair right now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap."
"What year is it?" I could see from his change of expression that this was the question that he was hoping I wouldn't ask.
"Well Billy's done a lot of work on the engine- it's only a few years old, really."
I hoped he didn't think so little of me as to believe I would give up that easily.
"When did he buy it?"
"He bought it in 1984, I think."
"Did he buy it new?"
"Well, no. I thin k it was new in the early sixties-or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted sheepishly.
"CH-dad, I don't really know anything about cars. I wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and I couldn't afford a mechanic…"
"Really, Bella the thing runs great. They don't build like that anymore."
The thing, I thought to myself…it had possibilities-as a nickname at least.
"How cheap is cheap?" After all, that was the part I couldn't compromise on.
"Well, honey I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." Charlie peeked sideways at me with a hopeful expression. Wow. Free.
"You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car."
"I don't mind. I want you and Jess to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Charlie wasn't comfortable either with displaying emotions out loud. I inherited that from him. So I was looking straight ahead as I responded.
"That's really nice, dad. Thanks. I really appreciate it."
No need to add that my being happy in Forks is an impossibility compared to my sister. He didn't need to suffer along with me. And I never looked a free truck in the month-or engine.
"Well. Now your welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks. We exchanged a few more comments as Jess yet again was staring out the window, mumbling to herself. Forks itself was beautiful. I couldn't deny that. Everything was green: the tree, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered in ferns. Even the air was filtered down greenly through the leaves.
It was too green-an alien place.
Eventually we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, three-bedroom house that he'd bought with out mother in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had-the early ones. There, parked on the street infront of the house that never changed, was my new-well, new to me- truck. It was a faded re colour, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprised, I loved it. I inwardly smiled as I saw Jess wrinkled her nose at the colour. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged-the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounding by pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed.
"Wow, dad, I love it! Thanks!" Now my horrific day tomorrow with my sister would be just that much less dreadful. We wouldn't be face with the choice of either walking two miles in the rain or accepting a ride in the Chief's cruiser.
"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again. I took only one trip to get both Jess's and my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the yard and hers was next to mine. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellow lace curtains around the window-these were all a part of my childhood along with Jessica's. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as I thought.
One of the best things about Charlie is he doesn't hover. He left us alone to unpack-well, I unpacked Jess took a nap, -and get settled, a feat that would been altogether impossible for my mother. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and look pleased; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and just let the tears escape. I sniffed quietly as I wiped my tears with my hand, I will save the marathon of tears for bedtime, right now I need to prep myself for the morning.
Forks high school had a frightening total on only three hundred and fifty seven-now fifty nine- students; there were more than seven hundred people in my junior year alone back home. All the kids had grown up together and undoubtedly and instantaneously know who will or had transferred into their territory.
Truthfully whilst I was nervous about being criticized for not looking like a Phoenix girl, I was more worried for Jess. While we both are not used to being social with others beside each other. I didn't relate well to people my age. Maybe the truth was that I didn't relate to people, period. Even my mother, who I was closer to any other adults, was never in harmony with me, never on the same page. I'm fine with that but I feel that Jess will be ostracized more because of her condition and will be bullied.
Breakfast was a quiet event with Charlie. He wished us luck at school and gruffly asked us to tell him if anything was to go wrong, which I hoped won't happen. I didn't want to be early for school but Jess insisted with her constant pouting and shoving her art diary close to my face, indicating she wanted to go to draw things at school. Reluctantly I agreed and we donned our jackets on and headed out into the rain, on our way to the first day of hell.
Finding the school wasn't that complicated, though I've never been there before. It was just down the highway and had a blaringly obvious sign declaring it to be a school. I parked in front of the FRONT OFFICE and unwillingly stepped out into the rain and walked with Jess down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door.
Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange checked commercial carpet and the usual office stuff. Behind one of the desks was a red haired woman with glasses. She looked up at us. "Can I help you."
"I'm Isabella Swan and this is my sister Jessica Swan," I informed her, awareness immediately lit up her eyes. Gossip sure goes around in this small town. Daughters of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last.
"Of course," she said handing our schedules and maps and then hastily bid us farewell. My eyes met the dark brown, almost black eyes, of my sister who questioned silently about my schedule. We had no matching classes, we only had lunch together. As she hugged me goodbye I whispered in her ear for luck and to behave herself.
English wasn't bad, the teacher didn't make me introduce myself and I'd already read all the books on the list she had given me. I however ran into a gangly boy with slick, black hair that I found out was Eric Yorkie. He, in my opinion was too eager and close to me. He asked me questions that had obvious answers like the weather and my lack of tan. When he bid me goodbye I was relieved, only to be pestered more in my other classes. Like Jessica Stanley who was in my Trig and Spanish who can never stop talking, she was nice enough, if not a bit too loud, she graciously invited me and my sister to sit with her at lunch.
It was there in the lunchroom that I saw them. They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from the rest of the students. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big-muscled like a serious weightlifter, with dark curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky with untidy, unruly bronze hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college or even a teacher. The girls were opposite. The tall one was like a swimsuit model of Sports Illustrated and the dark haired one was pixie like in every way from her petite form to the sharp flicks of her short hair. All of them devastatingly beautiful.
"Ohh you're eyeing the Cullens," said Jessica Stanley. "The big one that looks like he's on steroids is Emmett who is dating the Blondie with the totally fake bust, the blonde guy that look like he's in pain is Jasper and the midget is his girlfriend Alice. The totally gorgeous sex god is Edward Cullen-"
"Don't even bother Becca, they're not available and Edward is so like out of your league," Stanley's fish lipped friend Lauren snapped. She must have been rejected by him and perhaps all the Cullen boys. I guess my sis didn't like the way she talked to me and with the milk she was drinking she spat it in her face.
"AHHHHHH!" screeched Lauren. "You retarded bitch! You ruined my clothes!" Lauren didn't just stop there. She sneered more insults and screeched even more, looking like a deranged monkey.
Everyone was laughing at her, even the Cullens I peaked in the corner of my eye. It was indeed amusing with her pitiful, platinum blonde hair dripping with milk and her make up smeared and ruined, the bonus was her face. Red with anger and humiliation.
SLAP!
My eyes narrowed at the narcissistic bitch when I saw Jess's cheek was red with Laurens hand imprint. Her eyes started to water in tears and before I could stop her she ran out of the cafeteria. "Not cool Lauren," commented a baby face blonde boy. The rest of her friends murmured in agreement and told her she overreacted. Lauren spluttered her excuses but seeing everyone's face full of judgment she huffed and flipped her hair with her perfectly manicured hand and stalked off.
Soon after the fiasco, I received a text from Jess that she was going home I wanted to run after my sister but I had to attend my last period-she insisted-, which was Biology.
When I entered the room I notice that baby face and a few others was in my class. All the tables were filled but I then recognized Edward Cullen, by his hair, had an open seat. As I walked down to introduce myself to the teacher and get my slip signed, I was watching him surreptitiously. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat, his jaw clenched and his eyes burned with hostility and fury. I also noticed that his eyes were black-coal black. I quickly looked away burned by the intensity of the hateful stare. This was going to be a long lesson.
Seeing as there were no other spare seats to relieve me from the death stare, I hesitantly sat down next to him. However as I took my seat, I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and adverting his face like he smelled something bad. Subtlety, I sniffed my hair. It smelled like strawberries, the scent of my favorite shampoo. It wasn't a horrible odor. If it was not my smell, then why did he stare at me with that gaze? Did I do something? I let my hair fall over my right shoulder, making a dark curtain between us, and tried to pay attention to Mr Banner,
Unfortunately what today's lesson was about cellular anatomy, something that I had already studied. But I took notes anyway to keep myself busy but I couldn't seem to stop looking at him. His postured never relaxed nor change. I could see his left hand on his left clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still it looked like he wasn't breathing. What on earth was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? Was he like Jess in a way?
Taking my chances, I peeked up at him one more time, and instantly regretted it. He was glaring down at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. As I flinched away from him, shrinking against my chair, the phrase if looks can kill suddenly ran through my head. At the moment, the bell rang loudly; making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose and was out of the door before anyone else was out of their seat. I sat frozen in my seat, staring blankly after him. He was so mean. It wasn't fair. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me, for fear my eyes would tear up. For some reason, my temper was hardwired to by ear ducts.
Gym today wasn't any better. I was hit by volleyballs, tripped to many times to count and may have possibly knocked out or given a few concussions to my teammates. When the final bell rang, I walked slowly to the office to return my paper work. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong, and colder. When I entered the warm office, I almost turned around and walk back.
There stood Edward freaking Cullen with his oh to easy recognizable bronze hair. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance, too busy in the gist of arguing with the receptionist. He was trying to trade from six-hour Biology to another time-any time. I couldn't believe this was about me. It had to be something else, something that happened before I entered the Biology room. It was impossible for this stranger could take on such intense dislike to me.
The door opened again, the cold wind suddenly gusted through the room, rustling paper on the desk, swirling my hair around my face. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me- his face was absurdly handsome- with piercing, hate-filled eyes. For an instant, I felt a thrill of genuine fear, raising the hair on my arms. The look only lasted a second, but it chilled me more than the freezing wind. He turned back to the receptionist.
"Never mind, then," he said hastily in a voice like velvet. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me, and disappeared out the door.
I went meekly to the desk, my face white for once instead of red, and handed her the signed slip.
"How did your day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.
"Fine." I lied, my voice weak. She didn't look convinced. When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. It seemed like a haven, already the closest thing to home I had in this damp green hole. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield blankly. But soon I was cold enough to need the heater, so I turned the key and the engine roared to life. I headed back to Charlie's house, fighting tears the whole way there.
When I arrived home and stepped into the house, Charlie walked up to me and gruffly asked, "How's your day?" which I gave the same answer. Fine. He then started to interrogate me about why Jess was crying, pursing my lips I honestly told him that she just have a bad day and wasn't used to the school. Luckily for me he accepted the answer, even though it was a blatant lie. After our discussion about making new friends, I walked towards my sister's room. Seeing her form under the duvets I sat on the edge of the beds and peeled the blanket back. She wasn't even sleeping, at all. Staring into her sad, dim eyes I took her into my arms and stoked her hair; whispering and promising that tomorrow will be better. I even praised her at what she did to Lauren and described in great, exaggerated detail how she looked. I received a small giggle in response as she nuzzled into my neck. Who cares if Edward Cullen hates me for no reason and became an ass, what matters is my sister's happiness. Who cares if he glares at me with those frightening, mesmerizing, coal black eyes? The twinkle of mirth
In my sister's brown eyes was a better and more precious gift.
