I am so sorry. First of all, I have been SO busy! I mentioned before that I'm starting reading classes at the Junior High, right? Well, I'm not dead. Yet. The teacher is pretty nice, and the kids just ignore me. But I'm having trouble waking up in the morning. I usually wake up 10 minutes before the bus comes, and don't have time to eat breakfast, and end up starving. When I get home, I'm usually to tired to do anything.

Secondly, (being the resident booknerd) I was nominated to write a column in our school newspaper. Blech. I'm getting twice the homework that I usually get, and I already got three detentions in one week.

Thirdly, a couple days ago, my little brother had to go to the ER. Basically, it's been a bad couple of weeks.

Fourthly, we just got a new computer, and we're still working the bugs out of it. Right now, I'm home alone with a virus, so I thought took my chance to update.

I feel bad, because I know how it is to have an author just stop updating. It sucks. It's so much harder than I thought it would be, writing a story.

Thank you for being patient (or not) with me.

The next few days were the closest I'll ever get to heaven. For the first time in a century, I was completely and totally happy. As Alice had predicted, my family was overjoyed. I was shocked that they could accept Bella as part of our family so easily. And she was a part of our family.

The only part of my new life that I disliked was school. But even that was more bearable than usual. I was unable to concentrate at all, though.

Bella and I talked a lot. I found out more about her life, and told her about mine. I told her about my mother, Elizabeth, and how I wished I could remember her. And, later, Bella asked me to teach her about science and math. I was a little startled, but agreed. I was surprised when she told me that she good read and write. It was very unusual for women to be literate in her time. Bella shrugged, and answered, "My father would have probably put a stop to it, if he had known. But one of our cooks could read and write, and she taught me. The library was one of my favorite places."

I taught her, as she had asked. She was quite good, actually. I still remember one conversation we had. It had been a long day at school, because in biology class, the teacher, a man named Mr. Banner, had assigned lab partners. Unfortunately, I was to work with Jessica Stanley. It was nearly impossible to tune out her shrill thoughts, and harder still to tune out her crude fantasies.

Later, I told Bella about this. She began to laugh. "I'm glad someone finds it funny," I told her, trying (and failing) to sound offended.

She laughed harder at this. "You suffer so much." She forced out, between giggles.

"I do," I replied, pretending to be injured. "I may have to burn myself before the year is over. My mind will snap." I continued to tell Bella about the most ridiculous of Jessica's thoughts. The one I found the most amusing was when she imagined me proposing to her in the middle of the biology class.

"Marriage," scoffed Bella, when I mentioned this. I looked at her in surprise.

"I thought they were big on marriage in your time." She shrugged.

"I'm just not a big fan, which isn't surprising, considering my past."

"Does that mean if I asked you to marry me, you would say no?" I asked curiously. Bella shrugged again, looking uncomfortable. I sensed that this was all she would say, and dropped the subject. Neither of us brought it up again.

I would have been quite happy to go on like this forever, but Friday came, and Alice refused to let me back out of our plans. You promised, Edward, you promised. She whined. So, I went with them. I hadn't hunted in a while, after all. I felt giddy I bounded through the forest, passing Esme and Alice easily. We would be staying close to home, but Alice had promised that there was a population of mountain lions nearby.

Eventually, we split off. I breathed deeply, letting the hot, warm, scent lead me forward. My mouth filled with venom. I opened my eyes, and spotted my prey, slinking through the brush. It was a predator, and didn't expect another, more dangerous hunter. I stalked closer.

If I didn't have my gift, I would have died right then. It was a pretty close call as it was. A moment before I pounced, I caught a tendril of alien thoughts above me. I jerked upright, as a something lunged for me, missing by a hair.

There was no time for thought. I attacked, and my mountain lion fled. I was furious, as I wrestled the vampire to the ground, ignoring his nails, dug into my skin. It was indeed, another of my kind. I could smell his unfamiliar scent.

There were noises in the brush. I could here Alice and Esme, my sister's thoughts screaming warnings. I also heard the sounds of more nomads. Three, I remembered from Alice's vision. I could hear snarls and threatening growls coming from the two parties. And me and the nomad that attacked me, between them, both of us still.

Slowly, we disengaged, teeth bared. He was muscular, and tall, with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. His clothes were bedraggled, but I didn't know if that was from travel, or our recent scuffle. There was a woman with red hair, and another man with rich, dark skin.

Alice and Esme were poised for a fight. Esme thoughts were frightened, but determined. She was no fighter, but she would do whatever possible to protect her family. Alice was in a crouch, her arms stretched out to the sides. She covered my right flank. Got your back, bro.

Alice was perhaps the most dangerous of all of us. Her size and appearance didn't seem like a fighter's, as Emmett's and Jasper's did. But along with the training she was given by Jasper, and her unique gift, she was quite a formidable opponent. She was nearly nose to nose with the woman. Just try it, bitch. She dared silently.

Slowly, the blond vampire and I backed away to our sides. His arms raised, the dark skinned one slowly stepped forward. "I apologize on behalf of my coven. We didn't know this area was occupied. Also, I apologize for the..mix-up. No harm was intended." I tried not to snort. What mix-up? The nomad had meant to kill me. It had been clear in his thoughts.

"I am Laurent," the man continued.

"Victoria." The red-head purred.

"And I'm James," spoke the blond that had attacked me. A chill went down my spine.

I know it's short, but I thought a short update was better than none at all. I took the descriptions of James from the movie.