Summary:

Ariadna is exposed to a whole new world during her cousin's 18th birthday party at the Cullens. Unfortunately for her, she's Jasper's Singer. Things only get complicated when one of the werewolves also imprints on her. So, can life get any worse? Of course it can.

Author's Notes:

The story is OC-centric and parallels with the original storyline -at certain points. Naturally, this is AU.


Chapter One - Curriculum vitae

-The course of one's life-


A timid person is frightened before a danger,

a coward during the time,

and a courageous person afterward.

- Jean Paul Richter -

I knew about this trip, had been there through the details down to the minute I would arrive in Port Angeles; yet, once I stepped out of the small plane and into the tarmac, I felt out of place. Perhaps I was disoriented, what with the long flight from San Diego to Seattle followed by taking another hour-long flight up to Port Angeles. But I knew better as I followed the line of people towards the terminal, the reason I felt the way I did was due to the fact that I had not paid attention, had not listened as my future was being laid out before me on the old familiar round dining room table.

It was one thing to be physically there and another to be mind-and-body there.

It was quite simple, really.

In any normal situation, I would be attentive but that wasn't the case. After all, how many people are on high alert and active after a loved one has died? None that I know of. It's numbness that takes over and the daze that followed after it. In a strange sense it felt like a dream – or at least that's what I felt I was drifting through.

Oh how I wish it was really a dream…

It's been nearly three weeks since it happened, since my father was killed in a car accident on his way home from work. It's true what they say – whoever they are – whenever a significant event happens, one that impacts your life in one form or another, you can always remember what you were doing at that time. In my case it happened on a Wednesday evening. I was at a friend's house watching the latest Marvel movie when the phone rang; I was too engrossed in the movie to notice my friend's reaction before I was called to her attention.

'Ariadna, there's been an accident.. .

He was pronounced dead when he arrived in the emergency room, there was nothing the doctors could have done to save him. AsI was a minor and had no one to authorize for me, I was not allowed to see him. Both my friend and her mother were in my company and so was Lisa, a close family friend who arrived shortly after we did. While I was officially the next of kin, I could not make any decisions – thankfully – and it was Lisa who dealt with the paperwork. It wouldn't be until a day later that I found out she was specifically chosen by my father to deal with important documents where he unable to do so on his own. Since my closest adult relative happened to live in a different state altogether, it was fitting that Lisa had the role. This role also extended to my well-being; she was temporarily declared as my guardian.

I was in mourning; I did not care what happened to me but Lisa still sought for my input during the following days. Most of the time I was merely a zombie that first week, responding with yes's and no's, but there were times where I was tuned in to her questions. During one of those moments, I found out my father had appointed Charlie, my uncle from Washington, the legal guardianship over his only daughter. By the time Lisa mentioned this to me, she had already made the call. I remembered being flabbergasted about this and while it made sense – him being family and the only legal one in existence - I was unnerved but it passed when a different topic was brought up soon after.

I was required to move from San Diego, California to Forks, Washington.

This was the only thing I had no say in; I was required, due to the legalities of being a minor, to transfer my life from one location to another until I came of age. As much as I would have preferred to stay with Lisa, it was out of the question. There was no other option but to accept the fact that I would have to start a new life and a new school. My birthday won't be for another couple of months and even though I thought of returning once I turned eighteen, I decided against it; I planned on waiting until I graduated, that way, I would not be 'running around' to catch up on the curriculum from my original school.

By my calculations I would need to stay in Forks for only a year.

Not only had Lisa exchanged calls with Charlie concerning the important stuff, but she also oversaw my father's cremation. In his will – which is how I found out about my guardianship – he had requested his ashes to be buried in Forks where he grew up. So not only did I bring some of my belongings that I couldn't part with but my father's ashes as well. I would be lying if I said it didn't bother me because it did; it wasn't the fact that I knew what was inside the small box that I carried as I traveled but the idea that it was once my father. There was just something both unsettling and overwhelming about it. I suppose for that same reason I never placed it directly on a surface where someone would sit; even with an empty spot beside me, I would still hold it on my lap. Something to do with respect I guess.

Respect for the dead, such a funny thought.

The only things I brought along were enough to fit between the backpack I carried and the large suitcase. It contained some of my favorite pieces of clothing along with the important objects I couldn't part with. Since I lived with my father in an apartment, there was no way I could keep everything – not even in a storage room– so, with Lisa's help, I started to sell a couple of things before leaving the rest for Jessica to do for me. It was weird as I watched one thing after another be whisked away by a complete stranger during my last week in the city; I suppose you could say I have grown fond of those materialistic objects – which was a weird thing to feel for an inanimate object but it happened.

I cupped my hands over my mouth, warming them up with my breath as I stared at the entrance of the terminal; the wide, automatic, sliding glass doors were being held open by some strange looking prop, which had naturally allowed the cold air in. Even though I noticed the temperature when I stepped out of the small plane, it didn't hit me how chilly it really was. Though I grew up in a location where it was warm 90% of the time, I still preferred the cold. I knew Forks was not a warm and sunny location from what I learned, so I brought along the limited warm pieces that I had stored for the mild "winter" season we experienced in SoCal each year hoping that would be enough. Even then it dawned on me that perhaps that wouldn't be enough to get me through the cold temps. But if this was their coldest, which I doubt, I could see myself managing it. The only thing I had on me that was of warmth was my black hoodie. Letting out an audible sigh, I pulled the hood over my head but not before I quickly tied my dark hair into a loose ponytail.

It was September, a Friday. My second week as a senior in high school had ended. The weather would still be moderately warm only to progressively get warmer as it approached October. I found it mildly amusing that through my short seventeen years of life, I had complained about the weather being 'too' warm and now I'm wondering if I would ever feel such warmth in this land.

I carefully maneuvered my right hand into my front pocket of my pants, fishing out my phone while simultaneously trying to tip over the box I held. Once my phone was comfortably placed, I checked the time.

It was twelve-thirty seven.

It was agreed through Lisa that my uncle, Charlie, would had been waiting for me once the plane landed. To my surprise, I did not see him once I walked through those double doors. With cars and their passengers slowly driving by as I waited outside the building, I kept a keen eye out for any new cars that crossed my path. Lisa had called to check-up on me as I trudged back into the building with my bags. I lied to her about meeting him so as not to cause her to worry. I knew Charlie was the Chief of Police for Forks and it was possible that he might have been caught with something. At worst, I had the number of the station he worked at in case he actually didn't show up, though I hoped it would not get to that point.

He was supposed to be here by eleven-thirty though…

For the umpteenth time I glanced towards the terminal's open doors, expecting to see Charlie coming through but saw nothing. I turned my sights to the vending machines near the doors. The last thing I had eaten was a granola bar and a handful of grapes and that was before I was dropped at the airport before six in the morning. My stomach reminded me once more how I needed a hefty meal but due to the situation, I would need to settle for a snack.

As I stood in front of the machine undecided what to pick amongst the snacks, I caught at the corner of my eye someone entering through the doors in a hurry. It was at that moment when I decided to get a better view of the person that he did the same.

It was him.

My chest constricted at the sight of the one person who I thought I would never see again. With my breath caught in my windpipe and my throat going dry, I stared at him in bewilderment.

'He… my dad… how…'

"Ariadna?" He called from where he stood, a flicker of confusion crossed over his familiar features.

I slumped my shoulder against the vending machine, my arms tightly wrapped around the box I been holding since the beginning of my trip.

'Even the voice…'

I could feel my eyes tear up and I quickly shut my eyelids.

but he's…

"Hey, are you all right?" He touched my shoulder and somehow that broke the spell I was under. I snapped my eyes open and looked up tentatively to his own chocolate brown ones.

I let out a shuddering sigh, "I-I am all right." His brows furrowed. He didn't believe me. A nervous chuckle escaped through my lips, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…." I trailed, trying to muster a smile but quickly gave up on that and turned to look down at the floor.

God, I felt stupid…

"Oh!" he muttered, seeming to realize what just happened. "Ariadna, I'm so sorry." He honestly looked ashamed and that only made me feel even worse.

I yanked the hood off my head, "there's nothing for you to apologize. You two were just born that way." I said, lightly.

Charlie and my dad were identical twins after all.