The last box was finally unpacked. I slowly spun around to take in my new surroundings. I wasn't entirely used to the whole pick up and move every ten to fifteen years yet considering I had only had to do it twice. As a vampire you can never get too comfortable in a certain place because it won't be long before somebody notices that you still look seventeen when you are supposed to be thirty-two. I have been a vampire for thirty years now which makes me forty-seven but thankfully I still have the youthful body of a seventeen year-old. Picking a place to live is harder than actually moving because there are only so many places you can go where the sun decides to take weekly or monthly vacations. Humans just are not used to the shimmer in the sunlight thing. This time I settled on Forks, Washington. It seemed like a cozy little rainy town, perfect for someone like me. I flopped down on the bed and started listing in my head all the things I needed to do the next day and at the top of the list was enrolling at Forks High School. I would be entering in the middle of my junior year. For me this was the third time in high school. After a while it isn't so bad, once you learn to just sit back and watch the drama instead of being involved in it, high school can actually be quite entertaining. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an all too familiar smell. I knew then that I was not the only vampire residing in Forks.
From the time I was turned I knew there was something different about me. Obviously I had all the new senses and abilities that come with being a vampire but there was something else, something bigger. Ten years after I turned I figured out what that difference was. I had a gift that for someone like me was very useful, I could become invisible. It is very helpful when hunting or hiding from someone who suspects what you are but you can only hide from another vampire for so long, especially vampires that have gifts of their own.
"I know you're there." A young vampire who looked only a year or two older than me said as he looked around my room. I was sitting on my bed looking straight at him. "Not only can I smell your scent, I can hear your thoughts," he said with an arrogant smirk on his face. Like I said, the whole invisible thing is only helpful when the person you are hiding from does not have their own super powers. I decided to give it up and made myself visible to him.
"Hello, I'm Edward."
"Hi, I'm Hillary. Can I ask what you are doing in my house?" I tried to sound threatening but I got a feeling from the smirk that was still plastered on his face that he was not very scared.
"Well, Hillary, my family and I live here in Forks and we like to keep up human appearances. We try to make sure that no other vampire messes that up for us. I just wanted to stop by and be sure that that would not be a problem for you but based on what I heard inside your head, I don't think we will have any problems. In fact, why don't you come with me and meet my family. I'm sure they would love to meet you."
"Umm, I'm not sure. I mean, I just got here and I still need to get things settled." I was a horrible liar to begin with and here I was trying to lie to a mind reader.
"Well from the looks of things I'd say you're pretty much settled. Relax, they are nice. Well most of them. Come on," He said with a smile that was irresistible. Honestly, I had no idea how I was supposed to refuse so I gave in and followed him to his car.
"So how long have you lived in Forks?" I asked him trying to create small talk. One thing I despised was awkward silent moments, so I tried to keep him talking.
"We have lived here on and off for the past hundred and fifty years."
"Oh, wow. How old are you? I mean if you don't mind me asking."
"I'm eighteen." I rolled my eyes, something I had mastered as a human and carried with me into my vampire life.
"Really? You won't tell me how old you are?"
"I'm 259 years old." He said with a reminiscent look in his eyes.
"Well I'm only 47 but I was turned when I was seventeen."
"Did you want to be turned?"
"No," I said coldly. Over the years I accepted what I was but I never chose to be a vampire. It was a sore subject for me. One that I didn't care to discuss with someone I had just met and Edward took the hint.
"Do you know any other vampires? You know, that you are close with?"
"I did have a friend that I lived with for a while. His name was Jason and we stayed together for two years.
"So why aren't you with him now?" I don't know how, but Edward was able to ask the questions that ate at me the most. And even though he could look inside my mind and see the answer, he waited for me to tell him. I liked that. I liked the fact that he was interested and cared even though he didn't have to.
"Jason and I didn't quite see eye to eye when it came to feeding. At first we had a strict diet of low-lives. You know, the thugs, drug dealers, and murderers. We didn't want to take anybody's life that was doing good in the world. After a while I began to feel bad about killing humans, even though the ones we were killing were scum. So, I decided to try the animal diet and Jason agreed to do it with me. It wasn't easy at first but after a while it became natural. Jason pretended to be ok with it but one night he snuck out and I followed him. He was so bloodthirsty from not having human blood that he killed an innocent family. After that, I left immediately and I haven't seen him since."
"I'm sorry that you had to witness that. I believe that it takes a special type of vampire to exhibit such self-control like you and my family and I do. It isn't easy to stay away from human blood but in the end it is worth it." He looked at me with such sympathy in his eyes. He meant every word he said. "We're here."
I looked out the window and the most beautiful house I had ever seen stood before me. It was huge with glass making up most of the outside walls. It was so open and modern looking. I was so focused on the house that I didn't realize Edward had opened my door and that there were ten sets of eyes focused on me. Out of habit, I started to become invisible but I reminded myself that these vampires were not here to harm me. If they were not staring before, they definitely were now.
"Guys, this is Hillary. She just moved here and yes, she has a gift if you didn't already see." Edward broke the silence.
"That was. That was awesome!" a vampire, who looked like he was in his late teens or early twenties, blurted out. He had the biggest muscles I had ever seen on a vampire. "I'm Emmett, by the way."
"Hi! I'm Alice!" a cute pixie looking vampire said. She seemed so kind and genuine. "I'm the one who told Edward to go and get you. You see, I can see the future and I saw you coming," she said with a grin on her face. Her smile was infectious. I couldn't help but smile back. "This is Esme and Rosalie." She pointed to a slightly older woman who had kind eyes and a warm smile and then to a younger woman who was shockingly beautiful. "You already met Emmett and that's Carlisle." Carlisle had his arm around Esme and said "Welcome to Forks, Hillary, we look forward to getting to know you." I nodded and smiled as Alice pulled me down the line introducing me to everyone. "This is Jasper and Aiden." Jasper smiled and said hello but Aiden barely looked at me. It seemed a little odd but I didn't have much time to think about it before Alice was introducing me to the last two people, Bella and Nessie. When she introduced them as Edward's wife and daughter I was slightly surprised and my mind began to race. How did they have a child? I thought that was impossible. They couldn't have turned an innocent child.
Edward laughed, "Relax, Hillary, we didn't turn a child. Bella was pregnant with Nessie before she was turned. Nessie is only half vampire."
"Ok, thanks for clearing that up," I sighed in relief.
"We are all being rude standing around outside. Please, Hillary come in," Esme invited me inside their gorgeous home.