HAPPY 10TH TUD! HAPPY 10TH TUD! HAPPY 10TH TUD! HAPPY 10TH TUD!
(A/N: I'm so proud of myself for getting to the 10th part of The Ugly Duckling, it really is my best thought out fan fiction I ever produced ***Most of these characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, but there are some I created myself***)
Turning out to be adopted wasn't that all surprising. After Bella's story it was obvious I was anyway. I continued to explain what had happened to me in the crash.
"When I was drained of nearly all my blood, I was still aware of everything. I looked exactly like one of them. I was as strong, as fast, the circles under my eyes were as deep, and I could smell everything around me. Until the blood was back in my body, every scent put needles in my throat, and you know Bella's hand? It's swollen because I accidentally squeezed it too hard.
He was shocked. His tan face was as pale as if he were a vampire himself. His eyes were wide. He rubbed cold sweat off his cheek. "I thought you smelled bad because you were in the emergency room this morning. The whole place reeked. I guess I was wrong."
He told me that it was fine, since I only had the abilities when I had loss of blood. He reassured me that I was completely allowed on the reservation.
When I fell asleep that night I dreamt I was a werewolf. I ran through the forest like fire, and finally belonged with Jacob and Emily and Quil, and I could be with Bella without hurting her.
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The months after the accident were tiring. I knew the exhaustion was all my fault, but I really wanted to blame someone else, anyone else, Carlisle, Luna, Edward, Alice, Buddy, Catherine, even poor Charlie was blamed somewhere in my ranting thoughts, but never Bella. Bella was my older sister, my untainted gem, my hope in the world, a delicate and innocent jewel surrounded with a horrific setting. Maybe it was because she was the one pitying me, instead of making my life more difficult.
My window flew open at least once a month at night. I probably needed to force Alice to get me a new lock. Stupid vampires.
While I was angsty, and mopy, and emotionally impaired I found consolation in psionics. The thought that I was actually controlling a part of me was healing, empowering, it consumed the empty space. It was hope that I actually had control over some part of life. I liked that control. It felt good in my veins like that was the missing piece all along. It was great. Until the end of the day when I realized I still didn't have any friends, and I still didn't have anything to fill the hole, because psi was a part of me, and I was empty.
(A/N: wow wasn't that a nice depressing two metaphorical paragraphs, I wonder why it was so important I had to write two whole paragraphs on it….hmmmm ^-^)
Lexi returned to school with Morgan. I had to say that it was quite funny watching them the first few days. They were completely confused on why I was getting all the attention. The truth was I wasn't really sleeping, and all that extra time gave me time to look like I actually cared about make-up and accessories. Lexi hated me more than ever.
Luna, Buddy and the others stayed clear. They knew I was mad at them. They supervised my increasingly normal habits from afar as the days went on.
The knowledge of the ever-nearing dance loomed over me like a giant hedgehog. It was suppose to be girls' choice. If Jacob wasn't infatuated with Bella, I would have asked him. Actually I was debating about getting together at Emily's with some of the guys and hanging out for the evening. You know, TV shows, marshmallow fights, the works, but another part of the works was making fun of the old legends, and at this point I'd rather not participate in any of that. With everything that's happened I didn't look at life childishly anymore, everything was becoming very serious, very fast.
Apparently to all the guys in my grade at school me not asking meant none of them were worthy of my presence or something. Every once in a while there would be a class where a boy would break out crying. What was with this? They all hated me a few months ago. I finally just ignored them, but that made everything worse. It was a rumor that one of the guys started to cut himself because of me. The truth was that the attitude of the town didn't foster guys that I could ever like. It was just something that didn't happen.
Edward stayed far away from Bella, which I was glad. It was beginning to worry me that Bella refused every guy who asked her, and nights were annoying when the thin wall in-between us didn't block me from hear her moan Edward's name in her sleep. Okay, it wasn't really moaning, but you know, she's my sister, half-sister, adopted sister, thing. I had to make fun of her. It was fun too. Especially when I knew it was making her more stubborn to stay away from him.
"Gretchen," she said one day when I got in the truck, "you want to go to Seattle with me? The day of the dance, I mean. You don't have a date. Do you?"
"No, you're kidding me right? Of course I'll go with you, Bells! I can't remember the last time I went shopping. Wait, that's never happened at all, never mind." It was true. The only shopping I did was at different dime store shops in town, and a little online. Okay, a lot online. You can't buy Gretchen style in Forks. Europe would be more like it.
"That'll be great, Gretch."
That afternoon we parked the car in the front, it was starting to rain. I jumped out of the truck with a splash in a puddle, and wiped my boots as I ran inside.
"SURPRISE!"
"AHHHHHHHH!" I freaked out. This big fluffy thing had attacked me and was licking my face. I was lying on the porch looking up into the face of a greyhound puppy.
"What is this thing?! It's so cute! I love it!" I grabbed it around its neck and almost choked it.
"Happy birthday Gretchen!" Charlie and the La Push group came out of the house.
Birthday? I forgot my birthday. I hadn't even thought about it after Bella came. Everything had just altered. "Oh yeah, I have one of those." I muttered.
"You completely blanked, didn't you Gretch?"
"Mmhmm." I nodded sitting up.
"Woah." Jake and Charlie said at the same time. The looked a little like they did when everybody on one football team tackles the smallest guy on the other. Billy had his eyebrow raised.
"When have you been going to sleep kiddo?" I wiped under my eyes. The stupid new dog had licked all my make-up off.
"Um you know, the usual, for me."
"Starting tomorrow you're going to sleep early."
"Yeah, yeah."
"That's my line." Jacob smiled.
"Yes, but it's my birthday."
"You wouldn't have known if we hadn't said anything." He rolled his eyes.
"Happy birthday, Gretchen." Emily came out and hugged me. The faintest smell came off her skin and hung in my nose. I winced in response. No wonder they don't get along. I would be irritable if I was hanging around smelly people all the time.
"What kind of perfume have you got on Gretchen?" Jake wrinkled his nose. I looked at him for a long time. I shuddered at the thought of loosing my friends over something as stupid as species. "I mean it's not bad, it's just different." Jake said sniffing my hair.
"Get off my hair, Jake. I'm not wearing anything, now where's the cake?" I asked instantaneously smelling strawberries wafting from the kitchen.
"Why don't we open presents first?" Charlie suggested.
"Charlie if she wants to eat my food she can!" Emily announced proudly, her beautiful tan face shining in the small amount of sunlight wafting on the porch.
Leah walked towards me. "You do smell different. Like something really sweet dipped in something sour. It's kind of cool. Happy birthday." We embraced, and immediately she started buzzing in my ear about Sam. I rolled my eyes and walked with her to the kitchen.
"He doesn't even give me a look. It makes me so aggravated."
"It's rude." Emily commented. "Especially when it's so obvious you like him."
"Hey!" Leah said, eye twitching.
"Gretchen!" Seth yelled and scooped me up. "Happy B-day. You do need sleep. You're starting to look like a moody little leech." I smiled half-heartedly.
The dog followed me around. He seemed to be permanently attached to my leg. My hand scratched between his ears as we ate. I slipped him a piece of cake. No species should be banned from Emily's cooking.
I got a bracelet from Emily, sparkling red jewels dangled off it.
"I knew it would look great with your hair! It's just so, you!" She fawned, I blushed.
Leah gave me a wooden carving of a wolf. "It's beautiful." I examined it's detail. "I love it Leah."
"Um, Gretch, I was actually baking you some cookies from Emily's recipie, but I ate them all." Seth admitted.
"I still love you Seth!" I smiled.
"Umm, since we're all telling the truth here. I'd like to say that Gretchen, Bella got the idea, and bought the dog, and Bella, Gretchen got the idea, and bought the car." Charlie squeemed. We glared at him.
"Thank you so much!" We both said and hugged each other.
"So I'm forgiven?" Charlie asked.
"No Charlie, you still owe us big, but we love you for now." I said. I couldn't help noticing Bella's leg that was shaking uncontrollably in anticipation to see Edward again, I wish I didn't.
I unwrapped Charlie's present, not Bella's, all Charlie's, and found a drivers handbook. "Dad, you know I'm fourteen right?"
"Yes, but technically you're considered a hardship child. You can get your license now."
"Awesome!"
"I got you something better!" Jake squealed like a girl. Billy cleared his throat. "Fine, we got you something better." He tugged me outside. A smoky Silverdust Sound, sat in the driveway.
"OMG! YOU GOT ME A CAR!" I ran around it like five times looking at everything including the fancy scrawl on the back reading "Eat My Silverdust." "Thank-you!" I hugged every one of them, and my new dog.
I named my new dog Pegasus, mostly because since everyone seemed to be a "mythical creature" I wanted the dog to fit in. Of course, Charlie and Bella just thought it was a name.
When I woke up in the morning I had had the dream again. I saw Pegasus whimpering in a pool of blood.