Hello! This first chapter is by ' the book fanatic '. We are working together on this story even though it is on ' Mariead Nesbitt's ' account. Hope you like it!!

:-) The Book Fanatic

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"Claire Carter," the announcer for my graduation from the college of william and Mary called my name. I walked up the isle smiling at my friends as I passed and took my degree in physiology. I smiled proudly as I sat back down.

I felt like the luckiest person in the world. After graduation my parents and friends were going to have dinner a a tavern in the colonial town of Williamsburg and then I would go live with my 96 year old grandmother in Forks, Washington. There I would set up a room in her house as my Physiologist office.

Time passed quickly and before I realized what was happening I threw my cap in the air and my life in college was over. The evening passed quickly with my friends. We said our goodbyes, good lucks, and premisses to keep in touch. In the blink of an eye I was boarded on a plane in Richmond and on my way to the airport in Seattle. I looked out the window and Watched as the plane dipped below the golden clouds and landed .

I rented an old Ford pickup truck and got on the highway. I couldn't believe my eyes. Virginia was green and forested but if it was possible Washington was even greener. The sun was starting to set when I pulled onto a read with a super small run-down sign that read "Forks". I followed the directions the mother gave me to my grandmothers house. Al last I pulled up in the front of a small, gray, shabby two storied house. I grimaced as the light from my car showed a neglected yard full of overgrown weeds. Grabbing my suitcase out of the truck I ran up the sidewalk and knocked on the door.

"Thats odd," thought to myself when I recognized the wreath hanging on a peg from the door was made of garlic.

My mind didn't have time to ponder because the door flung open revealing a gray walled room with doilies all over the dark brown furniture. My grandmother stood at the door wobbling for support on her red and white striped cane. I wasn't sure what to make of her. She had wrinkles everywhere! Ten-thousand wrinkles under and around her eyes. Her forehead was made up of tiny lines, skin sagged off her chin. I forced myself not to stare at her face so I looked up at her eyes and said merrily, "Hello Grandma Rosemary!"

"Is that you Claire?" she asked smiling (to my dismay) to show a mouth empty of teeth.

"Yes I'm here now,' I said smiling (thankfully I had teeth to show), "here, let me help you sit down somewhere," and placed my hands on her shoulder and waist.

"Thank you," she replied in a squeaky voice and to my surprise added, "but I can move my own damn legs."

With that I watched her struggle each step until she plopped in a little pink seat covered with doilies. I left my suitcase by the stairs, entered the living room, and took a seat on a worn out yellow patterned love seat. My grandmother picked up the TV remote and tuned in to some person who wouldn't stop smiling make ing a casserole.

"Its nice to see you," I said happily while trying to get comfy on the couch which was next to impossible considering you could feel the springs any way you positioned yourself.

"YOu to," she replied in the high pitched voice.

"Would you like me to make dinner?" I asked, hoping for something useful to do.

"All ready ate," she replied, never taking her eyes off the TV, "I think there's tuna in the fridge if your hungry though."

"Cool," I replied and went to the kitchen which to my horror had even more doilies, spread out all over the counters.

I sighed and hurried to the fridge. My eyes must have popped right out of my head because the only thing in the fridge was tuna. Stacks and stacks of tuna fish. Tuna everywhere! I searched around the stacks of tuna or should I say " the Tuna Armada," and found a single jar of garlic and a jug of extra palp orange juice.

"Wow grandma!" I called while I searched around the kitchen for a plate," you sure have a lot of tuna."

"What?" she croaked back.

I sighed, "Never mined.'

At last I found a paper plate stuck behind and extra supply of doilies in the cabinet. I hadn't eaten since this morning unless you count a Sprite and a little bag of peanuts the flight attendants hand around as lunch. Bottom line was I hardly noticed the taste of tuna. I scarfed the can down in a minute flat. I stifled a yawn and went to sit back in the living room with grandma.

"That was quick," she said gruffly, never taking her eyes off the TV.

"So, umm, what have you been doing all these years? I haven't seen you for awhile," I asked casually, breaking the awkward silence.

With her eyes still glued to the TV grandma croaked out, "I've been aging. Hows my daughter?"

"Oh mom?" I couldn't believe she just asked me a question, "Moms great! She's taking a pottery class right now. I think she's really enjoying it."

Of course I couldn't expect grandma to say how wonderful that was.

No all she said was, "What a waste of time."

And that was the end of that.

After five more minutes she crocked," I'm a goin' to bed."

I got us after her and watched her stumble up the stairs. I stood behind her in case she fell, but she never did. After 15 minutes we were at the top of the stairs.

"Well, goodnight grandma," I said and smiled.

"'Night," she said shortly and reached her wrinkled hand for her bedroom door.

Just like the front door, her door had a garlic wreath hanging from a thumbtack. There was also a very large cross.

"Um, grandma." I said when she started to open the door, "why is the wreath made of garlic?"

She scowled, at least I think she did. Her wrinkles lined up under her narrowed eyes and she said, " To keep the blasted vampires out of my house!" and added, "I'm determined to die of old age."

With that she shut the door in my face . I might of laughed if she didn't seem so down right serious about it all.

I sighed and walked down to the end of the hall. There were three rooms upstairs: two bedrooms and a bathroom. I wasn't exactly thrilled about the one bathroom part but I tried not to think about that. At the end of the hall there were two doors. I chose the door on the left and by luck of chance it was the second bedroom, my bedroom from now on.

I set my suitcase by the dresser and switched the lamp on. The walls were gray, like the rest of the house, there was a white laced curtain of the only window, a beat up dark wood dresser, and a bad. The bed had one gigantic doilies laid daintily over the quilt. I mean, this doilies was the size of four large pizzas alone! I shuddered as I folder the mongo doily neatly and dropped it on top of the dresser.

I quickly changed into my pajamas, retrieved my toothbrush and tooth paste from my suitcase and walked to the bathroom. I never realized how good it felt to brush my teeth, my mouth no longer tasted like tuna. I frowned when I looked in the mirror. My dark brown hair seemed to have a mind of its own. Only a minute passed before I was out like a light in my bed.

That night I dreamed of vampires. In the beginning of my dream I was talking to a patient. Next thing I knew I was running in the forest. Someone was with me, but I didn't know who. Then saw the eyes. They were golden tawney, I wasn't sure if they were friendly of not. Then I saw red eyes, the color of wet blood. Thats when I woke up with the sun light shinning strait into my eyes.

I got ready for the day and headed downstairs. My grandma was in her usual place in front of the TV eating scrambled eggs.

"Wow, hold on a second," I said to myself. I didn't remember seeing eggs in the fridge.

"Good morning grandma," I said pleasantly.

'Mornin' ," she croaked back at me while she stuffed a spoonful of eggs in her mouth, half rolled out and spilled down her chin and into her lap.

I shivered and said still smiling, "Were did the eggs come from grandma/"

She swallowed the eggs in her mouth and replied, "The girl down the road, Angela's her name, brings me breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During the summer at least. Her mom brings me lunch when she's at school. She's going to college this fall."

I murmured something like, "thats nice of her" or "cool". Then I added "Hey grandma, I'm going to go to the store to get some supplies,"

She just nodded so I jumped into the rental car and took off down the road. My first plan was to return the rental cat to the Avis Rent A Car place in a town nearby called La Push. Then I would buy the cheapest working car on the spot. I made my way across the roads and passed a sign labeled " La Push".

Before I knew it I traded the rental car over and bought a cheap old navy blue truck. The paint was peeling off and rust was claiming it. The seats were torn up and there were stains everywhere, but at least it ran. I drove right back to Forks.

"First stop, grocery store," I said to myself as I pulled up in front of a store.

I ts ended up being more or less and everything kind of store. I just about bought everything too.

I arrived back at my grandmothers house three hours later, my truck was loaded to the brim with supplies.

"Hey grandma/" I called out cheerfully when I stepped in the house.

I walked into the living room and found my grandma sitting in front of the TV with a girl who was holding a pan of mashed potatoes.

"Oh hello," I said smiling, "I'm Claire Carter, you must be Angela right?"

She blushed shyly and said, "Yes, I live next door."

"Cool," I said giving a big smile.

Then I said to grandma, "I bought some groceries. I'm going to put them in the fridge now, ok?"

"Sure," grandma replied taking the mash-potatoes from Angela and started to dig into them.

"Can I help?" Angela asked hopeful.

"Yes, I would be glad of an extra hand," I replied and headed toward my truck.

We talked together happily as we finished unloading the last of the junk from me truck.

"Well, I suppose I won't have to bring food over anymore huh?" she said when we were finished.

"Not anymore," I replied smiling and then added, "maybe you could come over sometime. We could attempt to make make my grandmother something fancy for dinner, I'm not much of a cook though,"

"That would be fun," Angela said and smiled.

I smiled too. Forks was beginning to work out for me.