Chapter 11

"Esme please be reasonable, this is for all of our safety, this is what Carlisle would have wanted." Edward pleaded with his determined mother, but she wouldn't budge.

"This is what I want Edward. You should go, be safe, but I can't leave. If the Volturi find me then it would be for the best. We'd be together again… wherever creatures like us go… ."

"WHEREVER EVRYONE ELSE GOES!!!" I protested. I absolutely hated that the Cullens didn't seem to think there was a place for them after this life, if it ever ended. "If anyone should be allowed to have an afterlife its Carlisle, he saved so many people, spared so many lives. He couldn't be damned to nothing. Neither could the rest of you, your too good."

Esme looked at me with pity in her eyes, like I was a naïve little child defending that Santa Claus was real. "Bella that is very sweet of you to say but you don't seem to understand the full extent of why we believe differently."

"I know, I know. It's because you think you have no soul---"

"That's just Edward's perspective," she interrupted, "We have outlived our time, we went against nature. Don't you think we have experienced enough that we don't deserve the luxury of living even longer? Our chance at an afterlife ended when we opened our eyes and our hearts weren't beating."

"I still don't agree…"

"You don't have to, but you haven't been one of us long enough to understand what a burden it is to outlive everyone you ever loved, especially one you never thought would die. I have to hold on to that last bit of Carlisle, and I feel it in this house, with his books and clothes and memories. I feel him and I can't let that go. Think of when Edward left you," I winced.

"Esme! Enough!" Edward came in, "We will stay, but we need to stick together. I'm calling the others, its time they came home."

Within six months of Edward's return things were almost back to normal including the return of the rest of the Cullens. Edward and Alice have been keeping watch to see if the Volturi were planning a visit and Esme was happier now that everyone was home. Renesmee, fully grown, started her first year at Forks High as the newest sister in the Cullen family. She has her own group of friends and is excellent at controlling her thirst around them. Jacob hasn't told her about the imprinting, though she knows almost every other wolfy secret. For now he is just her best friend.

RenesmeePOV

"Nessie! Jamie Polk has been staring at you all class period! I heard he was going to ask you to the dance!"

"Shut up Nicole. I doubt he would want to ask me."

"Of course he would! You're like the prettiest girl in the whole school, and he's the cutest guy… why wouldn't he want to dance with you?"

"Just drop it ok… I don't want to talk about it." Just then the lunch bell rang and was out of there as fast as humanly possible, leaving Nicole and Jamie Polk behind.

Nicole Sanders has been my best friend since I came to this school and her group of friends including Emily Larzo, Jane Markus, Todd Ferguson, and Danny Barnegat (who has a never ending crush on me) were gracious enough about letting me in too. Nicole loves any gossip she can get her hands on and is currently dating Todd. Her number one priority of the second is to get me and Jamie Polk (aka hottest guy in school) together.

Jamie Polk is the kind of guy that every girl dreams of, curly, dirty blonde hair, exotic green eyes, smart and the captain of the baseball team. I've only talked to him once when I dropped my pencil in History class and he was there to pick it up. But it only took one phrase, "Here's you pencil," for me to fall hard for him.

I spotted Danny on his way over and slowed down so he could catch up, I immediately regretted it. "Hey Renesmee!"

"Hi Danny, what's up?" Danny Barnegat was tall and thin with dark eyes that matched his straight, cropped hair. He was cute, I guess, but not really my type.

"I was just wondering, if you had a date for the dance yet?"

"No, I'm not sure if I'm going, Esme is kind of strict about being out late."

"But it would be chaperoned…" He's making this too hard.

"I know but what am I supposed to do? She doesn't want me going."

"Yeah, that's a shame."

We got to the cafeteria and sat at the usual spot with Nicole and the gang. I was nibbling on an apple while everyone else was enjoying the perks of pizza day.

"Do you ever eat?" demanded Jane who was the most forward person I knew. She had long, wavy, blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

"I had a big breakfast. Esme went all out, pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit salad…" my voice drifted off as my attention was turned to the gorgeous person walking towards us.

"Omigosh! Nessie! He's coming over here, say hi!" squealed Nicole now realizing what I was staring at. Jamie reached our table never taking his eyes off me.

"Hey guys, ladies."

"Hi Jamie," sang the other girls in unison.

"Hi," I said a little too late.

"Renesmee, I was wondering if you had a date for the dance." All I could do was shake my head back and forth. "Well then, would like to go with me?"

"Yes!" I blurted out, half a second later.

"Great," he smiled, showing off his pearly whites, "See you in History."

"Bye…" I mumbled, embarrassed.

Everyone at the table was staring at me and Nicole was bouncing up and down so much that Todd had to remove his arm from around her shoulder.

"This is excellent!" she gushed. Danny snorted. "What?" she asked annoyed.

"Nothing," he retorted.