Chapter 1

"When are the visiting hours again?" Edward, my father, asked as he put a stuffed cardboard box of on top of the ancient wooden desk. There was an unpadded chair to match.

Bella, my mom, and I both simply rolled ours eyes.

It was a rare overcast day in the usually sunny locale of Austin, Texas, especially in late August as the thermometer peaked at 102 despite the clouds. Alice had told us this afternoon was the best time to move in: a limited three hour period when a late summer thunderstorm would provide a cover of gloom for my vampiric family. However, as a precaution, Edward and Bella wore conspicuous long-sleeved shirts and full-legged jeans. Therefore, they stood out not only for their arresting beauty, but also for their attire and lack of perspiration. Other students were practically in their bathing suits and parents followed in shorts and shirts that boasted tell-tale sweat stained arms. Girls who passed us in the stairwell in bikini tops looked at Edward with longing, Bella with loathing and me with suspicion. It should be a fun semester.

Dad left to retrieve other boxes filled with junk I probably didn't need, but Alice wouldn't let me leave without. I'll l be the only girl in the dorm with 500 count Egyptian cotton sheets and curtains to match. I was sure she already knew I wasn't putting up the curtains when she bought them, but there they were, staring up at me from their unopened box sitting on the bare and badly stained mattress. Bella wrinkled her nose. I, too, smelled whatever toxic orders emanated from it. Humans didn't notice anything lurking under the topical treatment of fabric cleaner, but trust me, it still stank.

I glanced around the tiny room that I would be sharing with another girl for the next sixteen weeks, at least, with a smile of adventure. I saw the cinderblock walls painted an off white , the scarred faux wood closet doors covered with the tape residue of countless prior occupant's posters and the dusty metal book shelf with chipped paint that lined the wall above the mirrored skinny beds and felt immediately at home. Like other college freshman this was to be my first time living away from home. I do have sixteen credit hours from the University of Alaska that I will be transferring in, but I stayed in my family's huge house. But I was tired of being cold. I was tired of being in the dark. I was tired.

In a few weeks I'll turn seven years old but I won't age another day for as long as I live. At least that's what Carlisle said. The oldest half-breed our family knows off was at least a hundred years old and still looks like a head-shot off of . And my boyfriend isn't getting any older either. We both were frozen at age eighteen for as long as we desired.

"This should be the last of it," Edward announced as he placed the last box on the floor.

A silent look passed between the three of us and we got to work. Edward guarded the door using his mind-reading ability to detect who may think about entering this room while Bella and I swiftly unpacked the boxes and arranged my belongings about my half of the room. Bella and I sang a song while we worked. Posters went up, sheets went on, laptop hooked up and books were stacked in alphabetical order. My art supplies were carefully put in the closet along with my pared down wardrobe. Alice and Rose didn't understand that I didn't need formalwear at college. The other superfluous items, and there were two boxes worth, were packed up and taped, ready for Edward to take back down to the car. We just completed the first chorus when we were done. Bella and I collapsed on the bed giggling as Edward, with a smile, backed away from the door. Bella and I were betting on drive way up (down?) how quickly we could finish this task. Bella won. She was faster than me, but I could still beat the track star on campus.

"So, how do you like your new home," Bella said with a crack in her voice on the last word.

"I love it," I said as I hugged my pillow.

Edward looked at his watch though we had only been in the room for twenty minutes so far. The countdown was on. "So you didn't answer my question earlier. What are the visiting hours again?"

I sighed "You already know. Until 11 pm on weeknights and all night on weekends."

"I still think you should move to another dorm."

Another sigh escaped my lips this time with an eye roll. Edward thought that a dorm monitor was going to keep Jacob and me from seeing each other at three in the morning. His over protectiveness was another reason why I have moved halfway across the globe.

This past summer was wonderful as Jacob and I had plenty of free-time to spend together relishing the brief and weak, but ever present Alaskan sunshine. Jacob and I's relationship had deepened, but obviously too much for Edwards taste. He managed to insert himself as much as possible – especially by having read our intentions.

One night, during a late dusk, the large orange globe of a sun dipped into the golden sea as Jacob and I sat and watched. It was a romantic moment. I wore a bikini top and shorts, Jacob in shorts. We sat side by side alternating looking at the awe-inspiring sunset and each other. Jacob trimmed his hair short and the effect emphasized his dark eyes. A few tendrils of my auburn escaped my pony tail in the breeze. Jacob reached to brush it away. He must have had an impure thought to accompany the action because my cell phone rang at that precise moment with a text from Edward saying 'don't forget the apples'. Talk about a mood breaker. Granted there won't be much I can do if Edward decided to eavesdrop or text me from here, but at least I can avoid the lingering stares from doorways or sudden appearances on campus.

"So you have all your classes set?" Bella asked brightly as Edward appeared in pain while darkening the doorway with his sour mood. I didn't think he enjoyed my summer.

"Yes. English Comp, American History, Drawing, Art History and Intro to Computers," I answered.

"And you have enough money for books?"

"Yes." I flash the ATM card that they had already loaded with a couple of grand for 'incidentals'.

"And your meal plan is loaded on your card?"

"Yes." I groaned and showed the other white card that displayed the longhorn graphic in burnt orange with my face emblazoned on it.

"And—"

I cut her off. "Enough. I got everything and if by some strange reason, I don't, I am sure I can figure out a way to get it. We are in the internet age."

Apparently satisfied, Bella stood up, pushed down on her pant legs and looked at Edward. Edward, who had been standing quietly next to the door the whole time as if not wanting to let anybody in or out, approached his wife and together they looked at me with identical expressions of happiness and grief.

"So, I guess this it." Edward said. He pulled me into his arms. I listened to his silent, cold hard chest and knew I was going to miss him terribly. Bella with a face that look like it would shatter was shaking with tearless sobs as she joined our embrace. For the last time (at least until mid-semester break) I cradled each of my parent's cheeks and shared with them my love. Without another word, Edward and Bella, arm in arm, turned toward the door and soundlessly passed through it. And I was blissfully alone. I jumped on my bed and screamed with joy into my pillow.

After a minute or so, I dropped the pillow from my face. A girl, around eighteen years old and five feet tall stared at me with wide brown eyes from the center of the room. Behind her were two equally surprised middle aged persons who I assumed to be the girl's parents.

"Sorry, " I muttered as I blushed and put the pillow back on the bed. I patted it for extra measure. I stood up and crossed the two steps to face the girl. "Hi, I'm Renee Cullen. Nice to meet you." I outstretched my hand.

The wide eyed girl looked at my hand as if it would bite her but soon recovered with a shrug. "Hi, I'm Amanda Stiker. Most people call me Mandy, " she said with a sweet southern drawl as she confidently took my hand.

Her parents approached from under the doorway's shadow. "Nice to meet you, Renee. Are you a freshman, too?" Mrs. Stiker asked as she surveyed the room with a keen eye. Her gaze lingered on one of my posters. It was a photograph of one of my paintings. The original hung in my Alaskan room. Finally, her attention turned back to me with wary eyes.

"Yes. I'm still technically a freshman though I earned some credits at U of A."

"Alabama? Arkansas?" Mandy asked.

"Alaska."

The family's eyes widened in surprise, again. "Alaska! Wow! It must seem really hot to you down her e in Texas," she stated the obvious. The noisy air conditioner was hacking away in a vain attempt to decrease both the temperature and humidity. My hair was curlier than ever.

"Yep. I take you are from around here?"

"How did you ever guess?" she laughed "I live in Denton. North Texas. There are two universities there, but I wanted to move to a city, you know? I'm tired of small towns."

"I hear ya. My school had only two hundred kids-total."

"Wow, that's a small high school. My graduating class had twice that!"

"Uh, that was the whole school – kindergarten through high school."

Again, the wide eyes. This poor girl's eyes were going to pop out if she kept it up.

"Wow," she mouthed.

"Who was that we passed on the way in? That couple. They left from this room, right?" Mrs. Stiker asked.

"Yes. That was my brother and sister," I replied.

"Brother? Sister? Hmm. I take it your family is close?"

"Yeah." I was picturing how it must have looked to see Edward and Bella arm and arm out the door looking like runway models leaving a funeral. I hoped she wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Where are your parents?"

"They couldn't make it. My dad is a doctor."

She sniffed in response. "We'll give you girls a chance to talk while your father and I get your belongings."

I got the impression that Mrs. Stiker wasn't happy with me for some reason. With her perfectly highlighted blond hair tucked in a relaxed pony tail at the nap of her neck, her causal white tank top with the trademark Longhorn symbol on the front and pressed denim shorts, she looked like she was ready for an afternoon stroll at the park. But her steely blue eyes and taunt lips belied something else. Maybe it was just the fact her daughter was moving away.

"Thanks, Mom," Mandy said without taking her eyes off me as she plopped down on my bed beside me. "Why did you come to Longhorn country?"

"It was warmer than Alaska." There was that sweet laugh again. It had a high pitched musical quality. Not annoying like it could be. "Why Texas? Why not New York if it was the big city you were looking for?"

"Scholarship," and there was that laugh again. Uh, oh. I see a pattern. Maybe I was too quick to dismiss the annoyance. "I was valedictorian of my graduating class so I got a full-ride scholarship here. Sweet, right?"

I nodded. I probably could have gotten a scholarship with my 4.0 from U of A, but with Cullen money, why bother?

"What's your major?" she asked.

"Art. Probably painting."

"Wow. You must be talented." This girl was too easily impressed. Or fake. I couldn't put my finger on which one yet. "I'm pre-med," she stated confidently as if she were already a resident instead of lowly freshman.

This time my eyes widened in surprised. I was picturing this short little girl in a white lab coat hovering over an operating table that was lowered to two feet off the ground so she could reach the patient. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a giggle. I could only hope she was looking into pediatrics.

Mandy studied my side of the room, first tilting her head to the read the book tiles, then tilting her head the other direction to examine the posters of my artwork. Then she abruptly got up and opened my closet.

Shocked at her boldness in invading my meager privacy in such small quarters I dashed behind her in the time it took her to breathe a single breath.

"Oh! You scared me! How did you get her so fast?" she said as her breathing slowly returned to normal after she jumped in surprise.

I shrugged my shoulders and secretly delighted in hearing her elevated heart rate. "Find anything interesting?" I motioned at my wardrobe.

"Oh, sorry. Is this your closet? I didn't mean to intrude." Her hand was over her heart and the southern charm was dripping off her lips, but I didn't trust her innocent routine. With a faint click she closed the door and tip-toed to her closet door. "Hmm. Not much space. I guess it'll have to do."

"You two acquainted, yet?" Mr. Stiker asked. He was carrying a blue milk crate full of books with black garment bags draped over his arms. Over one shoulder hung what looked like a laptop case and a duffle bag on the other. With a huff he deposited the items on the bed.

"Daddy! Be careful!" Mandy rushed over to protect her fragile belongings though they looked to be just fine to me.

"Sorry, Sweetie. You have a lot of stuff."

Mandy gave him a sugary smile. I had no doubt that that smile had been used to get whatever it was she wanted from the man. "It's okay, Daddy."

"Mandy, dear. Please help us get all this stuff in your room. You have auditions in just under an hour and your father and I have a plane to catch," Mrs. Stiker declared. She only had a rolling suitcase and yet another garment bag in her possession.

"Yes, Mom." Dejected, Mandy got up and did as her mother told but not before look back at me and rolled her eyes with a grin.

This girl was a manipulator. Great.

Once Mr. and Mrs. Stiker cleared out I asked," What are you auditioning for? A play? A sport? A chair in the orchestra?" Having seen no instruments or sporting equipment brought into the room and given her theatrical performance when her parents were present, I pegged her as a drama geek.

"No, silly," she laughed that musical, but this time mocking, laugh. "Cheerleading."

Oh. It was worse than a drama geek. She was a drama queen.

"Do you want to come?" She gave me a once over with her eyes, no doubt sizing me up to see if I was squad material. I had every confidence I could do anything physical thing they asked me to do, but parading around in a short skirt chanting nonsense to a crowded stadium wasn't my idea of fun. "I'm sure you were a cheerleader in high school. You got the looks for it."

I couldn't hold back the snicker. As if looks were all that there was to cheering. "Thanks for the compliment, but I have never even been to a football game."

"No freakin way. You're shitting me right? What did you do on Friday nights?" I was worried about the girl's poor eyeballs again as they threatened to pop.

"Um. Not much football in Alaska. My family watched some of it on TV."

"Girl, this is Texas – football country. You are going to get an education here!"

Well, I guess that was what I came for. Mandy with unbridled elation began throwing clothes around the room searching for the 'perfect shorts' and finally produced a pair of tiny red shorts. She immediately shed her current Capri's and pulled the shorts over her electric blue thong underwear. I sat in shock at the spectacle. Whether the fact that people actually wore the uncomfortable contraptions such as thong underwear or that she blithely disrobed before me had stunned me to inactivity didn't matter. Both were outrageous. I wondered if that was part of my education.

"You'll need to change clothes," she said as she yanked the super tight garment into place. Then she tore her tank top off and exposed her bare breasts. Now it was my turn for my eyes to fall out of my sockets. Had this girl no modesty? And why wasn't she wearing a bra not that they would enhance her breasts shape, but good grief! "What?" she asked as she stood at full attention with only those short-shorts on.

I turned my now crimson face and busied myself with riffling through my drawers looking for something—whatever.

"Oh," she said as if a light bulb just went off. "You're queer. I get it."

"Excuse me?" I turned around. She had blissfully put on a sports bra.

"Queer, gay, lesbian?" she retorted. "It's okay. This might be the Bible belt but I'm no prude. Whatever gets your rocks off. But I don't swing that way, if you know what I mean. So keep your eyes and your hands to yourself."

I shook my head. It was like she was speaking Swahili. I understood the words but they didn't make sense.

Looking at me as if I were indeed Swahili, Mandy continued, "You were checking out my girls." She thrust out her chest and cupped her breasts with her hands. I just thought…"

I recovered enough to smile. "No, I don't 'swing that way' either. I have a boyfriend."

"Sweet! You'll have to spill the details later, but we have to go."

Invading my space again, Mandy began rummaging in my drawers with an expression of disgust at some of the contents, but eventually pulled out a pair of grey shorts and a pink t-shirt she deemed worthy. While I wordlessly got dressed she pulled on a tight fitting white t-shirt with the longhorn logo on the front. We stood side by side in front of the full length mirror. She looked like a cheerleader with her dark hair pulled up in a high pony tail and shipped her lips with a blinding pink gloss. I towered over her with an additional six inches of height and appeared too skinny next to her athletic frame.

'Let's go!" she said and was out the door.

I paused for a few seconds as I wondered at this force of nature that had invaded my life. I was curious as the extent of this girl's brazenness, so I willingly followed her out the door.