I UPDATED! :D I feel really bad for not updating, but it really is hard. I have exams in May, which means definitely no updating till after then, as these are exams that go on university applications. I'll try to get another update for this story, but my main concern is at least one for each story :)

Plus: New Story! It's called Not What I Seem, and it's just a sideline project that I'm doing.

Dedications: TwilightMelodiac, OhBoyYourMine, Mackenzie L. , crazyperson17, 12fanpire21, izzysunflower, BellaLaila87, xXxBellaxEdwardxXx, Rosie, Cullengirl1296, sarikoto, BerryEbilBunny, Emmauk26, Cull3nLov3, Mythology Lover 831, Cullengirl1296, Puppyluvabby, teamcullen, LadyElena17, galyardt, harryginny9, madittude99, harryginny9, madittude99 and LoverOfDarkness13.

Dedications: I do not own twilight and the original idea goes to Darkened-Sun. Any words from twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. They have been slightly altered in some places to fit the story.

17th January 2009

It has been seven years since I first came to Forks. Now I was returning again, this time as a seventeen year old. In between the last few years, Renée decided that she couldn't live in Forks anymore, and took me with her to Phoenix, Arizona. Renée met Phil Dwyer in 2005, and they married in the summer of 2007.
Phil is also a minor baseball player, and moves about quite a lot. On the away games though, Renée had to stay behind to look after me, even though it wasn't needed. She started to mope around when she had to stay behind, which made me feel guilty. I was unnecessarily putting her through misery for my own selfish ends. So I decided a couple of months ago that I was going to live with Charlie.
Charlie did visit me every summer, but I did kind of miss him. With my photographic memory I could remember how it was his idea to adopt me, and how sweet he was. He didn't outwardly show much emotion, but I knew he loved me, and he knew I loved him. Not like my daddy, Marcus, or like Carlisle, but still, we had a strong bond.

As I got off the plane in Port Angeles, I saw that it was raining. After living in Volterra and Phoenix for most of my life, I liked the change that came with the rain. Though my alibi is that I don't really like the rain. My personal pun, how I don't like the cold. It always puts a smile on my face, seeing as I'm a cold, stone vampire.
Charlie gave me a hug when he saw me in the Arrivals lounge. "It's good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling. "You haven't changed much. How's Renée?"
"Mom's fine. It's good to see you too Dad." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face, even if he wasn't my real dad. It made me feel closer to him, like a third dad.
I didn't have many bags with me, as most clothes weren't suitable for rainy weather. I didn't feel like pooling into my 'Volturi funds' to buy more either.
"I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we had gotten in the car. "What kind of car?" I wasn't fussy with my cars. Yes, I like speed when I am a vampire, but as a human with slow reflexes – even if they are better than the average human – I preferred cheap cars. "Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy."
We continued to talk about my possibly fifty year old truck till we got to his, I mean our house. Sitting there in the driveway was a red, rusty looking truck. Not particularly my vamp style, but would do for my clumsy human self. It was a good choice.
It took only one trip to get everything upstairs. I only had a couple of bags, as Renée couldn't afford much, and from Volterra, I only had a couple of things like my cloak, Volturi crest and charm bracelet.
In my room, it was pretty much the same from the last time I was here. My double bed was new, and had a purple throw fleece on it, with the walls of the room painted green, like the forest. In the corner was the rocking chair from when I was a child. I loved that rocking chair...
When I got everything put into their correct places, it was already night time. I just knew tomorrow would be life changing at school, yet I didn't know what just yet. Bring it on, I thought, as I fell into a deep sleep.

Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school, which made me start to get excited. I couldn't wait to see the Cullens again, this time in one place. Charlie left before me, off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three unmatching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark panelled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing had changed since I had last been here as a young child.
I then felt the loneliness from having missed out on yet another father figure, even what seemed like a short time compared to the time I've lived, for many years that could have been spent happily.
I didn't want to be too early to school, but I couldn't stay in the house any longer. I donned my jacket and headed out into the rain.
Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, just like pretty much everything else, just off the highway. Only the sign, Forks High School, told me it was a school, when all it was, was a collection of buildings. I parked in front of the main building, which had a sign saying FRONT OFFICE. No one else was parked there, so I assumed t was off limits to students. I stepped out unwillingly of my warm truck, and headed towards the office. I breathed in deeply before opening the door.
Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than what it was outside by far. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with piles of papers. A red-haired woman with glasses sat behind the counter, wearing a purple t-shirt that was so out of fashion, I wanted to burn it.
The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Isabella Swan," I informed her, and saw the immediate awareness light her eyes. I guess I was a topic of gossip already. Daughter of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last. Little did they know that 'here' wasn't really home.
"Of course," she said. She dug through a stack of documents on her desk till she found what she was looking for. She gave me a sheet with my schedule on it, a map of the school with a way to my classes, and a sheet that each teacher had to sign to say I turned up and to be returned at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as I knew something was coming up that would change my life.
When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I wasn't really happy to see that most cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. I was used to speed and expensive cars back in Volterra, and in Phoenix it was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.
I then looked at my timetable. Same thing, every day, first English, then Government, Spanish, Trigonometry, lunch, Biology then Gym. I memorised the map in the truck before I hopped out so I wouldn't have to walk out with it in front of my nose all day. I then stuffed all the paperwork into my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this… I thought to myself. I exhaled and stepped out of the truck. I kept my face pulled back into my hood to blend in; thankful I could blend in easily enough.
I found my first class, English, fairly easily. The room was small, and those in front of me paused to hang up their raincoats, so I did the same. I went up to the teacher, Mr Mason. He gawked at me when I said who I was, not promising, and sent me to an empty desk at the back. The reading list was very basic: Bront, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner… I'd already read every single one of these books, I was even alive during all of their lifespans. Actually, I'd even met Shakespeare. He was really nice, but a little weird.
When the bell rang, a gangly-looking boy with acne and oily hair came up to my desk. "You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" He seemed like the overly helpful, chess club type. "Bella," I corrected. "Where's your next class?" I pretended to check my timetable. "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six." "I'm heading towards building four, I could show you the way… I'm Eric." I smiled tentatively. "Thanks."
We took our jackets and headed out into the rain. "So, this is a lot different than Phoenix, huh?" he asked. "Very." "It doesn't rain much there, does it?" "Three or four times a year." "Wow, what must that be like?" he wondered. "Sunny," I told him. Can't he take the hint I don't want to talk? "You don't look very tan." "I'm a vampire albino." He studied my face apprehensively, and I sighed. It looked like clouds and a sense of humour didn't mix.
We walked around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Eric walked me up to the door, even though it was clearly signed. "Well, good luck," he said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." He sounded hopeful, too helpful. I gave a faint smile and went inside.
The rest of the morning passed in the same fashion. My trigonometry teacher, Mr Varner, who I would have hated just because of the subject he taught, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. I blushed, and tripped over my boots on the way to my seat. One girl sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and she walked me to the cafeteria for lunch. She was tiny, several inches smaller than me, but her curly dark hair made up a lot of difference in our heights. I think she was called Jessica, as I think she said it once when she started prattling on about teachers and classes. I didn't bother trying to keep up. We sat at the end of a full table with several of her friends, who she introduced to me. They seemed impressed with her 'bravery' in speaking to me. The boy from English, Eric, waved at me from across the table.
It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.

And it's done! I FINALLY finished the chapter! IT's been sitting in my files for months unfinished, and I have got the time to finish it! I can't promise another chapter this holiday for this story (each story WILL have a chapter if the story isn't on hiatus) but after my exams are done, I will get one done for you :)

Rachel xxx