Here you go! :) I might re-do the end, not entirely happy with it, but for now it's staying like this and I'll let you know if it changes!
Second, this weekend I'll be trying to merge some chapters together to make this story shorter – as in the beginning, chapters were rather short – and I want to sort that out. :) Just to let you know, and I'll post an Author Note when I'm done re-vamping (tehe, get it? ;)) the story. :)
Merci, and thanks for reading! Next chapter coming soon! Xx
I swear I heard shouting and a wolf howling when I got in the car. For some reason, it pulled at my heartstrings. Like I knew the sound. Already fearing enough, I dismissed it to be thought about later.
The ride to the Chief's house isn't quite as awkward as I thought it may be. I asked who he had meant earlier, about who I resemble, but he wouldn't answer me. He just frowned, then when he saw my worried expression, smiled and said 'it's not for me to say'.
I'm worrying about that right now, as he just drives up Bella's street. I can't think of anybody who I might look like in this town, aside from Jordan. I don't have any other family here – that aren't in the La Push Graveyard, anyway, for my mum's side and my aunt on my dad's side in Forks Graveyard – so I have no clue. Who do I look like... my mother? Father? Hitler?
Edward stops at Bella's house, not before chuckling to himself. I have no idea why he did that, maybe some sort of inside joke.
"Would you like to come to the door?" he asks, hand unbuckling his seatbelt patiently.
"Uh, sure," I try and smile but I'm so confused as to who I look like that it doesn't exactly look convincing. Edward seems to pick up on that. He nods his head in understanding and gives me a comforting smile.
"Everything will be clear soon, then you'll understand, don't worry."
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"Kayla!" Bella's always been awkward and not the best at showing affection to her friends, so I'm surprised when she throws her arms around me. Oh God, I'm shorter than her. Have I shrunk due to all this Brady-stress, or has she just gotten taller?
Anyhow, I'm so relieved to actually be with someone I know, so I hug her back.
"Uh, why are you here though?" she asked uncomfortably after stepping back. Ah, there's Bella.
"I honestly have no idea, why am I here, Edward?" I feel so much better now, and turn my playfully accusing eyes onto her boyfriend.
For the first time, I see him awkward – he can't come up with an answer. What is he supposed to say? 'Hey, Bella, I just found your friend running away from some boys in the woods, can she tag along to my house? Cheers, babe.' No. And the image of Edward saying 'babe' is literally disturbing.
"My family will want to talk to her, on my way here I found something out of interest to them," he seems satisfied with that answer, shooting Bella a dazzling smile and obviously hoping she buys it.
She's frowning, though. Not a good sign. And Edward's explanation didn't exactly help me figure out what he wants me for.
He skips over, not very subtly, the subject and bundles Bella and myself into the Volvo. You can't help but notice the way he looks at her. He's a fool for her, it's plain to see.
The ride to the Cullens is awkward – the combined lack of social skills from Bella and I deem the journey to be rather tension filled. It's like when you give a friend a lift home late at night, and you're in the passenger seat, they're in the back seat, and your parents is driving. It's hard to keep up a conversation then.
I would be hyperventilating right now if not for Bella. She makes me feel more comfortable – probably because, if she goes out with Edward Cullen, he can't be all that bad. I met Bella through a series of awkward encounters. Firstly, we both tripped over each other when we were walking out of the mini-mart. When she saw I was blushing furiously, we bonded over our clumsiness. And the second time I saw her, I went to say hello, tripped over thin air, and face-palmed the floor. She helped me up, trying to hide her grin, and fussed over the scrape I received on my arm from the floor. I now hate air. The only relation I have to it is breathing. Other than that, we try to ignore each other.
After that came other injuries when meeting, thankfully not all involving me, and we because the type of friends that had a distance between us as we meet purely by accident, yet we understand each other. Never have I found a fellow Clumsathon.
So, right now, as we're driving up a long road, slowing as a massive glass house comes into view, and I gulp fearfully. Oh god, what do they want. Why did I agree to this, when I don't even know what they want? Why couldn't I have just asked Edward for a lift home?
Because you're too goddamn polite – my inner-consciousness scolds me.
When we roll to a stop, Edward, like a true gentleman, opens my door for me before I can even touch the handle. I notice he doesn't do it for Bella, she's probably asked him not to. Since I'm thinking this will never be occurring again, him driving me places, I climb out of the car, smile at him and say thank you.
He gives me a somewhat reassuring smirk – not quite a smile, his mind seems too concentrated on something to be too caring – and strolls over to Bella.
"Ready to meet the family?" she asks, frowning slightly at Edward because neither of us know why I'm here to meet the family.
I just gulp in response, I'm too scared my voice will come out all funny. What do they want from me, the Cullens keep to themselves 24/7 … This night just gets weirder and weirder.
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I just kinda hesitantly walk through the massive door behind Edward and Bella. Immediately, I see Dr. Cullen, walking past the stairs opposite the door, and he looks up as we enter. I've never met him before, but apparently he's nice. Nobody mentioned how young he looks!
He smiles with welcome at Bella and Edward, and then when Edward suddenly steps aside with a look of concern and shuffles me forward with a hand, he does a double-take. Why are people doing that all of a sudden?
I'm shocked, and watch him with uncertainty. He's looking at my face with such wonder and concentration that I get scared and look down. Refusing to look at him, I keep my eyes on my feet and shuffle. Oh God, what have I done for them to stare at me like this? I feel like a new pet dog: shy, awkward, quiet. They're all watching me, even Bella. Although she's just confused with a little frown on her face, until Edward whispers something in her ear. She stares at me, as if just noticing something incredible, and it dawns on her face. That makes me even more scared. Now even Bella is finding something to stare at me for. What on Earth is wrong with my face?
Dr. Cullen breaks the silence by coughing, blinking, and beaming at me slightly.
"And who do we have here, Edward?" As casual as if the shocked staring never occurred. I feel so out of place.
"This is... sorry, I never got your name," he looks at me apologetically.
"Kayla, her name's Kayla," Bella buts in where I'm supposed to say my name. I silently thank her for that, maybe she sensed that if I spoke it would come out in a series of croaks due to confusion.
"Well, then, Kayla, come on through to the sitting room and I'll call down the rest of the family to meet you," Dr. Cullen says politely before adding, "Edward's brothers have just gone into the forest, I'll retrieve them." He gestures a hand towards a sitting room.
I bet I'm being really impolite here, and I would normally hate that, but I'm so confused that I look at Bella. Despite her rather awkward nature, she's a good friend by walking with me into the sitting room. Leaving Edward and Carlisle murmuring deeply with each other, I see from the hesitant glance I dart over my shoulder as Bella and I sit down on a sofa so white it makes a dove look dirty.
"Bella, what on earth is going on?" I whisper furiously with a worried expression on my face.
She gives me a rather awkward half-smile.
"It's nothing bad. Don't worry, you'll find out in a minute when Jasper and Emmett get back. It will shock you..." she trails off, frowning in concern.
"Who are Jasper and Emmett?" I whisper with even more force, feeling very uncomfortable indeed.
"Edward's brothers."
Although I want to ask why they have to be here, of all people, I suddenly lapse into silence and stare at the fireplace, blinking and gulping. After about thirty seconds, Dr. Cullen comes back in the room with who I presume to be his wife. She literally stops her graceful walking to stare at me, mouth half-open. She's gorgeous, they all are. I feel so odd, what is going on?
A girl even smaller than me walks behind her, looking around at everyone to see what all the interest is about, until her gaze lands on me just as she's about to say something. Her eyes go wide – she's having a more bigger shock than the rest of them – and somehow, I'm too anxious to put my head down.
What do these people want with me?
One massive guy comes in through the front door, the complete opposite door from where all the others came in by – which I presume is the back door – with his arm around the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen. Long blonde hair, stunning figure, I feel so helpless in comparison to these beautiful people. They stop in their tracks to stare at me open-mouthed as well, although the big guy – was this Emmett or Jasper? - breaks into a massive grin after a few seconds. Although the staring thing creeps me out, the smile somewhat makes me feel a teeny bit better.
Dr. Cullen coughs, and finally nobody is staring at me... well, the little pixie-like girl still is, but the rest seem more calm and somewhat excited. I, however, am in silent panic mode.
What the hell is going on?
"Well, I see you all understand why you are all here," he says, a hint of a boyish smile on his face, and then he calls, ever so softly, "Jasper?"
Why am I here?
I hear him before I see him. A slight Southern accent and heavy yet graceful footsteps on the hardwood floor.
"... why on Earth did I have to wait outside, what can possibly be-?" and he enters the room and sees me. I stop breathing from the shock.
My eyes are identical to his. It would be like looking in a mirror if not for his hair and body.
We share the same nose, same lips - I even had his hair when I was little before I grew out of the unruly curl stage. He looks so much like me, so much like me that it's uncanny. At the back of my mind it clicks why everyone stared when they saw me, but I'm too stunned to focus.
I'm overcome by shock.
I can't speak.
I can't move.
Whoever this is, I'm immediately more scared than I've been in a long time. I have no other family than Jordan, this is impossible, impossible! What's going on?