I do not own any of the Twilight series characters, ya know...the usual
Chapter 1 – First Day
It was high school again, but this time it wasn't going to be so daunting; this time I had Edward and Renesmee. It didn't seem fair to deprive Nessie of a normal childhood experience just because she wasn't a normal child. Nessie was 18 years old now, but looked like any normal 15 year old, and smarter than an encyclopedia. She'd spend her whole life in deep conversation with a group of vampires. Each one trying to pass on all the knowledge and life experience they had to our blessing, the vampire child - my daughter.
We all sat at the table that not but 19 years ago only held the five Cullen Children; things surely had changed. Now the eight of us, one bit not always, but generally happy family sat there.
It had been argued many nights just to let Jacob and Nessie go to school together. It went; Jacob and Nessie would argue their point, occasionally dragging an aunt or uncle to their side, then the rest of us would argue against them. Carlisle would always end it saying "Let's let the parents decide."
Edward and I felt strongly about not letting Nessie out of our sight. Not that I didn't think Jacob could protect her, no so long ago I'd entrusted her life to him, but now was different. He wasn't a vampire, he was a werewolf, he couldn't hear the thoughts of the other kids, and he couldn't predict the future. Jacob cared about Nessie greatly, but it takes more than love sometimes. Sometimes it takes a not-so-human shield. We all had a purpose within our family and we weren't going to break that up.
"It's settled, you all will enroll back into Forks High School" Carlisle would say. Up until we actually did the fighting continues. The only time it wasn't an ever present elephant standing in the room was when Nessie and Jacob slept. I tried to imagine what it was like for them, mortal and yet not. Nessie wouldn't ever grow any bigger; she'd forever be frozen in her mid teens, just a couple years younger than her own mother and father. Jacob was a mere 16 years old, as tall as a giant and stuck in his adolescence. He'd never grow old as long as he continued to make use of his wolf form, and as long as Nessie wanted him around he'd find a way to use it.
So two weeks ago we all went down to the school for high school orientation and registration. Edward scanned the thoughts of the staff for any hint of recognition, while Alice scanned our future to see any impending danger. Luckily for us most of the teachers had retired, and the ones that didn't couldn't recall any of us. After years of teaching in a small town, each year a new set of faces, they'd grown accustomed to the similarities between family members. They dismissed all resemblances as strong genetics and moved on. Everything looked good for high school - round two.
We worked out some of the details before heading out; we all got so used to pretending that it didn't take any effort anymore.
Hello, I'm Bella Wolfe; this is my boyfriend Edward Cullen. My brother Jacob and his girlfriend Renesmee Hale. This is her brother Jasper and sister Rosalie. Jasper is dating Alice, Edward's sister, as well as Rosalie is dating Edward's brother Emmett. We live with our foster parents Carlisle and Esme. One big happy family.
"What are they thinking Edward?" Emmett asked. He was always curious if people were afraid of us, more specifically afraid of him.
"Nothing unusual yet!" He answered. "A lot of questions about where we came from, who we are." I could tell he was holding something back - I'd have to ask him about it later.
Nessie put her hand to my palm and I began to see what she had already done today. Her first class, the notes she took down excitedly even though she already knew the subject, it was easy to see how happy she was even if her parents aunts and uncles had to go to school with her. She showed me Jacob and her walking down the hallway hand in hand and getting stopped by a teacher. He yelled at them for "Public Displays of Affection." I could hear them both laugh as they walked away, clasping each others hands as soon as they were out of the line of sight.
My feeling for Jacob ran almost as deep as Nessie's - he was my best friend, my daughter's soul mate, and like a brother and a son to me all at the same time. When I was human I begged to be able to love Jacob like I do now and until he imprinted on my daughter, I didn't think it was going to be possible. I was terrified that I would have to lose him to be with my only love, Edward. Fate had different plans, just like I once thought I was created to be a vampire and now I knew I was destined to be so much more than that.
Jacob and Nessie were the only ones at the table who ate real food, although we all grabbed trays full of it. Edward liked to call it our props; Rosalie called it 'dog treats' as Jacob would always steal whatever we weren't playing with and eat it. It was amazing how they still couldn't get along after all these years together. Jacob silently thought it was because he once got 'food in her hair'. Edward and I knew it was because Rosalie had to be angry at something so she can concentrate on anything. After I had Nessie she couldn't be angry at me, so Jacob was the only logical choice. After all, he was the only one with a choice to be normal - and he chose otherwise.
"I guess I'm going to have to work harder" Emmett said as he punched his fist into his open hand, interrupting my concentration.
"Can't you at least wait a week or two?" Alice said in her quirky high pitched voice, she was just as excited as Jake and Ness about going back to school. To her it meant more shopping, more clothes, more dances, and more parties - everything Alice loved and I hated it. It's baffling how different we are and how close we are.
"I don't think that's going to happen." Edward said his words aimed at Alice."
"I of all people should know that. I was just trying to see if I could prevent it." Alice retorted. "Incoming, four children 30 seconds."
We all got quiet as Alice warned us a group of kids were going to come over and try to talk to us. The scent of human blood used to leave us all wanting with venom swirling in our mouths. Alice used to be the alarm to stop breathing and cease smelling to prevent it. But because we spend so much time with Charlie, Jacob, and Nessie, none of the four students smelt like food. It was second nature; the burning sensation in the back of the throat, as natural as acting human had become. Even when in my own cottage, just the four of us, I found myself blinking, breathing, shifting my weight from one leg to another; just being human.
"Hello. We wanted to come over and introduce ourselves." The unofficial leader of the group said. He held out his hand towards Jacob as if to signal 'we come in peace' and offers a friendly handshake. I could see his hand shaking and then suddenly stop as Jasper calmed the air around us. We all watched Jacob as he reached up to the child and took his offer very gently.
"My name is Mike Newton, and this is Stanley, Jordan, and my little sister Cassie." He nodded in each of their directions as he said their names. I didn't hear anything farther than "Mike Newton", the face of what had to be this child's father flashing in my head.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Jacob Wolfe, this is my - " Jacob started. I kicked him under the table before he could get any further; he grimaced at me and winked. "This is - these are my friends and family, and my girlfriend Nessie." He said as he settled back and put his hand back into Renesmee's.
Mike Newton!! I screamed in my mind. How did we not know? And as if Edward could read my thoughts he said only loud enough for us to hear "its okay, he has no idea who we are." With reassurance from my better half I introduced myself.
"My name is Bella, this is my boyfriend Edward."
I nudged Alice signaling she should go next.
"Hi, I'm Alice and this is -"
"I'm Jasper." Jasper answered for himself. "This is my sister Rosalie, and her boyfriend Emmett."
It happened almost exactly as planned, and without a hitch. We all blinked and smiled, and occasionally chuckled as if being queued. All actions that seemed normal and familiar to the humans standing at the head of our table.
"Do you mind if we join you?" The little girl asked. No one thought someone would be this bold on the first day.
Rosalie was the first to stand, "We were actually just leaving?"
"That's right; I forgot we have to hand in those forms before our next class." I responded. The smile that brightly lit the girls face and I thought of my own daughter, I couldn't leave her hurt like that and added. "Maybe some other time." Her smile was back; something Edward taught me about humans. "Leave them some hope, but no chance." he would say.
I pushed my shield out and away so Edward could hear my thoughts. Maybe Emmett was right, maybe we do need to be a bit scarier
I could see Edward nod his head - we'd have to talk about it later. With my shield back in place around the people that I loved we made out way passed the group of kids; careful not to touch them. We put our trays away - there were eyes everywhere staring at us as we moved. We flowed as one entity; a pack, and if they didn't think we were scary before they surely thought it now. Emmett smirked back at me as we walked out of the cafeteria.
"You were the one who said 'Let's go back to high school'", he reminded me. I was starting to think maybe it wasn't so bad the first time around, maybe high school doesn't get better no matter who you spend it with.