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JUNIOR YEAR JITTERS
BY THE END OF THE SUMMER, CARLISLE GAVE AUGUSTINE A CHOICE.
Given her great progress and the fact that she could at least stomach being around humans, he told her that if she wanted to return to Alaska, back to the Denalis, she could.
He had also told her that if she wished to stay in Forks alongside their coven, she would be more than welcome— in fact, she'd be encouraged by the others to stay.
But, the choice was hers and hers alone.
Later that evening, Emmett had all but barged into her room with the last book in the Harry Potter series in his grip, knowing it was the only one that she was missing from her extensive collection.
"If you stay, I'll give you this," he bribed, waving the copy that had a silver bow planted on its cover around wildly. "If you don't, I'm burning it outside: your call."
Although the decision was already made in her mind, no persuasion from the older vampire necessary, she did toy around with him at first to really make him sweat. "Carmen's got a copy for me waiting up North..."
Emmett's mouth had dropped comically before he threw the book onto the bed. "I'll buy you any puzzle you want for the next three decades."
"Four, and then we'll see."
"Damn, fine!"
However, when she'd sat the family down to tell them that she would like to stay, Emmett's reaction was worth all the pestering. He had been the first to reach her, scooping her up and practically jostling her around as he cheered.
"You would've thought the Chiefs won the Super Bowl with all his screaming," Rosalie teased with an eye roll, but even Augustine could see the contentment in her amber eyes at her decision to stay.
She was a vampire and she would have years to catch up with the Denalis, but her brain was telling her that the timing wasn't right to return to Alaska; hell, she wanted to outlive her mother first before ever fully returning to live in the state.
So yeah, she'd enjoy her time in rainy ol' Forks with the vampires she had grown attached to. And as for Paul? Well, his mere existence on the reservation was somewhere further down the list of her reasons to stay.
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Given how well Augustine was progressing, Carlisle finally enrolled her into school where she would henceforth be known as Augustine Cullen.
She would also become Emmett's biological sister who'd been homeschooled her whole life for all intents and purposes— a detail that had been suggested by the burly vampire himself despite having graduated alongside Rosalie just this past spring.
So, that led her to where she was now; riding in the backseat of Edward's car with Bella in the passenger seat. If she glanced behind her, she'd be able to see Jasper and Alice is a separate car behind them, also speeding in the direction of the high school.
High school was incredible for Augustine because it was a sanctuary away from her tough home life. She had almost a million friends, did normal teenage things like drink excessively and go to parties, and she was a damn good volleyball player. Last time she played, before she died, Michigan was eager to recruit her with a full ride. Only now, that felt like a lifetime ago.
She would've been alongside the others in the graduating class had she not been kept back just the year before, her control still very haywired back then. Still, Edward assured her that he'd be tuned into her thoughts throughout the day and if she needed anything, all she had to do was tell him.
After they arrived at their destination, Augustine was quick to scramble out of the car with her timetable in hand. Almost immediately, the other students loitering throughout the parking lot turned their attention to the Cullens.
More specifically, they looked to her. Not only was she now the new girl, but she was also a Cullen; the attention would be off the charts.
"Remember what I said," Edward said to her, coming up from behind with Bella at his side. "Anything at all, August, and someone will come pick you up."
"Got it, thanks Eddie," she replied, pushing his arm away as he ruffled her hair before walking towards the school. Bella shot her a small smile and a thumbs up as her way of offering her some comfort, before following her boyfriend.
Jasper and Alice were quick to step on either side of her once they exited the pixie girl's car. "C'mon, Jas and I will show you to your first class," Alice squealed, the girl practically bubbling with excitement over her sister joining them at school.
Interlocking their arms, Alice led them to a classroom on the opposite end of the school where Augustine would be having AP History with Mrs Donahue as her homeroom. Jasper trailed behind, silent as ever when walking through the halls, but would always give a small response in Alice's direction if she ever asked him to chime in.
The smell of the other humans around was noticeable, but Augustine found it to be somewhat bearable if she focused her mind of something else. She figured she would become an academic weapon in no time, as the distractions of work would surely dull her thirst.
Alice was the one to introduce her to Mrs Donahue, and it helped that the old woman was Alice's homeroom teacher last year. She also happened to play favourites, and Alice was ever the teachers pet it seemed. Either that, or she was too likeable for her own good.
Jasper squeezed her shoulder before he and Alice headed back down the hall, the ravenette watching them go as the teacher's voice filtered through her ears. "Pick any seat, dear. We'll get started in a few moments."
Choosing an empty seat near the back of the class, Augustine promptly ignored the looks she was garnering from her new peers. If the thirst wouldn't take her out, the incessant staring and whispers of a mysterious new Cullen sibling would. The teen used to be quite the gossiper in high school, so perhaps it was just karma from the universe.
As the bell rang, a body slid into the desk next to hers. Her eyes flickered to the new presence, finding a blond boy with a backwards baseball cap on seated to her right. He had sunkissed skin, sticking out from the other pale faces in the room that were now staring in both of their directions. She also noted that his blood wasn't all too appealing to her, it was very... plain.
And plain blood was actually the best kind of blood for her to be around, honestly.
He surveyed the room before turning to her. "Judging by all the weird fucking stares, I'm assuming you're new here, too?" he assumed, eyes lit up in an optimistic fashion.
She couldn't help but perk up; here was someone who was also new to the school and had no previous knowledge of the Cullens at all. This was a chance at a semi fresh start, so she eagerly took it. "I was homeschooled— figured I needed to experience the real thing at some point," came her response, the rehearsed lie leaving her tongue without a second thought.
He laughed in return. "I tried homeschooling when I was seven... lasted all of a week before my old man made me cry at the kitchen table over two-digit addition."
The ravenette feigned sympathy, pressing a hand to her chest. "Two-digit addition is not for the weak," she joked, earning another chuckle from the teen beside her. She put her hand forward, "I'm Augustine, Cullen."
He shook her hand. "Will Dilaurentis," he introduced, dropping her hand once he felt her begin to pull away. "Please don't take offence, but your hands are freezing."
A nervous chuckle bubbled out of her, quick to dismiss it with a wave of her hand as Mrs Donahue began writing something on the board. "My entire family's anemic, that might explain it," she stated quickly, the excuse entering her mind just quick enough to give him an answer.
Will huffed out a sound of agreement. "Low iron's a bitch. I'll bring you a spare pair of gloves tomorrow."
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[ wyn's note ]
august's staying with the cullens!! AND she's in school again... our baby is so grown up!!
also... introducing our newest side character who's gonna be integral to augustine's school journey:
(!) charles alexander as 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙨 (!)
all love! xx