"So what do you think of school so far?" My Mom asked me, setting the table. Charlie, Renee, Jacob, Leah, and Seth were coming over for my birthday dinner. Billy would have joined us this year if he hadn't passed away. It was a very tough time for Jacob. Jacob's older sister Rebecca and her husband Solomon even came over--I'd never met them before. They were really intimidated by me, because, well, they hadn't heard of shape-shifter werewolves or vampires or anything, but suddenly, here I was at Billy's funeral, and they learned it all.
I didn't feel like talking, because I was preparing what I was going to say to Charlie and Renee. Oddly enough, Renee had never come out to meet me, except for my second Christmas with Charlie. Since we moved to Sequim, we all sort of fell out of touch. Mom, Dad, or Uncle Emmett often drove me back to La Push to see Jacob, or he drove to see me. I could drive, but everyone thought of themselves as my parent, so they never really let me drive myself.
Dad was reading my mind. "Well, she actually had fun. She impressed the teachers, though," he said, smiling at me as if he were an ordinary parent and I was an ordinary child that excelled in school. I know my emotions. After reading that, Dad laughed aloud.
"She did? Oh, I'm so glad to hear that." She paused. "Wait, did she impress them too much?"
"No, actually, she did something I'm very surprised we never did a long time ago."
"And what was that?"
Dad looked at me. He gave me a smile. "Go on, tell her. I don't have to."
I sighed. "I played dumb. I asked questions. I'm getting A's and B's."
"That's brilliant. Let's do that the next time we move. And guess what? We are!" Aunt Alice said, speeding into the room. "Wow, Bella, it smells so unappetizing!" she said, turning to my mother.
Mom chuckled. "Thanks. I'm making a meal that I'm sure everyone will like."
"Spaghetti?"
"I'm pretty sure us Americans have reinvented it into being our food."
Ding-dong.
I hurried to open up the door. I looked through the peephole. It was Charlie and Renee. I looked over at Dad, his eyes wide. "Relax, Nessie. You can handle it."
I opened up the door. It was Charlie and Renee. You can do this. "Welcome. Please come in."
I didn't feel like talking, because I was preparing what I was going to say to Charlie and Renee. Oddly enough, Renee had never come out to meet me, except for my second Christmas with Charlie. Since we moved to Sequim, we all sort of fell out of touch. Mom, Dad, or Uncle Emmett often drove me back to La Push to see Jacob, or he drove to see me. I could drive, but everyone thought of themselves as my parent, so they never really let me drive myself.
Dad was reading my mind. "Well, she actually had fun. She impressed the teachers, though," he said, smiling at me as if he were an ordinary parent and I was an ordinary child that excelled in school. I know my emotions. After reading that, Dad laughed aloud.
"She did? Oh, I'm so glad to hear that." She paused. "Wait, did she impress them too much?"
"No, actually, she did something I'm very surprised we never did a long time ago."
"And what was that?"
Dad looked at me. He gave me a smile. "Go on, tell her. I don't have to."
I sighed. "I played dumb. I asked questions. I'm getting A's and B's."
"That's brilliant. Let's do that the next time we move. And guess what? We are!" Aunt Alice said, speeding into the room. "Wow, Bella, it smells so unappetizing!" she said, turning to my mother.
Mom chuckled. "Thanks. I'm making a meal that I'm sure everyone will like."
"Spaghetti?"
"I'm pretty sure us Americans have reinvented it into being our food."
Ding-dong.
I hurried to open up the door. I looked through the peephole. It was Charlie and Renee. I looked over at Dad, his eyes wide. "Relax, Nessie. You can handle it."
I opened up the door. It was Charlie and Renee. You can do this. "Welcome. Please come in."