CHAPTER ONE

The Scientific Explanation

***

I grew up learning facts. 

That's right, facts. Things that are real, and are known and proven to be real. That is what I got, instead of fairy-tales, I heard stories of the past, I heard science and geography, but I also heard legends. Legends that grew up with me, implanted in my brain despite all of things I tried to knock them out. They weren't real, I knew that. They were kind of stupid now that I think of it. Bloodsuckers who roamed the woods and preyed on our elders. 

 Stupid, stupid, stupid. 

 Iron deficiency explains pale skin, red eyes could be genetic mutation. My sister didn't believe that one bit... No, Alyssa lived with her head planted firmly in the clouds. She reads way to many books, and now believes that one day she will have a vampire-boyfriend. 

 I have tried explaining to her that everything has a logical explanation...

 Well, it did. 

 It did, until everything suddenly blew over, blew over in a harsh wind, blown by something that shouldn't even exist in the real world.  

 Something like me. 

***

The La Push Rez is where I was born. The dirt roads were my playground, and the old, crappy school is my only form of education. 

 I think I broke the barriers of what they could teach last year. Freshman year, and I ended up teaching more of the classes then the actual teachers. My friends all think it is hilarious, that I could correct our teachers on a lesson they wrote. Yes, I am that kid. The nerd kid, the one who makes the class laugh by testing to see how red he can make Mr. Swain's- or, Mr. Pain as he was graciously nicknames- face. People can't seem to decide whether they like me, or hate me. 

 I don't really care either way. I have my friends, my boys, and they are all I really need. 

 This class I was abnormally quiet... why? 

 Because I was reading of course! 

 "Mr. Carter, is your book more interesting than my class?" 

 I didn't even glance up. "Yes, sir." 

 A flurry of giggles erupted around me, but I didn't even have time to feel embarrassed. Instead, I just put my book down and gave my best innocent grin. "I don't mean to be rude, sir, I just already learned this stuff." 

 Swain muttered something under his breath that I was sure wasn't polite, and focused his beady eyes right into mine. "You already learned it?" He asked, his voice laced with sarcasm, yet, he didn't sound all that surprised. "Of course you did." 

 I bit back a yawn as he continued, feeling a sharp poke to my bicep. I adjusted my glasses on my face, and turned around to face one of my best friends. Quil grinned, holding his breath under his face burned bright red. He then pointed at Swain, making me snort into my palm. 

 "Ateara! Carter! Is something funny?" 

 "No, sir." We chorused in unison, both of us doing our best to not burst into laughter and gain a detention. 

 Swain didn't look convinced, but before he could pursue the matter, the bell rang, making him shout at students that the bell didn't dismiss them, as we were already running out. 

"Tony, 1, Swain, 0." Quil joked as we dodged around a crowd of Juniors on our way to the cafeteria. "That man is just waiting for the day we die." 

 "Or the day he does." I shot back, making us both let out all of the laughs we were resisting all class.  "Jake and Em are so lucky they have Miss. Lopez for science." 

 "Yeah, she brought them cookies last week." 

 "All we get are tears." 

 Before either of us could speak, a sharp nudge on my shoulder made me stumble to the side and almost fall over. Jacob Black cackled, emerging from the crowd, Embry close on his heels. "Ha ha! You never fail to fall!" 

 "I did not fall!" I huffed, wiping off the lenses of my glasses. "I simple have bad balance and coordination." 

 "Or you're just scrawny." Jake teased, poking my arm, and making me recoil and smack him with my book.  

 "I am not scrawny!" I defended yet again, crossing my arms and rolling my eyes at the audacity of my friends. "I just have yet to get my growth spurt, and then all of you will be the ones getting bullied." 

 "Dream whatever you want to dream." Embry teased, pushing open the big doors to the cafeteria where throngs of students were milling around, conversing with their friends. "You have the shortest hair, and shortest height." 

 "Well I have the longest life-span so who's the real winner here?" I ruffled my hair that actually wasn't that short, It just stuck up in all directions. I looked like a modern-day Harry Potter... except my glasses were a lot cooler. 

 "That is a fact that we can not argue with." Quil shrugged as we all settled down at our usual table. I slung my backpack over the back of my chair and nodded. 

 "See? Quil has common sense, which means he will be the second longest to live." 

 "Well, Jake will probably get run over by a tour bus, so I guess I am next in line."  Embry announced proudly, running his hand through his long, dark hair. We all snickered at Jake's expense.  That has a backstory... we were visiting Seattle one time last summer, and Jacob almost got hit by a tour bus. I'll admit, it wasn't as funny in the moment, but when he ran over and started cussing out a bus full of old people, then the amusement settled in. 

 "Why are we assuming mister dusts-his-bookshelf-daily will live the longest?" Jacob demanded, and I scoffed at his word choices. 

 "Because I know how to work a fire extinguisher." 

 "Are you implying that you are going to set my house on fire?" 

 "Yep, uh huh." 

"Hi guys!" A female voice joined the conversation, as my little sister came into the picture. Alyssa is only a year younger then me, but we look like we could be twins. To be fair, a lot of people in La Push look similar, but since Lyssa and I are actually related, we stand out. Same dark brown eyes and long, dark eyelashes. Same short height, but it looks better on her... same tanned skin and messy dark hair. Alyssa's is much longer than mine, as most girls in La Push live with their long hair. Lyssa's manages to fall almost to her waist. 

 The only difference is gender, glasses, and personality. 

 Personality by a lot. 

 "Hi Lyss." We chorused in almost perfect unison, all of us sending our version of a lopsided grin toward my little sister. Alyssa doesn't have a ton of friends in her year, maybe it's because she is, and remember, I say this with love... weird. 

"How was science?" She asked, tossing me a bottle of water, which I fumbled, but caught.  "Make Swain cry?" 

 "Twice." I held up two fingers proudly, making Quil giggle. 

 "Crying, yeah that reminds me." Jake leaned forward, pointing at me with a french fry he snagged from Alyssa's tray. "I need you to drive me up to Forks tomorrow."  

 "Why?" 

 Surprisingly enough, I am the only one who has a car that works well enough to be driven. Because of that, I am the personal chauffeur of my group. "It's Bella Swan's birthday, and I want to give her a present." 

 "Ohh," we all teased, making Jacob's face burn red. His crush on the Swan girl is no secret to us, we hear about it all the time... and I mean all the time. 

 "What did you get her?" Embry grinned deviously, clicking his tongue. "Your undying love?" 

 "Oh wait," I copied Embry's smirk, leaning forward so that my glasses shifted to the end of my nose. "She already has that." 

 "Shut up!" Jacob snapped, his face as red as Mr. Swain's. "I just need a ride!" 

 "You got it." I grinned at Alyssa, who was drawing flowers on her napkin. "Wanna come?" 

 "To Forks?" She scrunched up her nose, "ew, no." 

 Yep, that summed up the town pretty well. 

 Before I had the chance to say anything, the doors of the cafeteria opened with an obnoxiously loud bang. I turned in my seat to see who entered, and I can't say I didn't already anticipate it. 

 Paul Lahote and his buddy, Jared Cameron. 

 They were both super popular around here, but not in an upfront kind of way. More in a gossip kind of way. They are both super tall, and super muscular... but that's not why. 

 No, they aren't well-known because their hot, they're well-known because they haven't always been. It's like on minute they are normal, average, like the rest of us... the next they are, well... super hot. And they hang around Sam Uley a lot, like a cult. 

 Or, as Embry calls them, hall monitors on steroids. 

 "You're staring." The by pointed out, annoyance lacing his tone, so I turned back to glance at him. 

 "No I'm not." I shook my head, before immediately turning my head back toward the two boys. Embry smacked the back of my head, making me jump back into my seat, and smack his arm. 

 "You wanna go, Carter?" He challenged, spreading his arms to the best of his abilities, a playful glint in his honey-colored eyes. 

 "Bring it on, Call!" 

 We began slapping each others hands like little kids. Jake, Alyssa, and Quil playfully egging us on. 

 Yeah, my life is going pretty great. 

***

"This town is like the rain capital of America." I pointed out as we pulled up in the driveway of Fork's high school. It was smaller than our school, which I found quite impressive. We would be missing first period for this, but I am running a solid ninety-eight, and Jacob just doesn't care.  "Like... damn." 

 "I know, I am surprised the whole town hasn't flooded yet." Jake replied, a smirk on his handsome face. He raked his eyes over the parking lot, obviously hoping to catch Bella. I parked the car, and we both hopped out. I had to jump to avoid a rather large puddle. 

 "Wow... I feel tall here." I muttered in astonishment as we walked past a group of teens. "Maybe it's because everyone on the Rez are giants" 

 "I can't argue that." Jake replied as we both blatantly ignored the stares we were receiving. "Em would be having a field day here." I pointed out, "he soaks up attention like a sponge." 

 Jake's smirk turned into a frown, and then back to a smile again as he spotted Bella Swan. I followed his gaze to a  small, like, smaller then me, brunette girl, with pasty white skin, standing next to a guy with hair the color of caramel, and skin the color of freshly fallen snow. 

 "Damn, these people need to take their iron supplements." I pointed out, but I don't think Jacob heard me, as he was already walking over to Bella. I sighed deeply, watching as they embraced, and then approached the boy she was with. 

 "Hi." I nodded, and he turned to me so I could get a good glance at his face, and wow.... he was beautiful. Like some sort of oil painting of a weird, pale, Greek God. 

 (I know all of the Greek Gods, and he doesn't really fit the description of any of them.)

 "Hey." 

 "Bella's your girlfriend?" 

 He smiled to himself, "yes she is." 

 He turned to me, and scrunched up his nose like he smelled something foul. "I am Edward Cullen, and you are?"  

 "Oh, um, I'm Anthony Carter." I answered awkwardly, using my full name so I didn't sound stupid. I can totally out-smart this guy. "I'm friends with Jacob." 

 Edward nodded, his nostrils flaring. It is obvious he isn't fond of my friend, and to be honest, I don't blame him. "Fantastic." 

 "Yeah," despite being much shorter, I side-eyed the other boy with poison in my eyes, "it really is."

 Fuck you, mister speaks like he grew up during the first world war like, damn. 

 A small smile ghosted over his face. 

 "Tony!" Jake jogged, over, grabbing my arm and swiftly pulling me over toward Bella. "This is Bella, Bella, this is Tony, my chauffeur and best friend." 

 "It's a title I take very seriously." I joked, tapping the rim of my glasses and shaking Bella's hand. "You are very popular in Jake's vocabulary, it's nice to finally meet the famous Bella Swan-" 

 "Okay, Tony is leaving now!" Jacob pushed me back, his ears tinged pink, and I snickered. I saluted Jacob, yelling that I would wait in the car, and turned back around. 

 A chill went up my spine when I passed Edward Cullen, my hairs standing on end like he was a serial killer. 

 But hey, that would be the logical explanation.