GUEST OF HONOR

RPOV

You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Nope. Never. Then why are my parents trying to teach this old dog new tricks? I have no idea. It doesn't make much sense to me, why they would send me to public school when I've been homeschooled my entire life, but they decided to, and I can't oblige.

They said it would be a "good experience" for me, but I doubt it. I mean, I'm excited and all to actually meet people, but I'd rather do it at like, a party. Not school.

I pulled aunt Alice's Yellow Porsche into one of the parking spaces and hopped out of the car. When I stepped onto the black tar, the heel to my new, black Marc Jacob's sunk into a puddle and I almost tumbled to the rough, parking lot ground. Great. I thought. A fabulous start to a fabulous two years.

On my way to the principal's office, I stepped into a pile of mud and had to pull with all my might to get my stupid shoe out of the goop. There was no way this was going to be an awesome first day.

Finally, I made it into the principal's office. He gave me my schedule and called for a girl to show me around. Her name was Teresa Weber.

Teresa gave me a warm smile and shook my hand.

"My mom has told me a lot about the Cullen's," she explained as we walked to homeroom, which, thankfully, I had with her. "She said that they were all very beautiful and kind. Very popular, but not the stereotypical type."

"What's the stereotypical type?" I asked, not knowing if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Oh, you know, slutty, cheerleaders or football players, always go to parties and get drunk," she chuckled nervously at my confused expression. "My mom didn't know you guys had moved back here. She'll be excited. Your mom, Bella, was her best friend in high school."

I cringed at the sound of my mother's name and prayed that our mothers' friendships wouldn't get in the way of Teresa's and mine, I liked her.

"So, when did you move here?" she asked conversationally.

"A few months ago, but it feels like I've lived here my whole life. I really like it here, aside from the rain that's always pouring down." I chuckled.

She giggled with me. "Yeah, it can be a burden sometimes, but it's nice at other times."

I nodded and she pulled the door of our homeroom class open for me. I smiled at her and walked through the door. Almost everyone was seated in there seats and the teacher was just about to start class when I walked through.

Everyone's head turned towards me. I turned around to look at Teresa who was blushing brightly at the attention and rushed to her seat.

I figured I'd make a good impression, so I squared my shoulders and lifted my head up high.

"Hello everyone, I'm Renesmee Cullen." I announced.

"Yes. Everyone, this is Ms. Cullen, she's a new student here," the teacher said, "Please give her a warm welcome."

I searched the room and found an empty desk at the back of the room in the corner next to a boy with shaggy brown hair and black hood over his head. I smiled widely at the class and headed to the back of the room.

On my way over, there was a whistle Alice had told me meant I was "looking good". I giggled and shook my head at the boy's foolishness and plopped down in my seat.

The boy next to me didn't even lift his head to acknowledge me. I cleared my throat, and still nothing. Finally, I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned his head towards me slowly.

"Yes?" he asked in a rude tone.

My face scrunched up at his unkempt appearance. But relaxed and gave him a warm smile instead.

"Hi. I'm Renesmee!" I whispered, not wanting to interrupt the teachers talking.

"Cool." The boy said, rolling his eyes and turning his head away again.

I was beginning to feel frustrated.

"What's your name?" I pressed, forcing him to speak to me.

He sighed and snapped his head towards me so he could talk to me. "My name is Aaron Williams. It's nice to meet you." He said, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on top of them.

"It's nice to meet you, too." I whispered, ending that conversation.

***

I followed Teresa to her table at lunch, on the way searching the room to kind of figure out where everyone sat. I found Aaron's spot. He sat all the way on the other side of the room in the corner with a few other boys who wore clothes just like his. Black.

"Teresa?" I asked, still staring at their table.

"Yeah?"

"Why do those boys only wear black?" I asked, pointing over at their table. It sounded like a stupid question, something a kindergartener would ask, but I just had to know.

"You mean Aaron Williams and his friends?" she wondered.

I nodded, finally looking away from their table and at my friend.

"They're what you call outcasts. Nobody really talks to them and they don't really talk to anyone, so we just leave them alone and they leave us alone. That's how it works." She explained.

"Oh." Was all I had to say.

I started eating the food Alice had packed me, picking at my sandwich and nacho cheese Doritos. I wasn't really hungry, everything here just seemed so…boring.

Suddenly, I heard whispering coming from around me. I glanced up and saw the table was filled and everyone – except Teresa, bless her heart – was staring at me. I didn't mind the attention, it was just…awkward.

"Um…hi!" I said, and everyone was silent, just staring at me like I was half tree.

"Renesmee, this is Andrew and Becca Newton, their twins," Teresa said, gesturing to the two twins in front of me. They both had blonde, curly locks all over their heads that were wild, but not frizzy at all. Their hair wasn't like mine, with my large ringlets. They both had tiny curls and large, blue eyes, and they were both beautiful.

"Hi," I said, nodding towards them.

The boy, Andrew, smiled back at me immediately. The girl, Becca, seemed shy, but she still smiled eventually.

"This is Andrea Crowley," Teresa introduced, gesturing to the girl sitting beside me. She was dark skinned, but not too dark. Obviously a mix between African American and Caucasian. She was beautiful, though. Amazing complexion, large, brown eyes and full lips. Her hair was beautifully curly, they didn't seem to end.

"Nice to meet you," I said, smiling at her.

"You too!" she responded.

Teresa continued to introduce everyone at the table, and I began to realize I was forgetting people's names. I felt bad, but I figured I'd ask Teresa again if I needed to.

My eyes seemed to wander back to Aaron's table throughout all of lunch. I didn't understand what was bugging me about them. They seemed like okay people, and like Teresa said: We don't bother them, so they don't bother us. But I just needed to know more about them. I figured I'd gotten everything I needed to know from Teresa, so I would ask aunt Alice later today to see if she knew anything.

***

The rest of the school was super boring, and I wished it would just end already! I needed to get home and talk to Alice because the whole Aaron thing was driving me crazy!

Finally, the bell rang and I dashed out of the classroom and towards the parking lot. Aunt Alice's Porsche was easy to spot with all the boring black and white cars all around it.

This time, when I walked over to the yellow car, I wanted to make sure I didn't step into any puddles of water and/or mud, so I kept my eyes on the ground beneath me. Once I got to the car, I eased around the water hole, trying to get into the front seat without getting my shoes all wet again, and bumped into something.

My head snapped up and I stumbled backwards, stepping into the puddle like I was trying not to do and fell, hitting my back hard against the tar and knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry!" I opened my eyes and saw an outstretched hand. I followed the hand up until I found the face of the person who knocked me over. It was the boy I was sitting across from at lunch. What was his name? Andy? No. Crap! I suck with names!

I tried to speak, but it was hard to do, so I just nodded and grabbed his hand. He pulled me up and brushed all the dirt off of my back for me.

"Thanks." I managed, although nothing really came out. I took deep breaths, as I bent down to gather my things up off the ground.

"I got it!" he said, bending down to pick up my scattered items.

I smiled at him when he placed everything back into my arms and turned to open my car door. His name still hadn't registered in my brain.

I leaned across the seat to place all of my belongings in the passenger seat, and sat back in my seat. I stuck the key in the ignition—

"Wait!" he said. I looked up at him, starting to get annoyed with his presence.

"Yes?" I asked as politely as possible.

He scratched the back of his head and glanced around nervously. Andrew! That's what his name was!

"C'mon Andrew! I don't have all day!" he was really bugging me!

"Um…well there's this party going on at my place on Saturday, my parents are out of town, so I was wondering if you wanted to be my guest of honor…?" it ended in a question.

My eyes grew wide. I wasn't expecting this at all. I bit my lip and my leg started to bounce up and down. This would be my first party ever, but did I really want to spend it with Andrew? He seemed really nice, but I didn't know him that well. I mean, it was his party, and to be asked to be the guest of honor seemed pretty important, but I just wasn't sure.

"I'll think about it," I finally said.

His face lit up a little bit, but immediately sunk afterwards. He shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded about a billion times.

"Alright. Cool. Guess I'll…see you 'round, Renesmee." He said, and I shut the door, shoved the key in the ignition and zoomed off. In my rear view mirror I could see him waving halfheartedly.

***

When I got home, I immediately ran up to Alice's room, throwing my books on the couch and ignoring anyone who asked me how my first day went, but when I knocked on her door, nobody answered, so I let myself in, but Alice wasn't there.

"She went shopping," a voice said from behind me. I spun around to face aunt Rosalie. "She was going to wait for you, but she said she just absolutely needed something." Rosalie smiled and shook her head at my crazy aunt Alice who shopped for clothes like a librarian read books.

"Ugh!" I said, walking into Alice's room and flopping myself down on her bed.

"What's up, sweetie?" Rosalie asked, coming over to sit beside me on Alice's comforter.

I didn't respond. All I really wanted to do was talk to Alice, but apparently shopping was more important than her family. Well, that wasn't entirely fair for me to say. Aunt Alice loved her family more than life itself, but sometimes she just needed to shop, like I sometimes just need to draw. It lets out everything that's going on in our lives and makes us calm. So I can't blame her.

"You can tell me, I was a 17 year old girl once, too." She said.

"I was asked to be a guest of honor to a party by this guy but I don't know what to tell him." I admitted.

"Well, what did you say when he asked you?" she asked.

"I told him that I would think about it," I explained and she was silent for a few seconds. "What does it even mean?" I blurted.

"That he likes you, obviously," she explained. "If I were you, I would go with a few friends first so you can see how everyone is when their at parties, then, when and if he asks you again, you can decide on how he acts at this party." She advised.

Sounded good to me. "Okay!" I said, and hopped up from the bed. She got up with me and smiled a warm smile at me. I gave a her a quick hug. "Thanks aunt Rosalie!" I said and skipped out of the room, ready for the next day.

***

When I sat down next to Aaron, like the day before, he didn't pay attention to me at all, like I didn't exist, and I was beginning to get frustrated with him, but I blew it off and returned him the favor by not paying attention to him either.

On my way to lunch, Andrew caught up to me. I knew he was itching to ask me what was going on, but I could tell he didn't want me to feel he was being pushy. So I waited until he got up the nerve to say anything.

"So…" he finally said as we sat down. People were still staring at me, like no one was getting used to the fact that I was human just like them and not some alien.

I looked up at him from my brown paper bag in front of me.

"Yeah?" I pressed.

"Have you…thought about being the…guest of honor…at my party?" he asked, and every head at the table turned towards him with wide eyes.

"Yes I have, actually," I began, and his face lit up. "And I'm going to say no." Utter shock from everyone.

"W-why?" he stammered.

"I want to go with Teresa as friends. Just until I get used to everyone." I explained, turning towards Teresa. "You'll go with me, right?" I asked in a lower voice. She nodded excitedly, and I turned back to Andrew. "Okay?"

"Uh…yeah. Sure." He said, and that was that.

"Maybe another time," I offered, getting up from the table and collecting my things.

He blinked a few times before responding. "Uh…sure. Okay." I smiled a warm smile at him and strutted off to class early, my heels click-clacking in a smooth rhythm all the way there.

***

NEXT CHAPTER: Look out! Chapter 2 is huge. Underaged drinking, sexy dresses and surprising feelings. Plus, lots of competition((: