"Here's to never growing up!" 

-Avril Lavigne, Here's to Never Growing Up

***

  "In honor of Courtney dying!" 

 "Shut up, Emmett!" 

 The big man laughed as we all reached over to slap him at the exact same time, raising his hands up in mock defense. "What? Am I wrong?" 

 ***

"Growing up, I always felt alone." 

***

Clara giggled lightly from her spot next to her uncle, holding up an empty glass. "Here here!" 

 "You guys are ridiculous," I rolled my eyes, although a grin was spread across my face as I leaned into Jasper's touch. Paul rolled his eyes. 

 "You may smell slightly worse now, but I guess it is an important occasion." 

 "Speech!" 

I ignored Embry, turning to press a light kiss onto Jasper's cheek. The air in the Cullen's house was warm and cozy, and Esme put up more decorations to make it really seem like fall. Bella was wearing a cheap "Happy Birthday" crown, and Edward kept trying to coax her into letting him buy her a present. I had on an identical crown, and Emmett kept teasing me about it. 

 Today was my twenty-fifth birthday. 

 None of us had aged a day. 

My twenty-percent human blood disappeared into one hundred percent venom.

 I'm going to be around a long time. 

 And Alice insists on celebrating until we become too old to count them. 

  ***

I never had many friends to invite to parties... except for Bells and Sade of course."

***

"I still think I rock the crown look better," Sadie teased, waving her hand around so that her rings caught the light. "You know, since I'm a queen and all." 

 Sadie and Alice had a wedding almost as perfect as mine and Jasper's. I was her maid of honor, and got the additional honor to walk her down the aisle. Their six-year anniversary is coming up soon... but who's counting? 

 "Such a queen," Alice agreed, giving her wife a teasing look, followed by a light peck on the forehead. Sadie's hair was back to hot pink, the color it was the very first time she came to Forks. Mine was grown out, the way I truly prefer it. 

 "We all know that Esme is the true queen here." I teased, bowing to the older-woman, who curtsied and giggled in response.  

 ***

"I had a mom... but I feel like Esme is the person I would love to call my mother. She is so sweet, and caring, and can make you feel loved even when you aren't so sure you are. She is beautiful, amazing, and perfect, and she truly doesn't get enough credit for everything she does. Thank you, Esme, for being the mom that I always felt like I needed." 

***

"What about me? I can be a queen too." Jake teased, earning an eye-roll and a scoff from the now fully grown Renesmee. She goes by Nessie too, much to Bella's dismay, and truly did grow up to be an amazing young woman. Plus, now I don't get creeped out whenever I see her with Jacob, so....  

 "You're at most a servant." The girl teased, her voice holding a familiar slightly posh tone that her father's does, although she does hold the traditional Swan-girl looks, with her long, thick dark hair, and chocolate brown eyes. (Of course, overtime they became the 'Cullen eyes'.) 

 Jacob shot my niece a very offended look , holding his hand to his chest. "Wow, Ness, ouch." 

 ***

 "Although Jake was sometimes an ass, in the end he pulled through, and showed me that people can change, no matter what others may think of them. So thank you, Jacob, for being one of the closest things I have ever had to a little brother." 

***

"Mini Cullen is right!" Paul piped up, holding his huge hand in the air and earning a chuckle from Embry. "I mean, you did clean my entire room the other day." 

 "That's because it was messy, and was driving me crazy!" Jake shot back, a sour look on his face. "Living with you is not easy, man." 

 "After years of practically doing so, I have one thing to say!" Embry stood up, took a deep breath, and turned to face Jake, who was gazing back at the shorter boy with an expectant look on his face. "Get a job and move out you lazy ass." 

 ***

 "I met Paul and Embry not under the best circumstances, but they were thankfully able to forget that, and we moved on to become the three musketeers. As all of you already know, we take pride in messing with your lives, and I'd like to thank those two fleabags for bringing me joy when I thought I could never find it." 

***

"We know, Jacob is lazy, but I want to hear the test results!" Rose smiled, and Carlisle sent her a grateful one in return, clearing his throat. We all leaned forward, anxious to learn what forced the human blood from my system.

 "The twenty percent human blood inside of Courtney's blood began to die out one hundred twenty days after she was first turned. Along with all of the blood I took, and her rapidly repairing and strong immune system, all of the blood was replaced by the venom quite quickly. The muscles in Courtney's body and enhanced, and her heart ma go through beating spells, but I am proud to say that she will be with us for a very long time." The blonde man winked at me, grinning from ear to ear. "Congratulations, honey." 

 ***

 "Carlisle is one hundred percent the most dedicated person I have ever met. When I first met him, I had no idea how the hell he could manage a job as advanced as his, literally have a bunch of annoying kids, and do it all while resisting bloodthirsty temptations, but he does it as if it is nothing. He deserves all the recognition in the world for all of the things he has done for me, and this entire family. So thank you, Carlisle, for showing me that nothing is impossible, and that sometimes, you just need to work hard to achieve your dreams." 

***

"Yay, science!" Rose giggled lightly, tossing a piece of her perfect, curled blonde hair over her shoulder and grinning up at Emmett as he wrapped his buff arm around her shoulders. "I knew that there is always a scientific explanation." 

"Then how to you scientifically explain Edward being able to read minds, Sade with her freakin' creepy face, and Mini-Hale with the disappearing act?" Emmett asked, and Sadie made a somewhat offended face at her description. 

 "Um, rude?" She mumbled, as Alice giggled in her beautiful, musical laugh and wrapped an arm around her wife's shoulders. "I love your face."

 "Aw, thanks, babe." 

 "As for science," Rosalie crossed one knee over the other and flipped her hair over her shoulder, her pink lips curling into a coy smirk. "Sorry, Em, I think it would be too complex for you to understand." 

 "Hey, I can be smart," Emmett pouted as I cackled at Rose's quip. "I got an A in chemistry!" 

 "Emmett," Clara gently rested her hand on the big man's arm, "I got an A in chemistry." 

 "Well you're old!" 

 "No bullying," Rose bumped her husband's shoulder with her own. "Some are smarter than other's, that is just a fact." 

 "W-What is happening?" 

 ***

 "Rosalie, as I have said before, is the most bad-ass person I know. People can mistake her for things she's not, just because she is like, the hottest person you will ever meet, but she is a perfect example how looks can be deceiving. Rose continue's to be the smartest person I know, and I would like to thank her for being such a great person to just talk to, because I can trust her with anything... anything at all." 

***

"The scientific definition of what I can do, is that I know your secrets." Edward teased, playfully winking in my direction. His caramel color hair was catching the light, and glinting like gold. "Don't worry, guys, I'm really good at keeping secrets." 

 "Except from Bella?" Jasper quirked an eyebrow, and I grinned, still finding it unbelievably attractive when he does that. 

 Edward laughed lightly, looking down at my sister with endearment clear in his topaz-colored eyes. "Except for Bella." 

 ***

 "Edward is the only person I would trust with Bella. I trust him, because I can see it in his eyes every day how much he loves her. Edward literally always knows what I am thinking, but he has never done anything that tells me to try and hide my thoughts. Edward may speak like goddamn William Shakespeare, but he is one of the few genuinely good guys out there, and I am so  beyond grateful to have him as a brother.  Thank you, Eddie, for taking care of my sister, and always knowing the right thing to say to me." 

***

 "Bella... that's the one who is stronger than Emmett, right?" 

 "Damn it, Sadie!" Emmett roughly stood up, glaring sharply at my twin sister, who leaned back lazily and smirked. "You are not stronger than I am now! You're not a newborn anymore!" 

 "I dunno, Emmett-" 

 "I will bench press Courtney right now! Cordie, come here!" 

 "This is a horrible idea!" I jumped in, as everyone else in the room burst into laughter at how competitive Emmett was. I sighed deeply, shaking my head lightly in mock-disappointment. "Emmett, I am sincerely disappointed that you can't just admit that Bella is stronger than you." 

 This has become an inside joke among the family, ever since Bella beat Emmett at an arm-wrestle so long ago. His very fragile ego has been extremely bruised since. "Yo! Little Bella is not stronger than me! I can pick up Courtney with one arm, watch this!" 

 I sighed, begrudgingly standing up to humor the big man, as he laced his arm around my middle and picked me up as if I didn't weight one hundred forty pounds. 

 "See? I'm ripped!" 

 "Whatever you say, Emily..." 

 ***

 "When I first met you guys, I know that you were all scared of me because you thought I was exactly like Emmett... I don't know if that is a compliment or not. Just kidding! Emmett is the only person who I can talk to about the weirdest things, in the weirdest ways, without being judged. I may be a female Emmett Cullen, he may be a male Courtney Hale, but one thing is evident: we are the perfect duo. Thank you Emmett, for being my best friend, and always making me laugh... thank you for helping me just be me, from the very beginning." 

*** 

"Lifting Courtney isn't a big accomplishment, you know." Sadie decided to shut down Emmett's dreams, her golden eyes sparkling. "I could do that." 

 "Everyone in this room could do that!" Alice shut down the argument, although I could tell she was struggling to hold in her own laughter. "And I thought this was supposed to be about the twin's birthday? Not Emmett's upper body strength."

 "Good point," Sadie twisted over, grinning at me. "How old are we know, Court?" 

 "Twenty-five." 

 "Damn," Sadie whistled through her teeth. "When we were eleven, we would say that by the time we were twenty, we would have graduated Hogwarts." 

 I giggled at the memory, as did everyone else in the room, purely because of what Harry Potter nerds we were when we were younger. "I like this better. It might be weirder, though." 

 Sadie laughed, "I like it better, too." 

 ***

"Sadie has been my best friend since we were kids... I don't have a memory that she wasn't in. Every girl needs her BFF, but I feel like Sade is more than that to me. She is one of those best friends who you are closer too then if you were sisters, because you both know that you love each other to pieces, and can gossip, laugh, cry, and talk shit about people with them. Sadie... I don't even have words to describe her... she's perfect, in an imperfect way, which I love. I always thought we would grow old together, but now we don't have to. I am so happy to have you in my life forever, and I'd like to thank Sadie Michaels for being the most perfect best friend any girl could have every asked for."

***

"I always thought one of you would kill me by now," Bella admitted, earning a round of rambunctious laughter from the two of us, and a slightly confused look from everyone else in the living room. Bella chuckled to herself, "I am grateful that I don't have to worry about that now." 

 "Aww, Bells, we love you too much to murder you," I smiled at my sister, before turning and winking at Sadie playfully, making Bella jump. "Okay, now I'm scared." 

 "Please, Bella, if we were going to kill you, we would have done it by now!" 

 "That's... that's actually not all that reassuring, thank you." 

 "Happy Birthday, sista!" 

 *** 

 "Remember when I said how having a twin is like having a best friend for life? Well, now I mean it literally. Bella and I have not always seen eye-to-eye, but at the end of the day, I would die for her, and she would do the same for me. Bella and I share DNA, and I think that is pretty much the closest bond you can get with someone. She is clumsy, and awkward, and can sometimes be a threat to herself and others, but I love her. Not because it is expected, because she is the best big sister a girl could ask for... even if it is only by two minutes. So thank you, Bells, for being the one person I knew would always be there for me. As a sister, and a friend." 

***

"That sounds like the line from Drake and Josh," Clara suddenly piped up, obviously not concerned about the whole conversation about murder. "You know?" She spread her arms apart wide, and grinned. "Hug me brotha!" 

 Edward blinked. "Someone please translate." 

 "Come on, Eddie, I'm older than you." Clara scrunched up her nose, and gave Edward an incredibly judgmental look. "If you have never watched Drake and Josh, you must now, it is iconic." 

 "It puzzles me how she is older than all of us, yet she still knows more about current things than we do," Jasper mumbled to me, and I giggled. 

 "What can I say? She is a special girl." 

 ***

 "I have never pegged myself as the kind of girl to have a daughter, and even if Clara is older then me, she is still the perfect daughter for me. She is funny, smart, and always knows how to scare people at just the right moment. She is an incredibly gifted girl, so I'd like to thank her for granting me the blessing of being able to be called, "mom." 

***

Alice giggled again, and I took an extra moment to appreciate the sound. "Clara knows her pop-culture." 

 She perked up, her short hair floating around her ears. "Also, guys, I took an art class at uni last year, and just got a random email that asked me if I was somehow cheating because I was just that good." 

 Sadie giggled, "how would you cheat at art?" 

 "I don't know, but I take it as a compliment." 

 ***

"When the little girl first introduced herself in the parking lot, I thought I found a new friend. It soon became evident that she was so much more than that. From back when I was an awkward teenager, in my first day at a new school, to now, Alice has never once not been perfect to me. I love her because she can always make me laugh, whether it is with her beautiful voice, or the way she looks like she is dancing all the time. Alice can make me smile singing in the car, or painting me in art class when I am too tired to work. Even before I knew the truth, I knew Alice was extraordinary, and I continue to see that every single day, and I know I will every day going forward. Thank you, Allie, for... everything."

***

"Alice may be the artist, but we all know I am the writer," Jasper put his hand to his chest, and nudged his head in my direction. "No matter how much hot-shot over there wants to deny it." 

 "That was one time!" I defended, pouting and crossing my arms as Jazz laughed. "You literally beat me a grand total of one time..." I paused, "my wedding vow was better." 

 "You really want to go there?" Jasper admitted, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "Do you really want to bring our wedding into this?" 

 "Kinda." 

 Jasper chuckled again, poking at my stomach and making me join him. "Hey, I beat you once in eleventh grade, and I intend to remind you about it for the rest of our lives." 

 I rolled my eyes, "you're lucky you're pretty, Hale." 

 "Ah so are you, Hale." 

 ***

"Jasper is... my soulmate. Ha, I never thought I would ever say something like that, because I never believed in that sort of thing until I met him. When I was seventeen years old, I made a vow to make Jasper Hale laugh. When I did, it just... drew me in, and I wanted to know more. Jasper became my best friend. We would talk in English until we got separated, tossing crumbled up notes across the classroom, and driving our teacher crazy. I don't think there was ever a second from the moment I met him that I didn't doubt I was in love with him. He would give me his hoodies, and I would give them back until they smelled like him again. That's why cinnamon is my new favorite scent, not lavender, cinnamon, because it reminds me of Jazz. Everything I love reminds me of Jasper, because he is what I love the most. He is the boy who would come to my house after I was in the hospital, and stay with me until I fell asleep. He is the boy who didn't leave a room when I was bleeding because he wanted to make sure I was okay- no matter how much it hurt me. He is the boy who danced with me in his bedroom after prom. He is the boy who constantly worried about me, but tried to hide it because he knew I was strong. He is the boy who I fell in love with, and the boy that I will never, ever stop loving. He taught me what love is, and if I had to define the word now, all I would put is Jasper Hale. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Jazz, for being my best friend, my soulmate, and my true love... thank you for staying with me, and thank you for never even thinking of loving. Now we can have the life we always dreamed of, together, forever and always, just like you said... I love you more than words can describe." 

***

Jasper laced our hands together, pressing a kiss to my lips and making me feel like just melting on the spot. He rested his forehead on mine, smiling. "I love you, Courtney." 

 "I love you, Jasper."  

 I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply, his scent never changing. I felt so safe in that moment so unbelievably perfect. I opened my eyes so they could travel over everyone in the room. My family... the best family a girl could ever have. 

 "I love all of you," I turned back to Jasper, our eyes meeting as I felt just as lost in the golden orbs as I did the first time I ever say them. I smiled at him as I said the next words, the words that will mark the rest of my life. "Forever and always." 

 And then I heard it, the intermingling of every voice in this room speaking at once, into a beautiful melody that I knew I could hear every single say of my life. Still, Jasper's voice stood out the most, the voice like melted honey, the voice that still makes my knees weak and my heart flutter. leaned up to kiss him, the beautiful sound still echoing in my head. 

 "Forever and Always." 

 And I knew it would be true. I knew I would have everyone here forever. So thank you to the Cullen's for being my family, and I love each and every one of you so much. 

 Although deep down, I knew that I would always come back to Jasper Hale. 

-Courtney Hale