I DO NOT OWN THE TWILIGHT SERIES AND CHARACTERS OR CLAIM TO.
THEY RIGHTFULLY BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER
Chapter 1
"Today is the day." I sang to myself as I walked down the staircase of my parents home, my home.
The year was 1935, Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Today was the day when thing were going to look up for my family. Especially my older sister Susan. The youngest daughter and second youngest child. She was to be twenty-one this year. All of my other siblings had all been married off. The only ones left were Susan and I. Our parents urged me to take a wife but I refuse them every time. If Susan is going to go on with life without a husband then I shall not marry. She should not be alone forever just because she is blind.
I shook my head at the thought. She won't be alone forever because I will be by her side. She shouldn't have to live at home with mother and father by herself.
"Emmett?" Susan called from the sunroom. Her voice was anxious.
"I'll be there in a minute Susan." I reassured her. I packed up all my paperwork into my bag and made my way into the sunroom. Susan was sitting in the old rocking chair facing towards the doorway. Her chestnut brown hair was all over the place and her skin was still as pale as the moon.
I sighed. She needed to get out of this house soon before she becomes as white as a ghost. She needs some sunlight and food. She has gotten too thin.
"Are you going somewhere brother?" She asked as I sat down in the seat opposite her.
"Yes, dearest Susan." I chuckled. I could never get anything past her. "I'm going to start my new job today."
"New job?! You never told me you had a job!"
"It was a surprise." I placed my gigantic hands on her small fragile hands. "I didn't mean to make you upset. Please forgive me."
"No. I won't forgive you until you tell me everything." She crossed her arms. "Where is this new job? Who is your employer? What it is that you will be entailed to do. And last but not least, how long do you plan to work there?"
"That is a lot of questions from such a small lady." I smiled as her brows creased. "But I will answer them if it makes you happy."
"It will make me happy. You know how I hate not knowing what's going on. Especially when it involves you my dear younger brother."
"There isn't even a whole year between us but alas I do admit I am younger but I'm not as fragile as you." That was true. Susan was a thin as a stick even though she ate three meals a day. Compared to me she is only a fourth of my size.
"That is because you eat eight meals a day and do odd jobs like lifting bags of grain and rice. That is why you are so big. I don't need eyesight to realize how strong and muscular you are Emmett." She sighed with frustration. How cute. "Are you going to answer my questions yet?"
"Of course, Susan." I cleared my throat in order to speak clearly. "My employer is Sir Barnes. I will be helping around, doing these 'odd jobs', for him. One will include going into the forest to chop down some timber. And I plan to work there as long as they need me."
"You said Sir Barnes? Correct?"
"Yes. Does that bother you?" I asked seriously. She burst into a fit of laughter.
"Oh, Emmett! I can't believe you haven't noticed yet! You really aren't that bright! The rest of us must have inherited our parent's intelligence and left none for you."
"You know Susan. That is quite offensive and for a lady to say that to a gentleman." I shook my head with mock horror. "No wonder you aren't married."
"I may not be married but you might be soon if you do deicide to work at Sir Barnes store."
"Please elaborate on that."
"Emmett. My dear Emmett. Do you recall Sir Barnes's only daughter Jillian?" I nodded. Everyone in town knew who Jillian Barnes was. She was the most beautiful woman in town. Or so I have heard. I still believe that Susan has more beauty. Not just her appearance but her personality. "Sir Barnes plans on you to take her as your wife."
"Why would he expect that?" My eyes widened with shock. This is the first time I have heard of this nonsense.
"Because little Jillian asked for it." She giggled. "She has been head over heels in love with you since she first saw you."
There was an awkward silence. "How old is she again?" I finally spoke. I had to say something and it was true I had forgotten her age.
"She will be fifteen years of age this fall."
"She looks older than fifteen." I gasped. It was true .She had long wavy blonde hair which reached her knees. Her lips were redder than a rose. Her eyes were as blue as the sky. She was a splitting image of her mother. She looked around thirty years old.
"Have you fallen in love with her?" Susan misunderstood my reaction to her question.
"Of course not!" I reassured her. "I will never love any other woman other than you elder sister." She let out a small smile but I saw something I didn't expect. She was blushing.
"Wh-what time are you supposed to be at the Barnes's store?" She stammered, trying to find her words. Then I remembered, I was meant to be at work.
"Now!" I exclaimed. I was late for my first day on the job. "Good Lord! I'm late!" I jumped out of my chair and placed a kiss on Susan's cheek. "Mother and Father will return before me but I'll be back soon. I promise." I gathered my bag and hurried out the front door.
"Good luck!" She called after me. I didn't have enough time to get in my car and it was pointless anyway seeing as the Barnes's store was only five minutes away by foot.
As I ran I turned down the last street which would lead me to the Barnes's store. What I did not expect was for there to be a wall. I fell to the hard ground with a large thump.
When I looked up it wasn't a wall that knocked me over it was a boy. Seventeen years old at the least. He had the strangest eyes I have ever seen but they memorized me. They were a butterscotch colour. His auburn coloured hair moved in sync with the wind. He was beautiful.
I slapped myself internally. Don't fall in love with a man, you idiot! I thought as I got up on my feet and brushed the dirt off my clothes. "I'm sorry for that. I didn't look where I was going. My sincerest apologies." I apologized.
He just chuckled and walked off. What a rude, self centered brat! He stopped walking and just stood still in the street. Damn! Did I say that out loud?! I thought as I quickly stalked off in the opposite direction.
By the time I got to the Barnes's shop Sir Barnes was standing outside tapping his foot impatiently. "This is your first day and you're late! Explain yourself!" He ordered.
"I had to help my elder sister Susan this morning and I ran into this punk on the street." I shook my head with anger. "Weirdest kid I have ever met. He had auburn hair, pale skin and had the strangest coloured eyes I have ever seen!"
"Are you talking about Edward Cullen?" So that is his name. Edward Cullen. "What did you say to him?" He pressed.
"I apologized for running into him and said nothing more." I confessed. "I was going to though." I muttered under my breath.
"Thank the heavens you said nothing more! The Cullen's are the ones who got my family and store back on its feet! They are a gift from God!"
"I'm sorry Sir. I didn't know that. I did not know that he was part of the family who helped you through your troubles."
He sighed. "I guess I can forgive seeing as there was no harm and you didn't know."
"Thank-you very much Sir!" I exclaimed. "What would you like me to do?"
"You see those bags of grain and rice." He pointed towards the stacks of bags. I nodded. "Please move them to the back of the store. And after you have done that, move half of the timber in the store. When you have done all that you may go home. You will start the same time tomorrow."
"Of course." I looked down at my hand and realized I still had my bag in my hand. "Here this is for you." He looked at me with a confused expression. "It is the paper work I filled in."
"Don't be late tomorrow." He warned as he walked into his shop. I rolled up my sleeves and began to work.
It took around three hours to complete my assigned tasks. I was covered in sweat from head to toe. As soon as I get home I am going to have a long and refreshing wash down.
I walked through the front door of my house only to be bombarded by Susan's warm arms.
"Emmett! Finally your back!" Susan came up and hugged me tightly. I was hesitant hugging her back seeing as she looked so clean and I smelt and was covered in sweat. "It is already past seven! Will you be working this late everyday?"
"Where are father and mother?"
"Gone out for dinner. It's their wedding anniversary remember?" Right. It was their fortieth wedding anniversary. I should have gotten them a gift. "So, will you be working this late everyday?"
"No. It was only because I was late to work."
"Does it have anything to do with Miss Jillian Barnes? Hmmm?" She asked poking my chest, harder than necessary.
"No!" I exclaimed. Surely the neighbours heard. "I was late because I was talking to you this morning and because I ran into the brattiest, obnoxious kid I have ever met!"
"Who? Who is the kid?" She asked as she grabbed my hand and lead me towards the couch. We sat down next to each other.
"Edward Cullen." I grinded my teeth together as I spat his name. I made it seem like I was speaking about the devil.
"You meet Edward Cullen!" She squealed. I noticed that she had a hint of joy in her voice. "Is he as handsome as everyone says?!"
"Yes…Wait! No! Of course not!"
"So he is handsome. You are so lucky to have met him." Her cheeks went scarlet red. "I wish I could meet him."
Was she in love with Edward Cullen? Over my dead body! I would never allow her to marry some snot nosed brat like him. And she's older than him for heavens sake!
"Seeing as you know all the gossip going around town, could you answer a few questions for me?" I tried to keep my voice calm. It didn't work very well.
"Of course. Ask away." She grinned.
"How long have the Cullen's been in town? I have never heard of them until today."
"Around a week." Why is it that nobody told me?! I feel somewhat left out.
"How many of them are there?"
"Four." I groaned. There were four of them! Four people who were most likely beautiful and overwhelming. I froze and internally slapped myself for thinking like that.
"Names?" I moved onto the next question as quick as I could so I wouldn't seem too suspicious.
"Their names are Carlisle and his wife Esme. And their children's names are Edward and Rosalie."
"How old are they?" I asked the main question which has been bothering me the most. I prayed that Edward Cullen was older than Susan.
"Edward just turned eighteen!" Of course she had to say his age first. "Rosalie is nineteen. Carlisle and Esme are around their thirties."
"So he is younger than you." I murmured as I clutched my hands together.
"I may be blind but I'm not deaf Emmett." She giggled. "Any more questions?"
"Of course." I inhaled a large amount of air then exhaled. "Why did they move to Gatlinburg?"
"That is one question I cannot answer. I do not know the answer myself. It's a mystery. The whole town knows nothing of it. Some people are saying it is because Mr. Carlisle Cullen is a doctor and transferred here."
"Hmmm…Interesting." I muttered to myself. This was quite odd. Susan knows everything about everyone in this town. And the Cullen's have been here for a week and she is not sure why they are here. I might have to do my own investigations on the Cullen family. Especially this Edward Cullen.
"Emmett." I snapped out of my train of thoughts. I looked up at Susan's face. Her hands were covering her nose. "You stink!" I erupted into a roar of laughter.
Here Is Chapter 1 for my new Fanfic 'Bear With It'
I hope you enjoy it! Please Review and tell me what you think about it.
