Isabella Hale

I looked in the mirror as I pulled my hair back from my face into a complicated style of curls and knots. I smiled at my reflection. Gorgeous. That's why Royce and I are perfect. With my long blonde hair, deep blue eyes and flawless body and his sandy hair, icy grey eyes and tall stature; we made the perfect pair. The envious stares we received when we were together always made me nearly choke with satisfaction!

I'm Isabella Lillian Hale, the youngest child of two to Lillian and Robert Hale. I am 17 years old and have an older brother, Thomas. Thomas is 25 and lives with me, mother and father. He works at my fiancées bank with Father and is doing well. He is highly respected I suppose. But that's probably only because his younger 'baby' sister is marrying the owner's heir. Before my mother got involved with making sure I was her perfect little rose we used to be best friends but that changed… 'Oh well' I think to myself and continue to work on hiding the tiny flaws my mother always throws a fit over. Silly woman even if I had flaws no one would dare comment now I was engaged to a King.

I slip on my heels and walk downstairs. My parents take my beauty for advantage, I know this as does everyone else who is anyone in this town does but if I do what they say I keep getting all of my pretty dresses and attention that I want. They have made me into society's most shallow and vain girl. But I haven't always been like this. I used to be the little innocent girl that would never get in trouble. Well apart from that time when I pushed Thomas out of a tree and then …. No mother told me to forget every one of those incidents.

I met Mother at the front door and struggled with the new coat Royce had gotten me and we walked to the weekly market. Her gossiping as usual and informing me of the latest scandals and announcements. Quickly followed by a long winded lecture on if I do what what's-her-name did and run away with the butcher/baker/candlestick maker, delete as appropriate for whichever what's-her-name she's talking about at the time, then I will be swiftly disowned and thrown out on the streets.

The biggest source of gossip at the moment in Rochester is the new family. Apparently there was a new doctor in town and his wife and her brother. They were also supposed to be more beautiful than me, especially the brother, according to my mother's knitting, a.k.a gossiping, club who had seen them briefly when they moved into a large townhouse on the very edge of the opposite side of the town from where my family live. I wouldn't pay any attention to what any of them say because there just fat, bored housewives who have no life and like the first bit of fresh young men to drool over. Disgusting. Well, whatever as if they could even get close to my perfection without hours and hours of professional help.

As we walk down the street I zone out and Mother starts to talk about Father's new promotion, again because of me and Royce, she catches sight of three people walking in our general direction and mother is suddenly very quiet which pulls me out of my own little world. I see who she's looking t and I start to pay attention because I can see the cycle starting to repeat itself again (introduce, show-me off, make excuses to leave them after making sure that they feel appropriately inferior) and if I don't pay full attention and mother is unhappy then she tells father and he's unhappy and when father is unhappy that means no more pretty dresses for a while for me. So you see the need to keep mother happy I have.

The person at the front was the new doctor. He had pale skin and beautiful golden eyes. He had light blond hair that seemed it was only a few shades lighter than his eyes and his features were perfect, even I could admit that. Holding his arm was a beautiful woman with caramel hair which gently waved to her mid-back with her front strands pulled into a crown at the back of her head. She had the same pale skin and the same beautiful golden eyes as the doctor. I had to admit all her features seemed natural and I do admit I am awfully jealous of the two but then think of Royce and imagine we must look even better together than them when we're together at all his social functions for the bank.

Then I finally look behind them for the brother and all I saw was a God. He had dishevelled bronze coloured hair with the most gorgeous angelic face. He had the same pale skin and golden eyes but they seemed darker than the doctor and his sister's and they were hard to see as he was staring at the floor. They were all beautiful. Even more so than me. My mother noticed their faces and froze at their undeniable beauty. She held her head in the air proudly and grabbed my arm pulling me forward to meet them. She was going to show me off again. She did this often but I liked it but how am I to compare to them, the two angels and their God.

"Good Morning." My mother says grabbing their attention. I stand behind her feeling slightly self-conscious and stiffen from the excess of new emotions building up in me: jealousy for their beauty, concerned that they would take away my attention and self-conscious. So this is what the girls from school feel like when I walk by. "I am Lillian Hale and I just wished to welcome you all to Rochester." She says. I'd bet almost anything that she was hoping to get gossip before anyone else does so she can report back to her little group with all the dirty laundry about the Cullen-Masen family. Typical mother.

"Thank you. I'm Carlisle Cullen and this is my wife Esme. This is her brother Edward Masen." He says pointing to the God who was still looking at the floor and felt a wave of sadness wash through me that this man still hadn't looked at me. "Who is this behind you?" He asks politely. I take a deep breath and walk proudly to my mother's side hoping desperately that my emotions don't show on my face. Their eyes widen and they stare. I was used to this reaction but it would never get old.

"I am Isabella Hale." I say confidently. At my name Edward's head finally lifts up and our eyes meet. The connection was intense and I felt I could just stand here and look at him for the rest of eternity. This wasn't like anything I had ever experienced. Certainly nothing like me and Royce have. It was different.

He smiles slightly at me still looking me directly in the eye whilst my mother excuses us. "It was nice to meet you all." I say. They nod and bid me and mother goodbye as we turn and walk away in the opposite direction. I turn around and find Edward Masen still staring at me. And for the first time in my life, a light blush covers my cheeks.

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Hannah xx