Grace had never been outside of Michigan before she was moving across the country to live with her uncle and cousin, both whom she'd met before but never knew all that well. She was Facebook friends with Bella, though neither of them had used their accounts since the eighth grade. And Uncle Charlie visited Michigan every year for the Swan Family Christmas Party. He always stayed at their house. He always tried to convince Grace's mom, his younger sister, to let him sleep on the couch but every year Grace was inevitable booted from her own bed for his visit. The last time Bella had come for the Christmas party was when the two of them were fourteen.

And that was the extent of Grace's familiarity with that particular branch of her family tree. Which made this new development very peculiar, where all of Grace's things were packed up and in the U-Haul they were driving to Washington State. The drive was tense between Grace and her mother. Elaine kept claiming that the whole reason she'd decided it was a great idea for Grace to move in with Charlie was because of Bella. Bella was moving in with Charlie for the first time in her life and "she has such a hard time in new places and Charlie doesn't know what to do with her- you can help them both, Gracie! You and Bella have always been so close."

What a load of bullshit. Grace knew the real reason; she had come out as bisexual to her mother the month before. And then, less than a week later, her mother had come up with this "brilliant" solution. But there was no correlation there, right?

Grace hadn't spoken to her mother since she'd connected those dots.

Washington state is gorgeous, there was no denying that. Everywhere you looked, there was green. From the great oaks and pines that canopied the backwoods roads they drove to the moss on the rocks and tree trunks that lined those same roads- green, green, and nothing but green. A seemingly perpetual fog hung in the air, hugging Grace every time she stepped out of the car on a pit stop. If it were under any other circumstance, she would be thrilled. The January air was crisp and cold and invigorating. She felt more at home under these trees than she had on the lakes of Michigan. But she had never felt more rejected and alone, and no amount of mountain air would fix that.

It was late when they finally rolled up to Uncle Charlie's small, two-story house. It was white, unassuming, and utterly ordinary save for the police cruiser in the driveway. Elaine pressed on the horn just enough to gain Uncle Charlie's attention as Grace began to gather her things from the front seat. Just enough to get her through the drive and the night, so she didn't have to start unpacking until the morning.

Uncle Charlie was quick to scoop her duffle bag from her in lieu of a hug, which Grace really didn't mind.

"The drive okay?" He asked her. Grace gave a little shrug, but it was her mother who responded aloud.

"It wasn't too bad!" Elaine said, rolling up the back of the U-Haul. "Pretty rainy once we hit Washington. Give me a hand?" Grace and Uncle Charlie shared a look and Grace rolled her eyes. To her pleasant surprise, Uncle Charlie chuckled and followed her inside instead of rushing to help Elaine.

"Your room's up this way," he said, pointing up the stairs. Grace nodded and walked up the stairs to the second floor, where three bedrooms and a single bathroom (oh joy) resided. He nodded to the bedroom all the way on the right, and Grace opened the door. The room was fairly small, but roughly the same size as her old one. It had a huge window, which looked into the forest in the backyard. Mostly her view was just... leaves. The room was empty, as her bed was still on the U-Haul, but Grace gave a small smile.

"It's great. Thank you, Uncle Charlie," she said, trying to give the words more feeling than she felt. Uncle Charlie looked awkward and set her duffle down by the closet.

"Of course, kid. You, uh, can relax. I'll go help your mother." He left her alone in the room, trudging back down the stairs. Grace stood there a moment, taking it all in. The walls were a dark green, yet it didn't make the room feel smaller. It had a wooden floor, but Grace had a fluffy rug so that wouldn't be an issue.

She decided that if she wasn't going to be helping bring in the boxes (of which there were much less than she would have thought), she might as well get a shower in. She dug out her pajamas and her toiletries from her duffle bag and ventured into the bathroom. One hot shower later, and she was feeling a world better. As she left the bathroom, she could almost feel like life was normal as she walked back to her new room. That is, until she heard the hushed voices wafting up the staircase from the kitchen.

"You can stay in Bella's bed, Elaine," Uncle Charlie said lowly. He sounded frustrated. Grace paused, her hand resting on the safety rail around the staircase. Five steps and she would be behind her new door and unable to hear this conversation. Yet she couldn't pull herself away,

"I think we'll all be more comfortable if I go to the motel for the night." Grace's mother's voice was controlled, calm- like she was talking to a child instead of her younger brother. It felt like a knife in the gut.

"You mean you'll feel more comfortable," Uncle Charlie said, huffing. Grace could practically see him rubbing his mustache in annoyance.

"Grace hasn't exactly been comfortable around me lately."

"And who's fault is that?"

Grace finally broke free of her little trance and ran into the room, which was now full to the brim with her belongings (her shower must have lasted longer than she'd realized). She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, sliding down to the floor. Boxes were piled haphazardly around the room, evidence of their haste to get everything inside. The dresser had been put together, but the bed was still in pieces.

Seeing the boxes labelled "Grace's books" and "Summer Clothes- Grace" made this feel so real. So permanent. She officially didn't live with her parents anymore. She wasn't part of that family anymore.

And for the very first time since her mom had brought up the move to Forks, Grace let herself start to cry.

Grace's mother was gone by the time Grace finally found the strength to get off the floor and walk downstairs. Uncle Charlie was by himself, nursing a Rainer beer at the kitchen table. The ceiling fan above him was the only light on downstairs, and it left him in a halo of light, darkness all around. Grace didn't say anything; she just sunk into the seat across from him.

The table was sat in front of a bay window, but it was after midnight and Grace could see nothing but her own reflection. All she saw was a muted version of herself: curly, dark blonde hair that resembled a lion's mane more than ever after the long drive; large doe eyes the color of cinnamon; and sprinkles of freckles across her button nose. Thankfully, her reflection was dim enough that she couldn't make out the redness around those eyes, or the pain that resided inside them.

"Thank you," she said finally. Uncle Charlie raised his eyebrows. "For letting me stay here. You didn't have to."

Uncle Charlie looked like he didn't want to be having this conversation, like he wasn't comfortable sharing feelings, but he pushed through. "Yeah, well. Everyone deserves a place to stay where they can be themselves, right?"

Grace nodded and gave a small smile. It felt fake, the way it stretched her lips.

Uncle Charlie changed the subject to something a little less touchy-feely. "Bella will be here on Friday. You both will start school on Monday. Thought it'd be easier if you both just started together."

"That sounds great." The reminder that it wasn't just going to be Grace here was a little jarring. She hoped that the two of them would get along while living together- Grace had never had a sister and had no real experience living with another teenage girl. It didn't help that she hardly knew Bella at all. It made it hard to anticipate what it would be like. "I, uh, I think I'm gonna head to bed. It's, like, three in the morning Eastern time."

"How are you still awake?" Uncle Charlie asked, downing the last of his beer. Grace shrugged.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna crash."

Uncle Charlie wished her goodnight and let her go upstairs on her own. Once she was in the safety of her own room, she let the facade drop from her body. Her shoulders slumped, and she just felt so drained. Physically, but also emotionally. Luckily, she had done a good job labelling all of her boxes, so she was able to find some of her blankets and her pillow so she could curl up on the mattress lying on the floor in the middle of the moon shone straight through her window and onto her face.

This move would be a good thing, she decided. Sure, it hurt like hell and she wanted nothing more than to scream her head off at her mother for kicking her out and not even having the curtesy to admit it. But, she didn't want to be miserable forever. She resolved to make the best of a shitty situation. She was gonna have a good life in Forks. At least until she could run off to college.

The next thing she knew, it was morning and her room had a grey glow, thanks to the overcast sky. Grace tried to pull the covers over her face so she could sleep longer, but ultimately she was up far too early for a day without school. She sighed before finally getting up. She threw her blonde curls into a messy bun before heading downstairs to see if Uncle Charlie was home. She didn't know what his work schedule was like, as the chief of police. He was sitting at the kitchen table, in the exact same spot where she'd left him the night before. This time, he was sipping a black coffee as he read an actual newspaper.

"You know, you can find all that and more online," she said lightly. Uncle Charlie looked up over the newspaper and rolled his eyes at her. She held up her hands. "Just making sure you know."

"Pardon me for wanting to support our local county newspaper."

"I'm sure they're online, too." She stared at the yellow cupboards for a moment, before taking a guess at where the bowls were. It took her three tries before she found them, and another two before she tracked down the cereal (Uncle Charlie only had plain Cheerios, but that was better than nothing). She poured her cereal and milk before taking her seat across from him. "What time do you have to work?"

"I have the week off for you girls," Uncle Charlie replied. "So, unless there's some big emergency where they need me, I'm all yours."

"Oh, wow," Grace said in surprise. Uncle Charlie shrugged, as if being willing to use up a week of his vacation time was nothing. It was only January!

"So we can put your bed and desk together today, and you can get unpacking." Grace groaned. Unpacking was the worst! She wanted to put it off, but she knew she'd be happier once her room was in order and she felt more at home in this tiny little town. And it would be nice to sleep in an actual bed, too.

So Grace's first day in Forks was spent laughing when Uncle Charlie struggled with putting her bed frame together and cheering in triumph when she managed to put together her desk all on her own. Once they were done, they had a quick lunch of sandwiches (Charlie had hardly any food in the house and Grace was already set on creating a grocery list to remedy this), and Uncle Charlie left her alone to unpack. Determined to hold onto the lighthearted feeling the morning had exuded, Grace's first step was to hook up her bluetooth speakers and play (at a respectable volume to not bother Uncle Charlie) her favorite band's newest album. She danced along as she got to work unpacking.

She started with clothes, and then placing her books on her bookshelves. Her shoes were lined up on her closet floor neatly, and her framed posters sticky-tacked to the walls.

She listened to three album's worth of music before collapsing on her bed, calling it a day. She only had a couple boxes left- small ones full of the most random odds and ends- but they would have to wait. She needed a break, at least.

It was two days later when Bella's plane arrived in Port Angeles. Uncle Charlie left on his own to pick her up, Grace having opted to stay home. She figured the homecoming with her estranged father would be awkward enough, let's give her some time to adjust before throwing the cousin who she barely knows, as well.

The house was surprisingly quiet without some sports game on the TV, and Uncle Charlie yelling at the referee for their shoddy calls. The night before, Grace had joked that he should quit his job and go be a ref.

"Since your calls are so much better than theirs," she'd said. She had laughed at the wry look he'd shot her.

Uncle Charlie was easy to live with. He didn't hover, didn't force her into "family time" if she wasn't interested. He always knocked before entering her room (she was trying to get him to wait for her to invite him in, but it seemed that all parents were incapable of such a thing). But when she did hang out with him in the living room, he was fun to be around, too. He had a dry sense of humor, and made the funniest comments when they ended up watching half an episode of Modern Family after a hockey game.

She only hoped Bella would be just as easy to live with.

Grace laid on her bed, scrolling mindlessly on her phone. Life without school was surprisingly boring, and she had nothing better to do. A notification popped up above her Twitter feed.

Uncle Charlie: Bella's plane just landed. We'll be picking up some pizza on the way home for dinner. Head's up, we'll be having guests.

Grace grimaced. Having guests over on Bella's first day here probably wasn't the smartest idea, but she chose not to comment on that. She sent back a thumbs-up emoji and sat up. If Bella's plane had landed, that meant that they'd be getting back in about an hour and a half. She figured she should try for a decent first impression on her cousin. She didn't need to impress Bella, but it would be nice not to look like a slob who stays in her pajamas all day (Bella would later learn that Grace was, indeed, the type to stay in her pajamas all day when given the choice). She jumped off the bed and shimmied out of her pajamas, grabbing a pair of leggings and a plain gray T-shirt from her dresser. She considered for a moment and then decided to go full-on small town and threw on a green flannel over top, unbuttoned.

Her blonde mane was a mess, but she wrangled it back into a ponytail that almost looked presentable. Satisfied, Grace plopped back down on her bed with a book to wait.

It was roughly an hour later when the doorbell rang. Grace looked up from her book, frowning just a little. Had Bella brought so much stuff that they needed her to open the door for them? She hurried down the stairs and to the front door, whipping it open wide.

It was not Bella and Uncle Charlie on the other side of the screen door.

There was a boy about her age, maybe a year younger, with long black hair held back in a low ponytail. Next to him was a man in a wheelchair, who could only be the teenager's dad.

"Um, hi?" She said hesitantly.

"Hi! Are you Isabella or Grace?" The man in the wheelchair asked, a smile on his face. The fact that he knew her name kind of unsettled her, but then she remembered that Uncle Charlie had said they were having guests. Obviously Uncle Charlie's friends would know about the two girls moving into his house.

"Grace," she answered, a little belatedly. "And you are?" She couldn't help feeling rude not inviting them in, but also she wasn't going to invite two strange men into her house when she was alone.

"Billy Black, a friend of Charlie's. This is my son, Jacob."

Jacob gave a little wave and a smile. "Charlie invited us for pizza and basketball," he said. Great, now Grace really didn't have an excuse not to let them in, especially since it was starting to rain out there. It would be incredibly rude to Uncle Charlie's friend to make them wait.

"Yeah, he mentioned." Grace pushed the door open, and Jacob caught it and held it wide. "He and Bella aren't back yet, but come on in."

Grace wasn't exactly good around new people, especially when she was on her own. It had led to very few friends back home, and an awkward situation in the kitchen right then. Jacob helped his father into the house and Billy rolled right into the kitchen. He started rooting in the fridge like someone who practically lived there. Grace hopped up to sit on the counter, and Jacob just kind of hung out in the doorway. He had the decency to look as awkward as Grace felt.

"So, how are you liking Forks so far, Grace?" Billy asked, setting a beer in his lap and tossing Jacob a can of coke. Jacob caught it easily.

"Nice reflexes," Grace said. Jacob's mouth quirked a little. "And it's nice. I haven't really gotten out much yet. I was waiting for Bella to start exploring."

"You should hit up the reservation. I'm sure Jacob would be happy to show you two around." The indignant look on Jacob's face at his father offering him up like that was enough to startle a laugh out of Grace. She couldn't control herself, and threw her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the giggles. She found that she couldn't stop laughing, and soon Jacob was laughing, too. Though, he may have been laughing at her, but still. It broke the tension in the air, and made Grace feel a lot more relaxed.

Billy seemed pleased with himself and rolled his way into the living room. Grace heard the TV turn on.

"I guess I wouldn't mind," Jacob said after a minute. He walked more into the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen table. "If you wanted me to show you around La Push. It's far superior to Forks, anyway."

Grace's giggles settle down, and she quirked her eyebrows. "Oh, really? And what makes it so special? Besides the fact that you live there, of course."

Jacob looked delighted at her jab. "Well, we have a beach, for one."

"Oh, damn, then you totally win." Grace held up her hands in surrender. "Come May, I'll be in La Push more than Forks then. I'll be living on the beach. You won't be able to get rid of me."

They lapsed into other conversation for a few minutes, until Grace heard the police cruiser pull into the driveway. They both turned to look as Uncle Charlie and Bella both climbed out. Bella was carrying four pizzas (which seemed a little excessive to Grace) and Uncle Charlie grabbed her two duffle bags from the back seat.

"Finally, I'm starving," Jacob said. Grace shook her head.

"Well, let the party begin," she murmured.

A/N: Me? Starting another story without completing any of my WIPS? It's more likely than you'd think.

A few quick notes about this story:

1. It's set in a pseudo-modern!au. I'm not going to go over the top to make it apparent that it's set in, like, 2019 or whatever- but as you can already see, Grace uses Twitter and has a smartphone. Definitely not 2004.

2. It's not going to follow the plot very closely. Bella's story is going to be very background. I'm probably going to hardly pay attention to the real plot, at least for a good long while.

3. It's gonna have some twists and turns, but I don't have a ton planned! So feel free to give any sort of suggestions or whatever in the reviews.

And with that, please leave a review! Reviews keep me going.