A/N: I do not own Twilight... Just the characters I made up in this story... And I hope you like it! :D

Chapter One: New Family

Being adopted by someone you've never met before in your life is tough. It's also difficult when you're expected to call these people your mother and father when you know that they are in fact not your birth parents. They are merely kind people who think adopting a parentless teenager is a good deed.

I've lived in an orphanage all my life. I know nothing of my birth parents. I don't know who they are, whether they were alive or deceased, nothing.

My best friend Callie helped me pack my things, which I admit wasn't a whole lot. She was my only friend in Lakeville Orphanage and I was her only friend. I could tell by looking into her bright emerald green eyes that she was struggling to hold back tears.

"You will write and come visit me, won't you?" she asked in the voice I knew meant she was doing her best to try and be brave and feel grateful for me.

"Of course," I told her, intending to keep my promise no matter what.

We had finished packing by then; I looked around the single room I had lived in my whole life, finding it hard to believe that I was really, truly, leaving it behind.

I'd miss the pale blue walls and the flat twenty beds for all of the female orphans. I'd miss watching television and would especially miss talking to Callie.

I took a deep breath. "I guess I should go down to the office."

Callie nodded, her blonde natural curls bouncing as she did so. "Okay," she said quietly.

I took a step forward and hugged Callie tightly, a hug which she returned.

"I'll miss you Callie," I said. "You're the best friend I ever had."

"I'll miss you, too."

I pulled away from the hug, gave Callie a small smile and said goodbye.

"Tina, have you ever seen the ocean?" my foster mother Grace Fellen asked me, tucking some of her chin length pale blonde hair behind her ear. She was staring intently at me with small and warm brown eyes while she held her husband's hand.

We were walking away from Lakeville Orphanage, which was located in the busy city of New York. The Fellens, I learned, had been married for five years and lived in Seattle found in the state of Washington.

"No," I answered truthfully, shaking my head in denial as I stared up at the tall office buildings.

Both Tyler and Grace looked shocked.

"Do you have a suit?" Tyler asked me.

I glanced over at Tyler. He had stylishly messy brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was really, really tall, too. I guess his height was six foot two or something like that.

"No," I repeated, feeling embarrassed.

Grace and Tyler exchanged a look. Then Grace said, "Well, Tina, I suppose purchasing you a bathing suit is the first thing we'll do. Then we'll visit the beach. Is that alright with you?"

I shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

So that's exactly what we did.

The next day I was sitting on an airplane flying to Washington. We had left at eight in the morning from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I was sitting beside Grace who was flipping through a book; I had glanced at the title earlier and found out that it was The Vampire Diaries. Which was a little weird, I admit, for a married adult woman to be reading a teenager's book.

But I didn't say anything; I preferred to sit in silence listening to my new IPod touch I had bought yesterday. I had used Tyler's laptop at the hotel to download some songs from the few CDs I owned.

Yesterday Tyler and Grace had taken me shopping. They had bought me the IPod touch, a few CDs, some clothes, and a maroon colored bikini. I had worn the bikini yesterday at the beach.

It had been my first time at a beach and it had been amazing, almost like I always dreamed it would have been, but I knew it would have been better if Callie had been able to come along. Going to see the ocean had been one of her greatest ambitions since she was five years old.

Even though I had only been away from Lakeville Orphanage for a day, I already missed Callie. A lot. I couldn't wait to see her again.

Suddenly I felt a poke on my arm, turning down the volume on my iPod I glanced over at Grace questioningly.

"We're going to land soon," she told me with a smile on her face. "You're going to love Seattle, Tina."

"I hope so," I muttered in a voice I hoped was too low for her to hear. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Louder I said, "I'm sure I will."

Grace gave me a smile. "And I know it seems kind of sudden, but tomorrow is your first day of school."

"In the middle of the school year?" I asked, my eye brows raised.

Grace nodded. "Yes. The principal told me it was perfectly alright. We figured it would be a good idea for you to get started right away."

"Great," I said, trying to not sound sarcastic as I gave a small nod of my head, thinking that the only reason they were sending me to school already was to get rid of me. But whatever, I had been alone my whole life anyway, I was used to it by now.

"So, what are you listening to?"

I could tell she was trying to make small conversation with me so I shrugged. "A mix really. I don't know if you would know of any of the singers and bands I'm listening to."

"Try me," Grace said with a smile.

I shrugged to myself again. "Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, Anna Nalick, Within Temptation, Avril Lavigne, Three Days Grace, All-American Rejects, Paramore, Skillet, Miley Cyrus, and a whole bunch of others."

Grace nodded, as if she knew any of the singers and bands I had just named. But then again maybe she did. "What's your favorite Taylor Swift song?" she asked me. "Mine is Love Story."

"I like Fearless the best," I said, trying to hide how surprised I was that she knew who she was.

"That's a good song. That's probably my second favorite."

"Know any Miley Cyrus songs?" I asked her curiously.

Grace nodded, surprising me once again. "Of course. I like her song Can't Be Tamed. What about you?"

"Permanent December," I said, grinning. "I've been to London, been to Paris, Australia and Rome-"

"There's sexy boys in every city but they're not what I want," we sang together, laughing. I couldn't believe she had just sung that line.

"How about California Gurls?" she asked me, grinning. "California Gurls we're unforgettable. Daisy Dukes-"

"Bikinis on top!" I finished, laughing again. "Sun kissed skin so hot it'll melt your popsicle!"

We both ended up cracking up, earning us some strange looks from some of the passengers. An elderly woman just stared at us, shaking her heads and muttering, "Inconsiderate idiots."

At first, I hadn't really thought I would be able to get along with Grace and Tyler, but shockingly I had been wrong. Grace was really easy to get along with. And it turns out we had a lot in common. Maybe, I thought, things wouldn't be so bad.

Just then though, the pilot came onto the speakers announcing that we would be arriving at Seattle very soon.

I groaned internally. I really wasn't looking forward to this, after all, this would be one of the first houses that I would really visit, much less be expected to live in with others.

"You're going to love it," Grace assured me again, a huge smile on her face.

But I wasn't as sure as she was. With the luck I had, I would probably hate it.

It turns out Seattle had very rainy and cloudy weather here.

Which meant that I was most likely going to hate it here. I loved the warm, sunny, weather. I could hardly believe that Grace and Tyler actually wanted to live here.

Grace and Tyler had already shown me my room, then left, allowing me to have some alone time for myself.

As I sat on the soft and comfortable bed I looked around the – my – room. It felt so strange, being in a house. I was so used to thinking of the orphanage as my home.

My room was painted one of my favorite colors: a light and cloudless blue. There was a large desk with a computer sitting on it. My closet was huge but empty of clothing at the moment. There was also a small bookshelf. The nightstand beside my bed had a cordless phone along with a small radio and alarm clock. To me, this room was really fancy. But I knew to anyone else it would probably just be plain.

I lay down on the bed, staring up at the pale white ceiling, listening to the rain dropping onto the roof. Even though the orphanage had internet connection and that they had promised to allow Callie to keep in touch with me, I knew I wouldn't get to talk with her that often. I wondered what she was doing.

Remembering that before I had left she had told me to email her as soon as I had gotten to my new house, I sat up and went over to the desk, sitting down at the desk and switching it on.

After I made an email on I clicked new message. I entered the email address Callie had told me I could reach her at and then began typing my message.

Callie,

Hey! It's Tina. So I'm at my new "home." Tyler and Grace are nice. But I kind of hate the weather here in Seattle; it's so rainy and cloudy! I don't understand how anyone can live here. I'm starting high school tomorrow – I know, it seems sudden but Grace thought it would be good for me to start right away. I think they're just trying to get rid of me already. God, it seems like I've been gone for longer than two days! It seems like forever. I miss you sooo much already! I can't wait to see you again, I feel lonely already.

Oh and you'll never believe this: I went to the beach yesterday! It was Ocean City, New Jersey. It was just what we always imagined it would be! I loved it but it would have been even better if you had been there to share it with me. We have to go to the beach together some time. Deal?

So what did I miss? Anything cool going on? Please, please, PLEASE, email me back soon!

Love,

Tina.

So please review and rate, I'm curious as to what your thoughts are! Thanks for reading.

~Holly~

P.S. Check out my other stories: Night World Q and A and I Want to Kill You Means I Love You?