Swimming with me, ah-ooh, ooh



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𝔹𝔼𝕃𝕃𝔸 always hated birthdays. She disliked the gifts because they made her feel indebted to the giver. She loathed the parties because they made her uncomfortable, which was understandable. But what she hated the most about her birthdays was her age; she always dreaded growing older.

As Bella slept in her warm bed, morning light gently filtered through her window, signaling the start of a new day. Beside her lay a well-worn copy of "Romeo and Juliet". Deep in slumber, she was oblivious to the door slowly creaking open. Her adopted sister, Rain, slipped inside, holding a gift with a mischievous grin plastered on her face. Without hesitation, Rain leaped onto the bed, startling Bella awake.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" Rain's voice had taken on a melodic tone over the years. Bella groaned and turned away, inadvertently causing Rain to tumble off the bed with a thud. Bella chuckled, shaking her head at her sister's antics.

A knock on the door diverted Bella's attention. She sat up to see her father, Charlie, standing there with two gifts in hand. "Happy birthday. Sorry, I did try to stop Rain," he said apologetically.

Bella smiled, her eyes catching the sight of the two gifts. "I thought we agreed no presents," she reminded Charlie.

Rain, now sitting up from the floor, piped in, "And you know I never listen." She stuck her tongue out playfully at Bella, who couldn't help but laugh.

Charlie cleared his throat to capture their attention. "Well, the one from me is not wrapped. So, it doesn't count." He handed her a camera. Bella's eyes lit up as she took it.

"That's actually great. Thanks, Dad," she said sincerely.

He then handed her a wrapped present, explaining, "Uh, it goes with this one from your mom. We coordinated. Well, she coordinated me." Rain sighed, knowing Renée was never particularly fond of her, still somewhat wary of her. Bella unwrapped the present to find a photo album. "It's to, uh, put your pictures in from senior year," Charlie explained with a touch of nostalgia. "Senior year."

Charlie took a moment before speaking again. "Well, I'll let you two girls talk and get ready." With a smile, he left them alone.

Rain scooted onto the bed, handing Bella a small box. "Here. This is from me," she said with a grin. Bella smiled gratefully and opened the box to reveal a necklace adorned with a rare Wentletrap shell.

"How?" Bella asked, stunned.

Rain chuckled, "That is a secret. All I can say is it was a long swim." She smiled as Bella admired the necklace. "Thank you. This is amazing," Bella said, hugging Rain tightly. As they pulled away, Rain's eyes twinkled with mischief. "How did you become so old?" she teased.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I didn't. It's not that old."

Rain leaned in, inspecting Bella's hair by the roots. "I don't know. Is that a grey hair?" she pointed out innocently. Bella panicked, rushing to the mirror. "No. No way" she muttered, frantically searching for any sign of grey. She turned to see Rain attempting to sneak out.

"That's really funny," Bella said sarcastically, throwing a pillow at her sister.

Rain chuckled as she winked. "Now get ready, we don't want to be late." With that, Rain left Bella's room, leaving her to start her birthday with a smile.

༄.°

Rain sat in the passenger seat of Bella's red truck as Bella drove along the winding road. The radio droned on, "Another missing hiker brings the total to three presumed dead. Rangers are searching for the killer animal-" Bella quickly changed the station, landing on a song that filled the cab with a lighter mood.

"Situation's all critical. You've gotta look first before you go."

Rain glanced at Bella, then reached into her bag to grab the camera. Pointing it at herself and Bella, she grinned. "Happy birthday, Bella."

Bella rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile, keeping her focus on the road. Rain captured the moment, the camera clicking softly. She looked at the picture and smiled, pleased with the candid shot, before tucking the camera back into the bag. Content, Rain watched the trees blur past as they continued their drive as the song played on.

༄.°

As Bella and Rain arrived at school, Mike waved enthusiastically at their car. "It's Bella. Bella!" Bella parked the truck, and Rain rubbed her sister's arm in a playful attempt to comfort her. "Just breathe. We're not facing a firing squad," Rain joked, earning a small smile from Bella. They both got out of the truck and were immediately greeted by their friends. Jessica was the first to speak. "Today's the big day, girls."

Bella looked confused. "Big day?"

Jessica rolled her eyes playfully. "Uh, R and J essay due?"

Bella's face lit up with realization. "Oh, yeah."

Mike, never one to miss a chance to be dramatic, spoke in a fake Shakespearean accent, "Wherefore art thou, Bella and Rain?" Everyone chuckled, and Bella pulled out her camera. "Let me take a picture of you guys. My mom wants me to put together a big scrapbook full of memories." As the four friends huddled together, Mike chimed in, "Oh, cool, yeah."

Angela tried to back out, nervously saying, "I take 'em, I'm not in 'em, so..."

Eric pulled her back in. "No, no, no. Come here."

Jessica, always a bit self-conscious, asked, "You'll Photoshop this if my nose looks big, right?" Rain winked at Jessica, "Sure, Jess," though she had no intention of Photoshopping anything. Eric joked, "Don't worry, I'm in the picture. No one will be looking at you guys."

They all smiled as Bella snapped the picture. "It's good," Bella confirmed, showing Rain the photo.

Their attention shifted to an approaching car. Eric muttered, "Oh, good."

Mike, with a hint of annoyance, added, "Cullen's here."

Bella turned around, her eyes lighting up as she saw Edward's car. Rain noticed the sparkle in her sister's eyes and nudged her playfully. "Your prince has arrived dear princess." Bella blushed slightly and turned back to her friends as they began to leave. Jessica waved. "Well, talk to you later."

Rain waved back, calling out, "See you, guys!" She then turned to Bella with a mischievous grin. "Ready for another thrilling day at Forks High?"

Bella laughed, shaking her head. "With you around, it's always interesting."

Rain flipped her hair dramatically. "I aim to please."

As Bella turned around, she saw Edward walking toward them, his eyes locked onto hers. Bella smiled lovingly at him, while Rain watched with a mix of amusement and acceptance. Although Rain hadn't liked Edward when they first met, she had decided to give the Cullens a chance. Despite her past and her discomfort around vampires, she was willing to make an effort for Bella, who remained unaware of Rain's true nature as a siren. Rain also did know that the Cullens were vampires.

Edward smiled at Bella. "Happy birthday."

Bella shook her head with a smile. "Don't remind me."

He chuckled before turning to Rain. "Morning, Rain."

Rain smiled slightly and nodded. "Hello, Edward." She noticed the way the two stared lovingly at each other and decided it was time to make her exit. "Okay, this is my cue to leave. I don't need to be around for the lovely kissy stuff. So, I bid you both a goodbye." With a dramatic bow, Rain walked toward the school building, leaving the two alone.

As Rain reached her locker and began gathering her books, she sensed the presence of a vampire approaching. Bracing herself, she was soon lifted off the ground in a bear hug by Emmett. "Hello, little mermaid!" he exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Emmett," Rain responded, chuckling as he set her down.

Rosalie approached with a smile, giving Rain a gentle hug. "Hello, Rain. I hope you are well," Rosalie said calmly. Rain smiled warmly. Despite her initial reservations, she found herself liking Rosalie and Emmett the most among the Cullens. "I'm good, thanks. How are you?" Rosalie nodded. "We're well. Just excited for the new day."

Rain grinned, her humor surfacing. "Yeah, another thrilling day at Forks High."

Emmett laughed. "With you around, it's never boring."

Rain chuckled, feeling more at ease. "Well, I do try to keep things interesting."

Rosalie glanced at Bella and Edward from a distance as her smile faded. "Looks like Bella is in good hands." Rain nodded. "Yeah, she seems happy." Emmett ruffled Rain's hair affectionately. "And what about you? Any plans for today?" Rain shrugged. "Just surviving the teenage drama and bad cafeteria food."

Rosalie laughed softly. "You'll manage."

Rain smiled at her friends as they left, leaving her by her locker. She exhaled deeply and glanced at the file of the hikers that had been killed, which lay tucked in her bag. The bell rang, jolting her from her thoughts. Hastily, she shoved her books into her bag and closed her locker. Bella approached with Edward following closely behind.

"Rain, can you tell Dad that I'll be at the Cullens' for... you know," Bella said.

Rain looked at her sister, confused, then glanced at Edward, who was staring at her intently, trying to read her mind. All he encountered was silence. Rain glared at him before turning back to Bella. "I thought we were celebrating it with Dad. We promised," she said as they walked to their class.

"I know, but please, Rain. For me," Bella replied, a hint of pleading in her voice.

Rain sighed, reluctantly agreeing. "Alright, I'll tell him."

She walked further to the classroom, taking her seat, while Edward and Bella sat at the back. The teacher arrived and started the Romeo and Juliet film, but Rain's attention was elsewhere. She pulled the file out of her bag, her curiosity piqued. As the film played in the background, Rain scanned through the gruesome photos of the messy corpses, her mind racing with questions and theories about the killings.

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By: SilverMist707

Going back and watching these films I cringed but I do enjoy them.