𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑. paul lahote ✓

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

┏━━━━⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆☾ ﾟ｡⋆━━━━┓

JUNIOR YEAR JITTERS

BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, CARLISLE GAVE AUGUSTINE A CHOICE.

Given her great progress and the fact that she could at least stomach being around humans, he told her that if she wanted to return to Alaska, back to the Denalis, she could.

He had also told her that if she wished to stay in Forks alongside their coven, she would be more than welcome— in fact, she'd be encouraged by the others to stay.

But, the choice was hers and hers alone.

Later that evening, Emmett had all but barged into her room with the last book in the Harry Potter series in his grip, knowing it was the only one that she was missing from her extensive collection.

"If you stay, I'll give you this," he bribed, waving the copy that had a silver bow planted on its cover around wildly. "If you don't, I'm burning it outside: your call."

Although the decision was already made in her mind, no persuasion from the older vampire necessary, she did toy around with him at first to really make him sweat. "Carmen's got a copy for me waiting up North..."

Emmett's mouth had dropped comically before he threw the book onto the bed. "I'll buy you any puzzle you want for the next three decades."

"Four, and then we'll see."

"Damn, fine!"

However, when she'd sat the family down to tell them that she would like to stay, Emmett's reaction was worth all the pestering. He had been the first to reach her, scooping her up and practically jostling her around as he cheered.

"You would've thought the Chiefs won the Super Bowl with all his screaming," Rosalie teased with an eye roll, but even Augustine could see the contentment in her amber eyes at her decision to stay.

She was a vampire and she would have years to catch up with the Denalis, but her brain was telling her that the timing wasn't right to return to Alaska; hell, she wanted to outlive her mother first before ever fully returning to live in the state. 

So yeah, she'd enjoy her time in rainy ol' Forks with the vampires she had grown attached to. And as for Paul? Well, his mere existence on the reservation was somewhere further down the list of her reasons to stay.

ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆

Given how well Augustine was progressing, Carlisle finally enrolled her into school where she would henceforth be known as Augustine Cullen.

She would also become Emmett's biological sister who'd been homeschooled her whole life for all intents and purposes— a detail that had been suggested by the burly vampire himself despite having graduated alongside Rosalie just this past spring.

So, that led her to where she was now; riding in the backseat of Edward's car with Bella in the passenger seat. If she glanced behind her, she'd be able to see Jasper and Alice is a separate car behind them, also speeding in the direction of the high school.

High school was incredible for Augustine because it was a sanctuary away from her tough home life. She had almost a million friends, did normal teenage things like drink excessively and go to parties, and she was a damn good volleyball player. Last time she played, before she died, Michigan was eager to recruit her with a full ride. Only now, that felt like a lifetime ago.