Discover Twilight

chapter i

In light of recent events I don't totally dislike all that my life entails at the moment, however I do hold resentment like any other teenager of my age. Especially in my circumstance. 

The resentment is more directed towards my mother, like many sixteen going on seventeen year olds, who is currently in the process of shipping me off to Forks, Washington, a practically non-existent town where literally everyone within city limits knows your entire life story, to live with my oh-so-amazing Uncle Charlie and cousin Bella. Bella, bless her heart, lacks grace and she fell down a flight of stairs and as of late, I'm a lot for my mom to handle, so Forks here I come. Delaying my departure to go to Forks, I angrily grumble as I shove the rest of my belongings, all of my hoodies and jeans into the last duffel bag. 

"Dakota Tala Swan! Get your rear end down those stairs right now or you'll miss the flight. And if you purposely make yourself miss that plane, I will make your life miserable until I put you on the next plane," my mother calls up the stairs in her sickly yet melodic voice. 

I could hate my mother but that wouldn't be fair at all, she's been sick for the past 14 years and this life wasn't her fault, the one to blame would be Stage III Thyroid Cancer. For the past 14 years she's tried her best to raise me by herself, but it's been difficult and I didn't exactly make it easier on her. Now that she's progressively gotten worse, she's made it known that she does not want me to witness her on her deathbed, spurring her abhorrent idea to send me to Forks. From the corner of my eye, I notice the badly spackled fist sized hole in the wall and remember  when that got there. It was after my mom's last doctor's appointment.

One Month Earlier:

She has been getting worse lately, couldn't keep her food down, couldn't walk or go out to the store. They told her that her cancer came back since her last remission and this time it was too far advanced and there was absolutely nothing they could do except give her Chemo and radiation, cross their fingers and hope for the best.

 Mom always called me after her appointments, but this time she waited until she got home to sit me down in my bedroom to tell me this. I spring off my bed once she had concluded in recounting what the doctor said, "Okay, that's great! And where does this leave you?! Dead in a few months? Still not keeping any food down and constantly losing weight? This is ridiculous! We need a second opinion. A third opinion! There is no way I'm going to sit here and watch you die in front of my eyes, you've fought to hard for too long for them to throw in the towel now!"

She wraps her cold hand around my wrist and with her thin fingers gently pulls me down beside her again, "Exactly. You shouldn't have to sit here and watch me die... Which is why I made a few phone calls and you're moving to Forks in a few weeks to live with Charlie and your cousin."

My jaw fell to the floor and again I spring up from the bed livid, "Oh Hell to the no! There is absolutely no way I'm going to live with Charlie! He doesn't like me and I don't like him. Don't you remember the last time we saw him? He told you that I needed to be "better disciplined."  Like he has room to talk, when was the last time he saw his kid? Oh right, he finally got her back 2 months ago! And now she's broken in multiple places. He hates me and sending me to him isn't going to do him any favors."

She kept trying to calm me down and explain as to why this was the best thing to do but I was so incredibly angry that I wanted to punch something. Turning on my heel I slam my right fist into my wall right below the picture of me and her from the State Championships last spring when I had won MVP. The picture leaps from the nail, crashing onto the ground with the glass shattering on the hardwood flooring and leaving a fist sized hole in the wall. 

"Shit!" I shriek as a piece of the glass stabs the top of my foot. I yank the glass out from my foot cutting my palm when I do, my mom rushes back into the room with the broom and the first aid kit. Together we clean my floor of the broken glass and my dripping blood then she sits me down to clean and bandage my wounds.

She finishes placing the Ace bandage around the gauze as she whispers, "I know this is upsetting and you don't want to go to Forks but I'm still your mother and I say you're going. Go show him what an amazing young woman you are and prove him wrong. I think you and me did a pretty good job by ourselves."

I snap myself out of the memory as I grab the last of my bags, looking around at my barren room remembering my childhood, realizing that this is the last time I'll ever be in this room and turned to descend the stairs. At the foot of the stairs I find my thin as a rail, frail mother, who's a good 6 inches shorter than I am, sadly smiling at me with her car keys in one hand and a backpack I've never seen before in the other. She hurries me out of the door throwing my suitcase, duffel bag and the mystery backpack in the backseat of her 2002 Toyota Camry after she fumbles with her keys. I'm watching the Florida palm trees pass by as she drives away from our home and to the airport. I almost didn't even notice that we were in the parking lot when she turns off the car, "Kota. Baby, it's time to go."

I sigh as I collect my things and we head to the doors, "I know Mama, I just don't see why you're sending me away now at the end of the school year, to a man who has never liked me? It's not like my being there is going to do Bella any good. She's already screwed up and a klutz."

She lightly chuckles at the joke I made at Bella's expense but continues to ignore my protests until after checking in and getting directions to the terminal, "Honey, you and I both know that it's what's best. You shouldn't have to see me like this. Hey, who knows maybe he finally acknowledges that you're a good kid and that kids like you are different. I love you, you know I do." 

"Flight number 1358 to Seattle, Washington is now boarding. Again Flight number 1358 to Seattle, Washington is now boarding," a feminine voice rang out overhead interrupting Mama and I's conversation.
Mama begins to cry,  realizing what I did this morning. This is the last time she's going to see me, that I'm moving to the complete opposite side of the country. I dropped my bags causing them to clatter on the ground, pulling her into a tight hug. I kiss the top of her head whispering into her hair, "I love you too Mama. I'll be fine. I'm going to miss you so much." 

I collect my things once more and sulk toward the terminal. I hear my mom's weak voice call from behind me, "Don't forget to wait to open that bag until you've gotten to Forks." I laugh giving her a thumbs up and blowing her a kiss before I turn out of her sight and onto the plane. 

A blonde with a nice smile takes my ticket and tells me where it is I am seated. Thanking her I side step through the narrow aisles until I reach my seat. I toss my belongings into the overhead bin, sit in my seat and stare out the window wondering what's going to happen when I arrive in Washington or how Mama's going to get to Chemo. The flight attendant breaks my silent panic attack instructing me to buckle my seat and suggesting a nap. Liking her idea I smile buckling my seatbelt, leaning my forehead against the cool glass and fall asleep. 

I wake up 6 hours later to the same flight attendant gently shaking my shoulder cooing, "Sweetheart, it's time to wake up we've landed. Welcome to Seattle, Washington." I smile back at her but it's clear on my face that I do not want to be here in the slightest. She pulls down my bags and hands them to me, once I exited my seat and have stepped into the aisles, "I don't know why you're here but I'm going to guess it's against your will, right?" I nod and she laughs before continuing, "So here's my advice to you, take it one day at a time. People change and if whoever you're in Washington for has hurt you, give them a second chance because they just might surprise you."

"Thank you. You're really smart," I compliment as I take my bags and exit the plane to meet my uncle, who hates me, for the first time in 6 years.

**Author's Note**

Hello Lovelies. Thank you so much for being the slightest bit interested in my writing. I do not own Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Characters or storylines however I do take full claim on any and all original characters and storylines based off of them.