A/N: Hi, my pseudonym is SilverdustXHearts. The X is pronounced as a middle initial. This story is very dear to my heart, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing. I do not own any of the following characters that were in the original Twilight Saga, although I do own two or three of my own that are in this story.

The sleek, beautiful, and sad swan made her way through the crowd. She carried a parka over her arm and a standard suitcase in the other. Good she'll need it, I thought to myself from my perch on Charlie's shoulders.

My name is Gretchen Swan. I am thirteen years old, and I'm supposed to be in seventh grade, but I'm smart enough to go to high school, so I've matriculated to the ninth grade. I live in Forks with my father.

This was the first time I saw Bella in two years. The last time had been at Christmas. When I was little I lived with them my mother and sister in Phoenix, but slowly it set in that I was not the kind of girl for sun and sand and heaps of cement. I loved the snow, rain, and cool air. Not dry heat, and surfer boys...eww. So I had to separate myself from my high-strung mother, and my older sister who lacked common sense, and go to a more peaceful place.

I missed Bella extremely and worried for her. While Bella was protecting my mother from her antics, I was protecting Bella from her slight stupidity and clumsiness. The truth was I would have done anything to bring her with me, but I could tell she liked being with Renee, and Renee needed someone, so I didn't beg her.

I was overjoyed she was coming to stay with us, even if she was only doing it for Renee's good. Renee had recently remarried, but Phil was a baseball player and had to travel.

Bella was walking in a daze, eyes drifting from stranger's face to stranger's face. "Bella!" I yelled waving my hand in the air. "Bella Swan, Get your butt over here before I have to kick it!" She still couldn't hear me above her own thoughts. I sighed, and my bottom right eyelid twitched upward. She was right about to walk past the us. I leaned and grabbed her messy ponytail, pulling her towards us. "That's it, this way horsey."

"Owww." She groaned while hopping on one foot and turning around. "Hey, Gretch!"

"Hey, Bella. Dad, put me down." He did as I said, and I hugged my sister tightly around the waist. I only came up to her shoulders. She hugged back then gave Charlie an awkward hug.

"It's good to see you Bells." Dad said using a nickname I knew Bella despised. I smirked and crossed my arms, more happy then smug. "You haven't changed much. How's Renee?" Dad was still hopelessly in love with his high school sweetheart. It was cute most the time, but it could get annoying. Like how on his anniversary he sighed and moped around the house. On those days I stayed on the living room couch and watched TV instead of holding up in my room. He needed company.

I got in the front seat of the cruiser, then thought about it, and crawled in the back making myself comfortable next to Bella's luggage that was being loaded in. I stared at it. How could you possibly live with so little things? I would have probably packed lightly like she did if I was her, but after living with constant care packages of video games and pieces of civilization being sent from mom, I was probably more spoiled than I realized.

After making a small display of Bella and Dad getting in the car without tripping, we all strapped in. I kicked the back of Dad's chair. He looked at me with the "What's wrong with you?" eyes. I did the sign language for steering wheel hoping he'd remember what we had talked about in the car ride to Seattle.

"Oh, right. I found a good car for you Bella, really cheap." No offense to poor clueless Dad, but yes, dear readers, I was the one who talked it out with my good friend Jacob to get the car for Bella. There's no way Charlie could have ever thought of it. I had convinced Charlie to say he had bought it for her. She interrogated him about the car.

"You didn't need to do that, Dad. I was going to buy myself a car." I still had the smug little smile on my face. I would always take care of my sister, even when she didn't want me to.

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." Nice touch dad. I was thankful he was a better liar than Bella.

As we rolled through the state things grew green again. I hung my head out the window and took a breath of fresh air. The rain helped me forget the silence and look to the small hope that everything would get better now that Bella was here.

I hadn't bragged at school, which I knew Bella would appreciate. I didn't have anyone to brag to anyways, so why not keep it the most secret I could? If I could avoid it I wouldn't even glance at Bella during school. If the kids completely comprehended she was my sister she would have had a ruined reputation before she even got there. That didn't keep Charlie from talking though. It had already whispered through town and clusters of students knew. A few of my greater torturers asked if it was true. I pretended to not know what they were talking about.

I wasn't a favorite at my school. I was openly "strange" although I called it being different. I was the stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb kid that didn't belong in their small town vibe, but I didn't think it was my fault for being highly attracted to clothing only found on specialty stores on the net. I was tortured in new ways every day. It had certainly taught me tactics and on-your-toes thinking.

I hated how the Cullen's got away with it so easily, but that was because they were inwardly openly weird. They kept to themselves, unlike me. What really made the difference was the fact I wasn't pretty, or had anyone to be friends with. Anyone would have happily accepted the role of a friend to the Cullens if they asked, but they didn't, and people respected that. After realizing what they were (It only took me a week. I'm a child genius remember?) I tired to be more like them. (except not drinking blood, and actually sleeping) Just the parts I could manage, like sitting at a table by myself instead of trying to make friends, and not talking to anyone unless I absolutely had to.

Of course on top of that, I'm a living paradox. My charisma is outstanding. If I wanted, a teacher would bow down and praise me for my work, but I only used it to get excused from the every so often forgotten homework assignment, and a few other things. I would have had to use it the next day unless I got it all done that night, but I couldn't see how. I was too excited.

I didn't even notice the red jeep pass by, loaded with titanium bats, and the silver Volvo that followed behind it until it was too late. I gave a gentle wave anyways, and giggled at the thought of a good thunderstorm tonight.

~~~In the Cullen's Car~~~~

"Hey, that's Gretchen. She's waving. Hiiiiiiiiiii, Gretchen!" Emmet waved to his side mirror forgetting she couldn't see them anymore.

Rosalie smiled and shook her head.

"Does that girl still not have any friends?" Esme asked with a sad look on her face.

"Nope." Rosalie said.

"None." Emmet said.

"That girl sure is odd." Of all people, this came from Carlisle. Emmet and Rosalie laughed.

"Carlisle, that was mean." Esme glared at him.

"It's true." He shrugged.

"But did you see her sister? She was hott!" Emmet said delightedly. Rosalie punched his rock hard face with her fist. He only swerved a millimeter out of the lane.

~~~~The Volvo~~~

"Alice who was that?" Edward asked as they drove down the road.

"That's the girl who's always avoiding us, and her sister!" Alice said the last part with a little delight in her voice.

"So she was lying at school." Edward said suspicious of Alice's new happiness, and the fact she started singing multiplication table songs in her head.

"Alice what are you thinking?" Jasper said Edward's thoughts aloud.

"Oh nothing, just about something I could clear out of my closet soon." She was still singing times tables.

"You? Clear out a closet? Is that even remotely possible?"

"It's just one thing I've never found a use for...yet." Jasper sighed not even trying to guess what she was up to.

Edward on the other hand was trying so hard to find it.

~~~Gretchen~~~~

I turned back around and rolled up the window, then began to poke Bella on the shoulder.

"What is it Gretchen?" I could hear the slight annoyance in her voice. I giggled.

"We're here, silly." Her face went into silent shock mode. I knew she would love it. I was overjoyed to see that too.

"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" I had my mind morph those words so my name was replacing "Dad". It made me feel proud.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said nervously.

He took her luggage up to her room. I paced around in the mud outside for a little bit, letting dew fall into my mouth, but the feeling of rain on my face didn't last as long as it usually did. My sister was inside and the need to be near her grew fiercely. I ran in and up the stairs tackling her. She landed on the bed.

"Hi Gretchen." She said surprised.

"I missed you so much." I hugged her again.

"I missed you too Gretch."

"Ugh." I said letting go of the hard bear hug. It was nice to be held by the only person in the world who would never judge you. "Okay, see ya later, don't kill yourself unpacking." I left knowing she would want the peace.

I was up almost all night finishing homework that had gone undone. The first time thunder sounded, at dinner, I muttered "Home run." They both looked at me, and then looked back at their food dismissively.

During the night I heard the talking start. I had forgotten how much my sister slept talked. I went into her room quietly and sat listening. I didn't do this every night...a few minutes every night doesn't count. I sat there for about fifteen minutes in complete darkness listening. She was sobbing for the most part. Every once in a while she would say something like "she can't take care of herself" or "no sun", something like "stupid skin" was also said, but it was too quiet to hear.
I left, a few tears slid down my own cheeks. I knew she didn't want to be here, but it still made me happy she was.

I snuck to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth thoroughly. I fell asleep to the rain bubbling in puddles down below my window.

I looked out across the back yard in the morning. The world was bright with glowing fog. I thought about what this would mean for me. I would have to watch my back outside today for tricks, although the fog would most likely be gone by lunch...lunch I thought. I realized that Bella would see me alone for the first time. I prayed to god she wouldn't come sit with me.

I brushed through my short reddish-brown hair, got dressed, and ran downstairs.

"Gretchen, I was thinking." Charlie said as I rushed to get my cheerios. "

"Well that's a new one for you dad." He gave me a look. "You know I'm just kidding."

"Right, well, maybe you can ride with Bella, so we don't have to leave so early." This was the one thing I hoped wouldn't happen. This meant sacrificing Bella's rep.

Just breathe Gretchen, she'll be fine. My worst fear that day was that she'd end up like me. I couldn't let that happen to her.

"Yeah, that's a great idea, Dad." I bluffed, not having a good enough excuse not to.

"Good, then Bella, would you mind driving Gretchen to and from school?"

"No, not at all. I don't mind."

You should Bella.

~~~~At the Cullens~~~~

To find the y intercept plug certain numbers into the formula mx+b. Plug the slope into m, and...what was it that you plug into y... Edward watched Alice curiously as she went over things Edward knew Alice had known for centuries.

"Alice, what are you thinking?"

"You know what I'm thinking. What a silly question Edward." Alice said on the drive to school. She was ready to bounce out of her seat like it was her job. Although she was acting extremely well.

"Jasper, do you know why she's so excited?"

"Not a clue." He said smiling. He got used to being surprised by Alice's reasoning.

"All in good time children, all in good time."

"Uh-huh."

"Alice, you're really bad at hiding things." Emmet laughed.

"Then why don't you know what's going to happen yet? Oh yeah, because you aren't psychic, and I can hide my thoughts. Pwned!"

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, there's something not right." Emmet agreed with his partner. He could feel it too by the tension in the pit of his stomach. Something was off today.

A/N: Please R&R. I love hearing helpful criticism from everyone!