A/N: I don't own twilight, or any of its characters.
Hi guys! It's me, Sarah. Yes, this is a brand new story, hot off the presses. But don't worry. I haven't forgotten about "The Story Of Mercy Black." (I'm feverishly working on chapter 25, but I can't seem to get it down the way I want it to be-and I want it to be perfect! ) In the meantime, I really hope you enjoy this. It will most likely pick up quickly after this… Please let me know what you think about this, whether you love it or hate it!
Oh, and btw, Renesmee's name had to be changed earlier on in her life because of reasons that she, and you, will find out soon enough. =) …Enjoy!
Chapter 1.
On the first day of my senior year of high school, I woke up in my beat-up mini-van in a strip mall parking lot all alone. The alarm on my phone began to buzz rapidly on the dashboard, effectively scaring the crap out of me, and jarring me awake all at the same time. My eyes opened.
At first, I was afraid, like any sane person would be.
Here I was, seventeen years old, on my own, in a sketchy, urban parking lot that for a second I couldn't remember falling asleep in. I had to sit up and think for a moment before it all came back to me. And when it did, I was overpoweringly relieved that I had woken up here instead of the Dowry household where I had been waking up every summer day since I could remember.
See, early on, I was put into foster care. Supposedly I bounced from multiple homes all over the Midwest, but I can only seem to remember my unpleasant life with the Dowry family. And to be honest, believe you me, I don't mean to evoke any type of sympathy when I inform you that life with the Dowry's was like the story of Cinderella-except the fairy God-Mother never seemed to come for me, until one day when I was nine, when I discovered that an anonymous donor had paid my way through Hall Preparatory School in Chicago-one of the most prestigious boarding schools around.
Hall provided a great education for me, and a secure place to live, but it wasn't always easy. See, I hadn't been taught well in my previous schools, and added to my dyslexia, it seemed like it would be impossible for me to keep up with the classes. I had fallen so far behind when I was in the third grade that they had considered kicking me out of school. I had to work my butt off to stay afloat in school, but eventually I found success. And today was the first time I really realized that.
Now, as I gazed around the awakening strip mall, I smiled to myself.
I sat up and plugged the key into the ignition, and as I backed out my parking spot, I let my eyes linger momentarily on the twelve card-board boxes that were stacked sloppily on the two rows of seats behind me. The boxes contained every worldly possession that I had ever owned. I was proud whenever the thought of this came to my mind. These were things, that much like myself, had left the Dowry house for the very last time. I told them that I would be of legal age in about two weeks, and that I was leaving. Then I packed my bags and left, leaving them no time to argue with me, or threaten me, an activity I knew they found amusing.
Now, the boxes back and forth in the back of my beat up Grand Caravan as I weaved through the early morning Chicago traffic.
I hummed a simple melody that had been stuck in my head for a while as I drove. The rain was softly falling on the city streets in a calm, soothing drizzle. I always loved when it rained like that, and I really can't tell you why. There's just something about misty Chicago mornings that gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
After ten minutes, I found myself turning left into Hall's very own parking garage. Still humming to myself, I drove all the way to the top-the place where students who commuted were allowed to park. Technically, since I was a resident, I shouldn't have been allowed a pass, but they allowed me one anyway because the faculty at Hall pities me.
The funny part about that is, that I could never remember why.
They all give me the same look every now and then. The same puppy-dog eyes. They all sigh, as if they are trying to imagine going through whatever it was that had happened to me. Usually, I just smile awkwardly, and thank them for letting me have some leeway. But on the inside, I'm frustrated with myself and the powers that be for not knowing why they treat me this way.
I grabbed two of my boxes from behind me, stepped out of the car, and slung my pine-green backpack over my shoulder.
I had parked on the fifth floor, right next to the elevator, even though I never intended on taking it. Elevators are my worst fear, believe it or not. In fact, they are the only piece of the puzzle that I possess pertaining to my past. The only thing I remember about my life before the Dowry's was waking up, trapped in a broken elevator between floors, alone, cold, and bleeding profusely from a wound in my neck, where a bullet was lodged.
I fainted when I realized the bullet was still there. The next thing I recalled was waking up in the infirmary at Hall Preparatory School before being notified that it would become my new (and only) home.
At the bottom of the stairs, I turned right and walked down Dalton Street, with the front doors of my dorm in sight. I waved to some of my acquaintanced classmates as I walked, along with complete strangers who knew my name, and had the courtesy to smile and wave anyway.
I smiled at my guidance counselor, Amy Tyler, as she tossed me the key to my dorm room, which hung on a purple Hall School lanyard with my name silk-screened onto it. "Nice to have you back, Vanessa," She said with a smile.
"Always nice to be back," I replied, letting the key fall right on top of my boxes. Then, I climbed the stairs until I reached the thirteenth floor.
Mrs. Tyler-out of pity for me, of course-offered to change my dorm assignment to something that was closer to ground level, but I didn't let her. See, I have this obsession with the number thirteen. I was born on the thirteenth of September. I think it brings me luck. So living in room 1313 at Hall for the past ten years was a great thing for me, considering how paranoid I'd always been of life in general. I took it as a sign that told me Hall was the right place to be.
I swung the door open, and found two other boxes stacked neatly in the corner. My new roommate had already been here. I felt butterflies in the pit of my stomach.
Moving in wasn't the hard part for me, that was always easy. I'd just always had a hell of a time trusting new people who come into my life for obvious reasons.
I set my box on my bed and gazed out the window at the view. I jumped when the door swung open behind me.
"H-Hi," I said to my new roommate.
"Um, Hello," She said, staring at the room assignment card she had received in the mail. "Are you Vanessa Madison?"
"Yes," I said with a faint, nervous grin, "Yes, I am."
A/N: So… did you like it? Please let me know! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, it means a lot! -shootingstarx7