Chapter 3: A Little Bribe Can Go A Long Way

I woke up groggily and as soon as I remembered that it as September 8th, the first day of…school… (shudder) I pulled the covers back over my head and rolled over. I felt my mother sit down next to me and gently pull them back. Her topaz eyes were narrowed a bit in concern, “Renesmee, come on get up, it’s going to be alright, you will see.” I didn’t have the energy to argue anymore, and I hated seeing my mother look so upset. I really dislike upsetting her I constantly fight feelings of guilt because I killed her. When I was born I killed her and then to make matters worse as she was dying I bit her! Because of me, my mother is what she is. I am not venomous so my bite didn’t do it, but my father had to turn her into a vampire so that she would not die. All because of me. My mother has reassured me that she is thankful to me. She tells me I am her angel, she had wanted to be changed for years, but my father never would have done it if it weren’t for me; I can’t help feeling guilty though so I rarely give her such a hard time and now I felt remorseful for what I had put her through for the last 24 hours. “I’m sorry mom, I know I have been obnoxious, I just am worried about this. At least when dad went he had his brothers and sisters, there will be no one like me.”
“I know sweetie,” She said cupping my chin so that she was staring into my eyes, “even if you weren’t half vampire and unique in so many ways you would still be more special than anyone at Forks High School. You are an amazing person, its ok to be different, you are extraordinary. What would you rather be, a cheerleader?” she asked me with a wink. At that I had to laugh out loud and roll my eyes along with my mother. My aunts tell me that I am exactly as she was when she was a human teen, a loner. She hugged me and rubbed my hair for a minute as my aunt Alice sprang into my room holding a pair of dark washed skinny jeans, a short sleeved white cowl neck tunic shirt with a chunky black belt and a pair of black flats. “Here” she sad breathlessly in excitement “throw this on and then meet me in the bathroom so that I can do your hair.” My mother and I exchanged looks of boredom and mild annoyance. I decided to play along with my aunt she just loves her game of dress up, and if what my aunt Rose and my father agreed to is true, I might not be here too much longer for her to inflict this kind of pain on me; so I would let her have her fun.
“When you guys are done, meet me at your Grandparents Nessie, your father and I have a surprise for you.” I was already excited at remembering the arrangement that I had with my father and then a new excitement crept up. My birthday is in 2 days. Which means that for all intensive purposes I will be considered 16 to the human world (although in reality I’m only 6, talk about strange!) so that means I can drive! Normal human teens have to take the driver’s exam and get their license that way, my Grandpa Carlisle has friends everywhere and I already have my license (I should! I have known how to drive for the past 3 years, my father allows me to drive around our property). So I was hoping to get my birthday present a tad bit early. I allowed my aunt to get me ready I had to admit, she did a good job. My chestnut brown curls cascaded down over my shoulders, she applied my makeup as naturally as possible (probably so my father wouldn’t kill her later), and my eyes were done with taupe with specks of gold which matched the color of my chocolate brown eyes that had little gold flecks in them at times. My creamy skin was highlighted at the cheekbones with a peachy blush and that color also was applied to my lips. She had done my nails in a blood red (of course) yesterday. She looked me up and down, the satisfaction shining in her perfect face and highlighted in her eyes. She looked like a child on Christmas morning.
“Nessie you are gorgeous, you will be a heart breaker” she giggled as she threw me a cropped black leather jacket. And matching bag. “Yea right Aunt Alice like I would be stupid enough to bring a guy back here even if one talked to me, so that he could meet my overprotective father the vampire and my vampire uncles one of whom looks like a football player.” Her peals of laughter rang out at my words. “You are such a goofball” she said, but she didn’t argue the validity of my point. Instead she grabbed my book brag and my hand in the other and we were flying out of the door of my parent’s cottage and soaring through the forest to the house where my grandparents and aunts and uncles lived. When we got to the house my mouth hit the ground. “Oh you didn’t!” I groaned. My aunt Alice grinned happily and said, “Well you know I can never resist an excuse for a party! “Sorry Ness” my mother mouthed to me from under my father’s protective arms. She is the only one who understands my aversions to attention and parties as she is the same way. I looked into the happy and proud faces of my Grandpa Carlisle one of the town doctors, my grandma Esme, Aunt Rosalie, Uncle Emmett, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice, Grandpa Charlie (my mom’s dad and the chief of police at Forks) and one more face that kind of surprised me Jacob. “Jake!” I spluttered, “Why didn’t you warn me last night!” He grinned, “Sorry Nessie, your father would have KNOWN” He glared at my dad “and he probably would have killed me” everyone chuckled, “I see where your allegiance lies” I grumbled. Jacob couldn’t say out loud that my father reads his mind because we have to be careful around my Grandpa Charlie not to reveal too much of the reality of our lives. If he knew the truth the Volturi would be all over him in an instant and his only choices would be death or to change into a vampire. We work on a need to know basis with him. My father walked up to me with a glimmer in his eyes. “Your mother and I decided to give you your birthday present early-“
“YES!!!!” I cut him off. Everyone got another chuckle. “It’s nice to see you smile again,” he said. My mother slipped a key with a red ribbon on it into my hand. My father led me into the garage where my Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper took the cover off of a car. There stood my brand new silver Audi A6 with a huge red bow on it. I squealed and ran over to it to check it out. “Don’t you think it’s a bit excessive?” My Grandpa Charlie muttered to my parents, he was most likely remembering the ’53 Chevy truck he had given my mother when she returned to Forks to live with him. He was very uncomfortable with the money that my family had because he didn’t understand how someone just starting out could be so wealthy. My family played it off as though they were old money (not a total lie) and did well with the stocks (in reality that aspect was true thanks to my Aunt Alice’s visions into the future choosing the right stocks were very easy, I even have my own!) My father is a medical student in his residency with my grandfather which is highly amusing because he holds the required degrees already, unbeknownst to the rest of the world. After everything happened with my mother my father has his thirst controlled as well if not better than my Grandpa Carlisle so it was only natural that he would follow in his footsteps to the medical world, he adores my grandfather. “Charlie”, my father replied evenly in his velvety voice, “It made the Forbe’s list as one of the safest cars of the year. That was the primary reason I selected it. Plus we know it is reliable and we won’t have to worry about her breaking down” he said that last line with a smug grin remembering how just before their wedding my mother’s truck had completely died. I ignored their playful banter and slid into the buttery black leather seat and inhaled the beautiful scent that is new car. It was fully loaded, had a sunroof and it was all mine! My father’s head appeared in my door, “So, Nessie, do you like it?”
“It is beautiful daddy thank you!”
“So do you think that you will be able to endure the day at school a little easier now?” He asked as the edges of his lips turned up into a smirk. My eyes flashed briefly,” So you had ulterior motives?” I asked him. He looked at me with his head tilted to the side, “A little bribe has never hurt anyone.” The look of mock innocence on his face made me giggle. “Alright, yes daddy this makes it much better.” Happy sweet sixteen, well early”, he said with a smile and kissed my forehead. The look of sadness had returned to his eyes. “I cannot believe how fast you have grown where’s my little girl?”
“I’m still here” I whispered into his ear as I hugged him. “Alright, alright, no crying allowed that mascara is not waterproof!” My aunt Alice whisked my father away. My mother and everyone else came up to hug me and wish me well. Jacob pulled me aside and told me that for my Grandpa Charlie’s sake he was going to drive me until he was out of view and then I could drive the rest of the way and he would run home and return at the end of the day to ride with me, just until I got my permit and license in a few weeks. The laws of the human world annoy me; I am not necessarily human but still have to fall into their guidelines. It didn’t really bother me though because I liked the idea that Jacob would go with me, so I wasn’t totally alone. Plus now I would have an excuse if anyone questioned who he was. An older friend who is allowing me to drive to school with his presence.I slid into the passenger seat and we drove off. Halfway to school he stepped out over to the passenger side and let me drive up to school. My new car drove beautifully and I almost forgot where I was headed until I pulled into the parking lot. He noticed the way that I stiffened up as I parked. “It will be fine Nessie, you will see” He reassured me. “I don’t know I just have a horrible feeling about this” I told him. “It’s just nerves you will do great; you better get going so that you are not late.” He gave me a quick hug and then sauntered off down the road, I knew that as soon as no one was looking he would be off into the forest to phase and run back to La Push. I locked my car and walked towards school feeling all of the eyes on me and hearing the random whispers, “She is a niece of the Cullen’s, my older sister went to school with them like 6 years ago, the whole family is odd they think that they are too good, they keep to themselves.” After that I shut the whispers out. “One year” I grumbled to myself. I set my jaw firmly in place and glided down the hall to my first class ignoring the stares and whispers.