Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

I walked without seeing. It was always this way.

The halls were filled with nameless faces, people I didn't care enough about to bother making eye-contact with. It was easy to isolate yourself when you didn't care.

The only people I spoke to at school were my friends. My family. Jasper, and Emmett—my brothers. Rosalie and Alice—my sisters.

Jasper was the poet from the south, and Emmett was the great bear that also hailed from the south, though you'd never know it. Rosalie was the beauty queen with roots that ran deep in the social circles of Manhattan, and Alice… Well, Alice was a free spirit who could've been from nowhere and everywhere, along with here and there.

I was born in Chicago, to wealthy parents. My father, Edward Sr., was a sort of distant man that I don't think myself or my older brother, Carlisle, ever got to really know. He read all the time and was constantly locked away in his study, learning more to earn more. Our mother, Elizabeth, was a beautiful woman, inside and out. She was fairly distant, as well, but we knew she loved us even when we weren't sure of our father. She was always going to charity functions and organizing fund raisers and milking the wealthy of their riches to help the poor. It was ironic that this expensive woman could be so dedicated to donations, but it was an admirable trait nonetheless.

When our parents died, they left everything to Carlisle. As it turns out, they had an extensive will prepared after I was born, with very specific instructions for how to split the money and property between Carlisle and myself. Neither of us care much for money, but it's never been something to worry about, either. Carlisle always made sure that I understood the power and value of a dollar, but I'm not quick with my money unless it's for someone I love. I'd buy the world for my family.

For all intents and purposes, and because of all of this, Carlisle is more of a father to me than a brother. For that… I love him.

Rosalie's parents were very close friends of our parents, and they'd all been out together when it happened… She'd had no other family at the time and… well, it was just natural for Carlisle to take Rose as his child, as well. It was a lot of responsibility given that he was only 19 at the time, and going to medical school, but he did it. Because that's the kind of man he is; noble, morally stable, and always a guardian.

Two years later, Esme came along, and within six months they were wed. And we were a family.

Esme is a woman I respect and love enough to call my mother. She's beautiful, intelligent, and vibrant. I never once thought that she was marrying my brother for the money, because her love for him was so obvious and bright that I never could. They have something special, and I'm man enough to admit that. She somehow manages to remain elegant and strong at the same time, all the while remaining an anchor for Carlisle. They complete each other, of this I am certain.

One more year later, when Carlisle decided the big city was too much, we packed up and decided to move somewhere quiet. Esme loved Forks for the open space and potential for building—she was an architect, or at least studying to be one at the time. Carlisle loved that he could give his time at the hospital to finish up his residency but still have time to spend with his family. I loved that it was quiet, and there weren't a lot of people. Rosalie… well, Rose didn't like much anything about it initially, although the town was immediately taken with her. She was easily the most beautiful girl any of them had ever seen in person.

Jasper had moved here the year before us, and Emmett came the just a month after. Alice had lived here her whole life, but she'd never made friends, for whatever reason. I never understood it. She was alone until Jasper came along, but she'd reached out to him immediately upon his arrival.

The great legend of Alice and Jasper started when Mike Newton had been picking on Jasper because of his accent, and Alice had marched right up to him and kicked him in both shins before turning and offering a hand to Jasper. He'd taken it with a big toothy grin, and she'd told him they were destined to be friends. Or so the story goes.

When the rest of us arrived, around the age of 10, things just fell into place naturally, and we all accepted that this was the way things were meant to be. Of course, with Alice reminding us of this so often, it became a generally known fact after a few months.

We were separate from the rest of the kids we went to school with, always keeping to our own little group, always thought of as weird and unapproachable. Not that we really made it easy, I suppose. We just didn't feel the need to let anyone else in. We were all with exactly who we needed to be with.

Adults viewed us as somewhat anti-social, but responsible. They liked that we had manners, even if their own children couldn't be mature enough to understand what that meant. Looking back, perhaps that was the exact reason they liked us.

Rose and Emmett announced that they were in love, at 13, and we all just kind of went with it, knowing full well that it was right. Not one of us questioned this, because it was just… right. Two years later, when Jasper and Alice admitted that they, too, were in love, we all nodded our heads and gave them easy smiles.

Because we knew this was the way things were meant to be.

Another two years had gone by since then, and we were 17 now, and in two more hours, our final summer before senior year would begin.

It would be our last real summer before we'd have to say goodbye and head our separate ways, out into the "real" world. The summer that came after this would be filled with those goodbyes. This would be our last chance to actually be children, given that we'd never really been children. This would be our last season to be children, fully, completely, with reckless abandon.

It was during this summer that I would meet Bella Swan.

As school ended and the halls flooded with people, I felt nothing. I could care less that some people were leaving for the summer, or that I wouldn't be seeing them for a couple of months. If nothing else, I welcomed the change. I welcomed the silence.

These children were insolent and disrespectful, and I couldn't wait for the moment that I'd be rid of them all. I was tired of their mindless chatter about celebrities, Facebook, and fashion. I tolerated Alice's love of fashion, but only because she was family. It was also quite possible that her taste had rubbed off on me, because I had a certain affinity for suit jackets and ties that began around seventh grade, and I'm not sure I would've had that without her.

I walked through the bustling crowd, and at some point Jasper appeared next to me. We nodded at each other in silent recognition, both of us hiding our eagerness to be free of this detention center for children.

When we made it to the parking lot, Alice was standing next to Rosalie's dark red BMW, bobbing along to her iPod. Jasper picked up his pace, grabbing her hands and twirling her when he finally reached her. She giggled and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him.

I leaned against the car, watching them. Sometimes, yes, I did envy them. I envied what they had. We were all extremely comfortable with each other, and while there had been several times where I'd held Alice or Rosalie in my arms, it wasn't the same as I knew it was when Jasper or Emmett held them. Especially not with Rosalie. She was my sister, after all, and the only affection I had ever known for her was that of the sibling variety. And Alice… well, if I had a type, I wasn't sure if Alice would be it. It's not that she wasn't beautiful, but again, I felt more of a sibling love for her than a romantic. Even if not for Jasper, I don't really think that I would have fallen for her.

Emmett and Rosalie walked up, their arms wrapped around each other, and they were laughing. The small twinge of envy struck again, and my body tensed slightly. I felt my jaw clench, so I exhaled slowly, attempting to calm these unnecessary feelings.

"Edward," Emmett started loudly, "your sister and I were just discussing the importance of strategy in chess. She feels pawns are unnecessary pieces, whereas I feel they are entirely necessary. Care to interject?"

I raised my eyebrows, looking between the two of them. Rosalie was now slightly doubled over and shaking with laughter, and Emmett was turning a little red from the effort it was taking to not join her.

"I'm not stupid." I turned away from them, hitting the button on my keys to unlock my Volvo, which was parked on the other side of the BMW.

"Oh, come on Eddie! It's just fun!"

"Shut up, Emmett. I will not have you patronizing me for being alone. There is no one here worthy of my time, let alone the effort it takes to appease people."

Typically, whenever Emmett talked about chess, he was actually discussing different sexual acts. He was quite ingenious in the actual game of chess, but it was his favorite euphemism, as well.

"You see, Edward," he'd once said, "Sex requires strategy, much like chess does. It requires not only a knowledge of the game, but a complete understanding of how to use every piece to your advantage…"

He'd blathered on for some time after that, but I'd just ignored him. Had I been unaware that he was comparing chess to sex, I probably would've listened intently; he is rather intelligent when he speaks, and can make just about any topic sound scholarly.

"Eddie," Emmett was now saying, "If you got laid every now and then—"

"Oh, let it go. I think it's sweet." This was Alice. Alice had a tendency to romanticize things.

"It's not sweet, Alice. It's depressing. Edward should be enjoying his youth, fully. He should have a woman to show him all of the pleasures he's missing out on—"

"Or perhaps a man?" Jasper snickered. I turned to glare at him before slamming the door to the Volvo. I gripped the steering wheel as I looked into the rear view mirror, only to find them all laughing. They were all laughing as I started the car. They were all laughing as I turned up the stereo. They were all laughing as I sped away.

My phone buzzed when I reached the main road, and I flipped it open to reveal a text from Alice.

Edward… please don't be offended. You know we just want to see you happy. And we're all having dinner at your place tonight, remember? Esme's making lasagna… and gnocchi =)

I allowed a small smile at the text before shutting my phone again. Gnocchi was one of my favorite comfort foods. Thank god for Esme. I'd be lost without that woman.

We were sitting in the middle of the forest. Alice was dancing, and Jasper and Emmett were sitting on a log, deep in a conversation about the ethics of animal testing. I was sitting in the grass, cross legged, and Rosalie was laying with her head in my lap, staring up at the stars.

"Edward," she whispered. I looked down at her expectantly. A hair had blown over her face, and I reached down to push it away. She smiled briefly, then her face got serious. "Esme is worried about you."

I looked up into the trees and sighed. This was a topic that came up every now and again, but I always fought to avoid it. Esme was always worried about me. I adored her, I truly did, but I was okay.

Dinner had been slightly strained, as Esme had kept looking me over, trying to decipher what could possibly be bothering me. Nothing had been bothering me except the fact that she'd kept inspecting me.

She'd laughed and joked with everyone else, and I had tried, but I knew I wasn't putting enough effort into it, and that didn't escape her notice, either. I saw Carlisle grab her hand and attempt to soothe her worries a couple of times. After each time that he did it, he would shoot me a pleading glance to buck up, if not for anyone's sake but Esme's. I'd nodded slightly, so that only he would notice.

I hated that I caused so many problems for my family.

I looked down again, and Rose's eyes were closed. She looked beautiful, and peaceful.

"Stop staring," she whispered. I chuckled a little. "You know, she does have a point."

"And what might that be, sister dear?"

She opened her eyes and stared up at me, serious and slightly irritated. "None of us want you to be alone, and you know—"

"Rosalie, I am not alone. I'm not in a relationship, and I don't need to be," I held up a hand to silence her when she opened her mouth again, wishing for all the world that I was involved in the stupid animal discussion instead. "I don't need some silly girl to validate my teenage existence. I'm happy as I am."

She gaped at me, then rolled her eyes. "Brother dear, if you're so happy, then why the fuck are you so depressed?"

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. I started to stand, causing her to jump and yelp because I'd accidentally pulled her hair. I held out a hand to help her up, but she smacked it away and moved so that she was laying on her stomach instead.

Emmett and Jasper were still deeply engrossed in their conversation. They were saying something about rabbits being injected with cocoa, so I walked past them to where Alice was dancing. She looked up at me and smiled fully before blowing me a kiss. She held out her hands to me, and I smiled at her in return before taking them. We pulled each other close and she jumped up on my feet.

"Ow!" I groaned. "Christ, fatty, when'd you get so heavy?"

She looked up at me with wide eyes, lip quivering. "I'll have you… know…" she said slowly, tears edging into her voice. Each word was punctuated by a gasp. "Two… hundred… and… fifty… seven… pounds… is… not fat!"

We laughed together. "What are you dancing to?" I asked.

"Deftones." She snuggled against me as a breeze came pushing through. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight. "Which song?"

"Simple Man. I love their version. It's so beautiful." She smiled at me again, real sadness touching her eyes this time.

I nodded down at her, understanding fully. I sighed again, and glanced over at Rose, who was now sitting up and making a daisy chain.

"Consider it, Edward."

"Consider whom, Alice? Who exactly am I supposed to consider?"

"You know, if you didn't think you were so much better than everyone else, you—"

"Alice," I shook my head. "Alice, I don't think I'm better than anyone. You know that." She rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement. "We're all just… very… distant from the rest of our peers. I have no desire to be close to any of them, not the way I do with you all. None of us do," I concluded pointedly. This was a fact that none of them could argue; we didn't want to be a part of the status quo. We weren't better, but we were certainly above the antics our fellow students pulled.

"Well... I don't know. I just wish you weren't…." she trailed off, unsure of how to complete her sentence without sounding rude. I decided to help her.

"A fifth wheel." I chuckled when she frowned. "No! Not a fifth wheel, just that you—"

"It's okay," I shushed her by pushing her away and twirling her before dipping her low, causing her face to light up. "I know I am. But I'm okay with it. You're my family. You're my world. And until the sun implodes, nothing else can touch my world."

As I pulled her back to me, her face grew sad again. She looked seriously into my eyes and reached up to push one of my unruly hairs from my brow. "Edward Cullen, you are the only boy that could make me wish for a natural disaster."

I laughed again, but her face remained in a grimace. A hand landed on my shoulder, and I spun Alice and myself to face the intruder. Jasper grinned at each of us before his gaze settled on me.

"Mind if I interrupt?" he asked politely, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye that conveyed what his voice did not. I backed away, offering up Alice's hand, and she giggled softly. "Please, my good sir, you're doing nothing but relieving me, I assure you." Alice gasped and pretended to be offended before sticking her tongue out at me. Jasper snapped his teeth inches from her tongue, and she giggled louder.

I chuckled again before turning back to where my sister was, a chain at least three feet long stretched out in front of her.

During the drive home, Rose silently played with her daisy chain, humming softly to herself. I didn't turn the radio on, just listened to her, occasionally joining her and adding a baritone to her mezzo-soprano. Our melodies would overlap and she would smile slightly whenever we formed something particularly complementing, and I would make a mental note to lock the sound away for later recreation on my piano.

We arrived home in about twenty minutes, having taken a longer route. Sometimes we would just drive aimlessly until one of us signaled silently that we were ready to get home again, and there had even been a few occasions where we just drove straight through the night, much to Esme's chagrin. We always apologized repeatedly, but our behavior never changed.

When we got inside, Carlisle was upstairs, in his study, and Esme was out on the back porch, reading. Rosalie and I made our way out to see her, each of us kissing her on the cheek. She greeted us both happily, and Rose placed the flower necklace around her neck. She laughed delightedly at the child-like sincerity of the gift, and I excused myself for bed, kissing her again quickly.

I made my way up to my room, pondering the saddened look Esme had given me when she'd said goodnight. Rosalie wasn't lying, of course, and it bothered me immensely that Esme was so desperate to see me with someone. I shouldn't need someone. Truth be told, I was perfectly content to be alone.

I was perfectly content to sleep alone.

A/N: This is completely different from my other story, and it's a lot more personal for me. It's inspired by music-heavily, I might add. Questions, comments, criticisms? Let me know what you think!