At the city line, where Forks meets La Push, a car idles. Embry pulls over on the side of the road. It's a bit odd that we are meeting here, of all places. It's only an extra fifteen-minute drive to Jacob's house, and the Cullen's seem like people with both money and time to spare.

Before we can get out of the car, he turns to face me, "the Cullens are a bit odd. If you have any questions, ask Quil or me about it. Not them. Got it?"

"Why?" I ask. I don't plan on asking them any questions. When I met Alice and Carlisle, they seemed pleasant enough.

"Just, trust me on this one, okay?" Embry looks at me, his eyes wide.

I nod, even though I'm not sure if I trust him.

He helps me out of the car. Alice rushes out of her car and envelops me in a hug.

"We'll take good care of her," she says to Embry. "Have a good ride home?"

I get in the back seat of the car by myself. I sit next to Bella, who offers me half of a smile on her thin lips. She runs a hand through her dark brown hair and tucks it behind her ear.

"Hey," she says. She offers me a small wave, which I return.

"Are we all ready?" Alice asks, her voice bright and chipper.

I don't get a look at the girl in front of me. All I notice is her long blonde hair. She turns to Alice and speaks, "as ready as we were five minutes ago."

Pilled in the car, we begin to drive off.

"So," Bella says, "you're from Ohio?"

I nod.

"Bella's from Arizona," Alice points out.

Bella nods, biting her lip. "Yeah."

I want to ask if Forks will make me as pale as all of them. Though, generally, the people in town aren't this pale. Maybe it's a combination of being from the Pacific North-West and rich. I know what my parents would say if they caught me hanging out with people like them. I choose to ignore it.

"It's not as warm in Ohio as Arizona," I say. I might not know that much about Ohio but I do know that Arizona is warm. "It's nice enough though."

"Have you ever been to Cedar Point?" Alice asks.

I shake my head, ridding it of the feeling the name brings. I wasn't really allowed to go places as a kid, with or without the people who raised me, let alone to a completely different state. They don't need to know that though. My childhood was spent travelling from town to town, meeting in underground networks, spying on others. There was no time for amusement parks between all the insanity surrounding me.

"My parents didn't like that kind of thing," I point out.

"What did you do for fun?" the girl in the front asks.

I shrug, "not much. I never did catch your name."

"Rosalie," she answers.

They continue to pester me with questions that I either dodge or lie. How was high school? Homeschooled. Ever date anybody? No. When's my birthday? April 18th, so it has already passed. Siblings? Yes, two brothers. Every mundane detail I keep track of in case they ask me later.

I'm still not sure they aren't going to try to return me to the people with whom I grew up. Any step they get closer to my identity is too far.

Eventually, we pull into Port Angeles. It's a clear day, so from high up on the hill, I can see both the mountains and the ocean. It is stunning. We pull into downtown and park. The streets are lined with tourists milling about.

"I figured we'd go shopping and then drive you home in time for a late lunch," Alice offers.

"Sounds good," I agree, pulling myself out of the car.

Only now do I get a good look at Rosalie. She is gorgeous. Everyone I've met so far has been good-looking, but she looks like she was painted. Her skin is smooth and, aside from one freckle on her lip, completely clear. She has a thin frame and beautiful wavy blonde hair. I find myself shocked.

She catches me staring, and winks. A blush dusts my cheeks. What is in the water in this area of Washington?

We walk into a boutique, where they set me up with trying on dresses. Alice picks out a few outfits, mostly in muted colours. I try all of them on, even the yellow one, which makes me look like a Simpson. It's uncomfortable trying them on with my arm in a sling. Hopefully, it will be out by the wedding.

"How do you like them?" Alice asks.

They are pretty but none particularly stand out to me. They are all seas colours, which are nice but feel a bit plain. "I don't know."

"What do you think Bella?" Alice looks over at the brunette.

She shrugs, "I don't know."

"You're both so indecisive," Rosalie says, harrumphing.

Rosalie leaves us and heads into the deepest depths of the store. Alice looks so fashionable, and maybe I'm just not good at telling when things look good on me. I don't have the heart to tell her that it isn't my thing. When Rosalie returns, she shoves the dress into my arms and forces me into the change room.

I pull the dress on, pulling it up over each of my arms. I walk out of the change room to stare at myself in the mirror. The dress is a burgundy colour, with a deep neckline that goes down to my ribcage. The dress only goes just past my knees. The fabric is thin and light, perfect for a backyard wedding.

"Okay, this is more you," Alice points out. She takes my free arm and twirls me. "Now we just need shoes and accessories!"

"I'm probably good with just shoes," I say. "Are you guys getting anything?"

"Oh, we're not going to the wedding," Rosalie says her eyes staring dead at me. I realize they are golden too, like Carlisle's eyes. All of their eyes are, though the shades vary.

"Why not?" I ask.

"It's a small affair," Alice answers. "Besides, we can't go on the reservation."

I want to ask why, but I tuck it into the back of my mind as just another odd thing about them that I would rather not focus on. We pick out a pair of nude flats to go with the shoes. I can't wear heels, and it is a backyard wedding apparently. Everyone will be on the grass, where heels aren't really welcome.

"Do you know who is going?" I ask. I don't want to be the odd one out.

"Mostly Sam's friends and their girlfriends," Bella explains. "They'll probably be some family there, but no one who will probably try to talk to you."

Rosalie grumbles something under her breath. I'm pretty sure she said the word mutt. I hope I'm not right because that's a pretty racist thing to imply. No one else acknowledges her comment, but Bella and Alice purse their lips and share a glance.

They pay for me when we leave the store. I cannot be any more thankful than I already am, and if they are trying to manipulate me, I don't want to seem too indebted to them. With a quick thank you, we are out on the street.

The walk to the car is short, and soon enough we are all piled inside. The girls chatter amongst themselves, mostly gossip about the town. It disinterests me, so I look out the window, watching Port Angeles go by until we are on the backroads. The words are lovely, but the posted speed is fast for the curve of the road.

"So, what do you guys do for a living?" I ask, looking them over.

Alice smiles, "I'm into fashion if you couldn't tell. I run an online business where I style wardrobes for wealthy women. It's actually pretty fun."

"I'm doing English at an online college," Bella offers, tucking hair behind her ear.

Rosalie sighs, "I think I'm going to study medicine."

They seem to have their lives put together. I still don't understand the nature of the relationship all of the Cullens have with each other and with Jacob and his friends, but I don't dwell on it. Envy is a cardinal sin, but I feel it deeply buried in my stomach. So deeply that it feels like a part of me. I'll be lucky to get a job at the diner tomorrow.

"If you need help finding a job, we can help," Alice says. "Social Insurance Numbers are..."

Her grip on the steering wheel tightens, and then it goes slack. The car begins to accelerate. We are headed for a few trees.

"Alice?" Bella asks, peering forward. "Alice!"

Rosalie dives for the steering wheel, trying to jerk it to the left. The car turns and skids across the ground until we slam into the trees from the side. I feel the seatbelt cut into my injured arm. We slam into it as my head slams back into the seat behind me.

~~~~~

Wow! Action! I finally made it exciting. We needed to get to know the characters before we could have something fun happen, and I feel like it's fun now. Wowza. I'll see you all soon!