Chapter 1. Book Worm
"stupid alarm clock" I muttered to myself. "why can't you ever just leave me alone" I snapped. Sometimes I wished it would just leave me alone and not go off. Why wouldn't it just let me sleep? Why did it have such a problem with me staying in my happy place? The one place I got to see my parents again and instead it chooses every morning at seven o'clock sharp to pull me back. Back into the old boring reality of the orphanage. The place hadn't changed a bit since I'd come here when I was three. The same boring room and the same boring people. No friends and no family.
I was completely alone and it looked like I would be for my next birthday. It wasn't a special birthday or anything. Not like ten with the double digits or sweet sixteenth. I was only turning eight but it would have been nice for once to have someone share it with me. my birthday was less than a month away and I seriously doubted that I was going to make any friends before then. With a sigh I dragged myself out of bed and stood up on the old creaking floor boards. I walked over to my familiar book shelf and pulled out my current favorite book twilight. I had read the series at least four times, it was one of my happy places and it allowed me to escape reality, even if it did disappear as soon as I closed the book.
I opened up to the familiar pages of the prologue. I quickly began reading, getting lost in the words. I was just about to start the first chapter when there was a knock at the door. "Melissa get dresses this instant and come down to breakfast! Your late" Miss Mather snapped as she took my book off me snapping it shut. "please can I have my book back" I pleaded reaching for it. "after breakfast" she sighed rolling her eyes. I smiled thankfully at her then stood up and headed towards my old chest of draws. "you read way to much Melissa, one of these days your going to get suck into one of your books" she threatened jokingly.
"oh but Miss Mather I've already done that, it was quite lovely having tea with Alice although the mad hatter was a little strange" I muttered sarcastically. She laughed quietly to herself. "your imagination is over worked Lissa. You need to come back into reality" she smiled shutting the door. I smiled to myself, she had no idea that I wasn't lying about having tea with Alice and the mad hatter. I'd been five at the time and I absolutely fell in love with the book Alice in wonderland. It had been my favorite for years and I read it over and over again till I knew the thing backwards.
I didn't know how it happened just that one minuet I was reading and the next I was lying in the middle of a forest with Alice peering down on me. she'd been my only friend for years. I used to visit all the time once I figured out how I did it. It usually happened when I was focusing entirely on that one book and nothing else. Or imagining that I was part of that book. I hurriedly pulled on my t-shirt and jeans, I raced down stairs then walked into the hall casually. I silently walked to my usual seat at the back and sat down.
No one looked up and no one said good morning. I ignored everyone and they ignored me, this is how things had been for four years now and it was the way I intended it to stay. I was known as Melissa the book worm or Melissa the nerd. The teachers were always trying to get me away from the books and encouraging me to go and play with the other children, I always refused. They would always tell me I needed the sunshine but I would reply that I liked the indoors and would prefer not to get burnt. That was when they brought in the rule that everyone had to be outside during recess and lunch. This didn't bother me for very long. I would still bring out my book and sit under the shelter, when they told me to play I would refuse. They soon gave up. I guess that's why my skin is so pale. Miss Mather always told me I looked like a ghost, I would just laugh and tell her that ghost's don't mind the sun and that I must be a vampire.
I walked over to the teachers table and up to Miss Mather's chair. "Miss Mather I've finished my breakfast now may I please have my book back?" I pleaded holding my hands out for it. A few girls behind me snickered and began whispering to each other. I ignored then and turned my attention back to Miss Mather. She gave me a worried look then handed the book back. "I really wish you would play with the other children Lissa, it's not normal for a child to sit behind a book all day every day. I've known you for four years and every time I see you there's a book with you. Either in your hand or in front of your face." She commented and I frowned at her.
"Miss Mather I'm not normal and never have been. Everyone else accepts it. I don't get along with other children. My books are my friends and all the adventures they present" I sighed hugging my book to my chest. I preferred Alice over the other girls in this orphanage any day. "but Lissa you need to be around people, you need to socialize" her smile was gone and she was being serious. "I do socialize it's just up here" I whispered pointing to my mind. "I don't belong in this world Miss. Sometimes I wish I could just escape into a book" she looked hurt by my words, I smiled trying to reassure her. I'd had this conversation with her many times before and was sure I would have it many times again.
I was ell aware that no one else had finished as I raced out of the hall. The usual was for the children to sit and chat for the extra ten minuets they had before lessons. I always had different plans. I ran up to my room and threw myself down on my bed. I couldn't stand another minuet here and had to distract my mind. I opened up to the first chapter and begun reading. I loved to pretend I was Bella it was so easy to belive that her thoughts were mine. Bella never belonged in the human world, she was made to be a vampire. Sometimes I thought I was just like Bella. I didn't belong in this world. And whether I went to Alice in wonderland or twilight I didn't really care. I just wanted out and I wanted it now.
I re lived Bella's first day of school again, my heart still raced when ever she talked of Edward. The love they felt for each other was so strong that it was un breakable. I wished one day I would find my Edward, someone to love me. I was just getting lost in the words when I realized the time. I raced down stairs and into the class room. I only just made it. I took my usual seat at the back of the class room and began to read as I waited for the teacher. It was only a few minuets before the class fell silent and the lesson began. I didn't want to stop reading, slowly I slipped my book off the table and into my lap.
I'd become good at reading in my lap as well as look like I'm paying attention at the same time. The teachers never asked me any questions. I wasn't exactly sure of what we did in these classes because I was always reading. I hoped we didn't write much because my note book was empty. I quickly pushed the thought aside and began reading again. I'd never worried about it before and I wasn't about to start now. The only thing I had to worry about was suddenly laughing in the middle of class and giving myself away. I'd become very good at controlling my emotions.
The class was over before I knew it, I quickly ran to my next one and resumed my reading as though I hadn't been stopped. Bella was just beginning to put the puzzle together. In my opinion the puzzle was fairly easy. Edward practically screamed it at her. The speed, the strength they were a dead give away. Then you had the insane beauty and the icy cold skin. He told her he was a mind reader and if that doesn't scream super natural then I don't know what dose. As soon as the research called them blood drinkers and the undead she should have known straight away.
I rolled my eyes at Bella's stupidity then continued reading. She'd finally figured it out. I closed my book after that chapter then headed into the playground for recess. The other children ran around screaming as per usual. I walked over to the far corner of the shelter and settled down. It was as far from the sun and heat as I could possibly get without going inside. I sore the teacher on duty roll her eyes at me as I opened my book again. What did she honestly think that I would just start suddenly acting like a normal child? Not on my watch.
I turned back to the book and dug in. Edward was just about to take Bella to meet his family, I loved this chapter. It was the first time you got to really read about the other family members. Alice was my favorite, she was so small and delicate. She was described more like a pixie or a fairy then a vampire. I also loved Rosalie, she was described as the most beautiful. She didn't like Bella because she thought she was giving everything away. Rosalie always wanted a child and I felt sorry for her. She would never get one. She could always adopt but they wouldn't really be hers.
I had the same long golden curls as her. I often wondered what it would be like if I went into the book. I always wanted a mother and Rosalie wanted a child. She explained to Bella how she had wanted a beautiful child with little dimples and the cutest face. I didn't have the cutest face but I did have dimples. I also wanted to see if Alice's fashion love was as bad as the book described. I would love to go shopping with Alice or have my hair and make up done by her. I'd never been shopping, I mean real shopping. I'd probably gone with my mum when I was three but I also probably didn't know what was going on.
In my mind Bella was more clumsy then the book described other wise Edward didn't really have anything to worry about. Sure she had no balance and she was a danger magnate but that was only since shed moved to forks. Edward dazzled her to much and Bella was one of those people who could only do one thing at a time. walk or be dazzled, not both. I closed my eyes and started imagining my self in the book with them. shopping with Alice, playing mind games with Edward and betting with Jasper. I was sure I would win all the time because I knew what was going to happen. I could help Bella stay on her feet and get Emmett back for her when he laughs at her for falling over. I really would love to live with the Cullen's.
They were all clear in my mind. My eyes were closed and all my surroundings seemed to disappear. I still had the book open on my lap as I day dreamed. We were all sitting in the lounge room having conversation. I was there too and it looked so natural. I was in my happy place. I often had these daydreams and so lately they were becoming more and more vivid. Even when I was reading these images of me belonging to this kind of family stuck in the back of my head. They made me happy and made me feel like I belonged some where.
Everything was silent. I was completely alone in my head and that's the way I wanted it to stay. I never wanted recess to end. Surrounded by a family was my one and only dream. My one goal in life. I dreamed harder and harder making the images more and more real. I wanted these pitchers and I wanted them now. I wanted to go into the book. Please. My whole mind was occupied with the thought.
