Eight Years Later

Tami's POV

"Oooh, Tyler's got a girlfriend."

"Shut up, Natalia," he retorted annoyed.

"Tyler and Leah sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love then comes marriage and then comes a wolf baby in a baby carriage..."

"That's it!" he yelled as he lunged. Nat dodged and began laughing and ran off.

I swear she acts too much like uncle Emmett for her own good. She's fifteen and she acts like she's seven still. We changed a lot from one year ago. Tyler's hair grew out and he's much more muscular. Like the actor that plays Percy Jackson in the lightning thief. Natalia is just as beautiful as aunt Rose with long golden blond hair. Bree looks like how she made herself look at the newborn battle all those years ago. Her and Jacob are best-friends and I must admit, I envy her. She's so beautiful and she has Jacob who would rather die then see anything bad happen to her. Jacob and I are really good friends but Bree and him are best friends, imprinted mates. Tyler and Leah are best friends and soul mates. Seth and Nat are even inseparetable. And where does that leave me? As the the friend/ cousin everyone goes to with their problems and crave my advise but they never think to return the favor, and alone. Oh well. As long as I help them, it's worth it, I guess. I'm of average build, nothing really special about me. I have sort black hair like my mommy's but look nothing like her. It's a poor comparison though. My momma is a gorgious vampire and I'm just a plain-jane hybrid. She always tells me I'm beautiful but then I remember my old life. There's only so long you can be told how ugly and useless you are until you start believing it. I've been thinking about it even more now that I started high school with my family.

I was so nervous; It would be my first day of school ever. On our way to school we went over our cover story. Rosalie and Daddy are twins and Nat and Ty are twins of course. Mommy and Edward are brother and sister. Emmett, Bella and Bree are siblings, all 'adopted' by doctor and Mrs. Cullen. I don't look enough like the others to pass as biological siblings so I was the last to be 'adopted'. By myself. Rosalie and daddy are Esme's 'niece and nephew' so they're the Hales. The rest of us are Cullen's so I have to change my last name. We arrived at Forks High School and the whispering began. That's pretty much how the week went until the first sunny day. Jake, Seth, and Leah were coming over so my dear sweet cousins didn't want to go to school with me. I wanted to make at least one friend so I took the opportunity to go without my huge family. I didn't want to stay home surrounded by everyone when they all have people to spend time with. Now I wish I would have stayed home.

School was actually going ok except for the constent "Where's the rest of your family?" blah, blah, blah. I told them they went on a camping trip for three days. School was going good til' my gym class before lunch. There was this boy. He kept staring at me. Not steeling glances but full out staring at me and he was joking around with his friends and then look back to me. He's probably making jokes about me. A girl in my spanish class giggled and whispered to me.

"I think Trevor likes you." I looked at her and raised my eyebrows and stole a glance back at him. Gosh, he's still staring.

"He just broke up with his girlfriend yesterday so he might ask you out."

"Uh, thanks but I don't think I would go out with him," I admitted.

"Well, you would be the first. He's so good-looking. He isn't as cute as your brothers but I like him."

"Well, then he's all your," I said with a smile.

"I'm Samantha Harris but everyone calls me Sam," she said extending her hand to me.

"Tamika Cullen but I go by Tami," I said taking her hand.

"Your doctor and Mrs. Cullen's foster daughter? I heard they are really nice."

"Yeah. They're great."

"Well, nice to meet you, Tami. You wanna sit with me at lunch?" I nodded and the bell rang, dismissing us to lunch. The short lunch hour was all we needed to become really good friends.

"Hey, do you want to come over to my house tonight? It'll be fun. I promise,"

"Alright, I'll call my mom and ask. I'll be right back." I walked outside to the outdoor eating area and dialed as I sat on the bench. No one was out side today, it was too cold for that.

"Hello?

"Hey, mom."

"Hey, Tami. How's school?"

"It's going great. I met this girl named Samantha and that's why I called. Is it alright that I stay the night at her house?"

"Of course, baby. I'm really happy for you. Have a good time. Love you."

"Alright, thanks. Love you too, mom. Bye," I said and hung up. I grabbed my backpack to get clothes from my locker stocked with extra clothes from mine and mom's last shopping trip. When I arrived at my locker, I opened it and put the contents in my backpack. I hurried to get back to the lunch room to tell her. In my haste, I bumped into someone and dropped my bag, my books littered the ground.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," I apologized, crouching to gather my things. I felt two hands holding onto my arms, helping me up.

"It's all good. No blood. No foul," he said with a smile.

"Trevor?"

"Yeah and your Tori right?"

"Tami actually," I said shyly, looking from the ground and then to his mouth. We began walking to the side of the school with him leading me by the arm.

"Yeah, well I actually wanted to ask you if you would go out with me sometime. I've been trying to ask for awhile but you were always with your family." He wanted to go out with me?

"Uh, I don't think so," I said quickly. Why would he want to go out with me of all people.

"Why not? You too good for me because you're a Cullen?" he said getting angry. How could he think that? He didn't even know me. The real reason is he hasn't even talked to me before today. Does he think he can have everything he wants? He is moving really fast and I'm not liking it.

"No, it's not like that. You don't even know me," I said and surprisingly my voice came out angry.

"Hey, watch your tone with me, Cullen. You would be lucky to be my girlfriend," he said grabbing my arm tight.

"Hey, you're the one who asked me," I said trying to shrug him off. His hold only tightened to the point where his fingers overlapped and my arms were screaming in protest.

"No one says no to me," he sneered, teeth grinding. This kid is so spoiled.

"There's always a first time for everything because I just did." The next thing I knew I was on the ground, leaning against the cold brick building of Forks High School. My cheek was stinging and radiating heat. Something hard for me since I have such a high temperature. He hit me. He then crouched down and kissed my stinging, red marked cheeked. I didn't even flinch; I was just so shocked. The last time anyone hit me was nine years ago before I met mom and dad.

"See you later," he said as if he didn't just strike me and we had been going out for a while.

I sat there for about three minutes to collect myself. I picked up my stuff and walked back to the cafeteria. I heard her bubbly voice before I saw her.

"So what did your mom say?"

"Uh, I can't this weekend but some other time," I answered, trying not to cry.

"Hey, it's alright. We always have next weekend," she said trying to comfort me. I smiled fakely.

"Yeah, next weekend." Suddenly the bell rang and Sam jumped up.

"I'm going to be late for Biology. I'll see you later, Tami," she said, waving as she scurried away to class. I didn't bother going to class. After everyone left for fifth period, I walked outside and leaned against the building. I turned my iPod on and put it on repeat. I laid there and cried. At 3:00, I emerged from my hiding place, grabbed my backpack and ran to the edge of the woods and resumed my previous position to cry. I already decided. I wasn't going home this weekend.