Here I was, sitting in the back of the car on the way to Forks, Washington. My dad and my mum . . . Well the woman he married when my real mum left, was taking us to live with her brother in my step-mum and dad's home town. I used to live there when I was little and was taken back every other year since my dad re-married and I can't really say I missed it. My half-brother looked and me and nudged me. "Cheer up sis." "Yeah," I mumbled a reply. "You remember Bella? She's down there and we'll be hanging with her and you got your old mates at La Push," he encouraged me. "Yeah," I mumbled again and kept quiet for the rest of the way there, already getting depressed by the wet weather.
Half an hour later, I was reunited with my uncle Charlie and his daughter, my cousin, Bella and her boyfriend, Edward. Instantly, he seemed wary of me; my mum headed towards the car. "Come on." "Where are we going?" I asked. "I'll explain on the way," my mum opened the door for me. In the car, she started to explain. "Do you remember Jenny from La Push? The reservation?" "Yeah, Jared's mum," I nodded. "I can't go any further than this but I will finish; me and your dad think it would be better if you lived with her, you now more people there and we think it would be better for you, you'd be more comfortable for you there. You will fit in more with them than you would with us." "But my dad hadn't even said goodbye to me. He couldn't do it himself so he made you drive me here and dump me?" I shouted. "It really isn't like that," my mum tried to reason with me. "Bullshit! My dad came from here too so why isn't he coming here? Oh wait, he's got a new family now," I hissed at her and left the car, slamming the door behind me. Ignoring the shouts behind me, I carried on heading to the cabin, stopping to turn round only when I heard the engine fade away. I turned back to the door and saw a girl about my age, with dark hair, watching me. "Hi," I'm looking for Jen," I said. The girl looked at me, slightly hostile and let me in. "Jen!" I didn't have to wait long before Jenny came to meet me, not looking much different than did she did last time I saw her, which was about two years ago. "Sherrie!" She cried, running over to me and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hostile girl loosen up. "How have you been? It's so good to see you, how's your dad?" "About from choosing his new family over me? Dumping me here, no offence, he's great. Couldn't be happier." "I can imagine how hard it is but you have us now, you've got your own new family," she smiled, sympathetically. "Well, you've met Leah." I looked over to the other girl. "She's Harry and Sue Clearwater's daughter. Jared is around somewhere, he'll pop by later when he's hungry." "Okay, now you've caught up, I should take her," the girl called Leah said and then turned round to me. "The people around here love fresh meat so they're throwing a welcome party down at the beach, so they're expecting you." I nodded and she shook my hand. "I'll tell Jared to come down," Jenny cried after me and Leah as Leah pulled me out. "Sorry about earlier, I'm a bit wary around people I don't know," she apologised on the way to the beach, walking through the trees that surrounded the area. "Yeah, I saw you relax when you realised Jenny knew me," I smiled at her. "So, you don't like you're new mum?" "I thought she was okay, until she convinced my dad to send me here and live in Fucks with her," I replied and Leah coughed a laugh at my name of the town. "Forget about them, you don't need them anymore. You won't even wanna go back to them in a few months, I promise," she nudged me. So, when was the last time you were here?" "Umm, four years, I think," I answered. "So, everyone will have changed. I bet you won't recognise most of them anymore. Shall we get this show on the road?" She looked at me and asked. I nodded and we did what we came to do.
We both pushed through the clearing and walked onto the beach, where there was a big bonfire and six huge logs around it, where some people were sat; others were stood around talking. "Hey, she's here," a guy cried out and came running over. Close up, I vaguely recognised him but couldn't put my finger on who he was. "Wow, you've grown so much," he laughed. "It's been years since you've been here." "Sherrie, this is . . ." Leah started to introduce him but the penny dropped. "Sam? Sam Uley?" I gasped. "No way! You look so . . .different, I mean you've cut your hair and really bulked up." Sam hugged me, laughing. "Sherrie, if you have forgotten, that's Jacob and Embry and Jacob's dad, Billy," Sam to the two guys in front of me and then an old guy sat by the fire in a wheelchair. Me and Leah followed Sam as he led us closer the bonfire. "Here we have Harry, Leah's dad, but her mum, Sue, is at home looking after Seth." "I remember you," I smiled at Harry and he came over and kissed my cheek. "It's good to see you again, you look great." Sam moved to a woman with black hair and wrapped both of his arms around her. The right side of her face and arm were badly scarred but I tried not to pay attention. "This is my fiancé, Emily." When he said this, I couldn't ignore Leah twinge and shift uncomfortably. "Engaged, huh?" I raised and eyebrow. "I couldn't help myself," he laughed. "Get yourself a drink and make yourself at home." Lean and I headed over to the drinks, grabbed one, and went to sit on one of the logs. "Do you not like Emily?" I asked when we were sat down. "Yeah, she's my cousin." "Oh, I saw you flinch when-" "I used to be with Sam, remember?" she cut me off. "Oh my god, yeah," I gasped. "Well . . .why not . . .I mean, what happened?" "Emily came to visit and they claimed it was love at first sight." "Like that myth, err, imprinting?" Leah looked at me warily. "Yeah, something like that." "There's no such as thing as true love," I snorted. "Amen to that," Leah laughed and held out her bottle to be chinked. I chinked and sat there watching the fire for 30 minutes until Jared turned up.
"Shezza Babe!" I turned around to see three guys, Jared in the middle. "Jared!" I cried and ran to him as he ran to me. When he got to me, he picked me up and spun me round with no effort at all. I stood back and looked at Jared, who was wearing just denim shorts. "Wow Jared, you look . . .huge." "You don't look too bad yourself, ain't changed much." He put an arm around me while we walked back to the others. "Can't say the same about you; you do know steroids are illegal?" "Shut up," Jared squeezed me tight. "My boys keep me in shape; by the way, Paul and Quil." Jared pointed so I knew which one was which. "I'd keep away from Paul though, he's got a bit of a temper." Paul let out a noise that sounded like a growl. "See what I mean?" "I ain't that bad, you guys push me to my limits." At the fire, I sat down with Leah one side and Jared the other. "So, what's your story? You move down here with your dad and step-mum and come to live on the rez by yourself?" Jared asked. "Yeah, how come you're not with them?" Jacob asked. "They decided to dump me here because they thought I would be more comfortable here, whatever the hell that means and she wouldn't even drive me to the door; said she wasn't allowed. So my dad's happy with his new family and here I am," I answered. Everyone was listening to me. "What do you mean 'said she wasn't allowed'?" Harry asked. "Well, instead of driving me to Jenny's, she drove me to the road about a mile away." Jared and Sam quickly looked at each other. "Who's her brother?" Jared asked me. "Charlie . . .err, Charlie Swan," I answered, and instead of everyone listening, everyone started staring. "I take it you know him?" "We've heard of him, got a daughter named Bella," Sam answered. "Yeah, I met her and her boyfriend too. Dunno what the hell his problem was, all he did was glare at me like I was his arch enemy, weird freak." When I said this, a couple of them burst out laughing. "The Cullens are freaks," Paul piped up. "Well," Sam spoke up before anyone could continue. "If you're going to be living here, there are things you need to know. Do you remember the myths and legends you heard as a child?" "Yeah, wolves and imprinting and vampires." "Well, being one of us, you need to know more about those myths and legends, but they don't come without consequences," Sam warned. All of a sudden, Paul, Embry and Jared started hassling Sam. "Let me do it." "No I want to." "I've known her the longest and besides, you showed Bella!" "Oh come on Sam, please." "Alright, okay!" Sam called out. "Embry." "Yes!" He jumped up. "Come on, come on." Embry, really excited, grabbed my hands and pulled me up. "Go with Embry and when you come back, everything you were ever told as a little girl will makes sense," he instructed.
