Chapter 1: Leaving Home

Nessie

I finished packing the last of my bags with a solemn attitude. I looked around my room one last time just to make sure that I hadn't forgotten anything important like my iPad, PlayStation 5, or Nintendo Switch. I felt a pang of sadness as I looked around my room, the place that had been my safe haven, for the last ten years of my life. Even though I knew the move was coming for the past year it didn't make it any easier.

I was startled when I heard a knock on the door. "Come in," I said, my voice shaky.

The door opened revealing EJ, my twin brother, standing there looking just as solemn as I felt. At least we are in this fucked up mess together. I thought to myself. My brother and I had been pretty much joined at the hip since we were discovered lost, confused, and both with a severe case of amnesia, here in Jacksonville, Florida ten years ago. The only information the doctors were able to discern from us was our names. Renesmee and EJ which apparently was short for Edward-Jacob. At least that's what my brother believed. A quick DNA test revealed that we were genetically siblings. According to the doctors our chronological age had been five years old. So it was assumed that we were twins of the non identical variety.

After staying in the hospital for a week had been officially released to the Florida Department of Children and Families. We spent about a month or so in foster care and then we were both adopted. We were lucky in the sense that a couple who came to adopt were looking for two kids. So my brother and I were able to stay together.

We spent the next eight years together as a happy family. Then two years ago our parents decided to get a divorce. Suddenly my brother and I found ourselves in the middle of a bitter custody battle. Then the judge gave the ruling: My brother and I would spend one year with our mother, then the following year with our father. Our parents would "switch off" every other year until EJ and I turned eighteen. My brother and I are only fifteen years old right now. Which meant we'd have to bounce back and forth for the next three years. Maybe this wouldn't have been such a big deal if my dad hadn't gotten a job offer all the way in Alaska. He moved out there six months ago. That, is where my brother and I, are now being sentenced to spend the next year in.

"Hurry up you two, you're going to miss your flight!" mom shouted, though I had no doubt in my mind that she would be secretly happy if we missed our flight and she got to spend a little more time with us before we left.

"Coming mom!" EJ and I shouted back at exactly the same time. We had a tendency to talk at the same time. We thought it was funny even though we drove our parents crazy when we did it.

"You got everything you need, little sis?"

I rolled my eyes. "How many times do I have to explain this to you? We're twins! You're not older than me!" I shouted and then laughed. Judging by the smile on his face that was the reaction he had been hoping for.

"Well one of us had to come out first. I'm guessing that it was me. I just have a feeling that it was me,"

"Whatever dude. Even if you were born first, which I doubt, it wouldn't be by much,"

"Nessie! EJ! If you two aren't down here by the count of three…."

"Coming!" I grabbed the rest of my luggage that I hadn't already taken downstairs and loaded in the car.

Mom looked irritated when she saw us. "Finally. We're going to be late and you're going to miss your flight,"

"Everything will be fine mom," EJ said.

"Just get in the car already you two. I swear the both of you are going to drive me to drink,"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "I thought we did that a long time ago?" I laughed.

Mom didn't say anything. But I thought I saw her lips curving into the form of a smile. EJ beat me to the front seat of the car. We always raced each other and he was the one who usually beat me. It wasn't surprising though. Out of the two of us he was the athletic one. He'd been playing Football all of his life. He'd been the star quarterback last year. It was a huge deal because that was pretty much unheard of for a ninth grader to not only make the Football team but also to lead that team to victory in the championships. He was easily the most popular guy in school with the hottest cheerleader girlfriend. Now we were moving to a town in some far away state where nobody knew us.

At least we would be able to stay in touch with our friends here in Jacksonville. I rolled down the window to bask in the sunlight of Jacksonville for the last time. At least we'd been allowed to stay here for the Summer. We only had a week to get used to our new lives in Alaska before we started tenth grade there. Then next year we would be back here again for eleventh grade.

Mom cried when she dropped us off at the airport. I couldn't hold back my tears either as I hugged my mom goodbye. We turned to look at her one last time before going inside the airport. The flight from Florida to Alaska was a long one. It was about thirteen hours long which included two layovers. But then finally, at long last, our plane touched down in Alaska. My dad was happily waiting for us when we arrived. It was dark outside and I was super tired from the long day of traveling but I still managed to give him an enthusiastic hug.

The house that dad had bought here was a nice two story house. There were three bedrooms in total. I picked the bedroom I wanted and thankfully EJ picked the other. I wasn't really in the mood to try to fight him over a bedroom. Dad ordered us a pizza. Soon after that I took a shower and went to sleep.

I woke up the next morning feeling very refreshed. I got up and went down to make myself breakfast as I usually did every morning. EJ was still asleep. That boy always slept longer than I did.

I looked outside and decided that it was a nice enough day to go exploring. This was going to be my home for the next year. So I might as well start becoming familiarized with it. But just as I was about to walk out the front door dad stopped me. "Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"I just wanted to go explore a bit, dad,"

"That's fine. But while you and EJ are here I do have some ground rules. The first one being that you can't leave this house without telling me first. I don't mind you going out but I need to know,"

I nodded. That was a reasonable request. "Okay dad. I'm sorry,"

"It's okay sweetheart. You go have fun. But make sure your phone is on in case I need to contact you,"

It's already on dad. Hell, the first thing I did when I woke up this morning was check Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Yeah, I'm a bit of a social media addict and right now it was the main way that I was keeping in touch with my friends back in Jacksonville.

I made my way back into the town my dad had driven through last night to get home. It was only a five minute walk from the house. I passed by a few shops that didn't really hold much interest for me.

"Renesmee!" My heart stopped when I heard someone yell my name. I looked back and was shocked to see a very tall, and very much shirtless guy running toward me. A look of pure desperation was on his face. I was awestruck by him. He was so tall. Easily close to seven feet tall if I had to guess. He had the most beautiful russet-colored skin and the muscles, oh holy muscles.

"Renesmee, is it really you?" his voice held nothing but shock, just pure shock. "Oh my God it is you! I'd recognize your scent anywhere. You're so beautiful. So grown up now. "I can't believe it. I just came here to visit your mom and I find you-oh we have to tell her-"

"Um, who the ever living hell are you?"

"You-you don't know who I am?"

"Why should I? I've never seen you before in my life! Now can you please leave me alone you're seriously freaking me out right now,"

I walked away and left him standing there alone and dumbstruck. As weird as he was I couldn't deny that my body reacted to him in ways that I couldn't even understand.

Please let me know what you think.