BPOV
"Well I fixed it up just like your mom said, and I knocked out the wall to the guest bedroom to make it bigger since you guys insisted on sharing a room." Charlie said as he walked up the stairs. Cory and I followed him up the stairs and into our new bedroom. I stopped Cory out side the room to pull out my UV monitor. The green light flashed which meant it was safe.
"You did a great job Dad." I said as I jumped up to kiss his cheek.
"Yea, thanks Dad." Cory gave Charlie a hug, which was returned.
"Well I will leave you girls to get packed. But oh I wanted to show you girls something." he walked into the bedroom and jumped a little to grab a rope that was dangling from the ceiling. A staircase descended from the roof, which lead to an enormous attic. Cory and I rushed up the stairs to see what was inside. He turned on a light and it touched every inch of the attic. It was well developed and in one half of the room, it was filled with Cory's music stuff that Mom said she would have to leave behind when she came to forks.
On the walls were mounts holding up two acoustic, and three electric guitars. There was her black baby grand piano in the corner with her violin laid on top. A stereo was on a stand in the corner. Her CD case was beside it stacked high with all of her disks. A small desk was in the corner with her laptop and her soundboard.
On the other side of the room were all of my things. I had a bookshelf stocked with books it took up the whole wall completely and looked like a library. They were all organized alphabetically, and there was a latter that slid from one end to the other. Their was a couch with a lamp that reached up and over so that if you were laying down reading the light would shine on the writing perfectly.
"How the heck did you do all this?" I asked astounded. I walked slowly over to the books and dragged my hand across the spines. It was amazing. They were all new too.
Cory was walking around the room running her fingers over the piano, and her guitars. She had brought he favorite with her on the plane but she knew she would have missed everything.
Tears overwhelmed both of us as we sobbed at the sights before us.
"Well, Phil helped a lot. He made some calls and everything worked out."
Phil had said that he was moving all of Cory's equipment to the new house early too keep it there. I couldn't believe that he actually spent all that money to ship these over, and then all these new books, I was astounded.
After many thank you's and a lot of tears. We pried ourselves from our sanctuary, and back into our rooms where we unpacked our clothes and other things.
We were sitting at the dinner table. I had just made baked spaghetti, for my sister, father and I. We were sitting silently and eating when Charlie brought something up.
"I enrolled you both into school today. You'll both be starting tomorrow so go to bed early." I nearly choked on my pasta. Did he say us; as in Cory and me?
"What?" Cory asked. I could tell she was incredibly shocked Cory would be going to school?
"Dad are you aware that I have a condition?" she asked her voice was challenging him.
"Yes, that's why I have notified the school and they changed the light bulbs and put UV protectors on the windows. If it's sunny you wont have to go to school."
"Dad I haven't been to school since grade three! How am I supposed to mainstream myself now?"
"You'll be grade 11 just like Bella."
"Dad, don't you think it's dangerous? I mean the weather could change dramatically anytime and she could get stuck anywhere."
"Well how about she goes Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's, except those days that happen to be sunny, then there wont be nearly as much of a risk."
"Dad I don't want to go! I've been home schooled for eight years! It's not going to even matter if I graduate cause I'll end up dying soon after anyway-"
"COURTNEY ANICA SWAN! If I ever hear you say something like that again or so help me god I'll-"
Cory shoved out of her chair and stormed up the stairs. Her eyes were brimming with tears that she was fighting back like she always did.
"Dad! Seriously!" I screamed at him. Charlie just stabbed at his food like a two year old having a temper tantrum.
"She's so negative how could I not be angry!"
"Because it's the truth Dad! Her condition is one of the most serious types, if I were her I wouldn't want to waste my time at school either."
"It's not a waste she will have an education!"
"And do what with it dad. People with her type of XP don't usually live past 20. Where is she going to use this education?"
"God damn it Bella! She is going to go to school and that's final!"
I left my food and ran upstairs. I could hear Cory in the attic. Her music was blasting and she was playing her electric to one of the songs. I decided to wait till she calmed down to reason with her that school wouldn't be that bad.
The morning came quicker then expected. I talked Cory into at least trying it out for a while. Of course when morning came around she was tired. My twin had xeroderma pigmentosum.
It is an inherited disease. To put it simply, if she is exposed to sunlight, it would cause immediate burns, blistering, and mutate her cells possible causing cancer. We kept her out of the sun from grade three till now. She stopped going to school because she had to wear this big suit and she got made fun of because of it. So since then she stayed at home. She would sleep during the day, and be awake all night.
We walked to the door and I used the UV monitor making sure that it was safe.
"This is stupid Bella and you know it." Cory said slamming the truck door shut. Charlie had bought it off of his friend. I stuck the key in the ignition and it roared to life.
"Now, now Cory, just because it's not the most appealing truck doesn't mean doesn't have any feelings." She let a smile escape her lips as she laid her head on the glass.
To be honest, I was ecstatic that Cory and I would be going to school together. I never liked forks, but when the doctor said that if we moved to a dark place, Cory was most likely to live past 20. Now, I suddenly loved the place.
We pulled into the parking lot. I was actually relieved that most of the vehicles were just as shabby as our truck. Except for two Volvo's. One was beautiful silver with black windows, and the other was a bright yellow with black tinted windows.
We walked to the administration office to get our schedules and things. Cory opened the door and I stepped inside only to have my foot catch on the rug. I stumbled face first towards a coffee table when Cory reached out and grabbed my arms before I could make impact.
My sister and I are very close. I was a klutz beyond belief, but Cory always took care of me, and I always took care of her. We truly were twins. If either of us lost the other, we would fall and never be able to get back up. That scared me the most because all doctors ever kept saying to me was that it was best to start preparing now so that when she dies it wont be a shock. What were those people thinking? Even if I had eternity to prepare I wouldn't be able to function with out her there.
"Courtney Anica Swan, and Isabella Marie Swan." Cory told the receptionist. She commented on how our dad told her all about us. She looked at my sister with pity, which only made me want to hit her. Cory needed anything but pity. She was fine, walking, talking; living.
We walked out of the office with our things and instructions to get a slip signed by all our teachers.
"What do you have?"
"History, Music Theory, Lunch, Math, and Bio." Cory said as she yanked at my arm to look at my sheet.
"We only have History and Lunch. I have History, English, Lunch, Bio, and gym."
"You? Gym?" Cory started laughing and I just pushed her playfully. Though se was making fun of me, she was right.
History passed by quickly. The class had just started watching a movie called Waterloo. It was a movie based on Napoleon and the battle at Waterloo, yea I know creative title huh.
I said good-bye reluctantly to my sister. As soon as she rounded the corner, I felt anxious. Thank God I had English. Reading would occupy my time and thoughts.
CPOV
Music Theory was exactly what I hoped for. Not only was it studying composers and modern-day artists; but mostly to write our own pieces. I walked into the class and Mr. Rams signed my slip. He pointed to a seat on the bleachers. Once the class was all here, he split us into groups of four to create a group piece. The challenge was to unify your new group so that you played as one.
I was in a group of all boys they introduced themselves as Tyler, Eric, and Mike. Tyler played the drums, Eric bass, and Mike played rhythmic guitar. I told them that I could be the Lead guitar and singer and they grew ecstatic.
Our song started with me finger-picking, slowly Mike played his guitar to match the chords I was picking to. The drums came in about 40 seconds in with a nice slow but complicated beat. The bass picked up the undertones and I started to sing, it was lyrics that I had worked out long before but no tunes made it work, but this time if finally meshed.
After about an hour of plotting notes and arranging tempos our song was almost perfect. Mr. Rams had all the groups perform it to the class what we had so far. He told us that the top five groups would be performing in next months Music Festival and Bonfire.
Everyone preformed but he said he would wait for his decision a few more days so that we can prefect our songs.
"Cory, that was amazing!" said Tyler swinging an arm over my shoulder.
"Yea! How long have you been playing?" Mike asked, he was smiling so bright; he looked like a kid on Christmas.
"Since I was six so ten years. But it was nothing; thanks to you guys I finally found the tune to my lyrics. I have been trying for months to put them to music but nothing sounded right."
"Well it was nothing." Said Eric as he dusted off his shirt pretending to be a big shot. This got a giggle out of me.
"Want to sit with us at lunch?" asked Tyler when we got to the door of the Art's building
"Well I got to find my sister. I-I'll meet you guys there okay?" they nodded and left me. Once they were out of sight and everyone was in their classes, I took out the UV monitor. It was all clear.
"Cory! How was class?" Bella bounded up to me stumbling a little on her way.
"I wish I brought my own guitar, I'll remember it tomorrow. I guess if my songs good enough I can play at the Bonfire next month."
"I heard some kids talking about that! You're going to do so great!"
"Did you make any friends?" I asked as I walked towards the lunchroom, Bella shuffling beside me.
"A few girls, Jessica, Angela and Lauren. They invited us to eat with them."
"Same here only, Mike, Tyler, and Eric."
"OoHh LlOoOoK TtHhEeRrEe TtHhEeYy AaRrEe!" Bella and I said together pointing towards the same table. What an unbelievable coincidence. We walked over to them and right away I knew what was going on in the guy's heads. Bella was plain, but very pretty; much more then me, and from their faces I knew they agreed.
We introduced each other and sat on the same side facing the back of the cafeteria.
"So Bella? How did you like Phoenix?" asked Mike. He tried to make his voice lower and seductive and it only made his voice crack. I laughed as Jessica whipped her head in my direction. If looks could kill.
I looked away from her only to catch a glimpse at the most beautiful group I had ever seen. Bella noticed immediately and followed my gaze. There were five amazingly, inhumanly, breathtakingly looking people. There were two girls. One was blonde; she was the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on. She was seated next to a dark haired big burley-looking guy who had his arm around her shoulder possessively, but she liked it, you could tell by her expression. The other girl was a pixie-ish looking girl. She was holding hands with a muscular but not as much as the other. He was blonde but his features were less mature then the big guy. She was talking to a boy facing the window. His auburn hair fell messily over his eyes. He seemed lost in though. I took a peak at my sister, she was staring intently at the auburn one; he was very handsome I'd give him that.
"Who are they?" Bella asked, eyes never straying from the bronzed God.
"Oh my God, they are the Cullen's and the Hale's. The blonde's are the Hale's, they're twins the Cullen's are the other ones. Emmet, Alice, and Edward. They are all adopted. And the shocking thing is that they are all with each other, under the same roof. How could Dr. Cullen allow that?"
"Which one is the auburn haired one?" Bella asked. As she said this he bronzed on stiffened slightly in his seat.
"That's Edward. He doesn't date though. Either he is gay or he doesn't think the girls here are good enough."
Jealousy was painted on her every word I couldn't help but smirk and then stab at my salad once again.
I felt a strong breeze blow through the cafeteria as a student walked in from out side. The storm had picked up tremendously. Bella's and my hair whipped around our heads blowing my bangs up and to the side and Bella's straight over her face.
When the wind stopped I heard a loud screech of a chair. I looked over to the table that the Cullen's were at and I saw the one Edward stand up. His jaw was set and his eyes looked dark, black almost. He was staring directly at Bella. I could feel her tension as she sat beside me, unable to pry her eyes from him. Edward looked vicious and bent over just oh so slightly until the little pixie grabbed his arm. He looked at her, his face pained as he stormed out of the room, his family right on his heels.
BPOV
The incident in the cafeteria left me a little disturbed. No one noticed but Cory and I, that much was for sure; but the question was what the hell happened. One second he was staring out the window, and the next he was glaring at me. The only thing that look could remind me of was the discovery channel. The circle of life that connected a predator and it's prey. Let me tell you, at that moment, I was the prey.
Cory squeezed my hand reassuringly. Of course my twin would be the only one to realize how perturbed I felt over a person I didn't know. A particularly beautiful person I didn't know. My sister and I shared a look of understanding and pure silent discussion. We had perfected this technique over the years; we could know what each other was thinking as long as we wanted each other to know. It wasn't knowing exactly. I mean we couldn't look at one another and have a conversation; but we could look at each other and just know. Jessica jabbered on about the injustice of Edward's lack of interest, until Mike spoke causing her to stop and stare somewhat disbelieving.
"So Bella, what do you have next?"
"Uh Biology." I said not taking my gaze off of my sister.
"Really great me to! I can walk you!" my jaw dropped as I looked at my sister pleadingly. She gave me a look saying 'your on your own' and with that as if on cue the bell sounded for third period to start.
Mike walked beside me down the halls. Talking non-stop I just smiled and nodded making it appear that I was listening, but instead my mind drifted to the cafeteria. The scene kept replaying in my mind. Something wasn't right, but I couldn't place my finger on it.
When we got to the class the teacher signed my slip and ushered to a table in front of Mike's assigned seat. I sat down and opened my books while he leaned against the table and continued to talk about life in Forks Washington.
Still my mind wandered to lunch as I looked up at Mike pretending to listen when class had started. I was still staring at the place Mike had once been before I recognized a new presence and lack of old one.
I turned all to quickly to come face to face with the God that had captivated my mind since lunch. I gaped at him and he looked back. His eyes were beautiful. Hell he was beautiful. Never mind, beauty can't even begin to describe the perfection that is Edward Cullen.
He opened his mouth as if he were about to say something when the heater kicked in blowing warm air at me. Edward's eyes turned dark as he turned him self around. He looked utterly pissed and all I could do was bit my lip and look forward at the teacher praying to God that the bell would ring so that I Isabella Marie Swan would not break down in tears in the middle of biology class because a one Edwards Cullen seemingly hated me.
But unfortunately God hates me; and instead the class went forward at a snails pace. I was glad that what the teacher was teaching I had already been taught. I couldn't concentrate if I wanted to. My thoughts were entirely of the divine being beside me.
My head was forward by my eyes darted all over. To the clock, to Edward, back to the clock, then back to Edward. Edward stayed in the same position. Staring straight ahead, he didn't look like he was paying attention either, jaw set, muscles tensed, his fist was balled up on his thigh and I could tell he was slightly trembling.
His head suddenly flew down onto his hands on the table. His eyes were tightly shut and his leg bounced up and down. He looked pained. I was about to tap him and ask him if he was all right but he shot up hand extended into the air.
"Yes Mr. Cullen?"
"I don't feel well, may I go to the nurses office?" and with that he was swiftly at the door. His grace was unnatural; but instead of mulling over his poise I was wildly aware of how erratically my heart was beating since I first heard the most musical, velvety voice that I was sure ever existed. I was also wildly aware, that as I stared at the door in which Edward made his exit,
"What did you do? Did you Bite Edward Cullen or something?" Mike asked as I continue to gape at the door the whole class including the teacher was staring at me taking in the fact that I Isabella Swan was in fact a tomato.
Gym passed by in a flash I sat on the bleachers with Mike who conveniently forgot his gym strip today. Still her talked, and I still pretended to listen even though I was starting to get annoyed with his constant talking, I decided that I wasn't listening anyway no reason to make him feel bad by telling him to shut it.
"How was school girls?" Charlie called at us as soon as he walked in the front door. Up until that moment Cory and I were discussing lunch and then biology class, while making dinner. Cory was a little shocked when I told her about bio. She could tell I was a little upset so she came close sniffed the air and said "Well you smell fine," I hit her playfully in the arm and told her to stir before Charlie interrupted with his question. Cory simply replied saying that It would do but she couldn't understand why on earth a father of two teenage daughters would force them to go to school with a whole bunch of boys who have nothing but sex on the mind.
"Just cover up and they wont think about sex."
"Dad, if teenage boys look at linoleum they think about sex."
Dinner was quick and we excused ourselves with the excuse of homework. Up to the attic we went I opened my bio binder to finish a worksheet I had already done in Phoenix, while Cory walked over to her desk, guitar pencil and a blank piece of sheet music in her hand.
"No home work?" I asked. Cory plucked a few strings and jotted down the notes.
"This is the homework. Music Theory I have to perfect the song if I want to play it at the Bonfire."
"What did you say? Cory actually wants to play at a public function for school?" I made my tone as sarcastic and shocked as possible and for that I got an eraser chucked at me.
"Why don't you talk to him?" Cory suggested after a few minutes of silence.
"If I want to have a heart attack I would." I shut my book and laid my self on the couch.
Cory chuckled at my lack of confidence. I'm glad some one found it amusing. She started to play and sing at the same time. Her fingers picked swiftly at the string as she did hammer on's and pull off's. The lyrics and the tune fit perfectly.
"Hey isn't those the lyrics you have been trying to find music for, for months?" she nodded
"The guys helped me. By the way they all want you." I groaned and rolled over so I was sitting up, peeking over the back of the couch watching my sister.
I felt my eyes slowly droop closed and my head fell back down to the armrest as I drifted into a dreamful slumber, and the dreams were consumed by Edward.