Chapter 1:

New Beginnings

I didn't know if this was a dream or just one of those moments in life where everything else stops and it doesn't seem real. I was standing in a forest surrounded by 6 over-sized wolves. Yup, defiantly a dream. They were too big to be dogs, but also too small to be bears. I wasn't sure if I should run in terror or stay. But one of the wolves on the end was looking at me, and not like I was his next meal. He was looking at me the way a human would. His eyes were soft and sweet. His coat was reddish-brown. There was something about it that was familiar, like I had met him before, a long time ago. I slowly walked toward him, my arm extended out. He approached me cautiously, and just when I was about to touch his soft fur…

"Rawwwrr! The Grizzly's here!" Definitely not the way a person wanted to be woken up from a dream like that.

Thud. My bed shook like a bolder had just landed on it. That must've been Uncle Emmett. He liked ruining moments at the wrong time. But jumping on beds, this was a new one.

"Ness, you better get outta bed or Alice is going to go hay-wire."

I rolled out of bed and put on the first thing I saw in my closet that Alice had arranged for me. I hadn't realized how long it had been since Emmett barged into my room. I guess it could've been only a few minutes.

"Renessmee Carlie Cullen, if you're not down here in 2 minutes I will come up there and…!" I guess I was wrong. A few minutes? Ha, maybe a half an hour. I heard Auntie Alice calling from down stairs, even though the yelling wasn't necessary. I could've heard her even at a dull whisper.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back from my room. Under no circumstances did I want Auntie coming up here to get me. Because I knew that she would make some ridiculous comment about my wardrobe and insist on changing it.

"Don't think I won't, Nessie." Alice called from the living room.

Gosh, no privacy in this house. With a mind reader for a father, a psychic as an aunt, a mood controller for an uncle, and a mother who can provide a protective force field, there's really no secrets that get by in our house.

I groaned under my breath, but I was sure Alice could still hear me. Today was the first day of school for me. As for the rest of my family, I think they've lost count. Its kind of an inside joke at our house. But the younger we start out in a place, the longer we can stay. That's why we're all going to school as sophomores at Port Angelos High.

"Ness, you are the only girl I know that takes literally FORVER to get ready for school." That was Emmett, my uncle. He's married to my other aunt, Rosalie. He's more of the grizzly type and she's more of a European model type. Just by looking at them you wouldn't be able to guess that they're together. They're complete opposites.

"Renessmee! This is the last call!" Gosh darn it; I hate it when they interrupt me in mid-thought.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming." I walked out of my room and down the white staircase in a glide.

"Wow," Auntie Alice started to say, "I've taught her well."

I was only wearing a green sundress that momma had bought me for my 6th birthday (it was my 6th, even thought I actually look 16), and some sandals that Alice bought me for some weird reason. I think there was a BOGO sale somewhere.

"Can we go now? And why are you all staring?" Okay, now it was just getting awkward.

"It's nothing, Ness. They're all just crazy." Daddy was smirking as he said this. He knew exactly what everyone was thinking and he'd rather not try to think too much about it. The fact of the matter was that his little girl was growing up and he wasn't fond of it.

"Okay well I'm driving. And I'm driving MY car. Who's coming with me?"

Emmett, of course, was the first to perk up. He loved riding with me because he knew how I liked to go fast. And I loved my car. It was a red Mercedes, the kind that they only sold overseas. They're not even available in the U.S. yet, that was daddy's idea. I guess the thinks that I'm like momma used to be and need the "extra protection."

"I don't think that's such a good idea sweetie." Yup, defiantly overprotective.

'Why not? It's the first day.'

Daddy just gave me a look which meant he had won.

"Okay, if you two don't mind, this mind reading thing is starting to get on my nerves. I'd like to know what everyone in the room is saying, and not try to read facial expressions." Rosalie was starting to get pissed off. She's not the patient kind.

"Lets go. We're already late as it is. We don't need anymore distractions."

"Okay Jazz." I immediately felt a calm rush come over me. Momma, daddy and I walked to the office to get our schedules while Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rose waited outside. That wasn't a good idea. Emmett and Jasper together is a disaster waiting to happen. They always find a way to horse around and make a scene. We came out of the office to find Emmett with Jasper in a headlock and Jasper's face almost blue.

"Knock it off you two," Daddy hissed. "Grow up. You act like you're 6. Not 106."

Alice giggled at that. Daddy shot her a look. She instantly straightened her back and replaced the smile with a straight face.

"Sorry, Ed." She said so quietly none of the kids in the hallway could hear the conversation that was going on.

"Okay everyone. So we all know the story right?" Daddy asked. Sometimes he kinda liked to act like he was always in charge. Oh shit. That wasn't a good thing to think.

Daddy just gave me 'the look'. 'Sorry' I mouthed to him.

What daddy was going to say that him, momma, and Emmett (since he was obviously huge) were my cousins and Jazz, Alice, and Rose were my brothers and sisters.

Everyone took their schedules and headed to first period. I had geometry with daddy. At least this class would be easy. He was really smart when it came to numbers. After all, he had taken this class a bagillion times it seemed like.

The day went by really slow. Spanish was actually pretty interesting. I had uncle Jasper with me in that class, so we made jokes the whole time. Until Senora Johanna gave us a scolding look which obviously meant, in nicer terms, to shut up. I had English class with Alice. That was probably the most boring class too. Mr. Molina gave the class a book list to choose from to read during the year for extra credit. They were all books that we had at home. Wuthering Heights was the first one on the list, followed by The Host and some other boring books that I know I could find in our library at home.

Home. Just the thought of the place made me happier. Even thought I had fun in class with the people I knew, the students at Port Angelos High weren't very welcoming. There was one girl though, her name was Rebekah I think, that was some what nice to me. She was in my gym class with uncle Emmett. She was picked for captain to play volleyball and she picked me first. I don't know if she felt bad because I was the 'new girl' or if she just really wanted to be my friend.

I didn't realize that we were already home when the engine from daddy's Volvo went silent. I must've been daydreaming again. That dream from this morning was coming back to me. I was wondering what it meant. I stepped out of the car and walked to the front door where momma was waiting for me. I got inside and saw a boy, about 19, sitting on the couch in the living room. He had deep black hair and a skin tone so tan he could be a model for GQ. He was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. He was sitting there, but it took awhile for him to notice that everybody was sitting down, staring at me.

"Renessmee, there is something we need to talk to you about." Momma said in a flat tone.

My heart skipped a beat and then I heard it come to an abrupt hault.