It was like any other day in Forks: cold, wet, and dreary. The weather was going to be stormy for the next two weeks, little to no chance of sunshine. The morning started out dark; no moonlight or starlight. As the dawn came, it started to slowly become lighter despite the thick cloud cover. Cars slowly began to roll in, first the teachers, then the students. Eventually the buses started to arrive, and by 8:00 AM, Forks High was alive and abuzz with chatter. The cheerleaders gossiped about their boyfriends, the jocks talked about the upcoming football season, the geeks dreamed of another year of Yu-Gi-Oh! card games, and the nerds animatedly discussed their AP classes. Overall, the students of the Forks community were eager to return to school after a relaxing and comfortable vacation. And while everyone knew that in a week or two, more than half of Forks High School's student body would be eager again for a break, the excitement of the moment blinded them.
While most students quickly made their way inside the building to avoid the weather, one student sat alone in his car. The windows had started to fog in the vehicle, and every minute or so, one could see his large hand come up and wipe the condensation from the glass. The radio was on, though the sound was low so as to not deter his focus. Since he had gotten to the school before everyone, he had the best parking place, giving him a good look at the parking lot. Dark eyes scanned through the cars with a blank stare, alert and ready like a wolf crouching in anticipation of his prey. His short, black hair was spiked in a messy manner, as he had done his hair walking out the front door of his house that morning. While he looked intimidating in the rusty, old Rabbit he sat in, he'd never admit that the raised goose bumps on his russet skin weren't from the cold. He was nervous. Scratch that, he was terrified. And who wouldn't be, when it seemed the dead were suddenly coming back to life.
He spared a glance to the passenger seat where the local newspaper was laid out. On the cover was a large photograph of a family consisting of seven members, smiles gracing their faces as they stood close together. Above the picture in large print it read, "Forks Welcomes New Doctor and Family." To anyone else, the picture would seem normal, but not to him. Realizing he had been staring at the picture for far too long, he brought his attention back to looking out the windshield of the car. He glanced around making sure no new vehicles had entered the parking lot before checking the clock. It was 8:25 AM, and he vaguely noted that he could hear the five-minute warning bell from inside the school. A few more minutes past and just as he was about to give up hope, someone pulled into the student parking area in a silver Volvo. After so many disappointments, he almost didn't want to look and see who it was. But he did look, and he wasn't sure if he was happy, angry, or both.
Out from the vehicle came a young man. He was of average height, had pale skin, and light colored eyes. His brown hair was styled in strange way, making it look wind blown. He wore dark jeans and a white button up, a black tie hanging loosely from his neck. A nervous expression touched his face for a moment before he replaced it with a cold mask. He opened the back door and reached in, removing a black messenger bag which he promptly swung over his shoulder. If one looked closely enough at the teen, one would notice his fingers anxiously dancing against his pant leg. And that's just what Jacob Black was doing: watching the other teen from his Rabbit.
His insides were churning, and he didn't know what to do. Right there across the parking lot stood the one person he never thought he'd see again. And while the other boy looked different, he knew that he was the same person. As the other boy started to make his way toward the high school, Jacob felt his body move of its own accord. He quickly grabbed his book bag, swinging it to rest upon his left shoulder. His feet hit the pavement and he took off at a run. So many emotions were running through his head, and in an effort to stop them he squeezed his eyes shut. Clearing his head, he looked up to see the other boy about to enter the building. He halted, and before he could stop himself he shouted:
"Where the fuck do you think your going, Edward Masen!"
His eyes grew wide in shock. His hand, which had just stopped short of the door, fell limply to his side. He wondered if this feeling was similar to how a deer felt as it looked into the headlights of a car, knowing that it had only moments left to live. Panic coursed through his being, and he briefly wondered if he should just come clean. He rejected that idea knowing the consequences if he gave into his desires, and instead decided to see if he could keep up his facade. Placing a smile on his face, he turned to the other boy who had now approached him.
"I'm sorry, but I believe you have the wrong person. I'm Edward Cullen. And you are…?"
The other teen gave him a look, one that made him wince on the inside. It clearly said, "What the fuck is he trying to do? Convince me he isn't the Edward I know? Bullshit. I know he's my Edward. I could spot him from a mile away." Or rather, that's exactly what the other boy was thinking. Edward still wasn't used to hearing the thoughts of others in his head, despite…that event…happening two years prior. He slightly shook his head, as if he could shake the intruding voice from his mind. He stared into the face of the bronzed teen in front of him, who was giving him another look. This one was full of anger, with disappointment and hurt lurking beneath. Finally the other teen opened his mouth:
"I believe you're Edward Cullen as much as I believe I'm a multi-million dollar celebrity. Now will you fucking tell me what's going on?"
Edward opened his mouth, but no words came out. He desperately wanted to tell the other boy everything that had happened since that warm August evening two years prior, but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't risk Jacob knowing the monster he had become. Turning back to the young Native American, he tried to persuade the teen that he wasn't who he was looking for.
"I'm very sorry. I really wish I could help you find your friend, but I'm new here and I'm already late for class."
He went again to open the doors to the school when a very large, warm hand grabbed his upper arm. He turned only to come face to face with Jacob, who was giving him a desperate and pleading look. The young Quileute teen's thoughts were running through his head, leaving him feeling winded. "What happened? Why won't he tell me what's going on? Just how bad is it, that he won't tell me?" Before he could stop himself, words started to emerge from Edward's mouth in a pleading whisper.
"…Jake…Please, don't ask me….I don't know what to say….There's nothing I can say…"
Edward felt the tight grip on his arm lessen then withdraw. He looked back at the other teen, and was stunned by the soft expression that he saw. It was silent for a moment before the other teen spoke.
"…This isn't over. I need to know what's going on. If you were me, you'd be upset too. One day your friend is right there next to you, and the next day his house has been burnt to the ground without any signs or whereabouts of the inhabitants. And then two years later, that kid shows back up…only now he isn't Edward Masen, but Cullen. You'd be confused too. So promise you'll tell me later…?"
Edward thought about it for a moment before nodding.
Hello everyone. Well I should probably explain a few things. First off, I've never read the Twilight series, and have only watched the first movie when I took a friend out on a date. I say this because, as a result of knowing little to nothing about the series, this story will be very different. It isn't an alternate universe…but it's definitely an alternate reality. The characters are still the same species wise, everyone lives (for the most part) where they do in the Twilight series, and their personalities should remain intact. However ages and the relationships amongst the characters have been changed to my liking. The character that I changed the most is Edward. As a big fan fiction reader, I understand how changes to a story can be disastrous, but no one can deny that some AU and AR stories are good, and I'm hoping my story will at least be decent. One last thing, my writing style is…awkward, to say the least. Well, I think that's it. Everything else will be explained in the story. I know this first chapter is confusing, but the next chapter will be a little trip the past, and that should help explain some stuff. Please review.