A/N: Hey, everyone. Here is Chapter 1.

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight, that is for Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 1: The Letter

I tapped my pencil impatiently as the substitute teacher droned on about the upcoming topic in class. I should probably be paying attention, too bad I could care less.

Don't get me wrong, English is my favorite subject. I like the material we cover and it is a straight forward class. However, ever since our teacher Mr. Gallaway broke his hip on the motorcycle - one he probably shouldn't have ever owned, I think it was his mid-life crisis - we have had a horrible substitute teacher that knows absolutely nothing about the class she was supposed to be teaching.

My thoughts drifted to the conversation I had to have with my mom this afternoon. I inwardly cringed.

It's not as if talking to my mom was hard, but having to tell her you were going to live with your dad. Not something I expect to be a pleasant conversation.

My mom, Renee, just recently got married to Phil Dwyer. He's a great guy, and my mom's completely in love with him. Which is great.

Phil is a minor league baseball player, and although he is a decent player he isn't quite good enough to make the majors. Much to my father's and my disappointment. Having just been married they are almost attached at the hip. Ever since the baseball season started again, they have been having a hard time with the separation while he is gone for away games.

This is where my change of living arrangements comes in. I have decided that it is time for me to spend some quality time with my dad, Charlie. Which is way better than living in Phoenix anyway.

I sighed as I tried to tune out Mrs. Luna - I call her Mrs. Lunatic - and the rest of the bobble heads in my class.

My sigh seemed to have gained the attention of the three people that sat around me. I watched as they all turned towards me, ready for the onslaught of questions.

Lily was the first to say something.

"Bella, you know if you keep sighing and frowning, your face is gonna get stuck like that." she stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I raised my eyebrow and slightly shook my head at her logic.

Don't get me wrong, Lily isn't as bad as half the girls at my school, but she could still drive me crazy. When we were younger, we had been best friends. Like most young kids, we were forced together by our mothers whenever they got together, but we became friends anyways. We would play outside and have sleepovers, but as we got older we grew further and further apart.

As Lily got older she became more interested in clothes and having perfect nails than in having fun. I never had a problem with the change personally. It was when she started hanging out with people I didn't get along with, we grew apart. We had never stopped talking completely though, and things had gotten better recently, but I don't think our friendship will ever be the same.

I looked her straight in the eye as I replied, "Don't worry Lily, I could always marry someone rich and they could pay for my plastic surgery." I laid the sarcasm on thick, and I had the pleasure of watching it register in her eyes.

I'm not usually so rude, and I admit I felt slightly bad for it. It just happens that thinking about confronting my mom about moving has taken a toll on my nerves. It's a frightening concept.

"Don't worry Lils, she is just cranky because she has to read about vampires and werewolves." Luke said from in front of me, laughing when I made a disgruntled face.

Luke was Lily's boyfriend and their relationship was something that has never failed to amaze me. Luke was my best friend and it was because of their relationship that Lily's and my relationship was beginning to heal. Then again, he was my best friend, and the fact that he was able to find a girlfriend at all was a strange for me.

"Yeah, she is crazy. I mean who would voluntarily discuss Pride and Prejudice, and any other novel she has stacked on her nightstand." My friend Matt said from the other side of me, leaning forward slightly so he could wink at Lily and Luke.

I looked at Matt with my eyebrow raised. "How do you even know the name of one of those books? Last time I remember you picking up a book, you were in the process of throwing it at some guy who tried to flirt with me."

Lily and Luke snickered while Matt said, "That was the name of the book." in a no nonsense tone. I shook my head while the other two dissolved into quite laughter.

"Well, we all know that I would have no problem putting up with the subject if it weren't for the insane teacher we have been stuck with for the rest of the semester." I said in a bored tone, ignoring the glare now directed at me by the she-devil herself.

Matt and Luke tried to hide their laughter from the teacher while Lily and I just rolled our eyes.

The first time I met Luke and Matt, I had been on vacation with my dad in Santa Monica. Dad had wanted a break from Forks and I had wanted the beach. It worked out nicely.

I had been walking away from a crowded area of the beach when the two of them passed me. Matt immediately turned and started walking next to me. He put his arm around my waist and said some ridiculous pick up line. I had stopped walking and looked at him. Then twisted his arm behind his back, and kicked his feet out from under him. This sent him sprawling onto the beach face first with my knee in his back. I leaned down by his ear and said, "Touch me again and I'll make sure you never use that arm again."

I then got up and started walking away, hearing Luke laugh at his friend.

They ended up following me around for the next two weeks declaring that I was their new best friend. I really didn't think anything of it, I was going back to Arizona soon and would never see them again. As an added plus, when they weren't hitting on me they were fun to be around.

When the two weeks came to an end we said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways. I started school three weeks later, only to discover that they had just moved to Phoenix. We have been friends ever since.

My thoughts were interrupted by the final bell.

It was Friday and Thanksgiving break started right now, thank god. I made my way through the crowded hallways, managing to make it to my locker fairly quick. I tossed my books in, and turned toward the car port.

However, by the time I walked out the front door the parking lot was almost empty, leaving only about 30 cars in the lot, including mine.

My car. Ever since I could remember my dad and I have worked on old cars. After he got home from work, we would spend the evenings in the garage until neither of us could stand up straight. After we finished fixing them, we would sell them for good money. Dad taught me everything he knew, and after I got my car my knowledge on cars grew extensive. I refused to let anyone else touch my baby.

It is a metallic midnight blue Ferrari 458 spider. It has standard rims with a dark chrome finishing, carbon fiber racing seats, and Bella written in cursive under the side mirrors on the doors. The entire car was customized by my dad and me. We had spent the summer before I turned sixteen picking out all the details. He said it was just for fun, but three months later I arrived home to find my car sitting in the driveway.

I noticed Luke and Lily standing next to it, then noticed Matt leaning on my hood.

"Matt, get off my car." I said in a overly nice voice as I walked up, eyeing him sitting on the hood of my car.

He chose the correct option and immediately stood up. "So what are we doing this week Bell?" he asked.

"I don't know, I guess I haven't really thought about it, so it is up to you guys. But, there is no way I am watching horror movies all week." I said, eyeing them.

The last time that happened I ended up smashed between the two of them on the floor in front of the sofa, and it wasn't me who was scared. They gave me a "stop talking" look at the reminder, and agreed quickly.

I said my goodbyes and got in my car, but not before I hearing Matt and Luke wish me luck with my mom. I shuddered but thanked them anyway.

I drove home at my break neck speed, not caring about traffic laws. Kind of ironic since my dad is the Sheriff of Forks.

I was born in Forks, WA. My parents divorced before I was one. My mom left my dad, and moved us to Phoenix, AZ. I have spent the majority of my life here, however, for six weeks during the summer I live with Dad.

It rained in Forks almost constantly, which is one of the reasons my mom hated it so much. We both loved Phoenix, with its heat, and the sprawl of the huge city. But for me nothing could ever compare to Forks. Maybe it was just because my dad was there. We have always been extremely close, even if we didn't see each other that often. We talk everyday, either on the phone or by email, we refused to let the distance tear us apart. That's another reason for the move out to Forks, I miss him way too much.

We both saw the beauty of Forks, even if it seemed dreary from the outside. The small town, with its near constant rain showers and cloud covered sky had always made me feel like I was sheltered from the bad side of things somehow. However, my favorite part of Forks had always been in my own backyard. The forest behind my dad's house had been there for thousands of years, it had always made me feel young.

By the time I finally pulled into the driveway, I had already figured out what I was going to say to my mom about the move. So, I quickly got out of my car, and went inside.

"Mom, I'm home." I shouted as I walked in the front door. I spotted mom on the sofa looking through the mail. She looked up as I walked in the room.

"You know if you keep yelling when you walk in the house, one of these days I won't hear you. How was school?" She asked.

I blushed slightly, my cheeks turning pink at the slight scolding, but answered her question anyway. "It was alright, but the substitute for my english class is driving me crazy." I replied, my annoyance clear in my voice.

"I will never understand your disapproval of substitute teachers." Mom stated shaking her head slightly.

I flopped myself onto the sofa while I answered her. "It isn't really the substitute themselves, it's the fact that they are so completely unqualified that it's ridiculous. I could teach the class better than she can."

My mom went back to sorting through the mail. "Well honey, not everyone was born an adult, and sometimes they don't learn what they need for life."

Mom always says that I was born middle aged and I just get older every year. I could understand her logic to an extent, but I don't see how some people could be so immature.

"Oh and I have been looking for my sewing book, did you see where I put it?" mom asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

I shook my head at her forgetfulness. "Yeah, you set it on your dresser this morning."

Mom has always been scatter-brained and erratic, but I've always loved that about her. It just meant that I had to spend most of my time being the parent. For example, when she decided that skydiving was a brilliant idea, I had put my foot down on that one.

"Oh look at this, Bella, there is some mail for you from Forks. Have you been expecting anything from Charlie?" She asked with mild curiosity.

"No I haven't but thanks. Mom, I need to talk to you about something important." I said thankful that she quickly looked up and gave me her full attention.

"So I have been thinking recently and I have decided that I want to go live with dad while I finish high school." I watched her reaction, as I spoke.

She looked thoughtful for a moment before answering. "Well, you've always known what is best for you, so I won't stop you. You and your dad have always been really close, which is surprising since you live so far away, and you have always known what is best for you. Are you sure though?"

"I'm sure. I miss Dad a lot, and with me in Forks you will be able to travel with Phil." I smiled at her. That was not the reaction I expected.

"Alright then, you should probably call your dad and let him know what your plans are." She said, shooing me out of the living room.

I called my dad, and quickly explained what I had just told my mom. He was extremely happy to know that I was coming to live him, saying that he missed me too much. We talked a little about details, but decided to wait until he knew his schedule for January.

He told me about his recent fishing trip, which was productive, and all of the happenings on the Quileute reservation, La Push, near Forks, that I'd missed out on. Apparently Harry Clearwater, a Quileute elder, and one of Dad's best friends, had high cholesterol and was point blank refusing to go to the hospital to get it checked out. The older Quileutes were extremely superstitious, but I don't really see what's so wrong with the hospital.

We hung up soon after, and I made my way downstairs to make dinner before my mom decided to step in.

Her dinners are - interesting. Oh who am I kidding? I thought to myself.They usually end with someone going to the hospital. I decided it would be in my best interests to do whatever it took to stop her from cooking. I wanted to live, after all.

I made an easy dinner, and ate quietly with mom and Phil. I cleaned up the kitchen and made my way up to bedroom. As I walked into my room my phone went off.

Hey Bel-a-boo, so me and Luke decided that we are going to have a movie sleepover all week, so make sure to bring extra popcorn! ~M

I shook my head and replied quickly.

Alright, is Lily coming too? Luke picked out a horror movie didn't he? ~B

While I waited for his reply, I plugged my phone in and eyed the letter sitting on my desk. Mom must have brought it up while I was making dinner.

A quiet ding brought my attention back to my phone.

She said she was gonna ask. I'm trying to convince him, that we are not watching it. Don't think I'm succeeding. C u 2moro! ~ M

Smiling, I looked at the address on the envelope, and sure enough it was from Forks. It wasn't my dad's address.

I opened it and read:

Bella,

My name is Alice Cullen. You don't know me, but I feel like I already know you. It might seem strange that I am writing to you, but I have a very good reason.

I have seen that you finally decided to move to Forks, and wanted to prepare you for a few things.

First, I am a vampire.

DON'T STOP READING! I know you think I am completely insane but I swear I am telling the truth.

So I am a vampire, in fact my whole family are actually vampires. We live just outside of town, and we go to school at Forks High School.

I know you are wondering why I have decided to tell you this, so I am going to explain.

As vampires, we have differences from humans. However, most people tend to shy aways from us and don't notice.

We are extremely pale and beautiful. Our skin is very cold and hard, but since no one comes close enough to touch us, they don't realize this. Our eyes shift color from gold to black and back again, depending on how hungry we are. But don't worry we feed on animals. We can't hide these characteristics, but as I said early we don't really need to.

Our physical differences, however, are quite extreme. Our skin sparkles, but only in the sun, which is why we are in Forks right now. Forks is one of the cloudiest cities in the country, which enables us to live almost as if we were human. We just avoid those rare sunny days.

We never age. And eventually people start to notice, but we always move to a different place before anyone realizes this. We have the ability to run extremely fast, and there is no limit to our strength.

Besides that, some vampires have extra abilities that they bring from their human life. For example when I was human, I supposedly knew things before the happened. Now, I am able to see the future. This is how I knew you were coming, just to clear that up.

Once you decided to move to Forks, I was able to see what would come of the action if nothing changed. Some of the things I saw, were not as pleasant as someone such as myself would hope, but with this letter to you I am hoping to change that. Your future is intertwined with my family's, and I hope you go forward with the decision to move here.

I know you are just humoring me by reading this letter but I am telling the complete truth, and I truly do not need to be put into a mental hospital. It doesn't matter what my brothers might say. And I hope you will start to believe me soon.

I already know so much about you and really want to have the chance to get to know you more.

Just think about what I have told you, and make the decision you think is best. Write me back if you start to believe me, have any questions, or just to tell me all about how mental I am for writing you, like I know you are debating right now.

I cannot wait to hear from you soon.

Your future BEST friend,

Alice Cullen

What the hell?

A/N: Alright so that is the updated version of Chapter 1. A lot of what has happened in this chapter will change parts of the next couple of chapters, but hopefully it won't be to bad. There is a lot more background information in this chapter and there will be even more in the next. Sorry about the change again, but I think it will make the story better. Please Review and tell me what you think.