Hey guys. Okay, so this is 'Like Lightning', the story of Collin and Scout. It is all told in Scout's point of view. I'll try to update this story as much as I possibly can. This is the only note I'll be posting on this story. Oh, almost forgot my disclaimer. I do NOT own Twilight or any of its characters. I own this story and all of the characters that aren't in the original books. All right then, let's get this story started already!

The first day of school is never a very good one. The first day of high school, on the other hand, is an absolute nightmare. I'd been dreading it the whole summer. Sure, I'd known all the kids at La Push High since I was practically in diapers. However, I'd changed and so had they. This was going to be a year of change.

The awful day began with my seven-year-old sister, Faith, jumping on my bed and shouting, "Get up Scout! First day of school!"

I let out a groan as the little bundle of energy jumped off my bed and ran down the hall to wake up everyone else in the house. I couldn't see why she was so excited. It was just school. It wasn't anything new or exciting. Story of my life.

I decided it was time to get up. I stretched, yawned, and forced myself out of the bed. I walked over to my door, shut it, and then locked it tight. I was lucky to have my own bedroom. See, my nineteen-year-old sister, Maycee, was away at college along with her twin, Spencer. I was glad to have privacy during the school year. In a big family, you don't normally get much alone time.

I rummaged through my closet and pulled out a light pink blouse and a pair of light wash jeans. Pleased with my outfit, I pulled it on and then went to the bathroom.

I sighed heavily when I saw my thirteen-year-old brother, Mathias, standing outside the door. Great. A line had already formed and it wasn't even seven yet.

I sighed. "Okay Mat, who's in there this time?" I asked, crossing my arms and tapping my foot.

My younger brother shrugged his shoulders. "I might tell you." he said, grinning slyly. "If I get five dollars." He stuck out his hand expectantly.

"Ooh, I have a better idea." I said, placing my hand on the back of his neck. "If you don't tell me, I'll give you a wedgie."

He cringed and struggled to get out of my grip. "Okay! It's Mallory!" he yelled. "Now let go!" I let go of the kid and he ran towards his room.

I sighed again and knocked on the door. "Mal!" I shouted at my ten-year-old sister. "Hurry up!"

"Alright, alright." she said on the other side of the door. "Don't have a cow Scout! I'm coming!"

I heard the lock click and then the door swung open. Mallory walked out and looked at me, annoyed. "Happy now?" she asked crossing her arms.

I smiled. "Thanks pipsqueak." I said, ruffling her hair.

"Hey." she yelped, backing away. "I just brushed that."

I laughed and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I looked at myself in the streaked mirror.

I had long, jet black hair, dark skin, and brown eyes. Everyone did in La Push. See, it was a Quileute Indian Reservation near the wet town of Forks, Washington. I often wished I looked different, but there was nothing I could do and there was no sense in complaining. I brushed the knots out of my hair, sighing as I did so, and then brushed my teeth.

"Breakfast!" my mom shouted as I left the bathroom and made my way into the kitchen.

"I'll just have a pop-tart Mom." I said, sitting down next to mat as Faith climbed into the seat to my left.

She placed an empty blue plate in front of me. "You're having two pop-tarts and some bacon." she told me. "And I don't want to hear any arguing."

Mat sniggered and I jabbed him rather hard in the ribs with my elbow.

"Mom!" he whined. "Scout hit me!"

"Stop whining!" my dad shouted as he came in the house, the morning paper tucked under his arm.

"Morning dear." my mom said, setting my breakfast in front of me and kissing my dad on the cheek. Mat made a face at this and I chuckled.

"Morning Dad." I told him.

He turned to me with mock surprise. "Scout Barlow, when did you grow up so fast?"

I blushed, which caused Mat to laugh more. Faith joined in, but I knew she didn't get what was so funny.

"Dad." I complained, sounding like a little kid. "Stop." I hated when he did stuff like that. It was embarrassing.

"But, you're starting high school today." He smirked and pulled out his camera. "Know what? This calls for a picture."

I buried my face in my hands. My parents did this to my siblings and me every single year. "Not a picture." I mumbled.

"Yes a picture." he teased. "Come on Scout. Let's see that beautiful smile sweetheart."

I sighed, defeated. If I didn't let him take the stupid picture, he'd never leave me alone. I stood up and smiled.

"That's my girl." he said, grinning. He put the camera to his face. "One, two, three." He snapped the picture and I sat back down and ate my breakfast as quickly as I could without getting choked.

When I finished, I stood up and took my plate to the sink. "Well, I gotta get to school."

"Let me drive you." my father offered.

I shook my head rapidly. No way. If I let him do that, I'd never live it down. I'd have to do major damage control. "I'm gonna walk with Harm." Harmony Locke was my best friend who just happened to live across the street.

My father simply nodded. "Be careful alright."

"Always am." I said, kissing him on the cheek. I then walked towards the front hallway, threw on my light blue jacket with silver squiggles, and picked up my lime green backpack.

"See you!" I shouted, placing my hand on the doorknob.

"Scout, don't forget that after school you and Harmony are watching Faith and Danny while your dad's at work and I'm at the doctor's with Mat and Mal." my mother shouted before I managed to get away.

I had promised last week that Harm and I would baby-sit my two-year-old brother. Faith had heard about this and begged to stay behind too.

"Okay!" I shouted, opening the door and walking outside before anyone could say anything else to me.

It was drizzling as I walked over to Harm's house. The rain didn't bother me too much though. It rained all of the time. I was used to it. Sunny days were very rare.

I sighed and knocked on Harm's door. She opened it and smiled. "Hey Scout. Hold up." She stuck her head back in the house. "Yo, Karen! Scout's here! I won't be home 'til late! I'm babysitting!"

Karen was Harmony's aunt. Her mother died in childbirth and, according to Harm, her dad was a dead beat living in California with his girlfriend. She hated her father and wanted nothing to do with him.

"Kay!" Karen shouted back. She loved me and often called me her second adopted daughter. "You kids have fun!"

Harm shook her head and closed the door. "So, did your parents give you the whole 'You're growing up so fast' spiel?" she asked as we walked up the road.

"Of course." I told her. "What kind of self respecting parents would they be if they didn't?" I asked. "Geez Harm. What were you thinking?"

We laughed and then she asked, "What about pictures? Did your dad make you pose again?"

I groaned and she laughed. "That's why I'm glad Karen isn't technology savvy. She wouldn't even bother to try if I wanted her to." she told me. "Which I don't." she said hurriedly.

"Wanna trade lives?" I asked her, giggling. I often asked her this whenever my family did something embarrassing. So, I asked her this a lot. At least once a week.

"Come on." she said. "You're parents aren't that bad. Your dad's jokes are a little corny and your mom worries a little too much, but they're cool. You should be glad you've got parents."

I sighed. Not this again. "So do you." I reminded her. "What about your dad?" I asked.

Harm snorted. "Oh yeah. Good ole Dad. Don't make me laugh Scout." She sighed. "You know, I never even get so much as a Christmas card. That's pure crap. How do you freaking forget Christmas?"

"Okay, okay." I said hurriedly. I didn't want to make her upset. "Point taken. Still, I wish my parents weren't so… involved. You know?"

She looked at me and shook her head. "No idea whatsoever."

I looked down and we walked along in complete silence. I guess we were both a little bit nervous. We weren't exactly the most popular people in the world. We mostly kept to ourselves. We like it that way.

Soon, La Push High came into view and I felt my breakfast churn in my stomach. I hoped I wasn't going to hurl. I'd be labeled 'Barf Girl' until I died. That was the last thing I needed.

"So, this is it." Harm said as we stopped at the big front doors. Kids were shoving past us to get inside.

I swallowed hard. "Uh huh. No big deal though. We can handle this." I hoped that Harm didn't notice my voice shake.

She nodded confidently. "We can totally handle this." She walked inside with her head held high and I followed behind her, not as confident.

We walked through a large crowd of kids and over to the large bulletin board in the front hall near the office. It had a list of all the freshmen homerooms.

It didn't take me long to locate my name under Miss Martin, the tenth grade English teacher. Harmony got Mr. Rowe, the ninth grade social studies teacher.

"I gotta go this way." I said glumly, pointing at the stairwell. I didn't know why I was so sad. We'd had classes without each other before. It wasn't anything new. So, why was I so scared that I'd never see her again?

Harmony sighed. "Maybe we'll have a class together or something." Her air of confidence had vanished. It made me feel better to know that my best friend was just as scared and nervous as I was. Somehow, that perked me up a little.

I nodded, feeling better. "Even if we don't, all the freshmen have the same lunch. We'll see each other then." This time, I was the one reassuring her. It felt kind a nice.

Harm just shrugged. I guess she didn't want to show how she was really feeling. She did that a lot. "See you later I guess."

"See you." I said, heading up the stairs. I turned to give a last look at harm, but she was already gone. I turned back around and continued to climb.

I had a feeling that this was going to be one of those days. Long, tiring, and confusing.

Okay, I really hoped you enjoyed this first chapter. If you haven't, you should really read my other Twilight fic, 'Solar Flare'. It's about Seth Clearwater and his imprint, Erin Morgan. Scout is in that story too. Well, I hope you keep reading. Updating soon.