I walk briskly to first hour, thankful that Alice saw the unexpected spike in humidity that is occurring, which even the weather channels missed. I am the only one here wearing a skirt. It is ruffly and yellow, swishing around about two inches above my knees. I have a billowy white blouse tucked into it, and gold gladiators that criss-cross up my ankles. My charm bracelet is on my right wrist, and Alec's bracelet is on my left wrist. Alec's rose sits in a vase in my room.
We ran out of time to open presents last night, so I am going to today after school. Alice cannot believe her plans were thrown so off course, but has kept her frustration mostly to herself and Jasper because she knows I'm going through a difficult time.
Now, I know what you're probably thinking – I have two gorgeous boys waiting hand and foot on me, there is really no problem with that, and I should just stop complaining and enjoy this. I used to think that when Mom described to me her turmoil over having Jacob and Dad fight for her.
But it's so much different when you experience the situation first hand. I love Jake and Alec for entirely separate reasons, and I can't stand the thought of losing either. And it's just baffling that I already care so deeply about Alec. Plus, we all know Jake is the more practical choice. Alec is mortal, and I don't have it in me to change him. And every time we get close, I want to kill him. Yeah, that one is sort of a really big problem.
But Jake just isn't my idea of a perfect mate. I mean boyfriend. Some vampire terms are just weird, yet living with a clan of 8 of them, I get them mixed up with human terms. Any who, I'm just not seeing Jake in a romantic way yet. But who knows, maybe soon I'll start viewing him differently, and he'll outshine Alec.. If that's possible. Or maybe they'll eclipse each other and I won't have to worry about boys anymore. I know Dad would enjoy that.
"I missed you." A quiet, seductive voice murmurs in my ear. I nearly jump out of my skin in fright, having been so immersed in my thoughts I hadn't noticed anyone had gotten close to me. I turn to my right and find Alec grinning devilishly.
"Damn it, Alec, you scared me to death." I place one hand over my pounding heart.
"Sorry, babe." He keeps on grinning and laces his fingers through mine, earning us plenty of stares.
"So we're being, uhm, open about us?" I ask a little uneasily. Oh, this is going to take Kayla's glares to a whole new level.
"Oh, uh, is that a problem? I know I just asked you out on our first date, but it just sort of felt.." Alec trails off, seeming a little embarrassed, retracting his hand from mine.
"No, no," I grab on to his hand again, "I just thought you might have wanted us to keep things on the down low considering Kayla is already trying to murder me with her eyes."
"Kayla isn't a problem. I'm more worried about Mr. Long, Tan, and Handsome. I have a feeling one punch from him would have me hospitalized for a week." Alec gulps. Please, honey. A hard punch from Jacob would send you somewhere much worse and very permanent. Same goes for me and the rest of my family. Cause Jake's a werewolf, I'm a half-human half-vampire, and my family are all vampires. Oh yeah, and my parents are actually two of the people posing as my siblings considering they're only one and two years older than me now. Well, not really. Because technically, I'm only seven years old. Also, whenever I kiss you, I have a strong urge to rip your throat out, which I could very easily.
"Did you just call Jake handsome?" I giggle. "Looks like I have a little competition."
"Oh, shut up." He rolls his eyes. "If anyone has competition here, it's me. I guess I'm going to have to stop relying on my devastatingly good looks and obviously sculpted muscles and turn to my unique wit and charm." He teases.
"Trust me, I do not see Jake in the way I see you. It's totally different." I squeeze his hand. We come to a stop in front of my French class, and I begin wondering where Alec came from. I have never seen him around my first hour before. Is he going to be late to his?
"And how do you see me?" Alec asks in a low voice. I smile slightly, then lean up and kiss him. The thirst hits me like a semi-truck, but I once again consume myself with the kiss so I don't lose control. I push him closer to me with his neck and he gently laces his fingers into my bronze curls. We only kiss for a few seconds because teachers infest this place. He pulls his lips back, but stands just as close.
"I like that way a lot." He chuckles. The warning bell rings, and he looks almost angry at being interrupted. "I have to go, Carls. I'll see you at lunch." He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear and kisses my lips so quickly I hardly have time to respond and then runs off. I turn and watch him go, noticing the movement of his muscles as he runs. I quickly redeem myself from the lustful staring and hurry into class. Brooke stares at me wide-eyed.
"What?" I ask her as I sit down, a little confused.
"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's just that they're serving meatloaf in the cafeteria today, totally pumped about that. Oh, and the fact that you were practically making out with Alec in the hall." She stares at me incredulously.
"He sort of asked me to go out with him on Friday last night, and I said yes." I admit bashfully.
"Are you screwing with me?" Her jaw flops open and I shake my head vigorously. "Oh my gosh, Carlie, that's great! I so saw this one coming! Like seriously, you two are so into each other and so freaking cute together! Oh my gosh Sierra is going to flip!" Brooke squeals.
"I think you're the one doing the flipping. And Kayla isn't going to be too thrilledabout this." I grumble under my breath.
"Oh, forget her. She just doesn't like having control of any guy she wants. But that's good, because it means she doesn't have Alec under her spell. Alec doesn't dig her like he does you. Oh my gosh, my heart is literally going at least seventy two miles a minute." Brooke clutches her chest. Who comes up with random numbers like seventy two?
"I know, I'm so excited. I've been trying to deny it, but I have fallen so hard for that boy." I laugh, blushing lightly, so grateful to have a girlfriend to gush to.
"Where is he taking you?" She asks with sincere curiosity.
"I don't know yet. He hasn't said." I shrug, pretty curious about that myself.
"Not to be a pest or anything, but that kissing seemed a little intense for two people that haven't even gone on a date yet.."
"I thought so too, but I don't really care. Alec can kiss me all he wants, I have absolutely no objections." I laugh and she joins in.
"Oh, before I forget, I got you something for your birthday but you weren't here yesterday." Brooke whispers as the teacher walks in.
"Oh, Brooke, you didn't have to-"
"But I did." She cuts me off, pulling out a small shiny silver gift bag from her backpack. I take it and open it under the desk. Inside is a bracelet. It looks handmade from little, sparkling gems that catch the light. I don't know if they're real or fake, but they're gorgeous.
"It's so pretty, Brooke. Thank you." I smile at her, beginning to put it on my wrist next to Jake's. It's quite a bit too large for me, but I hope she doesn't notice.
"It's not a bracelet, silly. It's an anklet." She then lifts up her jean leg slightly to reveal an identical anklet. "Everyone has best friend bracelets and necklaces, but how many people do you hear of with best friend anklets?" She smiles. That's the first time she has addressed us as best friends. I have thought of her that way, the person I am closest to here, but I didn't know if she did. I guess I have a way of bonding fast to people because she apparently does. I clasp the anklet on, once again happy I'm wearing a skirt to show it off.
At lunch, Alec sat next to me. He pushed his chair close to mine, resting his arm around the back of my chair. Kayla sat as far away from us as possible, giving me the evil eye. I ignored her and focused on Alec.
"I wish we had more warmth here. I like you in skirts and dresses." Alec says to me, playing with the hem of my sunshiney skirt. Then he seems to rethink what he said, and adds with a bit of a confused frown, "Although I bet you could wear them all the time considering you're so naturally warm."
"Can we please not go into that?" I beg him.
"I'm not, I'm not. Just don't forget that I remember everything that has happened. And I'm still madly curious. But anyways, I guess I'll have to take you to our beach house in California. I have a feeling you could rock a bikini." He grins, his index finger lightly trailing over my hip and I hear a chorus of low growls coming from behind me on the opposite side of the room, much too low for humans to pick up on.
"I guess so." I smile fakely, knowing I will probably never go. My glow in the sun isn't that noticeable to human eyes I wouldn't think, but my family might not let me risk it.
"Alissia hasn't stopped talking about you. She is dying to see "Alec's princess" again." Alec chuckles.
"She was adorable and really sweet. I can't wait to see her again either." I tell him, smiling.
"I'd say you should come over today, but she has a doctor's appointment and they can last a while. And it might seem like a date, and I don't want that to ruin our first date that yours truly is planning out perfectly." Alec says excitedly and proudly.
"Oh really? And where will this perfect date take place?" I wonder with a small smile.
"It's a secret." His eyes dance with amusement.
"What? No, no-" He cuts off my angry rant by leaning forward and kissing me. I immediately relax, melting into the kiss while retaining tedious control. Alec refused to budge on his decision to keep our date location a secret, so I gave up. He walked me to my fifth hour after lunch, holding my hand of course, and I didn't see him for the rest of the day.
After school, my family drove me to go get tested for my driver's license. I drove some stuffy elderly man around town, and did exceptional if I do say so myself, considering I have inhuman reflexes and senses.
I passed with flying colors, and Rose and Alice dolled me up before I took my license picture so I managed to look decent. Then we drove home, where I opened my gifts. I received at least a hundred new articles of clothing, and learned Alice had gone through my closet last night and tossed anything she deemed out of fashion or too old, even if I had never worn it. That's Alice for you.
I also got a lot of jewelry, mostly from Emmett and Rosalie. Rose loves gems, and Emmett likes sparkly things. I've been jewelry shopping with the two of them. Rose walks around examining each stone carefully with her sharp eyes while Emmett tries to tug her around to ask about all the "sparkliest" ones. It is entertaining to watch, but I feel pretty bad for Rose sometimes.
I received the iPhone 5 from Dad, which came out the day before my birthday. Jasper, always one for quirky gifts, got me a saltwater aquarium. It is huge, filled with exotic plants and beautiful, colorful fish that I couldn't name for the life of me. I think I saw a clown fish in there somewhere, which I promptly named Nemo, after the Finding Nemo movie. I cry every time on that one..
When I reach a small little gift wrapped crudely in cheap pink wrapping paper probably purchased from a drug store, I pause. No question who this is from. I gently unwrap it, pulling away the random pieces of tape. Inside, there is a small statue of a wolf. It is made from wood and looks hand-carved. The wolf's head is bent backwards, looking as if it is howling. I have heard Jake talk about wolf-howling statues. They supposedly bring good luck, or so the tribes people think.
There is a yellow Post-it note stuck to the wolf. I gently pull it off and read in Jake's very boyish handwriting: I know you've probably already opened millions of fancy gifts from Pixie-stick, Blondie, and all the others, so I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything nicer. Still, I hope you like it and maybe think of me when you see it.
Tears well up in my eyes as my heart clenches painfully, but I fight them back. I am not going to cry over Jake right now. I set the wolf next to me, sliding the note into my pocket, and move on to the next present. It is from "all of us", wrapped in a small shiny gold box. I remove the lid and inside find a silver key with a bulky black end that has a bucking gold bull on it. The Lamborghini insignia. It is attached to the outline of a silver heart that has small, sparkling diamonds encrusted in it. A very fancy keyring, probably courtesy of Alice and Rosalie.
I look up at Dad hopefully. "It couldn't be the.." I trail off, swallowing to moisten my mouth that has gone dry.
"Go look for yourself." He grins slyly. I jump up and run out into the garage, flipping the lights on. I search the rows of cars, and in the very back, I see the shape of a car covered with a tarp, nearly concealed by Em and Rose's mechanical machinery. I race back there, yanking off the tarp.
Underneath, I find my dream come true. A Lamborghini Reventon. It is sleek and shiny, made of black and dark crimson metal with a leather interior. It is the most powerful and expensive Lamborghini ever built, able to reach 60 miles in hardly over three seconds and costing around 1.6 million. Best part: there are only 20 of them in existence. They're rare and beautiful and can reach up to 211 mph. I think I'm in heaven right now.
"Ohhh my gosh." I breathe, running my hand over the glossy black and red hood. I slide myself into the driver's seat and turn the key in the ignition, loving the purr of the engine. I sit there for a good five minutes, nearly falling asleep to the sound of it, before reluctantly pulling myself away.
I run back inside, shoving the key in my pocket. I burst through the garage door and back into the living room, throwing myself at my dad instantly. He stumbles back a few steps, but laughs nonetheless. I hug everyone, some two at a time, thanking them profusely. I know they all had a part in getting this for me. It is so expensive and rare they must have all used their connections and pooled their resources to be able to purchase it.
"I love it! It's beautiful. And everything I have ever wanted in a car. Can I go take it for a drive?" I ask hopefully, bouncing up and down, taking the key out of my pocket.
Dad smiles affectionately and says, "Of cour-" He cuts off, head tilting to the side, eyebrows knitting together. Everyone freezes and Alice is sucked into a vision, and Dad seems to war with himself whether to tune into Alice or continue listening to what he already was. I suddenly feel like there is a warm, protective bubble in my head. Mom has slammed her shield up, fearing danger.
"Alice, come on baby, come back. You're not there, you're here. You're here, Alice. Come back." Jasper coaxes her out of the vision she is in though she seems trying to stay in it.
"There is no threat," She says at last, and everyone relaxes, "Jake is coming though." Her vision must have been of us losing our future. Maybe she was staying in it to try to find details of who and how long.
"W-what?" I stutter.
"You can't avoid him forever, Renesmee." Mom reminds me, brushing her fingers through my hair as her shield disintegrates, leaving me feeling unprotected against nothing, which is an odd feeling.
"He's not too far away. He was going to go back to the reservation, but has lingered for a while. He wants Renesmee to meet him in the back where none of us can hear them talking." Dad says, still listening to Jake's thoughts.
"I don't think it's safe to leave her alone with the mutt now." Rose says, looking sincerely worried.
"Jacob has no intentions of hurting her. He is calm." Dad says, and I begin to slowly walk to the door. It is drizzling lightly outside, and Alice appears at my side with a yellow umbrella. It matches my outfit, of course. I set the key on the coffee table and open the door.
I step outside onto the porch, opening the umbrella up. It is still warm out here. The porch is made of oak wood, large and elevated from the ground. All we have on the porch is some nice outdoor furniture and a chiminea. In our backyard, we have an old gazebo Emmett is suppose to be repainting white, so many flowers their scent is almost overpowering, and just tons and tons of land. We could raise a farm out here if any of us wanted to. We also have a huge heated saltwater pool with a rock waterfall formation, a diving board, and underwater booth area with a floating table and an umbrella, and elevated from the pool is a small hot tub which you can easily jump from into the pool. We have a swing set that I got when I was like six and still love to play on, and a tire swing by that which I still chill out on.
I walk down the steps and onto the damp ground, wishing I was wearing tennis shoes and not sandals. I begin to run to the back of the yard, which is quite a distance away. I have to keep the umbrella slightly angled so the wind doesn't blow it back and possibly break it.
I reach the back, which is marked by a white fence. I hear Jake's nearly silent footsteps coming closer, and then he pops into view, black hair dripping in his face, beads of moisture rolling down his shirtless chest, eyes sad and pain-filled.
"Come over here, Jake. Get under the umbrella." I urge. He debates with himself for a moment, before hopping the fence and walking closer and grabbing the umbrella from me, holding it himself to it reaches over his tall head.
"I'm sorry for running out on you last night." Jake says quietly.
"Don't be. I'm the one who needs to be apologizing. I didn't mean for you to see anything.." I trail off, mouth becoming drier by the second.
"Who is he?" Jake asks or, well, sort of demands.
"His name is Alec. He is a boy from school." I keep my voice steady and calm, knowing if I get worked up Jake will too.
"That's not what I mean. Who is he to you?" Jake tries again.
"He is.. He's been a really close friend for the past couple of weeks. And I have sort of developed feelings for him. We're going out tomorrow night." I try to speak professionally and not let any of my emotions drip into my voice. Last thing I need is for Jake to see how excited I am or how much I adore Alec.
"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Jake whispers, eyes squeezing closed.
"I'm not trying to hurt you, Jake. I can't help the way I feel." I murmur softly.
"Yes you can help it. I can't. Okay? I can't reverse the imprint. I will never be able to. When Bella chose Edward, it hurt like hell. I never thought I was going to get over her. But I could have. I see that now. With some time and some distance between us, I would have forgotten her. But with you? I will never be able to. My heart beats for you. You're everything to me, Renesmee." His eyes glimmer with tears.
I sigh in frustration, my fists clenching, and say, "Jacob, it's just a date. The most that's coming from this is a short-lived relationship. And you know what? I might just go out with another guy too. And maybe another guy after that. Because you don't own me. I'm not your property."
"That's a lie and you know it. I saw you looking at him, I saw the way you kissed him. You've only known him for a few weeks and you already look at him and kiss him like that? I can't even imagine where you'll be in a few months or maybe a year. I'll be the farthest thing from your mind then. The person who has looked after you and protected you your whole life is now slipping through down the drain. And you don't even give a damn." He growls.
"Okay, so Alec means a lot to me. What, is that a prophecy that I am kicking you out of my life to make room for him so we can go skip off into the sunset?"
Jake glares at me and snarls, "He doesn't even know your real name! He doesn't know who you are or what you are! You think he's going to be too happy when he figures out that the girl he has been sucking face with is actually a blood-thirsty mutant? A creature that feeds on blood yet is still part human? Think he won't be repulsed by that?"
His words are like a hard slap in the face. So in turn, I give him a hard slap in the face. I pull my hand back and snap it forward so quickly he couldn't jump back in time. There is a loud smack and a crack, probably Jake's jaw fracturing. He yelps in pain, staggering backwards and dropping the umbrella in the mud. I hiss at him and then turn sharply, forgetting the umbrella, and walking back into the house. I don't run because that would make it seem like I am afraid of my actions and am running from the consequences. Little did I know that I should be terrified of the consequences.
The sound of shredding fabric makes me pause. That's when the first wave of fear settled over me. I cautiously turn, glancing back over my shoulder. I don't even have time to register what I see before I am tumbling through the mud and rain with a mass of fur.
I let out a shrill scream of terror and instinctively kick my legs upwards. The russet wolf atop me goes flying backwards. I'm a little banged up, but otherwise okay as I take off again. But I hardly take three steps when I'm tackled again.
This time, Jake gets the pounce right. He pins me down with his massive body, snarling like a wild animal. The sound of rock being shredded echoes throughout the forest and our land. Jake's long claws dig through my skin wildly. I scream and blood begins to gush around me.
Jake's eyes lock with mine, but Jake isn't there. All there is is coldness and emptiness. His teeth lock around my right arm, but then he pauses. I watch his eyes flicker to my wrist and know he is seeing the promise bracelet. His jaws release me and his eyes meet mine again. This time, there is a flame of life in there. He looks horrified and gets off of me, taking off running. Not even a full five seconds later, and Dad is there.
"Oh, God, Renesmee." He gasps, looking at the bloodied, mangled mess that is my body. I whimper, in more pain than I can describe. Dad scoops me into his arms and takes off. My eyes begin to droop closed.
"No, Renesmee. Don't fall asleep. Stay with me, stay awake." Dad begs.
"Too tired.." I mumble incoherently, then drift off into darkness.