Chapter One:

I really didn't have very many friends to begin with anyway. I had like a group of friends that I hung out with since we were babies, our parents being really good friends, but that was a long time ago, and I hardly talked to them anymore. Maybe a letter or card now and then, but other than that, not at all. My best friend had actually been my stepsister, but she lives with her mother. And I really only saw her once or twice a year, well, since her dad died that was.

My dad died overseas when I was 10 years old and when I was 13, my mom remarried, but I could tell that she never really moved on from my dad, and my stepfather died of cancer a few months ago. My best friend, Mary Ellen Brandon lived back in Mississippi with her mom, when he was still alive, she came around more, and stayed the whole summer last year after he was diagnosed, to spend more time with him.

Being an Empath, there were some things I couldn't so. A lot of places, even the TV could give off high levels of energy that made it hard for me to function. Though the latter didn't really affect me much, really, it depended on my mood.

Shaking my head, I grabbed a box nearest to me and started packing my books. I had easily over 100 books, mostly parts of series and a few other classics and whatnots. My mom had decided that we needed a fresh new start and she was moving us to Forks, Washington. On the other side of the country. We currently lived in Florida. I was no stranger to moving around, I was born in Huston, but because my dad was in the military, we moved around all over Texas, when he died was the first time that I had actually ever moved out of the state, and I did miss my home state.

But I understood where my mom was coming from about wanting a fresh start. I just wished it wasn't on the other side of the country. And you know how long it would take to get there? 45 hours. About 4 days give or take. Mom had it all planned out. Including us leaving at 5 in the morning. Though I asked her to stop a few times for a few minutes so I can get some postcards for my collection as we would be passing through 10 or 11 states, though those were mostly driving between state lines, but it was still a great opportunity to get more post cards for my collection.

While mom would drive, she was letting me set up the backseat so I could sleep, as I probably would most of the way, so I needed to get that set up tonight. I finished packing up my books and then threw a few things in a duffel bag to keep in the back with me. Mom had this great idea of how to save money by sleeping in the car instead of getting a motel room. She had this air mattress thing that was made for the car that she would blow up and put in the front to sleep, that way she could just sleep and then deflate it and start driving when she awoke. Sounded like a win-win.

I picked up my duffel bag, my purse and another little tote bag that would contain my laptop, phone, I-pod some movies and books in it for the long ride. If I get bored, I would go to that bag and get whatever I wanted. I also made sure that my camera was handy in case I would want to take pictures. I headed downstairs and out to my mom's SUV and put my bags in there on the floorboard.

Then for the next few hours, my mom and me, and a couple movers from my uncle's company loaded up the moving van and the car. Nothing was left in the house except the stuff that mom would pack in the morning and the beds and most of the other furniture. Mom had ordered new bedroom suites for the both of us, so, they would be there when we got to Forks. After having pizza for supper, I told mom that I was getting my shower and heading to bed.

"Okay, good night Rhea Belle." She said.

"Night Momma."

I headed back upstairs to get a shower and changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

I was awoken the next morning at 4:30 by mom. "Alright darling, time to get up, you can go back to sleep once we leave." She said. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes sleepily, and got up, pulling on the clothes that I had laid out, a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I slipped on my shoes and grabbed my pillows and blankets and walked those out to the car and set up the backseat comfortably, laying down a couple of the blankets and putting all my pillows against the other door.

A half hour later, we were ready to go, and I climbed into the car, and kicked off my shoes once I closed the door and pulled my blanket over me. The motion of the car putting me to sleep.