AN: I do not own anything (except Estelle). Unfortunately, Stephanie Meyer does. Also, I wanted to make a little note here to clarify a few things. First of all, Estelle and Bella are fraternal twins! I'll make sure to mention that and clear it up in the next chapter, sorry. Also, if you couldn't tell, Estelle knows very little about the Cullens. That includes the fact that they intermingle in society and are in high school, especially. So that's why she's not more nervous about meeting them tomorrow – because she doesn't know she'll meet them tomorrow! So stay tuned, hehe! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! And check out my tumblr for this fic at .com!
Chapter Two
Peter and Charlotte stayed for two more months after the attack. And, slowly, life returned to normal. At least, for everyone else in my life. But my eyes had been opened. Vampires existed, and my new friends made it their mission to educate me on their world.
We would meet up at bookstore cafes and coffee shops, and they would tell me story after story about vampiric culture and history while we sat at the utmost corner table. They taught me about vampire physiology, as well. About how they never slept, ever. About how instead of catching fire, the sun refracted off their skin like diamonds. How they had enhanced senses. And their speed and strength! That demonstration left me speechless, to their amusement.
But they were more than just my teachers, they became my best friends outside of Bella. I had always been a social butterfly, flitting from social group to social group at school and chatting with just about everyone. But I never really made true, deep connections with people, other than my sister.
With Peter and Charlotte, though, everything was effortless. Conversation flowed easily, with Peter's playful demeanor and Charlotte's gentle, demure temperament. They included me with open arms, and never made me feel like a third-wheel. And they trusted me, just as much as I trusted them.
They were interested in me, too. They asked about my family, my hobbies, my likes and dislikes…the list went on. They seemed just as curious about my human life as I was about their vampire ones.
I still felt bad about lying to Bella, but as the days passed and I learned more, I realized it was less about lying and more about protecting. I wouldn't expose Bella to danger like I had been, albeit through no fault of my own. I only wished I could introduce her to Peter and Charlotte. I just knew that Bella and Charlotte would get along with their comparable love of books. The thought made me smile sadly.
Those months seemed to pass quickly as I enjoyed spare moments with my vampire friends, most evenings babysitting – although I never took that route past the alleyway again – and schooldays with Bella.
I had retreated from my outgoing ways after the attack, sticking to Bella's side like glue. I no longer felt the need to talk to all these humans whose shallow friendships showed no care. I'd had a taste of true friendship outside of family with Peter and Charlotte, and I didn't want to settle. So, at school I stayed with Bella, who I knew loved me unconditionally. I was happier that way, I found.
Then, Summer arrived.
In May, Phil proposed to my mom after a six month whirlwind romance. I liked Phil a lot, and though I thought they were rushing into it fast, I was touched when he asked for mine and Bella's blessing beforehand. I saw just how happy he made my mom, so I knew my answer. Bella's quickly followed in agreement.
They got married that July, after Bella and I spent our two-week vacation with Dad in California in June. I was disappointed at the lack of time with my father this year – we'd had to shift around our typical schedule, so I didn't get to go up to Washington for two extra weeks like I usually did. Bella started refusing when we were fourteen. But I loved Forks, and was bummed I was going to miss Rebecca Black's wedding this summer as well.
During those summer months I was away, Peter and Charlotte went traveling as well. Although they fed on the lowest of the low in society, it was still risky for them to stay in one place for long. And, despite what they might argue, they had major wanderlust. I nearly snickered under my breath.
Fall came, and with it, a new school year and mine and Bella's seventeenth birthday. I didn't have the same aversion to gifts my sister did, so I happily accepted a new book of guitar songs with a pack of picks from my mom, and my Grandma Helen's pearl ring, graciously given to me by my Dad. He knew I had been eyeing it for years, and finally decided that I was old enough to take care of the family heirloom responsibly. Bella and I had agreed long ago to forgo gifts to each other.
Peter and Charlotte came back to town to celebrate, but with them came another monumental revelation about my life. As we sat in their hotel room, they finally told me about the Voltouri – Aro, Marcus, and Caius. They expressed their concerns over the fact that they would eventually find out about me, and by extension my knowledge of this world as a human. I already knew the number one rule in the vampire world, of course: keep the secret. They said it didn't matter how loyal I was, the rules were finite – become a vampire, or become a meal. And so, on my seventeenth birthday, I realized my death had only been prolonged long enough to say goodbye to my family. And as much as I loved Peter and Charlotte, they could never replace Bella. I was devastated.
The next few months passed and I tried to spend as much time with Bella, Mom, and Phil as possible. My vampires and I had decided my change would happen after graduation, when I supposedly went away to college. Bella and I had always planned to go to different universities, anyway, so no one would suspect.
It was Bella's idea. I had been so absorbed with trying to make memories with my family in the limited time I had left that I hadn't noticed the longing in my mother's eyes every time Phil went away for a game. How their goodbye kisses lasted extra long. How she kept glancing at the phone, hoping he'd call.
But Bella – who was so selfless she was almost self-sacrificing – had, and thought it was a good idea if we spent the rest of our high school days with Dad in Washington. When she brought it up one night in November, I was surprised. Bella hated Forks as much as I loved it. But when I looked into her face, I realized her mind was already made up, despite how miserable it would make her. And I realized spending time with Dad was exactly what I needed as well. I took her hand, smiled, and agreed wholeheartedly.
…
As the captain of our flight announced our descent, I was pulled out of my thoughts. I shuffled around in my seat, putting up my tray and collecting trash. As we began to touchdown, I automatically reached for Bella's hand, gripping it tightly as my stomach turned queasy. I had never been big on airplanes, firmly believing that if humans were meant to fly, we'd have sprouted wings.
When we were firmly on the ground, I stood from my seat, stretching my legs and arms over my head with Bella doing the same. I retrieved my guitar from the overhead compartment, and we slowly started to shuffle off the plane. Bella's toe caught the edge while disembarking behind me, and I had to quickly steady her before she took us both down. But I broke out into a wide smile when I caught sight of our dad outside the gate waiting for us. I quickly flung myself into his arms, and he caught me gratefully.
"Hey there, Ellie," he chuckled softly. I sniffled, and squeezed him tighter, but said nothing. I always got a bit emotional when reuniting with my dad. After a few moments, I let him go so Bella could greet him awkwardly with a side-hug.
"It's good to see you, too, Bells," he greeted her, smiling indulgently at his other daughter. Bella probably missed how truly warm our father looked when he gazed at her. But while I spent my Spring and often Christmas Breaks in Forks, Bella only spent our shared Summer Vacations in California with Dad. He missed her, and was eager to start building a stronger relationship with her. I turned back to the conversation they were having.
"–You haven't changed much. How's Renée?" "Mom's fine. It's good to see you, too, Dad." He turned back to me.
"And how's my Ellie?" he asked with a grin twitching his mustache. It was infectious. I smiled back. "Fantastic."
Dad then shouldered the guitar I had nearly forgotten I had been carrying, and we went in search of mine and Bella's luggage. I had more bags than Bella, having a more extensive Forks-appropriate wardrobe. My sister, on the other hand, had a few scant bags that she and my mother had scraped together to form her wardrobe.
Once in the cruiser and on the road, Dad cleared his throat nervously. Bella looked up from the passenger side where she had been fiddling with the tips of her hair.
"I found a good car for you girls, really cheap," he told us. I grinned. If it was the car I thought it was, it was a good car for us. But Bella narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious.
"What kind of car?" she asked. I kicked the back of her seat and she spun around to glare at me. Be thankful, my eyes reprimanded her. She rolled hers in return before turning around. I huffed and crossed my arms. Did she want to ride in the cruiser for the remainder of our high school career?
"Well, it's a truck actually, a Chevy," Dad explained, and my scowl melted into a wide grin. It was the car I had been thinking of.
"Where did you find it?" My scowl returned and I flicked my sister lightly on the back of her neck. She flinched in surprise, batting her hand blindly behind her at me but keeping her scrutiny on Dad. He looked flustered.
"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" he asked, his question directed at Bella. I grinned.
"Yes," I said cheekily, just to be obnoxious at the same moment Bella said, "No." Dad shot me a slightly amused look, but turned back to my sister.
"He used to go fishing with us," Dad tried, but just received a blank stare from Bella in return. He gave up.
"He's in a wheelchair, now," our father explained to her, for this was something I already knew, "so he can't drive anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck cheap," he finished.
"What year is it?" Bella continued to question. I sat back in my seat and sighed. It was no use; I would just have to wait it out. Bella could be like a dog with a bone when she wanted to be.
Dad looked sheepish at this line of questioning. "Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine – it's only a few years old, really." It was actually Billy's son, Jacob, who had done the work. I wondered how he would feel about being demoted to a random mechanic.
"When did he buy it?" Bella continued to question. Dad sighed nearly inaudibly. I doubt Bella noticed, observant as she was.
"He bought it in 1984, I think."
"Did he buy it new?" Ah. That had been the question Dad had been avoiding.
"Well, no. I think it was new in the early sixties – or late fifties at the earliest," he admitted.
"Ch-" I shot her a warning glance, "-Dad, we don't really know anything about cars. We wouldn't be able to fix it if anything went wrong, and a mechanic…" I had had enough.
"Bella, you'll love it. It's perfect. And Jacob would totally be willing to fix it up anytime if something happened." She looked confused at my last comment, but seemed to take a bit of solace from my words at least. Dad chimed in.
"Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore." She seemed to consider it.
"How cheap is cheap?" she asked. I let out a breath. At least she was finally open.
"Well, girls, I kind of already bought it for you. As a homecoming gift." My jaw dropped.
"Dad! You really didn't have to!" Love and gratitude for my father flooded through me. Bella spoke at the same time as I did, but her response seemed more awkward. She always had more trouble accepting gifts.
"You didn't need to do that, Dad. We were going to buy ourselves a car," she replied quietly. I shot her a bit of a glare. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here," he said, staring determinedly on the road ahead of him with a blush creeping up his cheeks. I smiled softly and leaned forward in my seat to wrap an arm around his neck – at least, as much as I could.
"Thanks, Dad." He patted my arm awkwardly as Bella mumbled something along the same lines.
"Well, now, you're welcome." I leaned back in my seat, content.
Dad and Bella exchanged a few comments about the weather (wet) and I found myself thinking about my last conversation with Peter and Charlotte. A conversation about The Cullens.
Charlotte and I were sitting on the bed of my vampires' hotel room, Charlotte braiding my hair. Peter was watching some action movie on the television, often commenting that 'he could do that easily'.
"I'm really happy you get to spend some time with your dad, Elle," Charlotte commented sweetly as she tied off the braid. I looked behind my shoulder at her, smiling.
"Thanks. I'm really excited."
"You never told us where you're going, though! You know that, right? We can't visit you if we don't know where you are, kid!" Peter hollered from across the room, eyes never leaving the TV.
I realized he was right. I had never told them where my dad lived in the almost-year we had known each other. That surprised me, considering how much I talked about him and our time together.
"Who said I want you to visit, nerd? Char is welcome, of course," I teased, patting Charlotte's knee from behind me. Charlotte started giggling uncontrollably while Peter rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. Slowly Charlotte's laughter ceased.
"No, but seriously, where are you going?" she asked curiously. I smiled.
"You probably haven't heard of it. It's super small. I'm going to Washington. A little town called Forks."
Peter was in the middle of changing the channel and dropped the remote in astonishment. Charlotte's jaw dropped.
"Did you just say Forks?" Peter asked in consternation. I was confused, and concerned.
"Yes, why? What's wrong with Forks?" I asked, fidgeting with my grandmother's pearl ring nervously.
Charlotte snapped out of her shock at my worry.
"Nothing, hun. We were just surprised, is all." I relaxed, but was still confused.
"Why? What's so special about Forks?" I asked again. Peter turned to look at me, eyes wide.
"It's where Jasper and the Cullens live."
I inhaled sharply. I knew about Peter and Charlotte's pasts in The South, and their dear friend Jasper Whitlock who they saved from the same fate. I only knew the basics about him, and that he now lived with what they called "a strange coven" led by a vampire named Carlisle Cullen. I didn't know how many vampires were a part of it, and had never thought to ask.
"There's no way this is a coincidence," Charlotte muttered. Peter looked pensive now. I looked between the two.
"Do you think this has something to do with the reason you saved me?" Peter's red eyes bored into mine.
"Possibly," he admitted. A shiver went down my spine.
Charlotte gently took my shoulders and turned me around to face her.
"It'll be alright. We'll call ahead and explain the situation. Get to know them – they're good people."
I nodded in agreement, and Charlotte pulled me into a hug. I buried my face in her white-blonde hair, missing the speculative look on Peter's face as he looked at me.
I was pulled out of my memories at the sight of the familiar white two-story house as we pulled into the drive, mine and Bella's new truck waiting for us already. It was faded red, with a bulbous cab and rounded fenders. I smiled as Bella jumped out of the passenger seat to go examine it, and followed her leisurely.
"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" she exclaimed, truly enthusiastic now. I bumped my hip with hers and threw an arm around her shoulder to give her a sisterly squeeze.
"Told you," I teased. She rolled her eyes with a smile. Dad watched us fondly.
"I'm glad you like it," he told her, voice gruff in embarrassment. I chuckled at his awkwardness.
It took only one trip to get Bella's stuff up to her room, but two others for mine. My room faced to the east of the house, towards the backyard. Bella's faced the west, towards the front and Dad's faced south. Dad had an attached bath, but my sister and I would have to share one.
Dad didn't hover once we finished carrying everything up to my room. With sage green walls and pine flooring, it was filled with mismatched furniture of different woods and an iron bed. Buttery yellow curtains draped across the window and an oriental rug lay on the floor. A guitar stand was in the corner, waiting patiently for its future occupant. I finally felt at home.
I started unpacking slowly – I was in no hurry. I divided my clothes between the oak dresser and mahogany armoire, then moved on to unpacking my CDs and books. I placed my jewelry in its box that sat on the hutch in the corner. Perfumes went on the tray that sat on my desk. Then I moved into the bathroom to put my toiletries where they belonged.
As I was putting some things in their respective drawer, my reflection caught my eye. I wondered what the other students of Forks would see when I arrived tomorrow. Bella and I looked fairly alike, and while we had the same face shape and brown eyes, we had different noses and lips. My hair was a lighter shade of brown, and though I was still fair skinned, I wasn't as pale as Bella. I certainly didn't blush as much as she did, though I wondered if that was more of a personality trait. Would they see us as the same person, though we clearly weren't? Didn't most people group twins together? I twisted my ring in worry.
Then I shook my head. I was being ridiculous. Jacob didn't act like that, never had. He definitely saw Bella as an individual, considering the huge crush he had on her way back when. I absently wondered if that would flare up now that she was back. Probably.
I knew Angela Weber, the preacher's daughter, didn't act like that. She had younger twin brothers who she treated as individuals. She was a sweetheart, and I could always hang out with her at school. I felt more confident now, and took a deep breath. It would be fine.
As I put the last few things away, I decided I wanted to go check on Bella. It only took a few steps to reach my sister's bedroom from the bathroom. I knocked softly on the plain wood door to announce my presence, then opened it without hesitation.
Bella was sitting on her bed, looking out the window when I entered. I could only see part of her face, her long dark hair creating a curtain around it. But instinctively I knew she was crying, though she made no sound.
I walked across the room and around to the opposite side of the bed to sit next to her. She didn't react at all to my presence. When I sat down, I took her hand in mine, and for a while we sat in silence. Finally, she spoke.
"All these kids have grown up together, and their grandparents were toddlers together, too. How are we supposed to fit in?" she asked me softly. I smiled.
"Hey, we'll be the cool new girls from Arizona. It'll be a breeze," I told her, slightly teasing. She scoffed.
"Yeah, it would be if we were blonde, tan, and athletic – but no. And at least you got the social gene. I'm screwed." She bit her lower lip in worry. I sighed at her overdramatics.
"Bella, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times – just because you don't see it doesn't mean that people don't like you," I reprimanded. She rolled her eyes, clearly not believing me. I continued on. "You're kind, and selfless, and everything I could want in a sister. And even if you don't find people you really connect with on a deep level, you know you'll always have me. It's only a year and a half," I reminded her.
She seemed to cheer up a bit after my little speech and squeezed my hand in thanks. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug, which she reciprocated, and then left the room to return to my own.
I tried not to think about the fact how after a year and a half, she wouldn't have me.