It was a magical New Year's Eve at a vacation resort in the mountains. Gleaming white snow covered the ground, stars sparkled in the crisp, clear air, and everyone was beginning to get in the party mood.

Everyone, that is, except Edward Masen, and his father, Anthony, who were still on the basketball court, playing one-on-one. They were covered with sweat, but they were having too much fun to stop.

Edward had the ball, and he was doing a good job of getting around his dad. After all, Edward was on the high school basketball team. Not only that, but he was the team captain. He had the smooth moves and explosive action of a real star.

But Anthony was more than just Edward's dad. Anthony was also the basketball team's coach. So Mr. Masen gave his son advice as they played.

"Keep working left, Edward," Mr. Masen said. "The guy guarding you in the Championship game won't expect that. You'll torch him."

Edward nodded, breathing hard. "By going left-" he said.

"He'll look middle, you take it downtown," his dad-and coach-explained.

Edward nodded again. "Like this?" He spun past his father, jumped, and sunk a reverse layup. The ball whistled cleanly through the basked. Nothing but net!

His father grinned. "Sweet."

Edward grinned back. Nothing felt better than playing basketball when you were in the groove!

They could have played all night, but just then Edward's mom walked into the gym. She was wearing a sequined party dress and clearly had things other than B-ball on her mind. "Boys? Hello?" she called. Once she got their attention, she went on. "Did we really fly all this way to play more basketball?"

Edward and his father glanced at each other slyly. They knew she didn't really want an answer to that question, but they gave her one anyway. In perfect unison, they shrugged and said, "Yeah."

Mrs. Masen gave an exasperated sigh. "It's the last night of vacation. The party…? Remember?"

Actually, they had both totally forgotten the big New Year's Eve party that the resort was holding, but they knew it wasn't wise to admit that.

"Oh, right, right," Mr. Masen said quickly. "New Year's Eve." He hesitated, then asked, with some fear, "Do we have to wear funny hats?"

"Absolutely," she said firmly. "And we're due in half an hour. Edward, they have a kids' party downstairs in the Freestyle Club."
"Kids' party?" Edward protested. That made him sound like a toddler!

"Young adults," his mom quickly amended. "Now go shower up."

With heavy sighs, Edward and his father did as she said. As Edward took one last glance at the basketball court, he thought, the championship game is in a couple of weeks! I should be practicing, not going to some stupid "kids' party"! Besides, how much

fun could hanging out with a bunch of kids possibly be…

Meanwhile, in another part of the lodge, another mother was about to tear her daughter away from another fascinating activity. Bella Swan was comfortably curled up in an overstuffed hair in the sitting area. She was enjoying the peace and quiet- everyone else was already at the party- and had totally lost herself in a book called If You Only Knew Me. It was the best book she had read since, we, since the last book she checked out of the library, and she couldn't wait to get to the end. However, she didn't even get to the next page. The book was lifted right out of her hands, and she looked up to see her mother standing over her.

"Bells, it's New Year's Eve," Mrs. Swan said. "Enough reading."

"But, Mom, I'm almost done and-" Bella protested.

Her mother just shook her head. "There's a teen party," she said firmly. "I've laid out your best dress. Go."

Bella eyed her mother's sparkly party dress and sighed. She knew she was defeated. She nodded, but asked. "Can I have my book back?" Her mother handed it over and Bella headed toward her room to change. As soon as she was out of her mom's sight, however, she opened the book and began reading as she walked. She might have to go to some stupid teen party, she thought, but she didn't plan to turn her brain off until the very last minute.

A short time later, Edward and Bella were in the teen club, feeling out of place. It was packed with kids wearing goofy party hats, blowing on noisemakers, and laughing.

Everyone else seems to be having fun, Edward thought glumly. He had showered and dressed in nice pants and a pressed shirt, but he just wished he was back on the basketball court.

In another part of the room, Bella sat by herself, wearing the dress her mom had laid out. I could be back in my room, reading, Bella thought wistfully. I was just getting to the good part, too.

Neither one of them was having any fun at all.