A/N Thanks for the reviews! Yes, you will get reasons. For now I think I'd better give some character details for Emily!
P.S. Though this story is based post BD, and set in future, I really am not into sci-fi, and all technologies, events, etc. will be based on present stuff. Okay, bye!
The day had been painfully uneventful. But what else had I expected. This would've been a normal day for me had that incident not taken place yesterday. Today morning I had actually wondered if it had all been a dream. Jasper Cullen talking to me. But somehow later on, I realised it had to have been true, as I couldn't make up such details myself. Besides, I'd never particularly had any dream involving a so-way-out-of-my-league guy.
Mom was sleeping in the living room. A pizza-box lay near the couch. The TV was on, again. Since Dad's death, she'd been pretty…strange. It was weird, coz my Mom and Dad had been divorced since I was five. And she wasn't particularly in-love-with-him-till-noweither. So I couldn't understand why she was so devastated now. I, on the other hand, loved Dad.
We'd met once a month since I was in highschool, and more frequently when I was younger. He was the coolest man I knew. He was tall, strong, and had eyes the exact shade of deep blue as mine. I liked to believe I got my looks from him, though his hair was black, and mine copper red after my Mom.
When I was younger, I tried to imagine how Mom and Dad fell in love. They were totally opposites if you looked from the outside. Now, I knew they were quite alike, be it in the way they liked speed, adventure, or good food. They both were not the domestic type ( at home too, Mom and I divided chores since I was in Junior High), and most importantly, they both loved me. Once I'd realised how totally perfect they were for each other, I tried to understand why their marriage had failed. I was five when Dad left, and strangely, I don't have many memories before or during that time. I only remember an accident, where I'd got hurt, badly. Actually, I don't even remember the accident, just the "getting hurt" part. I still had a scar on my right arm, though now you could only see it if you knew where it was and looked carefully.
Dad's death was a mystery. Actually, a large part of his life was a mystery. To me, at least. I knew Mom knew more, and never told me. Maybe that was the reason for the divorce. Maybe not. But his death came as a shock. He'd been travelling to somewhere (I know it was out of the country, but dunno where), and he'd just….disappeared one day. Authorities found his mangled body some days later. There'd been an accident, we were told. Not even they themselves were sure.
"I'm back," I announced.
"Oh..hey….I..I think I fell asleep again honey.." she was definitely sleepy now.
"Come, I'll get you some dinner."
"S'okay Mom. You go upstairs. I'll manage." She needed to get upstairs.
I got some noodles and added some vegetables to it. It was not the best meal but I would survive. Actually, though Mom was not very into it, she was the one who made the better meals of the two of us. Well, she was the foodie among us too.
I got my books out later. I tried to pay attention to studies after all this. Since that was the only thing I was okay at, I tried not to give that up too.
I went to bed after some time. Lately, I'd been having trouble sleeping. Not nightmares, I just couldn't fall asleep. So I just lay awake on my bed. And got up in the mornings feeling really tired.
Today was no different.
[Next Day]
I saw them again today. I mean, who could not look at the Cullens, all together, so perfectly glorious among the rest of us. Lunch wasn't the one time they were all so prominent. But all together…. Other people glanced at them too now and then. They all looked …. bored. Once in a while they would talk to one another, as if trying to behave normally. Yeah, as if they could ever be just ' normal'. They were all so beautiful. Even the darker one.
I'd noticed that Jacob was not like the rest of them. He was darker, his skin pretty but russet-coloured instead of pale white; and he was tall. Really tall. Taller than even Emmett Cullen, the big, scary looking guy, who was still also beautiful. His girlfriend, Renesmee, had a bit more colour in her skin than the rest of them too, but her skin, unlike them all, was a pretty cream colour. I still couldn't make sense. They were all adopted, yet looked so alike. Except Jacob and Renesmee. His surname wasn't Cullen, and hers too. But Renesmee's elder sis Bella was a Swan too and had their pale white skin. So what was it?
Jacob and Renesmee were different in other aspects too. They, unlike others, ate the cafeteria food. Although Renesmee didn't much, Jacob probably ate the rest of their lunches too. And also, Jacob didn't mind talking a bit now and then with others. Renesmee too, but she was a quiet girl. It was as if she didn't prefer speaking.
Jasper was there too. With his girlfriend Alice. She was beautiful, but also looked probably the most fragile among them.
Suddenly I saw that Edward Cullen was looking directly at me. I flushed, and looked down immediately. Okay, that was embarrassing, getting caught staring.
It was Friday, and I didn't like it. Normal people went to movies and stuff, but obviously, I didn't. I went to work at 99West. My boss was probably happy that she had a girl who didn't ask for Friday evenings off every now and then. My colleague, Sarah, regularly skipped weekends. She was not very good looking, so earlier I'd wondered how she got so many dates. I saw her once in Gym and understood. She had had implants.
The problem was that I wasn't so bad looking either. Well, I did have my father's genes. Till seventh grade I considered myself to one of the better looking girls in class. But then, other girls grew up. Way faster than my natural speed. Then high school happened, and girls decided that just being better physically wasn't any good until it helped them get some guys. So my school now was just the typical high school, with the usual classes - of people.
Anyway, I wasn't particularly happy coz I would be doing double shift today, and that was really pathetic. At least I would make some extra money.
So after school today I went straight to the store. It was the usual stuff. Until it happened.
It was really late, but there were still customers in the store. Then I noticed some movement in the side behind the curtain at the turn. I hadn't seen anyone go there, so I went to check. But before I came out from the curtain cover, I heard something and stayed still.
I could recognise the hushed voice, though I'd only heard it twice in my life. It was Renesmee Cullen. I mean Swan, whatever. But she was here! She didn't seem to have noticed me. She was speaking busily into her phone, I think, as I heard no other voice but hers. But I couldn't be hearing right. Not with what I heard.
"Yes Mom, I'm fine! Its not like something's gonna happen here. I know you get worried- "
Her mom said something.
"Yeah I didn't take Jake along, but its fine. And if Aunt Alice hadn't gone with Uncle Jazz to hunt, I would have told her too. I know she gets worried too since she can't see me and all.."
My God what? Aunt Alice? Uncle Jazz? They were her age (and a year older in Jasper's case), for crying out loud! Wait, they were related? Late marriage or child or what? So how come they were together like that in that twisted-relationships thing? I couldn't understand. Esme was her mother and her Aunt's and Uncle's too? Okay, that was weird. At school they'd all posed as siblings or BFs/GFs. What was this?
Renesmee was speaking again.
"Yes. Uncle Jazz was right. I saw her too. Her smell's a bit strange. I'd say Grandpa Carlisle was right."
My mind was going crazy. Dr. Carlisle Cullen wasn't her Grandpa! He was barely in his late twenties. And Esme, his wife, was her mother!
But what about all the rest ? This couldn't be right. They couldn't be talking about me. Smell? My smell? What, my deoderant? Obviously not that.
So, what, she'd come here to see me? Jasper was right about me? But about what? I had no idea. My head was going numb.
Her conversation was over. She was now just saying goodbye to her mom.
I moved forward to catch her words. Bad decision.
Before I knew it she was in front of me, curtain parted aside. Renesmee's gold eyes looked at me with horror, realising probably that I'd just heard all that. I looked at her, and knew I had the same expression on my face as well.
"You….heard?" Her voice was choked.
I didn't know what to reply.