Renesmee's POV
"Ugh!" I groaned into the open air, sitting on the floor of my bedroom surrounded by the contents of my suitcase. I had no idea what to wear! Unfortunately, I didn't pack for this summer thinking I'd be going on a date with a good-looking man. What I wouldn't give to have Aunt Alice here with me right now, she would have the perfect outfit for me in minutes. I couldn't even call and ask her opinion; telling Aunt Alice about my date would be the same as sending a mass text to the entire family.
Before I could drown myself under my pile of discarded items, I heard a soft knock on my door frame.
"Renesmee? You okay?" I nearly jumped out of my skin. I was so distraught over my wardrobe crisis, my half vampire senses were failing me.
"Oh Leah, hi! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." Embarrassed, I tried to slowly scoot my clothes into more orderly piles.
"Don't worry about it, I let myself in. Mom left her phone here, I came by to grab it and bring it over to the hospital for her. "
"Oh yeah, of course. DId you find it?"
"Yep," she waved her hand up holding the phone before slipping it into her purse. While I was downstairs, I heard you. Are you okay?" She gave me a rare full smile as she looked over my mess. I decided to be honest with her. I assumed Seth knew my plans for tonight so she probably did too, or would soon.
"No, I'm not," I whined. "I have nothing to wear." She laughed, not in a condescending way, but in a way that showed she understood my struggle.
"That's right, I heard about your date."
"Of course, word really travels fast around here." I could feel the blush building in my cheeks.
"Small towns," She shrugged it off. "Would you like some help? I'm not the biggest fashion girl, but there aren't many ladies around the house today. I can try to lend a hand."
I was shocked. This was much more than our usual pleasantries.
"Absolutely! Thanks Leah."
"So, tell me what you're thinking about wearing?"
"Well, I know we're going to the pizza place so I don't need to be dressed up. But, I don't want to go so casual that it seems sloppy. I just want to feel confident and pretty." I admitted, embarrassed.
"All good thoughts. I've had the same mental battle many times. Let me see what you brought." I gave her time to sort through my scattered choices.
"Okay, I've got some ideas. First, pick your favorite pair of jeans you brought with you." It only took me a moment to be sure of my choice; one of my tried and true favorites once I stopped growing, my dark wash skinny jeans. The denim was so worn in and I was always partial to dark washes. I dug out the pair from the bottom of one of the mounds and nodded to her. "Alright. Next, what's your favorite color to wear?"
"I don't know if I've ever thought about that. Maybe green?" Leah appraised me.
"Yes, I think green is a good choice for you. Did you bring any green tops?"
We both sorted through the stacks, finding a few options. We immediately vetoed an oversized t-shirt I usually slept in and a long sleeve flannel I had for the rare times I felt cold.
"Looks like we have a couple options. I'll step into the hall, you try them on."
I was still reeling from this whole interaction, but I wasn't going to rock the boat. I was so touched by her gesture to help. With Leah, I easily made my choice. We decided against my cold-shoulder pale green top, worried it would be annoying if I wanted to play any arcade games. We also shot down wearing a tank top, not liking the look. We settled on a flowy emerald green scoop neck shirt with small ruffles on the sleeves; it worked great with the jeans. For shoes, we picked brown sandals with gold details around the ankles.
I looked in the mirror and was ecstatic to see the outcome. Impulsively, I pulled Leah into a hug. After a second's hesitation, she timidly hugged me back. I let her go quickly, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
"Seriously Leah, thank you so much! I could not have done this without you."
"You're welcome, Renesmee. I was happy to help. I think you'll have a great time with Jake tonight."
"Well, I guess I should clean this mess up." I went back to my spot on the floor and began dismantling the mountain of discarded clothes.
"They say four hands are better than two." Leah joined me, shocking me further.
"Oh no, Leah. You don't have to do that. It's my mess."
"It beats showing up hours early of my shift and being dragged into taking on extra hours." I chose not to argue, knowing she wouldn't offer to still be here if she didn't want to be. We folded together quietly for a few minutes before I had to say something.
"Leah, I have to ask. Why are you being so nice to me? Don't get me wrong, I truly appreciate it. This just isn't our normal relationship."
"You're not wrong." Thankfully, she didn't seem annoyed by my question. "I know that I've been standoffish to you throughout your life, especially compared to Seth. Being completely honest, I had no trust in vampires from the moment I learned they were real. To me, their presence spurred this life-changing reaction. It took so much from me: my planned future, my father, ...love. I had nowhere else to place the blame. I couldn't wait to stop phasing and move on with my life. Logistically, that wasn't going to be possible with vampires staying around. So, that didn't help my attitude when my mom married Charlie and your family coming by every year.
"Not long after you were born, I finally got number credits made up to graduate high school and go to college. Moving and going to school in Port Angeles was my first high point in a few years. Although I was still phasing, the new town really helped me emotionally. I took it slow with my classes, finding an outlet and new passion in nursing. I dated nice guys who knew nothing about La Push. I found a therapist. It's taken a long time to work through a lot of my resentments. Now that I've gotten a better grip on my emotions, and also more control over my phasing, that part isn't as frustrating either. I still am working toward the day when I can stop, for sure. But I am managing better now."
I sat and listened. So grateful she was letting me know more about herself.
"I always thought I wouldn't come back home. But, when I really reflected on what was most important to me, my family was always first. Losing my dad showed me how scared I was to lose time with my mom and Seth. That's why I'm here now. I haven't ever really shown that side to you. When your visits were so short each year, it was easier for me to think I should just not disturb you or your family. But with you here all summer, I wanted to make a better effort."
She seemed as though that was the end of what she wanted to share. Still so much more than I ever imagined.
"Thank you, Leah, again. I feel like I know you so much better now. And it gives me another reason to be so excited to be here for the summer."
Leah handed me the stack of clothes she'd folded and started to leave the room, but turned back one more time.
"We have quite the family dynamic here this summer. Have fun with Jake tonight. If he steps out of line, tell me and I'll kick his ass." With that, she left. I was smiling even wider as I went off to do my hair.
Thankfully with my genetics, specifically the vampire traits, I didn't have to stress too much about prepping my hair and makeup. I inherited my curls from Charlie and I mainly spent my energy taming and detangling them. Makeup was not a daily occurrence for me, but I found it to be a fun indulgence for special occasions. I kept it simple tonight. I usually added mascara, as my lashes were light like my hair. I also commonly used blush; while I wasn't as pale as my vampire family, I was definitely fair skinned. With one last look in the mirror, I felt as ready as I'd ever be.
A/N: I saw a few reviews mentioning Leah earlier so I wanted to add in this scene to give her a little spotlight! Reminds me of Rosalie doing Bella's hair for the wedding. I personally think the original series gypped her. In this alternate world, I imagine a Leah with more peace and hope in her heart. With the "Jacob pack" never breaking off in this world, I felt that she would find her own ways to cope and grow on her own. Also, do not judge the fashion choices! Remember, this is set in 2015. I looked back at my own pictures for ideas. I know Alice is fashion forward but I couldn't let Renesmee be too trendy for her time.
