Chapter 1: A Walk

Nessie

I ran as fast as I could. Something was chasing me. I could feel them getting closer and closer. I looked behind me and saw nothing. Next thing I knew I heard the sound of screeching tires and then a massive wave of pain slammed into me.

A wet tongue licking my face woke me up. My eyes opened and I took in deep startled breaths. My heart was still pounding. Ellie licked my face a few more times and pawed at my chest. "Alright, alright I'm up," I groaned. Ellie jumped off of the bed and chased her tail for a few seconds before barking at me. This has been our morning routine since I got Ellie as a Christmas present two years ago. She was a very loyal and affectionate german shepherd and we were pretty much joined at the hip when I wasn't in school.

As I walked downstairs I heard a key turning in the doorknob. My brother Mike was an early riser and he was returning from walking Bailey. Bailey, like Ellie, was also a german shepherd but he was more attached to my brother.

"Did you just wake up?" Mike asked me.

I rolled my eyes. "It's only seven. Not all of us are crazy early risers like you and what are you, the sleep police?"

He laughed. "Why waste such a beautiful morning?"

"Why waste time that could be spent sleeping?"

I walked past my straight toward the kitchen. I grumbled under my breath. I took eggs out of the refrigerator. I began scrambling eggs for myself. My brother took out a bowl and poured some cereal into it. "Did mom and dad already leave for work?" I asked as I sat down.

"Yeah they had an early shift at the hospital today. So we're pretty much on our own until evening. What are you going to do today?"

I shrugged. "I'm going to take Ellie out to walk for a while. She has been tiring out faster than usual lately though so that won't take too long," Ellie's ears perked up when she heard her name. She was curled up next to Bailey on her dog bed. "Anyway, what are you going to do?"

"I have football practice and then I'm going out with Sofia for lunch. I think she wants to go see a movie also," he said. "Anyway I better start getting ready to go. I have to be there in half an hour,"

I sat at the table watching my brother as he went to his room. My brother and I were polar opposites in a lot of ways. He was always the popular guy with a lot of friends. Being a star player on the football team definitely helped with that. Meanwhile I was the girl with a very small circle of friends. My athletic abilities were non-existent. Walking a straight line without tripping was an olympic sport for someone as uncoordinated as I was. I've landed myself in the hospital a few times just simply walking up and down the stairs.

I got up and washed the dishes. I went upstairs to change and put shoes on. Ellie got excited when she saw me grabbing her leash. Mike left again with Bailey at the same time that we did. My brother took him to all of his football practices and games. I think he did it to attract the attention of the cheerleaders even though he already had a girlfriend. Bailey was a good specimen of a purebred german and everywhere he went he got attention. Ellie, though smaller in stature as a female, also garnered attention as well.

It was peaceful and quiet as we walked. All I could hear was Ellie's panting. I scratched my forehead and felt the scar that had been there for as long as I could remember. I was certain that it was the root cause of my memory loss that I've suffered from since I was a little kid. Not much is known about the first few years of my life. When I was about five years old I ran into the street and was hit by a car. When I woke up in the hospital I couldn't remember anything about myself or my life. I was identified only by some pieces of jewelry that I was wearing. I had a bracelet that said Renesmee C. on it. I also had a necklace on that said plus que ma propre vie which translated from French to English meant more than my own life.

Since the authorities were unable to locate my birth parents I was adopted. My parents already had my brother, who was also five years old at the time. But due to some problems during labor my adoptive mother wasn't able to have more kids after that so they chose to adopt. But never once did I feel like I was an outsider in the family. My brother, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles all welcomed me with open arms. My parents always told me "Family doesn't require blood, it only requires love," In the last twelve years that I have been a part of the family I never once doubted their words.

I tripped and managed to clip Ellie's shoulder blade on the way down. She yelped. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath when I realized that people were staring. My face blushed bright red from the humiliation. "Here let me help you," an unfamiliar voice said to me.

"Thanks," I said as I took the stranger's hand. I was surprised by how hot his skin was to the touch.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think-" the words died in my mouth as I saw my savior's face and body for the first time. Holy shit. He was the most handsome guy I have ever seen in my entire life. Better than any movie star. He had to be close to seven feet tall. He didn't have a shirt on. His six pack and muscles were on full display. I wanted to jump his bones right then and there. I could feel my body becoming aroused by this stranger. Is this what arousal felt like? I couldn't be sure since I'd never had sex before. I shook my head. Snap out of it Nessie.

"Um thanks sir,"

He looked very confused. "Why are you calling me sir?"

"Because I don't know your name?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"You don't remember-oh-it's Jacob. My name is Jacob,"

"Well it's nice to meet you Jacob. My name is Renesmee," I smiled.

"That's quite a mouthful,"

I laughed. "That's why everyone calls me Nessie,"

Jacob didn't laugh. He looked at my knee which had been bloodied up from the fall. "You're bleeding,"

I shrugged. "Ehh I've had worse scrapes than this. At least I didn't end up in the hospital,"

"You should put a bandaid on that,"

I tried to walk which was made a lot more difficult by the fact that my knee was still hurting. I got to the bench I was aiming for with some difficulty. I took Neosporin and a band aid out of my bag. When you're as clumsy as I am, you come prepared.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked as he sat beside me.

"I'll be fine. Like I said I've had worse before,"

"Nessie I don't mean to pry but do you live here?"

"Yes, I actually do. I've lived here all of my life. Well I've lived here for the last twelve years anyway with my family,"

"That's interesting,"

"Yeah it is. I'm actually adopted. I was adopted twelve years ago. I don't remember the first five years of my life. Something happened that gave me permanent amnesia I guess. Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about you. Do you live around here? I've never seen you before,"

A look of sadness crossed Jacob's face. It bothered me to see him sad. "My family and I just moved here. My father, well, adoptive father actually just got offered a job here at the hospital so we all had to move,"

"You're adopted also?"

"Yeah. Huge family too. I have three brothers and three sisters. All adopted,"

"Damn and I thought one sibling was annoying enough," I laughed. "I have a brother,"

Jacob took a deep breath. "Well at least now I can say that I know one person. The rest of the family will be very happy when I tell them about you,"

I shook my head. "I'm not that interesting. Trust me. There is plenty of other kids my age here that are more interesting than I am,"

"Trust me Nessie. They will be very interested and eager to meet you when I tell them about you,"

Ellie nudged Jacob's hand and placed her paw on his lap. She barked at him a few times. Jacob laughed. I was mystified. "This is a nice dog you have here,"

"She wants to play with you. Which is surprising,"

"Why is that?"

"She doesn't usually take to other humans so quickly. Now dogs are an entirely different matter. She loves playing with other dogs. Especially male dogs. But when it comes to people she usually keeps her distance,"

Jacob scratched the back of her head. "He seems like a really good dog,"

"She and yeah she is. Her name is Ellie,"

"She. Well that explains the nine heartbeats,"

"What?"

Jacob did a double take. "Um, oh, nothing. Just ignore me. Sometimes I say nonsense things. Anyway, I'm hungry. Want to go have lunch with me somewhere? I'd love to get to know more about you,"

I laughed. "You are one cryptic guy Jacob. I like that. I'd love to have lunch with you as well,"