Chapter 1
The Assignment
Mr. Lavern's English class was loud, students and faculty able to hear them from down the hall. The bell had yet to ring so the students had yet to calm down. The chatter in the room caused the space to get almost unbearably loud and make it near impossible to tell who was saying what. But no matter how loud any classroom got, the student body could always tell when Dr. Cullen's kids had joined the conversation.
Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme Cullen had been unable to conceive any children, but had always wanted a large family. Naturally they dad what needed to be done to achieve their big family: they adopted. Currently they had eight children. Their youngest children were in Mr. Lavern's class and added to the hype of the class.
"Hey, bro," Mike Newton's voice rang through the classroom—a warning sign that the Volturi twins were coming.
"Hey," Was all the response Mike got, but that was natural. As class president, a player on the school's football team, and just an arrogant person, Alec Volturi rarely gave anyone outside his family an answer with more than three syllables.
"I saved you a seat," Mike motioned towards the two seats that he had guarded by threatening to beat anyone that sat in them.
Alec and Jane Volturi ignored the offer, though. Instead they moved past Mike and his annoying posy and sat in the seats they'd been sitting in since day one—two seats towards the back of the room and slightly separated from the others. Slightly offended, Mike turned his back on the Volturi twins and talked to his friend, Eric Yorkie.
The loudness of the room continued, though not for long. Soon the bell rang and Mr. Lavern walked in, calling his class to order.
"Alright, alright, you've had your fun, now settle down."
Mr. Lavern placed his briefcase on his wooden desk and watched his class as they scrambled toward their seats. Once everyone was seated in the proper chair and the chatter had died down, Mr. Lavern continued. "Today, we're starting a project." The entire class erupted into groans. "I know we're all very excited for this assignment. Now, since we've been studying biographies for the last month, you're going to write your own biography." Another set of groans from the class. "You're going to break up into pairs and interview and get you know your partner for one month. At the end of that month you're going to write a biography on that person. Also, during the time you're getting to know you're partner, you'll keep a video diary with your personal thoughts, understood?"
The class nodded and a few even murmured "yes".
"Are we allowed to choose our own partners?" Mike asked, leaning forward on his desk. If they were allowed to choose their partners, he already had the perfect person in mind: Jane Volturi.
"No, you'll only choose your friend and part of point of the assignment is to get to know somebody new. I will be assigning you a partner." The class groaned once again.
Mr. Lavern opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a bowl with little pieces of paper in it. He had had the class write down their names and put them in the bowl yesterday. He walked over to the student closest to him, Jessica Stanley, and stood above her desk.
"I will walk around to half of the desks and those students will choose a name; that person will be your partner. If you choose a name of someone who is already partnered up, you get to choose again." Mr. Lavern shook the bowl a little to shuffle the papers around and then held the bowl out to Jessica. "Miss Stanley, you're first."
Jessica took a deep breath and then reached in the bowl, hoping to pull out Alec's name. She grabbed a piece of paper and opened it, disappointed in her choice. "Natosha Forbes," Jessica's voice even portrayed how much she despised Natosha for her not being Alec.
Mr. Lavern moved on to the next student, Mike. "Mr. Newton, your pick."
Mike reached in and grabbed his paper. When he opened it, he was disappointed as well—it wasn't Jane Volturi. "Brieanna Garner."
Nodding, Mr. Lavern moved onto the next student, Eric. "Mr. Yorkie, time you put your phone away and choose your partner."
Flushing slightly, Eric stuffed his phone into his pocket and reached into the bowl. His paper revealed a name that meant nothing to him. Unlike the two students that had already picked their partners, Eric wasn't really hoping for someone. He just wanted a girl, which made him happy with his pick. "Clara Davids."
Mr. Lavern turned to the boy next to Eric, Jacob Black. Jacob was a shy but strong boy—he was the quarterback for the school's football team. Reaching into bowl, Jacob was hoping to not get Alec or Jane Volturi. He didn't need the headache of having to put up with one of them. "Lizzie Harolds."
"Ah, good pick. I think you and Lizzie will get along nicely." Jacob nodded as Mr. Lavern walked away. All the students watched him, slightly nervous. He walked past everyone, though. He seemed to be heading towards Jane and Alec, but then took an abrupt right and stopped in front of the desk of a girl. No one in the class really knew her name, except Jacob. This girl, though, had never spoken up in class and if Mr. Lavern didn't stop in front of her desk now, no one would have known she was even in this class. "Miss Coldridge, it's your turn."
Aubree looked up with her wide brown eyes and then timidly reached into the bowl. She pulled out a paper, and, with a shaking hand, opened it. "Alec Volturi."