NOTE: I don't own anything, it all belongs to Stephenie Myers

Renesmee's pov:

The halls of Forks High hadn't changed, not really. Same linoleum floors, same flickering overhead lights that made the whole place feel perpetually damp. But this time, I wasn't walking them alone.

I could feel their eyes on me—the curious, the envious, the confused. Being the new girl had its usual complications. Being the new girl with an impossibly beautiful family? That made things more complicated. And being the new girl who looked seventeen but had a mother who looked the same age? Complications turned to rumors in a matter of days.

It had been two weeks since school started, and somehow, I had already found myself at the center of everything. Invitations to every party. Notes left in my locker. Boys who stared too long. Girls who whispered too loud. The oddity of it all didn't escape me. I knew I wasn't normal—not with my half-mortal, half-immortal blood; not with a heartbeat that pulsed just a bit too slowly; not with a father who could read minds, a mother who could shield thoughts, and a werewolf who never seemed to stop watching me.

Jacob.

He leaned against his car every morning before school started, waiting to walk me in. He didn't go here—not officially—but since he lived in a body that would never age and had a strong opinion about "watching out for Nessie," he stuck around. Pretending to be my overprotective brother. My best friend. My… shadow.

He thought I didn't notice the way his jaw clenched when Aaron Green brushed my hand in Biology. Or how his hands balled into fists when I laughed a little too long with Eli Wren after school. But I noticed. I always noticed.

And I was tired of pretending not to.

I was seventeen. I wanted to date. I wanted to live a little bit before eternity pressed down on me. So when Eli asked me out last Friday, I said yes. I watched Jacob's expression carefully when I told him. He didn't say much—just nodded once and left. I hadn't seen him since.

That was three days ago.

Now, he was waiting for me by the edge of the forest behind the school, arms crossed, eyes dark. I should have ignored him, walked away. But I didn't. I couldn't.

"You've been avoiding me," I said, folding my arms to mirror his.

Jacob didn't speak for a long second. "You're dating that kid."

I sighed. "His name is Eli. And yes. I am."

Silence again. The forest behind him shifted slightly with the wind, a thousand green leaves rustling in judgment.

"You can't do that," he said finally, voice low.

"Why?" My voice rose. "Why can't I date someone like a normal girl? Why can't I have anything normal?"

"Because you're not normal," he snapped. "And because I—because it's not fair to him."

"Fair?" I laughed, bitter. "Jake, you don't get to decide who I date."

He stepped closer, the hurt plain on his face. "You don't get it, Ness. You never did."

Something sharp twisted in his eyes—more than jealousy. Something… heavier.

"Then explain it to me."

He didn't want to. I could see the battle play out behind his gaze. But something broke through.

"I imprinted on you."

The words were a slap, a thunderclap, a betrayal. I took a step back, heart pounding in my ears.

"No," I whispered. "You didn't."

"It happened when you were born," he said quietly. "I didn't want it. I fought it. But it's there. It's always been there."

My vision blurred. My skin felt too tight. "You lied to me."

"I never lied—"

"You let me believe you were just my friend. That I had choices. That I wasn't just… promised to someone like a possession!"

Jacob reached for me, but I stepped away, fury igniting in my chest. "Don't touch me."

"Nessie—"

"Don't call me that," I said, voice shaking. "You don't get to call me that anymore."

And then I turned and walked away, heart shattering with every step