Keeper of my Heart [Twilight]

1 the move 🚚

December 2004

I always thought about how I would die. Peacefully in my sleep at an old age, no medical issues, no other worries.

Looking down at my legs I knew, that this thought was irrelevant since I was actually born. I have a twin sister, we shared the same space for nine whole months. She took more space as she seemed to have developed more and was bigger. So I was practically squished which resulted in myself having a bad hip. Meaning I shouldn't rush as the socket didn't really cover the ball completely, the risk of dislocation being very high. That was not the only thing. My bones in my legs were weak, as were my muscles. The bones could easily break. Sometime I had episodes where my legs would just give out and I would fall, or I wouldn't be able to stand up at first.

The sudden flapping of wings caught my attention as I looked to my favorite cactus in our backyard. It was an organ pipe cactus, surrounded by bushes of Arroyo lupine and blue plumbago.

Yeah, I was kind of a flower girl. Every time I found a new kind, I took a picture to add to my album. That's also how I found photography as my favorite hobby.
The blue flowers shook as a bird's head appeared.

"Hey there."

The bird looked around curiously.

"Annabeth! Come on! Your flight goes in one and a half hours. We have to hurry!" someone yelled for me.

I sighed and looked towards the house. My peace was always interrupted. I looked back at the bird, whose eyes just landed on me.

"Take care of my special place, yeah?"

As if it seemed to understand what I was saying, its head moved. I smiled gently. My mother was calling out to me again. It was one thing she never really understood; my medical condition forbidding me to run as the danger of a bigger injury hovered over me like a dark rainy cloud.

I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and mentally said goodbye to my home. And to my cactus. I gripped the miniature version of it that I got shortly after I decided to move to my dad and made my way to the driveway. My mother was there waiting with her new husband Phil. My sister Bella was standing awkwardly at the side. My bags were already loaded inside the car, leaving only my backpack.

I couldn't regret the decision to move in with my dad, as I knew I would feel better there. He also called a few days ago and told me there was currently a doctor at the hospital, who was likely more than qualified to fix my hip and probably help me with my legs in general. Apparently he had been in Forks for a year already. My dad had taken the liberty and arranged an appointment for me. That alone proved that he was more willing to help and take care of me than the rest of the little family.

Something across the street caught my attention. There stood three blonde girls that I knew all too well. Three of the most popular girls at our school. They were watching us as they waited for their fourth girl. At school I always tried to avoid them. I had succeeded most times.

"Come on", my mother said again, "damn, Bella, the phone won't work again."

"You put it on hold", my sister said and looked over mother's shoulder at the phone.

"Really?"

I rolled my eyes and watched with boredom as they solved whatever problem Renee had with her phone. First she tries to make me dislocate my hip or break something, now she's the one not 'hurrying'.

"And you called Mexico."

I laughed quietly. That definitely sounded like her.

"Really? We'll, I'll figure it out somehow. In a few weeks at the latest when you go to Forks too. You have to be able to reach me when we are on the road. You're sure you also want to go?"

She added the last part a little more quietly.

"Yes, I won't change my mind mom."

"Both of you hated Forks."

I shook my head.

"No, mom. It was you two that always hated it there. I liked it", I mumbled and approached the backseats.

"Guys", Phil's voice sounded and tapped his watch.

"We gotta go."

I sat down and hugged my backpack. I waited patiently as Phil hugged and kissed them both. It wasn't a goodbye forever, but they were acting like it was. He would only be gone two hours. At the most. But knowing him, he would practically race to the airport and back. It wasn't like we didn't get along, we just... didn't talk much.

I put my earphones on and looked outside as we passed the almost monotonous landscape. On the way to the airport I had seen only one cloud and it had been very tiny. It would be a great difference between here and Forks, but I was happy about it. I never really liked the heat as much as Bella did. She enjoyed being here, as a pale person was rare in a sunny place like this.

I closed my eyes. The heat was blowing its way into the car and even though the car was moving very fast, the little wind it caused did nothing to help.
The music almost lured me into sleep. But Phil's voice cut through it. I opened my eyes and took a look at the time. One hour had already passed. Meaning I had only half an hour left to get my suitcases on the plane and board it, not to mention finding the right gateway and that at a slow pace. Phil parked the car right in front of the entrance. He literally rushed out to the trunk and one by one I could hear my suitcases hit the ground.

"Hurry."

I scoffed. He sometimes was just like Renee; forgetting about my issues. I could see he was getting impatient, but I took my time in following him to the gateway.

"Here, this should be the right one. Good flight."

"Good..."

He turned around and rushed back to the car.

"Bye."

"Flight 116 to Seattle airport."

I stood in line and watched as the suitcases were loaded into the plane.

"-cuse me. Miss, excuse me."

I turned my attention to the woman that tried to get my attention.

"Yes?"

"Your ticket and passport."

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

I handed her my ticket and passport, as well as the small report of my medical issues that my doctor wrote. She looked at me concerned as she controlled them.

"Is this your first flight?" she asked.

"My first flight alone."

She nodded and turned to speak to another woman, who looked like she was the head stewardess. The latter nodded.

"Follow me, miss."

"Thank you."

I took my stuff back and followed the kind woman. She brought me to my seat and offered me a pillow and a blanket. I nodded in thanks and waited patiently as the rest of the passengers boarded. I decided to take a short nap. I didn't wake when the plane lifted off, only when the stewardess gently shook me awake and informed me that we landed in Seattle.