Chapter 1 - Life

Volturi Order

Chapter 1 - Life

I loved my life. As I looked up towards the sun and closed my eyes, the heat of Phoenix warmed my skin. I could feel the hot breeze against my face and smiled. I loved being here. My mom and I had moved here from Forks, Washington when I was five years old. She hated the weather in Washington, and I agreed with her, there was nothing better than the sun on your face and the warmth that spread under your skin. It made you feel alive, and I felt alive.

Forks, Washington was the exact opposite, cold, wet and literally no sun. My only problem was that I had to visit there every so often because that is where my father, Charlie lived. I didn't mind seeing him, I just hated the place. However, this year Charlie was coming here for a holiday. He wasn't going to stay with us, mom didn't think she could put up with his OCD tendencies for three weeks. I was excited to see him, and I was just happy he was coming here so I didn't have to leave the sun and the warmth that my home provided me.

I was fifteen and had top honors at Desert Vista High School. I was so excited tonight as the school was holding a dance. It had been the talk of the school for weeks. I couldn't wait to get dressed up and meet my friends. My only problem was having to ask my mom for permission to go. My mom was pretty strict with me. She was always worrying about boys and the trouble I could get in. Her fears stemmed from her own experiences when she was my age. You see my mom is what you would call a free spirit. She had little to no boundaries growing up. Her parents were part of the "hippie movement" as my dad so lovingly called it, which meant that she was more of a best friend than a child. Making a long story short, she basically ending up with me at an early age, and she didn't want that life for me.

After much persuasion, she had agreed I could go to the school dance because I promised that the teachers would be there, and I was ecstatic.

I arrived home from school promptly, I knew I had a lot to do before I would be ready to go to the dance. I took a deep breath and looked towards the house I lived in with my mother. It was small with only two bedrooms, but that is all that we needed. The house was overrun with Renee's art supplies. My mom was an artist, and loved to paint. The main problem with this was that she couldn't find a room with "the perfect lighting" and she never cleaned up any of her art supplies. Because our house was small, space became a problem. My room was the only room that didn't have canvases and other art supplies all over it. I didn't mind however because she had a real talent and sold enough to get us by. Plus, painting made her happy, and that was good enough for me.

I walked inside shutting the screen door and could hear an argument going on between my mom and her new boyfriend Phil. I didn't know what to make of him. He seemed decent enough, always looking out for our welfare. He was always bringing over meals for both of us and more supplies for mom. He always tried to include me on their "dates" by going to the zoo or the movies, which he thought I would enjoy. We didn't have much money, so mom loved the attention. He was very old fashioned in his ways and beliefs, but he respected my mom and for that, I couldn't fault him.

"Renee you are crazy letting her go to that dance," I heard Phil hiss at her.

"Phil I promised she could go, I can't go back on that now." I heard my mom plead with him.

"You are making a mistake Renee, I can't let you." He stated firmly.

I expected my mom to tell him that he should mind his own business. I could hear her saying something like, "She is my daughter!" So I was shocked when I overheard what she actually did say next.

"Okay, fine I will tell her she can't go. You're right. I do agree with what you are saying, Phil."

"Children are not to be trusted. They just don't have the same values we do, Renee," I stood in the doorway watching Phil tuck a strand of hair behind her ear as my mom looked lovingly into his eyes. Then he continued by saying, "I think it is time, I think it is time you moved in with me. Isabella needs a father figure in her life more than twice a year. She is going to go down the wrong path if you let her. Is that what you want, Renee? Do you want her pregnant and strung out on drugs for the rest of her life?"

I couldn't help the gasp that left my mouth, revealing that I was standing in the doorway and they were not alone in their conversation. "You, we can't move from here." I yelled.

Phil looked at my mom giving her a knowing glance, what was that about? Surely, they couldn't think I would be happy to move?

"Bella," my mom looked over at me squeezing Phil's hand, "Phil has asked me to marry him."

"What?" I asked completely shocked, "You have only been seeing him... what three months? Are you crazy? We know nothing about him." I lost my cool and my temper. My mom was crazy. I always knew she was flighty and very unreliable... but this?

"You will not speak to your mother that way." Phil spoke up and snapped back at me. His eyes were seriously scary. I didn't know what to think other than we could not move in with him, but the look in his eyes frightened me. I tried to focus my next words only on my mom and pretended that he was not even in the room.

"I," I was not sure what to say, "I am sorry mom; I just don't want to move. My life is here. My friends are here. My school is here, please mom?" I was begging, trying to get her to understand.

"I hear a lot of 'my's' in that plead Isabella," Phil stated. My mom nodding along with him as she pulled herself closer into his arms. This action alone made me understand that they were together in this decision and I had nothing to say about it. "What about your mother's needs and what she wants? You will have a life where we move to as a family. You will meet new and more appropriate friends and there is a perfectly good school that will teach you the more important things about life."

"Stop being so selfish Bella." My mom added into Phil's speech.

I felt betrayed. It had always been my mom and me. She always told me that together we could overcome anything, and here she was making life-altering decision with basically a perfect stranger. I teared up and ran to my room slamming the door.

"This wouldn't be tolerated where I come from Renee," I heard Phil through the door. I heard heavy footfalls outside my closed door. They must have followed me. Oh, shit.

"Just give her time," I heard my mom's voice, "she will come around; she always does."

"We don't have time Renee. I want to leave tomorrow. Besides, you cannot accept this type of behavior. This is exactly what I was talking about. She needs to know her place." Phil stated.

What leave tomorrow? Was he kidding? I was so upset. There was no way we could pack up and leave by then. I had a huge smile on my face. Maybe I still had time to work on mom.