Danny led me to the art studio and took a seat next to me. The teacher, Mr. Bates, was a short man with light blond hair and grayish-blue eyes. He had a plain white smock on with assorted colors sporadically smudged on it.
"Today, I just want you to create a piece that tells me a little about you. It can be as simple or complex as you like. Have fun with it!" He instructed, turning his attention to a piece of his own, depicting a wintery landscape somewhere. Danny grabbed some charcoals and got to work, but I was caught staring at the windows. They were composed of beautiful plate-glass slivers; one side was cool blues and greens, but the other had bright reds and yellows. It reminded of the church Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue got married in. I got be the flower girl and when I was walking down the aisle, I saw all of the intricate pictures illustrated in the walls made of plate-glass.
I focused on the assignment and tried to figure out what medium to use, deciding on water colors. I didn't start out with any real intentions, but soon I was painting a myriad of flowers, shaping a front yard and the beginnings of a house. I glanced over at Danny's work and was stunned to find intricate drawing of a boy with the charcoal.
He met my gaze and smiled, "I'm not just a pretty face, huh?"
I laughed and suddenly recognized the face, "That's you."
He scoffed, "How vain do you think I am? It is obviously Derek; I have freckles on the bridge of my nose and this boy does not."
"Oh, of course," I murmured, as he discreetly dotted the nose of the boy in the picture with freckles.
My house gathered more and more detail; the window sills were adorned with pots of roses and the front door was a vibrant teal. It became clear to me that I wasn't opting for any sense of originality; it was the house I grew up in. The roses, ironically, were planted by Aunt Rose and I last summer.
I remember it was July 3rd, because it was her anniversary with Uncle Emmett. I had found her kneeling over the roses and crying. It was the first time I had seen a vampire cry and it was disconcerting; her shoulders shook softly as tearless sobs racked her body.
"Why are you so upset?" I asked, sitting down next to her in the warm grass. She looked at me and smiled, her hand cupping my cheek.
"I shouldn't bother you with these things, but Emmett asked me what I wanted most for our anniversary and I just wanted a ba-" She broke off in a pained sigh.
Baby. She just wanted a baby and I felt my heart ache within my chest for her. I tentatively took her hand in mine and voiced a promise.
"I know it's not the same," I whispered carefully. "But I will always be there for you and you and Mom, and Grandma and Aunt Alice have all raised me."
She nodded in appreciation and kissed my cheek, "Thank you darling." My father brought her to the large hospital in Portland the next day, so she could hold the infants there.
Danny nudged my elbow, drawing me back to the art classroom, "A bunch of us are headed to the diner after school today, you in?" I accepted gratefully and we spent the rest of class in a comfortable silence. I considered Danny to be a little over the top at first, but I liked seeing him more reserved and in his element. His self-portrait became incredibly intricate and Mr. Bates praised him specifically at the end of class.
When I walked into the French classroom, I noted how few kids were in our class. There couldn't have been more than ten and as my eyes scanned the room, I saw him. I didn't have much to compare him to- given my lack of experience with non-blood related males, but I knew enough to deem him certifiably hot.
I suppose the dark hair and deep brown eyes weren't an overtly unique combination but something about him screamed attractive. He was perched lightly on top of a desk, talking to another boy in the class. His eyes flitted to mine suddenly and I looked away, blushing. I took my typical seat at the front and attempted to fend off the butterflies in my stomach, not noticing as he made his way over to me.
I felt a tug at my back and whirled around to see him holding Jacob's jacket. I instinctively reached out and took it back. He raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"We have the same jacket. A little masculine for you, huh?" He commented and I could feel him sizing me up like an opponent.
"Maybe it's just feminine for you," I retorted covering a smile with my hand as his eyes darkened. His smirk softened into a warmer smile and I held his gaze, drawn to the sense of wild adventure on his face.
"It's my friend's- a guy." I amended and he leaned a little closer. There were few times I needed to remind myself to breathe and act wholly human. Staring at him then, I forgot and eventually exhaled heavily.
"Boyfriend?" he ventured, his eyebrow quirked upward and the smile reached his chocolate eyes as I slowly shook my head.
"Alright then," he stated before wordlessly sliding into the seat next to me. I purposefully stared at the board until the teacher came in, determined to feign nonchalance. She couldn't have been more than thirty years older. Her long strawberry-blond hair was tied into a neat ponytail which landed just above her waist.
"Bonjour mes étudiants! Je m'appelle Mademoiselle Kate. Je suis vraiment excité pour cette classe!" She was very soft-spoken but I could feel her enthusiasm and it was comforting. She went on to outline the curriculum for this year and I appreciated her emphasis on application-based learning. Her goal was for us to achieve fluency and a basic understanding of necessary and conversational French phrases.
"Est-ce que quelqu'un connaît des expressions familières françaises?" (Does anyone know any French colloquialisms?) she asked, scanning the room for volunteers. I was surprised when his hand shot up but she looked grateful for a participant and called on him.
"Je sais un." he began, focusing his attention on me. "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" The class laughed and he stared me down with a mischievous grin. Ms. Kate seemed taken aback for a moment but I found my voice, despite my flaming red cheeks.
"Non, merci. Je préfère les blondes."
I emerged into the parking lot and relished in the soft rays of the sun peeking through the clouds. I tilted my head back for a minute and sighed at the feeling of warmth on my face (even if it was mostly humidity). I didn't notice him until he coughed loudly. I opened my eyes and glared at him for ruining my moment.
"Daydreaming about me?" he questioned, crossing his arms over his chest in apparent amusement.
"You wish," I muttered, before my attention was called elsewhere.
"Renesmee," I heard Will's familiar friendly voice approaching, and turned to him. "I see you met the infamous Alex." I huffed as the pieces fell into place in my mind.
"Oh you're the player." I glowered, much to his enjoyment and Will's confusion.
"So it would seem." he conceded, running a hand through his dark curls.
"Renesmee, huh? Seems a little excessive," he dared me with a teasing tone. As I pondered a come back, the only person capable of distracting me made his presence known a few rows away.
"Ness!" Jake called with an excitement that made my heart swell. I ignored Alex completely and started hurrying toward Jacob without a backward glance. I made short work of the half-parking lot separating us and quickly jumped into his arms, as he spun me around.
"You survived," he said appreciatively, kissing the top of my head. I beamed up at him and suddenly became aware of our company.
"Oh Jake, these are my friends- Will and Alex." I gestured to them both, encompassing Alex in my introductions because I couldn't maintain my bad mood with Jacob there. He smiled kindly at Will and little less genuinely at Alex. It was strange seeing them alongside one another. They were practically the same height, with Jake only about an inch taller. Alex didn't seem enthused to meet him either and I kept my hand carefully placed on Jake's arm.
"It's nice to meet you Jacob. Uh, we were just headed to the diner for an early dinner. Do you want to join us?" Will offered graciously. I threw him a grateful smile. We all made our way toward Will's Jeep and I shivered a little as Alex lowered his mouth to my ear, "I thought you liked blondes."