On the surface, Katie Swan appears to be an average girl. She's pretty, athletic, and abnormally intuitive. But when her parents are suddenly murdered, she is sent to Forks, WA to live with her uncle Charlie and his shy daughter Bella.
Soon, Katie l...
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KATIE'S POV September 13th
Bella's 18th birthday was a nightmare.
When we arrived at school, Alice bounced over to the car excitedly. She hardly looked in my direction, although I didn't blame her. "Happy birthday, Bella!" Alice chirped excitedly, drawing the attention of Mike from where he stood in the courtyard.
Bella's eyes went wide with panic. She hushed Alice, glancing at Edward with a look of betrayal. "I thought I told you not to say anything about my birthday," Bella directed at Edward, looking unhappy.
Edward shook his head. "Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts. You should be in a good mood, today of all days," his voice dropped to be barely above a whisper.
Alice didn't flinch. She smiled warmly at Bella, showing off her perfectly straight teeth. "You're coming over to our house tonight for a birthday party."
Bella went rigid. "I am?" She asked, more of a whimper.
"Yes!" Alice said, ignoring Bella. "Here," she thrusted a beautifully wrapped box at Bella, her grin widening. "I already saw you wearing it tonight at the party. You love it!"
I frown at her words, my mind scrambling to put them together. I come up empty handed, glancing between Alice and Edward one last time before dropping my gaze back to Bella.
She's staring at me. "Did you know about this?" She asks, a bit breathlessly.
My resolve crumbles. "Sorry," the words come out as an exhale, my face twisting apologetically. "I thought you knew."
Bella sighs, looking down at the present. "Thank you, Alice." She says, gently dropping it onto the passenger seat of her beat-down truck. Bella shuts the car door behind her, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "But... do we need to? I have... work."
Alice grins mischievously. "I already called— your shift has been traded." Bella still doesn't seem satisfied. A crease has appeared between her eyebrows, the shape of a v. "Please?"
Bella sighs again, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Do we have to?" She repeats, looking up at Edward. "I have to finish Romeo and Juliet."
Edward turns to Alice. "I'll bring the Swans by at seven."
Bella, defeated, starts whispering to Edward, which I take as my sign to leave. I cross the courtyard, headed to art, and Mike takes up steps next to me.
"Hey," he says gently, gnawing on his lower lip. "Is it Bella's birthday today?" Mike's face has one emotion written all over it: guilt.
"Yeah, but don't say anything. She's not excited about it," I emphasize the second sentence for good measure. "That's probably why she didn't tell you."
Mike blinks. "Maybe." He agrees, although his tone implies that he has another idea. In the last few weeks, his blonde hair has grown a little longer. It resembles Edward's haircut now, although his is more rogue and less model-like. "Would you like to go see a movie tonight?"
