𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑. paul lahote ✓

𝐎𝐍𝐄

┏━━━━⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆━━━━┓

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

DESPITE AUGUSTINE HAVING SETTLED IN AMONGST THE CULLENS NICELY, CARLISLE THOUGHT IT WAS STILL TOO SOON TO ENROL HER INTO SCHOOL.

It had been just over two months since she'd said her goodbye to the Denalis, a promise of her return leaving Carmen's lips as the woman hugged her with a firmness that echoed the determination she felt. They'd always be her first coven mates, and time was anything but finite for a vampire, so she did jump at the chance to learn control — to leave Alaska for a while.

Carlisle and his mate Esme were the ones to escort her to Forks, Washington, ensuring her that their children were already at home making preparations for her arrival. The trip was longer than it should've been, the newborn getting distracted more times than she'd like to admit, but they had eventually reached their destination.

Augustine had been acquainted with Jasper Hale and Alice Cullen already, those two having spent the most time at the Denali residence. Rosalie and Emmett would pass by as well before the couple would venture elsewhere, and Edward was simply far too broody. However, she came to understand that he just liked his solitude, as did she whenever she felt overwhelmed.

Augustine didn't mind him at all, didn't mind any of them really, but Emmett Cullen and his booming laughter and crude jokes had quickly reminded her of her own brother. No one had expected it, aside from Alice who'd seen their sibling-like bond burst to light in a hazy vision, but he easily became her closest confidant in the home. By the end of her first month with them, they'd all noticed she was slowly starting to become more comfortable.

By the second, they began knowing who the real Augustine was behind the guarded look she kept in her eyes — eyes that would soon be amber after another month of the animal-based diet they put her on once more. She was technically still a newborn, still within her first year of life as an eternal creature, and the red eyes would have been a dead giveaway had she stepped one foot on school grounds.

Meaning, she was stuck listening to her new adoptive siblings mindlessly discuss the new school year on their first day back. They'd swapped schedules like real humans did, and Augustine's stomach churned in jealousy; if she was still human, this would've been the start of her junior year in her small high school in northern Alaska. It was the same year that Jasper, Alice, and Edward were parading around as, only they'd completed the curriculum countless times already.

A rush of calm breezed over her, jealousy disappearing as her eyes locked onto Jasper who approached her nonchalantly. "You and I could look at my homework later," he offered, subtle southern drawl in his tone as he gave the girl a knowing grin, "get ahead on some science classes for when you go back next year?"

The raven-haired girl couldn't contain the smile on her face. Science had always been her most favourite subject in school, especially given that she excelled in her Physics and Chemistry courses from her old school in Alaska. She dove towards him, almost knocking them both back as her arms wrapped around his body. "I never thought I'd be this happy to do someone else's homework," she laughed, feeling the boy's arms briefly reciprocate the hug as he steadied them. Sometimes, she forgot her own strength.

"Least I could do," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "Only 'cause I know I'll be the one doing your future history papers."

When she let go with her smile still clinging onto her face, a heavy arm was dropped onto her shoulders, hands ruffling the top of her head. "Nerd alert!" it was Emmett then, messing up her pin straight hair before she shoved him off with a light growl.

"You're such an oaf! Rosalie showed me your grades from last year," she snapped, though there was no heat behind her words, "seriously, how the hell did you fail home ec, of all things?"

Rosalie suddenly appeared behind the massive vampire, smirk on her face as she pressed a hand to the boy's bicep. "The better question is why he even took home ec in the first place." This earned a full body chuckle from Augustine, Jasper merely shaking his head at the trio's antics before exuding himself to find the vampire with a pixie cut.

"I thought it was a bird course?" the burly vampire offered.

"Why didn't you take a gym credit? That seems right up your alley," Augustine questioned. "Frankly, anything but home ec seems right up your alley..."

Emmett pouted. "We all know I'd kick major ass, but Carlisle thinks I'd draw too much attention."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, a fond look directed up at Emmett from her spot beside him. "And I could only imagine why," she told him, kissing him once on the cheek before moving to grab one of Augustine's hands as she passed. "We'll see you later, August."

August had been a nickname that the Cullens practically bestowed upon her, Alice bringing it up after the newborn had told her that she was named after the month. Granted, her mother's name was June so it was mildly fitting.

But she hadn't mentioned the other half of the story, how her mother desperately wanted another son to name August; but, she was forced to add additional letters when the nurses told June Dubois that she gave birth to a baby girl. Truly, it all felt like a set up from the get-go.

Yet, based on the sympathetic look Edward shot her way, she knew he had figured it out thanks to his impeccable mind reading skills. Still, she begged him not to say anything during one of the days where he was tasked with taking her hunting, and he only gave her a firm nod before directing her towards a rabbit he'd spotted.

She'd said her goodbyes and migrated to the kitchen, Esme Cullen with a pencil in her hand as she doodled in a rather large notebook. Augustine had learnt about Esme's passion for architecture on their journey to Forks from the Denali territory, and the woman could talk about it for ages it seemed.

"What's on the agenda for us today?" she questioned, sneaking a peak at Esme's work. With the rest of the teenage vampires starting back up at school and with Carlisle at work, it was just the two girls home for the next couple of hours.

The older woman knew that Augustine was already itching for something to do, so she turned to her with her usually comforting smile. "Want to get something to eat and then come back for one of those puzzles you like?"

Augustine's back straightened with excitement, and not just because she was excited to feed. Ever since she'd told Carlisle how much she loved to complete puzzles when she was with the Denalis, new ones that started getting aggressively larger and larger kept showing up. When she asked him about it, he gave her a pat on the shoulder and claimed he had no idea what she meant.

And she might've been a vampire, but there was no way in hell she was going to walk around in the mud barefoot. "Let me get my shoes!"

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

[ wyn's note ]

first chapter done!! oh and let me tell you guys that you'll love her relationship with emmett, i swear they're gonna be twins by the end of this thing.

and esme loving architecture just makes sense to me so it's gonna be canon in this book, duhhhh.

all love! xx